The Tithe-Proctor: The Works of William Carleton, Volume TwoCarleton, William
General
The Tithe-Proctor: The Works of William Carleton, Volume Two
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
The chapel green, as we have said, was covered by the great bulk of the
peasantry who were waiting the arrival of the priest. Here was a circle
in which stood some rustic politician, who, having had an opportunity
of getting a glimpse at some newspaper of the day, was retailing its
contents to a greedy circle of listeners about him. There again stood
some well-known storyteller, or perhaps a live old senachie, reciting
wild and stirring legends to his particular circle. Some were stretched
indolently on the grass, or lying about the ditches in the adjoining
fields, but by far the greatest and most anxious crowd was assembled
under the tree against which Buck English--for by this name was he
known--leaned. We should say here, however, that he was not called
Buck English, because his name was English, but in consequence of
his attempts at pronouncing the English tongue in such a manner as
he himself considered peculiarly elegant and fashionable. The man's
education was very limited, indeed he had scarcely received any, but he
was gifted at the same time with a low vulgar fluency of language which
he looked upon as a great intellectual gift, and which, in his opinion,
wanted nothing but “tip-top prononsensation,” as he termed it, to make
it high-flown and gentlemanly.
Our friend “the Buck,” as he was universally called, was no sooner
perceived in his usual station under the tree than there was a rapid
gathering of the assembled crowd to hear him.
“Hallo, Paddy! what's the matther? where are you goin' to in sich a hell
of a hurry?”
“Blood alive! man, sure Buck English is at his post to-day.”
“How at his post?”
“Why under the three where he always is when he comes here af a Sunday.”
“Hut! sure I know that; come, begad, let us hear him.”
“Faith, it's he that's up to the outs and ins of everything. Sure the
Counsellor himself made mintion of him in a great speech some time
ago. It seems the Buck sent him up five pounds in a letther, and the
Counsellor read the letther, and said it came from a most respectable
gentleman, a friend of his, one Barney--no, not Barney--it wasn't Barney
he called him, but--but--let me see--ay, begad--Bir--Birnard--ay, one
Birnard English, Esquire, from the Barony of Treena Heela; bekaise, as
the Buck doesn't keep himself very closely to any particular place of
livin', he dated his letther, I suppose, from the Barony at large.”
“At any rate one thing's clear, that he's high up wid the Counsellor,
an' if he wasn't one man in ten thousand he wouldn't be that.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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