Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-09-20
IRHsrE BULLS.

Why the Irish, of all people, should be
distinguished for bull making, or Why there
should exist amongst the natives of Ireland
such an innate and irresistible propensity
to blunder, it is difficult to conjecture or de-
eide. Mr.. and Miss Eigeworth, in their
inquiry into the etymology Of Irish Bulls,
endeavor to account for it thus THAT
the English, not being the mother tongue Of
the natives of Ireland, to them it is o foreign
language, and, consequently, it is scarcely
within the limits of probability that they
should avoid making blunders both in speak
ing and writing" However this may be,
an Irish bull is thing more easily con-
ceived than defined Perhaps, did we
search for its precedent among the long list
of bold tropes and figures handed down to
us from the old Greek writer's and orators,
the nearest approach we could find to it
would would be under the title of Catachresis
"a catachresis being the 'sboldest of any
trope, necessity makes ii BORROW and employ
an expression or term contrary TO the thing a
means to erpress" This certainly conveys
Just idea Of what an Irish bull is or should
be. s.-t,...-s 4,
Many Of the following examples we give
as original; they occurred within our own
personal knowledge, and were never before
published. The rest we have selected from
variety of sources, and have been careful
always to distinguish between blunders aud
bulls,--a distinction which is often neglect
ed. Even Mr.. and Misf Edgeworth them
selves have inexperienced the difference
in more instances than that of the renowned
Paddy'B Blake, who perpetrated what they
call g a most perfect bull" On hearing an
English gentleman speaking in praise of
the fine echo Of Killarney, which repeats
the sound forty times, Pat promptly replied ::
"Fsith, Err, that s nothing at all to the
fine echo in my fathers. garden in Galway,
for if you say to it,. Howdo you do, Paddy
Blake p it will Immediately make answer,
tPretty well, thank you, SIR"
Now this echo of Paddy Blake's which
has "long been the admiration of Christen-
dom," does not at all deserve the name or
appellation of an Irish bull 1t is rather
an exquisite specimen of that wit, quick
ness of repartee, and good-humored drolle-
ry for which the Irish are famous; but it
does not present to our mind the double
arrangement Of thought and expression so
absolutely essential to the proper construc-
ton of genuine bull. $50
One of the richest specimens of q real
Irish bull which has ever fallen under our
notice was perpetrated by the clever and
witty, but laundering Irish knight Sir
Richard Steele, when inviting certain
English nobleman to visit him. s'If, sir"
said he, "you ever come within mile of
my house, Lhope yoU aoiU stop there" An
other by the same gentleman is well worth
recording. Being asked how he accounted
for his countrymen making SO many bulls,
he replied 81 cannot tell, if it IS not the
effect of climate. l fancy, if an Eng6shnaan
0as born in ireland he would just make as
many" rgH
This, again, reminds US of that we'll
known instance of wounded Irish pride re-
lated of the porter of a Dublin grocer, who
was brought, by his master, before magis-
trate on charge of stealing chocolate, to
which he could scarcely plead ''not guilty
On being asked to whom he sold it, the pride
OF Patrick was exceedingly wounded "To
whom did sell it % cried Pat NOW, dc
you think l was SO name as to take it to
SELF" "Pray, then, SIR" said the J. P,
"what did you do with it 20 ssDo wild it?
Well, then, since you must know, 1 took il
home, and ne and my Guild oman made tag
of it." =
A rich bull is recorded of an Irishman al
cards, vino, on inspecting the pool, found ii
deficient: "Here is shilling Short" said
he; "who put it in?"
This bull was actually perpetrated; sc
also was the following: Two eminent mem.
bers of the Irish bar, Doyle and Yelverton
quarrelled one day, so violently, that from
hard words they came to hard blows. Doyle
the more powerful man of the two at the
fists, at least), knocked down his antagonis
twice, vehemently exclaiming: "Yor
scoundrel, III make you behave, yoursel
like a gentleman" To which Yelverton
rising. replied with equal Indignation
ono, sir, never. I defy you, 1 defy you
You could not do it,
The next declaration of independence W,
record occurred to our own knowledge. /
was uttered by an exasperated rural lover
whose sweetheart had driven him " beyond
- the, beyonds'' with her courtings' an,
csrryings-On'' with a rival. 81 viii neve,
4 spake to you more - He exclaimed will
exceeding vexation. ;" Keep your spdke t.
yourself them" said the provoking CIR
coolly; SCI am sure can live without eithe
it or your company" 81 am sure so Cal
I, them" was the wrathful rejoinder.
Most of cur readers are familiar, II
doubt, with the gallant young Irishman, VIII
declared to his sweetheart that he was in sucl
way doouI Her uo cOuluH Steep az HtyH
for dreaming Of her. A parallel instance t
this occurred inf our own hearing, when
poor fellow protested to his girl'' in tn
bayfield,, that his two eyes hadn't gone togeth
er all night for thinking about her. "Ver.
likely they, did not" replied this swee
plague of his life, &c for see your nose i
S between them !'' s-~
The following was perpetrated by youni
Irish gentleman, who was exceedingly anx
ious to meet a certain young Irish lady a
the house Of commonlady friend, who hat
expressed her entire readiness. las most la
dies would, under similar temptations) t
perform the amiable part of .'daisy- pick
er, to the young couple.
But. said the poor fellow anxiously
there is nothing in the world so embar
RAISING, you know, as to meet girl bv an
polntment. 1 am sure, under the circum
stances, 1 'rou'dn't be myself neither scoaI
81 she! Suppose, my dear madam, you ccul,
manage IL SO as toilet US meet at yon+ hons
some evening loithont either of as Jeing oannr
that the other acas present.
Still another pair Of lovers claim our al
tention. The young lady less fustered tha
her admirer, addressed him in these terms
81 like you exceedingly, but cannot GU