Ireland from One or Two Neglected Points of View. By
the Author of "Hints to Country Bumpkins." (Hatchards.)—For all that this pamphlet is so sweeping in its tone, it unquestion- ably contains in its pages elements of truth. According to the author, the Southern Irish are a low-type race, and are quite incapable of governing themselves. This, indeed, is a fact that does not need very much demonstration. It is only necessary to look back on that short period when the Irish possessed a Parliament of their own, and to read the history of that remarkable Assembly, to set the doubts of most people at rest on this point. We are not so sure that the author is right in what he says of low-type races. The hard-and-fast line which is apparently drawn between high and low-type races does not, we think, exist. Surely history teaches us that a great nation some- times develops, or perhaps we should say retrogresses, into a low- type race. The book, however, is characterised throughout by good common-sense, but is a trifle arbitrary ; but then, no doubt the author claims descent from one of the ruling races, and therefore feels himself justified in adopting this tone. In addition to being instructive, the book is extremely entertaining. It is full of good stories. The Irishman bewailing the evil results of drink is perhaps one of the most amusing :—" It's drink, sorr, that's the curse of Ould Ireland. Drink! that makes a man bate his wife, starve his children, go out to shoot his landlord,—and miss him too, bedad." Here is another which seems to contain the whole Irish Question in a nutshell :—" 'Cusha, thin, Pat,' said an Irish wife, you'll surely niver pay your Hut whilst Parnell's in gaol P 'Bedad, and I won't, Bridget, niver a stiver : and long may he stay there.'"
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