432 Father Murphy'* Dream. [Ocr. 



were speaking of last night. This is a convenient place, and there's 

 nobody to hear us, 'unless Father Tom that I appointed to meet us." 



" It's all the same to me," replied Ould Nick, with as much impu- 

 dence as if he was a member of Parliament. 



" Then, first of all," said St. Peter, " put down the book and the 

 tracts, and answer me one question." 



<c Twenty, if you like," answered the devil, putting the book upon 

 the ground, and the tracts one by one over it. 



" What religion are you ?" said St. Peter, looking him full in the 

 face, as if he'd read the soul that was inside of him. But the ould boy 

 didn't seem to like that question, and was for shuffling it off, when St. 

 Peter put it to him again in such a manner as he was forced to answer 

 it, whether he would or not. 



" I'm a Protestant, to be sure," replied the devil at last ; and he 

 coloured scarlet up to the very eyes as he spoke it, as if he was ashamed 

 of owning it to St. Peter. 



" That's all I wanted to have from your own lips," said St. Peter, 

 " because as I often heard that the devil can quote Scripture for his own 

 purposes, I was determined to find out where he got the learning. Now, 

 sit down here beside me quiet and easy, and tell me a little more that I 

 want to hear from you." 



Down they both sat upon the sod, the devil looking as if he didn't 

 half like it ; but being afraid to disoblige St. Peter, on account of the 

 great power he has over him through the means of the church. 



" How is Martin Luther ?" said St. Peter, after a little. 



" Indeed, he's no worse than he was," replied the devil ; " he has as 

 much Newcastle coal over him as I can spare." [You know, boys, the 

 coal is dear at this season of the year.] 



" I think it's almost time to tell the poor Catholics," said St. Peter, 

 <( Jhow that fellow betrayed them, and how it was that the Reformation 

 was only a ruction* of King Henry the Eighth's, in the regard of his wife, 

 that the good Pope wouldn't allow him to put her away ; for you know 

 very well that it's all your doings, Mr. Nicholas [you see St. Peter 

 spoke civil to him, for peace and quietness], to make the Bible people 

 go about slandering the Holy Church." 



" Then what would you have me do, St. Peter ?" answered the 

 devil ; " sure if it wasn't for the Bible people I wouldn't have a born 

 creature to keep me company, and all the brimstone would be burnt out 

 for nothing. It isn't for me to go to confession and get absolution, now 

 that I'm thriving upon the lies for upwards of a million of years." 



" True for you," says St. Peter ; " only as I'm a real Catholic, and 

 an Irishman into the bargain, I can't stand by and see such murder going 

 on under my very eyes. Now, here's Father Tom, as decent a man as 

 any in all Ireland, and that's saying more than if I was to search all 

 over the earth for the likes of him ; he hasn't as much to live upon as 

 Sir Harcourt Lees feeds one of his horses with ; the people, you see, 

 don't take it to heart, but pretend to be very poor, because the Bible- 

 men make them pay tithes; and then, when Easter and Christmas come 

 round, they've always the ready excuse that the proctor took their pigs, 

 and their poultry, and their firkins of butter. If Father Tom had his 

 deservings, he'd have all the tithes to himself, and be rolling in his car- 



* A row, or fight. 



