ust by the door,
and shielded those by the fire from the draughts of the doorway. He of
the settle no sooner beheld me than he sprang up, and placing a chair for
me by the fire bade me in English be seated, and then resumed his own
seat. John Jones soon finding a chair came and sat down by me, when I
forthwith called for a quart of cwrw da. The landlady bustled about on
her wooden leg and presently brought us the ale with two glasses, which I
filled, and taking one drank to the health of the company who returned us
thanks, the man of the settle in English rather broken. Presently one of
his companions getting up paid his reckoning and departed, the other
remained, a stout young fellow dressed something like a stone-mason,
which indeed I soon discovered that he was--he was far advanced towards a
state of intoxication and talked very incoherently about the war, saying
that he hoped it would soon terminate, for that if it continued he was
afraid he might stand a chance of being shot, as he was a private in the
Denbighshire Militia. I told him that it was the duty of every gentleman
in the militia to be willing at all times to lay down his life in the
service of the Queen. The answer which he made I could not exactly
understand, his utterance being very indistinct and broken; it was,
however, made with some degree of violence, with two or three Myn Diawls,
and a blow on the table with his clenched fist. He then asked me whether
I thought the militia would be again called out. "Nothing more
probable," said I.

"And where would they be sent to?"

"Perhaps to Ireland," was my answer, whereupon he started up with another
Myn Diawl, expressing the greatest dread of being sent to Iwerddon.

"You ought to rejoice in your chance of going there," said I, "Iwerddon
is a beautiful country, and abounds with whisky."

"And the Irish?" said he.

"Hearty, jolly fellows," said I, "if you know how to manage them, and all
gentlemen."

Here he became very violent, saying that I did not speak truth, for that
he had seen plenty of Irish camping amidst the hills, that the men were
half naked and the women were three parts so, and that they carried their
children on their backs. He then said that he hoped somebody would
speedily kill Nicholas, in order that the war might be at an end and
himself not sent to Iwerddon. He then asked if I thought Cronstadt could
be taken. I said I believed it could, provided the hearts of those who