Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/323

 of long crisped glibbes, and doe nourish the same with all their cunning: to crop the front thereof they take it for a notable peece of villany. Shamrotes, Water-cresses, Rootes, and other hearbes they feede upon: Oatemale and Butter they cram me together. They drinke Whey, Milke, and Beefe broth, Flesh they devoure without bread, corne such as they have they keepe for their horses. In haste and hunger they squese out the blood of raw flesh, and aske no more dressing thereto, the rest boyleth in their stomackes with Aquavitæ, which they swill in after such a surfeite, by quarts & pottles. Their kyne they let idood which growen to a jelly they bake and overspread with Butter, and so eate it in lumpes.

One office in the house of great men is a taleteller, who bringeth his Lord on sleepe, with tales vaine and frivolous, whereunto the number give sooth and credence. So light they are in beleeving whatsoever is with any countenance of gravitie affirmed by their Superiours, whom they esteeme and honour, that a lewd Prelate within these few yeares needy of money, was able to perswade his parish: That S. Patricke in striving with S. Peter to let an Irish Galloglass into Heaven, had his head broken with the keyes, for whose releife he obtained a Collation.

Without either precepts or observation of congruity they speake Latine like a vulgar language, learned in their common Schooles of Leach-craft and Law,