their　only　regret　is　that　they　are　so　soon　to　quit　it；　but　oh；　ye
  dear　deluded　hearts；　it　is　not　every　one　who　is　so　fortunate！
  To　the　generality　of　mankind　there　is　no　period　like　youth。　　The
  generality　are　far　from　fortunate；　but　the　period　of　youth；　even　to
  the　least　so；　offers　moments　of　considerable　happiness；　for　they
  are　not　only　disposed　but　able　to　enjoy　most　things　within　their
  reach。　　With　what　trifles　at　that　period　are　we　content；　the　things
  from　which　in　after…life　we　should　turn　away　in　disdain　please　us
  then；　for　we　are　in　the　midst　of　a　golden　cloud；　and　everything
  seems　decked　with　a　golden　hue。　　Never　during　any　portion　of　my
  life　did　time　flow　on　more　speedily　than　during　the　two　or　three
  years　immediately　succeeding　the　period　to　which　we　arrived　in　the
  preceding　chapter：　　since　then　it　has　flagged　often　enough；
  sometimes　it　has　seemed　to　stand　entirely　still；　and　the　reader　may
  easily　judge　how　it　fares　at　the　present；　from　the　circumstance　of
  my　taking　pen　in　hand；　and　endeavouring　to　write　down　the　passages
  of　my　life　…　a　last　resource　with　most　people。　　But　at　the　period
  to　which　I　allude　I　was　just；　as　I　may　say；　entering　upon　life；　I
  had　adopted　a　profession；　and；　to　keep　up　my　character；
  simultaneously　with　that　profession　…　the　study　of　a　new　language。
  I　speedily　became　a　proficient　in　the　one；　but　ever　remained　a
  novice　in　the　other：　　a　novice　in　the　law；　but　a　perfect　master　in
  the　Welsh　tongue。
  Yes；　very　pleasant　times　were　those；　when　within　the　womb　of　a
  lofty　deal　desk；　behind　which　I　sat　for　some　eight　hours　every　day；
  transcribing　（when　I　imagined　eyes　were　upon　me）　documents　of　every
  description　in　every　possible　hand；　Blackstone　kept　company　with　Ab
  Gwilym　…　the　polished　English　lawyer　of　the　last　century；　who　wrote
  long　and　prosy　chapters　on　the　rights　of　things　…　with　a　certain
  wild　Welshman；　who　some　four　hundred　years　before　that　time　indited
  immortal　cowydds　and　odes　to　the　wives　of　Cambrian　chieftains　…
  more　particularly　to　one　Morfydd；　the　wife　of　a　certain　hunchbacked
  dignitary　called　by　the　poet　facetiously　Bwa　Bach　…　generally
  terminating　with　the　modest　request　of　a　little　private　parlance
  beneath　the　greenwood　bough；　with　no　other　witness　than　the　eos；　or
  nightingale；　a　request　which；　if　the　poet　himself　may　be　believed；
  rather　a　doubtful　point；　was　seldom；　very　seldom；　denied。　　And　by
  what　strange　chance　had　Ab　Gwilym　and　Blackstone；　two　personages　so
  exceedingly　different；　been　thus　brought　together？　　From　what　the
  reader　already　knows　of　me；　he　may　be　quite　prepared　to　find　me
  reading　the　former；　but　what　could　have　induced　me　to　take　up
  Blackstone；　or　rather　the　law？
  I　have　ever　loved　to　be　as　explicit　as　possible；　on　which　account；
  perhaps；　I　never　attained　to　any　proficiency　in　the　law；　the
  essence　of　which　is　said　to　be　ambiguity；　most　questions　may　be
  answered　in　a　few　words；　and　this　among　the　rest；　though　connected
  with　the　law。　　My　parents　deemed　it　necessary　that　I　should　adopt
  some　profession；　they　named　the　law；　the　law　was　as　agreeable　to　me
  as　any　other　profession　within　my　reach；　so　I　adopted　the　law；　and
  the　consequence　was；　that　Blackstone；　probably　for　the　first　time；
  found　himself　in　company　with　Ab　Gwilym。　　By　adopting　the　law　I　had
  not　ceased　to　be　Lavengro。
  So　I　sat　behind　a　desk　many　hours　in　the　day；　ostensibly　engaged　in
  transcribing　documents　of　various　kinds；　the　scene　of　my　labours
  was　a　strange　old　house；　occupying　one　side　of　a　long　and　narrow
  court；　into　which；　however；　the　greater　number　of　the　windows
  looked　not；　but　into　an　extensive　garden；　filled　with　fruit　trees；
  in　the　rear　of　a　large；　handsome　house；　belonging　to　a　highly
  respectable　gentleman；　who；　moyennant　un　douceur　considerable；　had
  consented　to　instruct　my　father's　youngest　son　in　the　mysteries　of
  glorious　English　law。　　Ah！　would　that　I　could　describe　the　good
  gentleman　in　the　manner　which　he　deserves；　he　has　long　since　sunk
  to　his　place　in　a　respectable　vault；　in　the　aisle　of　a　very
  respectable　church；　whilst　an　exceedingly　respectable　marble　slab
  against　the　neighbouring　wall　tells　on　a　Sunday　some　eye　wandering
  from　its　prayer…book　that　his　dust　lies　below；　to　secure　such
  respectabilities　in　death；　he　passed　a　most　respectable　life。　　Let
  no　one　sneer；　he　accomplished　much；　his　life　was　peaceful；　so　was
  his　death。　　Are　these　trifles？　　I　wish　I　could　describe　him；　for　I
  loved　the　man；　and　with　reason；　for　he　was　ever　kind　to　me；　to　whom
  kindness　has　not　always　been　shown；　and　he　was；　moreover；　a　choice
  specimen　of　a　class　which　no　longer　exists　…　a　gentleman　lawyer　of
  the　old　school。　　I　would　fain　describe　him；　but　figures　with　which
  he　has　nought　to　do　press　forward　and　keep　him　from　my　mind's　eye；
  there　they　pass；　Spaniard　and　Moor；　Gypsy；　Turk；　and　livid　Jew。
  But　who　is　that？　what　that　thick　pursy　man　in　the　loose；　snuff…
  coloured　greatcoat；　with　the　white　stockings；　drab　breeches；　and
  silver　buckles　on　his　shoes；　that　man　with　the　bull　neck；　and
  singular　head；　immense　in　the　lower　part；　especially　about　the
  jaws；　but　tapering　upward　like　a　pear；　the　man　with　the　bushy
  brows；　small　gray　eyes　replete　with　catlike　expression；　whose
  grizzled　hair　is　cut　close；　and　whose　ear…lobes　are　pierced　with
  small　golden　rings？　　Oh！　that　is　not　my　dear　old　master；　but　a
  widely　different　personage。　　Bon　jour；　Monsieur　Vidocq！　expressions
  de　ma　part　a　Monsieur　Le　Baron　Taylor。　　But　here　he　comes　at　last；
  my　veritable　old　master！
  A　more　respectable…looking　individual　was　never　seen；　he　really
  looked　what　he　was；　a　gentleman　of　the　law　…　there　was　nothing　of
  the　pettifogger　about　him：　　somewhat　under　the　middle　size；　and
  somewhat　rotund　in　person；　he　was　always　dressed　in　a　full　suit　of
  black；　never　worn　long　enough　to　become　threadbare。　　His　face　was
  rubicund；　and　not　without　keenness；　but　the　most　remarkable　thing
  about　him　was　the　crown　of　his　head；　which　was　bald；　and　shone　like
  polished　ivory；　nothing　more　white；　smooth；　and　lustrous。　　Some
  people　have　said　that　he　wore　false　calves；　probably　because　his
  black　silk　stockings　never　exhibited　a　wrinkle；　they　might　just　as
  well　have　said　that　he　waddled；　because　his　shoes　creaked；　for
  these　last；　which　were　always　without　a　speck；　and　polished　as　his
  crown；　though　of　a　different　hue；　did　creak；　as　he　walked　rather
  slowly。　　I　cannot　say　that　I　ever　saw　him　walk　fast。
  He　had　a　handsome　practice；　and　might　have　died　a　very　rich　man；
  much　richer　than　he　did；　had　he　not　been　in　the　habit　of　giving
  rather　expensive　dinners　to　certain　great　people；　who　gave　him
  nothing　in　return　except　their　company；　I　could　never　discover　his
  reasons　for　doing　so；　as　he　always　appeared　to　me　a　remarkably
  quiet　man；　by　nature　averse　to　noise　and　bustle；　but　in　all
  dispositions　there　are　anomalies：　　I　have　already　said　that　he
  lived　in　a　handsome　house；　and　I　may　as　well　here　add　that　he　had　a
  very　handsome　wife；　who　both　dressed　and　talked　exceedingly　well。
  So　I　sat　behind　the　deal　desk；　engaged　in　copying　documents　of
  various　kinds；　and　in　the　apartment　in　which　I　sat；　and　in　the
  adjoining　ones；　there　were　others；　some　of　whom　likewise　copied
  documents；　while　some　were　engaged　in　the　yet　more　difficult　task
  of　drawing　them　up；　and　some　of　these；　sons　of　nobody；　were　paid
  for　the　work　they　did；　whilst　others；　like　myself；　sons　of
  somebody；　paid　for　being　permitted　to　work；　which；　as　our　principal
  observed；　was　but　reasonable；　forasmuch　as　we　not　unfrequently
  utterly　spoiled　the　greater　part　of　the　work　intrusted　to　our
  hands。
  There　was　one　part　of　the　day　when　I　generally　found　myself　quite
  alone；　I　mean　at　the　hour　when　the　rest　went　home　to　their
  principal　meal；　I；　being　the　youngest；　was　left　to　take　care　of　the
  premises；　to　answer　the　bell；　and　so　forth；　till　relieved；　which
  was　seldom　before　the　expiration　of　an　hour　and　a　half；　when　I
  myself　went　home；　this　period；　however；　was　anything　but
  disagreeable　to　me；　for　it　was　then　that　I　did　what　best　pleased
  me；　and；　leaving　off　copying　the　documents；　I　sometimes　indulged　in
  a　fit　of　musing；　my　chin　resting　on　both　my　hands；　and　my　elbows
  planted　on　the　desk；　or；　opening　the　desk　aforesaid；　I　would　take
  out　one　of　the　books　contained　within　it；　and　the　book　which　I　took
  out　was　almost　invariably；　not　Blackstone；　but　Ab　Gwilym。
  Ah；　that　Ab　Gwilym！　　I　am　much　indebted　to　him；　and　it　were
  ungrateful　on　my　part　not　to　devote　a　few　lines　to　him　and　his
  songs　in　this　my　history。　　Start　not；　reader；　I　am　not　going　to
  trouble　you　with　a　poetical　dissertation；　no；　no；　I　know　my　duty
  too　well　to　introduce　anything　of　the　kind；　but　I；　who　imagine　I
  know　several　things；　and　amongst　others　the　workings　of　your　mind
  at　this　moment；　have　an　idea　that　you　are　anxious　to　learn