The fellow went back--
"'Gintlemen,' says he to the rest, 'we'll be disgraced all out,' says
he, 'for except the Prowost sacks that Munsther spalpeen, he'll bate us
all, an' we'll never be able to hould up our heads afther.'
"Accordingly, the Prowost attacks Tim; and such a meetin' as they had,
never was seen in Thrinity College since its establishment. At last when
they had been nine hours and a half at it, the Prowost put one word to
him that Tim couldn't expound, so he lost it by one word only. For
the last two hours the Prowost carried on the examinashun in Hebrew,
thinking, you see, he had Tim there; but he was mistaken, for Tim
answered him in good Munsther Irish, and it so happened that they
understood each other, for the two languages are first cousins, or, at
all evints, close blood relations. Tim was then pronounced to be the
best scholar in Ireland except the Prowost; though among ourselves, they
might have thought of the man that taught him. That, however, wasn't
all. A young lady fell in love wid Tim, and is to make him a present of
herself and her great fortune (three estates) the moment he becomes a
counsellor; and in the meantime she allows him thirty pounds a year to
bear his expenses, and live like a gintleman.
"Now to return to the youth in the corner: _Nemo mortalium omnibus horis
sapit_, Jemmy keep your money, or give it to the priest to keep, and
it will be safest; but by no means let the Hyblean honey of the
schoolmaster's blarney deprive you of it, otherwise it will be a _vale,
vale, longum vale_ between you.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64