The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-02

manners produce the opposite To such sto-
res as these, have no doubt, great crowds III
Celtic peasants used TO listen before st. Patrick
and his ca-missionaries superseded the heather
| priests. The wonderful starry of the dwarf
called Foot and Half also points back TO the
same early date. 1t was by following the ed.
wee of little bird, and securing his mothers
blessing, that he was SO successful.
Sometimes the conversation of the old folks
was more interesting than our own stories, and
We were hushed in breathess attention, When
they talked about the Peehs, for instance. AN
ancient Irish race, now extinct, whose feet
were so broad that when 1t rained thew law
down on their back and turned them up for an
umbrella, you may be sure we listened
have heard them tell fearful stories about
le Old Water Kisgs; and long as it was since
the invasion of the Danes, the Irish gtin felt 4
horror towards the whole nation.
= Terrible tales about the massacre of l6AI
formed large part of tradition among Protest
ants. How Phehm O'Neill crowded a barn fall
Of men, women, and children, and setting fire
10 1t, consumed them all-and when woman
threw an infant out by the window, soldier
took it upon bis spear, and threw it back again /;
how be killed Protestants, and threw them into
the river Bum, till the dead bodies were piled
above the surface of the water; how in that
spot bloody hand was seen rising up once a
year, while low, hoarse voice from the bottom
OF the water cried out vengeance, vengeance; +"
how Cromwell afterwards avenged their blood
on that spot and then the spectre ceased to re-
turn such tales as these either fictitious or
highly exaggerated, formed the conversation of
many winter evening. No doubt among Ro
man Catholics, stories about the oppression and
cruelty OF Protestants were recited with similar
effect. All tended to keep up an unhappy feud
between two races which otherwise would have
mingled into one"
If beggars supplied them with news, aud
tradition took the place of history, songs an
swered for light literature Great heroes, patti.
cite statesmen, unfortunate lovers, bloody muir
derers, ill-boding comets, hard winters, dear
summers, bad children, feet horses, nimble
dogs, good cows, and everything else remark
able, were celebrated in song. Correct singers
were scarce; but there were few who did not
practice music either instrumental or vocal
and application made the commonest voices
agreeable to those who had not too refined
taste. And .even those who could sing none at
all, had many songs in their memory. Some
songs were printed and sold for halfpenny
| apiece, others were never committed to paper,
but learned from one another. National songs
such as The Boyne Water or The Prot
estant Boys" on one side, or The White
COckade," on the other, were often the occa-
SION of broiis. The singing of song, or even
the playing OF tune, was often the start of a
fight, in which bones were broken; for indeed
ii was the symbol of insult or defiance. The
Celtic Irish sung their songs with the most en-
thusiasm, for departed glory has the richest
lustre.
! Blessings brigh they take their flight
| The first time l remember the hecklers at
- !
| heard the servant girl speak of pretty song
they sung about the white cockade. [ went
out into the barn, and listened to them. They
would sing it over and over again, with wild
| sweetness very attractive to a child Indeed.
James Ii was not to them the cold, selfish,
SeEiS-mfnded James OF history. To them ise
was the Christian, who gave up a throne to
save his religion; the affectionate father. who
would not allow his gunner to shoot William
across the Boyne, lest be would leave his dauoh.
ter a widow, and send his son-in-law to he'll
before he had time to repent; the devoted
saint, who scourged his back in penance till
the whip was stained with his blood. They
imagined that the ancestors of the Stuarts came
originally from Ireland, and tn 1t James was in
heart true Irishman. They were confident
too, that, had he reigned, the cd harp would
once more have shed the soul of music through
the halls of Tara" and the golden age returned
Love songs were numerous; and, as in our
novels, there was a miserable sameness about
them. Love, however, even though expressed
in the --LATEST style of language, contained true
gems of poetry especially those which related
plain story, which was generally the simple
truth.
will give one of quite cheerful character
There cam a eoorner 10 our hoose,
To cOorI our dochter janet,
And oh but he was wOndrOus doose
Wi his new blue bonnet.
The saTk he had upon biz back,
Was o. six hunder linen,
II white ony sna'
D his ain granny's sP.nnln.
His CO o. hoddin gray was neat,
An lined Wi a guild blanket
Wi horseman boots upon his feet
An spurs upon has anklet
Upon his she he could ride,
Wi bride, and wi saddle;
A guid broad sword hung by his side,
WI handle hike u adle
The lass put on a brsgh new gown,
Likewise n tartan apron
The glinlin snood upon her held
About her neck a napkin,
Which dazzles a a laddie's e'en,
An Inak's him think she's hansOme.
The af-hun buck, 10 tell his crack,
Was neither blait nor langsome.
lie talks her han, and thus begun,
Kind lassle would ye hear me,
Il WOO the cam here,
| vow lo'e thee dearly.
My wee biz cot behint the hill
Is lionel, for thee want ye
Ii you were there our life wad be
Sac cOsey and sac canty."
Wi downcast eyes the lass replies, ...
For marriage I'm no ready.
haze will to say thee nay,
lay IT TO my daddy"
He gangs unto the aud guild man,
An by the han he taks him.
"Gui man," quo he, A" ye maun be free,
For haze ought to ak ye;
Guild man. quo he, ye maun be kind
NJ IL IN me- DOE hteT
For do loe the iassie weel,
III seek muckle tockeT."
WI ready grace the auId man says
:" know but few TO passye,
I har pae will 10 say thee nay,
lay 1t 10 the lasse"
The iailOrs they were sent for soon,
To max the weddin caes man,
An Janet was happy bride,
Before twas many days, man.
The reader will think it very near the truth to
say that the beau was neither blait nor lang
some in popping the question Nor was she
simple candor by Rebekah of DID, who, to the
question, "Wilt thou go with this man 7 D." an
swered, Il will CO."
The following is a specimen of the regular
rowdy songs
When the hagman of Cork broke the neck of my daddy
thought that my NANNY with grief would mad
But in less Than week she married TO Teddy, 90
And soon she forgot the poor neck of my dad
With my hear broke with joy, went down to the wed
ding n
Potatoes and whisky went nerrily round;
They danced all the night for they Of bed
ding, f.
And they that got drunk had to lie on the ground
For to get some money, then took to stealing,
For TO get some money, my passage 10 pays
Twas then ] fell in with old Harry Mc(iuillan,
And robbed an old woman that very same day
sorra n farihin0 he bod bu, ona sb;lIina