Elizabeth first and then James and then Cromwell replanted the Island, introducing English, Scots, Hugonots, Flemings, Dutch, tens of thousands of families of vigorous and earnest Protestants, who brought their industries along with them.  Twice the Irish . . . tried . . . to drive out this new element . . .  They failed. . . . [But] England . . . had no sooner accomplished her long task than she set herself to work to spoil it again.  She destroyed the industries of her colonists by her trade laws.  She set the Bishops to rob them of their religion. . . . [As for the gentry,] The purpose for which they had been introduced into Ireland was unfulfilled.  They were but alien intruders, who did nothing, who were allowed to do nothing.  The time would come when an exasperated population would demand that the land should be given back to them, and England would then, perhaps, throw the gentry to the wolves, in the hope of a momentary peace.  But her own turn would follow.  She would be face to face with the old problem, either to make a new conquest or to retire with disgrace.

Political disquisitions of this kind, and prophecies after the event, are found all through Mr. Froude’s book, and on almost every second page we come across aphorisms on the Irish character, on the teachings of Irish history and on the nature of England’s mode of government.  Some of them represent Mr. Froude’s own views, others are entirely dramatic and introduced for the purpose of characterisation.  We append some specimens.  As epigrams they are not very felicitous, but they are interesting from some points of view.

   Irish Society grew up in happy recklessness.  Insecurity added zest to
   enjoyment.

   We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we
   should all hang ourselves.

   Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of
   character and creed in all the settlements of English.

   We age quickly in Ireland with the whiskey and the broken heads.

   The Irish leaders cannot fight.  They can make the country
   ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.

   No nation can ever achieve a liberty that will not be a curse to them,
   except by arms in the field.

[The Irish] are taught from their cradles that English rule is the cause of all their miseries.  They were as ill off under their own chiefs; but they would bear from their natural leaders what they will not bear from us, and if we have not made their lot more wretched we have not made it any better.

’Patriotism?  Yes!  Patriotism of the Hibernian order.  The country has been badly treated, and is poor and miserable.  This is the patriot’s stock in trade.  Does he want it mended?  Not he.  His own occupation would be gone.’

   Irish corruption is the twin-brother of Irish eloquence.