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〃He can speak it very well;〃 said the landlady; 〃and glad should I 
be; sir; to hear you and him speak Welsh together。〃

〃So should I;〃 said the daughter who was seated nigh us; 〃nothing 
would give me greater pleasure than to hear two who are not 
Welshmen speaking Welsh together。〃

〃I would rather speak English;〃 said the Italian; 〃I speak a little 
Welsh; when my business leads me amongst people who speak no other 
language; but I see no necessity for speaking Welsh here。〃

〃It is a pity;〃 said I; 〃that so beautiful a country as Italy 
should not be better governed。〃

〃It is; signore;〃 said the Italian; 〃but let us hope that a time 
will speedily come when she will be so。〃

〃I don't see any chance of it;〃 said I。  〃How will you proceed in 
order to bring about so desirable a result as the good government 
of Italy?〃

〃Why; signore; in the first place we must get rid of the 
Austrians。〃

〃You will not find it an easy matter;〃 said I; 〃to get rid of the 
Austrians; you tried to do so a little time ago; but miserably 
failed。〃

〃True; signore; but the next time we try perhaps the French will 
help us。〃

〃If the French help you to drive the Austrians from Italy;〃 said I; 
〃you must become their servants。  It is true you had better be the 
servants of the polished and chivalrous French; than of the brutal 
and barbarous Germans; but it is not pleasant to be a servant to 
anybody。  However; I do not believe that you will ever get rid of 
the Austrians; even if the French assist you。  The Pope for certain 
reasons of his own favours the Austrians; and will exert all the 
powers of priestcraft to keep them in Italy。  Alas; alas; there is 
no hope for Italy!  Italy; the most beautiful country in the world; 
the birth…place of the cleverest people; whose very pedlars can 
learn to speak Welsh; is not only enslaved; but destined always to 
remain enslaved。〃

〃Do not say so; signore;〃 said the Italian; with a kind of groan。

〃But I do say so;〃 said I; 〃and what is more; one whose shoe…
strings; were he alive; I should not he worthy to untie; one of 
your mighty ones; has said so。  Did you ever hear of Vincenzio 
Filicaia?〃

〃I believe I have; signore; did he not write a sonnet on Italy?〃

〃He did;〃 said I; 〃would you like to hear it?

〃Very much; signore。〃

I repeated Filicaia's glorious sonnet on Italy; and then asked him 
if he understood it。

〃Only in part; signore; for it is composed in old Tuscan; in which 
I am not much versed。  I believe I should comprehend it better if 
you were to say it in English。〃

〃Do say it in English;〃 said the landlady and her daughter:  〃we 
should so like to hear it in English。〃

〃I will repeat a translation;〃 said I; 〃which I made when a boy; 
which though far from good; has; I believe; in it something of the 
spirit of the original:…


〃O Italy! on whom dark Destiny
The dangerous gift of beauty did bestow;
From whence thou hast that ample dower of wo;
Which on thy front thou bear'st so visibly。
Would thou hadst beauty less or strength more high;
That more of fear; and less of love might show;
He who now blasts him in thy beauty's glow;
Or woos thee with a zeal that makes thee die;
Then down from Alp no more would torrents rage
Of armed men; nor Gallic coursers hot
In Po's ensanguin'd tide their thirst assuage;
Nor girt with iron; not thine own; I wot;
Wouldst thou the fight by hands of strangers wage
Victress or vanquish'd slavery still thy lot。〃



CHAPTER XXV



Lacing…up High…lows … The Native Village … Game Leg … Croppies Lie 
Down … Keeping Faith … Processions … Croppies Get Up … Daniel 
O'Connell。


I SLEPT in the chamber communicating with the room in which I had 
dined。  The chamber was spacious and airy; the bed first…rate; and 
myself rather tired; so that no one will be surprised when I say 
that I had excellent rest。  I got up; and after dressing myself 
went down。  The morning was exceedingly brilliant。  Going out I saw 
the Italian lacing up his high…lows against a step。  I saluted him; 
and asked him if he was about to depart。

〃Yes; signore; I shall presently start for Denbigh。〃

〃After breakfast I shall start for Bangor;〃 said I。

〃Do you propose to reach Bangor to…night; signore?〃

〃Yes;〃 said I。

〃Walking; signore?〃

〃Yes;〃 said I; 〃I always walk in Wales。〃

〃Then you will have rather a long walk; signore; for Bangor is 
thirty…four miles from here。〃

I asked him if he was married。

〃No; signore; but my brother in Liverpool is。〃

〃To an Italian?〃

〃No; signore; to a Welsh girl。〃

〃And I suppose;〃 said I; 〃you will follow his example by marrying 
one; perhaps that good…looking girl the landlady's daughter we were 
seated with last night?〃

〃No; signore; I shall not follow my brother's example。  If ever I 
take a wife she shall be of my own village; in Como; whither I hope 
to return; as soon as I have picked up a few more pounds。〃

〃Whether the Austrians are driven away or not?〃 said I。

〃Whether the Austrians are driven away or not … for to my mind 
there is no country like Como; signore。〃

I ordered breakfast; whilst taking it in the room above I saw 
through the open window the Italian trudging forth on his journey; 
a huge box on his back; and a weather…glass in his hand … looking 
the exact image of one of those men; his country people; whom forty 
years before I had known at N…。  I thought of the course of time; 
sighed and felt a tear gather in my eye。

My breakfast concluded; I paid my bill; and after inquiring the way 
to Bangor; and bidding adieu to the kind landlady and her daughter; 
set out from Cerrig y Drudion。  My course lay west; across a flat 
country; bounded in the far distance by the mighty hills I had seen 
on the preceding evening。  After walking about a mile I overtook a 
man with a game leg; that is a leg which; either by nature or 
accident not being so long as its brother leg; had a patten 
attached to it; about five inches high; to enable it to do duty 
with the other … he was a fellow with red shock hair and very red 
features; and was dressed in ragged coat and breeches and a hat 
which had lost part of its crown; and all its rim; so that even 
without a game leg he would have looked rather a queer figure。  In 
his hand he carried a fiddle。

〃Good morning to you;〃 said I。

〃A good morning to your hanner; a merry afternoon and a roaring; 
joyous evening … that is the worst luck I wish to ye。〃

〃Are you a native of these parts?〃 said I。

〃Not exactly; your hanner … I am a native of the city of Dublin; 
or; what's all the same thing; of the village of Donnybrook; which 
is close by it。〃

〃A celebrated place;〃 said I。

〃Your hanner may say that; all the world has heard of Donnybrook; 
owing to the humours of its fair。  Many is the merry tune I have 
played to the boys at that fair。〃

〃You are a professor of music; I suppose?〃

〃And not a very bad one; as your hanner will say; if you allow me 
to play you a tune。〃

〃Can you play Croppies Lie Down?〃

〃I cannot; your hanner; my fingers never learnt to play such a 
blackguard tune; but if you wish to hear Croppies Get Up I can 
oblige ye。〃

〃You are a Roman Catholic; I suppose?〃

〃I am not; your hanner … I am a Catholic to the back…bone; just 
like my father before me。  Come; your hanner; shall I play ye 
Croppies Get Up?〃

〃No;〃 said I; 〃it's a tune that doesn't please my ears。  If; 
however; you choose to play Croppies Lie Down; I'll give you a 
shilling。〃

〃Your hanner will give me a shilling?〃

〃Yes;〃 said I; 〃if you play Croppies Lie Down; but you know you 
cannot play it; your fingers never learned the tune。〃

〃They never did; your hanner; but they have heard it played of ould 
by the blackguard Orange fiddlers of Dublin on the first of July; 
when the Protestant boys used to walk round Willie's statue on 
College Green … so if your hanner gives me the shilling; they may 
perhaps bring out something like it。〃

〃Very good;〃 said I; 〃begin!〃

〃But; your hanner; what shall we do for the words? though my 
fingers may remember the tune my tongue does not remember the words 
… that is unless 。 。 。〃

〃I give another shilling;〃 said I; 〃but never mind you the words; I 
know the words; and will repeat them。〃

〃And your hanner will give me a shilling?〃

〃If you play the tune;〃 said I。

〃Hanner bright; your hanner?〃

〃Honour bright;〃 said I。

Thereupon the fiddler taking his bow and shouldering his fiddle; 
struck up in first…rate style the glorious tune; which I had so 
often heard with rapture in the days of my boyhood in the barrack…
yard of Clonmel; whilst I; walking by his side as he stumped along; 
caused the welkin to resound with the words; which were the delight 
of the young gentlemen of the Protestant academy of that beautiful 
old town。

〃I never heard those words before;〃 said the fiddler; after I had 
finished the first stanza。

〃Get on with you;〃 said I。

〃Regular Orange words!〃 said the fiddler; on my finishing the 
second stanza。

〃Do you choose to get on?〃 said I。

〃More blackguard Orange words I never heard!〃 cried the fiddler; on 
my coming to the conclusion of the third stanza。  〃Divil a bit 
farther will I play; at any rate till I get the shilling。〃

〃Here it is for you;〃 said I; 〃the song is ended; and; of course; 
the tune。〃

〃Thank your hanner;〃 said the fiddler; taking the money; 〃your 
hanner has kept your word with me; which is more than I thought 
your hanner would。  And now your hanner let me ask you why did your 
hanner wish for that tune; which is not only a blackguard one but 
quite out of date; and where did your hanner get the words?〃

〃I used to hear the tune in my boyish days;〃 said I; 〃and wished to 
hear it again; for though you call it a blackguard tune; it is the 
sweetest and most noble air that Ireland; the land of music; has 
ever produced。  As for the words; never mind where I got them; they 
are violent enough; but not half so violent as the words of some of 
the songs made against the Irish Protestants by the priests。〃

〃Your hanner is an Orange man; I see。  Well; your hanner; the 
Orange is now in the kennel; and the C

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