The author of the following memoirs has upon these grounds fair claims to thepublic favour and attention he was an illiterate old steward whose partialityto the... » 

The author of the following memoirs has upon these grounds fair claims to thepublic favour and attention he was an illiterate old steward whose partialityto the family in which he was bred and born must be obvious to the reader. Hetells the history of the Rackrent family in his vernacular idiom and in thefull confidence that Sir Patrick Sir Murtagh Sir Kit and Sir CondyRackrents affairs will be as interesting to all the world as they were tohimself. Those who were acquainted with the manners of a certain class of thegentry of Ireland some years ago will want no evidence of the truth of honestThadys narrative to those who are totally unacquainted with Ireland thefollowing memoirs will perhaps be scarcely intelligible or probably they mayappear perfectly incredible. For the information of the ignorant Englishreader a few notes have been subjoined by the editor and he had it once incontemplation to translate the language of Thady into plain English butThadys idiom is incapable of translation and besides the authenticity ofhis story would have been more exposed to doubt if it were not told in his owncharacteristic manner. «