# The North Countryman's
DESCRIPTION
OF CHRIST CHURCH, DUBLIN,
In a Letter from a Gentleman in Ireland, to his Friend in London.
SIR,

I HAVE herewith sent you a Description of CHRIST CHURCH, given me by a Person who is not thoroughly reconciled to himself for his great "brak and transgression of the Lords Day", as he terms it; but as his going there, was by mere Chance, not Defign, he is better satisfied.—The fact is this:

A Ship from Portferry, in the County of Down, came to an Anchor at Afton's Key, laden with Corn, on a Saturday in the Evening. There were Two of the Hands, who being bred to the Fifhery in those Parts, who were never at Dublin before that Time. On Sunday Morning they afked the Mafter, that being somewhat indipofed, "Whar will we gang now, in this great City, and hear the Word of the Laird To-day?" "Lads, repled the Mafter," Pointing towards Angel-Street, "Ge yer wa that Yate, when ye get till the Head o' the Street, ye'll fee a great muckle Brafs Horfe, wi' a Brafs Man upon the top o' him, leave in yer backs, and ge ftrait on, turn neither till the Right Hand nor 'till the Left, till ye'll come to a great Hoofe in Skinner-Raw, which is ca'd the Toulfey; dinna turn there, but ftrait on ge full, till ye come to a Yate, it is ca'd Newgate, whar' the Caudies are kept; ge thro' that Yate, nearer Hand, but for the very Sauls o' ye dinna gang in till it, for they are new Light." With thefe directions they went, but when come to the Tholfel, the Lord-Mayor was going to Church with his Attendants, and they being curious to fee what could be the meaning of fuch a concourse of People, loft each other in the Crowd. One of them went up High-Street, according to directions; the other went with the Crowd, down Chrift Church Lane, till he came to the Church. At his entrance he afked a Perfon what Place it was, who told him it was Chrift Church. He afked again, "Pray ye Sir, might any yon gang in till't?" "Yes Friend," replied the Man, "come with me, and I will take you in," where he continued all the Time of the Service; which when over, he hired a Boy to fhow him the way to Afton's Key. When he came thither and was afked where he had been, he ftood for fome time filent, not being reconciled to himfelf for going to that Place he had been at. After fome Time he spoke. But what he faid I fhall give you in his own Words, as near as I can recolle&.

"Whar I was I can ge no Account, but I can tell you what I fed. When firft I ged in, I ged down a great Place, that a floor was covered wi broad Stanes, and a Warld of Foke hanging up and down thro' yon another. We came till twa great Stairs, and ged under them, whar was a Door hanging in. This Place was amoft foo o' Fokes as well aboon as whar I was. This they ca'd the Kirk; but as I fhall anfwer, there was not a Pulpit in a' the Place. Looking round me, the firft thing I fed was a muckle main Brafs Bird, with a Buke on the Back o' him; at the leigh end o' the Kirk there was a Table that was a' raild round, there war twa Bukes upon that; o't ilky fide there were twa great Candleflicks and Candles in them ameft as thick as my Gardie. In the wa o' the other fide there ware old Cheels we Beards cut out o' Sticks, as I thout, and there war a Cheel we a hantle o' Keys in his Hand, rinning about, letting the Foke intill ther Places. Believe came a Cheel we a Black Gown on the Back o' him, a White Siller Wand in his Hand and a Bird on the top o' it. There followed him a Fat swinging Cheel, we a White Sark on, and more Cheels we

White Sarks on, and lang Wigs o' the Heed o'them. A wean ged in till the yea fide, and a wean in till the other. At laft the Cheel we a White Sark tuk up a Buke and readed, and as I fhall anfwer, they had Word we him on the other fide, and a' the Foke aboot ane war Glabering among themfelves. What they fed God and only they ken. The Whiftle Pipes fell a Lilting, the Cheels and Weans and White Sarks fkirl'd and fkirl'd till they and I fweated. On th' ged this gait for fom Time, at laft yon o' the Cheels we a White Sark ged awa to the Brafs Bird, and open'd the Buke. Now, as I live, what he readed there was the Scripture. He had nae sooner done, but the Whiftle Pipes fell a Lilting and they fkirling till them. Than another Cheel tuk his turn at the Buke; I am fure it war the Scripture he readed. He war not long aboot that, and till't they went again. Now I ftood about the middle o' the Kirk, and there war a Stick that I leaned upon; the Cheel we the Hantle o' Keys came and tuk it out in till the middle o' the Kirk and laid a Buke upon it; then came the Cheel wi a Siller Wand and a Cheel wi a White Sark followed him. He kneeled down, and there he readed, but they always had Word with him aboon. He was nae lang at that, but up gets he and away till his Place. They ged on for a we while this gait, then the Whiftle Pipes fell a Lilting, and down came the Cheel we the Siller Wand, and Biffibody was he that Day, the Fat Cheel we the White Sark followed him, and a we Cheel wi a White Sark, and down ged they till the Leigh end o' the Kirk, whar the Table and Candles war, and they bo'd as they went in. The Fat Cheel tuk the Buke intill his Hands, and readed. It was the Commandents; but as I fhall anfwer, the Whiftle Pipes lilted till every yon o'them. He had foon din there; up comes he again, and the Cheel we the Siller Wand; but the Fat Cheel did nae gang till the Place war he fat aboon, but ged in till the Place in the middle o' the Kirk whar I ftood. I looked a wee while at him, and then turned myfel about. Now as I fhall anfwer, and with to ge hame and fee my Wife and Bairns, there war a Pulpit within Twa Yards o' me, whar it came fro' God only kens: for I look'd aboon and there ne Hole awat o' let it down. There came a Cheel intill it, wi a Black Gown on the Back o' him. He took his Text out o'the Scriptures, I cou'd underftand, and in gud Truth he tald his Tale gayan well. No sooner had he done, but Twa Cheels we White Sarks, and a we wean wi a White Sark get aboon whar the Whiftle Pipes war. The yen lilted and the other fkirled and screem'd till them, and I fweated, for I thought they ner wad hea done. Looking about the Pulpit was gan; how it came or whar it went I cou'd nae find out. Then down came the busy Cheel wi the Siller Wand, and a Cheel in a White Sark followed him, awa war the Table war, and there he readed a we while; when he had dun, the Fat Cheel who was faft at my Lug in the middle of the Kirk, gave us a' his Bleffing. The Foke came out and fa did I; I got a we Paddy for a Babee to fhow me the gait down here; and now I hope the Laird will forgive mef or spending the Sabbath fe ill."