which is loaded with affliction or grief retires to the solitude in the fulness of its emotion, that it may weep away the burthen which oppresses it; for there is a modesty in real sorrow which shuns the eye of day and the gaze of observation ;-but I cannot see," I continued, " why the tear which you shed over the grave of a departed friend should be incompatible with your character as a clergyman." "I do not mean to say," he returned, "that the exercise of the kindlier and humaner feelings are so generally, or should be so-but there are some cases where a sense of duty differs from our own conviction, and when these occur, we are bound to sacrifice what we feel to what we know; particularly when what we feel runs counter to those regulations, an obedience to which on our part, constitutes a duty." "I do not," said I, "perfectly see the application of your last remark, because I do not understand the nature of the regulations to which you allude, nor do I properly apprehend how a man's conviction and his sense of duty can be at variance, as long as he himself is a free agent, and capable of correcting the error of the one by the rectitude of the other, or by some better standard." "But," said he," are there not situations in which man is not a free agent?" "I grant that," said I, "but do you think it should be so ?" 'Perhaps," said he, "it should.” "Undoubtedly," said I, "to a certain extent for instance, he who has the disposition to injure society in general, or any individual in particular, should not be permitted to possess the power, nor consequently, to be so far a free agent; but wherever there is a restraint laid upon a capacity to do good, whether that restraint arise from a regulation that imposes a duty or otherwise, man in such circumstances is not free, and consequently not happy."

When I had uttered these words, his eye glanced at me with an expression, in which there appeared to be at once conviction and inquiry. He seemed to conjecture that I had heard something of his history and of his sufferings, and that I spoke to his particular case- "I would," said he, "better perceive the truth of your observation, if it were less abstract and unlimited." "I do not relish mystery," I replied, "no more than I do an unwarrantable curiosity; but when you said, just now, that the sorrow in which you indulged for its departed object on our first meeting, was inconsistent with your character as a clergyman, I must confess, I thought the expression a remarkable one.' "When I used it," he replied, "I did so, as a proof that I was not unwilling to cultivate your society and esteem, otherwise I would not have touched upon a subject which, few men in my circumstances would wish to make the topic of conversation with a stranger:· but, Sir, although not personally acquainted with you, I am with your character, and it is also possible that you may have heard something of me. If our walk were longer, I might give you to understand what I just now meant by the expression which you call a remarkable one, and how it is possible for a man's conviction and sense of duty to vary." "I am happy, indeed," said I, "that you consider me so far entitled to your good opinion as to think me worthy of your confidence, you may rest assured I shall

never abuse it." "I have no such apprehension," said he, "but the communication of that which is already known to so many, can scarcely be called placing a confidence in you-I have, however, serious motives for giving you the history of what I have felt and suffered, as well as of what I feel and suffer-motives which, when you look upon this wasted frame of mine, you will grant cannot be insincere." ، Well, then, if you will breakfast with me to-morrow," said I, "we will have sufficient time to talk an hour or two, or indeed as long as you please after breakfast, and as you are so delicate in your health, I will call and give you an easy drive to the castle in my gig." "I would be happy to go," he returned, "but my poor father is so old and feeble, and with the exception of myself so lonely, that he really could not rest an hour, inuch less eat a meal, without me-even now, see here comes a servant by his order to summon me home to him." This was indeed the fact; while the servant approached us, he added, " as I, however, cannot avail myself of your kindness, will you do me the favour to breakfast with me to-morrow ?" I shall with pleasure," said I. As I felt an unaccountable interest in the communication he was about to make, I was glad of any opportunity that might enable me to hear the history of a man whose calamities had reduced him to such a hopeless state of health; so after inquiring his hour of breakfast, and promising to be punctual, I turned to the castle, and he went home with the servant to nurse and comfort his fond and helpless father.

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It was about a quarter to nine that evening when I got home, when I retired to my study, until bed-time: I had not been here long, however, when a servant came to tell me, that Tom Garrett wished to see me for a few minutes, if I were at leisure; I ordered him up, and the next moment Tom entered. 'Well, Tom, what's the matter ?" "Why, your honour," said Tom, scratching his head and shrugging up his shoulders, "not much; ony a bit iv a bet I made wud Lanty Nolan.” "A bet, Tom! and what occasioned the bet between you?" "Why, Sir, to tell yer honour the thruth, partly two things." "Have you made two bets then ?" "No, Sir, ony wan, bud I offered to double id wud 'im." "Garrett, I entirely disapprove of bettingbecause it not only directly injures a man's circumstances, but fosters a bad spirit, and destroys industrious habits wherever it finds them ; however, let us hear the nature of the bet, and how I can interfere in it?" 68 'Why Lanty an' I, Sir, war discoorsin' an hour agone about the great dishcushion-match that was held in the meetin-house last week, atween the priests an' the ministers; an' so, your honour, from wan thin' to another we begins to talk about Paddy Dimnick-now, Sir, ye must know that Lanty 'imself's a piece of an arguer, an' a great scripturian entirely, ever since he got the Bible from Dr. Story-at any rate, he an' Paddy never can meet two minnits, but they're ding-dust at it; though every body knows he's not fit to spake to Paddy-no, nor to hould the candle to 'im fur that matther-although your honour Lanty's sartinly a tough fellow, an' can bate most o'them any Sunday, 'ceptin' Paddy"-" Tom," said I, "this is any thing but a direct

story-let me know at once what I can have to do in

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your bets?" Why, Sir, to tell the thruth-bud first I must let yer honour know what we betted for-some time ago, Sir, Lanty got a Bible from Dr. Story, an' ever since he's got'n so stiff, that there's no standin' 'im, with the exception iv Paddy, Sir, as I said afore, who's always too many fur 'im-so as he an' I were talkin' over wan thing or another this evenin' about the dish cushion-match'Lanty,' says I, 'what kind iv a book is that Bible, that Dr. Story gave you? I'm tould that all these Protestant Bibles is corrupted'; thruth's best, Sir. 'Who tould you so,' says he?-So, I up an' tould 'im what Paddy had been tellin' us, time afther time, in the chapel-green-sure ye know,' says I, 'that the lheaddhan wurrah* isn't in it, nor the salha-na-mharrho, nor nothin' about Purgathory; an' to crown all, doesn't every one of their Bibles abuse the Pope ?' Have ye all this from Paddy" says he' an’ what betther authority Lanty,' says I, 'cud I have it frum?' I'll tell you what it is, Tom,' says he, Paddy's an ass, an' yer sumthin' of the same kidney yerself, or ye'd have more sense nor to listen to his palaverin'-sure enuff he did, Sir, plump to my face-an', says he, in regard iv the lheaddhan wurrah, an' the salha-na-mharrho-there's jist as little iv them an' iv Purgatory too, in our own Bible as in their's-bud there's a set of witless crathers iv ye, that gathers roun' Paddy Dimnick every Sunday, moudhs whatsomever he chooses to say; swallyin' wud yer an' bekase he knows ye'll believe any thin', he stops at nothin'jist to make ye think what a power he knows-although afther all the half iv id's his own invention, holy as he purtends to be.' Garrett, if you don't come to your business 'Lanty,' says I”. with me, I must leave you both to sleep upon your bets, for this “I'm jist done yer honour-in three minnits. night at least.”. Lanty,' says I, 'I'll not be the man to hear Paddy Dimnick run down, says I, behint his back-he's my gossip, says I, an' any how, it would ill become me to hear 'im klumniated an' 'imself not to the fore, says I, an' in regard iv the lheaddhan wurrah, ye know as well as I do,' says I to him back again, 'that it is in our Bible, an' that they would'nt let it into theirs, jist like the M'Abees, as Paddy says'- No such thing,' says he-Well, I'll tell you what it is Lanty,' says I, 'I've ten shillin's here in this spleuchan, and I'll hould ye every rap iv them this minnit, that I'm right; so, Sir, he hadn't the money, bud he offs wud his new freize big-coat, and downs wud id on the spot, an' we're now come to axe your honour who won-bekase Lanty says that you have a Dowy Bible, and can tell us as well Why, Garrett, this Paddy Dimnick seems to be as any body?" an oracle with you; upon this occasion, however, you have lost ten shillings by relying on his authority; for most assuredly -is Nolan below ?"Nolan is right, and you are wrong

66

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open

He is, Sir, in the hall"-" Well, bring him up." When he came up, Nolan," said I, “ you did not act the

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part of an

• Litany of the Virgin.

+ Prayer for the Dead.

honest conscientious man on this occasion; and I would have expected better from you than to make a bet, which from your acquaintance with the Scriptures, you knew you must win; it was, in fact, taking an unfair advantage of his ignorance-you must, therefore, draw your bets both of you, and never let me know either of you again to have recourse to such a senseless mode of terminating a dispute, for I have always found that he who expects to win the bet is sure to lose the argument." I had no notion, Sir, of insistin' on the bet at all at all," replied Nolan, "for I only made it to shew 'im what dependance is to be placed on any thing that ignorant knave, Paddy Dimnick, sez-aye, an' he wanted, Sir, to widger ten shillins' more, that you had been tryin' to convart Paddy an' Father Butler, an' that Paddy gave you the greatest sackin' that ever wan man gave another in his own house, before all his labourers-that he dumb-foundered you complately, and didn't lave a word, Sir, in your cheek." I could not help smiling at the version which had gone abroad of my interview with Mr. Butler and Dimnick. "Did Dimnick tell you this?" I inquired of Garrett-" he did'nt tell it to me, Sir, but I hear 'im tellin' id to a ring iv iz at the chapel-he sed, Sir, that he took you at the beginnin' iv Jinneysins, an' went on to the very en' of Rivvillations, an' that you wurn't able to stick up to 'im, or to go into id wud 'im by any chance, an' I never knew 'im to tell a lie, Sir"-"Yes," subjoined Nolan, "an' he said that the priests bet the Biblemen at the meetin' the other day, an' that the Biblemen took to their heels when they had nothin' more to say, although Father Driscoll's own nevvy, an' the makins iv a priest 'imself, sez, that it was the priests themselves that got nettled, when they were bate in the argument, an' that instead of argyin' soberly, they went outrageous an' spoke to the people an' egg'd them on, an' that the people got mad when they seen the priests beaten, an' were goin' to ill-trate the Biblemen, an' that then the Biblemen had to escape over a wall to save their lives." I then desired them to withdraw, after having informed Garrett, that his champion Paddy Dimnick and I had no argument whatever, and that every thing he heard to that effect was founded only in Dimnick's own imagination. "You must draw your bets," I added, "and in future have nothing more to do with wagering on your disputes; but that you may have a better mode of ascertaining the truth, I shall to-morrow deposit with you, Nolan, a Protestant and a Doway Bible, which you may read and compare together, for such of my labourers and tenants as wish to satisfy themselves as to what tenets of their creed are in the word of God, and what are not-they can see also the difference between the two versions." Both seemed pleased with this decision, and admitted that it was perfectly fair and just-but there was something highly amusing in the shock which Garrett's faith in Paddy's infallibility received, by finding him detected in an untruth. He did not seem, however, to be perfectly convinced, but persisted in speaking upon the subject hypothetically :-"Well now, yer honour," said he, lingering a little behind Nolan, and look

ing sheepishly into the bottom of his hat, which he held with the leaf of each side crumpled in his hands-"I declare, if that be true iv Paddy, I don't know what to say-had ye ne'er a word at all wud 'im, Sir ?"-" Not a word, Garrett, of religious discussion-not a syllable." "Well any how that bates the Northafter that I'm asy-that is, if every thing comes out that way yer honour-not doubtin' what you say, Sir, any way—bud if there's no mistake, or any thing"-pausing-"I don't know," turning his eyes from his hat to the opposite corner of the ceiling, and seeming to transfer his attention to the figure of a lion rampart in the stucco-work, which, notwithstanding Tom's sagacious scrutiny, was very well done." It's very odd, Sir, sure enuff— that is if-bud may be ye wudn't be willin', Sir, bein' a man of larnin', to have id known that Paddy worsted ye-bud yer honour I wud never mention id." "Go home, Garrett," said I, "learn to think for yourself, and do not pin your faith or opinions on the honesty and veracity of those who are as liable to sin and error as you are." He then slunk out quite crest-fallen and mortified at the stigma which had been cast upon the authority and character of his oracle Paddy.

The next morning I was with young Butler at the appointed hour. On driving up to the house I was charmed with the beauty of its situation; it was one of those old tile-covered mansions which are so rare in this country, and when peeping above the trees, in whose bosom it lay, it filled the mind with a sense of sober comfort and repose, which richer and more splendid edifices fail to convey. Behind it rose a green hill or knoll, crested with a coronet of trees; and a little to the right lay a deep glen which developed its windings with great natural beauty: it was wooded on each side with oak and ash, that in some places intertwined their branches across it, and formed a shade which no strength of the sun could penetrate; this was on one side the boundary of the park, which was small. From the front, and to the left of the house, the lawn melted into a fine expanse of fertile plain which was studded with clumps of beech, and only divided from the lawn by a gravel walk and a rustic palisade. The public road passed a few fields from the house, which commanded a fine view; and as it was then the busy season of autumn, the appearance of the yellow fields was delightful, and the heart felt gratified in contemplating the boons* which were scattered over the face of the country, engaged in the agreeable labour of reaping. The thin shining mist too, which is peculiar to that season, gave an air of joy and happiness to the scenery; and the appearance of the houses, cars, and embrowned hay-makers, that were busy conveying to the haggard the sweet-scented hay, gave something animating and picturesque to the whole landscape.

When I arrived, I found Mr. Butler in the parlour, reading. His father had not then returned from his usual walk, and the son,

* A boon is a number of men occupied at the same labour.