Page:Comical sayings of Pady from Cork, with his coat button'd behind (1).pdf/14

 14 PADY FROM CORK.

Tom. What did you make of your children then, Pady Teag. And what ſhould I make of them, do you imagine that I ſhould give them into the hands of the butchers as they had been a parcel of young hogs, by ſhaint Patrick, I had more unaturality in me, than put them into any hoſpital as others do.

Tom. No, I ſuppoſe you would leave them with your friends are you came away.

Teag. Ay, ay, a poor man's friends is ſometimes worſe than a profeſt enemy: the beſt friend I ever had in the world was my own pocket while my money laſted; but I left, my two babes between the prieſt's door, and the pariſh church, becauſe I thought it was a place of mercy, and then ſet out to England in queſt of another fortune.

Tom. And did you not take good night with your friends ere you came away.

Teag. Arra dear honey I had no friends in the world but an Iriſh half crown, and I would have been forry to have parted with ſuch a dear pocket companion at ſuch a time.

Tom. I fancy Pady you came off with what they call a moon ſhine ſhting.

Teag. You lie like a thief row, for I did not ſee ſun moon nor ſtars, all the night then; for I ſet out from Cork at the dawn of night, and I travelled twenty miles and but twelve before gloomin in the morning.

Tom. And where did you go to take ſhipping.

Teag. Arra dear honey. I came to a country village, called Dublin, as big a city as any market town in all England, where I got myſelf on board a little young boat, with a parcel of fellows and a long leather bag, I ſuppoſed them to be tinkers until I aſked what they carried in that leather bag; they told me it was the Engliſh mail they were going over with, then ſaid I, is the milns ſo ſcant in England, that they muſt ſend over their corn to Ireland to grind it; the comical cunning fellows perſuaded me it was ſo, then I went down to a little houſe below the water hard by the rigg back of the boat, and laid me down on the leather ſack, where I ſlept myſelf almoſt to death with hunger. And dear Tom to tell you plainly, when I awak'd I did not know where I was, but thought