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Article THURLOGH, THE MILESIAN. ← Page 8 of 18 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Thurlogh, The Milesian.
companion , having seen him frequentl y before . The persons with whom he sard he was there connected , and whose name he himself went by , were ot such unquestionable honour as to leave no room for doubts ; and , accordingly , without scruple or reserve , they committed themselves to his care and even blessed their stars for the lucky hour which brought them in contact with so agreeable an associate . It was not long before they had reason to repent their credulity . It was but six o ' clock on the evening of the same day , when the steeples ot Cork burst upon their vision . " It is Cork , Lucius !"
" Yes , Thurlogh ; but how ugly ! Observe those mangy tiles ; those dirty walls ; those narrow streets , choked up on all sides : then , again , behold those shrubberies , stripped of their strength and their foliage ; those mystical trees cramped of their characteristic expansion , and doomed to decay here in a metropolis to gratify the perverse taste of some debilitated old fool who would fain realise a " rus in uric !'' " You make me laugh , Lucius : your objections to the want of beauty in the situation , and the want of elegance in the architecture , I cannot indeed well contradictbut the
; good people who inhabit here , and whose commerce diffuses life through the heart ' s blood of the greater part of our western population , were not influenced in their selection of a place for its exercise by any perishable contingencies . It is true that Cork is placed low ; but is there no advantage hsnce derived of protection from the winds ? It is true that its- streets are narrow ; but we see no interruption hence occasioned to the transfer of its merchandise . The waggons move up and down—the dray rumbles along—the of glide beach
waves passengers y other without annoyance ; and though I admit you that this may all be ' better done were the avenues less confined , yet , as no very serious detriment happens from the present system , an indifferent person may well acquiesce m its propriety , more especially when it comes sanctioned by immemorial usace .
" My father told me , that , the only way in which he could account for the narrowness observable in the streets of all ancient cities was , by supposing it done for mutuality-sake . In the primeval times beasts of prey and of destruction were more numerous and more formidable than they have been recently . It is well known to most that these in the several tribes do not only congregate en masse , but act also with a concert which may well rival our species . To oppose their inroads mankind saw the necessity of similar combinations : hence villages —cities
sprang up arose the wood was deserted—and the plain was cultivated . But while an identity of interests was thus far manifested , a unity of co-operation was also to be evidenced ; and the only mode to ensure this , and to debilitate at the same time the onset of their foes , was by making their houses contiguous and their streets so very narrow , that when the enemv burst in , which he could thus never do in great bodies , he may be attacked from all quarters at one and the same time , and thus sacrificed to the vengeance of insulted humanity .
" You know , Lucius , the effect of habit . The custom once established , it continued to hold ground . With the ancients it originated , as the best bond of their security—their successors adopted it in deference to them : each succeeding generation while more and more losing sight of the cause of its rise , yet more and more also evidenced their veneration for the practice ; until , m the present age , when the spirit of enquiry has got abroad—when causes and consequences are all sifted to the bottom—you will find nothing to prevail in mere deference to its longevity—nothingin factto standbut
, , , what will verify the test of worth and use . " " Oh ! the old people were all fools , " interrupted the stranger . " I beg to differ , " replied Thurlogh : " that they were simple in their outfit , I very readily allow , and , that , more to their recommendation than with any leaning towards censure . But even supposing it all your wav , vol .. II . " < j ,,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Thurlogh, The Milesian.
companion , having seen him frequentl y before . The persons with whom he sard he was there connected , and whose name he himself went by , were ot such unquestionable honour as to leave no room for doubts ; and , accordingly , without scruple or reserve , they committed themselves to his care and even blessed their stars for the lucky hour which brought them in contact with so agreeable an associate . It was not long before they had reason to repent their credulity . It was but six o ' clock on the evening of the same day , when the steeples ot Cork burst upon their vision . " It is Cork , Lucius !"
" Yes , Thurlogh ; but how ugly ! Observe those mangy tiles ; those dirty walls ; those narrow streets , choked up on all sides : then , again , behold those shrubberies , stripped of their strength and their foliage ; those mystical trees cramped of their characteristic expansion , and doomed to decay here in a metropolis to gratify the perverse taste of some debilitated old fool who would fain realise a " rus in uric !'' " You make me laugh , Lucius : your objections to the want of beauty in the situation , and the want of elegance in the architecture , I cannot indeed well contradictbut the
; good people who inhabit here , and whose commerce diffuses life through the heart ' s blood of the greater part of our western population , were not influenced in their selection of a place for its exercise by any perishable contingencies . It is true that Cork is placed low ; but is there no advantage hsnce derived of protection from the winds ? It is true that its- streets are narrow ; but we see no interruption hence occasioned to the transfer of its merchandise . The waggons move up and down—the dray rumbles along—the of glide beach
waves passengers y other without annoyance ; and though I admit you that this may all be ' better done were the avenues less confined , yet , as no very serious detriment happens from the present system , an indifferent person may well acquiesce m its propriety , more especially when it comes sanctioned by immemorial usace .
" My father told me , that , the only way in which he could account for the narrowness observable in the streets of all ancient cities was , by supposing it done for mutuality-sake . In the primeval times beasts of prey and of destruction were more numerous and more formidable than they have been recently . It is well known to most that these in the several tribes do not only congregate en masse , but act also with a concert which may well rival our species . To oppose their inroads mankind saw the necessity of similar combinations : hence villages —cities
sprang up arose the wood was deserted—and the plain was cultivated . But while an identity of interests was thus far manifested , a unity of co-operation was also to be evidenced ; and the only mode to ensure this , and to debilitate at the same time the onset of their foes , was by making their houses contiguous and their streets so very narrow , that when the enemv burst in , which he could thus never do in great bodies , he may be attacked from all quarters at one and the same time , and thus sacrificed to the vengeance of insulted humanity .
" You know , Lucius , the effect of habit . The custom once established , it continued to hold ground . With the ancients it originated , as the best bond of their security—their successors adopted it in deference to them : each succeeding generation while more and more losing sight of the cause of its rise , yet more and more also evidenced their veneration for the practice ; until , m the present age , when the spirit of enquiry has got abroad—when causes and consequences are all sifted to the bottom—you will find nothing to prevail in mere deference to its longevity—nothingin factto standbut
, , , what will verify the test of worth and use . " " Oh ! the old people were all fools , " interrupted the stranger . " I beg to differ , " replied Thurlogh : " that they were simple in their outfit , I very readily allow , and , that , more to their recommendation than with any leaning towards censure . But even supposing it all your wav , vol .. II . " < j ,,