UNDOUBTEDLY1, there is solace2 for the forlorn in the pleasant city of Limerick. Justly celebrated3 for its Hooks, it is far more to be admired for its Eyes, for, although the former are the best in all the world, the latter are much more killing4! No sooner did we emerge from Mr. Cruise's very excellent and extensive hotel, than we were attacked and surrounded by the lace-girls, in their blue cloaks, drooping5 gracefully6, with heads uncovered, or rather most becomingly covered with thick and glossy7 hair. At first, we recklessly resolved to cut a way through with our umbrellas, or perish in the attempt, but the utter hopelessness of such a fearful step induced us finally to capitulate, the Siege of Limerick was raised, and commercial relations peacefully established between the besiegers and besieged8. I did just venture to inquire what use I could possibly make of four superficial inches of fine linen9, surrounded by very delicate openwork, not less than a foot in width, and was immediately answered, “And shure, yer honner'll be for buying the handkercher, to dry up the tares10 of the swate young lady, as is waping for ye over the says.”
We would have it, of course, and the “splendid pair o' slaves,” and a miscellaneous assortment11, which created an immense sensation on our return home, and were declared to be both pretty and cheap; for, “when maidens12 sue, men give like gods,” or geese, as the case may be; and such winning looks of tender entreaty13 came from under those long dark eye-lashes, that I really believe their owners could have persuaded us to purchase a complete collection of poisonous reptiles14, or a copy of “The Converted Bargee.” They were not so successful with a morose15 old gentleman, who could see no beauty in their “darlint collars;” and they quite failed in an attempt, evidently persisted in for their own amusement, to dispose of some beautiful little babies'-caps, to a waspish old girl of sixty-five!
Limerick is divided into three parts, the Irish town, the English town, and Newtown Perry (so called after Mr. Sexton Perry, who commenced it); and these are connected by bridges, of which the old Thomond, hard by King Johns Castle, and the new Wellesley, said to have cost 85,000 L., are interesting. The eccentricities16 of the workmen must have added materially to the costliness17 of the latter structure, inasmuch as they seem to have been Odd Fellows as well as very Free Masons, who, instead of cementing stones and friendships, only turned the former into stumbling blocks for the latter, by throwing them at each other's heads. Every day an animated18 faction-fight, between the boys of Clare and the boys of Limerick, was got up (instead of the bridge), until at length it was found necessary to bring out an armed force, to keep order on this Pons Asinorum.
The main street of Newtown Perry, in which is Cruise's Hotel, is a long and handsome one; and what's more, you may buy some good cigars in it, a rare refreshment19 in Ireland.
We went to see the Cathedral (partly out of compliment to the memory of good Bishop20 Jebb); but its iron gates were scrupulously21 locked. Perhaps, had they been open, we should not have ventured within, for the building had a grim, uninviting look, and seemed as though it despised us thoroughly22 for daring to come when it wasn't service-time. I should not have been at all surprised, if “a variety of humbugs23 in cocked-hats” had sallied forth24 to disperse25 us.
One of the lace-girls, for they had followed us, with reduced prices and a fresh supply of their pretty work, told us, as we turned from the gate, that “during the grate sage26 o' Limerick there was a mighty27 big gun on the top of that church, that kept firing away, day and night.” Whereupon Frank said, that the interesting fact was highly creditable to the Dean and Chapter, who generally deputed any hard work to one of the minor28 canons.
In which of the sieges did the great gun thunder? Was it that of 1651, when Ireton (whose character one never can identify with that beautiful portrait engraved29 by Houbraken, for how could such a noble presence belong to a man “melancholick and reserved,” 1 and so wanting in personal courage, as to allow Mr. Holies to pull him by the nose? 2) died before the walls from the plague? Or did it some forty years later send forth its sulphurous and tormenting30 flames, against “bould Giniral Ginkil,” and help to expedite that Famous Treaty of Limerick, honourable31 alike to all?
1 Clarendon's History of the Rebellion, vol. iii., p. 362.
2 Birch's Lives of Illustrious Persons, p. 96.
We did not see nor hear anything of the great Pig-Factory, whereat one million porkers are said to be annually32 slain33. A stern Hebrew, of a truculent34 taste, might possibly venture to settle in the vicinity; but the music must be too high by several octaves for Christians35 of the ordinary stamp.
I wonder whether the lady still lives in Limerick, who had the passage of arms, or rather of legs, with General Sir Charles Napier. Being, in the complimentary36 diction of her friends, “a remarkably37 fine woman,” or, in the vulgar verbiage38 of irreverent youth “a regular slogger,” she was wont39 to despise those of her fellow-creatures, who did not weigh sixteen stone; and when the little soldier broke his leg, she remarked contemptuously, “that she supposed some fly had kicked his poor spindle-shanks!” It so happened that, just as he recovered, the large lady met with a similar accident, breaking her leg. Napier was at no loss to improve the occasion. “Going to her house,” he says, “I told the servant, how sorry I was to hear that a bullock had kicked his mistress, and injured its leg very much; and that I had called, in consequence, to inquire whether her leg was at all hurt!”
We left Limerick for Killarney by the mail train, at 11.30 a.m., entering the main line of the Great Southern and Western Railway after an hour's travelling, progressing thereon as far as Mallow (the town upon the banks of the Blackwater, with its church, and trees, and picturesque40 bridge, is a sweet little “study,” and looked as though the sun shone there always); and thence by a branch line to Killarney, which we reached at 4 p.m. We passed through a country (including part of the Golden Vale of Limerick 1) varied41, fertile, and well-cultivated, although two young officers (who looked at us, when we entered their carriage at Mallow, as though I were at the crisis of small-pox, and my friend a ticket-of-leave man) declared, as they woke up just opposite an embankment, that the scenery was “beastly plain.”
1 “It extends from Charleville to Tipperary by Kilfinnan
nearly thirty miles, and again across from Ardpatrick to
within a short distance of Limerick city, sixteen miles.”—
Saxon in Ireland, p. 101.
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1
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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6
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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7
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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8
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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10
tares
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| 荑；稂莠；稗 | |
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assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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12
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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13
entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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15
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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costliness
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| 昂贵的 | |
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18
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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21
scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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22
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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23
humbugs
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| 欺骗( humbug的名词复数 )； 虚伪； 骗子； 薄荷硬糖 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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25
disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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30
tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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31
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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32
annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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33
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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truculent
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| adj.野蛮的，粗野的 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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36
complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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verbiage
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| n.冗词；冗长 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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40
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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41
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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