Ask a question; pass it on (3)

Hello, Miss. *touches hat*

I think I prefer sunset. Means the idlers an' watch below are turnin' in, an' things go quiet. Gives a man a chance to think, that.

D'you prefer bein' on your own, or spendin' most your time with other folks?

*curtsies back with a dimpled smile* I prefer being on my own, when I'm allowed. Back home, I used to wander across our land and into the county, quite content with Nature as my company.

Have you ever seen a mermaid?

No - and I would not believe any sailor who said he had seen one. He would probably have been drunk at the time.

Do you speak a foreign language?

does Gaelic count sah? tis not really foreign...but it an't the Kings English.

do you trust our foreign allies?

You mean the English? I trust a number of them. And Irish is a language quite foreign to the English; English is far more closely linked with the Germanic language, I understand.

What country were you born in?

England. Believe it or not.

What is your opinion of the Portuguese?

The Portuguese people are very amiable, but understandably tired of war. I feel for them.

What is the one thing you want to see before you leave this earth?

Home.

If you had a choice between a map that is known to be inaccurate, and a description of the way by a stranger, which would you follow?

I would take the stranger with me, and should his word and description had been at fault...I'd persuade him.. *looks at the bayonet* that he tell me the right way. But... it's our officers who lead us so .. wouldn't that be their decision to make, really?

Do you trust your men?

Of course. With my life, all the time.

Do you trust your officers?

It's not a matter o' trust but obedience, sir. ...but.. ours.. yes, I do that too.

Would you disobey an order if you thought it mad?

No. Although I would ask a friend to try to send reinforcements before we were completely overwhelmed....

How would you like to be remembered after death?

I don't think I'll be remembered at all but.. well, if I were. Then I'd like to have been remembered for something good I've done.

Do officers ever steal?

Officers are men, the same as the soldiers they lead.

What would you consider to be your greatest virtue?

Dependability.

What you consider to be your greatest vice?

Why tis my weakness in having to serving the king ma'am, granted he's fed me and paid me but were it not for the fact t'was starving at home would never have put on the red coat as long as Ireland was enslaved ma'am.

who makes the better soldier, the Irish, the Scots or the English?

I think you're forgetting someone there, boyo!

Would you wish to live under Bonaparte's tyranny?

*Saint-Hilaire* Tyranny? ..You should know more about the man and his ideas, more of his ways than to judge him on the lies you are fed by your masters, who flog you with the delight of sadists.

Do you care for freedom?

Freedom? What a quaint idea.

A name can be a great burden, don't you think?

Don't know. Never put much into a name.

What do you mean by it becoming or being a great burden?

Well, and this is just one aspect of what I mean, mind, names have meanings. For example, my name, Phillip, derives from two greek words: philos, lover and hippos, horse. Thus Phillip means 'lover of horses'. Does open the door for friendly teasing, doesn't it.

Your name means: God has remembered a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry that contains a filling of sweet or savoury ingredients.

Did/do you know what your name means?

No, I don't - but it can't be anything very good. Peter changed his name from Simon, after all, didn't he?

Do you suppose there is anything in the meaning of names?

Depends on how they are chosen. Some people place great emphasis to the meaning of names, I would think. And the picking of them too.

What would you name yourself, would you have had a chance to choose?

Dunno. I think I like my name. Ain't though 'bout what I'd call meself if I warn't called Tom.

Do you like your own name?

I don't know; I have never really given it any consideration. It is my name and that is who I am - I cannot imagine what else I might be called other than that.

Do you have a 'nickname'?