| Upon quitting St. Valori, I paid a visit to that great man Grattan, whom I have with so much gratification mentioned, at his beautiful seat called Tinnahinch, or the Little Peninsula, the approach to which is very fine. Tinnahinch, or Teine Inch: the latter applies to some great altar of the pagan Irish, in or about the place so called. Teine signifies water; it also means stagnated waters, and the water-marks of a river. Inch, or is, or enis, signifies an island. The Irish give this name even to lands not quite surrounded by water, as Inche-core, near Dublin, which has the Liffey in front, and a small stream parallel to it at the back, running to Kilmainham gaol. The house stands at the base of a vast mountain, finely clothed with wood and verdure: a little from the summit is Powerscourt, the noble residence of Viscount Powerscourt. Soon after my arrival, the distinguished owner of Tinna- // hinch conducted me through his beautiful grounds. The surrounding objects corresponded with the mind of my guide. Before us a winding river here fertilizing meadows, there foaming over rocks, the rich romantic foliage of the woods, and the lofty mountains that half-enclose the Dangle, represented his eloquence, lucid, rich, copious, and sublime; whilst behind the cloud-capt Scalp, serrated with broken rock, resembled the terrible force of his roused philippic. I had the peculiar happiness of seeing this great man in the bosom of his amiable, elegant, and accomplished family; and in one of the greatest orators and politicians of the age, I saw the affectionate husband, the fond father, the luminous and profound scholar, the playful wit, and polite, well-bred, hospitable gentleman. Such is the man who, in his speeches upon the question of the paramount right of England to change the constitutional government of Ireland, displayed an eloquence before unknown to that, and never surpassed in any country. This question underwent several discussions in 1780, 1781, and 1782: the speech which he delivered on the 19th of April 1780, was, as I was informed by a gentleman who had the good fortune to be present when it was delivered, most brilliant, energetic, and impressive: it effected the repeal of the 6th of George I., and for a period gave independence to his country: for this speech alone the Parliament, by an almost unanimous vote, granted him the sum of fifty thousand // pounds! His speech also on the propositions in 1785 is said to have teemed with the highest eloquence. [pp. 449-451] |
