Part 5 (1/2)
”Come, Kelly,” said he to one of them, ”are you fully prepared for the two blessed sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist, that you are about to receive? Can you read, sir?”
”Can I read, is id?--my brother Barney can, yor Rev'rence,” replied Kelly, sensible, amid all the disadvantages around him, of the degradation of his ignorance.
”What's that to me, sir?” said the priest, ”what your brother Barney can do--can you not read yourself?”
”I can not, your Reverence,” said Kelly, in a tone of regret.
”I hope you have your Christian Doctrine, at all events,” said the priest. ”Go on with the Confiteor.”
Kelly went on--”Confeetur Dimnipotenmti batchy Mary semplar virginy, batchy Mickletoe Archy Angelo, batchy Johnny Bartisty, sanctris postlis--Petrum hit Paulum omnium sanctris, et tabby pasture, quay a pixavit minus coglety ashy hony verb.u.m et offer him smaxy quilia smaxy quilta--sniaxy maxin in quilia.”*
* Let not our readers suppose that the above version in the mouth of a totally illiterate peasant is overcharged; for we have the advantage of remembering how we ourselves used to hear it p.r.o.nounced in our early days. We will back the version in the text against Edward Irving's new language--for any money.-- Original note.
”Very well, Kelly, right enough, all except the p.r.o.nouncing, which wouldn't pa.s.s muster in Maynooth, however. How many kinds of commandments are there?”
”Two, sir.”
”What are they?”
”G.o.d's and the Church's.”
”Repeat G.o.d's share of them.”
He then repeated the first commandment according to his catechism.
”Very good, Kelly, very good. Well now, repeat the commandments of the Church.”
”First--Sundays and holidays, Ma.s.s thou shalt sartinly hear;
”Second--All holidays sanctificate throughout all the whole year.
”Third--Lent, Ember days, and Virgins, thou shalt be sartain to fast;
”Fourth--Fridays and Sat.u.r.days flesh thou shalt not, good, bad or indifferent, taste.
”Fifth--In Lent and Advent, nuptial fastes gallantly forbear.
”Sixth--Confess your sins, at laste once dacently and soberly every year.
”Seventh--Resave your G.o.d at confission about great Easter-day;
”Eighth--And to his Church and his own frolicsome clargy neglect not tides (t.i.thes) to pay.”
”Well,” said his Eeverence, ”now, to great point is, do you understand them?”
”Wid the help of G.o.d, I hope so, your Rev'rence; and I have also the three thriptological vartues.”
”Theological, sirrah!”
”Theojollyological vartues; the four sins that cry to heaven for vingeance; the five carnal vartues--prudence, justice, timptation, and solitude; (* Temperance and fort.i.tude) the seven deadly sins; the eight grey att.i.tudes--”