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Vanninee dooie,—My gheiney cheerey hene, eaisht jee rhym, as gowjee slane tastey jeh ny ta mee goll dy ghra — son te feeu nyn imnea! Ta shieu er chlashtyn, dyn_dooyt, jehn leigh noa tadyr nish mysh janno, bentyn da keesh son keid dy varroo ushagyn. Cre hug ayns nyn ghione leid yn ommijys cha saym — mannagh re dy voddagh fer na jees ny vud oc, ta meeandagh er bee blaystal as feaieeys, goaill-er-slaue dy voddagh ad jannoo gamman jin. Shickyr dy liooar sy tra ter ngoll shiaghey, va leid y roosterys surrt, tra hagher dy ve aigney baanrit ree na chiarn enagh son freayll ooilliu ny reddyn mie da hene — Agh nish ta sleih son toiggal ny share — ta fys as shickerys oc dy vel cairys ec dagh dooinney da e chooid, as nagh vloys da fer erbe cheet stiagh er a sircle nagh vel eh lowal jeh, chamoo vess eh spooillit noi e yione.
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Native Manx People,— My own countrymen, listen to me, and take full note of what I am going to say—for it is worth your worry! You have heard, no doubt, of the new law they are now in the process of making, concerning a fee for permission to kill birds. What put in their heads such foolishness I do not know—unless it is so that one or two amongst them, who are fond of tasty food and game, could suppose that they could make a game of us. Sure enough in times gone past, such robbery was suffered, when there happened to be a crazed mind of a king or some lord able to keep all the good things for himself— But now people know better— they know and are confident that each man has a right to his property, and no one dare enter his circle (sphere) that he does not allow, neither will it be plundered against his will.
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Vanninagh ! shoh yn leigh tad nish son jannoo noi ayd. Te dy reayll oo veih lhiggey shott er ushag ayns ny magheryn ayd hene, chouds sheign dhyt cur kied da joaree joogh erbee ta forrt eckey geek daa phunt sy vleain dy chur lesh a ghrei-baaish cheusthie jeh dty gharey — dy jarroo cheusthie jeh styndaart jeh dty choine — as goaill y chooid ayd hene ec dty chosh, fegooish dty chied, na geill erbee dy dty vaggyrt na dty oghsan. Vel shoh resoon, my heshee gheiney? Nee shoh cairys? Jir shiu dy vel leid y reamys leighoil, na dy lisagh eh ve jeant leighoil, choud as ta bree meel faagit aynns Manninee? Meel, doort mee! She beeishteig sinshley na meel yinnagh surranse leid yn oltooan; son oltooan hrome eh, dy ghra yn chooid sloo jeh, dy ve soit orrin myr shen ayns nyn eer magheryn, as vloys lhian kionnaghey greei-baaish [l. greie-baaish] son ny hymmydyn lowal ain hene, fegooish hoshiaght shirrey kied ec —— quoi? As my hagherys da guiy-feaill, na thunnag, na patrag, na eer lhon getlagh shiaghey, sheign fagail eh dan cheid joaree, dan cheid vaairlagh hed herrish nyn ghagliagh!
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Manxman! this is the law they are now able to make against you— It is to keep you from shooting at a bird in your own fields, whilst you must give permission for any greedy foreigner who has the means to pay two pounds a year to bring his deadly weapon inside your garden indeed within a yard of your head, and— take your own property at your feet, without your leave, or any heed of your threat or your sigh. Is this reasonable my fellow men? Is this justice? Will you say that such a liberty is legal, or that it should be made legal, whilst there is the engergy of a louse left in Manx people! A louse, I said! It’s an insect lower than a louse that would suffer such a rebuke (insult); for it is a heavy rebuke (insult), to say the least of it, to be set upon like that in our very fields, and we aye dare to buy a deadly-weapon for our own permitted uses, without first asking for permission from— who? And if it happens that a wild goose, or duck, or partridge, or even a blackbird flies past it must be left for the first stranger, to the first thief that goes over your boundary!
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Veagh shoh naaredagh lhiggey lesh lesh ayns cheer erbee, foddey smoo ayns cheer, ny leighyn eic ta resoonagh , as follan, as mie — ta cur slane reamys da dy chooilley unnane jannoo cre saillish rish e chooid hene. Agh cha vel y leigh noa shoh ennee fooast er ve lowt jeh liorish y ree, chamoo credjym dy bee eh; as te yindys vooar liams dy row eh riu er ny chummey er cheusthie jehn Ellan. Nee yn Chiare-as-feed oddagh cur nyn laue dys leid y leigh? Nee slane oashley yn Ellan gogh_ers_laue leid y ryd?
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This would be shameful to allow in any country, far more in a country whose laws are reasonable, and wholseome and good—that gives complete freedom to everyone to do what he likes with his own property. But this very same new law has not yet been ratified by the king, neither do I believe it will be; and it is a great wonder that it was ever formed within the Island. Is it the Keys who could put their hand to such a law? Is it the entire nobility of the Island that could assume such a thing?
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Agh my gheiney cheerey, ny surjee leid dy ve jeant riu. Fogle jee magh nyn gharail dy ghow shiu yn leigh jeh dooinney erbee ghowys er dy hiooyl trooid ny magheryn eu lesh gun; as varramis dieu nagh lhoys da. Ta paart er nyannoo shoh, as tarad choud shen creeney; son lurgh shoh cha bee leshtal ec y roosteyr. T’an leigh ta dy reayll dooin nyn ghooid hene ny stroshey na leigh erbee dy vel er ve jeaynt, na vys jeant dy bra.
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But my countrymen, do not suffer such to be done to you. Announce your intention that you will outlaw any man who assumes to walk through your fields with a gun; and I warrant to you he dare not. Some have done this, and they are so much the wiser; because after this the robber won’t have an excuse. The law that maintains our own property for us is stronger than any law there has been made, or will ever be made.
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Slanelhieu. Fodde dy geayll shiu voym reesht. Ta shiartanse dy reddyn elley ta foum dy scrieu fooast, tra vees caa aym.
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Farewell. Maybe you will hear from me again. There are several other things I intend to write yet, when I have a chance.
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ILLAM DHOUNN.
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Brown William.
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Mee-veannagh yn Our, yn 20oo laa, 1833.
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September 20th, 1833
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