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his priest; and by the desire of restoring to me some equivalent for what I had given away.

"I remonstrated with him on the iniquity of his conduct towards the reverend Father, saying, 'Now, Tim, how could you persist in telling such an untruth ?-Suppose I had given you the book.'

“Oh_master, then,' replied Tim, ‘I won't suppose no such thing:-don't we all know how timorous ye are to give the oath ?'

"But, suppose I had at last,' continued I, 'what a pretty situation you would have been in !-what could you have done?-You surely would not have forsworn yourself?"

66 6

"By the hokey, then, master dear,' answered Tim, 'I'd have turned it all off with a laugh at the praist, and gived him his durty bit of iron back again.-For sure, why did I meddle with the thing at all at all? wasn't it at Neddy Blake's that I picked it up one day, when the Father was lying on the bench as drunk as a pig, and couldn't tell his knife from a scythe?—and wasn't my only raison for taking it, to prove that villain Jack Morgan to be no

thing but a pumping informer, for he was the only one in the place, that wasn't blind drunk, that could ha' seen me.'

"Well, Tim,' said I, 'you will excuse me from taking the priest's knife, which I hope you will find means to restore to him as soon as possible.'

"And won't ye take it, yersilf, master ?' returned Tim.

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"Certainly not, Tim,' replied I: 'you must return it to the owner, without delay.'

"Oh thunder and 'ounds, master!' exclaimed the old man; hasn't he one from yersilf, worth a bushel of such rubbitch as dhis?—With yer honur's lave, I'd like to keep it myself, any how, till I send Jack Morgan to hell without his ears—the spalpeen informer that he is!'

66 Seeing that' poor Tim was too old a sinner to admit of the least hope of reformation, I desired him to spare Morgan's ears; gave him half a crown for his honesty, and rode on.

"As I proceeded, I could not help exclaiming, 'Alas! unhappy Ireland, how art thou sunk in the scale of nations! The incubus of wretched

ness-that monster begotten by tyranny upon superstition,—which sits so heavily upon thy lovely bosom, is the cause of too many instances of depravity similar to that which I have now witnessed. Thy children have lost the spirit, the courage, and the honour of their forefathers, and, like the Oriental slave, they have taken refuge from the hand of oppression in the intricate mazes of cunning, and in the dismal caverns of knavery and violence.-But will this degradation last for ever? Surely not. The heroic ardour of the ancient Gael will reanimate the drooping spirits of their sons, to deeds of greatness !-then, sweet Erin! clothed in thy emerald verdure, thou wilt reign as thou wert wont, the happy and the smiling Queen of the Western Seas!" "

XXI.

THE IRISH PEASANTRY AND
THEIR PASTORS.

(CONTINUED.)

THE foregoing conversation being renewed some time after, the same gentleman, in obedience to the wish of several members, who expressed an earnest desire to know more of the spirit and character of his countrymen, related several other curious anecdotes; some of which are as follow :—

THE ADULTEROUS PRIEST.

"You must know, gentlemen!" said he, "that though there is not, perhaps, in any country, a more decorous, moral, and virtuous priesthood, generally speaking, than in Ireland,

some of them have, of course, been suffered to fall into the snares of temptation. When such a misfortune occurs, however, the brethren, one and all, instead of withdrawing from the transgressor, (or his being publicly punished by his superiors,) seem to shut their eyes and ears against the accusation, let it be ever so glaring or loud. This, no doubt, proceeds, in some degree from the praiseworthy sentiment that they are all partakers in the shame of their brother; and from a rooted determination to prevent their own laity, and the members of the Protestant church, from pointing the finger of scorn at any individual delinquent; thinking that if the scandal be left to itself it will soon blow over and I have no doubt, that this delicacy tends greatly to the preservation of purity among the Catholic priesthood of Ireland.

:

"A remarkable instance of this occurred some time ago, in the 'county of Cork:-A sawyer, who worked for a gentleman, was directed to attend early one morning to prepare timber for the carpenter; but he did not make his appearance till a late hour. His employer asked

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