"Tis a sweet spot, indeed! ’’ he frankly replied,
“And hath beauties that’s known but to few;
Of this well and dell, and the hills that’s around,
We have many a legend, I trew.
“ But pray thee,” he said, “taste the water, thou’lt find
It is wond’rously pleasing and cool.”
I knelt by the side of the worthy old man,
And drank from the time-honour'd pool.
“But, stay, stay, my friend! ” he cried in much haste,
“ Of its virtues, I fear thou can’st tell;
For unless thou believ’st in our great Mother Church
No charm hath this little well! ”
“ The water’s as sweet to my taste, worthy sire.
As tho’ I to thy Church did'st belong.”
“Aye!—but never a blessing thou ask’d from Above,
So to God, and our Saint thou’st done wrong.”
“And what is the name of thy Saint ? ” I enquir’d,
“ For a stranger I am to this place.”
He cross’d his old breast, and with rev’rence replied,
“ Palladius--whose Soul is in Peace ! ”
“Oh, tell me, I pray, what Palladius did here,
For he flourish'd m ages bygone; ”
In silence again he sought aid from Above,
Then spake in a grave hollow tone :—
“ Palladius,’ he said, “ came here from afar—
From the great Holy City of Rome ;
And crush'd on his way the Pelagians’ creed.
And near to this well was his home.
I was here he proclaim’d the glad tidings of Life,
And first gave us Bishops, they say;
But after a long and a holy career.
He sank to his cold bed of clay.
“And within yonder chapel, just over our heads.
We are told that his relies do lie;
And that the poor pilgrims with long staves apd gowns.
Came here from all airts of the sky;
