f the matter is this:--a species of ambition prevails in the
Green Isle, not known in any other country. It is an ambition of about
three miles by four in extent; or, in other words, is bounded by the
limits of the parish in which the subject of it may reside. It puts
itself forth early in the character, and a hardy perennial it is. In my
own case, its first development was noticed in the hedge-school which I
attended. I had not been long there, till I was forced to declare myself
either for the Caseys or the Murphys, two tiny factions, that had split
the school between them. The day on which the ceremony of my declaration
took place was a solemn one. After school, we all went to the bottom of
a deep valley, a short distance from the school-house; up to the moment
of our assembling there, I had not taken my stand under either banner:
that of the Caseys was a sod of turf, stuck on the end of a broken
fishing-rod--the eagle of the Murphy's was a Cork red potato, hoisted
in the same manner. The turf was borne by an urchin, who afterwards
distinguished himself in fairs and markets as a _builla batthah_ (*
cudgel player) of the first grade, and from this circumstance he was
nicknamed _Parrah Rackhan_. (* Paddy the Rioter) The potato was borne
by little Mickle M'Phauden Murphy, who afterwards took away Katty Bane
Sheridan, without asking either her own consent or her father's. They
were all then boys, it is true, but they gave a tolerable promise of
that eminence which they subsequently attained.

When we arrived at the bottom of the glen, the Murphys and the Caseys,
including their respective followers, ranged themselves on either side
of a long line, which was drawn between the belligerent powers with the
but-end of one of the standards. Exactly on this line was I placed. The
word was then put to me in full form--"Whether will you side with the
dacent Caseys, or the blackguard Murphys?" "Whether will you side with
the dacent Murphys, or the blackguard Caseys?" "The potato for ever!"
said I, throwing up my caubeen, and running over to the Murphy standard.
In the twinkling of an eye we were at it; and in a short time the deuce
an eye some of us had to twinkle. A battle royal succeeded, that lasted
near half an hour, and it would probably have lasted above double the
time, were it not for the appearance of the "master," who was seen by a
little shrivelled vidette, who wanted an arm, and could take no part in
the engagement. Thi