The Bunsby Papers (second series): Irish Echoes

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  TERRY MAGRA AND THE LEPRECHAUNS.]

  IRISH ECHOES

  BY John Brougham

  _Paddy._ How do ye do, Misther Aicho?

  _Echo._ Mighty well thank you, Paddy.]

  THE BUNSBY PAPERS.

  (SECOND SERIES.)

  IRISH ECHOES.

  BY JOHN BROUGHAM,AUTHOR OF "A BASKET OF CHIPS."

  With Designs by McLenan.

  NEW YORK:DERBY & JACKSON, 119 NASSAU STREET,CINCINNATI:--H. W. DERBY & CO.1856.

  Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, byDERBY & JACKSON,

  In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of theUnited States for the Southern District of New York.

  W. H. TINSON, Stereotyper. GEO. RUSSELL, Printer. G. W. ALEXANDER, Binder.

  TO SAMUEL LOVER,

  The Irish Crichton,

  THESE FAINT ECHOES OF A THEME WHICH HE HAS CAUGHT IN ITS ORIGINAL PURITY AND STRENGTH ARE

  Affectionately Inscribed.

  Transcriber's Note: Minor spelling and typographical errors havebeen corrected without note. Dialect spellings, contractions andinconsistencies have been retained as printed.

  The Table of Contents was not present in the original text and hasbeen produced by the Transcriber for the convenience of the reader.

  CONTENTS

  PREFACE

  DAN DUFF'S WISH, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

  THE BLARNEY STONE.

  THE GOSPEL CHARM.

  THE TEST OF BLOOD.

  THE MORNING DREAM.

  THE FORTUNE-TELLER.

  THE FAIRY CIRCLE.

  O'BRYAN'S LUCK. A TALE OF NEW YORK.

  THE TIPPERARY VENUS.

  PREFACE.

  Perhaps the most interesting, if not the most instructive, records ofany nation, are its traditions, and legendary tales, and in no part ofthe world can there be found so varied and whimsical a store, as inIreland. Every portion of the country; every city, town, and village;nay, almost every family of the "real ould stock" has its representativeshare in the general fund.

  It is a very curious study to trace the analogy between the earlymythic stories of all countries, their similarity being strikinglyobvious. The great landmarks of actual history are by them vividlydefined, and their integrity sustained. As an instance--the universalnature of the mighty deluge which swept the youthful world, finds itsrecord not alone in the annals of that wondrous people, in whose linehas descended all we know of learning and religion; but also in theoral traditions and semi-historic accounts of many other nations whichhave since merged into the stream of chronology.

  I mention this particular instance for the purpose of fixing theoriginality of an early anecdote, very often reproduced and claimed bysundry joke chroniclers, as well as to give the Irish tradition uponthe same subject. Here are the words of the veracious historian Leland:

  "When Noah was building the ark to preserve himself and his family, oneBith, a man of note and substance--an antideluvian millionaire, nodoubt--with his daughter Sesar, applied to the Patriarch for admission,thinking, of course, that all he had to do was to step up to thecaptain's office, and settle. But Noah denied their request--probablyfrom want of accommodation. On receiving this repulse, Bith collectedhis family together, and, as the result of their deliberations, theyresolved to build a similar vessel for their own private use--a verysensible determination it must be conceded. When the ship was finished,Bith together with his wife, Beatha, his two daughters, Sesar andBarran, with their respective husbands, Ladhra and Fionton, and_fifty_ of the most beautiful women--inordinate rascals--thatcould be induced to venture along with them, took passage therein; butunfortunately, not knowing the exact period when the rain would beginto descend--a diluvian 'Merriam' would have been of great value--theyput to sea forty days too soon, and these raw sailors, for want ofskill in navigation, were tossed and driven from sea to sea for thespace of seven years and a quarter--how they victualled theirindependent ark the historian deems a matter of no import--at last,however, they landed upon the western coast of Ireland at a placecalled Dunnamberk, in the barony of Corchadie Ibhne, near aboutsundown. When they found themselves safely ashore, the three men agreedto divide the fifty women between them. Bith, besides his wife, hadseventeen for his share, Fionton had his wife and seventeen more, andLadhra was satisfied with the sixteen that remained--good easy man."

  In justice to our historian it must be admitted that he expressesstrong doubts as to the truth of the legend. "It is thought," says he,"to be an unaccountable relation, for, from whence intelligence couldbe had of what passed in this island before the flood, is out of mypower to conceive. We have, indeed, some ancient manuscripts that givea legendary account of four persons who, they say, lived before andafter the deluge, and afterwards divided and possessed themselves ofthe four parts of the world; but our antiquaries that are bestacquainted with the history of Ireland, reject such fables with justindignation. As for such of them who say that Fionton was drowned inthe flood, and afterwards came to life and lived long enough to publishthe antediluvian history of the island--probably with some enterprisingpatriarchal "Bunce Brothers"--what can they mean, except to corrupt andperplex the original annals of the country?"--What, indeed, Mr. Leland?

  But this, you'll say, has nothing to do with _Irish Echoes_. Well, tobe candid, I don't think it has. The fact is, my thoughts took anerratic flight in that direction, and this obedient servant between mythumb and fingers had to accompany them, _nolens volens_.

  With regard to the pages which follow, I have endeavored to imbue themmore with a Hibernian spirit, than with any attempt at orthographicpeculiarity, inasmuch as I consider it but a factitious species of witwhich hinges upon an amount of bad spelling. I have, therefore,abstained in a great measure from perverting the language, only doingso where it is absolutely necessary to give individual character.

  Some of the sketches are now for the first time presented; others havebefore appeared, but such as they are, here they are; all I can say intheir favor is, that they were drawn from no source but my owninvention; could I have done better, be assured I would; and yet,although they are not as perfect as I might wish them to be, still, Iam not without hope, that some amusement, and also--or my arrows haveindeed been shot awry--some incentives to a deeper reflection thanaccompanies the mere story-telling, may be found scattered here andthere amongst them.

  DAN DUFF'S WISH,

  AND WHAT CAME OF IT.