New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-13
RECOLLECTIONS OF A READER
BY CHARLES T. CoNGD0N.
XIII
IRISH NOTES.

n,,r,ou AMI MA INTRODUCTION OF THE POTATO
-swrBT's MODEST PRoPosAL"-CoBBEr On
"rur REFORMATION TEE POET SPENCER
HIS WORK ON IRELAND-oLIvER CROMWELL AND
JOHN MILToN-THE OLD IRISH CODE.
Tho learned Dr. Heating, in his History OF ire
landp gives us great idea OF the antiquity OIL tno
| Irish people He says. according to note III Uio
bon, that 1.-THE giant Parthoanus, who was inc sou
of Seara the son of Esra the OF Sur the son Oh
| Fronont the son of Fathacan, the son of Magog'
the son of Jephet the son of Noah. landed on inc
coast of Minister on the fourteenth day OF May, IN
the Year of the World 1878" 1t is melancholy 10
learn though it ought not TO surprise one tht tniS
large proto-I rishman in trouble at once. lis
wife behaved so badly and so provoked the gigantic
Particulars that he killed, not her. but her tavorlte
preyhoundl SO little being certainly known OF the
primitive history of the island, the native Dards
NAV perhaps be excused for making 80 much Oh that
little in those fine productions which they have
Oiyen 49, If annals are to be mere myth and guess
work there is no reason why they should rot be as
magnificent as the human imagination is capable OF
framing while it is but fair to admit that Ireland Is
rs old as any other part of the world. 1t would be
unreasonable to ask us to go further. 1t would
be equally unreasonable to ask those not born
to the bog TO inquire into the question whether hye
hundred years before Christ, or thousand years
before Ireland had schools of philosophy, astron-
omy, poetry medicine and history, and even mill
tary academies. Nor need we inquire into the au-
thenticity of that musical instrument celebrated
by the late Thomas Moore" The harp that once
through Tara's halls the soul of music she'd" The
old Irish language may have been noble one, but
see no necessity for its revival. For all prdctlca
ru poses Irish history begins with that papal Dull
by which Adrian w. authorized Henry H. to take
of the country in the year 1155 This he did
). II Al
King of Leinster, about whom the late john Quincy
Adams wrote n long poem which was never read
through cxcep. by the distinguished author and
some of the more dili1ent and devoted members OF
the Adams family. There is n curious story III
"CamGens Romains.' which ne attributes to Geradus
Cambrcnss: "When King Henry llwasatS. DaVlps
in Wales. and from the c.in@ there, III clear
day, discovered the coast Of Ireland, that most
mighty monarch of this realm said: wish nv
slIps am able to make bridge thither, II 10 be NJ
furher' which speech of his, being related 10 Mur-
chard King OF Lemster in Ireland he demanded II
he added not t. his speech with the grace OF Co..
when IT was answered that he made no mention OF
God Then said he more cheerlullY, | fcar HIM
less which trusteth more 10 himself than to tn" help
of Gmi'D But Henry. who used to say that " the
Whole world was littlc enough for great Prince
was not likely to be governed by particularly re
hglouS Considerations. Inc English invad re of
Ireland ~ Savage, one Of them, said, did not so
much trn5t To "A castle Of stones n castle OF
borc," The man sent 10 Ireland u retain the Eng
llsh couqurs IN those days. had need to be heavy
handed and hId.h hearted. When tn IRISH eXhb-
it,d articles against the Earl Of Kildare, saving
"An Ireland caunot rule tnis EIr,' Henry VII
snd " Then shall this Earl rule ali ireland" and
,traghtway ma lc hin Deputy thereof
o.. il NOT surprised 10 find the summary dclling
with Irish r.hrs" continued in the times OF
Eliz,hcth sir Walter Raleigh found the country
all atla'nr in 1879. his return from American adj
venture. civil war having been lnsiga Ell by the IN
trgu.s OF Spain AMI of italy, Ooh count RES aending
snldc,, 10 assist ~ the uprising. Philip and the
Pour had a scheme tor the subjnIaton of The island,
and Whra sionc in his English Mssion,' asserts
that hlS Holiness had provided II chaire TO drink
ia. Queen of Eugl lnit prec'ouS blood rs SooA a.
she suoull be male \ sacrifice The biOgfapiiorS
of Raleigh tell s,ory OF him which NAV be worth
REPEATING q q of the rebels taken had Il bundle
of withcs willow ropes on his shoulder. and beng
asked what nse he meant to put them to, answered
'Why to hang up tine Eng!lsl churs.' 'Wrll.' sind
RIrgn. 'ti.,J VII HOW do Tor an Irish kcrnr, and
commanded him % h. si~p"n.c m of his own
collars R,iri-h. writing TO Leicester about thus
tunD &c, fbcS Ireland "as - lost land not a COM
mon veal ont a comilon wu." Ra,'lGh, It Is well
known introduced the culiiva ION Of the potato IN
Ireland. Pc,hap. II is no 80 Wei known that II"
intiodd,rd also tho cherry. which was m
ported bv him from the Cdrar,s. He did
better thln tIi:,; ior nj L,sm"rc-a part
of the grant made to hun by tho Queen
lie founded free Scho0l. II ~ a qno9-
ton which shall not undertake" 10 discuss whether
Ir,io,l has anv reason t. b. grateful t. Sir Waiter
for the yrg,teS'" of winch it has cons lmcd such
rpornou. qunntitlcs-for a crop IN" failure of which
al M he end
il.;l II the Emerald Isle that The appctitcs Of
ifs inhabitants should be good ~ not long
.iucc the Poor Law Commissioners ported that
" The u tter nuGbrr of the pea,In,ry Of ireland
fake at ti,ir two daily meals, Ia gcnral about nine
plunlS weight OF p1tatoc,'-a a circumstance which
bII.d tho soul OF William Cobbett wI-ha Oronly
60 jallcl by that which his rcpaGnancc 10 Meth
oii-t ministers aud calico dfeS-c, created. rS 81
in hi; work Ireland insists that " the potato has
not octas 'ohod nor Increase the caam!t"s OF the
Irlsu." On the contrary, lie ODDS that the caaml-
tcs have increased the cultivation OF the potato.
War, famine md disaster of various kinds, he
says. d" has brought down the poor Of Ireland TO the
use of the potato. aud the.o they have remained"
The root las been " the refuge and resource If
the people in the days of their suf-
fcrlng" IL is "NholcsOmc cheap. abundar,,
and almost HntdiiHg" Aasl the latter yirluo IN
no longer be- ascnbcd to II. OD'scol adds, with true
Irish warmth: Tho potato keeps the heart always
open, and preserves ovcr-rcady place Tor ho~pi-
inlity at the peasants board" lie fin Is thar tho
main owls OF Ireland are occasion"d by lack Of en-
ploymcnt, and asserts That often tho people ara
starving while tho farmers ara embarrassed by su-
>, abundant production,
Swift grnvcIy and sarcastcal.y considering tho
condition of ireland in his time. wrote his frghful
Modest Proposal" that children should be- used a.
4, npi,; Ia. "a -
old they will furnish the most delicious noursh-
ina and wholesome foOd-whrther slowed, roasted.
baked or boiled" " / make no debit" he adds
Mimi LLis will nnunlly acrYn m rncnnE or frlcnssnN