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only as a picture of manners, but of phraseology now passed away; and its authorship is a sub-ject of as much controversy as the - Letters of Junius/ Report has conferred the reputation of it on Burrowes, Curran, Lysaght and others, who have never asserted their claims. We shall mention one more claimant whose pretentions are equal to those of any other. There was at that time a man named Maher in Waterford, who kept a cloth shop at the market cross; he had a distorted ankle, and was known by the sobriquet of' Hurlfoot Bill/ He was a 'fellow of infinite humour/ and his compositions on various local and temporary subjects were in the mouths of all his acquaintance. There was then a literary society established in Waterford, which received contributions in a letter-box that was periodically opened, and prizes awarded for the compositions. In this was found the first copy of this celebrated song that had been seen in Waterford. Its merit was immediately ac-knowledged ; inquiry was made for its author, and ' Hurlfoot Bill' presented himself and claimed the prize awarded. We give this anecdote, which must go for tantimi quantum valet; but we have heard from old members of this society that no doubt at the time existed among them that he was then the author. His
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