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length, when he did so, with much caution-it was found to be in a perfectly whole state; there not being even a scar visible !

Though Mr. Dundas had much reason to be delighted at having escaped unhurt, he was not a little mortified at the laugh which this adventure occasioned; and his chagrin was greatly increased when he found that he had to pay for the attendance of the medical gentlemen-which having done, and having shaved the other side of his face himself, for he would trust no more barbers,-he decamped from Edinburgh, and did not return for many years.

XX.

THE IRISH PEASANTRY AND THEIR
PASTORS.

THE Conversation one evening turning on the abject submission of the Irish to their Catholic priesthood, an Irish gentleman said, "that though his countrymen were a weak people, they were not so much led by the nose by their spiritual pastors, as persons who did not know them generally imagined.

"Thanks, however," said he, "to the rapacity and insolence of the Protestant clergy, with their army of tithe-proctors and other harpies, the links of the iron chain of superstition are more closely rivetted between Paddy and his praist than they would be if oppression ceased to stalk with such horrible strides throughout the land; yet, after all, it is only in affairs of religion that the Irish Catholic submits to the dictation of the priesthood. On these points he does nothing by halves. Of the infallibility of his church he does not permit himself to harbour the shadow of a doubt; but believes implicitly that she has the power to grant him absolution for the most atrocious crimes, or to consign him to eternal damnation if the excommunicating ban be not taken off by suitable submission and contrition. This power he considers to be as certain

as that the snow falls in winter, or that the sun shines in summer."

THE PENANCE.

"I will give you an instance," he continued, “among many which I could mention, of the great power of the Catholic clergy, from whose sentence there is no appeal; indeed the least resistance would have involved the culprit in misery without end, for he would have become an outcast from society. In such a case, a man's own father dare not speak to, or assist him, were he in the greatest emergency or danger.

"You must know, in the first place, Gentlemen, that the Protestants having taken all the lands and livings, churches and cathedrals, from the Catholics, the only certain means of subsistence that the priests have, are what, in this country, are called surplice fees; that is, fees for marriages, christenings, and burials: now, these are necessarily very high, and in many cases oppressive, that for marriage being between three and four pounds sterling.

"One Saturday afternoon I was told, that next morning, at a chapel two miles distant from my house, there was to be rather a novel mode of penance performed by a man named Phelim M'Murrough, who had married one of my farm servants, several days before. He was an ostler and postboy at a small inn on the road-side, where a ricketty chaise and a pair of miserable horses were kept for the occasional use of travellers.

"When he married Dolly Milligan, like most Irishmen of his rank, he had not a tenpenny to bless himself with; but Dolly had been a saving girl, and not only had

provided a few small things in the way of bedding and other household matters, but likewise put into Phelim's hand the prodigious sum of five pounds, which she had scraped together during her days of maidenhood and servitude. In fact, this girl, take her for all in all, was considered a fortune by the young fellows in the neighbourhood. She had set her heart, however, on Phelim, who was a smart curly-headed little fellow; and no doubt his rusty red jacket, leather breeches,-which once were yellow, and had been worn by some cavalier at the battle of the Boyne,brown-black velvet cap, and top boots to match, assisted greatly in the conquest of her heart.

"A day or two before his marriage, Phelim, who never before had so much money in his possession, reflected deeply on the hardship of parting with fourfifths of it to the priest, for the mere performance of a ceremony; which he by no means considered an equivalent for parting with such a treasure.

"Dolly, my darling,' said he, turning over the tenpennies (for the hoard was all in silver), 'I've just been thinking that if Father M'Donough would only trust me, and let us be married on tick this once, how I could go to the fair next week and buy a pig or two; -the craturs would have a litter shortly, and when the little ones got big, sure we'd make a fortin by them. I could promise dhe Father a green ham and a sucking pig, and I dare say he'd consent.'

"Dolly thought the plan exceedingly feasible; and away went Phelim to the priest to make his proposi tion. The latter good-naturedly consented to this arrangement, and Phelim and Dolly were as happy as

any couple that ever were joined in the bonds of matrimony.

"On the fourth or fifth morning of the honey-moon, Phelim, having the tenpennies in a leathern bag, posted off to the fair, a few miles off. Here he unfortunately met with some of his boon companions, whom, in the fulness of his heart, he treated all round. They drank potyeen till all was blue; and in the plenitude of present happiness he forgot Dolly, the pigs, and the priest.

"He had unfortunately told his friends the errand he was come upon, and triumphantly exhibited the contents of his bag. This excited the cupidity of the landlord of the whiskey-shop, who contrived to breed a quarrel between his guests; the termination of which was a grand row, in which Phelim lost his bag of tenpennies, but received a broken head in exchange.

"It is unnecessary to describe the grief of poor Dolly, when she saw the pitiable plight in which her husband returned to the cabin; but when she heard of the total loss of her hard-earned treasure, her despair knew no bounds. Her wretched state of mind, however, was, if possible, aggravated by the story coming to the ears of M'Donough, who saw no means of his fees being paid, but by the instant sale of their little household effects.

"At this proposition, which was made to Phelim, as he lay on the bed with his head tied up, the poor fellow was struck with horror and dismay: he groaned for some time in agony; but at length, unwillingly, gave his consent. This roused Dolly to a sense of the danger which hung over them; she foresaw the

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