" Tdie them," said he, " into your own hands, Denis
— ^for me, I'm not able to do anything more at them ;
she that kep' me up is graie, an' I'm brdten down. Take
them — take them into your own hands. Give me my
bed, bit, an' sup, an' that's all I want."

Six months produced an incredible change in his
appearance. Intemperance, whilst it shattered his strong
frame, kept him in frequent exuberance of spirits ;
but the secret grief preyed on him within. Artificial
excitement kills, bat it never cures ; and Peter, in the
midst of his mirth and jollity, was wasting away into a



THE GEOGRAPHY OF AN IRISH OATH. 1 63

shadow. His childfen, seeing him go down the hill of
life so rapidly, consulted among each other on the best
means of winning him back to sobriety. This was a
difficult task, for his powers of bearing liquor were almost
prodigious. He has often been known to drink so many
as twenty-five and sometimes thirty tumblers of punch
without being taken off his legs or rendered incapable
of walking about. His friends, on considering who
was most likely to recall him to a more becoming life,
resolved to apply to his landlord — the gentleman whom
we have already introduced to our readers. He entered
warmly into their plan, and it was settled that Peter
should be sent for, and induced, if possible, to take an
oath against liquor. Early the following day a liveried
servant came down to inform him that his master wished
to speak with him.
