th the energy and
regularity of men who have nothing on which to depend but their own
exertions. And whatever happens to the bill, the country will be the
poorer for its introduction. Ireland is now an excellent country to
live out of, and those who can leave it have the most enviable lot."

A man of few words said:--"Under Home Rule the landlords may take
their hook at once. Their property will disappear instanter. The
tenant has already more lien on the land than the fee-simple _in toto_
is worth, and with a Nationalist Parliament he would pay no rent at
all. The judges would not grant processes, and if they did their
warrants could not be enforced. The destruction of the landlord class
means the destruction of English influence in Ireland. A short time
ago two men were talking together. One was doubtful, and said,
'Michael Davitt says we must have only five acres of land. Now you
have twenty-five acres, you'll lose twenty.' 'Ye didn't read it
right,' said the other. ''Tis the landlords and them that holds a
thousand and two thousand acres that'll be dispossessed, and their
land divided among the people. In six years we'll have the counthry
independent, and then we'll do as we like. Every Saxon will be
cleared out of the counthry. Only keep yer tongue between yer teeth.
Be quiet and wait a bit till ye see what happens.'

"'But,' said the objector, 'them Ulster fellows'll give us no peace.
They have arms, and I'm towld they have a lot of sojers among them,
and that they're drilled, and have officers, regular military
officers. Sure, how would we do as we liked, wid an army of them
fellows agin us? And they're devils to fight, they say.'

"'Arrah now, sure, ye're mighty ignorant, thin. Sure, they say they'll
not pay taxes. Thin the sojers comes in and shoots them down, and you
and I stands by wid our tongues in our cheeks. 'Tis no consarn of
ours. We have nothin' to say to it, one way or another. The Orangemen
can shoot the troops, and the troops can shoot the Orangemen, and they
can murdher each other to their heart's contint, and fight like
Kilkenny cats, till there's nothin' left but the tail. And good enough
for the likes of them. Sure, twill be great divarshun for them that
looks on. And that's the way of it, d'ye mind me?'"

This worthy politician must have been a perfect Machiavelli. His
favourite saying was doubtless 'A plague on both your houses,' and
with equal certainty his favourite quotation the bardic