"glorious and immortal memory for his toast, "which no gentleman, who feels as I do, will "put up with." To this I pledged myself, and we removed to a whiskey house, attended by half a score pipers, playing different tunes. Here we went on very joyously and lovingly. for a time, till a well-dressed gentleman entered the room, and civilly accosting me, requested to partake of our festivity, and join the com-pany, if no body had an objection-" Ah now, "don't be too sure of that," a voice was instantly heard to reply, "I believe you will find plenty of objection in this company to your

being one amongst us." What had he done, the gentleman demanded-"What have you "done," rejoined the first speaker, "Don't I "know you for the miscreant, that ravished "the poor wench against her will, in presence "of her mother? And didn't your Pagans, "that held her down, ravish the mother after

wards, in presence of her daughter? And "do you think we will admit you into our

company? Make yourself sure that we shall "not; therefore get out of this as speedily as "you can, and away wid you!" Upon this the whole company rose, and in their rising the

civil gentleman made his exit and was off.. I relate this incident exactly as it happened, suppressing the name of the gentleman, who was a man of property and some consequence.When my surprise had subsided, and the punch began to circulate with a rapidity the greater for this gentleman's having troubled the waters, I took my departure, having first cautioned a friend, who sate by me, (and the only protestant in the company) to keep his head cool and beware of the glorious memory; this gallant young officer, son to a man, who held lands of my father, promised faithfully to be sober and discreet, as well knowing the company he was in; but my friend having forgot the first part of his promise, and getting very tipsy, let the second part slip out of his memory, and became very mad; for stepping aside for his pistols, he re-entered the room, and laying them on the table, took the cockade from his hat, and dashed it into the punchbowl, demanding of the company to drink the glorious and immortal memory of King William in a bumper, or abide the consequences. I was not there, and if I had been present I could neither have stayed the tumult, nor de

scribed it. I only know he turned out the next morning merely for honour's sake, but as it was one against a host, the magnanimity of his opponents let him off with a shot or two, that did no execution. I returned to the peaceful family at Clonfert, and fought no more cocks.

The fairies were extremely prevalent at Clonfert: visions of burials attended by long processions of mourners were seen to circle the church yard by night, and there was no lack of oaths and attestations to enforce the truth of it. My mother suffered a loss by them of a large brood of fine turkies, who were every one burnt to ashes, bones and feathers, and their dust scattered in the air by their provident nurse and feeder to appease those mischievous. little beings, and prevent worse consequences: the good dame credited herself very highly for this act of atonement, but my mother did not see it quite in so meritorious a light.

A few days after as my father and I were riding in the grounds we crossed upon the Catholic priest of the parish. My father began a conversation with him, and expressed a wish that he would caution his flock against this

idle superstition of the fairies: the good man assured the bishop that in the first place he could not do it if he would; and in the next place confessed that he was himself far from being an unbeliever in their existence. My father thereupon turned the subject, and observed to him with concern, that his steed was a very sorry one, and in very wretched condition-" Truly, my good lord,” he replied, "the beast himself is but an ugly garron, and whereby I have no provender to spare him,

mightily out of heart, as I may truly say; "but your lordship must think a poor priest "like me has a mighty deal of work and very "little pay-" "Why then, brother," said my good father, whilst benevolence beamed in his countenance, "'tis fit that I, who have the "advantage of you in both respects, should mount you on a better horse, and furnish

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you with provender to maintain him-." This parley with the priest passed in the very hay-field, where the bishop's people were at work; orders were instantly given for a stack of hay to be made at the priest's cabin, and in a few days after a steady horse was purchased and presented to him. Surely they could not

be true born Irish fairies, that would spite my father, or even his turkies, after this.

Amongst the labourers in my father's garden there were three brothers of the name of O'Rourke, regularly descended from the kings of Connaught, if they were exactly to be credited for the correctness of their genealogy.There was also an elder brother of these, Thomas O'Rourke, who filled the superior station of hind, or headman; it was his wife that burnt the bewitched turkies, whilst Tom burnt his wig for joy of my victory at the cockmatch, and threw a proper parcel of oatmeal into the air as a votive offering for my glorious success. One of the younger brothers was upon crutches in consequence of a contusion on his hip, which he literally acquired as follows-When my father came down to Clonfert from Dublin, it was announced to him that the bishop was arrived: the poor fellow was then in the act of lopping a tree in the garden; transported at the tidings, he exclaimed-" Is my lord come? Then I'll throw "myself out of this same tree for joy-." He exactly fulfilled his word, and laid himself up for some months.

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