From William Ginty   January 23rd 1844.

Carrick on Shannon | January 23rd 1844.

Mon Cher Tyndall

‘Man’ says the Rationalist’s creed ‘is the creature of circumstances’¹ and with this for my text I propose to give such an exposition of it as shall shew that my long silence is not a fault of mine. The question is not a religious one – it is not whether those circumstances were ordained by the Immaculate One or not, but it is this – did they not prevent me from answering your letter² in proper time and was not my conduct the inevitable result of which those circumstances were the cause – emphatically Yes! I’m far enough in this strain I ween, suffice it to say that together with being out of Carrick for four days many other things combined to frustrate my intentions which I now so gladly execute – perform and so forth. I received No 5³ in due time and without losing a post transmitted it to his literary highness of Lord Street⁴ who was [conning] its contents on the 15th inst. – of state trial notoriety. I conjured him to all possible speed. The ‘statistics of a hucksters shop’⁵ takes my admiration to all intents and purposes – probably it has appeared on last Friday, but in truth this state-trial is monopolizing sundry columns. I received the ‘Despatch’ 21 days after date – which said Despatch was my prayer book on Xmas day last.

McGowan has joined the Survey again. ‘The dog shall return unto his vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire’.⁶ Tis too great a triumph for the despotic vampire-blood-sucking herd! Oh degenerate sons of ‘Erin’s Isle’⁷ how I blush for your spiritless conduct! a dive into the depths of the Shannon were preferable – The workhouse would be a heaven, the blue canopy of our planet an elysium contrasted with the scoffs and the sneers of the sapper-mob⁸ and their degenerated satellites.

‘A worthless crew to honour lost

Who know them best despise them most’.⁹

Do you know a person named ‘Garrett’¹⁰ in Carlow he is a quill driver or accountant of some kind? I’ll tell you why I ask. Some time ago an advertisement appeared in the ‘Boyle Gazette’ to the effect that the books of an Agent who had suddenly died were to be adjusted. 3 months were allotted for the execution and tenders would be received by the executors. This Mr Garrett proposed for them and offered to come here and do them, what his proposal was I can’t say, but faith if he imagines that he can do them in 3 months and has tendered accordingly, he will be most damnably bit and his securities too. There are 252 accounts some not settled for 9 years – some for six &c &c. There were 18 large account books and no mortal men could do them in 12 months. 4 of us here have joined and put in a tender I think we will get them. £50 boy o! among four of us for 3 months would pay well enough, particularly as 3 of us are chaps I’m the only man among them. Mr Garrett would not get them if he offered for £10. The Executor¹¹ is a friend of ours.

Your correction of my French is no doubt just, but faith I seen it in ‘Prent’ that-a-way! ----?¹² is not Adios¹³ Spanish? How is Jim?¹⁴ I was talking to a Captain Duckworth¹⁵ the other day (the executor) he was after returning from Dublin and he told me that ‘some fellow in a Dublin paper says that the Ordnance Survey of Ireland is “all wrong”’. ‘He says right’ says I ‘---’ and so forth. Pray your Reverence is this fellow’s name John Tyndall? If so, I have an ordnance map of a part of Roscommon Co.¹⁶ joining this Co. I have to enlarge a farm for a friend the gratification of scolding them this way would be some compensation, for I’m only to get thanks for the job. I will of course examine it and if you like send you an affidavit of the errors!!! I know they will be numerous for I have glanced over a comparison with the engraved one and the ground I’ll tell you a good [bull] – the Shannon is the Co. B.Y.¹⁷ consequently the Shannon is on it and the heights or ‘altitudes above low water mark’ were given at a certain point it is shown to be 138 feet and about a mile and a quarter nearer to the source another height is given viz 136 so that it seems it is running up the hill!!! Good the Shannon running up an inclined plane. What would Sir Isaac Newton say to this? – How would he reconcile it with his laws of gravitation?

I want you to write me an acrostic¹⁸ – don’t stare! tis not for myself! tis for a Mr Harrison¹⁹– the case stands thus – he loves her deeply, but oh he’s afraid it is not reciprocal. Now then love but love without return a heart given but not exchanged! this is enough for your poetic imagination! The name is Dorothea Evans.²⁰ She spells her name he says Dorathea, this however I think is wrong enquire! Let me have it if possible in your next. I showed him some of your compositions and he is all anxiety to get you to do this. If you think tis for me I’m damned if I won’t send you his certificate assuring the contrary!

Omega²¹ Aubrey!²² eh! Oh you Ronayne,²³ Chadwick, Maryanne,²⁴ Tidmarsh, Deeble,²⁵ McCarthy,²⁶ Donoughcliffe,²⁷ Hebdon,²⁸ Wilden²⁹ humbug!!! Dare you thus rake up the memory of the past – look at that catalogue of martyrs thou most incorrigible of all incorrigible miscreant and call from it the many pure and unsuspecting hearts your wiles and artifices have consigned to the sear and yellow leaf – gaze again heartless monster, and cease thy idle prattle for ---ever! ‘Oh there are some &c.’

I have not had a letter from Liverpool this fortnight. I wrote to George Latimer 3 weeks since and the sanctified rascal has not yet responded. May he be crushed neath the ruins of a tract repository or may his big bible trip him and break his neck for this treatment. Valentine’s day is coming are you preparing a summat for Preston!!!

I will expect to hear from you in a day or two. My kindest remembrances to Emma³⁰ and Evans (and to Ellen³¹ if you are winging a messenger to that quarter)

Yours ever faithfully and sincerely | Wm. Ginty.

RI MS JT/1/TYP/11/3627-3628

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