The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-28 00:00:00

• LITERATURE.

PERSONAL SKETCHES OF HIS OWN TIMES,
By Sir JONAH BARRINGTON. 2 Vole. London. 1827.

We have been unusually tardy in our notice
of these volumes for this especial reason, that
taken en.masse they form a banquet of such a
strange
.heterogenous complexion, in which the
viands are so unaccountably tough and revolting
to an ordinary stomach, that it has taken us not
less , 'than two months properly to digest them.
Even now we are suffering under indisposition,
occasioned by an ineffectual attempt to swallow
one of the most piquant anecdotes, which,
like illatheth's Amen, has, we fear, irretriev-
ably stuck in our throat. Sir Jonah, to
use an expression of Sam Foote,' is " more
poetic in his prose" than any traveller on record.
—The consequence of all this is, that his two
volumes are, from first to last, replete with
amusement : there is actually not a dull page in the
whole of them. No sooner have we despatched 'one
marvel than another is close at hand to amuse us.
In the--very third chapter, for instance, a few
pages only from the Preface, we have an account
of a gentleman's ears being cut off and put into
a snuff box (quite "by misinterpretation.") In
cap. 5, a Doctor Jenkins is represented as pier-
ing an Admiral's fist with a fork in mistake for
a French roll. In cap. 6, two Irishmen's heads
were frozen into a wall of half dried plaster,
where they stuck fast
.(and may probably be
sticking at the present moment.) In cap. 8, a
Mr. Lanegan, after having been " hanged and
quartered at Dublin," calls upon an old acquaint-
ance in Devereux-court, London. In cap. 11, a red-
hot Orangeman mistakes his wife for a rebel, and
nearly strangles her. In cap. 12, Sir Jonah
himself, on.waking up from a night's rest, at a
village inn, finds his head down and his heels
upwards—,-a picturesque, but by no means grace-
ful position. lii cap. 21, , a priest is cut in two
by a portcullis, and partly eaten up by-a gentleman
named Waddy (he must have had a surprising
appetite, seeing that clergymen, according to the
New Zealand notion, are but tough eating). In
cap. 27, Lord Norbury, at the Carlow Assizes,
takes his seat on the. Bench in a masquerade
dress, consisting of " green tabinet, with mother
of pearl buttons, striped yellow and black waist-
coat, and buff breeches," (we could fancy Lord
Eldon seated on the woolsack in this trim.) In
cap. 32;---but it is useless to enter further into de-
tails on the subject of the marvels in which these
volumes abound, let it suffice to say that the
very least of them " out-herods Herod." We
give the following as an amusingly characteristic
extract :

On driving to the cottage-door I found it open, whilst a
dozen-dogs; of different descriptions, showed ready to re-
ceive us not in the most polite manner. My servant's

whip, however, soon sent them about their business, and I
ventured into ttiC parlour to see what cheer. It was about
ten in the inorriinc, : the room was strewed with empty
bottles—some broken—some interspersed with glasses,
plates, dishes, knives, spoons, &c. all in glorious confusion.
Here and there were heaps of bones, relics of the former
day's entertainment, which the dogs, seizing their opportu-
nity, had cleanly picked. Three or four of the Bacchana-
lians lay fast asleep upon chairs—one or two others on the
floor, among whom a piper lay on his back, apparently
dead, with a table-cloth spread over him, and surrounded
by four or five candles, burnt to the sockets ; his chanter
and bags were laid scientifically across his body, his mouth
was quite open, and his nose made ample amends for the
silence of his drone. Joe Kelly and a Mr. Peter Alley
were fast asleep in their chairs, close to the wall.
Had 1 never viewed such a scene before, it would have
almost terrified me ; but it was nothing more than the
ordinary custom which we called waking the piper, when
he had got too drunk to make any more music.
I went out, and sent away my carriage and its inmate

to Castle Durrow, whence we had come, and afterwards
proceeded to seek my brother. Nu servant was to be seen,
man or woman. I went to the stables, wherein I found

three or fbur more of the goodly company, who had just
been able to reach their horses, but were seized by Mor-
pheus before they could ►nount them, and so lay in the
mangers awaiting a more favourable opportunity. Re-
turning hence to the cottage, I found my brother, also
asleep, on the only bed which it then afforded : he had
no occasion to put on his clothes., since he had never taken
them off.

I nest waked Dan Tyron, a wood-ranger of Lord Ash-
brook, who had acted as maitre &hotel in making the ar-
rangements, and providing a horse-load of game to fill up
the banquet. I then inspected the parlour, and insisted
on breakfast. Dan Tyron set to work : an old woman
was called in from an adjoining cabin, the windows were
opened, the room cleared, the floor swept, the relics re-
moved, and the fire lighted in the kitchen. The piper was
taken away senseless, but my brother would not suffer either
Joe or Alley to be disturbed till breakfast was ready. No
time was lost; and, after a very brief interval, we had be-
fore us abundance of fine eggs, and milk fresh from the
cow, with brandy, sugar and nutmeg in plenty ; a large
loaf, fresh butter, a cold round of beef, which had not been
produced on the previous day, red herrings, and a howl
dish of potatoes roasted on the turf ashes ;—in addition to
which, ale, whiskey, and port made up the refreshments.
All being duly in order, we at length awakened Jos
Kelly, and Peter Alley, his neighbour : they had slept
soundly, though with no other pillow than the wall ; and
my brother announced breakfast with a view halm: is
The twain immediately started and roared in 'unison
with their host most tremendously ! it was, however, in a
very different tone from the view halloa,—Rild perpetuated
much longer.

" Come, boys," says French, giving Joe a pull,—
" come !"

" Oh, murder !" says Jee, " I can't !"—" Murder !
murder !" echoed Peter.—French pulled them again, upon
which they roared tin: more, still retaining their places.---
I have in my lifetime laughed till I nearly became spas-
fore, bad only
tension than upon this occasion. The wall, as I saill,be:f
but never were my risible muscles put to greater
sad
comae was quite soft and yielding,
when;
Joe
andneverthe-
thought Proper to make it their pillow ; -t was
that day received a coat of mortar,
less setting fast from the heat and lights_ of aneighteenbrother
hours' carousal ; and, in the morning'
al amate
their hair being the thing most calculated to amalgamate
hisg
therewith, the entire of Joe's stock, together
with
beddedueu e
, awakened his guests, the mortar had completely set, set, and
and half his head, was thoroughly and irrecoverablyif
deter-
mined to move, he must have taken the wall along with
One side of Peter's head
him, for separate it would not.
in the greedy and now marble cement, so that
Was in the same state of imprisonment. Nobody was able
to assist them and there they both stuck fast.
A conclusion was now held on this pitiful case, which I
maliciously endeavoured to prolong as much as I could,
and which was, in fact, every now and then interrupted by
a roar from Peter or Joe, as they made fresh efforts to rise.
At length, it was proposed by Dan Tyron to send for the
stone-cutter, and get him to cut them out of the wall with
a chisel. I was literally unable to speak two sentences
for laughing. 'The old woman meanwhile tried to soften
the obdurate wall with melted butter and new milk—but
in vain. I related the school story how Hannibal had
worked through the Alps with hot vinegar and hot irons :
this experiment likewise was made, but Hannibal's solvent
had no better success than the old crone's. Peter, being
of a more passionate nature, grew ultimately quite out-
rageous : he roared, gnashed his teeth, and swore ven-
geance against the mason;—but as he was only held by
one side, a thought at last struck him : he asked for two
knives, which being brought, he whetted one against the
other, and introduced the blades close to his skull, sawed
away at cross corners till he was liberated, with the loss
of only half his hair, and a piece of his scalp, which he had
sliced off in zeal and haste for his liberty. I never saw a
'" The shout of hunters when the game is iu view.