Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery

-Hearsay-Irish Family-What Profession?-Sab

l. The interior of this holy edifice was smooth and neat, strangely contrasting with its exterior, which was rough and weather-beaten. We had decent places found us by a civil verger, who probably took us for what we were-decent country people. We heard much fine chanting by the choir, and an admirable sermon, preached by a venerable prebend, on "Tares and Wheat." The congregation was numerous and attentive. After service we returned to our inn

ty of vociferation, but not one single burst of eloquence. Some of the assembly appeared to take considerable interest in what was said, and every now and then showed they did by devout hums and groans; but the generality evidently took little or none, staring about listlessly, or talking to one another. Sometimes, when anything particularly low escaped from the mouth of the speaker, I heard exclamations of "how low! well, I think I could preach better than that," and the like. At length a man of about fifty, pock-broken and somewhat bald, began to speak: unlike the others who screamed, shouted,

souls, never go into a public-house to drink, and never fetch any drink from a public-house. Let nothing pass your lips, in the shape of drink, stronger than water

rds and Portuguese must be the most moral people in the world, being almost all water-drinkers. As the speaker was proceeding with his nonsense, I heard some one say behind me-"a pretty fell

that it could not be true, so I turned quickly rou

im old chap, and he considers you by your dress to be his superior in station. Now I, who had called the word of this man in question, had called him old chap, and was considerably better dressed than himself; so, after a little hesitation, he became q

man endeavours to inculcate than myself, for I consider it to have been got up partly for fanatical, partly for political purpo

before seen, were gambolling near at hand. One of the women was about forty, the other some twenty years younger; both were ugly. The younger was a rude, stupid-looking creature, with red cheeks and redder hair, but there was a dash of intelligence and likewise of wildness in th

you, sir," said the woman; whilst the younger mumbled someth

eather,

ease to sit down?" and reaching back into the ten

re not from these parts?" said

ner," said the man;

ng with my head to the elder fem

the children which your h

dy?" said I, motioning to

a sister of mine who is now dead, along with her husband. We have her wi

r profession do y

the tinkering li

ng a very profitable

ut we contrive to get a

than I ever c

ever followed tinke

I, "but I so

"Well, your honour is not the first indifferen

think me a

Oh, it was kind in your honour to come to us here in th

an by bringing

things, sir, and instructi

minister,

ou, sir, I think you look more like a priest than a minister. Yes, I see you are a priest. Oh, yo

ligion are

Reverence, Cath

no p

minister. Oh sir, pull out the Holy Book, and instruct us from

Catholics, listen to t

minister, and a good minister, I would as soon lis

is Fath

once eased me of my sins, and given me God upon the cros

e were to know that you ask

r or a priest; both have Him, no doubt, only give Him in different ways. Oh sir, do give us God; w

man: Irish words tant

ful things, especially in Wales, whither we are soon going again. Oh, I want to be eased of some of my sins before I go into Wales again, and so do you, Tourlough, for you know ho

can only say: Lord have mercy upon you!" Then gett

amed the woman after me; "we have plen

girl said something, which sounded much like Give us God! but I hastened across the me