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rather the first is the best, because you are the son of the king; and the third is the second, that is, the second best, because there is nothing to quarrel about; and the second is nothing to the purpose, because though guests will grow riotous in their cups, in spite of my good orderly example, God forbid I should say, that is the case with you. And I completely agree in the truth of your remark, that reason speaks in the silence of wine."

Seithenyn accompanied his speech with a vehement swinging of his right hand : in so doing, at this point, he dropped his cup: a sudden impulse of rash volition to pick it dexterously up before he resumed his discourse, ruined all his devices for maintaining dignity; in stooping forward from his chair, he lost his balance, and fell prostrate on the floor.

TA

XXI

Seithenyn denies his own death

ALIESIN, who had been very abstemious during the evening, took the golden goblet, and drank to please the inviter; in the hope that he would become communicative, and satisfy the curiosity his appearance had raised.

The stranger sat down near him, evidently in that amiable state of semi-intoxication which inflates the head, warms the heart, lifts up the veil of the inward man, and sets the tongue flying, or rather tripping, in the double sense of nimbleness and titubancy.

The stranger repeated, taking a copious draught, "My taste is wine from gold."

"I have heard those words," said Taliesin, "GWIN O EUR, repeated as having been the favourite saying of a person whose memory is fondly cherished by one as dear to me as a mother, though his name, with all others, is the byword of all that is disreputable." "that a

"I cannot believe," said the stranger, man whose favourite saying was GWIN O EUR, could possibly be a disreputable person, or deserve any other than that honourable remembrance, which, you say, only one person is honest enough to entertain for him.'

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"His name," said Taliesin, "is too unhappily notorious throughout Britain by the terrible catastrophe of which his GWIN O EUR was the

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"And what might that be?" said the stranger. "The inundation of Gwaelod," said Taliesin. "You speak then," said the stranger, taking an enormous potation, "of Seithenyn, Prince Seithenyn ap Seithyn Saidi, Arglwyd Gorwarcheidwad yr Argae Breninawl ?

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I seldom hear his name," said Taliesin, “with any of those sounding additions; he is usually called Seithenyn the Drunkard."

The stranger goggled about his eyes in an attempt to fix them steadily on Taliesin, screwed up the corners of his mouth, stuck out his nether lip, pursed up his chin, thrust forward his right foot, and elevated his golden goblet in his right hand; then, in a tone which he intended to be strongly becoming of his impressive aspect and imposing attitude, he muttered, "Look at me."

Taliesin looked at him accordingly, with as much gravity as he could preserve.

After a silence, which he designed to be very dignified and solemn, the stranger spoke again : I am the man.

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“What man ?" said Taliesin.

"The man,” replied his entertainer, “ of whom you have spoken so disparagingly: Seithenyn ap Seithyn Saidi."

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Seithenyn," said Taliesin, "has slept twenty years under the waters of the western sea, as King Gwythno's Lamentations have made known to all Britain."

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"They have not made it known to me,” said Seithenyn, "for the best of all reasons, that one can only know the truth: for, if that which we think we know is not truth, it is something which we do not know. A man cannot know his own death; for, while he knows anything, he is alive at least, I never heard of a dead man who knew anything, or pretended to know anything; if he had so pretended, I should have told him to his face he was no dead man."

;

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XXII

Mr. Jack Hopkins is in good form

"I HOPE that's Jack Hopkins!" said Mr. Bob "Hush. Yes, it is. Come up, Jack; come up."

Sawyer.

A heavy footstep was heard upon the stairs, and Jack Hopkins presented himself. He wore a

black velvet waistcoat, with thunder-and-lightning buttons; and a blue striped shirt, with a white false collar.

"You're late, Jack?" said Mr. Benjamin Allen.

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Been detained at Bartholomew's," replied Hopkins.

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Anything new?

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"No, nothing particular. Rather a good accident brought into the casualty ward."

"What was that, sir?" inquired Mr.

Pickwick.

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Only a man fallen out of a four pair of stairs' window ;--but it's a very fair case-very fair case indeed."

"Do you mean that the patient is in a fair way to recover?" inquired Mr. Pickwick.

"No," replied Hopkins, carelessly. "No, I should rather say he wouldn't. There must be a splendid operation though, to-morrow-magnificent sight if Slasher does it."

"You consider Mr. Slasher a good operator ? said Mr. Pickwick.

"Best alive,” replied Hopkins. "Took a boy's leg out of the socket last week-boy ate five apples and a gingerbread cake-exactly two minutes after it was all over, boy said he wouldn't lie there to be made game of, and he'd tell his mother if they didn't begin."

"Dear me !" said Mr. Pickwick, astonished.

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Pooh! That's nothing, that ain't," said Jack Hopkins. "Is it, Bob?"

"Nothing at all,” replied Mr. Bob Sawyer.

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"By the bye, Bob," said Hopkins, with a scarcely perceptible glance at Mr. Pickwick's attentive face, we had a curious accident last night. A child was brought in, who had swallowed a necklace." "Swallowed what, sir?" interrupted Mr. Pickwick.

"A necklace," replied Jack Hopkins. "Not all at once, you know, that would be too muchyou couldn't swallow that, if the child did-eh, Mr. Pickwick, ha! ha!" Mr. Hopkins appeared highly gratified with his own pleasantry, and continued. "No, the way was this. Child's parents were poor people who lived in a court. eldest sister bought a necklace; common necklace, made of large black wooden beads. Child, being fond of toys, cribbed the necklace, hid it, played with it, cut the string, and swallowed a bead. Child thought it capital fun, went back next day, and swallowed another bead."

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Child's

Bless my heart," said Mr. Pickwick, “what a dreadful thing! I beg your pardon, sir.

on."

Go

"Next day, child swallowed two beads; the day after that, he treated himself to three, and so on, till in a week's time he had got through the necklace -five-and-twenty beads in all. The sister, who was an industrious girl, and seldom treated herself to a bit of finery, cried her eyes out, at the loss of the necklace; looked high and low for it; but, I needn't say, didn't find it. A few days afterwards, the family were at dinner-baked shoulder of mutton, and potatoes under it-the child, who wasn't hungry, was playing about the room, when

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