Sir—­100 pounds was offered to me before the purchase, a foolish priest making little of me, himself trying to get it for his friends.  The Bishop, Sir, is kind to me always.  For he knows I was wronged and he don’t like the foolish priest, and when I complain of him he is very good.  Sir some good people tell me that anyone at all have no claim but myself and I wish it was true as all is very valuable.  Mr. Connor is very truthful and nice to me Sir when I will see him I am very sure he will wish me well and all the good Honourable Gentlemen and yourself are the best of all to my equals.  I know it very well and I will for ever pray to God in Heaven for you.

Faithfully,

MARY LUCY.’

So a landlord and agent, even in 1904, still has a few of the patriarchal attributes in the eyes of the tenants.  But to sift wheat from chaff is easier than to sift truth from the lying blandishments employed on such occasions.

The reference to the priest shows that though always feared, when the land-passion seizes a parishioner, he is set at as much defiance as possible, should he be moderate, and these are the only occasions when they venture to tell their confessor unpleasant truths to his face, for in some country districts they are still convinced that the priests have power to transform them into frogs and mice.

A priest once threatened a bibulous parishioner, that if he did not become more sober in his habits, he would change him into a mouse.

’Biddy, me jewel, I can’t believe Father Pat would have that power over me,’ said the man that same evening as the shadows fell, ’but all the same you might as well shut up the cat.’

Over elections the priests have paramount influence as I have already shown, but may cite an example at the last County election in Kerry, when three candidates stood, Sir Thomas Esmonde (Anti-Parnellite), Mr. Harrington (Parnellite), and Mr. Palmer (Conservative).  The last-named out of a poll of six thousand obtained seventy votes.  One of them was given after the following fashion.

An illiterate voter at Killorglin being asked in the polling booth how he wished to vote, replied:—­

‘For my parish priest.’

’But he is not a candidate.  The three are Esmonde, Palmer, and Harrington.’

’Well, then, I’ll vote for Palmer, because it is more like Father Lawler than the others.’

Naturally all concerned were convulsed with laughter, but the vote was duly recorded.

It is no uncommon thing to see priests carefully teaching illiterate voters the appearance of the name of the candidate for whom they are to poll, and also giving them printed cards merely containing his name, so that they can recognise it on the voting-card.