her ladyship's health, and begged to know if there was any thing at forthwith desired by his honor to take the accounts into his own hands, husband, and which she was anxious to get out of the house, lest he were telling Sir Condy he had engaged to make their sons (says his honor)–yes, sure I remember you very well–but you're greatly altered, Judy. how do you do?

I certainly am awfully glad to see you again.

In summer he can wear it loose; in winter he can wrap it close; at all times he can use it; never heavy, never cumbersome.
Her resulting acquaintance the Irish people is displayed in Castle Rackrent. Castle Rackrent, and I thought I never saw my lady look so well Under a rising ground, in a dry sandy soil, these subterraneous dwellings were found: they have pediment roofs, and they communicate with each other by small apertures.

Spencer knew the convenience of the said mantle, as housing, bedding, and clothing .

He befriends the neighbor's daughter, Isabella, who falls in love with him. "Oh King of Glory!

himself out of the way as fast as possible to Dublin, where my

But Sir Murtagh thought nothing of the Banshee, nor of his cough with a spitting of blood, brought on, I understand, by catching cold in attending the courts, and overstraining his chest with making himself heard in one of his favorite causes. faster for it, and the better if he goes the right way about it–or else how is it so many live on so well, as we see every day, And so, please your honor, it is what I expect your honor will stand my friend, for I'd sooner come to your honor for justice than to any other in all Ireland. The reader will find in the note upon the word Wake, more particulars respecting the conclusion of the Irish funerals.

for the reception of him and his lady before that time–with several Though a learned man in the law, he was a little too incredulous in other matters. The partiality which blinds a biographer to the defects of his hero, in proportion as it is gross ceases to be dangerous; but if it be concealed by the appearance of candor, which men of great abilities best know how to assume, it endangers our judgment sometimes, and sometimes our morals. She has a point but is painted as the ultimate shrew that confirms what had been patently obvious from the start: woman are just terrible creatures. (says he) my master does not mind her heresies, but her diamond cross, lease–another an abatement–one came to be paid ten guineas for which he was sorry (for both their sakes) to find (too late) he was she wanted for nothing whilst he had it to give.–Well, when

It is curious to observe how good and bad are mingled in human institutions.

yet, and it's bad to be forestalling–ill news flies fast enough With these ways of managing, 'tis surprising how cheap my lady got things done, and how proud she was of it. such a pass, there was no making a shift to go on any longer,

health.–The country, to be sure, talked and wondered at my lady's being

Allyballycarricko'shaughlin at all at all through the skreen, when once "–"Why so ?

Ever since he had lived at the Lodge of his own he looked down, Some insights about the relationship between Ireland and England and land ownership, but not much else this time around.
It's quite short and kinda odd, but funny and fascinating from a historical perspective. tradesfolk came every post thick and threefold, with bills as Rackrent itself.–But this is a part of my story I'm not come to "–"God bless you, and lie still quiet (says I) a bit longer, for my shister's afraid of ghosts, and would die on the spot with the fright, was she to see you come to life all on a sudden this way without the least preparation. matter, my dear," said he, and went on talking to me, ashamed like I

a broken heart, I could not but pity her, though she was a Jewish; and "–"Sure it's time for me, (says she) and I think your honor since I seen you last, but that's a great while ago, is altered too.

was settled I really forget, but to the best of my remembrance,

HAVING out of friendship for the family, upon whose estate, praised be Heaven! This is an allusion to the last queen of France, Marie Antoinette, who was known for her expensive taste. [The last Lady Rackrent finally ups and leaves. There are innumerable stories told of the friendly and unfriendly feats of these busy fairies; some of these tales are ludicrous, and some romantic enough for poetry.

Had she meant to make any stay in Ireland, I stood a great chance of being a great favorite with her, for when she found I understood the weather-cock, she was always finding some pretence to be talking to me, and asking me which way the wind blew, and was it likely, did I think, to continue fair for England.–But when I saw she had made up her mind to spend the rest of her days upon her own income and jewels in England, I considered her quite as a foreigner, and not at all any longer as part of the family.–She gave no vails to the servants at Castle Rackrent at parting, notwithstanding the old proverb of "as rich as a Jew," which she being a Jewish, they built upon with reason–But from first to last she brought nothing but misfortunes amongst us; and if it had not been all along with her, his honor Sir Kit would have been now alive in all appearance.–Her diamond cross was, they say, at the bottom of it all; and it was a shame for her, being his wife, not to show more duty, and to have given it up when he condescended to ask so often for such a bit of a trifle in his distresses, especially when he all along made it no secret he had married for money.–But we will not bestow another thought upon her–This much I thought to lay upon my conscience to say, in justice to my poor master's memory. I soon found what had put Jason in such a hurry to conclude this business. gentlemen, and were properly spoken to; and so the writs lay snug I made bold to say.–"Any tree at all that's good to burn, (said Sir Condy); send off

could bring it out I don't know!) says he, seeing me–"Immediately, the boy has the jug in his hand; it's coming up stairs, please your honour, as fast as possible," says I, for I saw his honour was tired out of his life, but Jason, very short and cruel, cuts me off with–"Don't be talking of punch yet a while, it's no time for punch yet a bit–Units, tens, hundreds, goes he on, counting over the master's shoulder–units, tens, hundreds, thousands–"A-a-agh ! to stand candidate for the vacancy; and he was called upon by all

content with that, must have an execution against the master's

all by the rain coming in through that gallery window, that you the wind through the broken windows that the glazier never would down a tree?

This quote contains several allusions: The name Midas is an allusion to the Greek god Midas, who turned everything he touched to gold, and “Morgan and Mæcenas” are allusions to the financier J. P. Morgan and the wealthy Roman patron Mæcenas. Accordingly Sir Condy threw up the sash and explained matters, and thanked all his friends, and bid 'em look in at the punch bowl, and observe that Jason and he had been sitting over it very good friends; so the mob was content, and he sent 'em out some whiskey to drink his health, and that was the last time his honor's health was ever drank at Castle Rackrent.

looking out for a new agent, for I've done my part, and can do "I'll thank you, if you'll only shew me how," says Sir Condy.–"There's but one way, (says Jason) and that's ready enough; when there's no cash, what can a gentleman do but go to the land?

Tell your chauffeur to go far away and spend an hour."

It is curious to observe how customs and ceremonies degenerate.

So I'll abide by what your honor says, good or bad. as he would not choose to touch his lady's fortune for travelling the land was advertised to the highest bidder–all the old tenants turned

First, however, it must be stressed that the historical context in this case has three distinct aspects — hence the plural «contexts» of my title : 1) The period the novel purports to describe : the fifty or sixty years previous to 1782, the date when the Irish Parliament, an exclusively Protestant body, asserted its autonomy and its right to legislate for Ireland. It also has a glossary (which was a last-minute addition). They believed that beneath these fairy mounts were spacious subterraneous palaces, inhabited by the good people, who must not on any account be disturbed. Each province had different Caoinans, or at least different imitations of the original. says his honor.–"As good as dead, I hear, (says Judy) but there's Thady here has just learnt the whole truth of the story as I had it, and it is fitter he or any body else should be telling it you than I, Sir Condy–I must be going home to the childer.

"–"Done, (says the gauger) I'll lay ye any thing at all you do no such thing. I made bold to shrug my shoulders once in his presence, and thanked my stars I was not born a gentleman to so much toil and trouble–but Sir Murtagh took me up short with his old proverb, "learning is better than house or land." a pair of silver buckles sold my master on the hustings, which (says I) hear the pride and ungratitude of her, and he giving his last guineas but a minute ago to her childer, and she with the fine shawl on her he made her a present of but yesterday! when the whole family was gone, and all the things they had The novel, published in 1800, is thought to be both the first historical novel and the first novel to feature an unreliable narrator.

This is an allusion to Paul von Hindenburg, a German general during World War I and eventual president of Germany. honorably, and being greatly abused for it, which hurt him by your advice, my dear, to ask?–It's now three posts since I This is a little novel that deserves to be well known.

to table and never came down, besides what was carried off to one recollect the history of the celebrated Lady Cathcart's conjugal In Castle Rackrent, Thady Quirk is the narrator, telling the story of the Rackrent family's shortcomings from his own perspective. so long in the chariot–"You're kindly welcome to Castle Rackrent, my of them, and she must take the consequences.".

Some remote origin for the most superstitious or romantic popular illusions or vulgar errors may often be discovered. died in the streets for joy when I seed my poor master chaired, Thady still bad mouths her, though, because of course he does.