_Sir Pat._ O the best behaved usage that ever I met with in all the born days of my Life, Sir--I'll tell you what, Madam, now if you were a strange Gentleman and travelling there and happened to come within a Mile of a Gentleman's House when you were benighted so that you could not find your way to it, upon my Honour you might lie there all Night and not cost you a halfpenny, tho' you had never a farthing of Money in your Pocket. _Both._ Ha, ha, ha. _Heart._ That is very hospitable, I must confess, to let one lie within a Mile of their House. _Sir Pat._ Lord, Madam, there are not so hospitable and good natured People in the World. _Heart._ I think, Sir, the Irish are reckoned very great Scholars. _Sir Pat._ O dear, Madam, yes indeed, very great Scholars. They play Back Gammon the best of any Men in the World, _better than all the Bishops in England_. _Har._ Then you have several good Poets in Ireland. _Sir Pat._ Yes to be sure, Sir, there is hardly a Gentleman there but knows every one of the Ninety Nine Muses, and can speak all the Mechanical Sciences by Heart, and most of the liberal Languages except Irish and Welch. _Har._ And how happens it that they don't speak their own Language? _Sir Pat._ Because, Madam, they are ashamed of it; it has such a rumbling Sound with it. Now when I was upon my Travels I liked the Language so well that I learned it. Madam, if it won't be over and above encumbersome to your sweet Ladyship, I will sing you an Irish Song I learnt there--it was made upon a beautiful young Creature that I was in Love wi[th] there, one Mrs. Gilgifferaghing. _Har._ Not at all encumbersome; I dare swear it will be very entertaining. _Sir Pat._ Hem, hem, hem. (_Sings an Irish Song_) _Har._ I protest, Sir, you have a great deal of very diverting Humour; and upon my Word you sing extremely well. For my part, I think Irish singing is as diverting as Italian. _Sir Pat._ O Madam, that is more my Deserts than your Goodness to say so. _Both._ Ha, ha, ha. _Har._ I am surprized the Directors of the Opera do not send over to Ireland for a Set of Irish Singers. _Sir Pat._ O no, Madam, it would never do; the Irishmen would never make good Singers. _Har._ Why so, Sir? _Sir Pat._ Lord, Madam, as soon as ever they would come to England, the English Ladies would be so very fond of them that it would spoil their Voices--besides, Madam, they are not so well qualified for it as the Italians. _Har._ We are generally speaking very fond of the Irish Gentlemen to be sure, but there is no avoiding it,--they have so much Wit and Assurance and are such agreeable handsome Fellows. _Sir Pat._ O Lord, Madam, we Gentlemen of Ireland look upon ourselves to be the handsomest men in England. _Heart._ Then you are an Irish Man, Sir?