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The Absentee by Maria Edgeworth
Book, page 161 / 300


'Sure, I told him no lie; I only said, "If you'll take my
advice." And why was he such a fool as to take my advice, when I
wouldn't take his fee?'

'So this is the way, Larry, you give a lift to the laws!'

'If the laws would give a lift to me, plase your honour, maybe
I'd do as much by them. But it's only these revenue laws I mean;
for I never, to my knowledge, broke another commandment; but it's
what no honest poor man among his neighbours would scruple to
take--a glass of POTSHEEN.'

'A glass of what, in the name of Heaven?' said Lord Colambre.

POTSHEEN, plase your honour;--becaase it's the little whisky
that's made in the private still or pot; and SHEEN, becaase it's
a fond word for whatsoever we'd like, and for what we have little
of, and would make much of: after taking the glass of it, no man
could go and inform to ruin the CRATURES, for they all shelter on
that estate under favour of them that go shares, and make rent of
'em--but I'd never inform again' 'em. And, after all, if the
truth was known, and my Lord Clonbrony should be informed
against, and presented, for it's his neglect is the bottom of the
nuisance--'

'I find all the blame is thrown upon this poor Lord Clonbrony,'
said Lord Colambre.

'Becaase he is absent,' said Larry. 'It would not be so was he
PRISINT. But your honour was talking to me about the laws. Your
honour's a stranger in this country, and astray about them
things. Sure, why would I mind the laws about whisky, more than
the quality, or the judge on the bench?'

'What do you mean?'

'Why! was not I PRISINT in the court-house myself, when the
JIDGE on the bench judging a still, and across the court came in
one with a sly jug of POTSHEEN for the JIDGE himself, who
prefarred it, when the right thing, to claret; and when I SEEN

 
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