ur poverty,
sir, as a reluctance to educate our people, you utter a libel against
the Catholic priesthood of Ireland for which you deserve to be
prosecuted in a court of justice, and nailed snugly to the pillory
afterwards."

"Nailed snugly to the pillory! I never felt myself so much degraded as
by this conversation with you."

"Sir, the Catholic priesthood have always been at their duty at the bed
of sickness, and sorrow, and death, among the poor and afflicted; where
you, who live by their hard and slavish labor, have never been known to
show your red nose."

"Red nose--ha--ha--dear me, how well bred, how admirably accomplished,
and how finely polished. Red nose!"

"Faith, you did well to correct me, it is only a mulberry. Wasn't your
Irish Establishment in a blessed torpor--dying like a plethoric parson
after his venison or turtle, until ould Jack Wesley roused it? Then,
indeed, when you saw your flocks running to barns and hedges after
the black caps, and the high-cheeked disciples of sanctity and strong
dinners--you yawned, rubbed your eyes, stroked your dewlaps, and waddled
off to fight in your own defence against the long-winded invaders of
your rounds and sirloins. Where was your love of education before that
shock, my worthy Bible man? Faith, I'm peppering you!"

"Sir, if I could have anticipated such very vulgar insolence, I would
have taken some other way. Why obtrude yourself thus upon me? I trust
you have no notion of personal Violence?"

"Wesley nudged you."

"Nudged us! I do not understand your slang at all, my good sir. Those
who are taken from the ditch to the college, and sent back from the
college with the crust of their original prejudices hardened upon them,
are not those from whom educated men are to expect refinement or good
manners."

"From the ditch! We are taken from humble life, proud parson, to the
college; and it is better to enter college from the simplicity of
humble life, than to enter the church with the rank savor of fashionable
profligacy strong upon us. Not a bad preparation for a carnal
establishment, where every temptation is presented to glut every
passion."

"You forget, sir, what a system of abomination your church was before
the light of the Reformation came upon her; and what a mockery of
religion she is to this day."

"Whatever I may forget, I cannot but remember the mockery of religion
presented by your proud and bloated Bishops who roll in wealth,
indolence, a