We all know this one in one form or another Taken from Irish Local Legends by Lageniensis. John Canon O'Hanlon 1896 LEGEND OF ARDMORE COUNTY OF WATERFORD "Blessed that child of humanity, happiest man among men, Who, with hammer, or chisel, or pencil, with rudder, or ploughshare, or pen, Laboureth ever and ever with hope through the morning of life, Winning home and its darling divinities--love-worshipped children and wife, Round swings the hammer of industry, quickly the sharp chisel rings, And the heart of the toiler has throbbings that stir not the bosom of kings." Denis Florence MacCarthy's -Bell-Founder, part i. EVERYBODY knows, that a celebrated artist, the Gobban Saor, was the greatest builder of churches in Ireland. Among other great Works, he designed and erected that remarkable group, which rises over the sea at Ardmore, in the County of Waterford. The Round Tower and the churches there are well known as objects of curiosity to the antiquary and tourist; but few are aware, that after Gobban had built them, he chose to erect a house for himself and to settle in the neighbourhood. His fame for ingenuity and good workmanship soon extended to the most distant places; and wherever a great building was desired by any of the clerics, he was ever and always consulted about its erection, and most, generally employed to carry out the design. Moreover, he was skilled in all branches of the fine arts; especially in wood and metal work. He also kept a number of tradesmen and apprentices at the carpenters' bench, and quite as many at the smiths' forge. All of these he taught their respective trades, so that many of them became famous, and when they set up on their own account they got sufficient ernployment from the kings, and chiefs, and bishops, in various parts of Ireland. Although one of the most clever artists, however, the Gobban Saor found that whatever piece of work he executed, some captious individuals had objections to it. At length, like many an astute politician, he hoped to gage the tendency of popular opinion, and to steer his bark accordingly ; for as he reasoned, that two heads being admittedly wiser than one, by a still juster conclusion, the more opinions he heard expressed, and by a still greater number of people the more hints he should receive, and therefore profit most by such suggestions. He thought over a plan, which he deemed to be a capital expedient to put his theory to the test. Then setting to work with a will, and sparing no labour or skill on the object which engaged his attention for many weeks, the Gobban Saor made a grand box, in what he thought the best of taste, ornamented with fine carving, and painted in. the most attractive tone of colouring. Afterwards, he placed it on the middle of a cross-road, which the people would have to pass by on their way to Mass it being the Sunday he chose for that exhibition. Getting inside the box, he locked it, and waited to hear what comments might be made on it, by the people going by to attend their devotions. A crowd soon gathered round the box, when the general opinion prevailed, that it was the "finest" box ever they saw; only some thought that the legs were a little too long. Hearing this, Gobban waited until they were all gone into the church, when he got out, and, having his tools with him, he cut a small portion off the feet. "Now it must certainly please them," thought he to himself. Getting into the box again, he waited to hear what should he said by the people on their way from Mass. Then another crowd, collecting round the box, gave it as a pretty general opinion, that it was the "grandest box" ever made, only the legs were then too short; and others thought that it should look much better if these were removed altogether. Whereupon, Gobban took away the legs, to gratify his critics, and to learn again what effect that might have on the public taste and judgment. He resolved to try the experiment for another Sunday. Then he found the criticisms had taken quite another turn. Every one seemed to be of opinion, that the box was too long for its width, and that its proportions were not very good. Whereupon, the Gobban Saor, set himself anew to the task of shortening it considerably, and once more he ensconced himself within it. The following Sunday, he heard a different class of objections ; for all then agreed, that the box now looked too short, and that the sides should be narrowed to make it more shapely. The artist again remodelled his box, and once more he subjected it to inspection. He heard the first person that arrived state, that the box then looked worse than before, for its height was out of all proportion to its length and breadth, and that the lid ought to be lowered very considerably. This too seemed to be the opinion very generally entertained by all the bystanders. More disappointed and disconcerted than ever, the Gobban Saor spent that week in taking off several inches from the top, and now the box became so small, that he had barely room to squeeze himself into it, to learn what judgment the people might form of himself and his workmanship on the next Sunday. "Although there were faults in the box before" said one of the farmers, "the Gobban Saor might have let well enough alone ; for what with sawing it here, and hacking it there, scraping of the paint, and patching it together, every change has been for the worse. "I quite agree with you, neighbour," said one who was present, "and besides it is labour lost, nor does it increase the Gobban Saor's credit as an artisan." Several voices were then heard expressing various conflicting opinions, but all of these of a fault finding character, and hardly any were qualified in a favourable point of view. On hearing the foregoing remarks, Gobban could no longer restrain his patience, and got out of the box. Then, breaking it up, he said he would never try to please everybody for the future, but should have reliance on his judgment alone to plan and execute his own work.