Page:Three advices an Irish tale.pdf/22

 now held the rank of corporal. The old woman was much pleased with her son’s good fortune, and sallied forth to communicate the good news to her friends. She called on a neighbour woman and told her that Jamie had been made an Admiral. “An admiral!” said Janet, “I thought your son was in the army, an Admiral sails on the sea,” “At weel,” said the mother, “I’m no vera sure o’ the name but it’s either an admiral a general or a corporal; it’s some o’ the rals at ony rate.”

The Emperor Severus being confined with gout at York, one of his courtiers told him that the world did admire how he could govern so many nations, separated so far from one another, and he so much troubled with that disease. To which the Emperor replied, Sir, I rule the empire with my head, and not with my feet;