Poorgentleman！helostafinehunterandhislife，atlast，byit，allinoneday’shunt。ButIoughttoblessthatday，fortheestatecamestraightintoTHEfamily，upononecondition，whichSirPatrickO’Shaughlinatthetimetooksadlytoheart，theysay，butthoughtbetterofitafterwards，seeinghowlargeastakedependeduponit：thatheshould，byActofParliament，takeandbearthesurnameandarmsofRackrent。
NowitwasthattheworldwastoseewhatwasINSirPatrick。Oncomingintotheestatehegavethefinestentertainmenteverwasheardofinthecountry;notamancouldstandaftersupperbutSirPatrickhimselfwhocouldsitoutthebestmaninIreland，letalonethethreekingdomsitself[SeeGLOSSARY2]。Hehadhishouse，fromoneyear’sendtoanother，asfullofcompanyaseveritcouldhold，andfuller;forratherthanbeleftoutofthepartiesatCastleRackrent，manygentlemen，andthosemenofthefirstconsequenceandlandedestatesinthecountry——suchastheO’NeillsofBallynagrotty，andtheMoneygawlsofMountJuliet’sTown，andO’ShannonsofNewTownTullyhog——madeittheirchoice，oftenandoften，whentherewasnoroomtobehadforlovenormoney，inlongwinternights，tosleepinthechicken-house，whichSirPatrickhadfittedupforthepurposeofaccommodatinghisfriendsandthepublicingeneral，whohonouredhimwiththeircompanyunexpectedlyatCastleRackrent;andthiswentonI
can’ttellyouhowlong。Thewholecountryrangwithhispraises！——longlifetohim！I’msureIlovetolookuponhispicture，nowoppositetome;thoughIneversawhim，hemusthavebeenaportlygentleman——hisnecksomethingshort，andremarkableforthelargestpimpleonhisnose，which，byhisparticulardesire，isstillextantinhispicture，saidtobeastrikinglikeness，thoughtakenwhenyoung。Heissaidalsotobetheinventorofraspberrywhisky，whichisverylikely，asnobodyhaseverappearedtodisputeitwithhim，andastherestillexistsabrokenpunch-bowlatCastleRackrent，inthegarret，withaninscriptiontothateffect——agreatcuriosity。Afewdaysbeforehisdeathhewasverymerry;itbeinghishonour’sbirthday，hecalledmygrandfatherin——Godblesshim！——todrinkthecompany’shealth，andfilledabumperhimself，butcouldnotcarryittohishead，onaccountofthegreatshakeinhishand;onthishecasthisjoke，saying，’Whatwouldmypoorfathersaytomeifhewastopopoutofthegrave，andseemenow？IrememberwhenI
wasalittleboy，thefirstbumperofclarethegavemeafterdinner，howhepraisedmeforcarryingitsosteadytomymouth。
Here’smythankstohim——abumpertoast。’Thenhefelltosingingthefavouritesonghelearnedfromhisfather——forthelasttime，poorgentleman——hesungitthatnightasloudandasheartyasever，withachorus：