theironlyregretisthattheyaresosoontoquitit；butoh，yedeardeludedhearts，itisnoteveryonewhoissofortunate!
　　Tothegeneralityofmankindthereisnoperiodlikeyouth。Thegeneralityarefarfromfortunate；buttheperiodofyouth，eventotheleastso，offersmomentsofconsiderablehappiness，fortheyarenotonlydisposedbutabletoenjoymostthingswithintheirreach。Withwhattriflesatthatperiodarewecontent；thethingsfromwhichinafter-lifeweshouldturnawayindisdainpleaseusthen，forweareinthemidstofagoldencloud，andeverythingseemsdeckedwithagoldenhue。Neverduringanyportionofmylifedidtimeflowonmorespeedilythanduringthetwoorthreeyearsimmediatelysucceedingtheperiodtowhichwearrivedintheprecedingchapter：sincethenithasflaggedoftenenough；
　　sometimesithasseemedtostandentirelystill；andthereadermayeasilyjudgehowitfaresatthepresent，fromthecircumstanceofmytakingpeninhand，andendeavouringtowritedownthepassagesofmylife-alastresourcewithmostpeople。ButattheperiodtowhichIalludeIwasjust，asImaysay，enteringuponlife；I
　　hadadoptedaprofession，and，tokeepupmycharacter，simultaneouslywiththatprofession-thestudyofanewlanguage。
　　Ispeedilybecameaproficientintheone，buteverremainedanoviceintheother：anoviceinthelaw，butaperfectmasterintheWelshtongue。
　　Yes；verypleasanttimeswerethose，whenwithinthewombofaloftydealdesk，behindwhichIsatforsomeeighthourseveryday，transcribingwhenIimaginedeyeswereuponmedocumentsofeverydescriptionineverypossiblehand，BlackstonekeptcompanywithAbGwilym-thepolishedEnglishlawyerofthelastcentury，whowrotelongandprosychaptersontherightsofthings-withacertainwildWelshman，whosomefourhundredyearsbeforethattimeinditedimmortalcowyddsandodestothewivesofCambrianchieftains-
　　moreparticularlytooneMorfydd，thewifeofacertainhunchbackeddignitarycalledbythepoetfacetiouslyBwaBach-generallyterminatingwiththemodestrequestofalittleprivateparlancebeneaththegreenwoodbough，withnootherwitnessthantheeos，ornightingale，arequestwhich，ifthepoethimselfmaybebelieved，ratheradoubtfulpoint，wasseldom，veryseldom，denied。AndbywhatstrangechancehadAbGwilymandBlackstone，twopersonagessoexceedinglydifferent，beenthusbroughttogether？Fromwhatthereaderalreadyknowsofme，hemaybequitepreparedtofindmereadingtheformer；butwhatcouldhaveinducedmetotakeupBlackstone，orratherthelaw？
　　Ihaveeverlovedtobeasexplicitaspossible；onwhichaccount，perhaps，Ineverattainedtoanyproficiencyinthelaw，theessenceofwhichissaidtobeambiguity；mostquestionsmaybeansweredinafewwords，andthisamongtherest，thoughconnectedwiththelaw。MyparentsdeemeditnecessarythatIshouldadoptsomeprofession，theynamedthelaw；thelawwasasagreeabletomeasanyotherprofessionwithinmyreach，soIadoptedthelaw，andtheconsequencewas，thatBlackstone，probablyforthefirsttime，foundhimselfincompanywithAbGwilym。ByadoptingthelawIhadnotceasedtobeLavengro。
　　SoIsatbehindadeskmanyhoursintheday，ostensiblyengagedintranscribingdocumentsofvariouskinds；thesceneofmylabourswasastrangeoldhouse，occupyingonesideofalongandnarrowcourt，intowhich，however，thegreaternumberofthewindowslookednot，butintoanextensivegarden，filledwithfruittrees，intherearofalarge，handsomehouse，belongingtoahighlyrespectablegentleman，who，moyennantundouceurconsiderable，hadconsentedtoinstructmyfather’syoungestsoninthemysteriesofgloriousEnglishlaw。Ah!wouldthatIcoulddescribethegoodgentlemaninthemannerwhichhedeserves；hehaslongsincesunktohisplaceinarespectablevault，intheaisleofaveryrespectablechurch，whilstanexceedinglyrespectablemarbleslabagainsttheneighbouringwalltellsonaSundaysomeeyewanderingfromitsprayer-bookthathisdustliesbelow；tosecuresuchrespectabilitiesindeath，hepassedamostrespectablelife。Letnoonesneer，heaccomplishedmuch；hislifewaspeaceful，sowashisdeath。Arethesetrifles？IwishIcoulddescribehim，forI
　　lovedtheman，andwithreason，forhewaseverkindtome，towhomkindnesshasnotalwaysbeenshown；andhewas，moreover，achoicespecimenofaclasswhichnolongerexists-agentlemanlawyeroftheoldschool。Iwouldfaindescribehim，butfigureswithwhichhehasnoughttodopressforwardandkeephimfrommymind’seye；
　　theretheypass，SpaniardandMoor，Gypsy，Turk，andlividJew。
　　Butwhoisthat？whatthatthickpursymanintheloose，snuff-
　　colouredgreatcoat，withthewhitestockings，drabbreeches，andsilverbucklesonhisshoes；thatmanwiththebullneck，andsingularhead，immenseinthelowerpart，especiallyaboutthejaws，buttaperingupwardlikeapear；themanwiththebushybrows，smallgrayeyesrepletewithcatlikeexpression，whosegrizzledhairiscutclose，andwhoseear-lobesarepiercedwithsmallgoldenrings？Oh!thatisnotmydearoldmaster，butawidelydifferentpersonage。Bonjour，MonsieurVidocq!expressionsdemapartaMonsieurLeBaronTaylor。Butherehecomesatlast，myveritableoldmaster!
　　Amorerespectable-lookingindividualwasneverseen；hereallylookedwhathewas，agentlemanofthelaw-therewasnothingofthepettifoggerabouthim：somewhatunderthemiddlesize，andsomewhatrotundinperson，hewasalwaysdressedinafullsuitofblack，neverwornlongenoughtobecomethreadbare。Hisfacewasrubicund，andnotwithoutkeenness；butthemostremarkablethingabouthimwasthecrownofhishead，whichwasbald，andshonelikepolishedivory，nothingmorewhite，smooth，andlustrous。Somepeoplehavesaidthatheworefalsecalves，probablybecausehisblacksilkstockingsneverexhibitedawrinkle；theymightjustaswellhavesaidthathewaddled，becausehisshoescreaked；fortheselast，whichwerealwayswithoutaspeck，andpolishedashiscrown，thoughofadifferenthue，didcreak，ashewalkedratherslowly。IcannotsaythatIeversawhimwalkfast。
　　Hehadahandsomepractice，andmighthavediedaveryrichman，muchricherthanhedid，hadhenotbeeninthehabitofgivingratherexpensivedinnerstocertaingreatpeople，whogavehimnothinginreturnexcepttheircompany；Icouldneverdiscoverhisreasonsfordoingso，ashealwaysappearedtomearemarkablyquietman，bynatureaversetonoiseandbustle；butinalldispositionsthereareanomalies：Ihavealreadysaidthathelivedinahandsomehouse，andImayaswellhereaddthathehadaveryhandsomewife，whobothdressedandtalkedexceedinglywell。
　　SoIsatbehindthedealdesk，engagedincopyingdocumentsofvariouskinds；andintheapartmentinwhichIsat，andintheadjoiningones，therewereothers，someofwhomlikewisecopieddocuments，whilesomewereengagedintheyetmoredifficulttaskofdrawingthemup；andsomeofthese，sonsofnobody，werepaidfortheworktheydid，whilstothers，likemyself，sonsofsomebody，paidforbeingpermittedtowork，which，asourprincipalobserved，wasbutreasonable，forasmuchaswenotunfrequentlyutterlyspoiledthegreaterpartoftheworkintrustedtoourhands。
　　TherewasonepartofthedaywhenIgenerallyfoundmyselfquitealone，Imeanatthehourwhentherestwenthometotheirprincipalmeal；I，beingtheyoungest，waslefttotakecareofthepremises，toanswerthebell，andsoforth，tillrelieved，whichwasseldombeforetheexpirationofanhourandahalf，whenI
　　myselfwenthome；thisperiod，however，wasanythingbutdisagreeabletome，foritwasthenthatIdidwhatbestpleasedme，and，leavingoffcopyingthedocuments，Isometimesindulgedinafitofmusing，mychinrestingonbothmyhands，andmyelbowsplantedonthedesk；or，openingthedeskaforesaid，Iwouldtakeoutoneofthebookscontainedwithinit，andthebookwhichItookoutwasalmostinvariably，notBlackstone，butAbGwilym。
　　Ah，thatAbGwilym!Iammuchindebtedtohim，anditwereungratefulonmypartnottodevoteafewlinestohimandhissongsinthismyhistory。Startnot，reader，Iamnotgoingtotroubleyouwithapoeticaldissertation；no，no；Iknowmydutytoowelltointroduceanythingofthekind；butI，whoimagineI
　　knowseveralthings，andamongstotherstheworkingsofyourmindatthismoment，haveanideathatyouareanxioustolearnalittle，averylittle，moreaboutAbGwilymthanIhavehithertotoldyou，thetwoorthreewordsthatIhavedroppedhavingawakenedwithinyoualanguidkindofcuriosity。Ihavenohesitationinsayingthathemakesoneofthesomehalf-dozenreallygreatpoetswhoseverses，inwhateverlanguagetheywrote，existatthepresentday，andaremoreorlessknown。ItmatterslittlehowIfirstbecameacquaintedwiththewritingsofthisman，andhowtheshortthickvolume，stuffedfullwithhisimmortalimaginings，firstcameintomyhands。IwasstudyingWelsh，andI
　　fellinwithAbGwilymbynoverystrangechance。But，beforeI
　　saymoreaboutAbGwilym，Imustbepermitted-Ireallymust-tosayawordortwoaboutthelanguageinwhichhewrote，thatsame’SweetWelsh。’IfIrememberright，Ifoundthelanguageadifficultone；inmasteringit，however，IderivedunexpectedassistancefromwhatofIrishremainedinmyhead，andIsoonfoundthattheywerecognatedialects，springingfromsomeoldtonguewhichitself，perhaps，hadsprungfromonemucholder。AndhereI
　　cannothelpobservingcursorilythatIeverynowandthen，whilststudyingthisWelsh，generallysupposedtobetheoriginaltongueofBritain，encounteredwordswhich，accordingtothelexicographers，werevenerablewordshighlyexpressive，showingthewonderfulpowerandoriginalityoftheWelsh，inwhich，however，theywerenolongerusedincommondiscourse，butwererelics，preciousrelics，ofthefirstspeechofBritain，perhapsoftheworld；withwhichwords，however，Iwasalreadywellacquainted，andwhichIhadpickedup，notinlearnedbooks，classicbooks，andintonguesofoldrenown，butwhilstlisteningtoMr。PetulengroandTawnoChiknotalkingovertheireverydayaffairsinthelanguageofthetents；whichcircumstancedidnotfailtogiverisetodeepreflectioninthosemomentswhen，plantingmyelbowsonthedealdesk，Irestedmychinuponmyhands。ButitisprobablethatIshouldhaveabandonedthepursuitoftheWelshlanguage，afterobtainingaverysuperficialacquaintancewithit，haditnotbeenforAbGwilym。
　　Astrangesongsterwasthatwho，pretendingtobecaptivatedbyeverywomanhesaw，was，inreality，inlovewithnaturealone-