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Article THURLOGH, THE MILESIAN. ← Page 2 of 18 →
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Thurlogh, The Milesian.
tent , for the initiation of even the youngest , in the fundamental outlines of even the elements of any art . When Philip of Macedon sought a tutor for his son Alexander , he would have nobody else for him , though yet a child , than the philosopher Aristotle . Yes , sir , I am deeply indebted for your obliging proposal ; but , instead of undertaking to teach others , I need myself much more to be taught . " " Though you decline my present invitation , you will give me leave , however , to hope , that at some future hour I may see you under my roof . " " Most assuredly , sir , I shall embrace with readiness the very earliest opportunity which will allow me to indulge in so wished-for a
gratification . " " With this assurance I rest content . Father Corney , " he continued , turning to the host , who had returned at this moment , " I shall bid you both good bye , consigning you , my dear Thurlogh , to the protection of our common Creator , and for guidance in your earthly course to the friendly admonition of our common host . " The priest and his ward were now alone , and they observed , for an instant , a mutual pause ; at length , the latter recollecting the daily duties of
his religion , rose to the performance of some charitable task , leaving Thurlogh to the benefit of his own cogitations . Our hero , however , thought that a stroll into the fields would be as conducive to his spirits as a moping melancholy within doors ; and so , accordingly , he sallied forth , and directed his footsteps , almost unconsciously , towards one of those mysterious circles so frequent throughout Ireland , and mistakenly denominated Danish forts , from the circumstance of their having been converted bsacrilege into encampments of warbeing
y , , in reality , places of religious convention to the natives , for the celebration of sacred rites , and the solemn inauguration of their sovereigns . Thurlogh , however , having made for the entrance of one of those mounds , had no sooner reached the inside , than he was greeted by a salute from one of the feathered inmates of its sanctuary , in a way and after a manner which , even to a less imaginative brain , would not tail imparting the idea of an ominous interference .
A beautiful little bird , resembling in hue the colour of the most purified gold , but in size much larger than what is commonly called a goldfinch , flew aloft over his shoulders the moment he had made his appearance , atid after a thousand gyrosities and circumambient evolutions , still approximating towards the centre , as she descended in a spiral line , her impassioned afflatus acquired redoubled velocity as she was about to alight upon his head , when , lo ! in the tumult of his fears , lie had recourse to his cane , to relieve himself from her importunities !
Thus disengaged from the fond embraces of the warbler , superstition next succeeded ; and for many a long day he could not divest his mind of some analogy between the bearings of ' this incident and that which befel I-iiicumo on his journey to Rome , where he was afterwards honoured with the royal diadem . He kept the thought , however , within the precincts of his own breast , and did not so much as tell the anecdote to his host as they met at home after the day's adventures .
CHAPTER XIV . THE following morning was fine , and the sun just rising behind the mountains , when Thurlogh , having thanked his benefactor for his hospitality , aad received his benediction upon his bended knee , hid him a long farewell , and tript the dew off the pathway that led across flic fields to the king ' s high road .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Thurlogh, The Milesian.
tent , for the initiation of even the youngest , in the fundamental outlines of even the elements of any art . When Philip of Macedon sought a tutor for his son Alexander , he would have nobody else for him , though yet a child , than the philosopher Aristotle . Yes , sir , I am deeply indebted for your obliging proposal ; but , instead of undertaking to teach others , I need myself much more to be taught . " " Though you decline my present invitation , you will give me leave , however , to hope , that at some future hour I may see you under my roof . " " Most assuredly , sir , I shall embrace with readiness the very earliest opportunity which will allow me to indulge in so wished-for a
gratification . " " With this assurance I rest content . Father Corney , " he continued , turning to the host , who had returned at this moment , " I shall bid you both good bye , consigning you , my dear Thurlogh , to the protection of our common Creator , and for guidance in your earthly course to the friendly admonition of our common host . " The priest and his ward were now alone , and they observed , for an instant , a mutual pause ; at length , the latter recollecting the daily duties of
his religion , rose to the performance of some charitable task , leaving Thurlogh to the benefit of his own cogitations . Our hero , however , thought that a stroll into the fields would be as conducive to his spirits as a moping melancholy within doors ; and so , accordingly , he sallied forth , and directed his footsteps , almost unconsciously , towards one of those mysterious circles so frequent throughout Ireland , and mistakenly denominated Danish forts , from the circumstance of their having been converted bsacrilege into encampments of warbeing
y , , in reality , places of religious convention to the natives , for the celebration of sacred rites , and the solemn inauguration of their sovereigns . Thurlogh , however , having made for the entrance of one of those mounds , had no sooner reached the inside , than he was greeted by a salute from one of the feathered inmates of its sanctuary , in a way and after a manner which , even to a less imaginative brain , would not tail imparting the idea of an ominous interference .
A beautiful little bird , resembling in hue the colour of the most purified gold , but in size much larger than what is commonly called a goldfinch , flew aloft over his shoulders the moment he had made his appearance , atid after a thousand gyrosities and circumambient evolutions , still approximating towards the centre , as she descended in a spiral line , her impassioned afflatus acquired redoubled velocity as she was about to alight upon his head , when , lo ! in the tumult of his fears , lie had recourse to his cane , to relieve himself from her importunities !
Thus disengaged from the fond embraces of the warbler , superstition next succeeded ; and for many a long day he could not divest his mind of some analogy between the bearings of ' this incident and that which befel I-iiicumo on his journey to Rome , where he was afterwards honoured with the royal diadem . He kept the thought , however , within the precincts of his own breast , and did not so much as tell the anecdote to his host as they met at home after the day's adventures .
CHAPTER XIV . THE following morning was fine , and the sun just rising behind the mountains , when Thurlogh , having thanked his benefactor for his hospitality , aad received his benediction upon his bended knee , hid him a long farewell , and tript the dew off the pathway that led across flic fields to the king ' s high road .