lthough the old
gentleman had to be lifted into and out of his carriage by his two
men-servants, he was still as active-minded as ever. Close to the
church at Boherlahan is Bianconi's mortuary chapel, which he built as a
sort of hobby, for the last resting-place of himself and his family.
The first person interred in it was his eldest daughter, who died in
Italy; the second was his only son. A beautiful monument with a
bas-relief has been erected in the chapel by Benzoni, an Italian
sculptor, to the memory of his daughter.

"As we were leaving the chapel," my son informs me, "we passed a long
Irish car containing about sixteen people, the tenants of Mr. Bianconi,
who are brought at his expense from all parts of the estate. He is
very popular with his tenantry, regarding their interests as his own;
and he often quotes the words of his friend Mr. Drummond, that
'property has its duties as well as its rights.' He has rebuilt nearly
every house on his extensive estates in Tipperary.

"On our way home, the carriage stopped to let me down and see the
strange remains of an ancient fort, close by the roadside. It consists
of a high grass-grown mound, surrounded by a moat. It is one of the
so-called Danish forts, which are found in all parts of Ireland. If it
be true that these forts were erected by the Danes, they must at one
time have had a strong hold of the greater part of Ireland.

"The carriage entered a noble avenue of trees, with views of prettily
enclosed gardens on either side. Mr. Bianconi exclaimed, 'Welcome to
the Carman's Stage!' Longfield House, which we approached, is a fine
old-fashioned house, situated on the river Suir, a few miles south of
Cashel, one of the most ancient cities in Ireland. Mr. Bianconi and
his family were most hospitable; and I found him most lively and
communicative. He talked cleverly and with excellent choice of
language for about three hours, during which I learnt much from him.

"Like most men who have accomplished great things, and overcome many
difficulties, Mr. Bianconi is fond of referring to the past events in
his interesting life. The acuteness of his conversation is wonderful.
He hits off a keen thought in a few words, sometimes full of wit and
humour. I thought this very good: 'Keep before the wheels, young man,
or they will run over you: always keep before the wheels!' He read
over to me the memoir he had prepared at the suggestion of Mr.
Drummond, relating to the