Cultural Sketch of the Irish
I shall here endeavour to sketch the character of the Irish. The greater number of them are Roman-Catholics, or followers of the religion of the Pope; only a small proportion…
From: 1814 C.E. To: 1814 C.E.
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
Cultural Sketch of the Irish
From The Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan
I shall here endeavour to sketch the character of the Irish. The greater number of them are Roman-Catholics, or followers of the religion of the Pope; only a small proportion of them being of the religion of the English, whom the former call Dissenters or Philosophers (i.e. Deists or Atheists).
They are not so intolerant as the English, neither have they the austerity and bigotry of the Scotch. In bravery and determination, hospitality, and prodigality, freedom of speech and open-heartedness, they surpass the English and Scotch, but are deficient in prudence and sound judgment: they are nevertheless witty, and quick of comprehension.
Thus my landlady and her children soon comprehended my broken English; and what I could not explain by language, they understood by signs: nay, before I had been a fortnight in their house, they could even understand my disfigured translations of Persian poetry. When I was about to leave them, and proceed on my journey, many of my friends appeared much affected, and said: "With your little knowledge of the language, you will suffer much distress in England; for the people there will not give themselves any trouble to comprehend your meaning, or to make themselves useful to you.”
In fact, after I had resided for a whole year in England, and could speak the language a hundred times better than on my first arrival, I found much more difficulty in obtaining what I wanted, than I did in Ireland.
In Dublin, if I happened to lose my way, and inquired it of any person, he would, immediately on perceiving I was a foreigner, quit his work, and accompany me to the place where I wished to go. One night, as I was going to pay a visit at a considerable distance, I asked a man, which was the road.
He instantly accompanied me; and when we arrived at a particular spot, I knew where we were, and, having thanked him for the trouble he had taken, said I was now perfectly acquainted with the remainder of the road, and begged he would return home. He would not consent; but, after we had gone some distance further, I insisted upon his leaving me, otherwise I should relinquish my visit.
He apparently complied; but I could perceive, that, from his great care of me, he still followed. Being arrived at the door of my friend's house, I waited for some time, that I might again have an opportunity of thanking him; but as soon as he saw that I had reached a place of security, he turned round, and went towards home.
The Irish, by reason of their liberality and prodigality, seldom have it in their power to assist their friends in pecuniary matters; they are generally in straitened circumstances themselves, and therefore cannot, or do not aim at the comforts and elegance of the English: neither do they take pains to acquire riches and honours like the Scotch, by limiting their expences when in the receipt of good incomes, and paying attention to the Great. In consequence of this want of prudence, they seldom attain to high dignities, and but few of them, comparatively, make much progress in science.
Their great national defect, however, is excess in drinking. The rich expend a vast deal in wine; and the common people consume immense quantities of a fiery spirit, called whiskey, which is the peculiar manufacture of this country and part of Scotland.
One evening that I dined in a large company, we sat down to table at six o'clock: the master of the house immediately commenced asking us to drink wine, and, under various pretences, replenished our glasses; but perceiving that I was backward in emptying mine, he called for two water glasses, and, having filled them with claret, insisted upon my taking one of them.
After the table-cloth was removed, he first drank the health of the King, then of the Queen; after which he toasted a number of beautiful young ladies with whom I was acquainted, none of which I dared to refuse. Thus the time passed till two o'clock in the morning; and we had been sitting for eight hours: he then called to his servants to bring a fresh supply of wine. Although I was so much intoxicated that I could scarcely walk, yet on hearing this order, I was so frightened, that I arose, and requested permission to retire.
He said he was sorry I should think of going away so soon, that he wished I would stay till the wine was finished, after which he would call for tea and coffee. I had heard from Englishmen, that the Irish, after they get drank at table, quarrel, and kill each other in duels; but I must declare, that I never saw them guilty of any rudeness, or of the smallest impropriety.
The painters of these countries sometimes draw ridiculous figures, called Caricatures, which it is impossible to behold without laughing. They, in general, are intended to exhibit the defects or follies of the Ministers or other great men, and sometimes to turn into ridicule the prevailing passion or vice of the people at large. These pictures are sold in sets, and consist of several pieces. One of them winch was shewn to me contained a caricature of each of these nations.
The first exhibited a Scotchman, quitting his country to seek his fortune: and the itch being a very common complaint in Scotland, this poor fellow is drawn, rubbing his back against a mile-stone, on the road to London.
In the next page he is shewn in the habit of a postman, carrying a bag of letters from one-village to another.
In the third page, he becomes a gentleman's steward: in this situation, by his industry, and attention to the wishes of his master, he acquires some money, which he lends out at interest to his master, and thus becomes rich.
In the fourth page, he gets acquainted with an opulent English widow, whom he marries, and thereby acquires some degree of importance.
In the fifth page, he is represented as an attendant on the minster, with whom; by his assiduity and flattery, he becomes a favourite, and obtains a post under Government.
In the last page, he is seated in the chair of the Vizier, having, by industry and perseverance, thus raised himself, from the most abject state of poverty, to the highest situation which can be held by a subject.
The Irishman's career is not so long, nor so varied. He exists as a soldier, and, having distinguished himself by his bravery, is promoted by degrees to the rank of General. He then quarrels at table with another officer; they fight, and he is killed in the duel.
The Englishman is represented as a fat bull (therefore named John Bull); and as that animal is remarkable for eating a great deal, and for excessive courage and obstinacy, so the English seem to consider eating and drinking as their chief happiness, are frequently blunt and uncouth in their manners, and often run blindly into danger and unnecessary expence.
The Irish women have not such elegance of manners, nor the handsome eyes and hair of the English; neither are they as tall nor so good figures as the Scotch; but they have much finer complexions, are warm in their affections, lively, and agreeable.
For some time after my arrival in Dublin, I was greatly incommoded by the common people crowding round me, whenever I went out. They were all very curious to see me, but had no intention of offending me. Some said I must be the Russian General, who had been for some time expected; others affirmed I was either a German or Spanish nobleman; but the greater part agreed that I was a Persian Prince. One day, a great crowd having assembled about me, a shopkeeper advised me to walk into his house, and to sit down till they should disperse. I accepted his kind invitation, and went into the shop, where I amused myself by looking at some penknives, scissars, &c. The people however thronged so about his windows, that several of the panes were broken; and the crowd being very great, it was in vain to ask who had done it.
Khan, Mirza Abu Taleb. Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1814.
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