These
should be given freely by the jurymen, to all their acquaintance, that
every man might know, to whose carelessness or jobbing the public was
indebted for bad roads, when they had paid for good ones. Such a
practice would certainly deter many.

At 11,042,642 acres in the kingdom, 140,000 pounds a year amounts to just
threepence an acre for the whole territory: a very trifling tax for such
an improvement, and which almost ranks in public ease and benefit with
that of the post-office.

SECTION III.--Manners and Customs.

Quid leges sine moribus,
Vana proficiunt!

It is but an illiberal business for a traveller, who designs to publish
remarks upon a country to sit down coolly in his closet and write a
satire on the inhabitants. Severity of that sort must be enlivened with
an uncommon share of wit and ridicule, to please. Where very gross
absurdities are found, it is fair and manly to note them; but to enter
into character and disposition is generally uncandid, since there are no
people but might be better than they are found, and none but have virtues
which deserve attention, at least as much as their failings; for these
reasons this section would not have found a place in my observations, had
not some persons, of much more flippancy than wisdom, given very gross
misrepresentations of the Irish nation. It is with pleasure, therefore,
that I take up the pen on the present occasion; as a much longer
residence there enables me to exhibit a very different picture; in doing
this, I shall be free to remark, wherein I think the conduct of certain
classes may have given rise to general and consequently injurious
condemnation.

There are three races of people in Ireland, so distinct as to strike the
least attentive traveller: these are the Spanish which are found in
Kerry, and a part of Limerick and Cork, tall and thin, but well made, a
long visage, dark eyes, and long black lank hair. The time is not remote
when the Spaniards had a kind of settlement on the coast of Kerry, which
seemed to be overlooked by government. There were many of them in Queen
Elizabeth's reign, nor were they entirely driven out till the time of
Cromwell. There is an island of Valentia on that coast, with various
other names, certainly Spanish. The Scotch race is in the north, where
are to be found the feature which are supposed to mark that people, their
accent and many of their customs. In a district near Dublin, but mor