liberty to humanize the syllables twenty miles round. The
legislature may think what they please, and that they are above copying
the Romans in all their conquests of barbarous nations; but I am
deceived, if anything has more contributed to prevent the Irish from
being tamed, than this encouragement of their language, which might be
easily abolished, and become a dead one in half an age, with little
expense, and less trouble.

How is it possible that a gentleman who lives in those parts where the
_town-lands_ (as they call them) of his estate produce such odious
sounds from the mouth, the throat, and the nose, can be able to repeat
the words without dislocating every muscle that is used in speaking, and
without applying the same tone to all other words, in every language he
understands; as it is plainly to be observed not only in those people of
the better sort who live in Galway and the Western parts, but in most
counties of Ireland?

It is true, that, in the city parts of London, the trading people have
an affected manner of pronouncing; and so, in my time, had many ladies
and coxcombs at Court. It is likewise true, that there is an odd
provincial cant in most counties in England, sometimes not very pleasing
to the ear; and the Scotch cadence, as well as expression, are offensive
enough. But none of these defects derive contempt to the speaker:
whereas, what we call the _Irish brogue_ is no sooner discovered, than
it makes the deliverer in the last degree ridiculous and despised; and,
from such a mouth, an Englishman expects nothing but bulls, blunders,
and follies. Neither does it avail whether the censure be reasonable or
not, since the fact is always so. And, what is yet worse, it is too well
known, that the bad consequence of this opinion affects those among us
who are not the least liable to such reproaches, farther than the
misfortune of being born in Ireland, although of English parents, and
whose education has been chiefly in that kingdom.

I have heard many gentlemen among us talk much of the great convenience
to those who live in the country, that they should speak Irish. It may
possibly be so; but I think they should be such who never intend to
visit England, upon pain of being ridiculous; for I do not remember to
have heard of any one man that spoke Irish, who had not the accent upon
his tongue easily discernible to any English ear.

But I have wandered a little from my subject, which was only to propo