of his own, only never a gate upon it, it
being his maxim that a car was the best gate. Poor gentleman! he lost a
fine hunter and his life, at last, by it, all in one day's hunt. But I
ought to bless that day, for the estate came straight into THE family,
upon one condition, which Sir Patrick O'Shaughlin at the time took sadly
to heart, they say, but thought better of it afterwards, seeing how
large a stake depended upon it: that he should, by Act of Parliament,
take and bear the surname and arms of Rackrent.

Now it was that the world was to see what was IN Sir Patrick. On coming
into the estate he gave the finest entertainment ever was heard of in
the country; not a man could stand after supper but Sir Patrick himself
who could sit out the best man in Ireland, let alone the three kingdoms
itself [See GLOSSARY 2]. He had his house, from one year's end to
another, as full of company as ever it could hold, and fuller; for
rather than be left out of the parties at Castle Rackrent, many
gentlemen, and those men of the first consequence and landed estates in
the country--such as the O'Neills of Ballynagrotty, and the Moneygawls
of Mount Juliet's Town, and O'Shannons of New Town Tullyhog--made it
their choice, often and often, when there was no room to be had for love
nor money, in long winter nights, to sleep in the chicken-house, which
Sir Patrick had fitted up for the purpose of accommodating his
friends and the public in general, who honoured him with their company
unexpectedly at Castle Rackrent; and this went on I can't tell you how
long. The whole country rang with his praises!--long life to him! I'm
sure I love to look upon his picture, now opposite to me; though I never
saw him, he must have been a portly gentleman--his neck something
short, and remarkable for the largest pimple on his nose, which, by his
particular desire, is still extant in his picture, said to be a striking
likeness, though taken when young. He is said also to be the inventor of
raspberry whisky, which is very likely, as nobody has ever appeared to
dispute it with him, and as there still exists a broken punch-bowl at
Castle Rackrent, in the garret, with an inscription to that effect--a
great curiosity. A few days before his death he was very merry; it being
his honour's birthday, he called my grandfather in--God bless him!--to
drink the company's health, and filled a bumper himself, but could not
carry it to his head, on account of the great shake