Project Gutenberg 2003-05-01 Public domain in the USA. 117 Smith, Sydney 1771 1845 Plymley, Peter Dyson, Mr. Smith, Sidney Peter Plymley's Letters, and Selected Essays Peter Pymley's Letters -- Historical Apology for the Irish Catholics -- Ireland and England -- Moore's Captain Rock. Transcribed from the 1893 Cassell & Company edition by David Price "Peter Plymley's Letters and Selected Essays" by Sydney Smith is a collection of satirical letters written in the early 19th century that address the contentious issue of Catholic emancipation in Ireland. Through the persona of Peter Plymley, Smith engages in a witty and incisive critique of political and religious bigotry, advocating for the inclusion and rights of Catholics in a predominantly Protestant England. The letters are not merely a reflection of the historical grievances of the time but also showcase Smith's keen intellect and ability to intertwine humor with serious commentary. At the start of the work, the reader is introduced to the character of Peter Plymley, who writes to his brother Abraham, a cleric living in the countryside. Plymley's tone is both affectionate and mocking, as he first compliments Abraham before launching into a robust defense of Irish Catholics. He counters common prejudices and fears about Catholics with logical reasoning and historical context, while also highlighting the absurdity of religious exclusion in matters of national security. The opening establishes a combative yet humorous framework in which Smith tackles the deeper societal issues of his time, signaling that this collection will be both an exploration of personal and political themes, rooted in wit and eloquence. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 55.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Essays Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1800-1837 Catholic emancipation Catholics -- Great Britain -- History Catholics -- Ireland -- History PR Text Category: Humour Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: British Literature Category: Religion/Spirituality Category: Politics 336200 2025-07-02T09:36:05.964618 text/html 333479 2014-09-08T16:55:21 text/html 305349 2025-07-02T09:36:12.463590 application/epub+zip 309149 2025-07-02T09:36:08.838603 application/epub+zip 197753 2025-07-02T09:36:07.695603 application/epub+zip 504885 2025-07-02T09:36:15.344555 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 486683 2025-07-02T09:36:11.741626 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 353052 2022-09-02T12:56:41.553898 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 325331 2025-07-02T09:36:05.607613 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 325451 2014-09-08T16:54:53 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19973 2025-07-02T09:36:15.469535 application/rdf+xml 17112 2025-07-02T09:36:08.183573 image/jpeg 3934 2025-07-02T09:36:07.938596 image/jpeg 124841 2014-09-08T16:58:30 application/octet-stream application/zip 229930 2014-09-08T16:58:30 application/octet-stream application/zip 301569 2025-07-02T09:36:05.998586 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia