s he firmly
believed.

Here shaking him by the hand, I said that I too had been bred up in the
principles of the Church of England; that I too firmly believed in its
doctrines, and would maintain with my blood, if necessary, that there was
not such another church in the world.

"So would I," said the old gentleman; "where is there a church in whose
liturgy there is so much Scripture as in that of the Church of England?"

"Pity," said I, "that so many traitors have lately sprung up in its
ministry."

"If it be so," said the old church clerk, "they have not yet shown
themselves in the pulpit at Llangollen. All the clergymen who have held
the living in my time have been excellent. The present incumbent is a
model of a Church-of-England clergyman. Oh, how I regret that the state
of my eyes prevents me from officiating as clerk beneath him."

I told him that I should never from the appearance of his eyes have
imagined that they were not excellent ones.

"I can see to walk about with them, and to distinguish objects," said the
old gentleman; "but see to read with them I cannot. Even with the help
of the most powerful glasses I cannot distinguish a letter. I believe I
strained my eyes at a very early age, when striving to read at night by
the glimmer of the turf fire in my poor mother's chimney corner. Oh what
an affliction is this state of my eyes! I can't turn my books to any
account, nor read the newspapers; but I repeat that I chiefly lament it
because it prevents me from officiating as under-preacher."

He showed me his books. Seeing amongst them "The Fables of Yriarte" in
Spanish, I asked how they came into his possession.

"They were presented to me," said he, "by one of the ladies of
Llangollen, Lady Eleanor Butler."

"Have you ever read them?" said I.

"No," he replied; "I do not understand a word of Spanish; but I suppose
her ladyship, knowing I was fond of languages, thought that I might one
day set about learning Spanish, and that then they might be useful to
me."

He then asked me if I knew Spanish, and on my telling him that I had some
knowledge of that language, he asked me to translate some of the fables.
I translated two of them, which pleased him much.

I then asked if he had ever heard of a collection of Welsh fables
compiled about the year thirteen hundred. He said that he had not, and
inquired whether they had ever been printed. I told him that some had
appeared in the old Welsh ma