A SAILOR ON SHORE.
It is a far easier thing to get into a house in Ireland than to get
out of it again; for there is an attractive and retentive witchery
about the hospitality of the natives of that country, which has no
match, as far as I have seen, in the wide world. In other places the
people are hospitable or kind to a stranger; but in Ireland the affair
is reduced to a sort of science, and a web of attentions is flung
round the visitor before he well knows where he is: so that if he be
not a very cold-blooded or a very temperate man, it will cost him
sundry headaches--and mayhap some touches of the heartache--before he
wins his way back again to his wonted tranquillity.
I had not a single acquaintance in Ireland when first I visited that
most interesting of countries: before leaving it, however, after about
a year and a-half's cruising off and on their coasts, I was on pretty
intimate terms with one family at least for every dozen miles, from
Downpatrick on the east, to the Bloody Foreland on the west, a range
of more than a hundred and twenty miles.
The way in which this was brought about is sufficiently
characteristic of the country. I had inherited a taste for geology;
and as the north of Ireland affords a fine field for the exercise of
the hammer, I soon made myself acquainted with the Giant's Causeway,
and the other wonders of that singular district. While engaged in
these pursuits, I fell in with an eminent medical practitioner
resident in that part of the country, a gentleman well known to the
scientific world: he was still better known on the spot as the most
benevolent and kindest of men. In no part of the globe have I made a
more agreeable or useful acquaintance. During a residence of a week
under the roof of this delightful person, he frequently urged me to
make acquaintance with some friends of his, living also in the north
of Ireland, but at the opposite angle. He was, in particular, desirous
that I should see a family with whom he described himself as being
very intimate, and who were then on a visit far in the west.
Influenced by the extreme earnestness of my worthy friend, who,
indeed, would hardly let me stir from his house until I had promised
to deliver, with my own hands, a letter of introduction to a lady
alluded to, who, he assured me, would introduce me to the family with
whom she was then living as a guest. I thought it rather an odd
arrangement that a mere guest should introduce a stranger to another
person's house: but I had already seen enough of the hearty
hospitality of Ireland not to wonder at anything having a kind purpose
in view. I therefore promised that, if at any time I could obtain
leave of absence for a few days, the introductory letter should be
delivered.
I did not discover, until long afterwards, the secret motive of my
friend's anxiety that I should pay the visit in question, though, at
the time alluded to, I was quite coxcomb enough to suppose that it all
arose from personal consideration. It mattered little to me, however,
to what the kindness was due; and, my leave having expired, I set off
to the Endymion, of which I was then second lieutenant, with a firm
resolution to avail myself of the first opportunity of visiting the
persons to whom my excellent friend the doctor had given me an
introduction. I had been so frequently absent before, that I expected
to be fixed on board for a long time to come, and was therefore
agreeably disappointed to discover that my brother-officers had formed
so many pleasant acquaintances at Burncrana, a town on the banks of
the magnificent Lough Swilly, that they were quite willing to remain
on the spot, and to take upon their shoulders the extra duty which my
renewed absence imposed upon them. I had only, therefore, to obtain
the captain's permission for a fresh run. This was easily gained, for
he was the most indulgent of mortals; and his only caution was, "Now,
mind, don't you be falling in love with any of these Irish girls. It
will be quite time enough for that when you are a post captain."
I promised to attend to his advice, and set out in the highest glee,
wishing for no better sport than to try the firmness of my resolutions
on this head, though, it must be confessed, I was fully more inclined
to follow the precept enjoined upon me by another friend, who, by way
of improving the captain's instruction, said,--
"Do take care what you are about when you mix with those fair and
fascinating witches, and never hold yourself as heart-safe, unless you
are in love with at least two of them at once!"
Off I went; but it matters not whether the course steered was to the
east or to the west after leaving Londonderry: a letter of
introduction in my pocket naturally determined my route; and, having
hired a good stout horse, I strapped my valise behind, and set out on
a fine summer's evening in quest of adventures. Yet I was in no
respect prepared to find myself so soon in what appeared very like a
field of battle. I had not proceeded twenty miles before I came to a
village surrounded by troops, and guarded at the ends of its few
streets by loaded cannon, with lighted matches smoking by their sides.
A considerable encampment was formed on a slightly rising eminence
near the village; and on the neighbouring ground, still farther off,
might be seen large irregular groups of people, who, I learned, upon
inquiry, were chiefly Orangemen, preparing for a grand ceremonial
procession on this the 12th of July, the well-known anniversary of the
battle of the Boyne. In order to resist this proceeding on the part of
the Protestants, an immense multitude on the Roman Catholic side of
the question were likewise assembled, and all the roads converging
towards that quarter were lined with parties of men carrying sticks in
their hands, flocking to the expected scene of action. The military
had been called in to keep the peace, but the angry passions of the
respective factions were so much roused, that even the precautions
above described seemed hardly sufficient to prevent the threatened
conflict.
As a matter of curiosity, I could have no great objection to seeing
another such battle as the one I had witnessed near Corunna between
those long-established fighting-cocks, the French and English; but to
look on while honest Pat and Tim were breaking one another's heads
upon abstract political grounds, and English soldiery interposing with
grapeshot and fixed bayonets to make them friends again, was what I
had no mind for. I tried, therefore, to extricate myself forthwith
from this unhappy struggle; but my horse being tired, I was forced to
sleep in a village which, for aught I knew, might be sacked and burned
before morning; nothing occurred, however: nevertheless, I felt far
from easy till out of reach of the furious factions; the strangest
thing of all being that some quiet folks, a few miles distant, with
whom I took breakfast, seemed scarcely to mind it, although the
country round them was all on fire. From thence the course lay across
a wild range of mountains, one of them having on its top a sheet of
fresh water called Loch Salt. Nothing can be conceived more desolate
or dreary than this part of the country; and as there were few
inhabitants upon it at any time, and none at all at this moment, I had
no small difficulty in making good my way. On coming nearer to the
noble bay or lough, on the banks of which the country-seat of my
unknown friends was to be found, the aspect of things changed as if by
magic. A slight inequality in the ground concealed this "jewel in the
desert," as it was often called, till the whole of its rare beauties
could be seen to the greatest advantage. Even without the contrast of
wild moors, the singular beauties of the spot claimed the highest
admiration; but after such a preparative they appeared doubly grateful
to the senses, and I put spurs to my horse, anxious to come nearer to
such a delicious scene.
The mansion of my future friend, of which only partial glimpses could
be caught now and then, was well guarded on every side by fine old
trees, rising from the surface of carefully-dressed grounds, richly
stocked flower-gardens, long and wide avenues, and graceful terraces,
some of which reached to the very water's edge, along a delicate beach
on which the ripple scarcely broke. This charming domain occupied a
narrow spit of land, or promontory, jutting forwards into a landlocked
bay, or arm of the sea, in which the water appeared to lie always
asleep, and as smooth as if, instead of being a mere branch uniting
with the stormy Atlantic, it had been some artificial lake. Nothing,
indeed, which the most fertile imagination could suggest seemed to be
wanting.
There was one extremely well-conceived device at this delightful spot,
which I never remember to have seen anywhere else, though, there must
often occur in other places similar situations in which it might be
imitated. Not far from the house, but quite hid under a thickly-wooded
cliff, overhanging a quiet bight or cove, about ten or fifteen yards
across, lay a perfectly secluded pool, with a bottom of snow-white
sand. It was deep in the middle, but shelved gradually to its margin,
which rested on a narrow strip, or beach, of small round polished
pebbles. This fringe, encircling the cove, was surmounted by a dry
grassy bank, or natural terrace, reaching to the foot of the rock, the
face of which was not merely perpendicular, but projecting so much
that the top more than plumbed the edge of the basin. Along the
sky-line there was drawn a fence or veil of briars, honeysuckles, and
other impervious bushes, interspersed with myrtles, wild roses, and
foxgloves, so thickly woven together, that all external view of this
_beau ideal_ of a bath was rendered impossible. The only access was by
a narrow, steep, and winding path; and at the upper end was placed a
high, locked gate, the key of which was in the exclusive charge of the
ladies.
As I rode on, ignorant as yet of these and many other rich and rare
beauties of this singular spot, and only admiring the general aspect
of things, I began, for the first time, to reflect on the extreme
awkwardness of my situation.
Here was I merely the bearer of an introductory letter to a lady,
herself a guest in the house; and although it might have been
allowable enough to have called to deliver such an introduction, had
business or accident brought me to the neighbourhood, now it seemed
rather a strong measure to travel fifty or sixty miles across a wild
and disturbed country merely to pay a morning call. The inference that
my intention was to make a visit of some duration, became inevitable;
and I pictured to myself the string of explanations I had to give,
which might, after all, not be followed by any invitation to remain.
After long cogitations, I resolved to steal up to the house, if
possible, unperceived; have my horse turned over to the groom, and my
portmanteau stowed out of sight, and then to walk boldly up to the
door, with a visiting-card in one hand, and my credentials in the
other, to be delivered to the servant for the lady to whom the letter
was addressed. I next proposed to stroll about the woods, to give
time for any good things said of the bearer to work their way,
hoping, by this rather clumsy manoeuvre, that by the time I returned
to the house its inmates might be prepared to receive the stranger;
and then, if their invitation to remain should happen not to be very
pressing, I might pretend to be collecting specimens for my geological
friends, and so make my escape; though, to own the truth, nothing was
farther from my thoughts than geology.
In spite of these ingenious plans, I felt myself rather absurdly
situated, and half wished I had not engaged at all in such an
unpromising adventure. It seemed, however, too late to retreat, and
therefore I jogged on, as earnestly hoping not to be detected as ever
did any troops in advancing to the attack of a besieged fort.
What, then, was my speechless horror, on riding up the approach, to
discover a cavalcade of not fewer than a dozen ladies and gentlemen
bearing right down upon me from the house. Had it been a troop of
French cuirassiers charging across the ground, and threatening
annihilation to the unfortunate hack and his rider, I could not have
been much more astounded. The master of the house was probably of the
number; he would stop to inquire the business of the
suspicious-looking stranger invading his territories. The person for
whom I brought a letter, being an elderly lady, was not likely to be
on horseback amidst a party of young folks. There would be a general
halt ordered; while the poor new-comer, with his draggled horse and
swollen valise indicative of anything but a hasty departure, would
become the subject of a pleasant criticism to the quizzical dandies
and young ladies of the party. Even when this scrutiny was over, what
were they to do with their unexpected, self-elected companion? His
horse was now too tired, and much too ugly at any time to accompany
such gay palfreys as were prancing over the lawn; yet they could not,
in common civility, leave a stranger adrift; nor could they accompany
him back to the house, without breaking up their expedition for the
day.
All this flashed through my mind in a moment, and left me in a dire
dilemma. I pulled up my jaded nag, however, with such a jerk, that I
well-nigh threw him on his haunches. Fortunately, a little unevenness
in the ground hid me from the view of the advancing cavalry; and at
the same critical instant I discovered an opening in the fence on one
side. Without considering or caring whither it might lead, I turned my
charger round, urged him forwards with whip and spur, and dashed into
the gap as if I had been flying from the arm of justice, instead of
making my escape from as companionable a set of people as ever
breathed. Had any of the party detected the bashful fugitive, and
given chase, he must have been caught; for the path into which I had
fled terminated in a road leading to some farm offices, but with no
opening beyond.
The awkwardness of my situation, which was already considerable,
became greatly augmented by this ridiculous proceeding; and I heard
the riders pass within twenty yards of my hiding-place, with the most
unspeakable alarm lest any one of them should catch a glimpse of me
nestling behind a cart of hay. I breathed freer when the last
servant's horse crossed the ridge; and then, creeping from my hole,
soon gained the stables adjoining the house, gave up my horse,
secured the well-stuffed valise out of sight, and repaired, according
to the original precious scheme, to the front door with my letter. I
stood for five minutes with the knob of the bell in my hand,
irresolute whether to go on with the adventure, or fairly to cut and
run from it. At length, when the fatal pull was given, I listened to
the sound, and felt myself what statesmen call "fully committed."
There was now nothing left but to screw up my courage, as I best
might, to meet the dangers and difficulties of the crisis.
There happened to be no one at home except the old lady, to whom my
introduction was addressed, so that the plan succeeded very well; I
forget now the details of the introduction, but I can never cease to
remember the unbounded cordiality of the reception, not only from this
excellent person, but from the master and mistress of the house, and
all their assembled friends, showing how totally I had miscalculated
the nature and extent of Irish hospitality. There were several elderly
persons, then in the autumn of life, and several were very young
folks, scarcely able to walk, who now count many "daughters and sons
of beauty." There was a pretty equal admixture of Irish and English,
amongst them several persons of rank; also one or two foreigners;
besides much native wit, worth, and beauty, of the highest order, and
all most delightfully set off by the graces and nameless enchantments
of refined manners, and tasteful as well as useful accomplishments. I
have rarely, if ever, seen in any part of the world so fascinating an
assemblage of all that would render a country party agreeable as was
here collected in one of the most out-of-the-way corners of Ireland.
My worthy captain's advice was now thrown to the winds; and indeed any
heart, aged twenty-two, must have been made of cast-iron to have
resisted the rides and walks, the picnic dinners, the dances, and the
music parties, and suppers, besides the infinitely varied round of
other amusements, grave and gay, which contributed to render, and will
for ever preserve, this nook of Ireland the true terrestrial paradise
of my early days.
How the deuce I ever contrived to get out of the magic circle, I
hardly know; but if I could only feel myself at liberty, without a
breach of confidence, to give a few details of those hours, I would
stake great odds on the side of the effect which the description of
such a reality might produce, against the interest of the imaginary
scenes in almost any romance.
I have already mentioned that the gentleman whose introduction I
carried was most urgent for me to deliver the letter in person; but he
gave no reasons for this anxiety; nor indeed was I then aware, that,
besides his being an intimate friend, he was their family physician.
While acting in this capacity, he had seen with regret how ineffectual
his art had proved to alleviate the mother's sorrow caused by the
recent loss of her favourite son. The young man had been in the Navy,
and would have been about my own age and standing in the service.
These accidental coincidences suggested to her judicious and
kind-hearted friend, that as I, in some degree, resembled him in
appearance and in manners, the poor mother's thoughts and feelings
might possibly be diverted into a new channel, by the society of a
person in so many respects similarly circumstanced to the child she
had lost.
It so happened, fortunately for me, that the experiment completely
succeeded--I hope and believe, to the mother's consolation. To me, of
course, the reception I met with was matter of delight and
astonishment; so much so, indeed, that I occasionally felt somewhat
startled, and almost oppressed, with the sense of obligation imposed
by such unusual and unmerited attentions.
The first explanation of the mystery is really so touching in itself,
that I give it without reserve as I received it in a letter from this
most excellent old lady, about six months after my first acquaintance
with her, and just before I quitted England for the East Indies:--
"Once more adieu!" She concludes, "I must hope you will write to me
often; let me constantly know how you proceed, and how I can address
you; and recollect, you have received the freedom of this house. I
believe I told you I had lost a son, a lieutenant in the Navy, and of
superior talents. I therefore consider that Heaven has given you to my
care in his place--and may the Almighty protect you!"