

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Phil Purcel, The Pig-Driver; The Geography
Of An Irish Oath; The Lianhan Shee, by William Carleton

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Title: Phil Purcel, The Pig-Driver; The Geography Of An Irish Oath; The Lianhan Shee
Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of
William Carleton, Volume Three

Author: William Carleton

Illustrator: M. L. Flanery

Release Date: June 7, 2005 [EBook #16015]
Last Updated: November 10, 2012

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHIL PURCEL, THE PIG-DRIVER ***

Produced by David Widger

TRAITS AND STORIES OF THE IRISH PEASANTRY

BY WILLIAM CARLETON

PART IV.

CONTENTS

PHIL PURCEL, THE PIG-DRIVER.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF AN IRISH OATH.

THE LIANHAN SHEE.

List of Illustrations

Frontispiece

Titlepage

Page 911— These Be Not Hirish Pigs at Oll

Page 919— A Rueful Blank Expression in his Visage

Page 975— Who's There?—What Are You?—Speak!

PART IV.

PHIL PURCEL, THE PIG-DRIVER.

Phil Purcel was a singular character, for he was never married; but notwithstanding his singularity, no man ever possessed, for practical purposes, a more plentiful stock of duplicity. All his acquaintances knew that Phil was a knave of the first water, yet was he decidedly a general favorite. Now as we hate mystery ourselves, we shall reveal the secret of this remarkable popularity; though, after all, it can scarcely be called so, for Phil was not the first cheat who has been popular in his day. The cause of his success lay simply in this; that he never laughed; and, none of our readers need be told, that the appearance of a grave cheat in Ireland is an originality which almost runs up into a miracle. This gravity induced every one to look upon him as a phenomenon. The assumed simplicity of his manners was astonishing, and