ous to know whether
Sir John's stockings could be considered the same "accountable"
stockings from first to last. And the lawyers put the same question in
another shape by asking--whether any felony, which Sir John's stockings
could be supposed to have committed in youth, might lawfully be the
subject of an indictment against Sir John's stockings when
superannuated: whether a legacy, left to the stockings in the second
year, could be claimed by the stockings at the end of the third: and
whether the worsted stockings could be sued for the debts of the silk
stockings.--Some such question, I conceive, will arise upon your
account of St. David's Day, as darned by myself.

But here, My good Sir, stop a moment: I must not have you interpret the
precedent of Sir John and Dolly too strictly: Sir John's stockings were
originally of silk, and darned with worsted: but don't conceit _that_
to be the case here. No, no, my good Sir;--I flatter myself the case
between us is just the other way: your _worsted_ stockings it is that I
have darned with silk: and the relations, which I and Dolly bear to you
and Sir John, are precisely inverted.

What could induce you to dress good St. David in an old threadbare
coat, it passes my skill to guess: it is enough that I am sure it would
give general disgust; and therefore I have not only made him a present
of a new coat, but have also put a little embroidery upon it. And I
really think I shall astonish the good folks in Merionethshire by my
account of that saint's festival. In my young days I wandered much in
that beautiful shire and other shires which he contiguous: and many a
kind thing was done to me in poor men's cottages which to my dying day
I shall never be able to repay individually: hence, as occasions offer,
I would seek to make my acknowledgments generally to the county. Upon
Penmorfa sands I once had an interesting adventure, and I have
accordingly commemorated Penmorfa. To the little town of Machynleth I
am indebted for various hospitalities: and I think they will
acknowledge that they are indebted to me exclusively for their mayor
and corporation. And there are others in that neighbourhood that, when
they read of St. David's day, will hardly know whether they are
standing on their head or their heels. As to the Bishop of Bangor of
those days, I owed his lordship no particular favor: and I have here
taken my vengeance on that see for ever by making it do suit and
service to the ho