woman, and child of them, puzzled to think what the pudden was at all-whether Catholic, Prodestan, Prosbytarian, or Methodist -what it meant, or where it was goin'! Had Jack Rafferty an' his wife been willin' to let out the opinion they held about Harry Connolly bewitchin' it, there is no doubt of it but poor Harry might be badly trated by the crowd, when their blood was up. They had sense enough, howandiver, to keep that to themselves, for Harry bein' an ould bachelor, was a kind friend to the Raffertys. So, of coorse, there was all kinds of talk about it, some guessin' this and some guessin' that one party sayin' the pudden was of their side, another party denyin' it, an' insistin' it belonged to them, an' so on.'

"In the mane time, Katty Rafferty, for 'fraid the dinner might come short, went home and made another pudden much about the same size as the one that had escaped, and bringin' it over to their next neighbour, Paddy Scanlan's, it was put into a pot and placed on the fire to boil, hopin' that it might be done in time, espishilly as they were to have the priest an' the ministher, and that both loved a warm slice of a good pudden as well as e'er a pair of men in Europe.'

Anyhow, the day passed; Moll and Gusty were made man an' wife, an' no two could be more lovin'. Their friends that had been asked to the weddin' were saunterin' about in pleasant little groups till dinner time, chattin' an' laughin'; but, above all things, sthrivin' to account for the figaries of the pudden, for, to tell the truth, its adventures had now gone through the whole parish.

"Well, at any rate, dinner-time was dhrawin' near, and Paddy Scanlan was sittin' comfortably wid his wife at the fire, the pudden boilen before their eyes, when in walks Harry Connolly, in a flutther, shoutin' Blood an' blunderbushes, what are yez here for ?'

"Arra, why, Harry, why, avick?' said Mrs. Scanlan.

"Why,' said Harry, 'the sun 's in the suds an' the moon in the high Horicks! Here's a clipstick comin' an, an' there you sit as unconsarned as if it was about to rain mether! Go out an' cross yourselves three times in the name of the four Mandromarvins, for, as prophecy says:-Fill the pot, Eddy, supernaculum-a blazin' star 's a rare spectaculum! Go out both of you, ant Go out both of you, an' look at the sun, I say, and ye'll see the condition he's in-off'!"

"Ay, but, Harry, what's that rowled up in the tail of your cothamore (big-coat)?'' "Out wid yez,' said Harry, 'cross yourselves three times in the name of the four Mandromarvins, an' pray aginst the clipstick-the sky's fallin'!'

"Begad, it was hard to say whether Paddy or the wife got out first, they were so much alarmed by Harry's wild thin face, an' piercin' eyes; so out they went to see what was wondherful in the sky, an' kep' lookin' an' lookin' in every direction, but divle a thing was to be seen, barrin' the sun shinin' down wid great good-humour, an' not a single cloud in the sky.'

66

Paddy an' the wife now came in laughin', to scould Harry, who no doubt was a great wag in his way, when he wished. Musha, bad scran to you, Harry-' They had time to say no more, howandiver, for as they were goin' into the door they met him comin' out of it wid a reek of smoke out of his tail, like a lime kiln.'

"Harry,' shouted Bridget, my sowl to glory, but the tail of your cothamore's afire; you'll be burned! Don't you see the smoke that's out of it?'

"Cross yourselves three times,' said Harry, widout stoppin', or even lookin' behind him,-Cross yourselves three times in the name of the four Mandromarvins, for as the prophecy says:-Fill the pot, Eddy—' They could hear no more, for Harry appeared to feel like a man that carried something a great deal hotter than he wished, as any might see by the liveliness of his mctions, and the quare faces he was forced to make as he went along.'

"What the dickens is he carryin' in the skirts of his big coat,' asked Paddy.

"My sowl to happiness, but maybe he has stole the pudden,' said Bridget, for its known that inany a sthrange thing he does.'

"They immediately examined the pot, but found that the pudden was there as safe as tuppence, an' this puzzled them the more, to think what it was he could be carryin' about wid him in the manner he did. But little they knew what he had done while they were sky-gazin'!'

"Well, anyhow, the day passed and the dinner was ready, an' no doubt but a fine gatherin' there was to partake of it. The priest and the Prosbytarian ministher had met the Methodist praicher-a good civil inan he was, in throth-on their way to Jack Rafferty's, an' as they knew they could take the liberty, why they insisted on his

To be sure we won't,' replied the priest, 'so, Jack, put a thrifle on them three plates at your right hand, and send them over here to the clargy, an' may be,' he said, laughin', for he was a droll good-humoured man,'may be, Jack, we wont set you a proper example.'

“Wid a heart an' a half, yer Reverence an' gintlemen; in throth it's not a bad example ever any of you set us, or ever will set us, I'll go bail. An' sure I only wish it was betther fare I had for you; but we're humble people, gintlemen, and so you can't expect to meet here what you would in higher places.'

"Betther a male of herbs,' said the Methodist praicher, where pace is-.' He had time to go no farther, however, for much to his amazement, the priest and the ministher started up from the table jist as he was goin' to swallow the first spoonful of the pudden, and before you could say Jack Robinson, started away at a lively jig down the floor.' "At this moment a neighbour's son came runnin' in, an' tould them that the parson was comin' in to see the new-married couple, an' wish them all happiness, an' the words were scarcely out of his mouth when he made his appearance. What to think he knew not, when he saw the priest an' ministher footing it away at the rate of a weddin'. He had very little time, however, to think, for, before he could sit down, up starts the Methodist praicher, and clappin' his two fists in his sides, chimes in in great style along wid them.'

"Jack Rafferty,' says he,-and, by the way, Jack was his tenant,- what the dickens does all this mane ?' says he; I'm amazed!'

"The divle a particle o' me can tell you,' says Jack; but will your reverence jist taste a morsel o' pudden, merely that the young couple may boast that you ait at their weddin'; for sure if you wouldn't, who would ?'

will; so just a morsel.' 'But, Jack, this bates Bannagher,' says he again, puttin' the spoonful o' pudden into his mouth, has there been dhrink here ?'

"Oh, the divle a spudh,' says Jack,' for although there's plinty in the house, faith, it appears the gintlemen wouldn't wait for it. Unless they tuck it elsewhere, I can make nothin of this.'

"He had scarcely spoken, when the parson, who was an active man, cut a caper a yard high, an' before you could bless yourself, the four clargy were hard at work dancin' as if for a wager. Begad it would be unpossible for me to tell you the state the whole meetin' was in when they seen this. Some were hoarse wid laughin, some turned up their eyes wid wondher; many thought them mad, an' others thought they had turned up their little fingers a thrifle too often.'

"Be goxty, it's a burnin' shame,' said one, 'to see four clargy in sich a state at this early hour!' Thundher an' ounze, what's over them at all? says others; why, one would think they're bewitched. Holy Moses, look at the caper the Methodist cuts! An' Father M'Sorley! Honam an dioual! who would think he could handle his feet at sich a rate! Be this an' be that, he cuts the buckle' and does the threblin' step' aquil to Paddy Horaghan, the dancin'-masther himself! An' see! Bad cess to the morsel af the ministher an' the parson that's not hard at Pease upon a trencher,' an' it of a Sunday too! Whirroo, gintlemen, the fun's in yez afther all-whish! more power to yez!'

"The sorra's own fun they had, an' no wondher; but judge of what they felt, when all at once they saw ould Jack Rafferty himself bouncin' in among them, and footing it away like the best o' them. Bedad no play could come up to it, an' nothin' could be heard but laughin', shouts of encouragement, and clappin' of hands like mad. Now the minute Jack Rafferty left the chair where he had been carvin' the pudden, ould Harry Connolly comes over and claps himself down in his place, in ordher to send it round, of coorse; an' he was scarcely sated, when who should make his appearance but Barney Hartigan, the piper. Barney, by the way, had been sent for early in the day, but bein' from home when the message for him went, he couldn't come any sooner.'

"Begorra,' said Barney, you're airly at the work, gintlemen! Oh, blessed Phadrig! -the clargy too! Honam an dioual, what does this mane? But, divle may care, yez

shan't want the music while there's a blast in the pipes, any how!' So sayin' he gave them Jig Polthogue,' and afther that Kiss my Lady,' in his best style.'

"In the mean time the fun went on thick an' threefold, for it must be remimbered that Harry, the ould knave, was at the pudden; an' maybe he didn't sarve it about in double quick time too. The first he helped was the bride, and, before you could say chopstick, she was at it hard an' fast before the Methodist praicher, who immediately quit Father M'Sorley, and gave a jolly spring before her that threw them into convulsions. Harry liked this, and made up his mind soon to find partners for the rest; so he accordianly sent the pudden about like lightnin'; and to make a long story short, barrin' the piper an' himself, there wasn't a pair o' heels in the house but was as busy at the dancin' as if their lives depinded on it.'

"Barny,' says Harry, 'jist taste a morsel o' this pudden, divle the sich a bully of pudden ever you ett; here, your sowl! thry a snig of it-it's beautiful.'

"To be sure I will,' says Barney, I'm not the boy to refuse a good thing; but, Harry, be quick, for you know my hands is engaged; an' it would be a thousand pities not to keep them in musick, an' they so well inclined. Thank you, Harry; begad that is a famous pudden; but blood an' turnips, what's this for!'

"The word was scarcely out of his mouth when he bounced up, pipes an' all, an' dashed into the middle of them. Hurroo, your sowls, let us make a night of it! The Ballyboulteen boys for ever! Go it, your reverence-turn your partner-heel an' toe, ministher.-Good! Well done again.Whish! Hurroo! Here's for Ballyboulteen, an' the sky over it!'

"Bad luck to the sich a set ever was seen together in this world, or will again, I suppose. The worst, however, wasn't come yet, for jist while they were in the very heat an' fury of the dance, what do you think comes hoppin' in among them but another pudden, as nimble an' merry as the first! That was enough; they all had heard of the clargy among the rest-an' most o' them seen the other pudden, and knew that there must be

either the divle or a fairy in it, sure enough. Well, as I said, in it comes to the thick o' them; but the very appearance of it was enough. Off the four clargy danced, and off the whole weddiners danced after them, every one makin' the best of their way home; but divle a soul of them able to break out of the step, if they were to be hanged for it. Throth it wouldn't lave a laugh in you to see the priest an' the parson dancin' down the road on their way home together, an' the ministher and Methodist praicher cuttin' the buckle as they went along in the opposite direction. To make short work of it, they all danced home at last, wid scarce a puff of wind in them; the bride and bridegroom danced away to bed; and now, boys, come an' let us dance the Horo Lheig in the barn 'idout. But you see, boys, before we go, an' in ordher that I may make everything plain, I had as good tell you, that Harry, in crossin' the bridge of Ballyboulteen, a couple of miles below Squire Bragshaw's demesnewall, saw the pudden floatin' down the river-I suppose he expected it; but be this as it may, he took it out, for the wather had made it as clane as a new pin, and tuckin' it up in the tail of his big coat, contrived as you all guess, I suppose, to change it while Paddy Scanlan an' the wife were examinin' the sky; and for the other, he contrived to bewitch it in the same manner, by gettin' a fairy to go into it, for, indeed, it was purty well known that the same Harry was hand an' glove wid the good people. Others will tell you that it was half a pound of quicksilver he put into it; but that doesn't stand to raison. At any rate, boys, I have tould you the adventures of the Mad Pudden of Ballyboulteen; but I don't wish to tell you many other things about it that happened for fraid I'd tell a lie.*

pudding has not, so far as I have been able to as*This superstition of the dancing or bewitched

certain, ever been given to the public before. The singular tendency to saltation is attributed to two causes, both of which are introduced in the tale. Some will insist that a fairy-man or fairy-woman has the power to bewitch a pudding by putting a fairy into it; whilst others maintain that a competent portion of quicksilver will make it dance over half the parish.

In the January number we gave a brief sketch of the statutary History of the Linen Trade from the year 1542, to the close of the seventeenth century; it now remains to trace its progress from that time to the present. Before, however, we enter on its history during the eighteenth century, it will be necessary to take a brief retrospect, so as to carry with us a remembrance of the events of the latter part of that which preceded, with the details of which we closed our former paper.

It will be remembered, that in order to secure to England a monopoly of the woollen trade, her Lords and Commons in conjunction with our King, proposed to the Irish parliament that Ireland should relinquish her trade in woollens in favour of England, on the condition that England should relinquish that of linens in favour of Ireland, and that they should mutually give every encouragement, the one to the other, in what were thenceforth to be considered their respective trades.

It would be superfluous to enter into any argument to show how unfair was the proposition, that the staple manufacture of one nation should be handed over to another, for no higher consideration than that of being encouraged in the extension of a different trade in which she was engaged, and which, though intrinsically valuable, was at that time one of comparatively minor importance. That a total want of reciprocal interest must be met with, in a compact founded on such a proposition, is self-evident; however, as the compact was entered into, the absence of mutual advantage in the terms need not now be canvassed.

We have seen how faithfully Ireland fulfilled her part of the treaty; we have also had evidence of the national decay which

*Letters on Swift's Life and Writings, xvi. p. 127.

was

the immediate consequence; and we saw that up to the close of William's reign, England appeared to have utterly forgotten that part of her compact which bound her to give the linen trade of Ireland every encouragement it should be capable of; while in opposition to the fundamental principles of the constitution, she forced upon us an extension of that part of the treaty which related to the prohibition of our woollen manufacture.

It must not, however, be forgotten that the parliament which entered into this bargain for us, were not the representatives of the people; in their election the people of the land had no voice; they were for the most part nominees of an unnational aristocracy, or the obsequious minions of an anti-Irish government; and holding their seats irrespective of the popular will, they sympathised not with the wants of the people, nor regarded the interests of the country. Yet in all things they were not subservient to England; and while we find them with placid unanimity submitting to her dictation, where the beggary of our people was the forfeit, we at the same instant find a powerful party roused into firm and effective resistance by a demand made on the chartered rights of their patrons. When the Lords Justices, on the part of England, demanded that our woollen trade should be put down, it was proposed to effect it by levying prohibitory duties, under the imposing title of plies;" and the Commons' Journals of the time furnish evidence, that while the only property that remained to the peoplethe sweat of their brow and the fruit thereof-was unanimously alienated by a corrupt, because irresponsible parliament, the property of the nobles was held sacred.

Sup

"The Solicitor-General reported from the committee appointed to consider of their Excellencies the Lords Justices' speech, that they came to two resolutions,