It comes from 1943, when the centenary of William Rowan Hamilton’s discovery of quaternions was celebrated with, among other things, a commemorative stamp. Myles na gCopaleen paid tribute too, after a fashion. The “house in Merrion Square” was the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. – FRANK McNALLY
WELL DO you know the brother’s taken to the books again.
You do not say so.
Comes home to the digs wan day a month ago with a big blue one under d’arm. Up to the bedroom with it and doesn’t stir out all night. The brother was above having a screw at the book for over five hours non-stop. The door locked, of course. That’s a quare one.
Odd behaviour without a doubt.
Well wan Sunda I seen the brother below in the sittinroom with the book in the hand and the nose stuck into it. So I thought I’d get on to him about it. What’s the book, says I. It’s be Sir James Johns says the brother without liftin the head. And what’s the book about, says I. It’s about quateernyuns says the brother. That’s a quare one.
It is undoubtedly “a quare one”.
The brother was reading a book about quateernyuns be Sir James Johns.
A most remarkable personality, your relative.
But I’ll tell you another good one. The brother does be up in the nighttime peepin at the moon.
I see.
What do I see wan night and me comin home at two in the mornin from me meetin of the Knights only your man pokin the head out the window with the nightshirt on him. Starin out of him at the stars.
A practice beloved of all philosophers throughout the centuries.
Well I’ll tell you this, mister me friend: you won’t find yours truly losin sleep over a book be Sir James Johns. Damn the fear of me been up peepin out of the window in the nighttime.
I accept that statement.
Well then another funny thing. The brother does be doin sums. The digs is full of bits of papers with the brother’s sums on them. And very hard sums too. Begob I found some of the brother’s sums on me paper wan day, written down along the side. That’s a quare one. Workin away at sums breakfast dinner and tea.
Proof at least of perseverance.
Of course all the brother’s sums isn’t done in the digs. He does be inside in a house in Merrion Square doin sums as well. If anybody calls, says the brother, tell them I’m above in Merrion Square workin at the quateernyuns, says he, and take any message. There does be other lads in the same house doin sums with the brother. The brother does be teachin them sums. He does be puttin them right about the sums and the quateernyuns.
Indeed.
I do believe the brother’s makin a good thing out of the sums and the quateernyuns. Your men couldn’t offer him less than five bob an hour and I’m certain sure he gets his tea thrown in.
That is a desirable perquisite.
Because do you know, the brother won’t starve. The brother looks after Number Wan. Matteradamn what he’s at, it has to stop when the grubsteaks is on the table. The brother’s very particular about that.
Your relative is versed in the science of living.
Begob the sums and the quateernyuns is quickly shoved aside when the alarm for grub is sounded and all hands piped to the table. The brother thinks there’s a time for everything.
And that is a belief that is well founded.
Here’s me bus.
Cheers now.
To celebrate the work of Myles na gCopaleen, The Irish Times will print one of his Cruiskeen Lawn columns each day during October
This one was requested by Eoin Gill, to mark Maths Week Ireland.