Sketches of History, Politics and Manners; Taken in Dublin, and the North of Ireland, in the Autumn of 1810

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1811 Excerpt: ... dinner, given to a large company by a reputable merchant, was a most sumptuous one:--an epicure could have desired nothing either in food or wine beyond it.--Our entertainer was a mighty well spoken man;--at least he thought so himself, and a party is always of the same opinion with a man who gives good dinners. After the ladie§ were withdrawn, he drew a most eloquent picture of the misery of the times; stagnation of trade, and universal bankruptcy: in a short time, he said with a sigh, we shouldn't have a shoe to our foot, or a bit of bread to put into our mouths. "They must be different times from the present, then," said I, "glancing my eye on the decanters, with which the table was covered." My remark did not interrupt the flow of his observations;--he became more eloquent, and more pathetic; and one large, elderly gentleman, who, I suspect, was little accustomed to starvation, looked as if he was going to cry. Sorrow is always dry, and we swallowed such large-bumpers of claret, that when we joined the ladies, we had all the visages of Benedictines. I was seated beside a very elegant young woman; that was no novelty; all the young women I met with in Dublin were so;--she was very chatty; that was still less so; all the women I ever met with, whether old or young, were so. I felt my situation rather awkward;--she accosted me immediately, and it was with great difficulty I could answer her: that which made my host eloquent, made me silent.--I was tongue tied, or rather wine bound:--not that I wanted ideas, but they were so confused.--We managed better, however, than could have been expected;--the young lady spoke with such vivacity, that it was quite a treat to hear her; particularly after the dismal ditty I had just been listening to. She had been ...