44 A YEAR OF liberty; or, 



looks full on the clear purple water, warming into life tlie insect 

 world, and casting here and there a deep shadow from mountain or 

 island. Water birds are chattering, making their morning toilet, and 

 giving good morrow to each other ; whilst many circles, widening as 

 they go, show that the trout are at breakfast. 



These are some of the things which can be seen in the morning, 

 you lazy lie-abed. If you heard more, you would only yawn, turn 

 on the other side, and bid me begone. But to you who possess a 

 kindred taste, I will say stop, stop, or my hobby will be ridden to 

 death. 



I walked home through the thriving, well-built country town, but 

 looked in vain for some monument recording Father Mathew's 

 labours and the public appreciation of them. Here, if anywhere, 

 one might have expected to see "a statue of gold on a pillar of 

 porphyry" raised in his honour ; but no such thing. The good 

 father preached here the great crusade of 1840 ; nearly two-thirds 

 of the Catholic population flocked to his standard, took oaths of 

 service and fidelity, and better still kept them. What easy work 

 Peter the Hermit had, compared with Mathew the Great! The 

 former had only to launch semi-barbarians (fond of fighting for the 

 mere pleasure of the thing, and doubly fond when there was anything 

 to be got by it) against better men than themselves ; but our gallant 

 soldier had to fight against habit and inclination, confirmed by older 

 habits and inclinations in father and grandfather, back to the days of 

 Noah. Good man, true priest, he has long gone to his rest. No 

 cross on his breast, no palm in his hand, show that he reached the 

 Golden City. No matter : 



His bones are dust, his good sword is rust, 

 But his soul is with the saints, we trust. 



The first thing I saw on entering the street where our hotel stood 

 was a short, stout fellow in close conference with Willie, who, the 

 next instant, dived into the passage. He had secured a boatman, 

 and ^was gone to boil the inevitable egg, which he not only would 

 dress, but bring up, to the great scandal and wrath of all waiters. 



