is by his own five fingers, placing at the same time his four fingers and his thumbs across each other in a most impressive and vehement manner.  Don’t believe him then—­the knave is lying as fast as possible, and with no remorse.  “By the crass o’ Christ” is an oath of much solemnity, and seldom used in a falsehood.  Paddy also often places two bits of straws across, and sometimes two sticks, upon which he swears with an appearance of great heat and sincerity—­sed caveto!

Irishmen generally consider iron as a sacred metal.  In the interior of the country, the thieves (but few in number) are frequently averse to stealing it.  Why it possesses this hold upon their affections it is difficult to say, but it is certain that they rank it among their sacred things, consider that to find it is lucky, and nail it over their doors when found in the convenient shape of a horse-shoe.  It is also used as a medium of asserting truth.  We believe, however, that the sanction it imposes is not very strong.  “By this blessed iron!”—­“by this blessed an’ holy iron!” are oaths of an inferior grade; but if the circumstance on which they are founded be a matter of indifference, they seldom depart from truth in using them.

We have said that Paddy, when engaged in a fight, is never at a loss for a weapon, and we may also affirm that he is never at a loss for an oath.  When relating a narrative, or some other circumstance of his own invention, if contradicted, he will corroborate it, in order to sustain his credit or produce the proper impression, by an abrupt oath upon the first object he can seize.  “Arrah, nonsense! by this pipe in my hand, it’s as thrue as”—­and then, before he completes the illustration, he goes on with a fine specimen of equivocation—­“By the stool I’m sittin’ an, it is; an’ what more would, you have from me barrin’ I take my book oath of it?” Thus does he, under the mask of an insinuation, induce you to believe that he has actually sworn it, whereas the oath is always left undefined and incomplete.

Sometimes he is exceedingly comprehensive in his adjurations, and swears upon a magnificent scale; as, for instance,—­“By the contints of all the books that ever wor opened an’ shut, it’s as thrue as the sun to the dial.”  This certainly leaves “the five crasses” immeasurably behind.  However, be cautious, and not too confident in taking so sweeping and learned an oath upon trust, notwithstanding its imposing effect.  We grant, indeed, that an oath which comprehends within its scope all the learned libraries of Europe, including even the Alexandrian of old, is not only an erudite one, but establishes in a high degree the taste of the swearer, and displays on his part an uncommon grasp of intellect.  Still we recommend you, whenever you hear an alleged fact substantiated by it, to set your ear as sharply as possible; for, after all, it is more than probable that every book by which he has sworn might be contained in a nutshell.  The secret may be briefly explained:—­Paddy is in the habit of substituting the word never for ever.  “By all the books that never wor opened or shut,” the reader perceives, is only a nourish of trumpets—­a mere delusion of the enemy.