Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/345

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S3雀 CURRAN not pleased Providence to afford the privilege of improv ment." This description of Mr. Constantine Phipps was but masked battery playing on the character of Lord Clare every shot told upon his feelings, and on those of th whole auditory Amongst all the parliamentary antagonists of Mr. Cu ran, there was none who more sorely writhed under h tooth, than Dr. Duigenan. The former was the żealous ac vocate for the catholics-the latter their most furious an bigotted antagonist.o Whenever the question of thei emancipation was agitated in parliament, the Doctor wa ubmuzzled and let loose to oppose them; and usoally di charged upon their history, their principles, their characte and religion, and even upon their advocates, such a torrer of abuse, as sometimes shocked even the nerves of h own partisans. "He scorned any thing," says Mr. Grattar which was classical, moderate, or refined,and preferred a more effectual, the foul, the gross and scandalous;-tha with all the garbage his imagination could collect, wit whatever flowers the fish-market could furnish, every thin which the streets could administer to the learned Doctor taste and refinement, he assailed all men, and all bodi of men, overlaid them with such a profusion of filth,a 6C to amaze all who were not acquainted with the ways an customs of the learned Doctor." He had attacked Mr. Curran, in the debate on th eatholic question in 1796; but Mr. Curran, in bis repl to the Doctor, lightened upon him for half an hour, an effectually singed him by the flashes of his wit " The learned Doctor," he said, "had made himself very prominent feature in the debate; furious indeed ha been his anger, and manifold his attacks. What argumen what man, or what thing had he not abused; half choke by his rage in striving to refute those who had spoken, h had relieved himself by abusing those who had not spoker He had abused the catholics, their ancestors; he had abuse