i68 LIFE IN IRELAND 



Well, then, said he, ' May those who do 7iot relish the 

 Potatoe in their mouthy have a taste of the stalk i^pon their 

 back' — In this manner time ran, till the sun had passed 

 his meridian. The day was fine — 



All was peaceful, all was still, 



Save the gentle whispering breeze 



That softly sighed o'er Howth's proud hill. 



Brian proposed a water excursion, and in a pig's 

 whisper they were comfortably situated in the Ringsend 

 Barge, and steered by Tom Evans to the Island of 

 Lambay, where they all landed, to ramble over as sweet 

 a little spot as ever mother nature gemmed the ocean 

 with ; wild celery, endiff, and goss lettuce, are in plenty; 

 water cresses fill every little stream, and samphire hides 

 the rocky sides of the island from a scorching sun. 



The Norman house claimed some attention — it is 

 only a small castellated mansion, with loop-holes for 

 the use of bows and arrows, and arched below to 

 prevent its being set on fire : an amazing quantity of 

 sea-fowl haunt its shores, and form excellent amuse- 

 ment for the sportsmen. You have a fine view of 

 Dublin and its environs from any eminence on the 

 place ; and you can have excellent curds and cream 

 from the fishermen's wives who inhabit it. 



Still o'er these scenes my memory treads, 



With more than all a miser's care ; 

 And every soul-string trembling bleeds, 



For love can no more meet me there. 



The evening began to settle upon her throne — the 

 Mou?itains of JFicklozv, over which she had thinly 

 spread her mantle of grey when our party left the 



