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3 ’ LXMERICK. 351
upon her purty mouth-bad luck to it-the Lord forgive me, but sure it’s
hard for me to be wastin’ into my grave for a slip of a girl like that. So,
doctor, if ye’d bleed me this turn, may be that some of the eharrum would
come away with the blood; and, anyhow, I know one that can punish her
with it: so, iv you plaze, you’ll rize it again for me.” The doctor did not
argue with the man, for he knew that if he did, he would immediately go
to some “wise man or woman,” and so lose both his time and money; but he
forthwith complied with his request. Several weeks elapsed, and Aby did not
return; but at last one-morning he made his appearance with a basket of eggs.
“Long life and success to yer honour, doctor dear, and it’s fine health]
have, sir, praised be the Lord and yer honour--tlzat last yfnfslzed it, yer honour
I -Kate Cleary missed the boy she was afther, and thought to put the
i comether of l1er shining hair and her shining eyes on me, no later than
! last night; but sure a little colleen-das, little brown-eyed Shelah Nevil, that
, I’m under a promise to next Monday for the priest to spake the words,
she was with me, and though I felt my blood going a little fastere-and asthray
likeesorra a taste of harrum it done me; and ‘Good evenin’ to you, Miss
Cleary,’ says I; and ‘ I’ll be happy of the pleasure of seein’ you at my place,’
Says Shelah; and the eraythur hadn’t power to say more, on account of the
blushes; and so, doctor, dear, I‘m cured now, and hope the eggs will prove
fresh‘; and sure if I know any boys with the same ailment, I ‘ll recommend them
to yer honour.”
As a large majority of the ruins of old castles, abbeys, and churches, in
the county of Limerick had their origin in the wealth and power of “the
Desmonds,” it will be desirable that we give some history of that family; we
must therefore entreat our readers to make a step across the county--from
north to south-and visit the chief seat of their state and power, the fallen
“city of Kilmallock.”
Kilmallock has been termed “ the Balbec of lreland ; ” it is a place of high
antiquity, and is said to have been a walled town before the invasion of the
Anglo-Normans. A monastery was founded here in the early part Of‘ the
seventh century by St. Moehelloc, who died between the years 639 and 656.
T110 place is now mass of ruins; miserable hovels are propped up by the
walls of stately mansions, and “the ancient and loyal burgh”-for so it was
V Styled so recently as 1783, when it retained the privilege of sending two
members to Parliament-is as humiliating a picture of fallen grandeur as may
' be found in any country of the world :-
. "The peasant holds the lordly pile,
J ’ And cattle fill the roofless aisle.” .