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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Secret Service Under Pitt - -Author: William John Fitzpatrick - -Release Date: January 25, 2016 [EBook #51030] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SECRET SERVICE UNDER PITT *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing, MWS and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - - SECRET SERVICE UNDER PITT - - _Two vols. Crn. 8vo. with Portrait, 36s._ - - THE PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE AND MEMOIRS - - OF - - DANIEL O'CONNELL, M.P. - - BY WM. J. FITZPATRICK, F.S.A. - - KNT. ST. GREG. GT. - -'In these volumes there is nothing tedious, and they are well put -together.'--STANDARD. - -'Mr. Fitzpatrick, who has done more than any living writer for Irish -biography, has in this, his latest and most important work earned the -gratitude of all students of Irish politics.'--DAILY TELEGRAPH. - -'This work stands high above the extravagant and indiscriminating -eulogies of O'Connell, accompanied by ignorant and malignant -denunciations of all opposed to him, hitherto given to the world by -patriotic biographers.'--TIMES. - -'Inspired by love and admiration, pursued with laborious and -indefatigable industry, and guided by honesty and good judgment. It -gives a higher and, we believe, a truer view of O'Connell's character -than has been given to the world before.'--VANITY FAIR. - -'Fresh light is thrown upon a most interesting period of Irish history -by this publication, in which Daniel O'Connell reveals his innermost -thoughts upon great public questions, as well as on themes of sacred -and private import. Courts and Cabinets--the intrigues of public men -and the subtleties of political organisations--are alike laid open to -the public gaze.'--DAILY CHRONICLE. - -'To Mr. Fitzpatrick is due the gratitude of all students of history, -of truth, and of human character for the patience and pertinacity with -which he has collected these letters, and the knowledge, discretion, -and tact of his arrangement. He has let O'Connell tell his own story, -and the connecting thread is slight and scientific, such as only minute -knowledge of his period could make it. The reader is hardly conscious -of its presence, yet it suffices to weld a huge mass of miscellaneous -correspondence into an authentic biography and lifelike portrait of the -man who, of all others, made the greatest mark on his country and his -generation.'--ATHENÆUM. - -'Mr. Fitzpatrick, while presenting to us a collection of moderate -extent, has not only woven them into a web of fair average continuity, -but has, as a sculptor would, presented to us his hero "in the round," -so that we may consider each of his qualities in each varied light, -and judge of their combination into a whole, whether it is mean or -noble, consistent or inconsistent, natural or forced.... Few indeed, -as I think, of those who give a careful perusal to these pages, will -withhold their assent from the double assertion that O'Connell was a -great man, and that he was a good man. Upon this issue the volumes -now before us will enable us to try him: and in trying him to try -ourselves. For who can any longer doubt that some debt is still -due to him; that he was, to say the least, both over-censured and -undervalued?'--Mr. GLADSTONE, in _The Nineteenth Century_. - - London: JOHN MURRAY, Albemarle Street. - - - - - SECRET SERVICE UNDER PITT - - - BY - - W. J. FITZPATRICK, F.S.A. - - AUTHOR OF 'LIFE, TIMES, AND CORRESPONDENCE OF BISHOP DOYLE' - 'LIFE OF LORD CLONCURRY' - 'CORRESPONDENCE AND MEMOIRS OF DANIEL O'CONNELL' - 'IRELAND BEFORE THE UNION' ETC. - - LONDON - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - AND NEW YORK: 15 EAST 16ᵗʰ STREET - 1892 - - _All rights reserved_ - - PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - LONDON - - - - -PREFACE - - -These rough notes--begun long ago and continued at slow intervals--were -put aside during the onerous task of editing for Mr. Murray the -O'Connell Correspondence. The recent publication of Mr. Lecky's final -volumes, awakening by their grasp a fixed interest in pre-Union times, -and confirming much that by circumstantial evidence I had sought to -establish, affords a reason, perhaps, that my later researches in -the same field ought not to be wholly lost. Mr. Lecky's kindness in -frequently quoting me[1] merits grateful acknowledgment, not less than -his recognition of some things that I brought to light as explanatory -of points to which the State Papers afford no clue. This and other -circumstances encourage me in offering more. - -My sole purpose at the outset was to expose a well-cloaked case of -long-continued betrayal by one of whom Mr. Froude confesses that all -efforts to identify had failed;[2] but afterwards it seemed desirable -to disclose to the reader a wider knowledge of an exciting time.[3] In -various instances a veil will be found lifted, or a visor unlocked, -revealing features which may prove a surprise. Nor is the story without -a moral. The organisers of illegal societies will see that, in spite -of the apparent secrecy and ingenuity of their system, informers sit -with them at the same council-board and dinner-table, ready at any -moment to sell their blood; and that the wider the ramifications of -conspiracy, the greater becomes the certainty of detection. - -It may be that some of these researches are more likely to interest -and assist students of the history of the time than to prove pleasant -reading for those who take up a book merely for enjoyment. Yet if -there is truth in the axiom that men who write with ease are read with -difficulty, and _vice versâ_, these chapters ought to find readers. -Every page had its hard work. Tantalising delays attended at times the -search for some missing--but finally discovered--link. Indeed, volumes -of popular reading, written _currente calamo_, might have been thrown -off for a tithe of the trouble. - -'If the power to do hard work is not talent,' writes Garfield, 'it is -the best possible substitute for it. Things don't turn up in this world -until somebody turns them up.' Readers who, thanks to Froude and Lecky, -have been interested by glimpses of men in startling attitudes, would -naturally like to learn the curious sequel of their subsequent history. -This I have done my best to furnish. The present volume is humbly -offered as a companion to the two great works just alluded to. But -it will also prove useful to readers of the Wellington, Castlereagh, -Cornwallis, and Colchester Correspondence. These books abound in -passages which, without explanation, are unintelligible. The matter now -presented forms but a small part of the notes I have made with the same -end. - -A word as regards some of the later sources of my information. The -Pelham MSS. were not accessible when Mr. Froude wrote. Thomas Pelham, -second Earl of Chichester, was Irish Secretary from 1795 to 1798, but -his correspondence until 1826 deals largely with Ireland, and I have -read as much of it as would load a float. Another mine was found in -the papers, ranging from 1795 to 1805, which filled two iron-clamped -chests in Dublin Castle, guarded with the Government seal and bearing -the words 'Secret and Confidential: Not to be Opened.' These chests -were for a long time familiar objects exteriorly, and when it was at -last permitted to disturb the rust of lock and hinge, peculiar interest -attended the exploration. Among the contents were 136 letters from -Francis Higgins, substantially supporting all that I had ventured -to say twenty years before in the book which claimed to portray his -career. But neither the Pelham Papers in London nor the archives at -Dublin Castle reveal the great secret to which Mr. Froude points. - -That so many documents have been preserved is fortunate. Mr. Ross, -in his preface to the Cornwallis Correspondence, laments that 'the -Duke of Portland, Lord Chancellor Clare, Mr. Wickham, Mr. King, Sir -H. Taylor, Sir E. Littlehales, Mr. Marsden, and indeed almost all the -persons officially concerned, appear to have destroyed the whole of -their papers.' He adds: 'The destruction of so many valuable documents -respecting important transactions cannot but be regarded as a serious -loss to the political history of these times.' - -I have freely used the Registry of Deeds Office, Dublin--a department -peculiar to Ireland. Originating in penal times, its object was to -trace any property acquired by Papists--such being liable to 'discovery -and forfeiture.' This office served as a valuable curb in the hands of -the oppressor, and ought to prove a not less useful aid to historic -inquirers; but, hitherto, it has been unconsulted for such purposes. -Few unless legal men can pursue the complicated references and -searches, and--unlike the Record Office--fees attend almost every stage -of the inquiry. Here things stranger than fiction nestle; while the -genealogist will find it an inexhaustible store. - -I have to thank the Right Hon. the O'Conor Don, D.L.; Sir William H. -Cope, Bart.; Mrs. John Philpot Curran; Daniel O'Connell, Esq., D.L.; -D. Coffey, Esq.; Jeremiah Leyne, Esq.; the late Lord Donoughmore, and -the late Mr. Justice Hayes for the communication of manuscripts from -the archives of their respective houses. The Rev. Samuel Haughton, -F.T.C.D., kindly copied for me some memoranda made in 1798 by the Rev. -John Barrett, Vice-Provost T.C.D., regarding students of alleged rebel -leanings. Sir Charles Russell, when member for Dundalk, obligingly -made inquiries concerning Samuel Turner; Mr. Lecky transcribed for me -a curious paper concerning Aherne, the rebel envoy in France, and has -been otherwise kind. My indebtedness to Sir Bernard Burke, Keeper of -the Records, Dublin Castle, dates from the year 1855. - -The late Brother Luke Cullen, a Carmelite monk, left at his death a -vast quantity of papers throwing light on the period of the Rebellion. -No writer but myself has ever had the use of these papers, and I beg -to thank the Superior of the Order to which Mr. Cullen belonged for -having, some years ago, placed them in my hands. - -The array of notes and authorities on every page is not the best -way to please an artistic eye; but in a book of this sort they are -indispensable and would be certainly expected from the oldest living -contributor to 'Notes and Queries.' - -While there are many persons who enjoy a fox hunt, there are others -would vote it a bore; and readers of this mind had better, perhaps, -pass over the various stages of my chase after Samuel Turner, and come -to something that may suit them better. - - 49 FITZWILLIAM SQUARE, DUBLIN: - _New Year's Day, 1892_. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Vide _England in the Eighteenth Century_, vii. 211; viii. 42-44, -45, 191, 240, etc. - -[2] See Froude's _English in Ireland_, vol. iii. sec. vi. - -[3] I have been further encouraged by the very favourable judgment of -an acute critic, the late Mr. Hepworth Dixon, regarding a book of mine, -written on the same lines as the present. See _Athenæum_, No. 1649, pp. -744 _et seq._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. A MYSTERIOUS VISITOR 1 - - II. ARRESTS MULTIPLY 8 - - III. FATHER O'COIGLY HANGED 15 - - IV. THE BETRAYER'S INTERVIEW WITH TALLEYRAND 24 - - V. LORD CLONCURRY SHADOWED 35 - - VI. THE MASK TORN OFF AT LAST 44 - - VII. DR. MACNEVIN'S MEMORIAL INTERCEPTED 52 - - VIII. GENERAL NAPPER TANDY 70 - - IX. ARREST OF JÄGERHORN IN LONDON--THE PLOT THICKENS--TURNER - SHOT THROUGH THE HEAD 91 - - X. EFFORTS TO EXCITE MUTINY IN THE ENGLISH FLEET 105 - - XI. THE BETRAYER OF LORD EDWARD FITZGERALD 116 - - XII. WILLIAM TODD JONES--EMMET'S REBELLION 156 - - XIII. THOMAS COLLINS--PHILLIPS THE SACERDOTAL SPY 163 - - XIV. LEONARD MCNALLY 174 - - XV. FATHER ARTHUR O'LEARY 211 - - XVI. ARTHUR O'LEARY IN LONDON 227 - - XVII. THE REGENCY--STRUGGLE BETWEEN WHIG AND TORY - CAMPS--O'LEARY AND THE PRINCE OF WALES 253 - - XVIII. BISHOP HUSSEY 280 - - XIX. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS DEEP IN TREASON--PLOT - AND COUNTER-PLOT 290 - - XX. THOMAS REYNOLDS: SPY, AND BRITISH CONSUL 301 - - XXI. ARMSTRONG AND THE SHEARESES--GENERAL LAWLESS 308 - - APPENDIX 335 - - INDEX 380 - - SECRET SERVICE UNDER PITT - - - - -CHAPTER I - -A MYSTERIOUS VISITOR - - -It is now some years since Mr. Froude invested with new interest -the Romance of Rebellion. Perhaps the most curious of the episodes -disclosed by him is that where, after describing the plans and -organisation of the United Irishmen, he proceeds to notice a -sensational case of betrayal.[4] - - An instance has now to be related [he writes] remarkable for the - ingenious perfidy with which it was attended, for the mystery which - still attaches to the principal performer, and for his connection - with the fortunes and fate of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. - - Lord Edward's movements had for some time been observed with - anxiety, as much from general uneasiness as from regret that a - brother of the Duke of Leinster should be connecting himself with - conspiracy and treason. His proceedings in Paris in 1792 had cost - him his commission in the army. In the Irish Parliament he had - been undistinguished by talent, but conspicuous for the violence - of his language. His meeting with Hoche on the Swiss frontier was - a secret known only to a very few persons; Hoche himself had not - revealed it even to Tone; but Lord Edward was known to be intimate - with McNevin. He had been watched in London, and had been traced - to the lodgings of a suspected agent of the French Directory; - and among other papers which had been forwarded by spies to the - Government, there was one in French, containing an allusion to - some female friend of Lady Edward, through whom a correspondence - was maintained between Ireland and Paris. Lady Edward's house - at Hamburg was notoriously the resort of Irish refugees. Lord - Edward himself was frequently there, and the Government suspected, - though they were unable to prove, that he was seriously committed - with the United Irishmen. One night, early in October, 1797,[5] a - person came to the house of Lord Downshire in London, and desired - to see him immediately. Lord Downshire went into the hall and - found a man muffled in a cloak, with a hat slouched over his face, - who requested a private interview. The Duke (_sic_) took him into - his Library, and when he threw off his disguise recognised in his - visitor the son of a gentleman of good fortune in the North of - Ireland, with whom he was slightly acquainted. Lord Downshire's - 'friend' (the title under which he was always subsequently - described) had been a member of the Ulster Revolutionary Committee. - From his acquaintance with the details of what had taken place it - may be inferred that he had accompanied the Northern delegacy to - Dublin and had been present at the discussion of the propriety - of an immediate insurrection. The cowardice or the prudence of - the Dublin faction had disgusted him. He considered now that the - conspiracy was likely to fail, or that, if it succeeded, it would - take a form which he disapproved; and he had come over to sell - his services and his information to Pitt. In telling his story - to Lord Downshire he painted his own conduct in colours least - discreditable to himself. Like many of his friends, he had at - first, he said, wished only for a reform in parliament and a change - in the constitution. He had since taken many desperate steps and - connected himself with desperate men. He had discovered that the - object of the Papists was the ruin and destruction of the country, - and the establishment of a tyranny worse than that which was - complained of by the reformers; that proscriptions, seizures of - property, murders, and assassinations were the certain consequences - to be apprehended from their machinations; that he had determined - to separate himself from the conspiracy.[6] He was in England to - make every discovery in his power, and if Lord Downshire had not - been in London he had meant to address himself to Portland or Pitt. - He stipulated only, as usual, that he should never be called on - to appear in a court of justice to prosecute any one who might be - taken up in consequence of his discoveries. - - Lord Downshire agreed to his conditions; but, as it was then late, - he desired him to return and complete his story in the morning. - He said that his life was in danger even in London. He could not - venture a second time to Lord Downshire, or run the risk of being - observed by his servants. Downshire appointed the empty residence - of a friend in the neighbourhood. Thither he went the next day in - a hackney coach. The door was left unlocked, and he entered unseen - by anyone. Lord Downshire then took down from his lips a list of - the principal members of the Executive Committee by whom the whole - movement was at that time directed. He next related at considerable - length the proceedings of the United Irishmen during the two past - years, the division of opinion, the narrow chance by which a rising - had been escaped in Dublin in the spring, and his own subsequent - adventures. He had fled with others from Belfast in the general - dispersion of the leaders. Lady Edward Fitzgerald had given him - shelter at Hamburg, and had sent him on to Paris with a letter to - her brother-in-law, General Valence.[7] By General Valence he had - been introduced to Hoche and De la Croix. He had seen Talleyrand, - and had talked at length with him on the condition of Ireland. He - had been naturally intimate with the other Irish refugees. Napper - Tandy[8] was strolling about the streets in uniform and calling - himself a major. Hamilton Rowan[9] had been pressed to return, - but preferred safety in America, and professed himself _sick of - politics_. After this, 'the person'--as Lord Downshire called his - visitor, keeping even the Cabinet in ignorance of his name--came to - the immediate object of his visit to England. - - He had discovered that all important negotiations between the - Revolutionary Committee in Dublin and their Paris agents passed - through Lady Edward's hands. The Paris letters were transmitted - first to her at Hamburg. By her they were forwarded to Lady Lucy - Fitzgerald[10] in London. From London Lady Lucy was able to send - them on unsuspected. Being himself implicitly trusted, both by Lady - Edward and by Lady Lucy, he believed he could give the Government - information which would enable them to detect and examine these - letters in their transit through the post. - - Pitt was out of town. He returned, however, in a few days. - Downshire immediately saw him, and Pitt consented that 'the - person's' services should be accepted. There was some little delay. - 'The person' took alarm, disappeared, and they supposed that they - had lost him. Three weeks later, however, he wrote to Downshire - from Hamburg, saying that he had returned to his old quarters, - for fear he might be falling into a trap. It was fortunate, he - added, that he had done so, for a letter was on the point of going - over from Barclay Teeling[11] to Arthur O'Connor,[12] and he gave - Downshire directions which would enable him to intercept, read, and - send it on. - - Such an evidence of 'the person's' power and will to be useful made - Pitt extremely anxious to secure his permanent help. An arrangement - was concluded. He continued at Hamburg as Lady Edward's guest and - most trusted friend, saw everyone who came to her house, kept watch - over her letter-bag, was admitted to close and secret conversations - upon the prospect of French interference in Ireland with Reinhard, - the Minister of the Directory there, and he regularly kept Lord - Downshire informed of everything which would enable Pitt to watch - the conspiracy. One of his letters, dated November 19, 1797, is - preserved:-- - - 'A. Lowry writes from Paris, August 11, in great despondency on - account of Hoche's death, and says that all hopes of invading - Ireland were given over. - - 'I then saw Reinhard, the French Minister, who begged me to stay - here, as the only mode in which I could serve my country and the - Republic. I instantly acquiesced, and told him I had arranged - matters with Lord Edward Fitzgerald in London for that purpose. I - showed him Lowry's[13] letter. He said that things were changed. - Buonaparte would not listen to the idea of peace, and had some plan - which I do not know. I told him the spirit of republicanism was - losing ground in Ireland, for the Catholics and Protestants could - not be brought to unite. I mentioned then what Fitzgerald told me - in London, viz., that after I left Ireland they had thoughts of - bringing matters to a crisis without the French. Arthur O'Connor - was to have had a command in the North, he himself in Leinster, - Robert Simms[14] at Belfast; that the Catholics got jealous - of this, and Richard McCormick,[15] of Dublin, went among the - societies of United Men and denounced the three as traitors to the - cause, and dangerous on account of their ambition. All letters to - or from Lady Lucy Fitzgerald ought to be inspected. - - 'She, Mrs. Matthieson, of this place, and Pamela[16] carry on a - correspondence. Lewins, Teeling, Tennant, Lowry, Orr, and Colonel - Tandy are at Paris. Tone expects to stay the winter there, which - does not look like invasion. Oliver Bond is treasurer. He pays - Lewins and McNevin in London. Now for myself. In order to carry - into effect the scheme which you and Mr. Pitt had planned, it was - requisite for me to see my countrymen. I called on Maitland,[17] - where I found A. J. Stuart,[18] of Acton, both of them heartily - _sick of politics_. Edward Fitzgerald had been inquiring of them - for me. I went to Harley Street, where Fitz told me of the conduct - of the Catholics to him and his friends. He said he would prevail - on O'Connor, or some such, to go to Paris. If not, he would go - himself in order to have Lewins removed. Mrs. Matthieson[19] has - just heard from Lady Lucy that O'Connor is to come. I supped last - night with Valence, who mentioned his having introduced Lord Edward - and O'Connor to the Minister here in the summer, before the French - attempted to invade Ireland. They both went to Switzerland, whence - O'Connor passed into France, had an interview with Hoche, and - everything was planned.[20] - - 'I feared lest Government might not choose to ratify our contract, - and, being in their power, would give me my choice either to come - forward as an evidence or suffer martyrdom myself. Having no taste - for an exit of this sort, I set out and arrived here safe, and now - beg you'll let me know if anything was wrong in my statements, or - if I have given offence. If you approve my present mode of life, - and encourage me so to do, with all deference I think Mr. Pitt may - let me have a cool five hundred,[21] which shall last me for six - months to come. To get the information here has cost me three times - the sum, and to keep up the acquaintance and connections I have - here, so as to get information, I cannot live on less.'[22] - -The betrayer, before his interview with Downshire closed, supplied him -with a list of the Executive Committee of United Irishmen. This list, -duly given by Mr. Froude, includes-- - - Jackson and his son; Oliver Bond; John Chambers; James Dickson; - Casey, a red-faced Dublin priest; Thomas Addis Emmet; Dr. McNevin, - a physician who had great weight with the papists;[23] Braughall, - John Keogh and R. McCormick, who belonged to the committee, though - they did not attend; Samuel Turner; Lord Edward Fitzgerald; - Arthur O'Connor; Alexander Stewart; two Orrs, one an attorney and - a dangerous person, the other of Derry, described as a clever, - sensible, strong-minded man; B. Teeling; Tenants, of Belfast; - Agnew, of Larne; Lawless, Lord Cloncurry's son; Hamill, of Dominick - Street[24]; Inishry,[25] a priest, a canting, designing man, who - swore in Lord Edward Fitzgerald and Lawless.[26] - -Lord Downshire, who negotiated in this affair, had weight with Pitt. -The husband of an English peeress, and the son of Lord North's -Secretary of State, he was a familiar figure at Court. He had sat for -two English constituencies; and in the Irish Parliament as senator, -borough proprietor, governor of his county, and one of the Privy -Council, he wielded potent sway. His later history and fall belong to -chapter ix. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[4] _The English in Ireland_ (Nov. 1797), iii. 278. - -[5] It was October 8, 1797. - -[6] But it will appear that he continued to the end to play the part of -a flaming patriot. - -[7] Cyrus Marie Valence, Count de Timbrune, born 1757, died 1822. -His exploits as a general officer are largely commemorated in the -memoirs of his friend, Dumouriez. After having been severely wounded, -he resided for some time in London; but was expelled by order of Pitt -on June 6, 1793. He then took up his residence in a retired outlet -of Hamburg, which our spy soon penetrated; and he at last wormed -himself into the confidence of Valence. The General afterwards resumed -active military service, and fought with distinction in Spain and -Russia.--Vide _Discours du Comte de Ségur à l'occasion des Obsèques de -M. Valence_; _Souvenirs de Madame Genlis, &c._; Alison's _Hist. Europe, -1789-1815_, x. 189. - -[8] The strange career of Tandy--who was made a general by -Bonaparte--is traced in chapter viii. _infra._ - -[9] Some notice of Hamilton Rowan's adventurous courses will be found -in chapter xv. _infra._ - -[10] Lady Lucy Fitzgerald, sister of Lord Edward, married in 1802 -Admiral Sir Thos. Foley, K.C.B., died 1851. - -[11] Bartholomew Teeling was his correct name. In 1798 he was hanged in -Dublin. - -[12] Arthur O'Connor, nephew and heir of Lord Longueville, sat in -Parliament for Philipstown, and spoke so ably on Indian affairs that -Pitt is said to have offered him office. In November 1796 he joined the -United Irishmen, and from that date his life is one of much activity -and vicissitude. Excitement and worry failed to shorten it. He became a -general in the French service, and died, aged eighty-eight, April 25, -'52. - -[13] Alexander Lowry was the treasurer for Down. Tone describes Lowry -and Tennant as 'a couple of fine lads, whom I like extremely.'--_Life_, -ii. 433. Aug. 1797. Their youth and ingenuousness would make them easy -prey. - -[14] Robert Simms had been appointed to the chief command of the United -Irishmen of Antrim; but he is said to have wanted nerve. James Hope, in -a narrative he gave Dr. Madden, said that Hughes, the Belfast informer, -once proposed to him to get rid of Simms by assassination. Hope pulled -a pistol from his breast and told Hughes that if ever he repeated that -proposal he would shoot him. - -[15] Richard McCormick, originally secretary of the Catholic Committee, -and afterwards an active 'United Irishman,' and styled by Tone, in his -_Diary_, 'Magog.' - -[16] The wife of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Moore's _Life of Lord Edward -Fitzgerald_ says that she was the daughter of Mde. de Genlis by -Philippe Egalité, Duke of Orleans; but a letter appears in Moore's -_Memoirs_ from King Louis Philippe denying it, and Mde. de Genlis calls -her a child by adoption. Pamela was a person of surpassing beauty; her -portrait arrests attention in the gallery of Versailles. R. B. Sheridan -proposed for her, but she rejected him in favour of Lord Edward. Died -1831; her remains were followed to Père la Chaise by Talleyrand. - -[17] The allusion may be to Captain Maitland--afterwards General Sir -Thomas Maitland, Governor of Ceylon, a son of Lord Lauderdale. He was -in Parliament from 1774 to 1779, and from 1790 to 1796, when he sat for -the last time in the House--a circumstance which may, perhaps, explain -the remark that he was sick of politics. Died 1824. In 1800 he was -Colonel Maitland, and in the confidence of Lord Cornwallis. - -[18] Who Stuart was, see p. 36 _infra_; also Lord Cloncurry's -_Memoirs_, p. 63. - -[19] Madame de Genlis states in her memoirs that her niece, Henriette -de Sercey, married M. Matthiessen, a rich banker of Hamburg. The -General Count Valence married a daughter of Madame de Genlis, and -resided near Hamburg on a farm where the latter wrote several of her -works. - -[20] The expedition of Hoche to Bantry Bay in December, 1796. - -[21] 'I just made a couple of betts with him, and took up a _cool_ -hundred.'--_The Provoked Husband_, by Vanbrugh and Cibber, ii. i. 311, -ed. 1730. See also Smollett's _Don Quixote_, bk. iii. c. viii. - -[22] Froude, iii. 277 _et seq._ - -[23] Alexander Knox, in his _History of Down_, errs in saying (p. 26) -that 'Dr. McNevin was an influential member of the Established Church.' - -[24] All these men, unless Hamill and Inishry, are to be found in -books which treat of 1798. The first is noticed in the _Dublin Penny -Journal_, March 1, 1834 (p. 274). In 1797 Mr. Hamill was indicted -for defenderism and acquitted, 'and the witnesses for the Crown -were so flagrantly perjured that the judge, I have heard, ordered -a prosecution' (Speech of Henry Grattan in Parliament, May 13, -1805--_Hansard_, ii. 925). - -[25] As regards 'Inishry,' no such cognomen is to be found in the -pedigrees of MacFirbis or O'Clery, or any name to which it might -be traced. The name that the spy gave was probably Hennessy--which -Downshire, in writing from dictation, may have mistaken for 'Inishry.' - -[26] Long before the publication of Mr. Froude's book, Arthur O'Connor, -in a letter to Dr. Madden, states that 'Lord Edward took no oath on -joining the United Irishmen.'--Vide their _Lives and Times_, ii. 393. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -ARRESTS MULTIPLY - - -It was not easy to separate the threads of the tangled skein which Mr. -Froude found hidden away in the dust of the past. But, lest the process -of unravelling should tax the reader's patience, I have transferred to -an Appendix some points of circumstantial evidence which led me, at -first, to suspect, and finally to feel convinced, that 'the person' was -no other than Samuel Turner, Esq., LL.D., barrister-at-law, of Turner's -Glen, Newry--one of the shrewdest heads of the Northern executive -of United Irishmen.[27] Pitt made a good stroke by encouraging his -overtures, but, like an expert angler, ample line was given ere -securing fast the precious prey. - -One can trace, through the public journals of the time, that the -betrayer's disclosures to Downshire were followed by a decided activity -on the part of the Irish Government. The more important of the marked -men were suffered to continue at large, but the names having been noted -Lord Camden was able, at the threatened outburst of the rebellion, -to seize them at once. Meanwhile an influential London paper, the -'Courier' of November 24, 1797, gave a glimpse of the system that then -prevailed by announcing the departure from Dublin for England of Dr. -Atkinson, High Constable of Belfast, charged, it is said, with full -powers from Government to arrest such persons as have left Ireland, and -against whom there are charges of a treasonable or seditious nature. - - The former gentleman is well known, and will be long remembered - by the inhabitants of Belfast, for the active part he took in - assisting _a Northern Marquis_,[28] and the young apostate of the - County Down, to arrest seven of their fellow-citizens on September - 16, 1796; since which period these unfortunate men have been - closely confined without being allowed to see their friends, and - now remain without hope of trial or liberation. - -'The young apostate of Down'--thus indicated for English readers ninety -years ago--was Lord Castlereagh, afterwards Minister for Foreign -Affairs, and well twitted by Byron for his Toryism; but who, in 1790, -had been elected, after a struggle of two months' duration and an -outlay of 60,000_l._, Whig Member for Down. Like Pitt, he began as a -reformer; like Disraeli, he avowed himself a Radical; and presided -at a banquet where toasts were drunk such as 'Our Sovereign Lord the -People.' Ere long his policy changed, and his memory is described as -having the faint sickening smell of hot blood about it. - -Mr. Froude's work has been several years before the world; it has -passed through various editions. Thousands of readers have been -interested by his picture of the muffled figure gliding at dark to -breathe in Downshire's ear most startling disclosures, but no attempt -to solve the mystery enshrouding it has until now been made.[29] - -The name of Samuel Turner obtains no place on the list of Secret -Service moneys[30] expended by the Irish Government in 1798--thus -bearing out the statement of Mr. Froude that the name of the mysterious -'person' was not revealed in the most secret correspondence between -the Home Office and Dublin Castle. At the termination of the troubles, -however, when the need of secrecy became less urgent, and it was -desirable to bestow pensions on 'persons who had rendered important -service during the rebellion,' the name of Samuel Turner is found in -the Cornwallis Papers as entitled to 300_l._ a year. But a foot-note -from the indefatigable editor--Mr. Ross--who spared no labour to -acquire minute information, confesses that it has been found impossible -to procure any particulars of Turner. - -For years I have investigated the relations of the informers with -the Government, and Samuel Turner is the only large recipient of -'blood-money' whose services remain to be accounted for. Turner's name -never appeared in any printed pension list. Mr. Ross found the name -at Dublin Castle, with some others, in a 'confidential memorandum,' -written for the perusal of the Lord Lieutenant, whose fiat became -necessary. The money was 'given by a warrant dated December 20, 1800,' -but the names were kept secret--the payments being confidentially made -by the Under-Secretary. - -At this distance of time it is not easy to trace a life of which Mr. -Ross, thirty years earlier, failed to catch the haziest glimpse; but I -hope to make the case clear, and Turner's history readable. - -Previous to 1798 he is found posing in the double _rôle_ of martyr and -hero--winning alternately the sympathy and admiration of the people. -Mr. Patrick O'Byrne, an aged native of Newry, long connected with an -eminent publishing firm in Dublin, has replied to a letter of inquiry -by supplying some anecdotes in Turner's life. It is a remarkable proof -of the completeness with which Turner's perfidy was cloaked that Mr. -O'Byrne never heard his honesty questioned.[31] - - In 1836 there was a tradition current in Newry of a gentleman - named Turner, who in the previous generation had resided in a - large red brick house situated in the centre of a fine walled-in - park called Turner's Glen, on the western side of Newry, in the - County Armagh. Mr. Turner had been in 1796 a member of the great - confederacy of United Irishmen, one of the leaders who, for self - and fellows, 'pledged his life, his fortune, and his honour' to put - an end to British supremacy in Ireland. About the date mentioned - the notorious Luttrell, Lord Carhampton, who was commander of - the forces in Ireland at the time, and was then making a tour - of inspection of the army, had to pass through Newry. The chief - hotel in Newry at that time adjoined the post-office. The gentry - and merchants of Newry generally went to the post-office shortly - after the arrival of the mails to get their letters, and while - waiting for the mail to be assorted promenaded in front of the - hotel, or rested in the coffee-room. Mr. Turner wore the colours he - affected--a large green necktie. Lord Carhampton, while his horses - were being changed, was looking out of the coffee-room windows - of the hotel, and his eye lighted on the rebel 'stock:' here was - a fine opportunity to cow a rebel and assert his own courage--a - quality for which he was not noted. Accordingly he swaggered up - to Mr. Turner and, confronting him, asked 'Whose man are you, - who dares to wear that rebellious emblem?' Mr. Turner sternly - replied, 'I am my own man. Whose man are you, who dares to speak - so insolently to an Irish gentleman?' 'I am one who will make you - wear a hempen necktie, instead of your flaunting French silk, if - you do not instantly remove it!' retorted Lord Carhampton. 'I wear - this colour,' replied Mr. Turner courageously, 'because I like - it. As it is obnoxious to you, come and take it off.' Carhampton, - finding that his bluster did not frighten the North Erin rebel, - turned to leave; but Turner, by a rapid movement, got between him - and the door, and, presenting his card to the general, demanded - his address. Carhampton told him he would learn it sooner than he - should like. Turner thereupon said, 'I _must_ know your name; until - now I have never had the misfortune to be engaged in a quarrel with - aught but gentlemen, who knew how to make themselves responsible - for their acts. You cannot insult me with impunity, whatever your - name may be. I will yet find it out, and post you in every court as - a coward.' The Commander of the Forces withdrew from Newry, having - come off second best in the quarrel he had provoked. Mr. Turner, - for reasons connected with the cause in which he had embarked, was - obliged to lie _perdu_ soon after, and so Carhampton escaped the - 'posting' he would, under other circumstances, have got from the - Northern fire-eater. - -The general accuracy of Mr. O'Byrne's impressions is shown by the 'Life -and Confessions of Newell the Informer,' printed for the author at -London in 1798.[32] Newell travelled with the staff of Lord Carhampton, -and in April, 1797, witnessed the scene between Turner and him. - -Newell's pamphlet, which created much noise at the time and had a large -circulation, did not tend to weaken popular confidence in Turner. It -appeared soon after the time that he had begun to play false; but -Newell, with all his cunning, had no suspicion of Turner. - -The late Mr. J. Mathews, of Dundalk, collected curious details -regarding the rebel organisation of Ulster in 1797. With these details -the name of Samuel Turner is interwoven, but, although the object of -Mathews was to expose the treachery of some false brothers, he assigns -to Turner the rank of a patriot and a hero. How the authorities, by a -_coup_, made a number of arrests, is described; and how Turner, after -some exciting adventures, got safely to France.[33] - -The spy on this occasion was Mr. Conlan, a medical practitioner in -Dundalk. A sworn information, signed by Conlan, is preserved among -the Sirr MSS. in Trinity College, Dublin. It is dated 1798, when -Turner himself was betraying his own colleagues to Pitt! Conlan states -that one evening, after Turner had left his house at Newry to attend -a meeting of United Irishmen at Dundalk, the officer in command at -the barracks of Newry got orders to march on Dundalk and arrest the -leaders. An officer's servant apprised Corcoran, who was an adherent of -Turner's. Corcoran mounted a horse and galloped to Dundalk, where he -arrived in time to warn Turner. Conlan recollected Turner and Teeling -travelling through Ulster and holding meetings for organisation at -Dundalk, Newry, Ballinahinch (the site of the subsequent battle), -Ronaldstown, Glanary, and in Dublin at Kearn's, Kildare Street,[34] -where the principal meetings were held.[35] - -I find in the Pelham MSS. the examination of Dr. John Macara, one -of the Northern State prisoners of 1797. It supplies details of the -plan of attack which had been foiled by the arrests. 'Newry was to be -attacked by Samuel Turner, of Newry aforesaid, with the men from Newry -and Mourn.'[36] - -It was not Conlan alone who reported Turner's movements to the Crown. -Francis Higgins, the ablest secret agent of Under-Secretary Cooke, -announces that Turner had sent 'letters from Portsmouth for the -purpose of upholding and misleading the mutinous seamen into avowed -rebellion;'[37] and some weeks later he states that 'Turner had -returned from Hamburg with an answer to the Secret Committee of United -Irishmen.'[38] - -We know on the authority of James Hope, who wrote down his -'Recollections' of this time at the request of a friend, that Turner, -having fled from Ireland, filled the office of resident agent at -Hamburg of the United Irishmen. The Irish envoys and refugees, finding -themselves in a place hardly less strange than Tierra del Fuego, -ignorant of its language, its rules and its ways, sought on arrival -the accredited agent of their brotherhood, hailed him with joy, and -regarded the spot on which he dwelt as a bit of Irish soil sacred to -the Shamrock. The hardship which some of the refugees went through was -trying enough. James Hope, writing in 1846, says that Palmer, one of -Lord Edward's bodyguard in Dublin, travelled, 'mostly barefooted, from -Paris to Hamburg, where he put himself into communication with Samuel -Turner.' The object of Palmer's mission was to expose one Bureaud, then -employed as a spy by Holland. 'Palmer,' writes Hope, 'gave Turner a -gold watch to keep for him.' He enlisted in a Dutch regiment, and was -found drowned in the Scheldt. 'When Turner,' adds Hope, 'was applied to -for the watch by Palmer's sister, he replied that he forgot what became -of it.' - -Hamburg in troubled times was a place of great importance for the -maintenance of intercourse between England and France. Here, as Mr. -Froude states, 'Lord Downshire's friend' had vast facilities for -getting at the inmost secrets of the United Irishmen. Hope's casual -statement serves to show how it was that this 'person' could have -had access to Lady Edward Fitzgerald's confidence, and that of her -political friends at Hamburg. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[27] In chapter vii. my contention will be found established on -conclusive testimony, which had failed to present itself until years -had been given to a slow process of logical deduction. _Vide_ also -Appendix to this volume. - -[28] 'The Northern Marquis' was, of course, Lord Downshire. - -[29] 'A Lanthorn through some Dark Passages, with a Key to Secret -Chambers,' was the title originally chosen for the present book, but -I finally laid it aside as being too much in the style of old Parson -Fry's 'Pair of Bellows to Blow away the Dust.' - -[30] How this book got out of the Castle and was sold for waste paper -by a man named Fagan is a curious story in itself. The volume is now -preserved in the Royal Irish Academy. - -[31] A prisoner named Turner, Christian name not given, indicted for -high treason, is announced as discharged in December 1795, owing to the -flight of a Crown witness.--Vide _Irish State Trials_ (Dublin: Exshaw, -1796); Lib. R. I. Academy. - -[32] _Vide_ pp. 21-2. Newell's pamphlet will be found in the Halliday -Collection, vol. 743, Royal Irish Academy. - -[33] _Vide_ Mr. Matthew's narrative in _The Sham Squire_, sixth -edition, pp. 355-363. - -[34] This place of rendezvous was, doubtless, chosen because of its -proximity to Leinster House, where Lord Edward mainly lived. - -[35] Major Sirr's Papers (MS.), Trinity College, Dublin. Conlan's -information makes no mention of a remarkable man, the Rev. William -Steel Dickson, D.D., a Presbyterian pastor of Down, and described by -the historians of his Church as ready to take the field. Dr. Dickson, -in his _Narrative_, admits (p. 193) that he had been 'frequently in the -company of Lowry, Turner, and Teeling.' Turner was a Presbyterian and -possibly wished to spare a pastor of his Church. - -[36] The Pelham MSS. Examination dated September 6, 1797. Pelham, -afterwards Lord Chichester, was Chief Secretary for Ireland at that -time, and his papers are a useful help in throwing light upon it. A -large portion of them are occupied by a correspondence with Generals -Lake and Nugent regarding Dr. Macara; he offered to inform if let out -on bail. Lake hoped that he would prove a valuable informer; and, as he -was far from rich, could not afford to reject pecuniary reward; but, -although Macara at first seemed to consent, his replies were finally -found to be evasive. - -[37] Higgins to Cooke, MS. letter, Dublin Castle, June 7, 1797. - -[38] _Ibid._, August 29, 1797. Five weeks later Turner makes his -disclosure to Downshire. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -FATHER O'COIGLY HANGED - - -Mr. Froude, after a perusal of the letters of Downshire's friend, and -other documents, states that a priest named O'Coigly or Quigley 'had -visited Paris in 1797, returned to Dublin, and had been with Lord -Edward Fitzgerald at Leinster House; that he was now going back to -Paris, and Arthur O'Connor determined to go in his company.[39] Their -mission, though ostensibly for presenting an address from the London -corresponding society of United Irishmen to the French Government, was -really for the double purpose of urging upon it the prompt despatch -of an invading fleet to Ireland, and of deposing the Irish envoy, -Lewins, who, instead of Turner, had begun to be suspected. Mr. Lawless, -afterwards Lord Cloncurry, invited O'Coigly to dinner in London; and it -was on this occasion that O'Connor met the priest for the first time. -O'Coigly, under the name of Captain Jones, with Allen[40] seemingly as -his servant, and Leary, left London for Margate, on their mission of -mystery. O'Connor travelled by another route to Margate, took the name -of Colonel Morris, and was accompanied by Binns. On the following day, -at the King's Head Inn, Margate, all the party were arrested by two Bow -Street officers. O'Coigly and O'Connor had dined at Lawless's lodgings -more than once; and here, though not necessarily with his knowledge, -the travelling arrangements seem to have been made. Whether Turner -was a guest does not appear; but he was certainly in London at this -time, and as one of the Executive Committee is likely to have been -invited. Presently it will be shown that from this quarter came all -the information which enabled Pitt to seize O'Connor and O'Coigly at -Margate _en route_ to France, although, to elude observation, they had -journeyed by different roads. The prisoners, meanwhile, were removed -to London, examined before the Privy Council, and then transmitted to -Maidstone Jail to await their trial. The source of the information -which caused these historic arrests on February 27, 1798, has hitherto -remained a mystery. Father O'Coigly, while in jail, wrote some letters, -in which he failed to avow his share in the conspiracy, but admitted to -have made a previous visit to Cuxhaven. This was part of the city of -Hamburg. Turner, in addition to being the official agent of the United -Irishmen at Hamburg, was an old Dundalk acquaintance of O'Coigly's, and -no doubt was promptly hailed by the country priest. - -Turner and O'Coigly are mentioned in Hughes's information. They -belonged to the same district organisation. After describing Teeling, -Turner and Lowry working in concert in 1797, Hughes adds that priest -Quigly or O'Coigly introduced him at that time to Baily and Binns.[41] -The paper revealed by Mr. Froude, now shown to be Turner's, and other -letters from the same hand in the 'Castlereagh Papers,' show that -the writer always felt a strong dislike to work with the 'Papists,' -especially priests. 'Casey, the red-faced, designing Dublin priest,' -was one of the leading men he met in Dublin, and whose 'prudence or -cowardice' disgusted him. Immediately after O'Coigly's return to -London we find the authorities on his track. The priest himself refers -to an abortive attempt to arrest him by night at Piccadilly.[42] Mr. -Froude, dealing with this case, does not seem to have suspected that -the arrival in London of Downshire's friend, at the time of the arrests -at Margate, was other than accidental. Yet clearly it was business of -no ordinary moment which brought him back to London at this time. It -will be remembered that, panic-stricken and fearing death from the -assassin's knife, he had returned to Hamburg in October 1797, ere an -answer came from Pitt to the proposition of betrayal conveyed by Lord -Downshire. - - It happened that at this particular time [writes Mr. Froude] - that Downshire's friend was in London, and Pelham (the Irish - Secretary) knew it. If the 'friend' could be brought over, and - could be induced to give evidence, a case could then be established - against all the United Irish leaders. They could be prosecuted - with certainty of conviction, and the secrets of the plot could be - revealed so fully that the reality of it could no longer be doubted. - - Most earnestly Camden[43] begged Portland[44] to impress on the - 'friend' the necessity of compliance. 'Patriotism might induce him - to overcome his natural prejudice.' If patriotism was insufficient, - there was no reward which he ought not to receive.[45] Portland's - answer was not encouraging: 'The friend,' he said, 'shall be - detained. As to his coming over to you, I have reason to believe - that there is not any consideration on earth which would tempt - him to undertake it. He is convinced that he would go to utter - destruction. Better he should stay here and open a correspondence - with some of the principal conspirators, by which means you may be - apprised of their intentions. If I could be satisfied, or if you - would give it as your positive opinion that this person's testimony - or presence would crush the conspiracy, or bring any principal - traitor to justice, I should not, and Lord Downshire would not, - hesitate to use any influence to prevail on his friend to run any - risk for such an object. But if he should fail and escape with his - life, he could render no further service. Weigh well, therefore, - the consequence of such a sacrifice.'[46] - -After describing the arrest at Margate of Father O'Coigly, O'Connor, -and Binns, Mr. Froude writes:-- - - O'Connor wrote a hurried note to Lord Edward, telling him not to - be alarmed, nothing having been taken upon them which compromised - any individual.[47] The messenger to whom the note was entrusted - was unfortunate or treacherous, for it fell into the hands of - the Government. _Had O'Connor known the connection between the - Government and Lord Downshire's friend, he would have felt less - confident._ There was evidence, if it could only be produced, which - would send both Lord Edward and himself to the scaffold. - -It may be observed here--_en parenthèse_--that Downshire must have felt -conflicting emotions when called upon to communicate information which -might bring Lord Edward to the block. His father had married the sister -of James, Duke of Leinster; Lord Edward was, therefore, the first -cousin of Lord Downshire. - -One of the most truthful chapters of the laudatory life of Reynolds, -the informer,[48] is that aiming to show that he could not have been -the spy who caused the arrests at Margate. But the biographer is unable -to offer any suggestion as to who that agent was--so carefully veiled -from Reynolds, one of their own confidential prompters, was the part -played by Turner in that episode. - -The information which led to the arrest of O'Connor, O'Coigly, and his -companion cannot have come from Ireland, because in the 'Book of Secret -Service Monies expended in the Detection of Treasonable Conspiracies' -no entry appears connected with the above incident, unless 'Dutton's -Expenses going to England to attend Quigly's Trial,' and where he had -merely to swear to the priest's handwriting. For his courage in doing -this--having once seen him sign a lottery ticket at Dundalk--50_l._ -is paid to 'Dutton on June 12, 1798.' The names of Newell and Murdoch -certainly appear in the 'Secret Service Money' book about that time; -but it is clear from Newell's narrative--doubtless a genuine and frank -confession--that neither he nor Murdoch had any hand in tracing the -movements of O'Coigly and O'Connor. - -Lord Castlereagh was now acting for Pelham as Chief Secretary -for Ireland. On July 25, 1798, a secret letter--printed in the -'Castlereagh Papers'--is addressed to him from the Home Office:-- - - I am directed by the Duke of Portland to inform your Lordship - that I have received intelligence from _a person very much in the - confidence of [Reinhard] the French Minister at Hamburg_,[49] - that several French officers and soldiers have lately arrived - at that place, where they have purchased sailor's dresses, - clothed themselves in them, and gone on to Denmark and Sweden, - from whence it is intended that they should embark for the North - of Ireland.[50] I know not what credit is to be given to this - information, which must be received with caution, as it does not - appear to have reached his Majesty's Minister at Hamburg. - - It comes, however, from a person[51] whose reports while he was - in this country[52] were known to his Excellency as singularly - accurate and faithful--_the same who gave such an accurate account - of the proceedings of O'Connor and Coigly_ whilst they were in this - country, and on whose authority those persons were apprehended.[53] - -Some of the letters of 'Lord Downshire's friend,' not being -forthcoming in the official archives, Mr. Froude assumed that they -had been destroyed; but, however masked, they are recognisable in the -'Castlereagh Correspondence.' Several anonymous papers, furnishing -information of the movements of the United Irishmen about Hamburg and -elsewhere, crop up in that book, having been enclosed from Whitehall -for the guidance of Dublin Castle. One of these letters makes special -reference to information already sent to Lord Downshire.[54] - -Another long letter of the same batch will be found the first placed -in the second volume of Castlereagh, though an examination of it -shows that it belongs to the middle of the previous volume. Detailed -reference is made to Father O'Coigly's mission and movements, both in -France and in London. One is struck by the accuracy of its information -regarding the Ulster United Irishmen, of whom Turner was one. Of -MacMahon, who travelled to Paris with O'Coigly, we learn that, '_tired -of politics_, especially those of France, he is to write to Citoyen -Jean Thomas,[55] _à la poste restante à Hamburg_, whom he looks on as a -good patriot.'[56] It will be remembered that a similar phrase occurs -in the letter of Downshire's friend, printed by Froude, _i.e._ Rowan -had 'professed himself sick of politics.' Again, 'I found Maitland and -Stewart, of Acton, both heartily sick of politics.' - -How to hang O'Coigly was now the difficulty. The Government knew--from -somebody who had worked with him--that he was deep in the treason; but -nothing could persuade the informer to prosecute him openly. - -On April 11, 1798, Wickham writes from Whitehall:-- - - It is most exceedingly to be lamented that no person can be sent - over from Ireland to prove Coigly's handwriting. Proof of that kind - would be so extremely material, that I have no doubt that the law - officers would think it right to put off the trial if they could - have any hope of any person being found, in a short time, who could - speak distinctly to his handwriting.[57] - -The secret adviser who, as Portland said, 'should be detained,' worked -his brain until at length a man, hailing from a place suspiciously -familiar to Turner, is sent for to swear to the point. Samuel Turner, -formerly of Newry, had intimate knowledge of every man in the place. -One Frederick Dutton, described as 'of Newry,' was now subpœnaed by the -Crown to swear to O'Coigly's handwriting in a letter addressed to Lord -Edward Fitzgerald. 'He claimed to have seen Coigly write his name for -the purpose of getting a watch raffled which belonged to a poor man -under sentence of death.' Dutton had been a dismissed servant and had -kept a public-house at Newry without a licence.[58] - -Turner--it seems absurd to doubt the identity--got back to London on -Tuesday, May 15, 1798. What secret help he gave to the law officers -can only be inferred, for they pledged themselves that he should never -be asked to come forward publicly. Though O'Connor, O'Coigly, and -Binns[59] were arrested on March 1, their trials did not take place -till late in May 1798. The Duke of Norfolk, Lords Moira, Suffolk, -Oxford, John Russell, and Thanet, Fox, Sheridan, Whitbread, Erskine, -Grattan, all testified to O'Connor's character. All the prisoners were -acquitted, except the priest, notwithstanding that Lord Cloncurry paid -a counsel to defend him. He was hanged on Penenden Heath, June 7, 1798. -Judge Buller had leant heavily on O'Coigly in his charge. - - O'Coigly [writes Lord Holland] was condemned on false and - contradictory evidence. I do not mean to aver, as Lord Chancellor - Thurlow assured me he did to Judge Buller, who tried him, that - '_if ever a poor man was murdered it was O'Coigly_,' but simply - to allude to a circumstance which, in the case of a common felon, - would probably have saved his life. The Bow Street officer who - swore to finding the fatal paper in his pocket-book, and remarked - in court the folding of the paper as fitting that pocket-book, - had sworn before the Privy Council that the same paper _was found - loose in O'Coigly's great-coat, and, I think, had added that he - himself had put it into the pocket-book_. An attorney of the name - of Foulkes[60] gave me this information, and I went with it to Mr. - Wickham, who assured me that the circumstance should be carefully - and anxiously investigated before the execution. But the order had - gone down, and while we were conversing the sentence was probably - executed.[61] - -Lord Holland adds that when the Judge was descanting on the mildness -and clemency of the Administration, O'Coigly quietly took a pinch of -snuff and said 'Ahem!' - -When no evidence was produced in court which could legally ensure a -verdict against O'Coigly, it seems reasonable to assume from the tone -of the law officers and the Judge that they possessed some secret -knowledge of his guilt, for in point of fact, though O'Coigly declared -his innocence, he was deeply pledged to the conspiracy. - -'O'Connor was leaving the court in triumph,' writes Mr. Froude, 'but -the Government knew their man too well to let him go so easily. He -was at once re-arrested on another charge, and was restored to his -old quarters in Dublin Castle.'[62] From whom the fatal whisper came -does not appear, but the sequel seems to leave no doubt that to Turner -it was due. MacMahon and other prominent rebels were Presbyterian -clergymen of Ulster. It was an object now with those who desired the -collapse of the conspiracy to detach the Presbyterian party from the -'Papists.' Binns was a staunch Presbyterian rebel, a colleague of -O'Coigly. In a letter dated Philadelphia, 1843, Binns, addressing -Dr. Madden, states that great efforts were used to try and persuade -O'Coigly to implicate him, 'offering Mr. Coigly his life if he would -criminate me agreeable to the instructions of the Government, which -proposal he indignantly refused to accede to. Though heavily ironed, he -pushed the gentlemen out of his cell, when he there lay under sentence -of death.' - -We have seen that when severely tried he resorted to snuff. He had -other small consolations. Even in his irons he talked irony. One of -several letters of protest addressed by the priest to Portland, shortly -before his death, tells him that he is 'one of his Grace's envoys -to the other world, charged with tidings of his mild and merciful -administration.' - -As O'Coigly's memory has been all but beatified as a martyr's, it is -due to the interests of historic truth to add--especially after the -remarks of Lord Holland--the following from a letter written by Arthur -O'Connor in 1842:-- - - Though there was not legal evidence to prove that the paper found - in Coigly's coat-pocket was Coigly's, yet, the fact is, it was - his, and was found in his riding-coat; for when the five prisoners - were brought to Bow Street, a report was spread that the papers - taken on the prisoners were lost; for the first time Coigly said - it was fortunate the papers were lost, for that there was one in - his pocket that would hang them all. He never made a secret to his - fellow-prisoners that he got that paper from a London society. In - my memoirs I will clear up this point. - -O'Connor's promised work, however, never appeared. - -As regards Dutton, the witness who swore to O'Coigly's handwriting, his -subsequent career was cast on a spot also frequented by Turner.[63] -He is found at Cuxhaven, not very far from Hamburg, and, until 1840, -holding office in its postal and diplomatic departments, and the -husband of a lady well connected.[64] Cuxhaven, as gazetteers record, -was from 1795 a place of the utmost importance for the maintenance of -intercourse between England and the Continent. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[39] _The English in Ireland_, iii. 312. - -[40] Allen, a draper's assistant in Dublin, afterwards a colonel in the -service of France. - -[41] _Report of the Secret Committee_, p. 31. (Dublin, 1798.) - -[42] _Life of the Reverend James Coigly_, p. 28. (London, 1798.) -Halliday Collection, R.I.A., vol. 743. - -[43] The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. - -[44] The Home Secretary. - -[45] Camden to Portland, March 1, 1798. _English in Ireland_, iii. 310. - -[46] Portland to Camden, March 7, 1798. - -[47] In O'Connor's valise were found 900_l._, a military uniform, and -some papers relating to Lord Edward Fitzgerald.--W. J. F. - -[48] _Life of Thomas Reynolds_, by his Son. (London, 1839.) - -[49] For proofs of the intimacy between Reinhard and Turner at Hamburg, -see _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 277 _et seq._; and my chapter on McNevin, -_infra_. - -[50] In August, 1798, Humbert and 900 Frenchmen arrived in Killala Bay. - -[51] 'The person' is the name by which Downshire's friend, the -betrayer, is usually styled in the letters from the Home Office to -Dublin Castle. The words, 'while he was in this country,' show that he -had left England, as Downshire's friend admittedly did, in panic. - -[52] '_I.e._ in October 1797, when he called upon Downshire; and again -in March 1798, when Portland offered him large sums if he would openly -prosecute.' - -[53] Mr. Lecky describes this arrest, and rather suggests that it -may have been due to Higgins in Dublin (_vide_ viii. 55). The above -evidence points surely to the Hamburg spy. - -[54] See _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 231-6. - -[55] Of course one of Turner's many aliases. See p. 97, _infra_. - -[56] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, ii. 1-7. - -[57] _Ibid._ i. 178. - -[58] Dutton, on his examination, said that he had sworn in Ireland -against one 'Lowry.' This is the man whom Turner, in his letters, -constantly points to. Dutton admitted that he had previously sworn -secrecy to the Society of United Irishmen, but the oath had been sworn -only on a spelling-book. - -[59] Trial of Arthur O'Connor and James Quigley at Maidstone. Howell's -_State Trials_, vols. xxvi. and xxvii. - -[60] Foulkes was the attorney whom Lawless engaged to defend O'Coigly. -Lord Cloncurry, in his _Memoirs_, writes very inaccurately of the -facts. He says that the arrests took place at Whitstable, instead of -Margate, and that O'Coigly was hanged on May 7, whereas he should have -written June. See p. 67. - -[61] _Memoirs of the Whig Party._ By Lord Holland, afterwards a Cabinet -Minister. - -[62] Froude's _English in Ireland_, iii. 321. - -[63] See p. 31, _infra_. - -[64] In the Pelham MSS. is a letter signed Frederick Dutton, regarding -his Vice-Consulate, and dated Dec. 19, 1825. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE BETRAYER'S INTERVIEW WITH TALLEYRAND - - -The letters of secret information in the well-known 'Castlereagh -Correspondence' being mostly without date are inserted regardless of -chronological sequence, and are often, from dearth of explanation, -wholly unintelligible. One of these secret reports follows a letter -of Portland's[65]--to be found later on--regarding the intercepted -memorial which Dr. McNevin had addressed to the French Government. The -particular references to Lord Downshire, to Hamburg, to Fitzgerald, and -to the North of Ireland, of which Turner was a native--not to speak of -his 'tone of injured innocence,' 'the dread of those from whom I come -as to the ascendency of the Papists'--all point to him as the writer. - -His tone as usual is hostile to Lewins, a Roman Catholic envoy of -great honesty, whose reputation he is ever seeking to injure; and the -intrigue, it may be added, very nearly succeeded in getting Lewins -superseded. Mr. Froude, it will be remembered, when describing his -unmasked informer writes: - - Lady Edward Fitzgerald had sent him on to Paris with a letter - to her brother-in-law, General Valence. By Valence he had been - introduced to Hoche and De la Croix. He had seen Talleyrand and had - _talked_ at length with him on the condition of Ireland. - -It was in February, 1798, that Mr. Froude's spy reappeared in -London.[66] He had interviews at the Home Office, where he received -some instructions, which are not stated. Camden urged Portland to -beg of him to give evidence publicly, and to offer reward to any -amount. But all to no effect. At last it was decided, as the next best -thing to do, 'that he should open a correspondence with the principal -conspirators, by which means you may be apprised of their intentions.' -This is exactly what he is now found doing. On April 17 he goes to -Paris, no doubt sent by the Home Office, to ascertain what arrangement -had been made by O'Coigly and O'Connor as regards the long-sought -French expedition to Ireland. - -De la Croix will be chiefly remembered as the Minister for Foreign -Affairs with whom Tone had to do. But he had been personally offensive -to Lord Malmesbury, the English Minister, and M. Talleyrand was -appointed to succeed La Croix on July 15, 1797.[67] - -The following letter is to be found in the 'Castlereagh Papers' (i. -231-6), and derives additional importance from its close connection -with Talleyrand:-- - - SECRET INTELLIGENCE. - - April 17th [1798], arrived in Paris. - - On the 19th waited on the Minister for Foreign Affairs; it being - Décadi, he was gone to the country. Left my name, and called next - day, at eleven; instantly admitted; _talked_ over the purport of my - visit, which I had brought in writing, as follows:-- - - 'Citizen Minister,--Since I had the honor of seeing you in - September last, I understand attempts have been made to injure my - character here by some persons equally despicable as malicious - (I mean Lewines and his associates), from whom, though United - Irishmen, I pride myself in differing, both in sentiment and - conduct; nor should I condescend to answer their infamous - charges.[68] - - 'I, however, take great pleasure in acquainting you with what I - have been about, viz., trying to bring over to the side of the - United Irish what is called the Independent Interest, _alias_ the - Country Gentlemen, all of whom have commands either in the Yeomanry - or _Militia_,[69] and to whom the safety of the interior will - be entrusted, whilst the regular troops march against the enemy. - These gentlemen have always been much against the Government, but - feared, in a revolution, the loss of their property, especially - such as held their estates by grants of Oliver Cromwell. For some - time past a union has been formed among this body for the purpose - of forcing England into whatever measures they choose as soon as - an invasion takes place; all of my most particular friends are of - this association, and they have infused into the minds of the rest - the idea that English faith is not to be relied on. In consequence, - they are all now completely up to the formation of a Republic and a - separation from Britain, provided the French Directory will give, - under their seal, the terms and conditions Ireland has a right to - expect and demands. I took upon me to say France never meant to - treat Ireland has a conquered country; that, certainly, they would - expect a contribution towards defraying the great expense incurred - in supporting the cause of liberty; but what the sum would be, I - could not take upon me to mention. They insist upon having that - specified, and any other conditions for this purpose. - - 'Citizen Minister, I now apply to you; to none other have I hinted - my business, and the most profound secrecy will be requisite in - order to completely deceive the English Government. I shall mention - to you the channel of correspondence, &c., with the ciphers I'll - make use of, if it is requisite to write, but which I sha'n't do - without your permission, and giving you the letter to enclose to - Hamburg.[70] - - 'I have the honour to remain,' &c. - -Thus far the letter of Turner to Talleyrand--for Turner it assuredly -is. It does not follow that the Minister believed all he was told. -The quondam Bishop of Autun could read a soul. He was a diplomat, -however, and showed to his visitor that cautious courtesy which he had -learned when a bishop. He who said that speech is given to conceal -thoughts,[71] was not the man to be at once swayed by words. The -despatch now before us had been addressed to the Home Office, and must -be one of the papers Mr. Froude thought destroyed. The copy of his -letter to Talleyrand having been submitted to Portland, the spy thus -resumes:-- - - The Minister then said it was a matter extremely interesting, that - other things were on the _tapis_ at present, but desired I would - call again on the second uneven day from that, and he'd[72] enter - into particulars. I did so, and gave him the following letter. He - said he had laid my first before the Directory; that their opinions - coincided with his, but that they could not give anything under - their hands or seal, nor he either; that I had perfectly expressed - their intentions. I told him this was perfectly satisfactory to me, - but I feared it would not be so to them. 'Surely,' says he, 'they - have a confidence in you, and you shall have it from the Directory, - if you choose.' I said I hoped that would be sufficiently - satisfactory to my friends, and begged to know when I could see him - again--the 1st of the next decade, as they were still very busy on - other matters. - - _Copy of the Letter to Talleyrand._ - - 'Citizen Minister,--Wishing to give the Government every - satisfaction on the point of my mission, I now have the honour - of laying before you every particular. I am extremely glad to - find it appears to you interesting, which induces me to hope as - little delay will be given as possible. I think it incumbent on - me to state to you that the spirit of the North is completely - broken, and I fear shortly the rest of Ireland will be in the - same predicament.[73] A vast number of the persons concerned in - persecuting the United Irish are those from whom I come; for at - present they dread, and with good reason, the ascendency of this - body. As soon as you set these gentlemen's minds at ease in regard - to their property, the business of revolution will get leave to - go on, and the British Government will find themselves clogged in - their system of terror, without knowing why. The enclosed paper - contains the mode in which I am to act, &c., &c. I have the honour, - &c.' - -Turner then adds:--[74] - - Enclosure, containing the ciphers I sent to the Marquess of - Downshire, and the following postscript:-- - - 'The intention of the ciphers was, if I thought it requisite to - write from Paris, to say who I had had communication with and as a - channel of conveying any intelligence you might allow me to send - during my stay. The letter to be addressed to Charles Ranken,[75] - Esq., at Mr. Elliot's, Pimlico, London, to be put in the common - post-office at Hamburg, and sealed with a particular seal I - have for the purpose. As soon as I receive the proper paper or - document, in order to save time, I am to get, if possible, into - England; if that can't be done with safety, I'm to go to either - Bremen or Hamburg, write thence to Ranken, who comes over before - him. I attest the business on oath, and he goes instantly for - Ireland. Ranken,[76] having been a banker at Belfast, a man of good - property, and looked on by Government as a friend, can pass and - repass as if to settle accounts at Hamburg. - - 'I beg leave once more to inform you that delay will be looked on, - I fear, as non-compliance; and, if there's any particular point on - which you wish for accurate information, I think I can undertake to - obtain it.' - -The spy's letter then proceeds:-- - - He (Talleyrand) seemed to disapprove of my venturing to Ireland or - England; asked me if I knew anything of Fitzgerald.[77] - - Waited on him the first of the following decade; he said nothing - was resolved on. I asked if the Irish were to wait for their coming - or not. He said by all means to wait, and not to risk or expose - themselves. 'May I assure them you'll come in the course of three - months?' 'No, we cannot fix a time; it may be more, or not so long. - I shall depend on you to obtain for me as accurate a statement, - with as much information as you can collect.' I desired to know on - what particular point, otherwise I should be at a loss; he said - he could not mention any particular. I then promised as much as I - could collect in general, with a particular and accurate one of - Ireland. I then asked if I might venture to assert that the French - Government would be content with being paid the expense of their - former expedition, and of that which will be sent; that they will - leave the Irish to choose a constitution for themselves as soon as - English influence is destroyed; guaranteeing to every individual - their property, without respect to old Catholic claims and to their - political conduct prior to the time of actual invasion. 'You may - venture to assure them that the property of no individual will be - seized upon, but the reverse. On the other points we cannot give an - answer.'--'When shall I see the Directory?'--'On the ninth of this - decade I shall speak to the President, and you may bring to me one - of your acquaintance that is known to him, who will introduce you;' - or that I might go alone, as my name was sufficiently known to him. - Between that and the 9th I spoke to Abbé Grégoire[78] to accompany - me; but he declined it, as did Stone;[79] upon which I wrote, on - the 8th, to the Minister, to say that these two had refused, and - that they thought he himself ought to do it, or give me a note of - introduction to the President; but that, if it was disagreeable, I - would not press the matter further, as I looked on his word as that - of the Directory, and that I would call next day at the Directory, - when, if I could get an audience, so much the better; if not, I - thought it imprudent to wait longer. - - Next day I called at the Directory and sent in my name. I there - met Duckett,[80] who told me it would be impossible to see any of - them that day; for a letter, which he had just brought them, which - came from Leonard Bourdon,[81] would give them, he believed, work - enough, as he understood it contained some very interesting matter. - I was to have seen some of them that day likewise; an answer came - to us both that they were too much occupied. I then went to the - Minister, and sent in my name, as did, at the same time, Colonel La - Harpe and the Swiss Deputies. We were all sent off, as he was very - busy. I left a note with his Secretary, saying I would set out next - day, which I did, the 20 Floreal, alias Wednesday, the 9th May; - arrived at Cuxhaven the Wednesday following; sailed the next day, - landed at Lowestoff on Tuesday morning, got to town [London] that - night, accompanied by one Jeffrey,[82] who passes himself off for a - Scotchman, was coming to Yarmouth as an American, was in Paris last - September, speaks French as a Frenchman, looks extremely like one, - and lodges at the New Hummums, Covent Garden. - -It is quite clear that the above letter was written by the same -nameless spy who poses in Froude's book as 'Lord Downshire's friend.' -'_One_ of his letters, dated November 19, 1797, is preserved,' writes -Mr. Froude; but, no doubt, a few others are preserved too, and may -be found in the correspondence of Lord Castlereagh. How they escaped -destruction is a marvel. Wickham, on January 11, 1799, writes, -regarding 'United Irishmen' at Hamburg: 'The enclosed very curious -papers the Duke of Portland desires may be laid before the Lord -Lieutenant, _and afterwards destroyed_.' - -So careful was the spy of his reputation that he vouchsafes not a -signature. Internal evidence, however, shows that he was the man who -made his disclosure to Downshire, and was by him put in correspondence -with Portland. - -From the letter just quoted it appears that, after his efforts to pick -news from Talleyrand and fish in Irish channels at Paris, he returned, -_viâ_ Cuxhaven, to London, where he arrived on Tuesday night, May 15, -1798. This date is worthy of note. The spy feared to show himself in -London and felt that his life was unsafe. What brings him back to -London on May 15, 1798? His favourite post was Cuxhaven or Hamburg. -O'Coigly, Binns, and Leary, though arrested in March _en route_ to -France, were not put on their trial until Monday, May 21, 1798. This -case is reported at extraordinary length in Howell's 'State Trials' -and would fill a volume. Scott, afterwards Lord Eldon, prosecuted. -The mass of secret information which the Crown contrived to acquire -strikes very forcibly. Letters written in cipher by O'Coigly to Lord -Edward Fitzgerald and others are translated and expounded by Scott. -All the parties concerned in the conspiracy had false names. Mrs. -Mathiessen[83] is called 'Marks;' 'a man going to William's,' means -'going to France,' etc. It was largely on evidence of this sort that -O'Coigly was convicted and hanged.[84] - -The betrayer tells Talleyrand that 'the spirit of the North was -completely broken.' In point of fact, however, it was in the North that -the real martial spirit of the United Irishmen blazed, and there the -best battles were afterwards fought under the leadership of Orr and -Monroe. Turner was anxious to make the French turn their thoughts of -invasion to other points on the Irish coast, and he so far succeeded -that in August, 1798, Humbert's expedition, embracing not 1,000 -men, landed at Killala, among the starved and unarmed peasantry of -Connaught. He calculated on meeting enthusiastic support; but, as Mr. -Lecky says, it soon became apparent how fatally he had been deceived. -After winning one battle, and losing another, Humbert surrendered to -Cornwallis. - -'May I assure them that you'll come in three months?' Talleyrand is -asked. The object of this and other questions, which, to a casual -reader, seem hardly consistent with Turner's treachery to his friends, -is now pretty plain. Great doubt prevailed as to whether an invasion -of Ireland was really to be attempted. The First Consul blew hot and -cold upon it. If the spy, as an envoy of the United Irishmen, could -only extort from Talleyrand an explicit reply in writing avowing the -intention to invade, and telling the exact time on which the descent on -Ireland was to be made, England would thus be well prepared, and her -fleet able to destroy the French armament as she had already destroyed -that of De Winter. Why Bonaparte, at first so anxious for invasion, -should have changed his mind, is explained, in the recently published -Memoirs of Gouverneur Morris, as due to the conflicting reports of -Irish envoys. At St. Helena he told Las Cases that his mistake in '98 -was to have gone to Egypt and not to Ireland.[85] - -Mr. Froude states that the betrayer had discovered one of the objects -of the Papists to be the seizure of property, and had determined -to separate himself from the conspiracy. Attention is requested to -that part of the foregoing letter[86] where the writer refers to -the Cromwellian holders of estates in Ireland, and asks that every -individual be guaranteed his property without respect to old Catholic -claims and to their political conduct prior to the time of actual -invasion. Samuel Turner represented some of the Cromwellian Settlers, -and 'his most particular friends,' as he calls them, were amongst those -who held grants of land in succession to the old Papist proprietary. -The descendants of these men viewed invasion with alarm, lest their -lands should go, just as the property of the Papists had already -gone.[87] - -Talleyrand's caution in talking with Turner contrasts with the freedom -with which he opened his mind on the same subject to his _confrères_. -A very important book was published in 1890 at Paris by M. Pallain, -'Talleyrand sous le Directoire.' It depicts his diplomatic life, and -gives the pith of his despatches. From Turner and Duckett he probably -derived some impressions regarding Great Britain and Ireland. He -augurs well from the Irish rebellion, which has been 'cemented,' adds -Talleyrand, 'by the blood of celebrated victims.' The first victim was -the Rev. William Jackson, in 1794. Talleyrand urges the invasion of -Ireland and the establishment of an Irish Republic 'for the instruction -or chastisement of England.' 'Nelson's fleet,' he says, 'is manned -almost exclusively by Irishmen,' and that their patriotism 'will teach -them to see in the English their oppressors and enemies.' Talleyrand's -sketch of 'Irish Landed Proprietors' is full and curious. - -Another man who, besides Talleyrand and Grégoire, dealt cautiously with -Turner was Stone, as Turner in his secret letter to the Home Office -admits. Stone had been tried in England for high treason and sent into -exile.[88] At Hamburg and at Paris he belonged to the set mentioned -by Mr. Froude's cloaked spy[89] as including Lady Edward Fitzgerald -(Pamela), Lady Lucy Fitzgerald, Mrs. Matthiessen, and General Count -Valence. Madame de Genlis in her 'Memoirs' mentions Stone conjointly -with her daughter Madame de Valence and her 'niece' Pamela.[90] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[65] See _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 251. See also chapter vii. of the -present volume. - -[66] Froude, iii. 301. - -[67] See _M. de Talleyrand_, par M. de Villemarest, ch. viii.; _Hist. -du Directoire_, par M. de Barante, liv. iv. - -[68] Of infidelity to the rebel cause. - -[69] Mr. Froude, speaking of 'the second arrest of two of the leading -committees of Belfast,' says (iii. 237) that 'Lake seized papers -which revealed the correspondence with France, the extent of the -revolutionary armament, and the measures taken for the seduction of the -army and militia. The papers were sent to Dublin and were laid before a -secret committee.' See also correspondence _in re_ McNevin's Memorial, -ch. vii. _infra_. - -[70] The spy sought to deceive the French Government in this report. -The Cromwellian Settlers never thought of joining the United Irishmen. -One of Turner's objects seems to have been to get a written undertaking -from Talleyrand that the estates of these Settlers should be left -intact, and money sent to promote an alleged treasonable conspiracy of -Cromwellian Settlers against England, but which, in point of fact, did -not exist. The Ulster Presbyterians were, no doubt, rebels; but these -men were the descendants, not of the Cromwellian adventurers, but of -King James's Planters. - -[71] This phrase is assigned to Talleyrand by Harel in the _Nain -Jaune_; but the thought had been previously expressed by another -bishop, _i.e._ Jeremy Taylor. - -[72] The contractions 'he'd' and 'sha'n't' are entirely consistent with -Turner's 'you'll' in the letter to Downshire, transcribed by me from -the Pelham MSS. See p. 50, _infra_; also Turner's acknowledged letter -to Cooke, p. 97. - -[73] This alternate blowing of hot and cold worked its end. A long -letter from the Home Office furnishing secret items to Dublin -Castle goes on to say (_Castlereagh_, ii. 361): 'Lewins had often -complained that the conduct of the French Government had been hitherto -so indecisive with respect to Ireland that all their projects had -naturally failed.' However, it was admitted by Talleyrand that 'Ireland -was the only vulnerable part of the British Empire.' - -[74] The Cabinet, Mr. Froude says, was kept in utter ignorance of his -name, and in the most secret despatches of the Home Office he is known -only as 'Lord Downshire's friend.' These precautions will remind us of -the cipher of the Louvais despatches, which has hitherto baffled all -efforts to identify the Man in the Iron Mask. - -[75] The narrative of Edward J. Newell--the spy who turned against -his employers--states (London, 1798, p. 59) that he was asked to give -information 'against Charles Rankin and others for high treason.' - -[76] Our spy often refers to Rankin and others of Belfast: 'He [the -betrayer] had fled with others from Belfast at the general dispersion -of the leaders,' writes Mr. Froude, iii. 280. - -[77] Whatever he knew of Lord Edward Fitzgerald is told in the first -letter. See pp. 5, 6, _ante_. - -[78] This was Henri Grégoire, the celebrated Bishop of Blois--a most -influential member of the National Convention, and afterwards of the -Council of Five Hundred. The _aplomb_ of our spy in hailing such men -as friends will be appreciated. Grégoire was a cautious man, who -voted against the divorce of Napoleon and Joséphine, and opposed the -Emperor's marriage with Marie-Thérèse. During the 'Reign of Terror,' -when urged to follow the Archbishop of Paris and abjure his priestly -duties, he refused. B. 1750, d. 1831. - -[79] Stone, see p. 33 _infra_. - -[80] Duckett, an Irish rebel agent, falsely suspected by Tone of being -a spy, will figure in chapter x. - -[81] See p. 110 _infra_. - -[82] Possibly John Jeffrey, brother of Francis. He was a Scotchman, and -usually resided in America (_Life of Jeffrey_, by Lord Cockburn, i. -50). How completely a Republican spirit possessed him is shown by his -brother's letters to him in 1797, beginning 'My dear Citizen' (ii. 30 -_et seq._). The subsequent Lord Jeffrey was also a democrat, and his -movements may have been shadowed, as those of Coleridge notoriously -were. - -[83] See Froude, iii. 283, or _ante_. - -[84] Compare letter from 'Castlereagh to Wickham,' p. 44 _ante_. - -[85] _Mémoires de Sainte-Hélène._ - -[86] The precise and careful wording is that of a lawyer, which Turner -was. - -[87] Mr. J. P. Prendergast, in his _Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland_, -prints, from original MSS., a 'list of adventurers for land in Ireland' -(p. 417). Among them we find: 'Samuel Turner of London, merchant -taylor, £200.' 'Richard Turner, senior and junior, taylors, £200.' -These persons are also found subscribing the same sum, he adds, as -'adventurers, for the sea-service' (p. 417). The hereditary feelings -and predilections of a Cromwellian Settler can be traced in the letter -to Talleyrand. - -[88] I find in the contents of the long-sealed chest at Dublin Castle, -'The Examination of Samuel Rogers, of Cornhill, Banker,' regarding -his relations with Stone, dated May 10, 1794. With it is preserved -an autograph statement by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, technically -called his examination, embracing ten folios, dated May 9, 1794, and -explaining his intercourse with Stone. - -[89] _Vide_ p. 5, _ante_. - -[90] _Memoirs of Madame de Genlis_, iv. 130-36. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -LORD CLONCURRY SHADOWED - - -Discoveries and arrests now multiplied, despite the care with which -Reinhard and Lady Edward persuaded themselves that all negotiations had -been fenced. - -Lord Cloncurry in his Memoirs writes of his 'dear friend Lord Edward -Fitzgerald,' and readers of that book will remember the touching -narrative given of the writer's arrest and long confinement in the -Tower. This peer seeks to show that he himself was innocent of treason, -but Mr. Froude states, after studying the letters of Lord Downshire's -friend, that 'Lord Cloncurry was a sworn member of the Revolutionary -Committee.'[91] The betrayer's first interview with Downshire took -place on October 8, 1797. In that interview he ranked among the marked -men, Lawless, afterwards Lord Cloncurry. During the next month we -find his movements narrowly watched. One of Mr. Froude's sensational -surprises is a statement in reference to this subsequent British Peer -and Privy Councillor. Pelham, Chief Secretary for Ireland, writing to -the Home Office on November 7, 1797, refers to the fact--if fact it -is--that - - 'Mr. Lawless, Lord Cloncurry's eldest son, is going to England - this night, charged with an answer to a message lately received - from France. I have sent Captain D'Auvergne in the packet with Mr. - Lawless, with directions to find where he means to go in London, - and to give you immediate information.'[92] - -A story never loses in its carriage; and Portland was perturbed by the -news. The Hamburg spy, who was the first to mention Lawless's name, was -now consulted. - -Two secret letters from the Home Office, dated June 8, 1798, -and printed in Lord Castlereagh's 'Correspondence,' speak of a -communication received from '_a person_ in Hamburg,' and how - - 'His Majesty's confidential servants have found it necessary to - take into custody and detain several natives of Ireland, now - resident here, of whose intimate connection and correspondence with - the leaders and inciters of the present rebellion in Ireland there - was no room whatever to doubt.... Communicate this information to - the Lord Lieutenant, that the Honourable Mr. L----, Mr. S., of - Acton,[93] and Messrs. T., A., and C.,[94] of the Temple, have been - apprehended here, and Messrs. McG---- and D---- at Liverpool;[95] - and that warrants for apprehending the following have been granted: - Dr. O'K----, C----[96] of Abbey Street, Dublin, and Mr. H----.[97] - -Lord Cloncurry states that the Duke of Leinster, Curran, and Grattan, -who happened to be visiting him, were also taken into custody; but -this statement is not wholly borne out by contemporary accounts. - -Wickham's second letter of June 8, 1798, recurs to the arrests and -speaks of 'most secret, though accurate, intelligence received from -Hamburg,' adding:-- - - There are some papers found in Mr. Lawless's possession that tend - directly to show his connection with some of the most desperate - of the Republican party here, as well as with those who are in - habitual communication with the French agents at _Hamburgh_, and - his Grace is in daily expectation of some material evidence _from - that place_, tending more directly to implicate that gentleman in a - treasonable correspondence with the enemy.[98] - -'Braughall' was another name which will be found in the list written -out by Downshire from his visitor's dictation. Lord Cloncurry, in his -Memoirs, describes Braughall as 'his business agent and confidential -friend;' while Tone constantly refers to him in cordial terms. The -newspapers of the day record his arrest and how 'papers of a very -seditious nature were found in his house.'[99] Among them was a letter -from Lawless urging him to contribute to the defence of unfortunate -O'Coigly, and mentioning that 'Little Henry' had munificently -subscribed. This passage, Lord Cloncurry states, was interpreted at -Dublin Castle as referring to Henry Grattan, though the writer meant -Mr. Henry of Straffan, brother-in-law to Lord Edward Fitzgerald, and -as the result of this mistake Grattan was placed under arrest, but -speedily liberated. - -A memoir of O'Coigly is furnished by Dr. Madden in the first edition of -his 'United Irishmen,' and embodies information derived from Cloncurry. -Deferring to the Hon. Mr. Lawless, when in London, he says: 'Every -Irishman who frequented his house was vigilantly watched by _agents of -a higher department than the police_.' Pelham says that he sent Captain -D'Auvergne on board the packet with Lawless, charged to find out where -he went to in London; and it would seem that during the tedious journey -of those days, Lawless suspected D'Auvergne's mission. 'The agent of a -higher department than the police' would also apply to Turner, who was -in London at this time. Who was the detective who had his berth next to -young Lawless on board the boat, sat and chatted with him in the coach -to London, and afterwards dogged his steps? Letters furnishing secret -information, and signed 'Captain D'Auvergne, Prince of Bouillon,' may -be found in the 'Castlereagh Papers.'[100] This personage represented -an old and illustrious French family. The Prince, finding his patrimony -sequestered during the Revolution, looked out for a livelihood, and -seems to have been not fastidious as to the sort. Cloncurry states -that when bidding good night at the house of a friend, he would say, -'I haven't the conscience to keep my poor spy shivering longer in the -cold.' After 1798, D'Auvergne's usual post was Jersey, whence his -letters in the 'Castlereagh Papers' are dated, and furnish the fruit -of espionage, including all warlike preparations made by the French at -Brest.[101] - -Mr. Froude quotes a letter from Portland, part of which is to the -same effect as that already given, and announcing the discovery of -important papers 'in Mr. Lawless's [Cloncurry's] possession that tend -directly to show his connection with some of the most desperate of -the Republican party in England, as well as with those who are in -habitual communication with the French agents at Hamburg; and yet,' -he continued, 'under present circumstances, and with evidence of the -nature of that of which the Government here is in possession, strong -and decisive as it is, none of those persons can be brought to trial -without exposing secrets of the last importance to the State, the -revealing of which may implicate the safety of the two kingdoms.'[102] -But although the leading men could not be brought to trial, it was -fit to hold them fast, that thus the teeth of the conspiracy might be -drawn. One important man--Stewart of Acton--was certainly let out on -bail; but he was a cousin of Lord Castlereagh's. - -These rough notes ought not to close without some notice of a reply -to Portland's criminatory remarks, which the late Lord Cloncurry has -placed on record. When the 'Castlereagh Papers' appeared he was an -octogenarian and enjoying, it is to be hoped, an unimpaired memory; but -it is an open secret that the book known as 'Lord Cloncurry's Personal -Memoirs' was fully prepared for publication, and its style strengthened -throughout, by a practised writer connected with the Tory press of -Dublin, and who believed that Cloncurry had been wrongly judged in 1798. - - As to the papers alleged by Mr. Wickham to have been found in my - possession, [Lord Cloncurry is supposed to write] and tending - directly to show my connection with some of the most desperate - of the Republican party in London and Hamburgh, I now solemnly - declare that I believe the statement to be _a pure fiction_, - and that no papers were found, as I am most certain that, with - my knowledge, no papers existed which could have had any such - tendency, more directly or indirectly than, perhaps, a visiting - ticket of Arthur O'Connor's, or a note from O'Coigly in acceptance - of my invitation to dinner.[103] - -On the other hand, it is stated in a letter to the Home Office, dated -July 24, 1799, that rebel despatches had been regularly addressed to -Mr. Lawless in the Temple, 'whose fate,' it is added, 'is much lamented -at Paris.'[104] Lord Cloncurry himself admits that in the autumn of -1797 he was elected--but without his desire or knowledge--a member -of the Executive Directory of the United Irishmen, 'when, for the -first and only time, I attended a meeting held at Jackson's in Church -Street.'[105] This date furnished fresh proof of the promptitude and -accuracy of Turner's information to Downshire (supplied also in the -autumn of 1797)--information which revealed the adhesion of Lawless, -afterwards Lord Cloncurry, to the Executive Directory. Jackson's name -is also to be found in the list as dictated by Turner. Of course -Lawless must have been already a United Irishman, or he could not -be eligible for election to a seat in the Directory. Binns, who was -arrested with O'Connor and O'Coigly at Margate, says: 'Coigly was no -stranger to Lawless; he made him a United Irishman in his father's -house, in Merrion Street, Dublin.'[106] Cloncurry's Memoirs state -merely that O'Coigly, who was the finest-looking man he had ever seen, -presented to him a letter of introduction, descriptive of Orange -persecution, which it was alleged he had suffered. - -Lawless and O'Coigly had opinions in common; and both were much -together in London. The former never forgave O'Connor for having--as he -said--unfairly sacrificed O'Coigly during the trials at Maidstone.[107] -In collecting evidence to hang the priest, renewed attention fell upon -Lawless. His first imprisonment lasted for six weeks. On April 14, -1799, on the eve of his marriage with Miss Ryall, who at last died -of a 'broken heart,' he was again arrested on Portland's warrant and -committed to the Tower, where he remained two years. Lord Cloncurry -states that his father, in dread of confiscation following his son, -left away from him 65,000_l._ However, the Irish rebel lived to become -a British peer, a Privy Councillor, and the adviser of successive -Viceroys. Dr. Madden, who received much help from Cloncurry when -compiling his 'Lives of the United Irishmen,' states that Robert Emmet -dined with this peer in Paris, previous to leaving France on his -ill-fated enterprise; and Madden, in his second edition (ii. 137), says -he knows not how to reconcile the account of the interview, as supplied -in 'Cloncurry's Personal Memoirs,' with a verbal account of the same -given by his lordship to himself. - -The list noted by Downshire from the dictation of his visitor, though -complete as regards the Rebel Executive of 1797, far from embraced -all the names which more careful thought must have brought to the -recollection of the informer. It had now become second nature to him -to discharge, almost daily, letters of fatal aim, jeopardising the -lives and reputations of men who implicitly trusted him. He also, as it -appears, 'opened a correspondence' with leading United Irishmen. It is -not sought to be conveyed that all the information came from Turner; -but the following remarks of Mr. Froude, although they repeat a few -names already mentioned, are important, as connecting 'Lord Downshire's -friend' with the harvest of captures in midsummer 1798:-- - - Every day was bringing to the private knowledge of the Cabinet - how widely the mischief had spread, _as the correspondence which - continued with Lord Downshire's friend added to the list of - accomplices_. Lord Cloncurry's son was no sooner arrested, than - Stewart of Acton, a young Agar, a young Tennent, young Curran, - McGuckin, Dowdall, and twenty others,[108] whose names never came - before the public, were found to be as deeply compromised as - he.[109] - -The question was even mooted as to whether he and others should not -be excepted by name from the Bill of Indemnity, or even specially -attainted by a Bill of Pains and Penalties, in consideration of the -impossibility of convicting them by the ordinary course of the law.[110] - -Turner's knowledge and duties as a United Irishman having been mainly -confined to Ulster, it seemed strange that one of the Northern -Committee could be so intimate with O'Connor and Lord Edward. Even in -the betrayer's first interview with Downshire he reveals much intimate -acquaintance with both. All this can be readily understood now. In -November, 1796, O'Connor took a house near Belfast, preparatory to -offering himself for the representation of Antrim. Dr. Madden states -that Lord Edward and O'Connor lived together for some months, and -during their stay maintained friendly intercourse with the Northern -leaders.[111] Soon after we find the command in Ulster assigned to -O'Connor. 'Arthur O'Connor,' resumes Mr. Froude, describing the events -of December, 1797, 'after spending a few months in the Castle,'[112] -had been released on bail, Thomas Addis Emmet and Lord Edward -Fitzgerald being his securities. _"The person" who had come to Lord -Downshire_ had revealed the secret of the visit to Switzerland; but -without betraying his authority Camden could not again order O'Connor's -arrest.'[113] After an interval, however, and at a critical moment, -O'Connor was apprehended anew, and he remained a State prisoner until -1802. - -At an early stage of this chase I met with the seeming difficulty that -the name of Samuel Turner appears in the list of leading rebels which -'_the person_' gave to Lord Downshire.[114] In undertaking to give a -complete list of the Executive Committee, he could not well omit his -own name. No doubt to invest it with increased importance, he puts it -next after those of Lord Edward and Arthur O'Connor (the nephew of -Lord Longueville), and before Stewart of Acton and the future Lord -Cloncurry. The act is consistent with the usual swagger of the man, and -shows the ingenuity by which he hoped to baffle all subsequent evidence -of his treachery. - -Lord Camden writes: 'The intelligence with which we are furnished -would, if certain persons could be brought forward, be sufficient to -bring the conspiracy to light, defeat its ill consequences, and make a -salutary impression on the minds of the people.'[115] 'Unfortunately,' -comments Mr. Froude, '"certain persons" declined to be brought forward. -Pelham, when in London, made _large offers to Lord Downshire's friend_, -but without effect.' - -FOOTNOTES: - -[91] Froude, iii. 287. - -[92] This announcement had its origin in one of the secret letters -of McNally (MSS. Dublin Castle). Lawless was to sail for London -'to-morrow night,' he wrote, 'and ought to be watched every hour'; but -nothing is said of the answer to France, of which Pelham declares he -was the bearer. McNally lived in Dublin, was a United Irishman, and -confidential lawyer of the body, but had been bought over. The strange -story of his life is told in a succeeding chapter. This man was now -asked to find out all he could about Lawless. - -[93] Lord Castlereagh, in a letter addressed to Colonel Lord William -Bentinck, dated, Dublin Castle, June 24, 1798, and given to me by Mr. -Huband Smith, states that, according to the information received, 'Mr. -Stewart had accepted the post of Adjutant-General for Armagh in the -rebel army. Bentinck, writing to General Nugent three days later, says -that Stewart, when his prisoner, 'confessed to me privately that he was -a United Irishman.' This tends to show how generally accurate was the -information communicated through Downshire. - -[94] Trenor, Agar, and Curran. Trenor was the secretary of Lawless. -Cloncurry's Memoirs state (p. 68) that the hardships to which Trenor -was exposed brought on illness and caused his death. - -[95] It appears from a letter of Wickham's (_Castlereagh_, i. 313) that -the two men arrested at Liverpool were McGuckin and Dowdall. - -[96] The _Dublin Directory_ for 1798 records the name of 'John -Chambers, 5, Abbey Street.' Here again the handiwork of Downshire's -'friend' is traceable. The private list of the executive, which he -gave him, includes Chambers's name. Mr. Chambers, grandson of the -above, tells me that when the warrant was issued, a judge of unpopular -antecedents hid the rebel in his house. - -[97] The imprisonment of Hamilton, the nephew of Russell, is noticed in -the letter from Hamburg. _Castlereagh Papers_, ii. 5. - -[98] Wickham to Castlereagh, Whitehall, June 8, 1798. - -[99] McNally's secret letters, scores of which I have read in MS., -make frequent mention of Braughall as a man with whom he was intimate; -and it is likely that the news of Lawless's intended journey to -England came from Braughall innocently. McNally, while incriminating -others, uniformly seeks to exculpate Braughall, whose counsel he was -(MS. letter of May 25, 1798). On June 13, 1798, he expresses his -opinion that 'Braughall is an enemy to force'; and a characteristic -hint drops: 'If Braughall could be made a friend--and I do believe -he is not disinclined to be one, for I know he always reprobates -tumult--his influence is great, and his exertions would go far to -restore peace.' Braughall had been secretary to the Catholic Committee, -and is repeatedly mentioned by Tone in his Journal. A fine portrait of -Braughall, in oils, may be seen in the boardroom of the Royal Dublin -Society, of which he was secretary. After his arrest, this picture -was relegated to a cellar of the institution; but, thanks to Lord J. -Butler, it has been recently unearthed and restored. He died in 1803. - -[100] _Castlereagh_, i. 250, 373, 382; ii. 104, 162, &c. - -[101] He obtained the rank of Post-Captain, R.N., in 1784; and at the -time that he was with Lord Camden at Dublin Castle he commanded the -'Bravo' gunboat. In 1805 he was gazetted 'Rear-Admiral of the Blue.' -His name crops up now and then in the Wellington Correspondence. -Thus, on November 15, 1814, when the Bourbons had been restored, -this gentleman, now signing himself 'D'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, -&c.' writes from 'Bagatelle, Jersey,' thanking his Grace for the -condescending interest he had shown in recovering for him the small -sovereignty of Bouillon. _Vide_ also a piquant memoir of His Serene -Highness Philip d'Auvergne, Prince de Bouillon, in _Public Characters_ -for 1800-1, pp. 545, 561. His father, though of ancient lineage, -embarked in commercial pursuits; and it is added that at Jersey 'a -multitude of spies were kept in constant pay.' A love of epistolary -intrigue seems to have been hereditary with Captain d'Auvergne, Prince -of Bouillon. History records that Cardinal d'Auvergne Bouillon, 'during -the War of the Succession, held a culpable correspondence with the -enemy, _i.e._ Marlborough, Orrery, and Galloway. - -[102] Portland to Camden, June 8.--S. P. O. - -[103] _Personal Recollections of Lord Cloncurry._ - -[104] _Castlereagh Papers_, ii. 361. - -[105] _Personal Recollections of Lord Cloncurry_, p. 38. - -[106] Purchased by the father of Lord Cloncurry from Lord Mornington -(Cloncurry's _Recollections_, p. 8). In this house the Duke of -Wellington was most certainly born in 1769, though his Grace was -himself ignorant of the fact, as his Census return, in 1850, shows. It -is now the headquarters of the Land Commission. - -[107] Statement of Lord Cloncurry to Mr. O'Neill Daunt. - -[108] Stewart of Acton, Tennent, McGuckin, Hamilton, and many of the -twenty others, were all, like Turner, belonging to the Ulster branch of -the organisation. - -[109] Froude, iii. 418; see also p. 20, _ante_. - -[110] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 163. - -[111] _Lives and Times of the United Irishmen_, ii. 13. - -[112] Birmingham Tower, Dublin Castle. - -[113] _The English in Ireland_, iii. 288. The above passage serves to -show that the important arrests made by the Lord-Lieutenant in Ireland -were largely due to 'the person' who whispered in Downshire's ear. - -[114] See this list, p. 7, _ante_. - -[115] Camden to Portland, December 2, 1797. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE MASK TORN OFF AT LAST - - -Mr. Froude, quoting from the betrayer's letter to Downshire, -writes:--'I went to Harley Street, where Fitz[116] told me of the -conduct of the Catholics to him and his friends. He said he would -prevail on O'Connor, or some such,[117] to go to Paris; if not, he -would go himself, in order to have Lewins removed.' - -Lord Edward came to this decision obviously on the representations -made by his false friend regarding Lewins. The false friend will -be found impugning Lewins on every opportunity. Turner and Lewins, -it may be repeated, clashed as rival envoys; Lewins, a Catholic, -represented the Leinster Directory, while Turner claimed to represent -the Northern. Turner worked his pen and tongue to such purpose that -he at last succeeded in convincing Lord Edward of Lewins's treachery. -Binns, in his narrative, states that 'O'Coigly had been commissioned -by the Executive to supersede Lewins in Paris, _whom some suspected of -betraying the interests of Ireland_.'[118] - -The letter from Hamburg (first revealed by Mr. Froude) continues:-- - - Mrs. Matthieson[119] has just heard from Lady Lucy that O'Connor is - come. I supped last night with Valence, who mentioned his having - introduced Lord Edward[120] and O'Connor to the Minister here[121] - in the summer before the French attempted to invade Ireland.[122] - They both went to Switzerland, whence O'Connor passed into France, - had an interview with Hoche, and everything was planned. - - I feared lest Government might not choose to ratify our contract, - and, being in their power, would give me my choice either to come - forward as an evidence or suffer martyrdom myself. Having no taste - for an exit of this sort, I set out and arrived here safe, and now - beg you will let me know if anything was wrong in my statements, or - if I have given offence.... - -One of the many unexplained letters in the Castlereagh Correspondence -finds its keynote here. In August, 1798, Wickham, of the Home Office, -writes as follows to Castlereagh, who then held O'Connor a prisoner in -Dublin.[123] Wickham's object, though shrouded in mystery, was no doubt -to check the accuracy of 'Lord Downshire's friend,' and to weigh the -marketable value of his services:-- - - It would be a great satisfaction to me, personally, were O'Connor - to be questioned on the object of his journey to Switzerland with - Lord Edward Fitzgerald in 1796, and whether they, or either of - them, were in France at that time, and what French agents they saw - besides M. Barthélemy. I was absent with the Austrian army at the - time of their arrival, so that I lost the opportunity of observing - their motions.[124] If either of them went into France, which I - am persuaded they did, I should be curious, for very particular - reasons, to know whether they went in by way of Basle, and whether - their passports were given in their own names. Should there be no - impropriety in questioning O'Connor on these points, as I have said - before, it would be a great satisfaction to me that it should be - done.[125] - -Fifty pages may be turned ere the answer to this letter comes. It is -headed '_Secret_,' and bears date 'Dublin Castle, August 17, 1798.' All -my circumstantial evidence, aiming to show that Turner is the man whom -Mr. Froude could not identify, is crowned by this letter. Castlereagh -thus replies to Wickham:-- - - 'Secret. 'Dublin Castle: August 17, 1798. - - 'I have endeavoured to obey your commands in examining Mr. - O'Connor as to the object of his journey to Switzerland with Lord - Edward Fitzgerald. At first he declined answering to this point, - considering himself as only bound to state the facts which came - to his knowledge after he became a United Irishman, of which body - he was not then a member. Upon being pressed, without mentioning - names, he stated it thus:--In the summer of 1796, as set forth - in the Memoir, an agent was sent to France to arrange with the - Directory the plan of invasion. This person went to Hamburg; from - thence, accompanied by his friend, to Switzerland; neither went to - Paris, but the person employed _had an interview_ near the French - frontier with a person high in the confidence of the Directory; - upon a communication with whom everything was settled.[126] The - reason neither proceeded to Paris was lest the English Government, - in whose pay most of the officers in Paris were supposed[127] to - be, should suspect the design, and arrest the persons on their - return. - - 'This perfectly agrees with Richardson's information, which states - that Lord Edward and O'Connor met Hoche, and arranged the invasion. - '_R---- states that O'Connor went into France_; if he did, it was - only a short distance merely to meet Hoche, and, from what O'Connor - said, Lord E. seemed to be the principal.' - -The above paragraph is one of much importance. Richardson I have -discovered to be another alias of the hydra-headed Turner. Distinct -proof of this will be found presently. Castlereagh continues:-- - - 'Should I succeed in drawing from him any further information on - this point, I shall have great pleasure in transmitting it. He - further stated that, when taken in Kent,[128] although he had not - authorised any person to hire a vessel direct for France, but - rather looked to reach a Dutch port, yet his real object was to - pass through Switzerland into France, and fairly confessed that, - had he reached Paris, he should not have been idle, as, though not - charged with any special commission, he did believe the Directory - would have considered him as an accredited agent.'[129] - -Ordinary students of history are not free to search the papers of -the Home Office, London after the date 1760; and the present writer -ventured to ask Mr. Lecky whether he had met the name of Turner in his -inquiries. The object of Mr. Lecky's history is distinct from mine, -and his researches have taken a different direction; but he could not -fail to observe, he said, that the Government correspondence threw -not much light on questions of espionage, 'for names of informers,' -he adds, 'are nearly always concealed.' However, on referring to his -notes, it appeared that '_Richardson_' was the pseudonym of Samuel -Turner. While thanking my correspondent, I thought it well to remind -him that in the 'Castlereagh Papers'[130] 'Furnes' is stated to be the -alias for this man. And I added, in order to guard against mistake, -that one Thomas Richardson, a Liberal magistrate for Tyrone, was -confined, in 1797, with Neilson and Teeling. The historian's reply is -very satisfactory:[131] 'Samuel Turner wrote his letters to the British -Government under the name of Richardson. This,' adds Mr. Lecky, 'is -not a matter of inference, but of distinct proof.' - -Once only 'Richardson' is mentioned in 'Castlereagh.' It was the -false name by which the Home Office, when obliged to communicate -with Dublin Castle, masked Samuel Turner, LL.D., of the Irish Bar. -Lord Castlereagh's letter to the Home Office confirms the intimate -knowledge possessed by Turner of the doings of O'Connor and Lord Edward -Fitzgerald. O'Connor was now--August, 1798--in an Irish dungeon; and -Lord Castlereagh having, as he says, pressed him to answer certain -questions, adds: '_This perfectly agrees with Richardson's information, -which states that Lord Edward and O'Connor met Hoche and arranged the -invasion._' - -Besides his horror of martyrdom by the knife, Turner had a lively dread -of the martyrdom of exposure and social ostracism. Jackson's trial in -1794 had the effect of deterring approvers. Curran's skill in torturing -such persons was marvellous; and Mr. Froude declares that he stretched -Cockayne as painfully as ever the rack-master of the Tower stretched -a Jesuit. 'He made him confess that he had been employed by Pitt, and -showed that, if Jackson was a traitor to the State, Cockayne was a far -blacker traitor to the friend who trusted him.'[132] - -'Richardson' is now shown to be the same man as he who gave his -information to Downshire; and that 'Richardson' was an assumed name -for Samuel Turner.[133] Thus the question of identity is established -without appealing to further evidence. But inasmuch as my efforts -to track Turner open up facts long forgotten, and others new to the -historian, some readers may not object to follow. - -As regards Lord Edward's meeting with Hoche, more than once referred -to in Turner's letter to Lord Downshire and in the correspondence of -the Home Office, M. Guillon, a recent investigator,[134] could find no -trace of it in the French official archives. Special efforts were made -at the time to veil this historic interview. No wonder, therefore, that -Mr. Froude, in introducing the information furnished by Downshire's -mysterious visitor, points specially to the secret meeting with Hoche, -and how Hoche himself had not revealed it even to Tone.[135] - -Wickham was but carrying out Portland's behest in signifying to -Castlereagh that O'Connor, then a prisoner, should be questioned on -points of which the Home Office had acquired private knowledge. On -August 23, 1798, the same polite pumping of O'Connor is urged--a task -fraught with no great labour to a man of Castlereagh's tact and powers -of persuasion. 'A _private_ communication,' Wickham writes, 'of the -names of the persons with whom Mr. O'Connor corresponded abroad, would -answer _the particular purpose_ required by the Duke of Portland.' The -'particular' object is not explained. It was probably that the spy -might, as previously suggested, cultivate epistolary relations with the -men whom O'Connor[136] would admit to have been his correspondents.[137] - -Teeling, one of the Northern leaders, who had been closely associated -with Turner, gives a curious glimpse of the easy intercourse which -Castlereagh would maintain with his captives. Sometimes he made the -arrests himself in the first instance, and afterwards could charm -his prisoners by drawing silken bonds around them. Teeling was -accompanied by his father on horseback, when 'we met,' he writes, -'Lord Castlereagh, who accosted us with his usual courtesy. We had -proceeded up the street of Lisburn together, when, having reached the -house of his uncle, the Marquis of Hertford, we were about to take -leave of his lordship. "I regret," said he, addressing my father, -"that your son cannot accompany you," conducting me at the same moment -through the outer gate, which, to my inexpressible astonishment, was -instantly closed, and I found myself surrounded by a military guard.' -Teeling, later on, describes a visit paid by Castlereagh to him when a -prisoner:-- - - Fatigued, and apparently much dispirited, Lord Castlereagh entered - the room. He possessed the most fascinating manner and engaging - address, with a personal appearance peculiarly attractive, and - certainly not in character with the office he had that day assumed. - For though national pride was extinct in his soul, the graces of - nature were not effaced from the form, nor the polished manners of - the gentleman forgotten in the uncourteous garb of the officer of - police. He regretted that in his absence I had been subjected to - the painful restraint of an additional guard. It was not his desire - that they should have been placed within my room. A slight repast - had been prepared for him, of which he pressed me to partake. The - wine was generous, his lordship was polite, and the prisoner of - State seemed for a moment forgotten in the kinder feelings of the - earlier friend. [Lord Castlereagh then informed Teeling that they - had that day arrested Neilson and Russell.] 'Russell!'[138] said I. - 'Then the soul of honour is captive! Is Russell a prisoner?' Lord - Castlereagh was silent. He filled his glass--he passed me the wine. - Our conversation had become embarrassing....[139] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[116] Edward J. Lewins was an attorney, and with the astuteness of that -craft he had early suspected Turner, as appears from the letter to -'Citizen Minister Talleyrand' (p. 24, _ante_). - -[117] The 'some such' proved to be Father O'Coigly, arrested _en -route_, and hanged in 1798. - -[118] Lewins, Mr. Lecky shows, proved thoroughly faithful to his party. - -[119] Henriette de Sercy, the niece of Madame de Genlis, and the -companion of Pamela in childhood, who married Mr. Matthiessen, the -banker of Hamburg. - -[120] Lord Edward Fitzgerald. - -[121] Reinhard. - -[122] At Bantry Bay in 1796. By many, Tone was regarded somewhat -as a clever adventurer; but when the French authorities saw a -nobleman--brother of the Duke of Leinster--as well as O'Connor, nephew -and heir of Viscount Longueville, acting in a way which meant business, -their hesitancy ceased. - -[123] After the arrest and death of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, and the -collapse of the rebellion, the State prisoners consented to give some -general information which would not compromise men by name. - -[124] Wickham's correspondence illustrative of his secret mission to -Switzerland, when he debauched the French minister, Barthélemy, with -'saint-seducing gold,' was published by Bentley in 1870. - -[125] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 259-60. - -[126] 'Everything was planned,' are the words in the betrayer's letter -to Lord Downshire. - -[127] In this suspicion, Lord Edward and O'Connor were not far astray. -_The Confidential Letters of the Right Hon. William Wickham_ reveal -that Pichegru and other French generals were paid by Pitt to allow -themselves to be beaten in battle. - -[128] At Margate with Father O'Coigly. - -[129] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 309-10. - -[130] General index to the _Correspondence of Lord Castlereagh_. -'Furness' is the name under which Reinhard, the French minister, refers -to him when writing to his Government. - -[131] Letter of W. E. H. Lecky, Esq., to W. J. F., Athenæum Club, -London, July 5, 1888. Richardson, the popular author of 'Pamela,' was -then a specially familiar name, and one which would readily occur to a -well-read man who divulged the secrets of a real Pamela. The plot in -the stories of Samuel Richardson is developed by letters, a branch of -composition in which Samuel Turner was _au fait_. There seems a strange -irony in this spy describing, under the _nom de plume_ of Richardson, -a new 'History of Pamela' and her struggles. Dr. Madden says that, -after the death of her husband, Pamela returned in painfully straitened -circumstances to Hamburg, the only place to which she could with -prudence go. Madden little dreamt that the fugitive's retreat was the -serpent's lair. - -[132] The Rev. William Jackson, an Anglican clergyman, came to Dublin -on a treasonable mission, accompanied, as his friend and legal adviser, -by Cockayne, a London attorney. The latter was deputed by Pitt to -entrap the National leaders. Cockayne prosecuted Jackson to conviction. -In Ireland, unlike England, one witness then sufficed to convict for -high treason. - -[133] In a letter dated June 8, 1798, Wickham speaks of the source -from which 'R' procured 'all the information that he has communicated -to us'--meaning what concerned Lady Edward Fitzgerald, Valence, Mrs. -Matthiessen, Reinhard, and other ingenuous friends at Hamburg, who told -Turner all they knew. Dr. Madden and others mistook this 'R' for the -incorruptible Reinhard, as M. Mignet styles him. See folio 102, _infra_. - -[134] _France et Irlande_ (Paris, 1888). - -[135] See p. 1, _ante_. - -[136] _Vide_ Appendix for some revelations of fratricidal betrayal by -O'Connor's brother. - -[137] One letter only, from Richardson (Turner) to Lord Downshire, I -have found in the Pelham MSS.; it bears date 'Hamburg, December 1, -1797':-- - - 'My Lord,--I cannot contrive any mode of seeing Mr. Fraser without - running a very considerable risque of a discovery. For this reason - I now intrude to request you'll be so kind as to favour me with a - few lines. I wrote to you on November 17, by post. Since that I - have sent you two letters by Captain Gunter, of the Nautilus: the - first contains seven and a half pages of letter paper; the second, - a single letter with such information as I could collect, which I - hope will be material. Gunter promised to put them in the Yarmouth - office himself. - - 'It will be requisite for your lordship to lay aside every emblem - of _noblesse_, and adopt the style of an Irish _sans-culotte_, for - fear of accidents. If I appear worthy the further notice of your - lordship, no pains on my part shall be spared to merit the honour - of being ranked among your lordship's most sincere, - - 'J. RICHARDSON. - - 'December 1, 1797, Hamburg (under cover to the master of the - post-office, Yarmouth).'--Pelham MSS. - -Placed far apart from Richardson's letter is found the despatch of -Cooke, wherein it had been enclosed. 'The letters by the "Nautilus" -have not been received,' he writes, 'and we know not how to direct to -him.' The Pelham MSS. are pyramids in bulk, but no other letter from -Richardson, alias Turner, is entombed within them. - -[138] Neilson, Russell, Teeling, and Turner belonged to the Ulster -branch of the organisation. Russell, who had been a captain in the 64th -Regiment, and a J. P. for co. Tyrone, remained a prisoner until 1802, -and, on connecting himself with Emmet's scheme, was beheaded October -30, 1803. Samuel Neilson, son of a Presbyterian minister, died, after -many exciting vicissitudes, on August 29 in the same year. - -[139] _Personal Narrative_, by Charles Hamilton Teeling. His daughter -became the first wife of Lord O'Hagan. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -DR. MACNEVIN'S MEMORIAL INTERCEPTED - - -Although the spy did not confide to Lord Downshire until October 1797 -his name and secrets, there is reason to believe that he had furnished -information previously. To enhance his importance he probably said -nothing of this. As Mr. Froude observes, he painted his own conduct -in the colours he thought best. This man had long played fast and -loose. So early as May 1797 Turner was viewed with suspicion. The -Castlereagh Papers contain a bundle of intercepted letters addressed by -Reinhard, the French Minister at Hamburg, to De la Croix, head of the -Foreign Office, Paris, of whom Tone often speaks with affection.[140] -These letters, as already stated, mention Turner under the name of -Furnes, which we learn from the Castlereagh Papers was an _alias_ of -Turner.[141] He is praised for his zeal and patriotism; but in one -letter Reinhard is found struggling with a painful misgiving. The -suspicion is so dark that he does not like to write even the name of -Furnes, but makes dots to tally with the letters composing it, and no -name was better known to De la Croix. At last Reinhard tries to banish -the thought as an unworthy suspicion; and a subsequent letter of his -reinstates Turner in full prestige. - -The letter which expresses suspicion bears date May 31, but is -confusingly assigned, in the Castlereagh Papers, to the year 1798. -Its reference to Hoche, however, shows that it was written during the -previous year--his death having occurred on September 15, 1797. - - You must have heard [writes Reinhard to De la Croix] of the - apprehension of two committees of United Irishmen at Belfast, and - the publication of the papers seized, made by the secret committee - of the Parliament of Ireland.[142] Among these papers is a letter - from the provincial committee, informing those of Belfast that the - executive committee having conducted itself in an improper manner, - the provincial committee thought fit to dissolve it, retaining - however, two-thirds of the former members. This letter has been - printed in London in the _True Briton_, a ministerial paper. It - is very remarkable that ...... should never have mentioned that - circumstance to me. Supposing, which is very probable, that this - reorganisation of the executive took place before the departure of - ...... [from Ireland], it is natural enough to suppose that ...... - should find himself among the _excluded members_. The opinion - that I have formed of him ...... [adds Reinhard in words worthy - of a true diplomat] is, that he is a man of haughty and violent - character, without, on that account, stooping to dissimulation and - deceit; so, in order to revenge himself on his countrymen, he may - have betrayed his cause to Mr. Pitt. [Reinhard goes on to say that] - It was letters of Lord Edward Fitzgerald which certified that this - man who called upon me was the person sent to me by Lady Fitzgerald - on his arrival.[143] - -It seems needless to point out that this must be the 'person' whom Mr. -Froude describes as being introduced by Lady Edward Fitzgerald, and -having the ear of Reinhard at Hamburg; and there is hardly less doubt -that the man thus noticed was the same who, having got into debt with -his friends, addressed himself to Pelham as early as 1796. His secret -letter to Pelham will be seen presently. Meanwhile the same sensitive -pride and the same revengeful spirit when that pride was once wounded -is also traceable in the details revealed to Lord Downshire next year. -Judging from the slippery and impulsive character of the man, I cannot -doubt that previous to his mission to London in October 1797, for the -purpose of making a final bargain with Pitt, he had coquetted with -Dublin Castle. - -Lewins and Turner were rival envoys--Lewins represented the Leinster -Directory; Turner claimed to speak for Ulster. Of Lewins, who stands -above all suspicion, Reinhard writes to De la Croix in 1797:--'I think -L..... incapable of treachery, but capable of imprudence. I should not -answer thus concerning _the other_. What seems further to concur in the -support of my hypothesis is, that Mr. L. before his departure made it -a point of great importance to ascertain whether there was any other -envoy from Ireland, who addressed himself to me, and that he begged me -not to give my confidence to any other than to him alone. I refrained -from giving these tidings to General Hoche, not only because my means -of corresponding with him are uncertain, but because all the letters -from Frankfort announce his departure for Paris.' - -It may not have struck Mr. Froude, as it certainly strikes me, that -the man he describes[144] as visiting Lord Downshire, and at the last -moment offering to betray, was the same person whom the historian, -one hundred pages previously, notices as an informer, 'in the closest -confidence of the _Northern Leaders_, but whose name is still a -mystery.' - -It will be seen that Pelham's correspondent of 1796 had fallen into -debt and difficulties. This at first seems not consistent with the -statement of Mr. Froude that Downshire's visitor was the son of a -gentleman of good fortune in the North. But it is easy to see that the -son himself had got into pecuniary straits. He tells Downshire of the -expenses he is under, and asks Pitt for a 'cool 500_l._'[145] to begin -with. - -In addition to a judgment debt of 1,500_l._ which Jacob Turner in his -will forgives his son Samuel,[146] I find, on examining the records of -the three Law Courts, that another judgment debt of 800_l._ was marked -against Samuel Turner on January 26, 1793.[147] - -Speaking of informers, Mr. Froude writes under date 1796:-- - - One of these especially, whose name is still a mystery, was in the - closest confidence of the Belfast leaders. He had been among the - most enthusiastic of the original members of Tone's society, but - he had fallen into debt to others of the confederates and had been - expelled. In revenge he sold himself to the Government, satisfied - his creditors with money which he received from Pelham, and was - at once taken back into confidence. Among others, he became an - intimate associate of William Orr, a Belfast tradesman, afterwards - executed for treason, who at this time was a member of the Head - Northern Committee. - - Orr told him that everything was ready. Dublin, Cork, Limerick, - were waiting only for orders to rise, and when the word was given - the movement was to be universal and simultaneous. They had 200,000 - men already officered in regiments; they had pikes and muskets for - 150,000, and more were on the way. - - The militia were almost to a man United Irishmen, and in fact, - according to Orr, they would have risen in the autumn but for some - differences among themselves. For himself, the informer thought - that nothing would be attempted till the arrival of the French. - - The Belfast men, Neilson, Orr, the two Simms, the party who had - taken the oath with Wolfe Tone on Cave Hill,[148] he described 'as - wealthy, wily, avaricious, tenacious of their property, distrustful - of one another, and if afraid of nothing else, desperately afraid - of the Orangemen, who were five times stronger than people in - general believed.[149] They had authentic news that Hoche might be - expected in the fall of the year, and then undoubtedly an effort - would be made. If Hoche came, they were perfectly confident that - Ireland would be a republic before Christmas. The instant that the - signal was given the whole Orange party were to be assassinated.... - -The Informer concludes with these words:-- - - Be assured that what I have told you is true. The original - agitators have been kept concealed even from the knowledge of the - common people. The medium of dissemination has been the priests, - and they have concealed from their congregations, on whom they have - so effectively wrought, the names of those who have set them on, - merely saying that there were men of influence, fortune, and power - ready to come forward. The motive of the original agitators--and - I mean by them the members of the Catholic Committee that sat - in Dublin, and many of the Convention that were not on the - Committee--was to carry the Catholic Bill through Parliament by the - influence of terrorism.[150] - -So much for the informer who sought the ear of the Irish Secretary -in 1796. His close connection with the Northern leaders, his air of -mystery, his hatred of the priests and the Catholic Committee, even -his style and tone, the reference to Hoche, the prediction that the -Protestants would suffer if the rebels won--all point to him as the -same person who made overtures to Pitt, through Downshire, in October -1797. The alleged disaffection of the militia and the danger which -menaced the estates of the aristocracy again crop up in Turner's letter -to Talleyrand.[151] In both cases the same stipulation is made that he -should not be called upon to give evidence publicly--the same nervous -temperament is revealed. Downshire's visitor expressed mortal terror -lest his life should pay the forfeit of his startling whisper. The same -fear--and I believe I may add, presentiment--pervades the letter to -Pelham in 1796. 'Don't name it,' he writes; 'if it get out they will -know whence it came, and my life will be the certain forfeit.'[152] The -'secret' which the informer of '96 told Pelham was what Mr. Fronde -describes as 'a curious story.' 'To show you that they tell me their -secrets,' writes the informer to Pelham, 'here is the account told me -of the death of Mr. McMurdoch of _Lurgan_.'[153] From searches made -in the Registry of Deeds Office, Dublin, I find that Samuel Turner -was closely connected with Lurgan, and in a way which gave double -facilities for acquiring its secrets.[154] - -The reader might glance once more at Mr. Froude's account of the visit -to Lord Downshire on that dark October night in 1797. The betrayer's -disguise and stealthy nervous gait as though some avenging power were -on his track, are things worth noting. Why was he in such dread of -assassination before he unfolded his story to Downshire? Surely he -must have been conscious of having earned, for a long time before, -the penalty of 'Ormond steel.'[155] This, according to Dr. Conlan's -sworn testimony, was a specially familiar dogma with Teeling and -Turner when organising treason in Ulster. The visit to Downshire -was clearly prompted by greed. This peer had got the name of having -secret service money at his disposal. 'Bank notes were offered to -me,' observes James Hope, the working weaver of Belfast, 'if I would -implicate Will Tennant, Robert Simms and others, and it was admitted -that the money came from Lord Downshire.' This was probably among the -efforts which were made to induce minor conspirators to give evidence -publicly against their leaders, of whose treason the Crown had private -knowledge through Turner.[156] McDougall's 'Sketches of Irish Political -Characters,' published in 1799, says of Lord Downshire (p. 20): 'His -political conduct agrees very well with his motto, _Ne tentes, aut -perfice_; he supports administration with all his might.' Downshire's -visitor knew, therefore, that this peer, if he liked, could make good -terms with Pitt. Much of the melodramatic character of the scene -appears to have been designed to move Downshire. 'He saw Mr. Pitt' says -Froude, 'who consented that "the person's" services should be accepted.' - -The Cabinet, we are told, was kept in ignorance of his name. But -Pelham, the Irish Secretary previous to Castlereagh, seems to have -known something of him already, for, as we learn, 'Pelham, when in -London, made large offers to Lord Downshire's friend.'[157] That -information had been given by Downshire's visitor prior to the -interview of October 1797, I cannot doubt.[158] Mr. Froude, describing -Lord Edward's visit to Hoche on the Swiss frontier,[159] writes: 'Hoche -himself had not revealed it even to Tone, but Lord Edward was known to -be intimate with Macnevin. He had been watched in London, and traced -to the lodgings of _a suspected agent of the French Directory_.' -Downshire's visitor, it will be remembered, had interviews with Lord -Edward in London. - -When the betrayer threw back his disguise, Downshire, we are told, -recognised him at once. This, I suspect, was not the first time that -a communication reached Downshire from the same source. Dr. Madden -quotes from the 'Northern Star' of September 16, 1796, a sensational -account of the arrest at Belfast of Russell, Neilson, Sampson, and many -others, and how the whole garrison, with its artillery, took part in -the stirring scene, and it appears that Downshire helped to direct the -proceedings. That day Neilson and Russell surrendered to his lordship, -and Tone in his 'Diary' deplores the arrest as the heaviest blow which -could fall on their cause.[160] - -The name of the French agent in London is not mentioned by Mr. Froude. -It is M. Jägerhorn, described by Reinhard, the French Minister at -Hamburg, as 'that estimable Swede;' and concerning whom there is -a mass of matter, often purposely misleading, in the Castlereagh -Correspondence. Macnevin's memorial to the French Directory was -betrayed to England in the summer of 1797. M. Jägerhorn was sent -by France to treat with the Irish Directory. His mission, however, -transpired, and means were taken to prevent him going farther than -London, whereupon Lord Edward Fitzgerald was deputed to cross to -England, and there confer with Jägerhorn. - -Turner's _fracas_ with the terrorist commander-in-chief, Carhampton, -was supposed to have caused his retirement to Hamburg. But that scene, -with its dialogue, may have been purely theatrical.[161] - -In June 1797 Turner attends several meetings of the Ulster delegates in -Dublin.[162] There it was that the 'prudence or the cowardice' of the -Papist leaders in Dublin, as he says, disgusted him.[163] Why should -the notorious Turner be allowed to go on to Dublin, and Jägerhorn be -refused? - -Samuel Turner saw a good deal of Lord Edward and Jägerhorn in London. -We find traces of this knowledge in Mr. Froude's notes of 'the -person's' interview with Downshire--how he called Lord Edward 'Fitz' -and had confidential talk with him in Harley Street. The spy tells -Downshire soon after that Reinhard begged him to stay at Hamburg, 'as -the only mode in which I could serve my country and the republic. I -instantly acquiesced, and told him I had arranged matters with Lord -Edward Fitzgerald in London for that purpose.' - -Turner played his cards so well, and personated an ardent patriot so -completely, that the suspicions of his fidelity which Reinhard[164] -expressed on May 31 are found removed soon after. Dr. Macnevin, of -Dublin, a chief in the Executive Directory, was now coming to Paris to -ask French aid. Reinhard reports progress to De la Croix:-- - - Hamburg: 25 Messidor [July 12]. - - While Mr. Lewins has suffered me to lose all traces of his journey, - and Mr. Furnes[165] is gone to write to him, M. Jägerhorn has - returned from London, and a new Irish deputation has called upon - me. All the efforts of M. Jägerhorn having failed against the - obstinacy with which the Duke of Portland refused him a passport - for proceeding to Dublin, he determined to call Lord Fitzgerald - to London. The latter came upon pretext of accommodating his - sister. The authenticity of the mission of Mr. Lewins was verified; - important details respecting the state of Ireland were given; it - was ascertained that there was no derangement in the plan, and in - the resources of the united patriots. It is unnecessary for me to - give you a circumstantial account of the information brought by - Mr. F., since he enters fully into that which Mr. Macnevin has - just given. The latter came surrounded by all the motives for - confidence, and he did not leave Dublin till the 27th of June: his - intelligence is of the latest date, and from the very source. The - reports of Mr. Macnevin, who goes here by the name of Williams, - and who would wish to appear always under that name, as Mr. Lewins - under that of Thompson, appear to me to throw great light upon all - that the Government can have an interest to know. Mr. Macnevin has - been secretary of the executive committee, and all that he says - proves him to be a man thoroughly acquainted with the ensemble - of facts and combinations. In annexing to this despatch the - Memorial[166] which he delivered to me, I shall add what I have - reason to think of importance in his conference. - - My first care was to clear up what the papers seized at Belfast - said concerning a change made by the provincial committee in the - organisation of the executive committee. It results from the - answers of Mr. Macnevin, conjointly with those of _Mr. Furnes, that - it was of dilatoriness and indecision that several members of the - committee were accused_; that the northern province, feeling its - oppression and its strength, was impatient to break forth,[167] - while the committee strove to defer any explosion till the arrival - of the French, and declined giving a full explanation of its - relations with France; that, nevertheless, after the change of - the committee, meetings were held in Dublin and in the North, at - which it was resolved to wait; that the clandestine visitation of - several depôts of arms, where the powder was found damp and the - muskets rusty, contributed a good deal to that resolution; and that - the desire for the assistance of the French had in consequence - become more general than ever. It was, however, decided that a - rising should take place when the prisoners were set at liberty. - Macnevin and Lord Fitzgerald are of the moderate party. Furnes is - for a speedy explosion; and it is some imprudences into which his - ardent character has hurried him, that have obliged him to leave - the country[168]; whereas, the conduct of Mr. Macnevin has been so - circumspect,[169] that there is nothing to oppose his return. - -Reinhard's despatch is continued at very great length, and those who -care to read it should consult the 'Castlereagh Papers' (i. 282-6). -He thus ends: 'I have just received a memorial in which M. Jägerhorn -gives me an account of his journey. I will send it to you by the next -courier. That estimable Swede has again manifested great devotedness -to the cause of liberty.' - -By some marvellous sleight-of-hand Jägerhorn's secret report found -its way to Whitehall, instead of to Paris, and may be read in the -memoirs of Lord Castlereagh.[170] Two years later, the Swede will again -be found tracked from Hamburg to London, and arrested on Portland's -warrant. - -Mr. Froude's allusion to the facilities of command exercised by 'the -person' over Lady Fitzgerald's letter-bag, the hints he gave Downshire -how secret letters from Hamburg were sealed and addressed, and how -they might be intercepted, read, and then passed on,[171] are only -those gleams of light that shine dimly in dark places, but enough, with -present knowledge, to discern a good deal. - -It will be remembered that Downshire's visitor, in his list of men -marked out for doom, gave prominence to Dr. Macnevin, 'a Physician who -had great weight with the Papists.' 'He (the betrayer) had discovered,' -writes Froude, 'that the object of the Papists was the ruin and -destruction of the country, and the establishment of a tyranny worse -than that which was complained of.' - -The famous memorial of Dr. Macnevin, embracing a full report on the -state of Ireland, and appealing to France for help, was written at -this time.[172] On arrival at Hamburg he entrusted it to Reinhard, -the French minister there, by whom--as we learn from the 'Cornwallis -Papers'--it was translated and forwarded to Paris. Mr. Froude thinks -its betrayal to the English Cabinet a very remarkable circumstance, and -the more strange because 'no suspicion has been suggested of Macnevin's -treachery.' A hidden hand contrived to pass on to Pitt this document -destined to become historic.[173] - -Wickham, writing to Castlereagh on August 15, 1798, states that the -rebel executive committee directed Dr. Macnevin to proceed to Paris -by the way of Hamburg; that the principal objects of his journey were -to give additional weight and credit to the mission of Lewins, and to -confirm the information that had already been transmitted.[174] Again -the reader may be reminded that Lewins and Turner were rival envoys. -Each is found constantly trying to circumvent the other. Turner, -therefore, had a special object in foiling and intercepting Macnevin's -memorial. - -Reinhard, in the betrayed despatch of July 12, 1797, tells De la Croix, -at Paris, that every confidence might be reposed in Lewins. Lewins' -usual post was at Paris, just as Turner's was at Hamburg, but both -passed to and fro. Of Lewins, Reinhard takes care to say that Macnevin - - not only attested that he possesses, and deserves, the utmost - confidence, but that he is designated a minister at Paris in case - of success. Mr. Macnevin wished much that his memorial should be - communicated to him.[175] - -If it was Turner's interest to intercept Reinhard's letter establishing -confidence in Lewins, it was still more his interest to keep back from -Lewins a document which, while vindicating his name, would protect it -from further attack; and this the 'Memorial' of Macnevin was designed -to do. - -Camden had now ceased to be Viceroy and was succeeded by -Cornwallis.[176] The latter co-operates with the Home Secretary in -screening from publicity the name of their informer. The report of the -Secret Committee was now in progress. Cornwallis, writing to Portland, -says:-- - - The same reason may not operate against the production of Dr. - Macnevin's memoir, which might be supposed to have fallen into our - hands by various other means, and which, from its being produced, - without connection with the other papers, might not create any - alarm in the quarter where it is so necessary that the most - implicit confidence in our prudence and secrecy should be preserved. - - Your Grace will of course be aware that no account will be given, - even to the Secret Committee, of the means by which these papers - came into the hands of Government.[177] - -Portland duly acknowledged Lord Cornwallis's despatch, - - in which you represent the advantages which might result from - laying before the Committees of Secrecy of the two Houses of - Parliament in Ireland the whole, or at least a part, of the very - secret and authentic documents relating to the conspiracy in that - kingdom, which I had the King's permission from time to time to - transmit to the late Lord-Lieutenant [Lord Camden]. I lost no - time in acquainting his Majesty's confidential servants with your - Excellency's sentiments upon this very important and delicate - question; and I am now to inform you that, after its having - repeatedly undergone the most serious investigation and discussion, - the result of our unanimous opinion is, that the communication - of the whole of those papers cannot on any account, or in any - situation of the country, be suffered to be made to a parliamentary - committee, under whatever qualification or conditions it may be - appointed, consistently with that secrecy which in certain cases - the honour and safety of the State require to be observed. - - We agree, however, for the reasons you have stated, that the same - objection does not exist to the production of the greater part of - Dr. Macnevin's memoir, and I have therefore had an extract made of - such parts of it as it appears to us may be laid before the public - without inconvenience.... - - To prevent as much as possible any occasion being given which can - tend to a discovery of the channels by which this intelligence has - been obtained, I most earnestly recommend to your Excellency to do - your utmost in procuring that the facts which are stated from it - may not stand in the report of the committees in the exact order in - which they are given here, but that they may be mixed with other - information which has been derived from other sources.[178] - -The precautions taken to screen the betrayer were certainly very -complete. Castlereagh tells Wickham (July 30, 1798):-- - - His Excellency authorised me to read the correspondence and - memorial once over to the committee of the Commons, with a strict - injunction that no person should note a single fact; and I can - truly state that the individuals on that committee are altogether - in the dark as to the manner in which that intelligence was - obtained, and, from the mode in which it was gone through, can - only have a very general impression of its contents. The same - precaution was used in the Lords; and, I trust, although the Duke - of Portland's despatch to his Excellency does not altogether - sanction what has been done, yet that his Grace and the Ministers, - who have so wisely enjoined the greatest precaution to be observed - in the use to be made of that most interesting and important - correspondence, will be of opinion that the guarded manner in which - the Lord-Lieutenant made the communication to the committees, not - authorising the smallest extracts to be made, or any of the facts - to be relied on in their report, without being fully authorised by - his Excellency, will preclude any danger to the State from this - valuable channel of intelligence being in any degree brought into - suspicion.[179] - -In June 1798 Lord Edward was dead. The Sheares's had been executed. -Macnevin, O'Connor, T. Addis Emmet, and Sampson lay in prison in -Dublin. Blood flowed on every side. The city was like a shambles. The -State prisoners, on the understanding that executions should cease, and -that they might be allowed to leave Ireland, consented to reveal, but -without implicating individuals, the scheme of the United Irishmen. A -prolonged secret inquisition by the Secret Committee took place. As -soon as their evidence appeared, Macnevin and his fellow-prisoners -complained, by a public advertisement, that the Crown officials who -drew up the report of the Secret Committee had garbled the facts and -distorted their evidence. Into all this it is not necessary now to go, -but it may be observed that, while everything inconvenient was left -out, an innuendo was made that the betrayal of Dr. Macnevin's memoir -may have been due to Reinhard, the French Minister. This--apart from -M. Mignet's testimony to the incorruptibility of Reinhard--serves to -exculpate him, and narrows the spot on which suspicion now rests. -Reinhard, in his letter to De la Croix, thinks it strange that Turner -had never spoken to him about certain revelations made by 'the Secret -Committee of the Parliament of Ireland;'[180] but the reason now seems -intelligible enough. - -Macnevin published his 'Pieces of Irish History'[181] at New York in -1807, and notices the betrayal of the memorial which he had addressed -to the French Government. Up to that time, and until his death in -1840, he does not seem to suspect Turner. Had any such doubt occurred -to him, he would have been the first to avow it. At p. 146 of his -book Macnevin inveighs against a 'profligate informer,' 'a ruffian of -the name of Reynolds;' but Reynolds' treachery was confined to the -arrests at Bond's in Dublin, and did not take place until March 1798. -Ten pages further on Macnevin speaks of the 'unparalleled fidelity of -the United Irish Body.' Dr. Macnevin was struck by the knowledge the -Government had acquired of the 'negotiations of the United Irishmen -with foreign States,' and, he adds, 'at this time one of the deputies -[_i.e._ himself] had personal evidence of its extent and accuracy. That -knowledge was obtained from some person in the pay of England and in -the confidence of France.' And Dr. Macnevin then proceeds to point to -REINHARD by name! - -This is just what the officials of the Home Office wished for all -along. Wickham, referring to the publication of Macnevin's memorial by -the Secret Committee of the House of Lords, writes: 'It may fairly be -presumed that the copy has been obtained at [the Foreign Office] Paris, -or from R.'s [Reinhard's] secretary at Hamburg. _This conjecture will -be at least as probable as the real one._'[182] - -One circumstance struck Macnevin as 'confirmation strong' of his dark -suspicion. Reinhard, as he tells us, made difficulties about giving him -a passport to Paris. A most important despatch from Reinhard to De la -Croix thus concludes:-- - - What I must particularly urge, Citizen Minister, in regard to this - business, is, at least, that you will have the goodness to direct - me as to Mr. Macnevin. I will not give another passport without - your order.[183] - -This letter--possibly written at Lady Edward Fitzgerald's house at -Hamburg, and put into her post-bag--was treacherously betrayed to Pitt. -When De la Croix remained ominously silent in response to the above -appeal, is it surprising that Reinhard should have made difficulties -and delays in giving Macnevin a passport?[184] - -Macnevin's groundless distrust of Reinhard naturally influenced the -views of a most painstaking investigator. Dr. Madden, who, when -he at last saw, in the 'Castlereagh Papers,' Reinhard's letters -to De la Croix, regarded the circumstance as damning proof of his -treachery.[185] Subsequently Mignet, the great French historian and -keeper of the ministerial archives at Paris, who had ample official -means of knowing the character and acts of both Reinhard and De la -Croix, assured Madden in writing that both men were incorruptible. This -may be taken as conclusive, for, unlike Turner, there is not a line -in any English State Paper tending to compromise Reinhard or De la -Croix.[186] - -For the act of betrayal we must therefore look to Samuel Turner, agent -at Hamburg of the United Irish Brotherhood; the man who had access to -the most secret papers in Lady Fitzgerald's house, and who, we learn, -'was admitted to close and secret conversations upon the prospect of -French interference in Ireland with Reinhard.' This, in fact, was -the grand proof submitted by Downshire's visitor to show that he was -in a position to spy to advantage--a fact sufficient in itself to -demonstrate that Reinhard was himself no spy. - -Dr. Madden's suspicion of Reinhard was doubtless strengthened by a -passage which for a long time puzzled myself, and occurs in Wickham's -letter to Castlereagh of June 8, 1798. Wickham speaks of 'information -confirmed by a person at Hamburg, who must necessarily have derived -his intelligence from a very different source, and who could not -but be ignorant of that from which R. had procured all that he has -communicated to us.' The name thus masked is not Reinhard, but -Richardson--an alias for Turner, as proved at p. 48 _ante_. - -One thing greatly complicated this puzzle as regards 'R.' Wickham, -in a subsequent letter, dated July 25, 1798, speaks of 'R.'--meaning -not Richardson, but Reinhard, as the context shows.[187] But these -blanks are due to the noble editor of the 'Castlereagh Papers,' -the late Lord Londonderry; and in cloaking the name Richardson--it -inadvertently peeps out in one place, like 'Capel' instead of 'Catesby' -in 'Lothair'--he doubtless thought that it was a real name. - -On February 18, 1798, Lord Moira addressed the House of Lords in favour -of Catholic Emancipation, which, he declared, must be granted, as -well as Parliamentary Reform. 'The greatest evil to be feared from it -sinks to nothing compared to the mischief which is raging at present. -The expression of a conciliatory desire on your part would suspend -immediately the agitation of the public mind.' - -Mr. Froude says that the members of Council knew more than Lord -Moira--'if he really believed his words;' and he adds that they must -have found it hard 'to sit patient under his flatulent declamation.' -How much Turner's tattle had excited the Cabinet, and aroused lasting -prejudice against a statesman not less able than estimable, appears -from the historian's words: 'At that moment the Council were weighing -intelligence from the friend at Hamburg, so serious that they had -all but resolved on an immediate arrest of the entire Revolutionary -Committee.' - -Reinhard tells De la Croix, on July 12, 1797, that while 'Lord Edward -Fitzgerald and Macnevin[188] were of the moderate party, Turner was -for a speedy explosion.'[189] Turner was co-operating in a very base -policy, one which unscrupulous statesmen are said to have planned. -During the examination of Macnevin before the Secret Committee, Lord -Castlereagh confessed that 'means were taken to make the United Irish -system explode.' The policy of exciting a premature explosion before -Ireland had been organised peeps forth in the Report of the Secret -Committee of the Irish Parliament: 'The rebellion [we are told] -would not have broken out so soon as it did, had it not been for the -well-timed measures adopted by Government.' - -Turner's policy changed according as the policy of his employers -changed. In March 1798 the rebel Directory at Dublin were seized -as they sat in council at Oliver Bond's. Soon after, three out of -thirty-two counties rose; and to crush that partial revolt cost England -twenty-two millions of pounds and twenty thousand men. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[140] _Castlereagh_, i. 282-292. - -[141] _Ibid._, General Index, iv. 504. - -[142] Further on will be seen Portland's caution to Castlereagh as to -the means to be taken by the Secret Committee of the Irish Parliament -in order to divert suspicion from their spy. - -[143] The letter, of which this is an extract, appears in the -_Castlereagh Papers_ (i. 275-6). It was the interest of the spy that -this letter should not be seen at the Foreign Office, Paris. It could -do him no harm in the eyes of Pitt. A second intercepted letter from -Reinhard states that consistently with his duties he sent Samuel -Turner [of Hamburg] to General Hoche (see _Castlereagh_, i. 285). -Tone mentions in his diary that Hoche one day 'seemed struck when I -mentioned Hamburg, and asked me again was I going hither. "Well then," -said he, "perhaps we may find something for you to do there. There is a -person there whom perhaps you may see."' Tone muses, 'Who is my lover -that I am to see at Hamburg, in God's name?' (_Diary_, ii. 341.) His -diary is relinquished, however, just as he gets there, and his death in -an Irish prison occurred soon after. - -[144] _English in Ireland_, iii. 278. - -[145] _Ibid._ iii. 284. - -[146] Irish Record Office. - -[147] Judgment Registry, Four Courts, Dublin, No. 302. - -[148] Tone's _Life_ (i. 128) describes how, before leaving for America -in 1795, he swore to his friends who surrounded him on Cave Hill never -to desist from his efforts until Ireland was free. - -[149] This is quite Turner's style. - -[150] Froude, iii. 176. The original objects of the Society of United -Irishmen were parliamentary reform and Roman Catholic emancipation. - -[151] _Ante_, p. 25. - -[152] The Rev. Arthur McCartney, vicar of Belfast, stated that he had -never heard of a Committee of Assassination existing in Belfast with -the cognizance or sanction of the leaders of the United Irishmen. - -[153] Froude's _English in Ireland_, iii. 175. - -[154] The following memorandum, though of no political import, is -useful as an authentic record of facts:-- - -'1791, February 13. Samuel Turner and Jacob Turner his father, both -of Turner's Hill, co. Armagh, Esquires, to John McVeagh of Lurgan. -Conveyance of Premises in Lurgan. - -'1794, October 8. Samuel Turner of Newry, and Jane Turner, late of -Lurgan, now of Newry, to Thompson and others. Premises in Lurgan. - -The Teelings, with whom Turner claims to be intimate, came from -Lurgan.' See Webb's _Irish Biography_. - -[155] See Conlan's sworn information, Appendix. - -[156] James Hope to the late Mr. Hugh McCall, of Lisburn. See Webb's -_Irish Biography_ for an appreciative notice of Hope. - -[157] Froude's _English in Ireland_, iii. 290. - -[158] There were informers from the first, but not to the extent -suggested; nor can it be fairly said that they were men 'deepest in the -secret.' 'This and similar information,' writes Mr. Froude, 'came in to -them (the Government) from a hundred quarters' (p. 177). 'They had an -army of informers' (p. 174). The historian here writes of the year '96, -and rather overrates the extent of the treachery. Dr. Macnevin, writing -in 1807, says that the secrets of the United Irishmen were kept with -wonderful fidelity. Their society existed from 1791; it was not until -1798, when ropes were round their necks, that Reynolds and McGuckin -proved false; and the same remark applies to most of the others. - -[159] As regards Pelham's correspondent in 1796, and Downshire's in -1797, does Mr. Froude mistake, for two distinct betrayers, the one -Informer? His striking scenes, his dramatic situations, his fine -painting and accessories, remind me of a stage where the movements of -a few men convey the idea of an advancing 'army.' That 'Downshire's -friend' had been previously known as an informer is proved by a letter -from the Viceroy Camden to Portland, dated December 9, 1797. - -[160] _Lives and Times of the United Irishmen_, iv. 22. - -[161] _Ante_, p. 11. - -[162] Appendix No. 1 to Report of the Secret Committee of the House of -Commons, 1798. - -[163] See _ante_, p. 2; Froude, iii. 279. - -[164] The French minister at Hamburg. - -[165] The noble editor of the _Castlereagh Papers_ says that this name -is an alias for Samuel Turner. - -[166] Mr. Froude errs in stating (iii. 260) that Macnevin himself -carried the Memorial to Paris. - -[167] All this is exactly what Downshire's visitor told him (see chap. -i.). - -[168] His challenge to the commander-in-chief, Lord Carhampton, was -among the 'imprudences.' - -[169] Instead of the words 'circumspect' and 'moderate,' 'prudence' and -'cowardice' are applied to Macnevin's party by Turner (_vide_ chap. i.). - -[170] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 286-8. - -[171] Among the letters headed 'Secret Information from Hamburg,' -in the _Castlereagh Papers_, is one making allusion to the writer's -previous communications with Downshire, whom he mentions by name, and -stating that certain letters to Charles Rankin, of Belfast, were 'to be -sealed with a particular seal I have for the purpose.'--_Ibid._ i. 234. - -[172] Mr. Lecky says, what previous writers do not, that Macnevin wrote -the memorial _at_ Hamburg. - -[173] Other intercepted letters addressed to the French Minister of War -will appear later on. These unanswered appeals were well calculated -to damp the ardour of the Irish refugees; but they tried to keep the -machine of conspiracy moving--despite the subtle insertion of so many -hidden obstacles tending to clog and destroy it. - -[174] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 271. - -[175] _Ibid._ i. 284. - -[176] How this appointment came about, see Appendix. - -[177] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 228. - -[178] _Ibid._ i. 251. - -[179] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 246-7. - -[180] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 275-6. - -[181] Allibone erroneously assigns (p. 558) the authorship of this book -to Thomas Addis Emmet. - -[182] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 237. - -[183] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 281-6. - -[184] Reinhard seems to have complained to the French Directory that -his letters to De la Croix were not answered. The last intercepted -letters are dated July 1797; and on the 15th of the same month -Talleyrand was appointed to succeed De la Croix, who had been unjustly -suspected. De la Croix survived until 1805, when he died at Bordeaux, -mortified by the desertion of some old friends. - -[185] _Lives and Times of the United Irishmen_, ii. 290. - -[186] Arthur O'Connor, at all times distrustful, seems to have -suspected the upright Macnevin. They were never quite cordial -afterwards, and it is certain that in 1804, when both served in the -Irish Legion, a duel very nearly took place between them. - -[187] See _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 237. - -[188] After 1798 Macnevin migrated to America, where he filled several -important medical posts, and published numerous books. He survived -until July 1841. - -[189] _Castlereagh_, i. 283. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -GENERAL NAPPER TANDY - - -An old and very influential French newspaper, 'Le Journal des Débats,' -published, on February 29, 1884, an article descriptive of the pleasure -with which its writer had heard sung a touching but simple Irish lyric, -'La Cocarde Verte,' commemorative of the career of General Napper -Tandy. It had been sung, he said, at Paris, by an English girl, who -threw into its simple lines a power most entrancing. The melody and -the words continued to haunt him at all hours,[190] and, some months -later, we learn, found him in London, seeking information, but in -vain, regarding Napper Tandy and the song. During a subsequent tour to -the 'Giant's Causeway,' his inquiries were not much more successful. -'J'avouai que nos histoires de France ne nous parlent pas de Napper -Tandy, et je quittai Portrush sans être absolument satisfait.' - -When French history is silent as regards Tandy, and remote inquirers -appear so much interested about him, the present chapter may not have -been written in vain. - -The arrest by British agencies of Tandy and others within the neutral -territory of Hamburg and contrary to the law of nations was baldly -denied for some time.[191] A similar tone was taken by official -authority as regards the subsequent surrender of Tandy to England; but -how true was the story, and with what striking circumstances fraught, -will presently appear. - -Soon after the departure of Humbert's expedition for Ireland, Tandy, -now a general in the French service, accompanied by a large staff, -including Corbet and Blackwell, sailed from Dunkirk in the French ship -'Anacreon,' having on board a store of ordnance, arms, ammunition, -saddles, and accoutrements. He effected a landing on the coast of -Donegal, but, learning that Humbert, after having beaten Lake at -Castlebar, had met with reverses and surrendered to Cornwallis, -he abandoned the enterprise and re-embarked. It is told in the -'Castlereagh Papers' that the 'Anacreon,' when attacked by an English -cruiser, gave battle near the Orkneys, and that 'Tandy had put two -twelve-pound shot in his pockets, previous to leaping overboard in the -event of striking to the English ship.'[192] - -An interesting memoir of Colonel Blackwell, who died in 1809, appears -in Walter Cox's 'Irish Magazine' for that year. William Murphy, an -old '98 man, and afterwards the well-known millionaire, said that Cox -played fast and loose, betraying his own party and the Government -alternately. Cox begins by saying that 'few occurrences excited a -stronger or more universal sensation than the treacherous arrest -at Hamburg, in 1798, of Blackwell, Morres, Tandy and Corbet.' Cox -describes Blackwell's perilous descent with Tandy on the Irish coast, -and states that, when passing through Hamburg going back to France, the -secret of his arrival and that of his comrades 'was betrayed to the -British envoy, Crawford, by two pensioned spies of England, _Turner_ -and Duckett.'[193] - -Cox was a shrewd man; but when suspicion is once raised it is apt to -extend beyond due limits. He was right as regards Turner; he wronged -Duckett. His impression of at least the first was probably derived from -Blackwell himself, for Cox acknowledges that some of the facts 'the -writer of this sketch received from the mouth of Colonel Blackwell.' - -General Corbet privately printed at Paris, in 1807, strictures on the -conduct of the Senate of Hamburg for having handed him over to the -British minister. Appended to this _brochure_ is a letter written by -Tandy some days before his death, giving an account of his arrest. 'The -original,' writes Corbet, 'is in my possession.' - - I arrived in Hamburg on the evening of the 22nd of November, 1798 - [writes Tandy], and the next day I went with M. Corbet to visit the - French minister and the Consul General Lagan to obtain passports to - Paris. I passed the day with the consul general and prepared for my - departure, which was to have taken place the following day. I was - invited to sup the same evening by Messrs. T---- and D----, in a - house where Blackwell, Corbet, and Morres supped also; we remained - there till midnight, and at four o'clock went to our hotel. Towards - morning I was awakened by armed men rushing into my chamber. - -Cox jumped at the conclusion that the names thus cautiously initialled -by Corbet, are Turner and Duckett.[194] A coming chapter will vindicate -Duckett; and I am bound to conclude that this man, if he really joined -the supper party, had been duped by the plausibility of Turner. Turner -and Duckett have been previously shown as on friendly terms.[195] - -The accuracy of the information by which Crawford, the British minister -at Hamburg, was able to effect his _coup_ excited general surprise. -According to the 'Castlereagh Papers' tidings reached him that Tandy -and others were lodged at an inn in Hamburg called the 'American -Arms,' and on November 24, 1798, soon after five o'clock A.M., this -minister, accompanied by a guard, entered the house. Early as it was, -Napper Tandy was found writing. The officer demanded his passport. -Thereupon Tandy, with composure, said he would produce it, and going -to his trunk he took out a pistol, which presenting, he said: 'This is -my passport.' The officer grappled with him, and the guard rushing in -secured Tandy. 'He and his associates were put in irons, and confined -by order of Sir James Crawford.'[196] - -And now for a short digression ere finishing the story of Tandy's woes. - -People were puzzled to know how the complicated intrigue which achieved -his capture--contrary to the law of nations--could have been completed -in a few hours. There can be little doubt that Turner--whom Cox broadly -charges with the betrayal, by furnishing information to Crawford -had ample notice of their coming.[197] Besides Turner's personal -acquaintance with Tandy, official ties of brotherhood had arisen -between them, and nothing was more natural than the invitation to sup. - -A letter headed 'Secret Information from Hamburg,' and bearing -date August 16, 1798, has found its way into Lord Castlereagh's -correspondence.[198] The writer, clearly Turner, is found back at -Hamburg after one of his periodic visits to Paris, where, with his -usual _audace_, he claimed to be an accredited envoy of the United -Irishmen, and sought to discredit the mission of Lewins. - -Before Tandy had left Paris for Dunkirk, where the 'Anacreon' was being -equipped for Ireland, he had some unpleasant differences with Lewins -and Wolfe Tone.[199] This afforded prospect of a golden harvest for our -spy. Tone had long avoided Turner; Lewins repudiated his pretensions. -Our spy now 'sided' with Tandy's party, and intrigued to such purpose -that he seems to have got himself appointed _locum tenens_ of the -general. In this affair Muir and Madgett, with honest motives, bore a -part. Muir, a distinguished Scotch advocate, had attached himself to -the republican interest, and was tried for sedition.[200] Madgett--an -old Irish refugee--held a post in the Foreign Office in Paris, and will -be remembered by readers of Tone's Diary as in constant communication -with him. It is needless to quote in full the anonymous letter of our -spy. It will be found in the 'Castlereagh Papers,' vol. i. pp. 306-9. -The men noticed in it, McMahon and O'Coigly, McCann and Lowry, had -been old allies of Turner's; and 'Casey, brother to the priest,' Tone, -Tandy, Lewins, Teeling, Orr of Derry, McCormack, all figure in the -original information conveyed to Lord Downshire. - -The letter begins by saying that 'Tandy, having quarrelled with Lewins -and Tone, called a meeting of United Irishmen, at which a division -took place; the numbers pretty equal.' Tandy's rupture with Lewins was -quite enough to make Turner take Tandy's side. Dating from Hamburg, and -believing that the real 'minister of the interior' was a good cook, he -writes:-- - - A General Creevy, who goes with the great expedition [to Ireland], - called on me one day at Paris and stayed dinner. Muir and Madgett - were of the party. It was for the purpose of inquiring into Tone's - character, which we gave him. Madgett and Muir swore me into the - Secret Committee for managing the affairs of Ireland and Scotland - in Tandy's place: there are only we three of the committee. - -He then proceeds to describe his visit to the Hague, and the -information he acquired there. It may be asked if any evidence exists -that Samuel Turner left his usual quarters at Hamburg and was in Paris -at this time, and afterwards at the Hague. On p. 409 of the same volume -of Castlereagh, Turner is described by name as in Paris on business -connected with the United Irishmen, and that from thence he repaired to -the Hague. Here he was consulted, as he stated, by General Joubert on -various points, including the 'safest places for debarkation.' The West -coast, he tells Wickham, 'seemed to be the most eligible, from Derry -to Galway.' In the letter to Talleyrand[201] the West coast is also -suggested as the best point to invade.[202] The spy, after alluding to -the 'contrivances of Lewins,' who 'strives to prevent any person doing -anything with the (French) Government but himself,' reports Duckett as -a most active rebel. He makes this statement in a paper meant for the -private perusal of Portland[203] and Wickham. Thus it would appear that -Blackwell and Cox wronged Duckett in accusing him of informing against -Tandy. To Duckett, a man hitherto maligned, it is necessary in justice -to return. - -Lord Edward had died in Newgate June 4, 1798. The departure of -his widow from Dublin and return to Hamburg are announced in the -'Evening Post' of August 16, ensuing. Our spy, as the 'friend' of -the dead Geraldine, welcoming Pamela back and tendering sympathy and -consolation, would be a good subject for a picture. Mr. Froude tells -us that the great power wielded by this seeming exile of Erin lay in -his intimacy with Lady Edward Fitzgerald at Hamburg. Morres had been -sojourning here previous to Tandy's arrival, and, like Turner, received -hospitality at her hands. 'Lord Downshire's friend,' who we are told -had access to her house and post-bag, could not fail to know Morres -well. It will be remembered that Dr. Madden blows hot and cold on -Reinhard, the French minister at Hamburg, and suggests that he may have -betrayed to Pitt his correspondence with De la Croix; but Reinhard had -now been succeeded by a new man; and if further exculpation[204] of -Reinhard were needed after the testimony of Mignet, it is found in the -fact that the correspondence of his successor was also tampered with. -The letter of 'Lord Downshire's friend,' in which he proposes to become -a spy, mentions, as a striking proof of his power, that he had full -access to the _bureau_ of the French resident at Hamburg: M. Maragan -now filled this post. A letter addressed by him to Talleyrand may be -found in the 'Castlereagh Papers.' - - Most Secret. Hambourg, 29 Brumaire. - - M. Harvey Montmorency Morres,[205] of Kivesallen, in Ireland, - has called upon me, on the part of the interesting Lady Edward - Fitzgerald: he has been outlawed, and fears that he is not - safe at Hamburg. He was an intimate friend of the late Lord E. - Fitzgerald's; he has, therefore, acquired a right to the kindness - of the widow, and it is on this ground alone that she has allowed - herself to express it. Mr. Morres was the leader of the numerous - corps of United Irishmen: he is utterly ruined in consequence of - his attachment to the cause of liberty. He wishes to go to France, - where he has important matters to communicate. He is expecting from - day to day an officer, who has commanded some expedition, and he - hopes to make the journey with him.[206] - -This was Tandy, as a succeeding letter explains. Tandy and Morres were -seized at the same moment, and doubtless on the same whisper. Hamburg -encouraged an impression that Russia prompted this arrest; but, unless -on the hypothesis that Pitt had the Senate of Hamburg in his pay, it -is hard to understand how orders were sent to effect arrests there, -just as if it were on British territory. Mr. Secretary Elliot was a -member of the family which some months previously received the peerage -of Minto in acknowledgment of diplomatic service. This official, -writing to Lord Castlereagh, says: 'I learn from Mr. Hammond, Canning's -colleague [in the Foreign Office], that Napper Tandy is suspected to -be at Hamburg, and instructions have been sent to our resident there -to apprehend him.'[207] Thus Crawford must have heard in advance of -Tandy's coming, and taken his steps accordingly. Of course he at once -acquainted the head of his department; and hence the remark of Mr. -Elliot.[208] Some historians convey that Tandy, after his ill-fated -expedition to Ireland, returned direct from Donegal to Hamburg, _en -route_ for France. The words of the editor of the 'Cornwallis Papers' -are that 'he returned _immediately to France_.' But these accounts -are most misleading. Tandy did not get back to France until after his -liberation in 1802, and instead of the few days which might be supposed -to intervene between the departure from Donegal and arrival at Hamburg, -it was nearer to two months. Dreading renewed trouble with the English -cruisers, Tandy gave orders to steer for Norway. All landed at Bergen, -and after suffering many vicissitudes sought to reach France by land. -The cold became so intense that, as Corbet notes, people were found -frozen to death at the gate of Hamburg. Weary and footsore, Tandy -arrived here at twilight on November 22, 1798. Hungry for Irish news, -he readily embraced Turner's invitation to sup.[209] - -This meeting between Tandy and the man whose 'wearing of the -Green'[210] had forced to fly his native land may have been in the -thoughts of the rebel bard when writing the rude ballad which, -a century later, so excited the querist in the 'Journal des -Débats:--'[211] - - 'I met with Napper Tandy, and he took me by the hand, - And he said 'How's poor old Ireland, and how does she stand?' - ''Tis the most distressful country, for it's plainly to be seen - They are hanging men and women for the wearing of the Green.' - -It was no isolated secret that Turner had acquired and disclosed. -General Corbet, speaking of Morres, Tandy and Blackwall, gives an -interesting account of their subsequent imprisonment at Hamburg, and -how successive plans to effect their escape became marvellously foiled. -'I lost myself in vain conjectures,' he writes. 'It was not until a -long time after that I learned the infamous treason of which I was the -victim. I was very far from suspecting the author.' And then, in a -foot-note, he indicates him with great caution, dreading the penalty of -an action for libel. - - A man [he writes] residing at Hamburg, who had all my confidence, - and that of my three companions in misfortune, was at this precise - time sold to England, and was one of Crawford's numerous agents. - He was informed of all our projects, and communicated them to this - minister. This man is now [1807] actually in London,[212] and - pensioned by the Government.[213] - -It is strange that Corbet was able to anticipate by half a century the -revelation made in the 'Cornwallis Papers,' that a secret pension had -been given to Turner for information in Ninety-eight. But his privately -printed _brochure_ may indeed be styled a sealed book. - -Some hours after the arrest Maragan, the French resident, wrote to the -Senate at Hamburg claiming Tandy and his colleagues as French citizens, -and threatening to leave the Hague unless they were released. Crawford -opposed the demand in terms equally strong, and, needless to say, -carried his point. The French _chargé d'affaires_, observing Tandy's -critical state of health, offered a large sum to the officer of the -guard to permit his escape, but the superior influence of Crawford -overrode all obstacles. - -The letter of Tandy, from which an extract has already been made, -states that after his arrest one hundred louis d'or were taken from him -and never returned. His sufferings in prison he describes as so severe -that life became well nigh insupportable, and more than once he prayed -to be led out on the ramparts and shot. - -John Philpot Curran gives us some idea of what these sufferings were:-- - - He was confined in a dungeon little larger than a grave; he was - loaded with irons; he was chained by an iron that communicated from - his arm to his leg, and that so short as to grind into his flesh. - Food was cut into shapeless lumps, and flung to him by his keepers - as he lay on the ground, as if he had been a beast; he had no bed - to lie on, not even straw to coil himself up in if he could have - slept. - -The details given by Corbet of their detention are hardly less painful. -At last he and Morres were removed to a new prison. - - What had happened to me [he writes] would have naturally - discouraged and prevented me from making any new attempts; - nevertheless, I managed to correspond with my two companions in - misfortune; and we all three stood so well with our guards, the - greater number of whom we had gained, that we resolved to arm - ourselves and place ourselves at their head, to deliver Tandy, - who was in another prison, and after to repair to the house of - the French ambassador. Our measures were so well taken that we - hoped this time at least to recover our liberty in spite of the - impediments which fortune might put in our way. But _the same - traitor_ who had formerly deranged my plan discovered all to the - English minister, Crawford, who immediately gave orders that our - guards should be changed, and even that those of the different - posts of Hamburg should be doubled, which continued even to our - departure. Such was the result of the last struggle we made to - obtain our liberty at Hamburg. - -These incidents occurred at a time when wagers had been laid that -the days of French power were numbered. England, Austria and Russia -prepared to form an alliance. Suvarov, repulsing the French arms in -Italy, had entered on French territory; the Archduke Charles advanced -on the Rhine, and the Duke of York was in full march on Amsterdam. -Hamburg felt that the time had come when England might be truckled -to, and France slighted. At midnight on September 29, 1799, after -ten months' detention, Tandy and his companions were torn from the -sanctuary they had sought and put on board an English frigate which had -cast anchor at Cuxhaven. - -Their departure was marked by a curious incident, which General Corbet -thus notices in describing his arrest and extradition:-- - - In open sea, and half a league before us, an English frigate laden - with gold, and on the way to Hamburg, was suddenly wrecked and only - one sailor saved. What was the use of this? Was it to purchase - additional mercenaries against France? Was it the price of that - treachery of which the Hamburghers were just guilty? Happy would - the Continent be if all the gold leaving England for such purposes - had been buried in the sea![214] - -Corbet, describing his arrest in the first instance, says that he asked -the soldiers by what authority they acted. 'They appeared not to be -ignorant that we were French officers; they answered that they should -fulfil the orders of the minister of England.'[215] - -For a time France sought to stifle its wrath; but at last it was -resolved that the conduct of Hamburg should be denounced to all -States, allied and neutral; that all French consular officers quit -the offending territory; and that every agent of Hamburg residing in -France should leave in twenty-four hours. The Senate of Hamburg now -became penitential, and wrote to say so. 'Your letter, gentlemen,' -replied Napoleon, 'does not justify you. You have violated the laws of -hospitality, a thing which never happened among the most savage hordes -of the desert.' - -A deputation from the Senate arrived at the Tuileries to make public -apology to Napoleon. He again testified his indignation, and when the -envoys pleaded national weakness he said: 'Well, and had you not the -resource of weak states: was it not in your power to let them escape?' -In reply it was urged that such negligence would have irritated rather -than appeased the Powers. Napoleon laid a fine of four millions and a -half on Hamburg. This sum, it is naïvely remarked by Bourrienne, his -secretary, mollified him considerably, and helped to pay Josephine's -debts. - -An interesting account of the arrival in England of Tandy and his -companions appears in the 'Courier,' a leading London paper, of October -31, 1799.[216] A military _cortège_ accompanied them from Sittingbourne -to Rochester, and thence over Blackfriars Bridge, up Ludgate Hill, to -Newgate. - - Had Buonaparte and his staff been sent here by Sir Sydney Smith, - they could not have excited more curiosity [records the 'Courier']. - A vast concourse of people was gathered at the landing place, who - attended the prisoners and their escort to the garrison gates, - where a new concourse was assembled, and so from stage to stage to - the end of the journey, everybody, old and young, male and female, - was anxious to get a peep at this wonderful man, now become, from - the happy perseverance of Ministers, a new bone of contention among - the powers of Europe. - - Napper Tandy is a large big-boned muscular man, but much broken - and emaciated. His hair is quite white from age, cut close behind - into his neck, and he appears much enervated. This is indeed very - natural, if it be considered that he is near seventy years of age, - and has just suffered a long and rigorous confinement, his mind the - constant prey of the most painful suspense. He wore a large friar's - hat, a long silk black grey coat, and military boots, which had a - very _outré_ effect. - - Blackwell and Morres seem to be about five and thirty. They are - two tall handsome-looking men, wore military dresses, and have - a very soldierlike appearance. The former is a man of a very - enterprising genius, about the middle size, apparently not more - than four or five and twenty, and has much the look of a foreigner. - -Morres had not accompanied Tandy in his expedition to Ireland; and it -may be asked on what grounds he was placed in irons, and made to share -with the ill-starred general all the rigours of a tedious imprisonment. -While Morres indignantly protested against this persecution, he little -thought that a document, seriously compromising him, and penned by -his own hand, had been given up to the Crown officials. This was a -memorial which, on his arrival at Hamburg as an Irish refugee, he had -written, in Lady Edward's house most probably, and addressed to the -French Minister at Paris. It was intercepted as usual, and may now -be consulted in the 'Castlereagh Papers.' Colonel Hervey Montmorency -Morres tells Bruix how he had been intrusted by Lord Edward with -the direction of the intended attack upon Dublin, and especially as -regarded the magazine and batteries in the Phœnix Park; how after the -death of Lord Edward he escaped from Dublin, and remained concealed -until the arrival of Humbert at Killala, when he assembled the men of -West Meath to aid the invading army; but upon the surrender of Humbert -he disbanded his followers, and, being pursued by the King's troops, -made his way to England, and thence to Hamburg on October 7, 1798. In -conclusion he implored the protection of France for himself and his -family.[217] - -After Tandy and Morres had been removed to Ireland, they were placed -at the bar of the King's Bench, when the Attorney General prayed that -sentence of death should be passed upon them. Historians curtly tell -that the prosecution broke down on a point of law; but this explanation -does not quite satisfy. The prisoners pleaded that they were arrested -abroad by the King's command, and were thereby prevented from -surrendering themselves for trial before the day limited by the Act of -Attainder for doing so. The case was argued for days. Tandy's legal -position was shown to be this: 'Why did you not surrender and become -amenable to justice? Because I was in chains. Why did you not come over -to Ireland? Because I was a prisoner in Hamburg. Why did you not do -something tantamount to a surrender? Because I was unpractised in the -language of the strangers, who could not be my protectors, inasmuch -as they were also my fellow-sufferers.' Counsel argued that when the -Crown seized Tandy at Hamburg it thereby made him amenable, and so -satisfied the law. Lord Kilwarden, a most humane judge, ruled that -Tandy should be discharged.[218] But their triumph was short-lived. -Tandy was transferred to Lifford, Donegal, previous to being tried in -the district where two years before he had made a hostile descent from -France. In Lifford gaol Tandy lay for seven months, during which time -great efforts were made to ensure the conviction of so formidable a -character; and April 7, 1801, was at last fixed for his trial. Several -applications to postpone it were refused by the court, and divers law -arguments and objections overruled. - -The compact with Turner that he should never be asked to brave public -odium by appearing as an approver, was of course respected; but it -would seem that he was now brought over to Ireland for the purpose of -assisting the law officers in their difficult and delicate task. That -the quondam spy at Hamburg was in Ireland at this very time, though -soon after he is back again in Hamburg, can be shown. The Registry of -Deeds Office, Dublin, records that on February 25, 1801, Samuel Turner, -vaguely described as 'of the United Kingdom of Great Britain,' executed -to George Lysaght a conveyance of lands in Clare. In society he was -well trusted, unless by a few who kept their thoughts to themselves; -and at this same time also he became the trustee of the marriage -settlement of John Wolcot[219] and Dorothy Mary Lyons. One can hardly -realise this man, whose more fitting post would be a funeral feast, -presiding at a bridal breakfast and wishing joy and long life to his -friends. His trip to Ireland 'killed two birds with one stone,' for -the Book of Secret Service Money expenditure reveals that on July 8, -1801, 71_l._ 13_s._ 3_d._ is paid 'per _Mr. Turner_ to Chapman in -Cork for one year and eleven weeks, at one guinea.' Chapman I suspect -to have been a minor agent employed by Turner to ferret out evidence -against Morres and the Corbets (both Cork men), and in connection with -the prosecution of Tandy.[220] The 'one year and eleven weeks' would -cover the time that Tandy and his companions, after their removal from -Hamburg, lay in an Irish gaol awaiting their trial. - -Tandy, finding the evidence against him overwhelming, admitted the -accuracy of the indictment, and was sentenced to die on the fourth of -the ensuing May. In this course he was doubtless influenced by his -son, with whom, as will be seen, McNally, the debauched legal adviser -of the rebels, could do what he liked.[221] Meanwhile Napoleon, on -his return from Egypt, claimed him as a French general, and held an -English prisoner of equal rank a hostage for his safety. It was now -not so clear that Pitt had a legal claim to the life of a man who wore -the uniform of a French officer, and had come into his hands under -circumstances the most peculiar. - -As regards Blackwell, the fellow-prisoner of Tandy, Portland, -writing to Cornwallis, speaks of having been importuned by Mrs. -Blackwell's family, whom he describes as 'of considerable influence -in Somersetshire,' and imagines that 'there is no intention of -inflicting any punishment on Mr. Blackwell.'[222] Soon after we find -Blackwell[223] discharged, but, unlike Morres, he proudly refused to -give bail. Morres after an imprisonment of more than three years -regained his liberty on December 10, 1801. Tandy, less fortunate, was -removed to Wicklow gaol, and his son asserts that while there the -French minister in London signified that Buonaparte had sent directions -to his brother Joseph not to sign the treaty of peace 'at Amiens' till -Tandy was restored. M. Otto had in fact, as Bourrienne states,[224] -previously negotiated with Lord Hawkesbury for his release. Mr. -Froude says that 'Tandy was spared as too contemptible to be worth -punishing.'[225] This hardly conveys a true idea of the facts. A pardon -was at last made out for him on condition of banishment to Botany -Bay. To this proviso his son demurred; but, as Mr. Marsden, the Under -Secretary at Dublin Castle, assured him, 'all that was required was -merely the name of _transportation_, in order to strike terror into -others; and that he would pledge his honour, if he acquiesced, that his -father should be landed wherever he pleased, that it might appear to -the world as if he made his escape at sea.'[226] - -Tandy arrived at Bordeaux on March 14, 1802. Bonaparte's treaty with -England was signed on the 27th of the same month. Military honours -hailed Tandy. Bordeaux was illuminated, and he was promoted to the rank -of a general of division. But in the midst of this jubilee the old -rebel read with horror a speech of Pelham's in Parliament stating that -'Tandy owed his life to the useful information and discoveries he had -given to the British Government.' He addressed a letter to Pelham, now -a peer, branding the statement as mean, audacious, and false. 'This may -appear uncouth language to a courtly ear,' he added; 'but it is the -voice of truth. I never had any connection or correspondence with your -Government, and if I had, they knew my character too well to attempt -to tamper with me. Had you contented yourself with saying, "there -were particular circumstances in my case," you would have adhered to -the truth, for you know the whole, though you have let out only a -part!' Tandy thus concluded: 'I am, my Lord, with the same sentiments -which I have uniformly cherished and supported, a friend to universal -benevolence, and an enemy to those only who raise their fortunes on -their country's ruin!' - -Pelham probably confounded Napper Tandy with James Tandy, from whom -information had been given to his confidant, McNally, and by 'Mac' -conveyed to Dublin Castle. Napper told his son all, not thinking it -would transpire. His feelings had been roused by the imputation, and in -a letter to the 'Argus' he gave them fuller vent. 'Had discoveries been -proposed to me, I should have rejected, with scorn and indignation, a -baseness which my soul abhorred.... I had made up my mind for death in -a cause which no mode of execution could stamp disgrace upon. It would -have been death in the cause of freedom and of my country--a cause -which would have converted the scaffold into an altar, the sufferer -into a victim!' - -Mr. Elliot, who, I think, afterwards succeeded his brother as Lord St. -Germans, echoed in Parliament the taunt cast by Pelham, and spoke of -'Tandy's ignorance and insignificant birth.'[227] Tandy, addressing -Elliot, said:-- - - The illiberal attack which you have made upon me in your speech - of the 24th of November last, in the British House of Commons, - is the cause of my troubling you with this. My '_ignorance and - insignificance_,' which you have painted in such glowing colours, - ought, with a man of sense, to have been my protection; but you - have proved yourself as deficient in this, as in point of good - manners, which is the true criterion of a gentleman. - - You cannot, sir, but know (for you pretend to be a man of - information) that I hold a high rank in the army of this great and - generous nation, which places me upon a footing with the proudest - peer of your island. You know, also, that the honour of a soldier - is dearer to him than life; yet, with these facts before you, you - have dared to traduce my character, and have attempted to affix a - stigma to my name which nothing can now wipe out but the blood of - one of us. _A French officer must not be insulted with impunity_, - and you, as well as the country which gave me birth, and that which - has adopted me, shall find that I will preserve the honour of my - station. I, therefore, demand of you to name some town on the - Continent where you will be found, accompanied by your friend and - your pistols--giving me sufficient time to leave this, and arrive - at the place appointed. - - NAPPER TANDY, General of Division. - Bourdeaux, December 12, 1802. - -Eight weeks elapsed. Elliot failed to reply, and Tandy, in accordance -with the fashion of the day, proclaimed him 'a calumniator, a liar, and -a poltroon!' This fierce climax was preceded by a more temperate tone. - - The question in debate [he said, when Elliot assailed him] was for - laying a tax on Great Britain, in which I, as a French citizen, - could not possibly be implicated, and, therefore, it is evident - that I was wantonly dragged in for the sole purpose of calumny and - abuse. Such conduct was unmanly, as no brave man would attack a - defenceless person, much less an absent one. - -Ignorant of the source to which his betrayal was due, it did not -occur to Tandy that the speeches of Elliot and others may have aimed -at diverting suspicion from their real informant. Tandy, in reply, -advanced merely the suspicion that the charge of being an informer was -fulminated to excite the jealousy and disgust of his adopted country -France, which, unlike America, had opened her arms to afford him -protection.[228] - -The wearing worry of Tandy's later life had sapped his strength, -and left him sensitively open to hostile shafts, which his conduct -provoked. His vanity was commensurate with his patriotism, and in -his stoutest day was easily wounded. He gradually sank, and died -at Bordeaux in 1803. 'His private character,' writes Barrington, -'furnished no ground to doubt the integrity of his public one.' He -died, as he had lived, a staunch Protestant.[229] - -Much has been written of the wonderful escape from Kilmainham Gaol -of Corbet, afterwards a general in the French service, and one of -the prisoners captured with Tandy at Hamburg, and thence removed to -Dublin. Miss Edgeworth was so much struck by this romantic escape, that -she made it the leading incident of her best novel. But, considering -the subtle international difficulties that had arisen, and with the -suggestion of Under-Secretary Marsden before us, it is a question how -far Corbet's escape may not have been connived at by Castlereagh. - -The sermon which Napoleon preached to the Hamburg deputies on their -infringement of the law of nations was in the mouths of his admirers -for years after; but it lost in impressiveness by his own violation -of the neutral territory of Baden, when, on the night of March 17, -1804, he sent a strong guard to seize and carry off to France the -Duc d'Enghien. After a hasty trial by court-martial, and on unproven -charges of conspiracy, he was cruelly put to death in the Castle of -Vincennes. In the heated discussions to which this outrage gave rise, -Buonaparte more than once quoted the case of Tandy, and feebly sought -to find in the past conduct of Hamburg a precedent and justification. - -Thomas Addis Emmet accused him of coldness and indecision as regards -the long threatened invasion of Ireland, because, instead of steering -for Erin in 1798, he changed his plan and went to Egypt. The arrest -of Tandy in Hamburg rekindled Napoleon's hostile feeling, and -shortly after the death of that general he resolved to carry out -comprehensively his oft-mooted design. - -The 'Correspondence of Napoleon'[230] contains a letter to Berthier, -dated September 27, 1804. He says that an expedition to Ireland had -been decided upon; that 18,000 men for that purpose were ready at -Brest; that a simultaneous landing was to be attempted in Kent; while -in Ireland the French army would march straight on Dublin. Meanwhile -200,000 men were encamped at Boulogne; but hostile plans collapsed -with the smash of the French fleet at Trafalgar. A few weeks later the -so-called 'Army of England' traversed the banks of the blue Danube -instead of the Thames. General Mack capitulated at Ulm; Francis of -Austria fled, and Napoleon's legions entered Vienna. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[190] The words of the French writer will be found at p. 78, _infra_. - -[191] The _London Courier_ of September 14, 1799, displays the -following translation of a letter addressed to a Paris journal: -'Citizens,--_The Redacteur_ has said, and many other Journalists -have repeated it, that Napper Tandy had been given up by the Senate -of Hamburg. I declare to you, Citizens, that not a word is said of -this in any letters received in any of the Banking houses in Paris, -nor in those which I myself have received. I hasten to give you this -information, because the Public ought never to be _deceived_. - - (Signed) 'DANIEL C. MEYER, - 'Consul General from Hamburgh.' - -[192] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 405. The letter, of which this is a -bit, was written by a spy who contrived to accompany Tandy as a sort -of aide-de-camp, and was on board the 'Anacreon' during the voyage. -Wickham divulges merely his initial, 'O,' but the reader will find his -name and career successfully traced in the Appendix. - -[193] Cox's _Irish Magazine_, January 1809, pp. 32-4. - -[194] It will be shown, later on, that an Irish spy named 'Durnin' -resided at Hamburg. - -[195] See letter to Talleyrand, _ante_, p. 27. Some persons supposed -that because Duckett lived at Hamburg like Turner, he used that great -gangway to France for espionage. In the _Castlereagh Papers_ (ii. 6) -Duckett is described as 'Secretary to Léonard Bourdon.' Bourdon is -noticed in the _Nouvelle Biog. Génèrale_, was 'l'agent du Directoire à -Hambourg, d'où il fit partir les émigrés.' - -[196] Sir James Crawford, British minister at Hamburg from 1798 to -1803. Crawford afterwards filled a similar post at Copenhagen, where -Reynolds, the Kildare informer, is also found acting as British consul. -Reynolds's betrayals were long subsequent to those of Turner, and of -a wholly different sort. His evidence was given in court publicly. -The editor of the _Cornwallis Papers_ states that Crawford died on -July 9, 1839; but Mr. Ross confounds him with an utterly different -man. The _Black Book_, published in 1820, records (p. 31) a pension of -1000_l._ 'continued to the family of Sir James Crawford, late minister -at Copenhagen, dead.' The 'most exhaustive' works of biographical -reference omit Sir James Crawford, a remarkable man, and one who played -an important part in European history; and a letter of mine in _Notes -and Queries_, asking for facts about him, failed to elicit a reply. - -[197] _Infra_, p. 79. - -[198] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 306-9. - -[199] Why Tone's _Diary_, as published, does not once name Turner, may -be due to the uncertainty as to whether Turner was alive in 1826, and -perhaps Tone's son, from motives of prudence, cut out some allusions -to him. Tone died in a Dublin prison on November 19, 1798, three days -before the arrest of Tandy. Tone and Turner were closely associated in -their studies, distinctions, and political pursuits. Turner entered -Trinity College, Dublin, on July 2, 1780; Tone entered on February 19, -1780. Turner was called to the Bar in 1788; Tone in 1789. - -[200] Muir's trial took place on August 30, 1793. He was transported -to New South Wales, from which he escaped by American agency. After a -series of great sufferings he arrived at Paris in February 1798, but -died on September 27 that year from the effect of the hardships he had -endured. The papers of the Home Office show that in 1793 Muir came to -Dublin to confer with the United Irishmen, and on January 11 in that -year was elected one of the brotherhood. _Vide_ also _Life of Thomas -Muir_, Advocate, by P. Mackenzie (Simpkin, 1831). - -[201] _Ante_, pp. 25-9. - -[202] A man whom he found in consultation with Joubert, planning the -invasion of Ireland with a map of it before them, he describes in this -and subsequent letters as O'Herne. Students of the _Castlereagh Papers_ -have been unable to identify this man; but it is clear that the O'Herne -who figures in them was no other than Ahearne, so often mentioned by -Tone in his _Diary_. The letter to Wickham mentions General Daendels -as a co-conspirator with O'Herne. In Tone's _Diary_ we read (p. 460): -'Received a letter from General Daendels, desiring me to send on Aherne -to him, without loss of time, to be employed on a secret mission.' - -[203] The writer mentions his election in Tandy's place as proof of -his unsleeping vigilance and increased power to betray. Portland, -instead of seeing that the man thus ready to take a false oath would -not scruple to say anything, was so struck by the importance of the -letter that he sent a copy of it to Dublin for the guidance of Lord -Castlereagh. Here was a man, as Curran once said of an approver, -'willing to steep the Evangelists in blood.' Turner, in a previous -letter (_ante_, p. 28), glibly writes: 'I attest the business on oath.' - -[204] _Vide ante_, p. 68 _et seq._ - -[205] Harvey Morres, of the ennobled family of Frankfort (b. 1767), had -been in the Austrian service previous to joining the Irish rebellion; -married, in 1802, the widow of Dr. Esmonde who was hanged in '98. He -subsequently gained the rank of a French colonel, and died in 1839. - -[206] _Castlereagh Papers_, ii. 96. - -[207] _Ibid._ i. 405. - -[208] Tandy had borne a part in every Irish national movement from -November 1783, when the Volunteer Convention met. He was a most -determined man and a firm believer in artillery, a brigade of which he -commanded in Dublin, with the words 'Free Trade or ----' inscribed on -the breeches of the guns. The procession of Volunteer delegates from -the Royal Exchange to the Rotunda was announced by the discharge of -twenty-one cannon. - -[209] It is doubtful whether the supper formed part of the plan for the -arrest. All arrangements with that design had been already organised. -_In vino veritas_; and the effect of the supper was, of course, an -increased knowledge and command of the conspiracy, with proportionate -profit to the spy. For such suppers he had a special _gusto_. 'I supped -last night with Valence, who mentioned having introduced Lord Edward, -&c., &c.' See letter to Lord Downshire, p. 4 _ante_. - -[210] See Carhampton's command to Turner, when at Newry, to remove his -green neckcloth, p. 11, _ante_. Reinhard, writing to De la Croix, says -that these 'imprudences' compelled Turner to leave Ireland. - -[211] These are his words: 'Pauvre de forme et bien simple de style, -mais d'une puissance d'autant plus entraînante, surtout sous le charme -d'une voix qui jetait toute l'intensité de la passion Anglaise dans les -accens de douleur et de colère, toujours un peu vagues et flottans, de -la fantaisie celtique. L'air et les paroles ne me sortaient point de -l'oreille; et, comme toute impression d'ensemble se concentre toujours -sur un détail unique, il y avait surtout une strophe étrange qui me -hantait.' - -[212] The London _Post-Office Directory_, eighty years ago and later, -gave the names of those only who were engaged in trade. But Holden's -_Triennial Directory_ for 1808 includes the name 'Samuel Turner, -Esq. 21, Upper Wimpole Street.' The name disappears from the Dublin -Directory about the same time. - -[213] _The Conduct of the Senate at Hamburg revealed_, by William -Corbet (Paris, 1807). The number of copies privately printed was small; -the pamphlet is very scarce, and obtains no place in the Halliday -Collection, R.I.A. - -[214] Corbet's _Narrative_. (Paris, 1807.) General Corbet did not live -to see the day when the recovery of such treasure was regarded as -feasible. In 1889 appeared the prospectus of the Aboukir Bay Company -for recovering the treasure sunk in the 'L'Orient,' destroyed by Nelson -at the Nile. - -[215] _Ibid._ - -[216] File in possession of the writer. The British Museum, so rich in -other respects, does not embrace the _Courier_ for 1798-9. - -[217] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, ii. 94-6. - -[218] Howell's _State Trials_, xxvii. 1194-1243. - -[219] John Wolcot is a rare name. All have heard of John Wolcot, well -known as 'Peter Pindar,' the merciless assailant of George the Third. - -[220] The intercepted memorial from Morres to the French Government, -preserved in the _Castlereagh Papers_ (ii. 96), urges: 'In case of -future attempts on Ireland on the part of France, the province of -Munster, which abounds in good havens, and whose men are the best -republicans in Ireland, is the point to be looked to.' The capture of -Cork is proposed, i. 295. - -[221] See Appendix, 'James Tandy.' - -[222] _Cornwallis Papers_, iii. 284. - -[223] See memoir of Blackwell in Cox's _Irish Magazine of Neglected -Biography_ for 1811, p. 32. - -[224] _Life of Napoleon._ - -[225] _English in Ireland_, iii. 488. - -[226] _Appeal to the Public_, by James Tandy (Dublin, 1807), p. 108, -2nd ed. Halliday Pamphlets, vol. 915, R.I.A. - -[227] This is probably the same Mr. Elliot (see _ante_, p. 77) who -states that instructions had been sent to have Tandy arrested on the -neutral ground of Hamburg. Elliot, who applied the term 'insignificant' -to Tandy, must have read the informer's letter (since published in -the _Castlereagh Papers_, pp. 405-9), where Tandy is described, among -other contemptuous epithets, as 'insignificant'! Elliot is styled in -the _Castlereagh Papers_, 'Military Secretary to Lord Cornwallis, the -Viceroy.' 'Cornwallis Elliot' is a favourite name in the St. Germans -family. Tandy addresses his assailant merely as 'Mr. Elliot.' The -Elliots formed a powerful diplomatic _coterie_. - -[228] Elliot, writing to Lord Castlereagh, says: 'The Americans -absolutely refuse to admit the Irish traitors into their territories' -(_Castlereagh Papers_, i. 405, 411, 413, 415, 421). This is the -letter which refers to the contemplated arrest of Tandy at the Hague, -and in it he further says: 'I have begged Pelham to come to London -immediately.' Succeeding letters describe Elliot and Pelham closeted -together at various places. - -[229] The Society of United Irishmen had no treasonable design when -first formed, as the following letter admitting the O'Conor Don would -almost in itself convey. - -Tandy writes to Charles O'Connor from Dublin, December 8, 1791:-- - - 'Sir,--I have to acknowledge the favour of your very polite letter, - and to assure you that I had particular pleasure in seconding the - motion for the admission of Mr. O'Conor into the Society of United - Irishmen--and that no exertion of mine shall be wanting to compleat - the emancipation of my country, give her a free and general - representation, and render to every man what I conceive to be his - just and undoubted rights, security for his liberty and property, - and a participation in the blessings of that land where Nature has - placed him. - -(O'Conor Don MSS.) Parliamentary Reform and Catholic Emancipation were -the two objects sought; and it was only when both demands had been -spurned by the Irish Parliament that the organisation drifted into -deeper plans. Some recollections of Tandy's expedition to Ireland will -be found in the Appendix. - -[230] Bingham's _Correspondence of Napoleon_, ii. 96. (Chapman and -Hall, 1884.) - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -ARREST OF JÄGERHORN IN LONDON--THE PLOT THICKENS--TURNER SHOT THROUGH -THE HEAD - - -In 1799, Turner's stealthy steps can be traced once more in London. It -will be remembered that Lord Edward Fitzgerald had met, by appointment -near Whitechapel, M. Jägerhorn, a secret envoy of France, and gave -him, in full detail, information regarding every point on which that -agent had been charged to inquire. Jägerhorn was 'the estimable Swede' -named by Reinhard, the French minister at Hamburg, when writing the -intercepted letter. This document, dated July 12, the editor of the -'Castlereagh Papers' assigns to the year 1798;[231] but as Lord Edward -was dead at that time,[232] it must belong to the previous year. Other -secret missives were sent to Dublin at the same time by the Home -Office, in order to guide the course of the Irish Government. These -papers, filling forty pages of the book,[233] were the result of a -successful stroke of espionage at Hamburg. - -M. Jägerhorn is of course the person alluded to by Mr. Froude when -describing the nocturnal visit to Lord Downshire. 'He [Lord Edward] -had been watched in London, and had been traced to the lodgings of a -suspected agent of the French Directory, and among other papers which -had been forwarded by spies to the Government, there was one in French -containing an allusion to some female friend of Lady Edward, through -whom a correspondence was maintained between Ireland and Paris.' - -Hamburg was Turner's usual residence, and Jägerhorn had an estate near -that place.[234] - -Although the case of M. Jägerhorn is opened in the first volume of the -'Castlereagh Papers,' and misplaced among the incidents of another -year, we do not find until far in the second the letters addressed to -him in 1797 by General Valence and Lord Edward. In 1799 Jägerhorn had -sought to renew his perilous enterprise. The same keen scent which -traced Lord Edward, in 1797, to the lodgings of the confidential envoy -in London, was once more on his track. Wickham, writing from the Home -Office on March 28, 1799, has news for Castlereagh in Dublin: 'I have -the satisfaction to inform your lordship that we have secured M. -Jägerhorn, who was coming over here on a mission similar to that which -he undertook some two years since, when he met Lord Edward Fitzgerald -in London.' - -A full report is given of Jägerhorn's examination, in which he is -asked: 'Were you not charged to deliver to Lord Edward Fitzgerald a -letter from somebody?' and he replied, 'Madame Matthiessen.' This was -the lady, nearly connected with Lady Edward, and alluded to by Mr. -Froude as a name found in secret papers. He is further questioned -about Lord Edward, Lady Lucy, General Valence, and a number of other -persons whose names had cropped up in the interview between Turner and -Downshire; but, though the queries were searching, and Jägerhorn now -seemed completely in Pitt's power, nothing material was wrung from him. -England and Russia were at this time allied, and Jägerhorn, pretending -that he had a pension of 2,000 roubles as a spy of Russia, rather -dumb-foundered his examiners, and he at last regained his liberty. All -this is to be found, with full details, in the 'Correspondence of Lord -Castlereagh.' - -The paltry sum which Turner received for his services now comes to -be considered. This man, who had every facility of access to Lady -Edward's house at Hamburg and its rebel _entourage_, held the key of a -position so incalculably important that he never himself discerned -its marketable value. Thousands would doubtless just as readily have -been paid to him as 'the cool 500_l._' that he modestly asked. 'To get -the information had cost him,' he said, 'three times that sum, and to -keep up the acquaintances and connections he had at Hamburg he could -not live on less.' 'Small profits and quick returns' seems to have been -his motto. - -'Fresh evidence of the person's power to be useful,' writes Froude, -'made Pitt extremely anxious to secure his permanent help.' The -Cornwallis papers record, but without any attempt to identify him, that -the pension Samuel Turner received--dating from 1800--was but 300_l._ -a year. Wellington when Irish Secretary addressed to Portland a letter -in which a present payment of 5,000_l._, and 'not more than 20,000_l._ -within the year,' appears guaranteed to one nameless informer.[235] - -Another case may be cited. A document placed in my hands by Sir W. -Cope, Bart., records that his grandfather was told by Under-Secretary -Cooke to stop at no sum, not even 100,000_l._, in urging Reynolds to -turn approver. Reynolds, not realising the importance of his evidence, -consented to take 5,000_l._ and 1,000_l._ a year, with the post of -British consul. The tergiversation of Reynolds did not take place until -1798, long after Turner had sold the pass. - -The services of 'Downshire's friend' were more timely and, perhaps, -more valuable. He told what he knew in 1797: the names he gave of the -Executive Committee (p. 7, _ante_) proved more important than might -appear at first sight. Reynolds, it is true, gave the hint that a -Committee would be found sitting at Bond's on March 12, 1798, but he -does not seem to have disclosed names; his son says that the names were -inserted in the warrant purely 'on speculation.'[236] - -As regards the more distinct whisper of Turner, the betrayal of the -Belfast Directory, at the very hour that Tone was leaving Brest with -a French fleet, proved in itself a paralysing blow, and one worth its -weight in gold. But the arm that dealt it struck from behind unseen. -However, as most of the information that Downshire's friend gave -concerned the Northern organisation, he may, perhaps, be credited with -this exploit. The loss of Ulster was the loss of the right arm of the -rebellion. Turner made his disclosures on October 8, 1797. Besides -the list of the Executive Directory, there can be no doubt that in -the information which followed he named, with others, John Hughes of -Belfast, the date and place of whose arrest tally with the presumption -that to Turner it was due. The 'History of Belfast' records: 'October -20, 1797--John Hughes, bookseller, having been apprehended _in -Newry_[237] on a charge of high treason, was brought in here escorted -by a party of light dragoons.'[238] Mr. Froude says that 'Downshire's -friend' kept him informed of everything.[239] - -How well Turner knew Hughes is proved by the sworn testimony of the -latter,[240] in which he describes a breakfast in June 1797, with -Samuel Turner, Teeling, Macnevin, etc., when the fitness of the country -for an immediate rising was debated. Hughes had been a great patriot -previously, but now to save himself became a mercenary informer, and -even sought to criminate Grattan, who thereupon was dismissed from the -Privy Council, though, as Stanhope[241] admits, without just cause. -There had been no more zealous propagandist of the rebellion than -Hughes, and he names a long list of men whom he himself had sworn in -on a prayer-book. In 1802 John Hughes retired to the United States and -became a slave-owner. - -Wickham's letter of June 8, 1798, enumerated, for the information -of Lord Castlereagh, a number of men whose arrests in England seem -consequent on the information furnished by Downshire's visitor. These -names include McGuckin, the attorney, who had been concerned for -O'Coigly at Maidstone. The subsequent career of this once determined -rebel, but who soon after his arrest in 1798 became a spy for the -Crown, enhances the importance of Turner's information at a great -crisis. The first recorded payment to McGuckin of secret service money -is March 5, 1799.[242] His son migrated to France, and was created a -baron by Louis Philippe. - -The peril of assassination which shadowed every step made by Turner -was not adequately weighed by Pitt when estimating the value of his -services. The risk he ran was not confined to Ireland. The life of an -English spy abroad was deemed equally unsafe, and there is much reason -to fear that more than one met with short shrift. Even a successful -diplomat, if his subtlety touched French interests, could not regard -his life as safe. The disappearance of Benjamin Bathurst, a kinsman -of Earl Bathurst, has never been explained. Bathurst was sent on a -secret mission to Vienna, at the time that England before opening the -Peninsular campaign sought to persuade Austria to declare, by way of a -distraction, war against France. Austria soon after crossed the French -frontier, and Bathurst received hints of threatened personal doom. -Hoping to avoid assassination, he took a northerly route in returning -to England, and on reaching Perleberg in Brandenburg, he visited, in -his agitation, the commandant of cuirassiers, requesting that sentries -might mount guard at the inn where he stopped. These were supplied, -and Bathurst spent the day in writing and destroying letters. Shortly -before his carriage came to the door in the dark of a November evening, -he told some troopers who escorted him that they might withdraw. While -all the household was on the alert to see him off, he walked beyond the -circle of the lantern glare, and was lost to sight at the heads of the -horses. This occurred on November 25, 1809, and Bathurst was never seen -or heard of more, notwithstanding that, as we are reminded by Baring -Gould, England offered 2,000_l._ reward, and Prussia 100 Friedrichs -d'or, for the discovery even of his remains. - -To trace the spy with whom these chapters mainly deal seemed, at the -outset, almost as hopeless as to find Bathurst's bones. Of all the -Government informers not one has been more ingeniously guarded from -discovery. Wellington, with all his astuteness, supposed that the fact -of a man's name appearing in the Banishment Act was conclusive evidence -against him of having been a rebel,[243] and therefore disqualified -from claiming any favour from the Crown. But had he known the secret -history of Turner's case, it would have opened his eyes. A Fugitive -Bill was passed in July 1798, enumerating the rebel leaders who had -fled from justice. In this bill we find Samuel Turner named. During -the following year Parliament was asked to lend itself to the fraud of -branding as a traitor the same Samuel Turner, by passing against him -an Act of Attainder. From 1797 he lived abroad, posing as an 'exile of -Erin.'[244] - -The sealed chest in Dublin Castle which was opened a few years ago -contained the only letter I ever saw signed with Turner's name. It -related to his pension, and it was necessary to lay the mask aside -for once. We have already seen him styled Furnes, Richardson, and -especially 'Lord Downshire's friend.'[245] A new name is now adopted -to puzzle posterity. He directs that 500_l._ be lodged to the account -of 'J. Destinger,' and this sum he was to draw through a third party. -Turner's letter is addressed, not to Dublin Castle, but to Cooke in -London, that gentleman having been succeeded, as Under-Secretary for -Ireland, by Mr. Marsden. - - _Rt. Honᵇˡᵉ Mr. Secretary Cooke._[246] - - Hamburg: May 18, 1802. - - Sir,--In consequence of letters I've had the honour of receiving - from Lord Castlereagh and Sir James Craufurd, I take the liberty of - intruding relative to a pension of 300_l._ per annum the Government - has thought proper to bestow on me for information on Irish affairs. - - His lordship states that you have been so kind as to offer to pay - the pension to any person I would name as agent--or in any way I - was to propose. At present there is no person in Ireland I'd like - to trust, and till some mode is adopted, I should be extremely - obliged if you'd take the trouble of lodging in any bank in London - the sum of 500_l._ (British) on account of J. Destinger--the name I - shall draw it under--through Sir Geo. Rumbold.[247] - - Now that the war is over, and it is _supposed_ all persons in my - line are discharged, I make it a point to spend much more money - than heretofore in order to do away any idea of my being employed - and income diminished, and it is for that reason I request your - attention, and beg the honour of a line through Sir George to say - where the draft is to be sent. - - Hoping one day or other to merit your good opinion, I remain, most - respectfully, &c. &c. - - S. TURNER. - -Turner spent money freely, and often when he could ill afford it. He -had a social status to maintain: he was the son of a county magistrate; -had distinguished himself in college; belonged to an honourable -profession. He was the trustee of marriage settlements. He was 'Lord -Downshire's friend!' If he continued to wear his mask well, why might -he not aspire to attain, in America at least, the high official rank of -his late colleague and fellow-prisoner, Thomas Addis Emmet, whom she -at last honoured by a public funeral and a monument raised by national -subscription? - -The 'Dublin Directory' for 1804 describes Samuel Turner's address as 58 -St. Stephen's Green, in that city. The volume must have been compiled -during the previous year, and it may be that the Irish Government, in -1808, removed him to Dublin, with the object of picking the brains -of those who had been concerned in Emmet's rebellion of that year. -Until the very night of its outburst, in July 1808, the existence of a -slumbering volcano had not been suspected. After the vain attempts to -convict and hang Tandy, Turner had returned to his old quarters.[248] - -The Irish Government were wholly unprepared for Emmet's revolt. No -wonder that Wickham, with the experience he had acquired, confessed -amazement that the secret should have been kept so well. - - The Secretary of State cried out with astonishment to think that - such a preparation for revolution could be carried on in the very - bosom of the seat of Government, without discovery, for so long a - time, when any of the party could have made their fortunes by a - disclosure of the plot; and remarked, at the same time, in presence - of Mr. Stafford and the two Mr. Parrots, John and William, that it - was because they were mostly all mechanics, or working people, that - the thing was kept so profound; and said that if the higher orders - of society had been connected, they would divulge the plot for the - sake of gain.[249] - -Turner was at once set in motion: but how? We find him put into the -same gaol with a swarm of State prisoners, many of whom had been active -in 1798. All daily met for exercise in the yard of Kilmainham Gaol, and -had every opportunity for converse. Here Robert Emmet himself had been -confined until the very day of his execution. - -The execution was followed by that of several of his confederates. Let -us look back. Martial law is proclaimed; a dead calm prevails. Turner -is now traced stealthily making his way to the Secretary of State's -Office, Dublin Castle. Anxious to avoid committing himself in writing, -especially with a true signature, he seeks the safer medium of oral -communication. Mr. Marsden cannot be seen; he is engaged just then in -conference with the chief law officer of the Crown. Turner scribbles -the following and sends it in; no signature is attached, but the paper -and enclosure are endorsed, by Marsden, 'Mr. Samuel Turner':-- - - Understanding the Attorney-General is just with you, I take the - liberty of sending in a letter of Mr. Ball, but wish to speak on - other matters. - -Sergeant Ball's letter is dated - - Temple St., October 3, 1803. - - I have looked into the Act of Parliament and considered in what - manner you should proceed in order to do away the effect of the - attainder thereby passed against you. Nothing short of an Act of - Parliament, reversing the former as far as it affects you, will be - sufficient to enable you to sue for your property in our courts - of justice. I think you mentioned that some other plan had been - suggested as sufficient. If you will let me know what it is, I will - give it the most attentive consideration. - -How Marsden and the Attorney-General settled the difficulty, no -correspondence exists to show; but the London 'Courier' of December 5, -1803, most lucidly reveals the facts:-- - - On Friday last, Samuel Turner, Esq., barrister-at-law, was brought - to the bar of the Court of King's Bench, in custody of the keeper - of Kilmainham Prison, under a charge of attainder, passed in the - Irish Parliament, as one concerned in the Rebellion of the year - 1798; but having shown that he was no way concerned therein, that - he had not been in the country for a year and seven months prior - to passing that Act--_i.e._ for thirteen months prior to the - rebellion--and therefore could not be the person alluded to, his - Majesty's Attorney-General confessed the same, and Mr. Turner was - discharged accordingly.[250] - -The 'Dublin Evening Post' of the day states that Turner's arrest was -due simply to his indiscretion in visiting Ireland on business arising -from the death of his father.[251] But as the 'Post' in 1803 had been -subsidised by the Crown, this account was probably meant to mislead. -The Castle archives bulge with the brimful letters of its editor, H. -B. Code. Turner's committal to Kilmainham was only another act in the -great drama, one scene of which Mr. Froude has so powerfully put before -us. 'Samuel Turner, Esquire,' of imposing presence and indomitable -mien, a veteran in 'the cause,' the man who had challenged the -Commander-in-Chief, the envoy to France, the exile of Erin, the friend -of Lord Edward and Pamela, the disinherited by his father, the victim -of State persecution, now stood before his fellow-prisoners the 'Ecce -Homo' of martyrdom, commanding irresistibly their confidence. - -Of his detention in Kilmainham Dr. Madden knows nothing; but he -mentions that Turner accompanied the State prisoners--nineteen in -number--to Fort George in Scotland, the final scene of their captivity. -Here Turner's work was so adroitly performed that we find a man of -incorruptible integrity suspected instead. Arthur O'Connor told John -Patten that Thomas Addis Emmet 'gave information of a letter which -O'Connor was writing, through which means Government became acquainted -with the circumstance.' A long correspondence on the subject has been -published by Madden. Emmet at last challenged O'Connor. Patten,[252] -the brother-in-law of Emmet, was told to bring a certain pair of -duelling pistols to Fort George; but, thanks to the efforts of Robert -Emmet to allay the dispute, the weapons were not used. It was Patten's -impression that Turner's machinations had set the two friends by the -ears. Although O'Connor apologised, and both parties shook hands, it is -painful to add that half a century after, when the upright Emmet had -been more than twenty years dead, O'Connor, in his book 'Monopoly,' -stigmatised him as a man of bad faith. A suspicion more baseless was -never uttered. In this book the name of his fellow-prisoner, Turner, -is not once mentioned. Indeed, the inference is that he thought well -of Turner; for O'Connor, after criticising the Catholic members of the -Directory, declares that he had much greater reliance on the _Northern_ -chiefs. O'Connor, Emmet, Neilson and others were detained at Fort -George until the Peace of Amiens, and then enlarged on condition that -they should expatriate themselves for ever.[253] - -In 1807 Sir Arthur Wellesley, afterwards Duke of Wellington, entered on -his duties as Irish Secretary. A letter, dated Dublin Castle, December -5, 1807, and addressed to the Admiralty, recommends a midshipman in the -navy, Francis Turner, for promotion. 'He is the son of a Mr. Turner in -this country, who has strong claims to the favour of the Government -for the loyalty and zeal with which he conducted himself during the -rebellion in Ireland.'[254] Doubtless the new hand merely wrote in this -letter what the permanent officials prompted.[255] - -Downshire, although a staunch Tory of the old school, uniformly -supported the Catholic claims. This example probably influenced his -_protégé_. O'Connell, while inculcating moral force in his struggle for -civil and religious liberty, was fond of enlisting in his bodyguard -men who in more troubled times had staked their lives and fortunes for -Ireland. He had himself been a 'United Irishman,' as will be shown. The -rebel General Clony presided as chairman at the Catholic Association. -Rowan, Teeling and 'Con' McLoughlin sat at the Council board, or stood -on the National platform. What confidence must not O'Connell have -reposed in the man who, as will appear, avowed himself ready to die for -his chief! - -An aged gentleman, Patrick O'Byrne, who was born at Newry, almost under -the shadow of Turner's patrimonial gable, but who never once doubted -his fidelity to the cause in which O'Byrne himself has been no silent -ally, supplies a fact of sufficiently curious import:-- - - When the Orange ascendancy faction resolved to put O'Connell out of - the way [he writes], and their champion, the unfortunate D'Esterre, - horsewhip in hand, was ostentatiously parading the streets of - Dublin, accompanied by leering friends, to compel O'Connell to - fight him, Mr. Samuel Turner took up his position in a hotel where - it was known D'Esterre would go to seek O'Connell. He had not been - there long before D'Esterre and his staff entered and inquired for - O'Connell. Immediately Mr. Turner advanced and stated that his - friend Mr. O'Connell was not there, but he--Mr. Turner--was there - to represent him. No: they did not want Mr. O'Connell's friend; - the Liberator himself was the object of their search. Mr. Turner, - with the same spirit that he had challenged Lord Carhampton, now - declared that he adopted Mr. O'Connell's words, publicly uttered, - and made himself responsible for his actions. In vain; none but - O'Connell himself would serve their purpose, and Mr. Turner was - denied the opportunity of doing battle for his friend.[256] - -All this time it cannot be said that, although undiscovered, Turner -was still a happy man. The dread spectre of assassination ceased not -to haunt him. 'After long experience of the world,' says Junius, 'I -affirm before God I never knew a rogue who was not unhappy.' Nor was -Turner's presentiment surprising. McSkimmin's History of Carrickfergus, -103-73, in his 'History of Carrickfergus,' states that the pistol and -the dagger were no uncommon means of dealing with informers; and he -supplies a list of men who thus suffered. - -Books which treat of 'Ninety-eight' often mention Byrne of Dundalk. -In 1869 the late Mr. John Mathews of that town gathered from Byrne's -representative, Mr. P. J. Byrne, Clerk of the Crown, several facts, -and, in enclosing them to me, styled his informant 'the highest -authority on the unpublished history of the County.' Two days later -Mr. Byrne was no more. The inquiries I then made had no reference to -Samuel Turner, but some passing notices of this man which occur in the -manuscript are useful in now supplying missing links. Mr. Mathews was -an ardent patriot, and he described, not without emotion, how Turner -died. Regarding him as a rebel true to the end, he writes:-- - - Turner went to the Isle of Man, and having quarrelled there with a - Mr. Boyce, agreed that the dispute should be settled by an appeal - to arms. Both, with their friends, repaired to the field of honour, - and as Turner was preparing for the struggle his adversary shot him - through the head; and [adds Matthews] thus terminated the career - of a man whose only regret was that his life was not lost in the - service of his country.[257] - -Was the vengeance wreaked by Boyce meant as a tardy retribution? Was -the John Boyce, who with five other prisoners was consigned in 1797 -to Carrickfergus Gaol, connected with the Boyce who shot Turner? -What Boyce had against Turner was a secret which died with both. No -proceedings seem to have been taken against the man by whose hand -he fell. And possibly this forbearance was not uninfluenced by the -fact that the Crown had need no longer for their informer's services, -but, on the contrary, gained by his death. Turner was a clever man, -troublesome to deal with, haughty, touchy, and resentful; and, like -Maguan,[258] Bird and Newell, he might at any moment publicly turn upon -his employers and betray them with as little compunction as he had -already sold his comrades. - -A word as regards Lord Downshire, through whom Turner's disclosures -were at first conveyed. This peer, who at one time had wielded -potential influence at Whitehall, and had the ear of Pitt, lived to -fall into deep disfavour with Government. He steadily opposed the -Legislative Union, and helped to form a joint-stock purse with the -object of out-bribing Dublin Castle. In chastisement he was dismissed -from the Lord Lieutenancy of Down, deprived of his rank as colonel, -expelled from the Privy Council, and threatened with a parliamentary -inquiry into his conduct. These blows told, and on September 7, 1801, -he breathed his last. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[231] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 282. - -[232] Lord Edward Fitzgerald died on June 4, 1798. - -[233] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 270-309. - -[234] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, ii. 265. - -[235] Letter of Sir A. Wellesley to the Duke of Portland: dated -'Holyhead, June 19, 1808.' _Civil Correspondence of the Duke of -Wellington (Ireland)_, pp. 454-5. - -[236] _Life of Reynolds_, by his Son, ii. 153. - -[237] Newry had been Turner's home. - -[238] _History of Belfast_, p. 478. - -[239] Immediately after the rebellion Downshire received 52,500_l._, -nominally as compensation for borough seats. The magnitude of the -sum has excited historic surprise; but in making this payment other -services were, no doubt, weighed, including the timely information of -which Turner made him the channel. - -[240] Before the Secret Committee of the House of Lords, 1798. - -[241] See _Life of Pitt_, _ante_, p. 36. - -[242] Account of S.S. Money applied in detecting Treasonable -Conspiracies per affidavit of Mr. Cooke. - -[243] Vide _Irish Correspondence_, p. 386. - -[244] The original of 'The Exile of Erin' was said to be an obscure -democrat named McCann; but it is just as likely to have been that -finished actor, Turner himself. So prominent and conversable a man must -have been well known to Thomas Campbell, then a strong Radical, and -who, as he tells us, wrote the 'Exile,' at Altona, near Hamburg, in -1801; and it suggests conflicting emotions to speculate as to how far -the figure of Turner, in his slouched hat, gazing wistfully from the -beach, in search of prey, may have influenced the beautiful idea of the -poet:-- - - 'There came to the beach a poor exile of Erin, - The dew on his raiment was heavy and chill; - For his country he sighed, when at twilight repairing - To wander alone by the wind-beaten hill. - But the day-star attracted his eye's sad devotion, - For it rose o'er his own native isle of the ocean; - Where once, in the fire of his youthful devotion, - He sang the bold anthem of Erin-go-Bragh.' - -[245] Also 'Jean Thomas,' _ante_, p. 20. Compare also Wellington's -_Irish Correspondence_, p. 357, regarding a letter received in 1808 -'from ---- _alias_ ----.' - -[246] This letter was forwarded by Cooke to Marsden for his guidance. - -[247] Sir George Rumbold was Consul-General at Hamburg. Died 1807. - -[248] A small box of papers, labelled 'Curious and Selected,' is -preserved in the Record Tower, Dublin Castle. Two unsigned letters -supplying private information in 1803 have puzzled their official -custodians. St. John Mason--a cousin of the ill-fated Robert Emmet--is -the man mainly sought to be incriminated. The letters are endorsed 'R.' -and I observed, in holding up one against the light, that the capitals -'S. T. 1801,' appear as the watermark. 'R' is the cypher by which -Castlereagh points to 'Richardson,' _alias_ Turner, in his letter to -Wickham (p. 46, _ante_). The case of St. John Mason and his prolonged -imprisonment without trial was brought before Parliament in 1812. The -Duke of Richmond--then Viceroy--wrote a despatch and made allusion to -the above letters. 'Who the writer may have been I know not,' observes -his Grace, 'but he appears to have been some secret informer of the -Government.' This despatch was ordered by the House of Commons to be -printed June 2, 1812. - -[249] MS. recollections, communicated by one of Emmet's officers, -Bernard Duggan. - -[250] This Attorney-General was Standish O'Grady, afterwards Lord -Guillamore. The author of _Ireland and its Rulers_ states of him (i. -126): 'He was a quaint joker; a shrewd and old-fashioned wit, with a -vein of dry humour. As a judge he enjoyed a plebeian popularity, for he -took great sport in baffling the Crown lawyers.' - -[251] 'Mr. Turner only returned to this country within the last few -weeks on account of the death of his father, who left his property to -younger children thinking the elder could not return, or that, if left -to him, it would be laid hold of by Government by virtue of the Act of -Attainder.'--_Dublin Evening Post_, November 29, 1803. - -[252] John Patten, librarian to the Royal Dublin Society, survived -until the year 1864. He furnished me with many facts, duly noted at the -time. Some appear in the _Sham Squire_. - -[253] For a curious poem which O'Connor distributed _en route_ to Fort -George, see Appendix. - -[254] _Civil Correspondence of the Duke of Wellington (Ireland)_. - -[255] The promotion urged by Wellington would seem to have been made, -and merited. _The Gentleman's Magazine_ for July, 1813, under the head -of 'Admiralty, May 30,' records the capture by some boats, under the -command of Lieutenant Turner, of a French privateer, after a severe -conflict and loss of life. I am bound to say, however, that the Turner -mentioned by Wellington as having strong claims on the Government since -1798, is not satisfactorily shown to be Turner who gave important -information during the Rebellion. - -[256] Letter of Mr. Patrick O'Byrne to W. J. F., Dublin, September -6, 1880. D'Esterre was a practised duellist. He and O'Connell at -last met in a field near Naas, and D'Esterre fell January 31, 1815. -Lord Whitworth, the famous diplomat, was then Lord Lieutenant. The -_Sentinel_, an independent newspaper, declared that the most memorable -event which occurred in his Vice-royalty was this duel. It had -engrossed the attention of all Ireland, and ought to engross that -of Parliament also. Everyone asked why the outrage which led to the -catastrophe, being so public and protracted, had not been restrained by -some one of the many members of his Government who had observed it. But -vainly the friends of peace inquired why D'Esterre had not been placed -under arrest. - -[257] Turner was very treacherously served by his impulsive foe. -Perhaps Boyce thought that had O'Connell accepted Turner's services in -that lonely field in Kildare, he might have been tempted, like Iago, to -deal a stealthy stab. - -[258] Maguan of Saintfield is not to be confounded with Magan. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -EFFORTS TO EXCITE MUTINY IN THE ENGLISH FLEET - - -Of Duckett, an amateur rebel envoy, mentioned in connection with the -arrest of Napper Tandy,[259] something remains to be said. He was a -man of very active habits, and if less impulsive would have had more -friends. Tone, already the victim of misplaced confidence, viewed many -men with suspicion, and let them see it. In 1796 he was passing as a -French officer, and mentions in his diary that, when waiting to see -De la Croix, the minister of war at Paris, Duckett, who chanced to be -also in the ante-room, sought to enter into conversation with Tone by -handing him an English newspaper. Advances of this sort, though natural -in an exiled Irishman meeting another, were not without effect in -making Tone distrust and avoid him.[260] Duckett no doubt had projects -connected with the enterprise in hand to which the chivalrous Tone -would not stoop; but of these Tone knew little, and his prejudice was -formed on quite different grounds. These suspicions were shared by -Madgett, an official in the French War Office. Duckett, it appears, -told Madgett that two expeditions were to proceed to Ireland. 'Madgett -said that he had endeavoured to put Duckett off the scent by saying -he did not believe one word of the story, but that Duckett continued -positive.' Tone adds that the information was probably true; but that -it was terribly provoking it should be known to Duckett, 'to whom, by -the by, De la Croix revealed in confidence all that he knew, for which -he ought to be damned.' Tone later on admits that he knows nothing -against Duckett unless by report.[261] - -Tone's unhealthy impression Dr. Madden caught contagiously. In the -first edition of his book, published forty years ago, he conveys that -Duckett was a spy subsidised by England.[262] Innuendo grew at last -into accusation, and a more recent edition records that Duckett, -'there is good reason to believe, was not employed by the Irish -Directory, but by the British Minister, Mr. Pitt.'[263] Again, we -are told that Duckett was '_assuming_ the character of an agent of -the United Irishmen at Paris, and continually dodged Tone in all his -movements.'[264] - -I cannot endorse this imputation. In no pension list, or account of -secret service money, is the name of Duckett to be traced; nor is there -one line to criminate him in the archives of the Home Office. Nay more. -Open the 'Castlereagh Papers,' and there Duckett is found denounced as -a sworn enemy to England. These valuable State papers were published -ten years previous to the issue of Dr. Madden's revised edition; but, -uninfluenced by their revelations, he renews the charges against -Duckett. - -Guillon, who has had access to the Government archives in France, -says that Truguet, Minister of Marine, had thrown himself heart and -soul into the projected invasion, and proposed to land 30,000 men in -Ireland, under Hoche; and 60,000 later on in England; but the Directory -deemed the plan too daring, and threw it aside; until Tone's memorials -made their thoughts recur to invasion, and they then adopted a portion -of the rejected scheme of Truguet.[265] An interesting letter from -Duckett to Truguet, Minister of Marine, turns up among the intercepted -despatches. This functionary had just been succeeded by a new hand. - -Is the Government still resolved to prosecute the same plans and the -same projects [Duckett asks]. Can my country rely on its promises? Let -me know, I beseech you in the name of Liberty, what is to be done? -Shall I go home to accelerate the period for the arrival of which we -are all solicitous? Consider that it is only patriots and enemies of -England who risk anything--it is their blood that will flow. - -The fears I had lest I should not be able to convert your bill into -money are unfortunately realised. I have presented it to Citizen -Reinhard, explained to him who I was, and what I was going to do. -I showed him how necessary it was that I should leave Hamburg. He -replied that his personal means did not permit him to comply with -my application, adding that he could not act, because I had not a -particular letter for him. - - * * * * * - -A mysterious task and goal are glanced at. - - I am grievously mortified that I am not at this moment at the - place of my destination. You know how deeply I interest myself in - this cause; my presence will be conducive to the success of our - friends. I wait for nothing but your answer to set out. I would - merely request you to speak about me to your successor, to explain - to him my situation and my necessities, in order that he may take - into consideration the expenses which I shall be absolutely obliged - to incur; for, when once arrived at my post, it will perhaps be - impossible for me to receive assistance from him. I therefore - beg of you to make him put me beyond the reach of accidents, by - causing a sum that will afford me the means of subsisting and - acting to be remitted to Hamburg. It does not belong to me to fix - it. It is for him in his wisdom to see what sum will be necessary - and indispensable for the expenses of six months. It would be - superfluous to assure you of my attachment to the cause, and of the - high consideration which I have for you personally. - - P.S.--Address your answer to Citizen Reinhard: it is he who - undertakes to forward this letter to you.[266] - -It will be remembered that the betrayer whom Mr. Froude dramatically -pictures as unbosoming himself to Downshire was the confidant of -Reinhard at Hamburg, had access to his house, and used that fact to -prove that his services, as an informer, were worth purchase by Pitt. -I have elsewhere shown that the letters headed 'Secret Information -from Hamburg,' which have crept into the 'Castlereagh Papers' to -puzzle the world,[267] can only have been written by 'Lord Downshire's -friend'--_i.e._ Turner. One appears at page 306 of the first volume of -that work. _There_ the objects vaguely broached by Duckett are revealed -as plainly as though Reinhard himself had whispered the word. The spy, -having furnished other items of news, writes:-- - - 'Duckett is at Hamburg; he has denounced Stone at Paris as a - traitor.[268] I hear he [Duckett] has got money from the [French] - Government for the purpose of renewing the mutiny in the English - Fleet.'[269] - -Obstinately hostile winds, as in 1796, once more saved England. Tone, -whose untiring energy had accomplished the organisation of the invading -forces, soliloquises in his diary of 1 August, 1797:-- - - I am, to-day, twenty-five days aboard, and at a time when - twenty-five hours are of importance. There seems to be a fate in - this business. Five weeks--I believe six weeks--the English Fleet - was paralysed by the mutinies at Portsmouth,[270] Plymouth, and the - Nore. The sea was open, and nothing to prevent both the Dutch and - French fleets to put to sea. Well, nothing was ready; that precious - opportunity, which we can never expect to return, was lost; and now - that at last we are ready here the wind is against us, the mutiny - is quelled, and we are sure to be attacked by a superior force. At - Brest it is, I fancy, still worse. Had we been in Ireland at the - moment of the insurrection at the Nore, we should beyond a doubt - have had at least that fleet, and God only knows the influence - which such an event might have had on the whole British Navy. - -Much that Tone privately penned is found confirmed by a secret -committee which sat while Parker's[271] corpse hung in chains at -Sheppey. It appeared that the crews were largely sworn to espouse -the Irish cause; 'to be faithful to their brethren who were fighting -against tyranny;' to carry a portion of the fleet into Irish ports, -hoisting, instead of the Union Jack, a green flag emblazoned with -_Erin-go-bragh_.[272] - -Dr. Madden's suggestion that Duckett was a spy of Pitt's is reiterated -with cruel consistency. Part of the grounds of his suspicion was -Duckett's intimate relations with Reinhard, also suspected by Madden, -but who is now shown conclusively to have been true. Madden frequently -quotes from the 'Castlereagh Papers,' but overlooks the following -letter from Sir J. Crawford to Lord Grenville, one wholly inconsistent -with his hypothesis that Duckett, like Turner, was a spy for Pitt. -Crawford was, of course, the British representative at Hamburg. - - October 23, 1798. - - I shall abstain from any measures against Duckett, continuing, at - the same time, to have him narrowly watched, which I hitherto have - so completely, that there is scarcely a single step which he has - taken since he has been at Hamburg with which I am unacquainted. - His views for the present seem to be turned principally towards - his Majesty's dockyards, and not choosing to venture in England - himself, he is very desirous of getting over hither some one of - those evil-disposed persons whom he knows to be employed in the - dockyards, for the purpose of concerting with him the means of - setting them on fire.... He is in very little esteem in France, - and is particularly ill with Talleyrand.[273] His principal - supporter is Bruyes (_sic_),[274] brother to the deceased admiral, - and who was Minister of the Marine. He pretends that, in case - of a successful attempt on the part of the French to land in - Ireland, his object would be to get over to that country; but I - have not hitherto been able to learn any particulars respecting - his commission. He affects much secrecy, even with those with whom - he lives in the greatest intimacy.[275] He has of late been in - correspondence with Holt,[276] the rebel chief, who, through him, - has been pressing the French for assistance. He says that there are - 3,500 land troops on board the squadron which lately sailed from - Brest, but that they have French uniforms for 7,000 men, with the - view, as he pretends, of clothing the first bodies of Irish that - might join them in the same way as their own troops, and thus, a - numerous body appearing in French uniforms, of impressing the Irish - nation at large with an idea that they had landed a considerable - force.[277] - -This letter explains the more ambiguous despatch written two months -before. Wickham transmits, by direction of Portland, for the -information of the Irish Viceroy, a copy of a secret note, - - which had been confirmed by the arrival of Mr. D---- [_i.e._ - Duckett] under a feigned name in Hanover, on his road to Hamburg, - and I have little doubt of the truth of the rest from my intimate - knowledge of the writer. D., by the extreme vigilance and activity - of Sir James Crawfurd, has been discovered and arrested on his - road; but, as he has been acknowledged as a person attached to the - French Mission at Hamburg, and claimed as such, I fear there are - no hopes whatever of his being delivered up, or even of having his - papers examined.[278] - - Your lordship, who will be aware of the extreme delicacy of this - business, will no doubt feel the necessity of keeping the whole - of it as secret as possible. In the mean time it is a point of no - slight importance that this man should have been discovered on his - road, and his journey so much delayed as that the object of it will - be, in all probability, defeated.[279] - -Tone's prejudice against Duckett influenced Macnevin. 'Mr. Duckett is -still here,' writes Reinhard to De la Croix in another intercepted -letter. 'I proposed to Mr. Macnevin to reconcile himself with Mr. -Duckett. He has refused to do so.' - -It is remarkable that while the usually clear-sighted physician -suspects Duckett of being an English spy, he praises '_the zeal and -talents of_ TURNER.'[280] Nor is there one line in Tone's Diary to -indicate distrust of Turner; but the wrong man, in true dramatic style, -incurs suspicion and blows. On September 21, 1797, Tone called on -General Hoche at Rennes. Hoche spoke of Duckett, and Tone destroyed -him with an expressive shrug, adding that he had boasted at Paris of -his acquaintance and influence with General Clarke, and even with -Hoche himself. Two days later Colonel Shee, the uncle of Clarke, and -who accompanied the expedition to Bantry Bay, also inquires if Tone -knew Duckett. 'I answered that Duckett was a scoundrel. I besought him -to put Hoche on his guard.' It appeared that Duckett had made two or -three advances to Shee, who, however, had consistently avoided him. -Tone's gorge is raised, and he ends some remarks of asperity with 'I'll -Duckett him, the scoundrel, if I can catch him fairly in my grip.'[281] - -Duckett, according to the Hamburg spy, now shown to be Turner, was -employed by the French Government to excite mutiny in the British -fleet. Its first outburst was at Portsmouth; it was renewed at the -Nore. As historians, who might be expected to treat largely of such -incidents, barely notice that mutiny, a few remarks here are perhaps -admissible; the more so as it will be necessary to recur again to -Parker, who led the revolt. It assumed so formidable a front that -Truguet thought it might prove the death-blow to England's greatness. -Parker, who possessed wonderful powers of persuasion, was soon -joined by a large portion of Lord Duncan's squadron, and became the -_soi-disant_ admiral of the fleet. He blockaded the Thames, and -threatened to starve London. His mutinous force now consisted of -twenty-four sail of the line. Each ship was governed by a committee -of twelve, together with two delegates and a secretary, and all -assembled by beat of drum. The pulse of public feeling was shown in -three per cent. Consols falling to forty-five. The Board of Admiralty -visited the scene of the mutiny, but failed to effect an arrangement. -Lord Northesk, R.N., waited on Parker to hear his terms. These were -so exacting that Northesk hesitated. The following is culled from -the (London) 'Courier' of June 8, 1797, and it will be seen how much -Parker's letter differs from the mild version of it given in Campbell's -'Lives of the Admirals':-- - - They persisted that the whole must be complied with.... Lord - Northesk was now rowed on board the 'Duke of York' Margate packet, - under a flag of truce, with three cheers from the 'Sandwich,' and - with the following paper to ratify his credentials. - - 'TO CAPTAIN LORD NORTHESK. - - You are hereby authorized and ordered to wait upon the King, - wherever he may be, with the Resolutions of the Committee of - Delegates, and are directed to return back with an Answer to the - same within 54 hours from the date hereof. - - R. PARKER, President. - -Northesk, furnished with a passport from Parker, returned to town, -while Pitt and Dundas were hanged in effigy at the yard-arm. It was -even debated to surrender the fleet to the French. Thereupon Sheridan -suggested that all the buoys and beacons should be removed. A paper of -the day states that the troops, ordered to fire on the fleet from the -batteries at Gravesend, broke out into mutiny themselves, declaring -that fratricide formed no part of their duty. The biographical -dictionaries say that the popularity of Northesk and the firmness of -Lord Howe caused the utter collapse of this great mutiny; but such -history is misleading. The 'Repulse' was the first ship to abandon the -cause, and becoming stranded was mercilessly cannonaded by the fleet. -Its foremast and rigging were shot away; its decks were red with blood. -Two more deserters, the 'Agamemnon' and 'Vestal,' escaped better. In -slipping their cables and entering the Thames it was supposed that -they were carrying into effect an already debated plan of bombarding -Gravesend. The rest of the fleet followed and found themselves snared -into the hands of the Government. When this fact became apparent, -the mutineers were filled with fury. The ships separated, turned the -great guns on each other, and fought furiously for hours, until at -last Parker succumbed. In reading the trials of the delegates one -is struck by such Celtic names as Sullivan, Donovan, Walsh, Hughes, -Brady, MacCarthy, Maginnis, Coffey, and Branon. Strange reports were -current.[282] The 'Courier' of June 6, 1797, records that - - when he [Parker] was carried before the magistrates, he took two - letters out of his pocket, saying, 'These are my authorities; it - was on these I acted.' From this it has been inferred [adds the - 'Courier'] that he was set on by 'higher powers,' as the lower - class call them: they say that Parker has declared he will not die - till he has garnished Temple Bar with heads. - -However, he made no distinct revelation. He was subjected to a number -of interrogatories, 'dans lesquels,' observes a French authority, 'on -chercha vainement à découvrir les secrets moteurs de l'insurrection.' - -Duckett's letter to Truguet, minister of marine, and the information -of the Hamburg spy, help to throw light on this stirring episode. The -mutiny is commonly ascribed to the harsh regulations of the Admiralty. -A deeper design underlay it. Parker was at first committed to stand -his trial before a civil court; but a court-martial was suddenly -substituted. This deprived him of the forensic services of Erskine, -whose powerful eloquence had successfully defended Horne Tooke against -the Cabinet of Pitt. It was desirable that so dangerous a man should -be got rid of without delay. His application for an adjournment was -refused; and on June 30, 1797, he suffered death. - -These mutinies were largely the work of Duckett, acting under the -instructions of La Croix, the French minister of war. Tone, as we have -seen, hated Duckett, whom he constantly snubs and denounces. Had there -been a co-operation, the event would doubtless have been different. -However all moderate men rejoiced at the issue. The mutiny formed part -of a scheme to sever England's right arm; but the chivalry of Tone -recoiled from a manœuvre of which he finally saw the importance while -hesitating to approve of it. Dutch and French fleets for the invasion -of Great Britain and Ireland had been nearly ready to start at the time -of the mutinies. - -Pitt used a powerful engine in subduing the mutiny. He despatched -to the Nore a Roman Catholic priest, who impressively preached the -doctrine of submission.[283] This was probably the same priest of whom -Father O'Coigly complains as worrying him in the condemned cell in the -hope of persuading him to inform. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[259] _Ante_, p. 72. - -[260] Many men recoil from affable persons who seem over-anxious to -know them. Sir Gavan Duffy in _Young Ireland_ states that Davis had -been prejudiced against the subsequently most distinguished Darcy -Magee, because he had 'obviously determined to transact an acquaintance -with him.' - -[261] Tone's _Journals_, ii. 141. (Washington, 1847.) - -[262] _United Irishmen, their Lives and Times_, 1st ed. i. 40-75. - -[263] _Ibid._ 2nd ed. ii. 37. - -[264] _Ibid._ iv. 603. - -[265] _La France et l'Irlande._ (Paris, 1888.) - -[266] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 294-5. - -[267] The puzzle is increased by the noble editor's arrangement of the -letters--made without regard to chronological order. - -[268] Stone is the man who had been tried in 1795 for high treason, and -found guilty. But Duckett, though a staunch rebel, may have had good -reason for denouncing Stone three years later. Madame de Genlis, in -her _Mémoires_, upbraids Stone with having treacherously retained some -money which had been entrusted to him for Pamela. See tome iv. 130-1. - -[269] Clarke, when giving Tone his commission in the French army, -asks him (_Journals_, i. 151) if he knew one Duckett: 'I answered I -did not, nor did I desire to know him.' Clarke replied that Duckett -was 'clever.' Clarke, afterwards Duke de Feltre, stooped to ignoble -tactics from which Tone recoiled. Clarke was a strong advocate for -_chouannerie_ (see Tone, ii. 96-9), and probably encouraged Duckett in -his scheme for destroying the English dockyards and exciting mutiny in -the fleet. - -[270] At Portsmouth, when Lord Bridport gave orders to put to sea, -every ship at St. Helens refused to obey. The marines fired and five -seamen were killed. The crew of the 'London' turned the guns, and -threatened to blow all aft into the sea. The officers surrendered; the -marines laid down their arms, and Admiral Colpoys and Captain Griffiths -were put in confinement. - -[271] Leader of the mutiny. - -[272] _Report of the Secret Committee of Commons, England_, 1799. - -[273] As Tone suspected Duckett to be a spy, he doubtless cautioned -Talleyrand against him. These misgivings spread from bureau to bureau. - -[274] Tone's _Diary_ of June 16, 1798, praises the talents and activity -of Bruix; 'but what could he do? In the first place, he had no money,' -&c.--ii. 501. - -[275] Turner's instructions from the Home Office were, if he would not -prosecute, to open a correspondence, at least, with leading rebels. - -[276] Joseph Holt, a Wicklow Protestant, published his memoirs in two -volumes, but does not mention Duckett. - -[277] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 263-4. - -[278] Duckett was secretary to Leonard Bourdon, who voted for the -death of Louis XVI., and by his energy overthrew Robespierre, July 27, -1794. He headed the Conspiracy of the Faubourgs in 1795, and doubtless -applauded Duckett in his scheme. - -[279] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 263. - -[280] _Vide_ Dr. Macnevin's memorial relative to a landing in -Ireland.--_Ibid._ i. 305. - -[281] Tone's _Journals_, i. 208. (Washington, 1827.) - -[282] The _Courier_, describing the execution of the delegates, states -that the inextinguishable vitality of one man named Lee presented a -striking spectacle, and that extra balls had to be poured into his -head before he was despatched! A letter from the Irish Under-Secretary -of the day, now preserved in the State Paper Office, reveals that -Lee was discovered to have been a most determined United Irishman, -and had joined the fleet for the sole object of helping the cause -he had at heart. Lee and Duckett seem to have acted in concert. How -largely the British navy was composed of Irish sailors, and under -what circumstances their discontent originated, appear from an -amusing anecdote. Shortly before Trafalgar, the first lieutenant of -a man-of-war, when making his rounds to see that all hands were at -their guns, observed an Irish sailor kneeling in prayer: 'What! are -you afraid?' exclaimed the officer. 'Afeard, indeed!' replied the -tar, contemptuously. 'I was only praying that the shots of the French -might be distributed like the prize money--the lion's share among -the officers.' Tone assured Carnot that England had recently raised -80,000 Irishmen for her navy and marines. Carnot did not tell him in -reply to reserve that statement for the marines themselves, but took -it as strict truth. The computation, however, will not stand historic -scrutiny. According to an official return, it appears that Ireland had -furnished 11,457 men for the navy, and 4,058 for the marines. - -[283] Of course with the sanction of Bishop Douglas, whose name is -often mentioned in the _Castlereagh Correspondence_. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BETRAYER OF LORD EDWARD FITZGERALD[284] - - -Another man there was of the same type as Turner, who posed in -impenetrable disguise, but unlike Reynolds and Armstrong, spied in -secrecy and on the express condition that he should not be asked to -give public evidence and thus damage his social status. - -An historian often quoted in these pages is not safe in suggesting that -we may find behind the mask of Lord Downshire's visitor the betrayer -of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. The utterly distinct quarter to which the -Geraldine's arrest is due will presently appear. Lord Edward had the -command of Leinster. Turner had mainly to do with Ulster. Guiltless -he was of Lord Edward's betrayal in Dublin, for the simple reason, no -doubt, that living abroad himself he knew nothing of his hiding-places. -All other sensational incidents of that stirring time paled before the -sorrow by which Lord Edward's arrest and death oppressed the people. A -Dublin ballad expressed the fierce anxiety felt to discover and destroy -the veiled betrayer-- - - May Heaven scorch and parch the tongue by which his life was sold, - And shrivel up the hand that clutched the proffered meed of gold. - -Whilst, on the other hand, ballads inspired by loyal ardour did not -hesitate to regard as a holy work the annihilation of Lord Edward -Fitzgerald.[285] - -In 1830, when continental thrones trembled and others fell, Moore -published his interesting 'Life of Lord Edward'--a work which, however -popular and opportune, will not bear a critical scrutiny as regards -historic exactness. 'From my mention of these particulars respecting -Neilson,' writes Moore, 'it cannot fail to have struck the reader that -some share of the suspicion of having betrayed Lord Edward attaches -to this man.' Moore's book attained a wide circulation, and the -descendants of Neilson naturally felt the wounding words. A letter -of his daughter strongly protests against them, and expresses a hope -that allowance will be made 'for the indignant feelings of a child -who has always been proud of her father's character.' Colonel Miles -Byrne, a shrewd head which narrowly escaped the axe in '98, failed to -endorse the imputation on Neilson, but hesitated not to declare that -Lord Edward had been 'betrayed, and discovered by Reynolds, a United -Irishman, to the agents of Government.'[286] In this random shot the -Colonel missed his mark. The flaming patriot, Walter Cox, often states -in his magazine that Laurence Tighe had shadowed to death the Geraldine -chief. Thereupon Dr. Brennan, in the 'Milesian Magazine,' broadly -charged Cox with the perfidy. Murphy, an honest, simple man, in whose -house Lord Edward was taken, has not been exempted from suspicion. -'Lord Edward's concealment,' observes Patrick Brophy, 'became known -through a soldier who was courting Murphy's servant girl;' forgetting -that Thomas Moore, in his account of the arrest, incidentally remarks: -'an _old_ maidservant was the only person in Murphy's house besides -themselves.' Maxwell, in his 'History of the Rebellion,' said of -Neilson, 'Thou art the man.' Mark O'Callaghan, in his 'Life of -O'Connell,' brands John Hughes as having received 1,000_l._ for Lord -Edward's blood, thus endorsing the indictment previously framed by -Dr. Madden.[287] The son and biographer of Reynolds flings suspicion -on Murphy; while Murphy, in his own account, says: 'I heard in prison -that one of Lord Edward's bodyguard had given some information.' Again, -Felix Rourke was suspected, and narrowly escaped death at the hands of -his comrades. Suspicion also attached to Mr. Ogilvie, who, as a near -connection, visited Lord Edward in Thomas Street a few days before the -arrest, and transacted business with him. Interesting as it is, after -near a century's speculation, to know the name of the real informer, it -is still more satisfactory that those unjustly suspected should now be -finally acquitted. - -'On the 18th of May' [1798], writes Mr. Froude, 'Major Sirr received -communications from a quarter unhinted at in the most secret letters -of the Viceroy, telling him where Lord Edward could be found.'[288] I -proceed to point out 'the quarter.' - -In 1841 Dr. Madden obtained access to a book in which Mr. Cooke, -formerly Under-Secretary at Dublin Castle, had made secret entries of -various payments to informers. Amongst these items is: 'June 20, 1798, -F. H. discovery of L. E. F. 1,000_l._' Although Cooke disclosed merely -the initials 'F. H.,' he gave the name in full when recommending the -informer for a pension. Writing to Lord Castlereagh in 1799, Mr. Cooke -says: 'Francis Higgins,[289] proprietor of the "Freeman's Journal," was -the person who procured for me all the intelligence respecting Lord -Edward Fitzgerald, and got ---- to set him, _and has given me much -information_, 300_l._' This 300_l._ was an annual stipend. - -The 'Freeman's Journal' at this time was the organ of Dublin Castle, -and it is stated in a memoir of Secretary Cooke that he had written for -that paper. Hence a frequent intercourse subsisted between Cooke and -Higgins; and the evidence is conclusive as to Higgins having received -the Government reward. But the person of whose good name Cooke is so -careful that in writing to Castlereagh he considerately puts a blank -for it, was not so easily traced when first I took up this inquiry. Mr. -Ross, editor of the 'Cornwallis Papers,' who was allowed to ransack the -archives at Dublin Castle, writes: 'The man who gave the information -which led to his [Lord Edward's] arrest, received 1,000_l._, _but his -name has never transpired_.' - -The point is now to prove that Francis Magan, M.A., barrister-at-law, a -man traditionally described as one of the most unsociable of men, was -the private friend and political ally of Higgins. - -Thomas Magan, of High Street, Dublin, was the father of Francis. The -leading journal of that city, in its issue of June 30, 1787, records -how, on the previous evening, 'Mr. Magan, of High Street, entertained -Mr. Francis Higgins' and others. 'The glass circulated freely, and the -evening was spent with the utmost festivity and sociality.' The editor -concludes by styling him '_Honest_ Tom Magan.' On November 5, 1789, he -returns to the charge:-- - - Mr. Magan, the woollen-draper in High Street, in conjunction with - his friend Mr. Higgins, are preparing ropes and human brutes to - drag the new Viceroy to the palace. It was Mr. Magan and the Sham - Squire who provided the materials for the triumphal entry of Lord - Buckingham into the capital.[290] ... Mr. Magan is really clever, - and never has flinched in his partiality and attention to the - cause of Mr. Francis Higgins--Mr. Magan has the honour, and that - frequently, to dine Higgins.[291] - -From an old Directory it appears that Tom Magan's loyal zeal was -acknowledged about this time by his appointment as 'Woollen Draper and -Mercer to His Majesty'[292]--one of the few paltry boons to which, in -penal days, a slavish Catholic trader dare aspire. In 1793 a Catholic -Relief Bill passed, and the bar was opened to Papists--a concession due -to the menacing attitude of the United Irishmen and the boom of the -French Revolution. Tom Magan's son, Francis, entered Trinity College, -Dublin; graduated in 1794; and became a member of the bar--probably on -the suggestion of Higgins, who was an attorney. In 1795 Francis Magan -left the parental roof-tree in High Street and took house for himself -at 20 Usher's Island, where he continued to live until his death in -1843. This house having been the residence of the Catholic Archbishop -of Dublin, Dr. Carpenter, who died there a few years previously, was -regarded reverentially by the survivors of his flock. - -'Will no one urge Lord Edward to fly--I pledge myself that every port -in the kingdom shall be left open to him'--said Lord Chancellor Clare. -But money was to be made of his blood; and vampire instincts must needs -be sated. The arrest was not effected until Saturday, May 19, although -a proclamation promising 1,000_l._ as its price had been out since -March. - -Higgins, who constantly transmitted the result of his espionage to -Dublin Castle, was now more than ordinarily on the _qui vive_. At Moira -House, Usher's Island, Pamela, wife of Lord Edward, sometimes stayed. -In March, Leinster House, Kildare Street, was searched by soldiers--on -which occasion Major Swan said to Lady Edward: 'This is an unpleasant -duty for any gentleman to perform.'--'It is a task which no gentleman -_would_ perform,' was the reply.[293] She little dreamed that men whose -friendship she valued were playing a part still more ungentlemanly. On -this occasion Lord Edward narrowly escaped; thenceforth he avoided both -Leinster House and Moira House, unless for stealthy visits, and for -weeks he remained hidden at Portobello near Dublin. - -Thomas Moore, when engaged on the 'Life of Lord Edward,' had an -interview with Major Sirr, and learned from him that on May 17,[294] -1798, 'he received information that a party of persons, supposed to be -Lord Edward Fitzgerald's bodyguard, would be on their way from Thomas -Street to Usher's Island that night.' Their destination, Moore adds, he -had failed to discover. I am in a position to show, however, that the -party were on their way to the house of Francis Magan and his sister, -in Usher's Island. Mr. James Moore, of 119 Thomas Street, had given -Lord Edward shelter when 1,000_l._ lay on his head; but a carpenter -named Tuite--who worked in Dublin Castle, and knew Moore--having -overheard Cooke say that Moore's house should be searched, gave a -timely hint to Moore, who therefore fled to Meath, previously telling -his daughter to provide for Lord Edward's safety. Francis Magan and -his sister were well known and respected by Miss Moore. She conferred -with Magan on the subject, and an arrangement was made that Lord Edward -should move that night from Moore's in Thomas Street to Usher's Island -and occupy a bedroom in Magan's house.[295] But it was suggested that, -as two or three people knocking at his hall door on Usher's Island -might attract attention, it would be safer to admit them by his stable -in Island Street, which lay immediately at the rear. The biographer -of Lord Edward knew nothing of Miss Moore's arrangement with Magan; -but he casually mentions that the Government received information of -his lordship's intended visit to Usher's Island. Major Sirr, attended -by a guard, proceeded to the quarter pointed out; a conflict between -the parties took place; 'and,' adds the biographer, 'Sirr in defending -himself lost his footing and fell; and had not those with whom he was -engaged been much more occupied with their noble charge than with -him, he could hardly have escaped. But their chief object being Lord -Edward's safety, after snapping a pistol or two at Sirr they hurried -away.'[296] - -Several volumes containing the original correspondence of Major Sirr -are now preserved in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. Amongst -them is the following letter:-- - - Lord Edward will be this evening[297] in Watling Street. Place a - watch in Watling Street, two houses up from Usher's Island,[298] - another towards Queen's Bridge;[299] a third in Island Street, at - the rear of the stables near Watling Street, and which leads up to - Thomas Street and Dirty Lane. At one of these places Lord Edward - will be found, and will have one or two with him. They may be - armed. Send to Swan and Atkinson as soon as you can.[300] - - EDWARD COOKE. - -Cooke, with due consideration for the feelings of Magan and Higgins, -does not tell Sirr from whom the information came; but the plot now -thickens, and will be soon made clear. - -Miss Moore--afterwards Mrs. Macready--died in 1844. To her son, she -said:--'The Government got timely information that we were going to -Usher's Island. Now this intention was known only to Magan and me; even -Lord Edward did not know our destination until just before starting. If -Magan is innocent, then I am the informer.' - -On the day after Magan's apparently humane arrangement with Miss Moore -he called at her house, anxiously inquiring if aught had happened, -as he had waited up until the small hours, and yet Lord Edward -did not come! Miss Moore, not suspecting Magan, replied: 'We were -stopped in Watling Street; we hurried back to Thomas Street, where we -providentially succeeded in getting Lord Edward a room at Murphy's.' -Mr. Magan, satisfied by the explanation, leisurely withdrew, but, no -doubt, quickened his gait on reaching the street. That evening, at -four o'clock, Murphy's house was surrounded by soldiers, and Lord -Edward, after a desperate resistance, was secured, and conveyed in a -sedan-chair to the Castle. - -Higgins claimed, and received, 1,000_l._ as the price. How much was -given by him to the 'setter,' or what precise agreement subsisted -between them, I have no document to show. A pension was bestowed upon -Magan, and I find in the Secret Service account the following entry: -'September 11, 1800--Magan, per Mr. Higgins, 300_l._' - -The name of Thomas Magan, the father of the betrayer, disappears -from the Directory in 1797--from which I, at first, inferred that -his death occurred about that time. But it now appears that he -subsided into bankruptcy. On May 2, 1798, the assignees of Thomas -Magan, woollen-draper, a bankrupt, grant to John Corballis, for the -consideration of 690_l._, some house property belonging to Magan.[301] -This date is worthy of attention; it is one fortnight before the -arrest of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. The difficulties of the Magan family -had been gathering for some years. They commenced in 1793, when -Higgins lent Thomas Magan 1,000_l._; and three years later, as will -be seen, another thousand. 'The borrower is servant to the lender,' -saith the proverb. Further search in the Registry of Deeds Office, -Dublin, discloses two additional mortgages from Thomas Magan, senior, -to Francis Higgins--one for 2,341_l._, another for 1,000_l._ The -'witness is Francis Magan.'[302] Their date is July 7, 1796, when very -serious embarrassments threatened the family. How closely Shamado's -toils[303] grasped father and son is now clear; and let us hope that -when Francis Magan was persuaded by his tempter to sell Lord Edward's -blood, he muttered, not without emotion, 'My poverty, and not my will, -consents.'[304] - -The name 'James Dixon' appears in the private list, supplied by Mr. -Froude, of those who constituted the executive Committee of the United -Irishmen in 1795, and 'by whom the whole organisation was managed.' -Dr. Madden does not seem to know this, and says merely[305] that -'James Dickson hospitably treated and succoured on all occasions the -families of the State prisoners.' The late Mathias O'Kelly told me -that one of the few persons with whom Magan lived, in early life, on -terms of intimacy was 'James Dickson, of Kilmainham,' and that he -had repeatedly met Magan at Dixon's house. 'Dixon was deeper in the -confidence of the rebel party than many more prominent leaders,' adds -O'Kelly. 'He took the chair at the meeting of United Irishmen which had -been convened to thank Napper Tandy for challenging Attorney-General -Toler, afterwards Lord Norbury; and he was twice imprisoned for -alleged complicity in the rebellion.' But the Government treated him -with a consideration extended to few others; and, on the grounds of -ill-health, he was permitted to leave Kilmainham Gaol daily on short -riding excursions.[306] - -Undemonstrative in his habits, it is not easy to trace him in the -scanty reports of contemporary newspapers. On May 17, 1797, a meeting -of barristers was held urging the Government to 'yield to the moderate -wishes of the people, and thereby defeat the designs of any party -dangerous to the country;' and amongst the seventy-three signatories, -with Francis Magan, were T. A. Emmet, H. Sheares (afterwards hanged), -Robert Orr, B. B. Harvey (commander at Vinegar Hill in '98, and also -hanged), W. Sampson, Robert Holmes, J. Philpot Curran, L. McNally, and -many other popular men, some recognised as members of the United Irish -Society, such as Joseph Huband, and W. Newton Bennett, afterwards a -chief justice.[307] The subsequent Baron, Smith, is there too with -Robert Johnson, dismissed from the bench in 1806, and George Ponsonby, -afterwards Lord Chancellor. In 1797 they stood upon a pitfall, but by a -miracle escaped. - -Francis Magan posed through life as the pink of propriety. Before -the last century closed he had strong claims for secret service; but -I cannot doubt, knowing his quiet and somewhat nervous nature, that -whatever information he gave must have been communicated through -Higgins. The latter owned a newspaper, which was the openly subsidised -organ of the Government. He constantly assailed the popular party -with invective; so that, unless through Magan, he could have had no -opportunity of approaching the patriots, much less sucking their brains. - -My contention as regards Magan was first expressed in a 'Note on the -Cornwallis Papers' printed thirty years ago,[308] and it is with no -small interest that I now find all my suspicions confirmed by Magan's -own letters. The letters of Higgins to Cooke claiming blood-money for -Magan form the crowning proof of that which at first was mere theory. -Magan was an informer of the most mercenary type--constantly tendering -his services, and withholding information when coin ceased to clink. - -The earliest mention of Magan by name is in 1797; the reports of -Higgins are specially full at that date, no doubt the fruit of -intercourse with Magan, who was completely his creature. One, undated, -says: 'On Wednesday last, Jackson, Dixon, Magan, and a large party -dined at McKinley's, opposite Kilmainham Gaol. The two first went into -the prison, and distributed money which the prisoners had wrote for.' - -Many letters follow. Higgins told enough to show how important a spy -Magan could become if betrayal were made worth his while. On December -29, 1797, he writes: 'You have not, dear Sir, determined as to M. At -such a momentous and critical period ... every intelligence should be -obtained for Government.'[309] - -But is the proof certain that 'M.' means Magan? Higgins four days later -returns to the charge, adding: 'You have said nothing about Magan, and -will let his information slip through your hands, as he is about to go -down to Belfast, and thence to England.'[310] - -Higgins and Magan, strange to say, did not know that the democratic -barrister, McNally, was already in pay as a spy. Part of the -information furnished concerns McNally's movements, which may have made -Cooke indifferent as regards some of the letters. Higgins, on January -3, 1798, reports that at the pillorying of Finnerty, Lord Edward, -O'Connor, Bond, Sheares and McNally attended the rebel as a mark of -sympathy. Magan was hungry for Lord Edward's blood; and Cooke must -needs be brought at once to business. On January 5, 1798, Higgins says -he will 'fix Magan to meet Cooke at dinner,' and 'shall in the course -of to-day or to-morrow give you a hint of his terms.' - -The dinner did its work. The ill-fated priest O'Coigly--or Quigly--was -now 'wanted,' but meanwhile other wants must needs be satisfied. - - M. wants money, and I am sure will serve your intention [Higgins - writes]; let him have it, and I will bring you his receipt. I shall - also send him in quest of Quigly.[311] Permit me, however, to - mention that you have not half sufficiently examined M. I shall, - therefore, set down an outline for you, or obtain him to attend - when you can be more particular.[312] - -Four days later he writes:-- - - M. dines with Jackson,[313] etc., to-morrow. He promises to have - many particulars. Two days before O'Connor sailed for England, - M----, Emmet, and Lord Edward Fitzgerald dined with Fallon on - settling a plan as to Galway. Fallon is a man of property.[314] - -A bundle of letters covering six weeks follows. Magan feigned to be the -attached friend of his victims, and was so entirely trusted that they -resolved to give him higher office in the rebel executive. - - M. wishes you to send wt [what] was promised on the 28th. He is to - be elected into office.[315] - -A letter dated March 7, 1798, contains a long account from Magan, -through Higgins, regarding persons from Belfast and Wexford, recently -forming deputations from their committees. 'He is to be with me at -12 o'clock to-morrow. I request you will be so good as to recollect -sending to me for him as promised.' Magan was duly pumped, and Higgins, -on March 15, writes: 'M. was with me this day, and seemed as if I had -received a second 100_l._ for him. For God's sake send it, and don't -let me appear in so awkward a situation.' And on March 23, 1798, -Higgins writes: - - M. became quite offended that I did not send wt was promised. He - has not communicated anything to me for the ten days past, tho I - know he must have much information to give in. - -The money was sent, and Magan's tattle was resumed. - - This night there is to be a meeting at Lawless's.[316] I shall - learn to-morrow the nature of it. I would wish to put you in - possession of something M. knows of, that you may ask and - interrogate him about them, and let him agree to come to a fixed - point of information. I know it is (or will be from his late - election) in his power.[317] - -Raised to a post of trust and authority in the organisation, Magan's -power of betrayal became, of course, largely increased. He had hitherto -communicated solely through Higgins. Stimulated by reward, he now -addressed Cooke direct, but anonymously. Cooke, however, has endorsed -the letter 'Mag.' It is dated not from Usher's Island, where he lived, -but from Higgins' house in Stephen's Green, and the handwriting is the -same as that in a later document with an acknowledged signature. - - I did not receive your promised favour till Easter Monday last, and - on reading your letter requested Mr. H. to know your leisure for - an interview.... He wrote me a most pressing letter not to leave - town.... At the risk of my personal safety I accompanied him in a - carriage to your door.... I have _all along_ had in contemplation - to put you in possession of some act that would essentially serve - the Government as well as the country, and it may not be very long - till such is effected. At present perhaps you may not know that - Lord Edward lurks about town and its vicinity; he with Nelson was - a few days ago in the custody of a patrol in the neighbourhood of - Lucan, but not being known and assuming other names, they were not - detained for any length of time.[318] Nelson is now the most active - man, and affects, if he really does not hold, the first situation. - For my part I sometimes imagine he is the person that communicated - with Government; however, suspicion has not pointed at him.[319] - His absence, I know, at the present moment would be considered as - very fatal to the cause in Dublin. I have just this moment heard - Lord Edward has been mostly in Thomas Street.[320] - -On May Day 1798, when boys and girls were rejoicing, and the May-pole -at Finglas was the scene of a festivity in glad welcome of the coming -flowers, Higgins writes in great fuss to Cooke that a more formidable -rising was at hand, adding: 'If you can see M. this night, you can -bring out where Lord Edward is concealed.' 'What hour shall I bring M. -this night, if your leisure will permit? Remember to bring him to a -point--I mean about Lord Edward.' But his lordship's frequent change -of abode baulked the projected capture. Mr. Lecky considers that the -search must have been made with singular languor to produce such little -fruit. It should be remembered, however, that no police force deserving -the name existed in Dublin; and that arrests were usually made, as -eventually in Lord Edward's case, by detachments of military. - -On May 15 Higgins wrote to Cooke:-- - - M. seems mortified that when he placed matters within the reach of - Government the opportunity was neglected.... Lord Edward skulks - from house to house--has watches and spies around who give an - account of any danger being near. It is intended he shall go into - the country (it is thought Kildare) and make a rising. Give me - leave to remind you of sending to M. - -Magan is shown to have met Lord Edward at council at this time, but -it was not easy to seize the chief on such occasions. Higgins was the -Castle journalist, and could throw off letters with ease. Mr. Lecky -says that his missives to Cooke would be found most useful material in -illustrating the history of his time; and, no doubt, they are destined -some day to see the light. Higgins uniformly writes of Lord Edward as a -monster of evil, but it is due to the ill-fated Geraldine to say that -men whose testimony ranks far higher record a different estimate.[321] -Lord Holland, a Cabinet minister, thus writes of him:-- - - More than twenty years have now passed away. Many of my political - opinions are softened--my predilections for some men weakened, - my prejudices against others removed; but my approbation of Lord - Edward Fitzgerald's actions remains unaltered and unshaken. His - country was bleeding under one of the hardest tyrannies that our - times have witnessed.[322] - -If he had personal ambition to gratify, the powerful influence of -his family could easily have fed it to repletion. His life was one of -sacrifice and attests the sincerity of his soul. - -Higgins thought that Cooke was not sufficiently alive to the -importance of Magan's hints. He now tells Cooke that an attack on -Dublin Castle had been proposed and adopted, but this information may -have been embellished to rouse the Irish Government. 'M. thinks it -is on the ensuing Tuesday or Wednesday, but will be certain for your -information,' he writes. 'He says the 300_l._ promised should have been -given at once.... However, I have given him leave to draw upon me, and -fully satisfied him of the honourable intentions of Government where -service was actually performed, and of your kind attention if he would -go forward among the meetings, communicate what is transacting, and, if -found necessary, point out the spot where they may be seized, etc. This -he has at length agreed to do.'[323] - -The reader will remember Magan's arrangement with Miss Moore that, -for Lord Edward's greater safety, the noble fugitive was to shift his -quarters from James Moore's house to Magan's. The latter, to screen -himself from suspicion, felt anxious that Lord Edward's capture should -be made in the street. - - ... I also mentioned your kind promise of obtaining 1000_l._ for - him (without the mention of his name or enrolment of it in any - book) on having the business done, which he pointed out before the - issuing of the proclamation. He, therefore, puts himself on your - honour not to admit of any person to come and search his house - (which I ventured to promise you would have observed), but to place - watches after dusk, this night near the end of Watling Street or - two houses up in that street from Usher's Island ... [here the pith - of Mr. Cooke's letter, see p. 122 _ante_, is given], and at one of - these places they will find Lord Edward disguised. He wears a wig - and may have been otherwise metamorphosed, attended by one or two, - but followed by several armed banditti with new daggers. He intends - to give battle if not suddenly seized.[324] - -The 'armed banditti' consisted merely of Mrs. and Miss Moore, -Gallagher, a clerk in Moore's employ, and a man named Palmer.[325] This -is the account furnished to me in a most circumstantial statement by -the late Mr. Macready, the son of Miss Moore. She had been educated -in Tours; Lord Edward always conversed with her in French, and he -usually passed as her French tutor. The hour was 8.30 in a lovely May -evening. Palmer and Gallagher walked some yards in advance, and were -the first to come in contact with Sirr's party at the corner of Island -Street. Sirr gave Gallagher an ugly wound which afterwards favoured -identification. The latter, a powerful man, made two or three stabs at -Sirr, who fell in the struggle, but, as he wore a coat of mail, he was -able, after a few moments, to regain his feet. Lord Edward was also in -handigrips with one of Sirr's guard; both came to the ground, but with -no more ill result to his lordship than some unsightly daubs of mud on -his coat. In the confusion the ladies hurried back with their noble -charge to Thomas Street, leaving Palmer and Gallagher to hold Sirr at -bay. The party abandoned their design of going to Magan's, though not -from any distrust of his fidelity, and obtained shelter for Lord Edward -in the house of a faithful adherent named Murphy with whom he had -previously stayed. Miss Moore told Magan next day the whole adventure, -and how the retreat had been safely effected. Lord Edward was lying -on his bed in Murphy's attic, after having drunk some whey to relieve -a bad cold, when Major Swan and Captain Ryan peeped in at the door, -exclaiming that resistance would be vain. At once Fitzgerald started -up like a lion from his lair and rushed at Swan. Revolvers were as yet -unknown and his pistol missed fire; he then drew a dagger. The account -furnished by Swan to a Government print states:-- - - His lordship then closed upon Mr. Swan, shortened the dagger, and - gave him a stab in the side, under the left arm and breast, having - first changed it from one hand to the other over his shoulder (as - Mr. Swan thinks). Finding the blood running from him, and the - impossibility to restrain him, he was compelled, in defence of his - life, to discharge a double-barrelled pistol at his lordship, which - wounded him in the shoulder: he fell on the bed, but, recovering - himself, ran at him with the dagger, which Mr. Swan caught by the - blade with one hand, and endeavoured to trip him up.[326] - -Captain Ryan then came upon the scene, but his flint lock missed fire; -and thereupon he lurched at Lord Edward with a sword-cane, which bent -on his ribs. Sirr had been engaged in placing pickets round the house, -when the report of Swan's pistol brought him upstairs. - - On my arrival in view of Lord Edward, Ryan, and Swan [writes Major - Sirr, in a letter addressed to Ryan's son], I beheld his lordship - standing with a dagger in his hand as if ready to plunge it into my - friends, while dear Ryan, seated on the bottom step of the flight - of the upper stairs, had Lord Edward grasped with both his arms - by the legs or thighs, and Swan in a somewhat similar situation, - both labouring under the torment of their wounds, when, without - hesitation, I fired at Lord Edward's dagger arm, and the instrument - of death fell to the ground. Having secured the titled prisoner, - my first concern was for your dear father's safety. I viewed his - intestines with grief and sorrow. - -Lord Edward, in fact, had completely ripped him open. Although Sirr had -lodged several slugs in his lordship's right shoulder, he continued -to fight furiously until the soldiers, of whom more than 200 were -present, overwhelmed him by pressing their heavy firelocks across his -person. They had brought him as far as the hall, when he made another -desperate effort to escape, and a drummer from behind stabbed him in -the neck.[327] Previous to this scene Higgins plied Cooke with gossip -from Magan, as the case about to be cited will show. - -The nickname applied to Pamela in the following extract was due to a -popular rumour that her parents were Madame de Genlis and Philippe -Egalité, Duke of Orleans: 'Lady Egality complains dreadfully about -Lord Castlereagh ordering a short passport. She will have letters -sewed or quilted in her clothes, and goes to Hamburg. I shall send you -particulars.'[328] - -Lady Fitzgerald was at this time at Moira House, within a few doors -of Magan; and the concluding words go to show that he had access to -the house, and was entirely conversant with its domestic doings; -the status, politics and attainments of so near a neighbour would -facilitate access to its gilded salons.[329] Lord Edward probably sent, -through Magan, messages to Pamela. Magan acted his part so plausibly -that on the very night Lord Edward lay a bleeding captive in Newgate, -he was raised by the votes of United Irishmen to a still higher post in -the organisation. - -Lord Edward had been arrested in Murphy's house; and Mr. Lecky -remarks[330] that there is no mention of the place in the letters of -Higgins. The latter, to save time, may have given the hint orally. -Higgins resided within twelve minutes' walk of Cooke's office. Mr. -Lecky states:[331] 'He [Higgins] was accustomed to go openly and -frequently to the Castle.' Cooke told Sirr that if he would go on the -following day, between five and six P.M., to the house of Murphy in -Thomas Street, he would find Lord Edward there.[332] - -On May 20, when Lord Edward was dying of his wounds in Newgate, Magan -furnishes through Higgins fresh hints, and promises further information -'to-morrow.' 'He was elected last night of the committee,' adds -Higgins. 'I had a great deal of exertion to go through to keep him -steady, and was obliged last week to advance him money.' On June 8 -Higgins writes: 'I cannot get from M. a single sentence of who assumes -a Directory. I have so frequently put him off about the payment of the -1,000_l._ that he thinks I am humbugging him.'[333] - -It will be remembered that, according to a secret entry of Cooke's, -1,000_l._ was paid on June 20 to 'F. H.' for the discovery of 'L. E. -F.,' and he observed the compact that Magan's name should not appear. -Magan thought that there was an effort to 'humbug' him as regards the -blood-money which he earned, but he knew how to 'humbug' a little -himself. Higgins, setting forth his own claims, tells Cooke, later on: -'By your interference Mr. M. obtained 300_l._ for expenses; give me -leave solemnly to assure you that I paid every possible expense he was -at, and more than I can mention.'[334] - -Magan was one of the first Catholic barristers called after the -Relief Bill of 1793, and wore an aspect highly demure and proper. He -was a trump card in the hands of Higgins, which, if adroitly played, -could not fail to clear the board. But with what a small share of -the winnings Magan was content is consistent with all we know of -his crawling career.[335] Arthur O'Connor, writing to Dr. Madden in -1842, says: 'So far as I could learn, no one betrayed Lord Edward'--a -striking testimony to the secrecy with which the thing was done.[336] - -Magan, the better to cloak his treachery, and to command that -confidence the fruit of which was distilled into dainty drops for -Cooke's ear, continued to manifest popular sympathies. He went -further, and on December 9, 1798, is found taking part against the -Government in a debate and division, where his feeble voice could -carry no influence, unless to deceive democratic friends. It was on -the occasion of the bar meeting, in Dublin, convened to discuss and -oppose the Legislative Union. Francis Magan's name may be found on the -patriotic side, in company with Bushe, Burton, Barrington, Burrowes, -Curran, Fletcher, Plunket, Ponsonby, and Leonard McNally. - -Passing on to 1802, we find a round sum of 500_l._ slipped into the -hands of Francis Magan on December 15 in that year, as appears by 'an -account of Secret Service money applied in the detection of treasonable -conspiracies.' This is the same amount which was given in 1848 for the -discovery of Smith O'Brien, and again in September 1865 for Stephens, -the Fenian head centre; while in 1798 only 300_l._ was offered for -Neilson and General Lawless. The discovery which earned the reward of -500_l._ in December 1803 must have been esteemed of importance. What -that discovery was has been hitherto involved in mystery; but the -succeeding chapter, devoted to William Todd Jones, may help to make -it clear. The 500_l._ is given to Magan direct, nearly eleven months -after the death of Higgins, through whom Magan's information had been -previously conveyed to Dublin Castle. He was now thrown on his own -resources, and seems to have been less squeamish than of yore. Were -Higgins then living the refresher might have been less, for 'Shamado' -had no objection to a lion's share. And one is not surprised to read in -Plowden that Higgins, originally a pauper, died worth 40,000_l._[337] - -Magan continued successfully to preserve his mask. A great aggregate -meeting was held on December 18, 1812, to protest against acts of the -Irish Government, and among the signatures convening it are those of -Daniel O'Connell and Francis Magan. This fact is brought out in a -memoir of the Liberator by his son, who, however, does not suspect -Magan. - -It was a national crisis. Meetings in aid of Catholic Emancipation had -just been forcibly dispersed. Lords Fingall, Netterville, and Ffrench -were dragged from the seats in which, as chairmen, they presided. -Other signatories who, with Magan, convened this meeting, were the -three Catholic peers just mentioned, Dr. T. Dromgoole, Bernard Coyle, -Sylvester Costigan, Con McLoughlin, and Fitzgerald of Geraldine--the -latter five having been, as well as O'Connell, United Irishmen. - -I was not surprised to hear from Mathias O'Kelly,[338] an old member -of the Catholic Board and at one time secretary to the Catholic -Association, that Magan possessed the respect and confidence of those -bodies. He seemed to prove the sincerity of his sympathy in the most -practical way, and rarely gave less than ten pounds as a subscription -to their funds. It is, no doubt, to Magan that Wellington refers in -his letter to Dublin Castle, dated London, November 17, 1808: 'I think -that, as there are some interesting Catholic questions afloat now, you -might feed ---- with another 100_l._'[339] - -Dr. Dirham, who from his boyhood had resided on Usher's Island, heard -it rumoured, he told me, that Magan during the troubled times kept -frequently open the door of his stable in Island Street to facilitate -espionage.[340] Moira House, now the 'Mendicity Institution,' is -situated within a few doors of No. 20, Usher's Island, the residence -for half a century of Francis Magan. As already mentioned, Pamela, the -beautiful wife of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, received in the stormy period -of '98 hospitable shelter from Lady Moira. To my surprise I find, in -a manuscript life of Dwyer the outlaw, by the late Luke Cullen, a -Carmelite friar, that two of Emmet's most active emissaries, Wylde and -Mahon, lay concealed in Moira House while a proclamation offering -500_l._[341] for their capture was being widely circulated. Before this -curious fact came to my knowledge, it will be seen, from a former work -of mine dealing with informers, that on utterly distinct circumstantial -evidence I sought to trace Magan as on the track of Wylde and Mahon at -Philipstown during the same eventful year. - -Major Sirr made a private note, which remains duly on record[342] -that the retreat of Wylde and Mahon 'is sometimes at the gaoler's in -Philipstown, who is married to Wylde's sister.' The following entry -appears in the 'account of secret service money employed in detecting -treasonable conspiracies per affidavit of Mr. Cooke': 'April 2, 1803. -Francis Magan, by post to Philipstown--100_l._'[343] - -In the State Papers of the time I can find no letters bearing on this -transaction, and therefore I must seek to trace it on circumstantial -evidence. - -Who can doubt that Magan, when a refresher reached him at Philipstown, -was in hot scent after Wylde and Mahon? Later on, during the same year, -we find Captain Caulfield and a party of military laying siege to the -house at Philipstown in which Wylde and Mahon were suspected to be -concealed. An account of a skirmish is supplied by Captain Caulfield in -a letter, dated December 17, 1803, also preserved in the Sirr papers: -'Captain Dodgson was killed, and,' adds Caulfield, 'we were obliged to -retire, while the villains made their escape.'[344] - -Luke Cullen, the Carmelite already referred to, spent his later life -gathering from the peasantry their recollections of the troubled -times. His manuscript life of Dwyer has been placed in my hands by the -superior of Clondalkin monastery. Folios 595 to 597 describe Wylde -and Mahon's refuge at Philipstown, the abortive efforts to catch them -there, and afterwards their concealment at Moira House, Dublin. The -governor of Philipstown Gaol, we learn, was a near connection of both. -They are stated by Cullen to have at last effected their escape from -Moira House, Usher's Island, in a boat which rapidly passed out of the -bay. Having reached the United States, Wylde and Mahon joined the army, -and found speedy promotion. The statement that two proscribed men, most -active propagandists of Emmet's plans, lay under Lord Moira's ægis -seems startling; but this statesman and his countess had very popular -sympathies, and liked to succour rebels. The late Mr. Thomas Geoghegan, -solicitor, informed me that two uncles of his named Clements, who were -United Irishmen, obtained refuge at Moira House while warrants were -out for their arrest, and finally succeeded in escaping all pains and -penalties owing to the precautions taken by Lady Moira. - -It is not a little singular that General Lord Moira, who, later on, was -offered the Viceroyalties of Ireland and of India, and who in 1812, on -the death of Percival, sought to form an administration, should have -performed the perilous task of harbouring men who loved Ireland 'not -wisely, but too well.' Portland, in a letter to Camden, dated 11 March, -1798, classes with 'the disaffected,' 'Lord Moira and his adherents.' -This impression was partly due to his indignant protest in Parliament -against that policy of torture by which the people had been daily -goaded to rebel. - -Magan's life involved some strange contradictions. Proud, and even -haughty, he yet hesitated not to commit base acts; with the wages of -dishonour he paid his just debts. An interesting letter, in reply -to a query, was addressed to the present writer by the late John -Fetherstonhaugh, of Griffinstown, Kinnegad. His grandfather, Thomas -Fetherston, of Bracket Castle, was, he states, in the habit for years -of lodging in High Street, Dublin, at the house of Thomas Magan, a -draper, 'and departed this life in his house.'[345] Fetherston's -son, on inspecting his papers, found a joint bond from the draper and -his son, Francis Magan, for 1,000_l._, and on speaking to the former -respecting its payment, he declared that he was insolvent. - - So my father [adds Mr. Fetherston] put it into his desk, counting - it waste paper. Some years elapsed and the son came to Bracket - Castle, my father's residence, and asked for the bond. 'For what?' - said my father. To his astonishment, he said it was to pay it. I - was then but a boy, but I can now almost see the strange scene--it - made so great an impression on me. Often my father told me Magan - paid the 1,000_l._, and he could not conceive where he got it, as - he never held a brief in court; and he was always puzzled why the - Crown gave him place and pension.[346] - -James Dickson of Kilmainham has been more than once mentioned in these -pages. As soon as he had been discharged from gaol, in the absence of -evidence to convict him in a court of law, he opened his house for -the entertainment and solace of the families of the State prisoners. -But his guests were not confined wholly to the United Brotherhood. -My informant, the late Mathias O'Kelly, often met there William Todd -Jones, of whose arrest in 1803, on suspicion of complicity in Emmet's -treason, volumes were published; Lord Kingsland, famous for a career -of marvellous vicissitude; Mrs. Neilson, wife of the rebel leader, -then imprisoned at Fort George; and Plowden, the popular historian, -who gathered at Dickson's table much valuable information. The house -was quite a centre of liberal opinion in Dublin, and no man shared -Dickson's confidence more fully than Magan. Mathias O'Kelly greatly -respected Magan, and thirty years ago, when I first started my -suspicion, he laboured hard to convince me that I was entirely wrong. -Magan told O'Kelly that he had been a member of the Society of United -Irishmen, but withdrew from it when he saw it drifting into dangerous -courses. The reverse is the fact. He played his part so well that at -the time of his betrayals he was promoted to a high post in the rebel -executive.[347] - -In 1832 a brochure was 'printed for the author by William Shaw, -Dublin,' which must have quickened the sluggish pulse of Mr. and Miss -Magan. It was 'An Impartial Enquiry respecting the Betrayal of Lord -Edward Fitzgerald,' by Joseph Hamilton. No charge was preferred against -the Magans in this pamphlet. But conscience makes cowards; the probing -given to a sore spot, and Hamilton's mention of 'Mr. Magan and his -sister,' with others who knew of Lord Edward's movements previous to -the arrest, proved distasteful at 20 Usher's Island. - -Hamilton's labour was undertaken with the avowed object of clearing -Neilson from a suspicion which Moore, in his Memoir of Lord Edward, -ventured to start. Whether Moore, in gathering facts for his book, had -been referred to the Magans, I know not, but he certainly returned -to England strongly prejudiced against the incorruptible Neilson, -and straightway framed an indictment bristling with innuendos.[348] -Hamilton prints, with other vindicatory papers, letters from Hamilton -Rowan and Dr. McNevin, also a touching protest from the daughter of -Neilson. Hamilton knew Lord Edward well. - - Dearer to me was Edward's life than Neilson's memory [he writes]. - Dearer to me is Ireland than are Neilson's children and his - friends. If I thought he was the man who could betray his generous - friend and noble chieftain, I would leave his memory and his bones - to rot together. I took up his vindication, not as a partial - advocate; and in thus conducting his defence I will not endeavour - to suppress a single fact which might go to justify the accusing - passage in Lord Edward's 'Life.' - -Mr. Hamilton proved Neilson guiltless, but he fell into the error, -which a man blindfolded at play commits, in very often making a grasp -in the wrong quarter. He suspects Reynolds; Captain Armstrong, who -betrayed Sheares; 'a Mr. Hatton, one of the rebel Executive, _who -unaccountably escaped_.'[349] Even Sir Jonah Barrington; nay, the -estimable philanthropist, Mathias O'Kelly, who lived with his father at -Galway's Walk, near the scene of Lord Edward's tussle with Sirr, was -also mentioned in a suggestive way. 'On the 17th May,' writes Hamilton, -'Armstrong met both the Sheares, and on that evening Major Sirr was -seen looking towards the rear of Miss Magan's house from Mr. O'Kelly's -stable door in Galway's Walk. I know five different places where Lord -Edward was concealed,' he adds. The secret which, like the sword of -Damocles, had long hung over the heads of Francis Magan and his sister, -now seemed on the point of falling; but their names were not used in -this pamphlet more freely than those of Miss Moore, Murphy, and a few -other persons amongst whose haunts the Geraldine flitted during his -last days in this world. Hamilton thus closes the first stage of his -inquiry:-- - - My documents and anecdotes are every hour increasing. I have - received communications from the wife and son of him with whom the - Major had the struggle near the house of Miss Magan. I call on - Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Dixon,[350] Mrs. Rowe, and Miss Magan; I call on - Mr. Magan, Mr. Murphy, their families, and all those individuals - who either visited or served them or their noble guest, to tell - all Ireland all they are acquainted with respecting the last week - Lord Edward had his freedom. I know what some of them can say; I - know what more of them might say; and I pause for their full and - faithful declarations. - -A promised second part never appeared; but it were almost better for -the feelings of Magan and his sister had the dreaded charge been boldly -fulminated, than the agony of suspense to which they were doomed. I had -not seen this scarce pamphlet when I first expressed my suspicions of -Magan. - -When the present century was in its teens, the aristocratic section of -Irish Catholics sought to give the Crown a 'veto' in the appointment -of their bishops, and started in opposition to O'Connell, who had been -demanding unfettered emancipation. In the ranks of this troublesome -schism, the records of which would fill a library, I find Francis -Magan, Lords Fingall,[351] Trimleston, Kenmare, Gormanstown, and -Southwell, Wolfe,[352] Shiel,[353] Bellew, Lynch, Donellan,[354] -Wyse,[355] Ball[356] and others anxious to reach by a short cut the -good things of the State. - -The gentleman into whose hands Magan's papers passed tells me that he -found a letter addressed to him in 1834 by Sir W. Gossett, Assistant -Secretary of State at Dublin Castle, asking under what circumstances -he claimed a pension from the Crown, and requesting information as to -a small office he held. A copy of Magan's reply was appended, saying -that the Viceroy of the day had promised him a county chairmanship--or, -as it would now be called, a county court judgeship; but, owing to -the disabilities then affecting Catholics, he was found to be not -eligible for appointment, and the emoluments in question were given as -compensation.[357] Gossett had succeeded Gregory in 1831, and having -come in with the Whigs sought to administer a more liberal form of -government. Cornwallis, Castlereagh, Cooke and Marsden had been long -gone to their account, and dead men tell no tales. Whether Gossett -viewed Magan's reply as quite satisfactory does not appear. In 1835 -Earl Mulgrave deprived Watty Cox of his pension, but I cannot say -whether the same high-handed course was extended to Magan. - -Magan was said to have filled some small legal office long since -abolished, though of its precise character even his relatives -could afford no information. A gossiping missive is subjoined, the -less reluctantly because Magan, having often stood in misanthropic -isolation, it is pleasant to find any person who came in frequent -contact with him. Moreover it is one of the last letters of a not -undistinguished man. Sir W. Gossett, who wrote to Magan for information -as regards the sinecure he held, might have been glad of the dates -which are now supplied. The late Huband Smith, M.R.I.A., served -with Magan as a Commissioner for Enclosing Commons. This was rather -an unpopular appointment. The disturbances of 1766, ending in the -execution of Father Sheehy, all originated in the resistance offered -to a similar measure. From 1821 to 1827 Mr. Goulburn filled the office -of Chief Secretary for Ireland, and he was a very likely man to have -recognised the claims of any person who had rendered secret service -in '98. The same remark applies to the Premier, Lord Liverpool, who -provided so munificently for the family of Reynolds the informer. On -the death of that peer in 1827 his successor, Mr. Canning, earned -popularity by refusing to employ in his departments any of the spies -of '98, or even to ratify the appointments of Lord Castlereagh or Lord -Liverpool. - -Huband Smith's letter runs:-- - - I deferred replying to your note and queries till I could lay - my hands on some documents which I had preserved respecting the - Commission for inclosing Waste Lands and Commons in Tallaght, - Killsillaghan, &c. The Act was passed in the 2nd of George IV. - session of 1821. The original Commissioners were Morgan Crofton, - James Clancy, and Francis Magan, all barristers. The lands to be - inclosed were:--In Tallaght, 783 acres; Killsillaghan, 150 acres; - Luske, 320 acres exclusive of the racecourse. The Act recited - the owners of the adjoining lands, lords of manors, and also the - General Inclosure Act of 43 George III. The earlier meetings of - the Commissioners were held in the Royal Exchange, and the later - ones at the house of William Duffield Rooke, an eminent solicitor, - in Molesworth Street, well known also in the musical world as an - accomplished violinist, and member of the 'Beef-Steak Club.' Mr. - Morgan Crofton having died in 1830, it became necessary for the - surviving Commissioners under the Act to appoint a third in his - place, and in February 1831 I was sworn in as a Commissioner at - the meeting held on March 11, 1831, and this was the first time I - met Magan. Mr. James Clancy was a barrister of some eminence well - known to the profession by able legal treatises, amongst them one - of considerable authority on the law of husband and wife. - - In regard to your query, what was the average amount of the fees - which constituted Magan's salary--he was entitled to receive three - guineas _per diem_ for every day on which the Commissioners sat - in furtherance of the Act. Magan and his brother Commissioners - were armed with large powers, such as examining witnesses on oath, - awarding costs, and enforcing payment by distress warrant, &c. In - point of fact they held a sort of court, and constituted a tribunal - from which the appeal lay to the Superior Courts by action at law, - under certain restrictions. The Commissioners were directed to hold - perambulations, and authorised to sell such parts of the lands - as, in their opinion, were necessary to defray the expenses of - passing the Act and of carrying it into execution, and to execute - conveyances of the fee-simple. - - It is on the commons at Lusk that the admirable Irish convict - system, which has worked so well, has been fully carried into - operation. - - With regard to Magan's manner, it appeared to me very unobtrusive, - and, as one would say, undemonstrative. He was then an elderly - man sufficiently gentlemanlike in appearance, tall, yet rather - of plain, and even coarse exterior; perhaps a little moody and - reserved at times, and something may have been pressing on him - of which he said little.[358] As to his private income, there - were no data for coming to any conclusion.... He resided at - Usher's Island, near the Four Courts, a neighbourhood at that time - inhabited by a better class than now, and it formed no part of the - Commission to inquire more minutely into his affairs. - -Mr. Magan was socially described as a person who 'held his head high,' -and with a nice sense of honour. In later years he seemed unduly -sensitive and, at times, retiring. Possessing few friends through life, -he continued staunch to these few, beginning with Francis Higgins -and ending with 'Master' Clancy. 'I hold Magan in such esteem,' the -latter said, 'that only for his advanced age I should like to appoint -him my executor.' Some other men who remembered '98, its horrors, -and its gossip, rather recoiled from Magan without knowing well why. -There was something of a 'Dr. Fell' about him. He occasionally went -the home circuit, but got no briefs. When hailed by juniors with a -deference which put to flight all misgivings on his part as to whether -acquaintanceship was likely to be valued, his _hauteur_ softened into a -dignified affability, and this relaxation was often taken as a gracious -condescension. His white locks made him venerable, and by some he was -regarded as a father of the Bar.[359] - -Another man who viewed him with respect was the late Judge Corballis, -who in reply to a letter wrote:-- - - I never, directly or indirectly, heard anything of the alleged - charge against Frank Magan during his life. I was on habits of - intimacy with him to the day of his death, and was with him on his - death-bed. He always bore a high character, as far as I could ever - learn, either at the bar or in society. - -Mr. Corballis lived in the country and knew not what Magan's neighbours -said. In their eyes a black cloud seemed to hover over his house. - - For forty long years, as the neighbours declared, - His abode had ne'er once been cleaned or repaired.[360] - -But in personal appearance he was neat enough, and might be daily seen, -in the stiff high cravat of the Regency, emerging from its precincts. -Dr. Atkinson and Charles Kernan say that, though Magan was a familiar -object to them all the year round, they never saw him accompanied by -mortal in his walks. He never married, would sit in solitude, or stalk -from room to room like Marlay's ghost. Perhaps the voice of conscience -muttered, 'You are said to have sought the confidence of men in order -to betray it; show the world by your frigid attitude that such is not -likely to be true.' He was reported to have wealth: how he acquired it -seemed a mystery. - -In 1842, Dr. Madden, when engaged on his 'Lives of the United -Irishmen,' had interviews, as he tells us, with Mrs. Macready, who, as -Miss Moore, had been with Lord Edward the day before his arrest;[361] -but her son informed me that as Magan was then alive and residing near -at hand, she did not mention his name to Dr. Madden. Magan, however, -cannot fail to have heard of the inquiries being instituted around -him by Madden, and his nervous temperament was not calmed by that -knowledge. He died in 1843, during a period of great popular excitement -and when fears prevailed that the events of '98 were about to be -renewed. - -'Magan's remains lie in our vaults' writes a local priest.[362] - -'By his will he requires a perpetual yearly mass to be celebrated by -all priests of this church for the repose of his soul, so that I have -been praying for him once each year since I became attached to this -parish, without knowing anything of his antecedents.' - -Dr. Dirham had been residing within a few doors of Magan's house, -and on the death of that gentleman it occurred to him to move to the -more ample accommodation it afforded. His account, though wholly -unimportant, is curious in its way. For years Miss Magan kept -constantly promising to vacate in his favour, stating that some small -cottage in some rural spot would be much more suitable to her lonely -life; but an irresistible fascination bound her to the dingy rooms in -which she had vegetated since the dark days of '98. Francis Magan, -by a will of ten lines, had left all his property to Elizabeth, his -sister, and directed that his funeral might be private. The rooms were -now all shut up, and Miss Magan herself ate, drank, and slept upon -the landing. For twenty years the drawing-room had not been opened, -owing to the fact that a younger sister had died there; and the other -apartments of the house were locked up for reasons equally odd. A -strange indisposition to permit the humblest visitor to enter the -place, was shown in various ways. A quarter of a century seemed to have -elapsed since the dust-pit had been emptied, and boards were erected -round it which enabled the Magans to add daily _débris_, until at last -they became dust themselves. When Dr. Dirham came into possession of -the place[363] he found the garden covered from end to end with some -feet deep of cinders, through which rank nettles struggled like the -stings of the self-consciousness that made life with Magan the reverse -of roseate. In a retired nook stood a bottle drainer, the wooden -bars of which had fallen in from decay, smashing in its descent the -emblems of conviviality it once enshrined, and through the aid of -which profitable secrets may erst have been gained. The sewers and -gratings had become choked; and the deep area at the rear of the house -was filled with eight feet of stagnant water. A subterranean cell, -adjoining this fosse, and by courtesy styled the 'coal-vault,' opened -on another dark chamber; and a feeling of awe crept over the Doctor -when, impelled by curiosity to gauge its depth, he cast a stone into -the pit, and listened until its descent terminated in the sound of -splashing water below. The hinges of the hall door were so stiff during -Miss Magan's tenancy, that Dr. Fleming, who as a cousin once ventured -to visit the moneyed recluse, had to call at a neighbouring chemist's -for sweet oil ere he felt safe in crying 'Open Sesame.' Seated on the -cold landing, in the midst of chests of mysterious treasure, this -'unprotected female,' trembling in every nerve lest friends should -wrest it from her grasp, gloomily passed the closing years of a hidden -life. Once, on a false alarm of fire, her anguish was pitiable, and, -to the surprise of everybody, she relinquished the custody of some -chests to a neighbour,[364] Mr. Cotton, who, however, detained them -only a few hours. At another neighbour's, Miss Flanagan's, who kept an -old established bakery, Miss Magan always got her bank-notes changed; -but, fearful of being waylaid between the covered car she occupied, -and the door at which it stopped, Miss Flanagan was always obliged to -get into the vehicle and place in the hands of its shrinking occupant -the metallic equivalent for the crisp new note. Some arrears of rent -had accumulated at the time of Miss Magan's death, and a term of years -in the lease remained unexpired; but her property was so left that -the landlord's claim could not be satisfied. The house was in such a -ruined state that the landlord, Colonel King, was glad to accept half -the former rent. Although an extremely old house, only one tenant, -Archbishop Carpenter,[365] occupied it before Magan. In its back -parlour had been ordained Dean Lube and many other old priests well -known in Dublin during the struggle for Catholic Emancipation; and so -searchingly severe was the operation of penal law, that students for -ordination had to be smuggled into the Archbishop's house by the stable -in Island Street, afterwards turned to ignoble purposes. An altar stood -in a recess of this parlour, which the Magans changed into a cupboard. - -William Allingham would seem to have had the house in his eye when, -some years later, he wrote:-- - - Outside, the old plaster, all spatter and stain, - Looked spotty in sunshine and streaky in rain; - The window-sills sprouted with mildewy grass, - And the panes from being broken were known to be glass. - - Within there were carpets and cushions of dust; - The wood was half rot, and the metal half rust; - Old curtains--half cobwebs--hung grimly aloof: - 'Twas a spider's Elysium from cellar to roof. - - But they pried not upstairs, through the dust and the gloom, - Nor peeped at the door of the wonderful room - That gossips made much of, in accents subdued, - But whose inside no mortal might brag to have viewed. - - Full forty years since turned the key in that door: - 'Tis a room deaf and dumb 'mid the city's uproar. - The guests, for whose joyance that table was spread,[366] - May now enter as ghosts, for they're every one dead. - -On consulting the records of the Probate Court early in this inquiry, I -was puzzled to find that the sum which Miss Magan appeared to have died -worth was quite nominal. This discovery disturbed, and for some time -retarded, the completion of the chain of evidence. On inquiry, however, -it was stated that, in order to save the legacy duty, she transferred, -when almost _in extremis_, a considerable sum to the late Very Rev. Dr. -Taylor and a respected physician[367] still living; and she made a will -ratifying that act. Orally, she expressed a wish as to its bestowal for -some useful purpose, but leaving details entirely to their discretion. -With the bulk of this money a refuge for penitent females and an asylum -for the insane were built.[368] Miss Magan died worth 14,000_l._, not -to speak of a fee-farm property known as Hartstown, held under Lord -Carhampton, and not far from the Devil's Mills, near Dublin, which, -local tradition states, his lordship built in one night by demoniac -aid.[369] - -It seems strange that Magan, who was insolvent before the rebellion, -could amass so much money. His secret pension was merely for 200_l._ a -year[370] (a sum insufficient to pay the rent of his house), give good -donations to the Catholic Board, pay off Fetherston's bond, and support -himself, his sisters and his horse--for in early life Mr. Magan did -indulge in that luxury. His pension, there is reason to think, from the -letter of Sir William Gossett in 1834, ceased to be paid about that -time. His fees as a Commissioner for enclosing commons were enjoyed -by him for a few years only; and as the 'S.S. Money Book' records but -three payments to him--namely, on September 11, 1800, April 2, 1802, -and December 15, 1802--it is evident that he must have derived income -from other sources. There are payments of secret service money to the -informers of '98 and their representatives which obtain no record in -the book ostensibly devoted to that purpose. Captain Armstrong, who -betrayed the Sheares's, is known to have received, throughout sixty -years, about 29,000_l._ in recognition of that act; and yet no trace of -his name appears in the book of Secret Service Money expenditure. Money -was also obtainable under a clause in the Act of 39 George III. cap. -65, by which a sum of 2,910_l._ was allocated to the Under-Secretary in -the Civil department (Dublin Castle) for the time being, in trust for -payment of secret annuities. A letter from Dr. Ferris suggests another -source. He states, on the authority of a clerk in Gleadowe Newcomen's -Bank, then dead, that an annuity had been paid from that house to -Francis Magan, and that the clerk had seen Magan's receipts. Dr. Ferris -suggests that the books of the bank might be still accessible for -examination.[371] - -An Act of Parliament provided that the Secret Service Money placed at -the Viceroy's disposal should pass confidentially through the hands of -the Chief Secretary; but this arrangement has not always been adhered -to, as is evident from the fact that the 1,000_l._ reward for the -discovery of Emmet was lodged to the credit of the informer in Finlay's -bank. The hint of Dr. Ferris is not uninteresting, but the books of -Newcomen's bank do not seem to have been preserved. Barrington states -that Sir W. Gleadowe Newcomen, who voted for the Union, received a -reward of 20,000_l._ with a peerage, and the patronage of his county. -It is a strange irony of fate that Lord Newcomen died poor. For years -he lived alone in the bank, gloating, it was wildly whispered, over -ingots of treasure, with no lamp to guide him but the luminous diamonds -which had been left for safe keeping in his hands. Moore would have -compared him to 'the gloomy gnome that dwells in the dark gold mine.' -Wrapped in a sullen misanthropy, he was sometimes seen emerging at -twilight from his iron clamped abode. La Touche's bank stood on the -opposite side of Castle Street, and Dublin wags compared the street to -a river because it ran between two banks. Jokes soon gave way to sobs. -One day Newcomen's bank broke,[372] and prosperous men perished in the -collapse. Lord Newcomen had previously retired to Killester, where he -died by his own hand. No claimant appeared for his coronet, and the -line became extinct. This was the twenty-seventh Irish peerage which -had failed since the Union. Gleadowe had been M.P. for Longford when -he voted for the extinction of the Irish Parliament. Richard Lovel -Edgeworth, a betrayed constituent, regarded this vote as an act of -treason, and in anger shot forth the following bolt:-- - - With a name that is borrowed--a title that's bought, - Sir William would fain be a gentleman thought; - His wit is but cunning, his courage but vapour, - His pride is but money--his money but paper! - -What was a pointless sarcasm in 1800 became a stubborn fact in -1825--Newcomen's notes were waste paper. The Hibernian Banking Company -soon after began business within the walls. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[284] I leave unchanged some of the circumstantial evidence which had -convinced me of Magan's guilt, adding in brackets the criminatory -letters subsequently found (January 1891). - -[285] Thus, in 'Croppies lie down,' to the tune of which, as Moore -says, 'more blood had been shed than often falls to the lot of lyrical -ballads'-- - - 'The ruthless Fitzgerald stept forward to rule, - His principles formed in the Orleans school.' - -[286] _Memoirs of Miles Byrne_, iii. 247. (Paris: Bossange, 1863.) - -[287] 'Dr. Madden,' writes the Rev. James Wills, 'mentions a train of -circumstances which seems to fasten the imputation on Hughes.'--_Lives -of Illustrious Irishmen_, vi. 51. Years after, in his new edition, -Madden suggests suspicion against one Joel Hulbert (i. 85; ii. 443). -Eventually, however, Dr. Madden wrote: 'And now, at the conclusion -of my researches on this subject of the betrayal of Lord Edward -Fitzgerald, I have to confess they have not been successful. The -betrayer still preserves his incognito; his treachery, up to the -present time (January 1858), remains to be connected with his name, -and once discovered, to make it odious for evermore.... Nine-and-fifty -years the secret of the sly, skulking villain has been kept by his -employers, with no common care for his character or his memory.'--See -_Lives of the United Irishmen_, by R. R. Madden, ii. 446, 2nd ed. - -[288] Froude, iii. 342. - -[289] _Cornwallis Correspondence_, iii. 320. - -[290] The Viceroy, whose carriage Magan and Higgins hired a mob to -draw triumphantly through the streets, was Lord Temple, afterwards -Marquis of Buckingham, twice Chief Governor of Ireland, and of whom Mr. -Grattan writes: 'He opposed many good measures, promoted many bad men, -increased the expenses of Ireland in a manner wanton and profligate, -and vented his wrath upon the country.' - -[291] _Dublin Evening Post_, No. 1767. The same journal adds:--'It was -in Mr. Magan's house in High Street that the creditable certificate of -the clergy of Rosemary Lane Chapel was written and obtained.' It may -be explained that when the moralist, Magee, denounced Higgins as one -who had defied the laws of God and man, an advertisement, purporting -to come from the priests of Rosemary Lane Chapel, said that they had -no official or other knowledge of an imposture alleged to have been -committed twenty-three years previously by Mr. Francis Higgins, and -adding that, during his residence in Smock Alley, his conduct had been -marked by benevolence. 'This sprig of Rosemary,' commented the _Post_, -'may serve to revive the fainting innocence of the immaculate convert -of Saint Francis!' Magan, as a leading Catholic parishioner, had much -weight with the clergy. - -[292] _Dublin Directory_, 1790. - -[293] It was during this anxious period that Lord Edward, venturing out -at night, had an interview with Pamela in Denzille Street, when their -little child was taken from its cot to see its father, and a servant -suddenly entering the room found the parents in tears. - -[294] It should be Friday, May 18, as appears from Sirr's original -memorandum. - -[295] Statement of Mr. William Macready, the grandson of Moore, -furnished exclusively to the present writer. - -[296] _Life and Death of Lord Edward Fitzgerald_, by Thomas Moore. -Paris ed. p. 160. - -[297] May 18, 1798. - -[298] Lest he should arrive at the hall door. - -[299] Dirty Lane, now Bridgefoot Street, was another route by which -Lord Edward could come from Moore's. The Queen's Bridge is at the foot -of Dirty Lane. Island Street runs parallel with Usher's Island, a -suburban quay; and Magan's is the second stable from Watling Street. - -[300] Major Swan was the assistant town major. Atkinson will be -remembered as the chief constable of Belfast. See _ante_, p. 8. - -[301] The premises were on Wood Quay (then known as 'Pudding Row'), -Wine Tavern Street, and Fisher's Alley; they also included the 'Dog -and Duck' inn, north side of Thomas Street, with a rear extending to -Marshalsea Lane.--_Registry of Deeds Office._ Traces of other property -held by Thomas Magan crop up in unlooked-for places. By the settlement -of Philip Whitfield Harvey with Miss Frances Tracy, dated September 16, -1802, it is recited that Thomas Magan, having become a bankrupt, his -properties at Blackstaheny and in Britain Street were sold by auction -to Samuel Dick and a Mr. Halpin for the sum of 4,830_l._ Higgins had -property of his own at Blackstaheny, for I find a conveyance of lands -there in 1806 from the Harveys and Tracys to Andrew Rorke of Clonsilla; -consideration, 1,084_l._ 12_s._ 6_d._ - -[302] Magan's seal displays a boar's head, with the motto 'Virtute et -probitate!' - -[303] A nickname by which the popular journalist, John Magee, satirised -Higgins. - -[304] It was whispered that Francis Magan may have been the godson -of Francis Higgins, and baptised Francis in compliment to him. The -Catholic baptismal registries of the parish do not go back sufficiently -far to throw light; but, inasmuch as Thomas Magan married, in October -1770, the daughter of _Francis_ Kiernan, merchant, their son would be -very naturally called after the grandfather. - -[305] _United Irishmen_, iv. 25. - -[306] This would give Magan an opportunity of meeting and discoursing -with his old friend. - -[307] _Dublin Evening Post_, Tuesday, May 23, 1797. - -[308] Dublin: W. B. Kelly. Long out of print. The Rev. Dr. Stokes, -Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Trinity College, Dublin, in the -_Mail_ of October 14, 1885, stated that this pamphlet 'may be found -in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, Gallery H. 10, vol 92.' -The brochure had been printed mainly for the purpose of correcting a -mis-statement made by the _Athenæum_, when reviewing the _Cornwallis -Papers_. The _Athenæum_, then edited by W. Hepworth Dixon, far from -resenting my correction, reviewed the book in terms which stimulated -further efforts, and, if any excuse for them were needed, it is -supplied in that too favourable judgment. See No. 1649 p. 744. 'This -biography reads like so many pages out of Mr. Lever's _Con Cregan, -or the Irish Gil Blas_; but Mr. Fitzpatrick quotes several legal and -literary documents to authenticate his text. Facts in abundance are -produced. As illustrative of the state of Irish political society in -those days, this tract is extremely curious. With extraordinary power -of social research, an intimacy is established between the hateful -Higgins and Magan; ... most curious circumstantial evidence, to -criminate Magan. This tract merits preservation. The mass of social and -personal knowledge accumulated by Mr. Fitzpatrick is very striking. He -writes like an _ex post facto_ Boswell, and the research with which -he amasses minute particulars is a speciality with him. It is for -want, heretofore, of detailed and accurate domestic knowledge, that -Irish history is so crude and colourless; and works like those of Mr. -Fitzpatrick have value.' - -[309] Higgins to Cooke, December 29, 1797. - -[310] _Idem_, January 2, 1798. - -[311] O'Coigly left for London on his luckless mission, and Magan lost -sight of him. - -[312] Higgins to Cooke, January 12, 1798. - -[313] Henry Jackson, a very active member of the Rebel Directory, and -father-in-law of Oliver Bond. - -[314] John Fallon, Esq., J.P. and D.L., born April 6, 1767. Higgins to -Cooke, January 16, 1798. - -[315] Higgins to Cooke, February 26, 1798. - -[316] Lawless was Professor of Physiology in the College of Surgeons; -but, on finding that a warrant was out for his arrest, got safely to -France, where he rose to the rank of General, and lost a leg at Leipzig. - -[317] Higgins to Cooke, March 28, 1798. - -[318] Moore mentions that Lord Edward and Neilson were stopped, -at midnight, by the patrol at Palmerstown; but the former having -personated a doctor hurrying to the relief of a patient, both were -suffered to resume their journey. - -[319] The accurate information on other points which daily reached -Cooke convinced not a few United Irishmen that treachery was at work. - -[320] Magan to Cooke, April 22, 1798. - -[321] It is also due to Lord Edward's memory to remind the reader that -Higgins was a man of leprosied reputation. Nearly thirty years ago, I -gave some account of him in _Ireland before the Union_. Meanwhile, the -reader might see what an English historian, Mr. Plowden, says of him, -_vide_ chap. xiv. 'Father Arthur O'Leary,' _et seq._ p. 213. I printed -in the _Sham Squire_ the original informations against Higgins for the -basest fraud, the true bills found against him by the Grand Jury in -1766, and the records of his committals to Newgate. - -[322] _Memoirs of the Whig Party._ - -[323] Higgins to Under-Secretary Cooke, May 18, 1798. - -[324] _Idem._ - -[325] Afterwards known to Turner at Hamburg, p. 14 _ante_. - -[326] _The Express_, May 26, 1798. - -[327] Mr. Froude says that 'Lord Edward was naturally a powerful man' -(iii. 343). This impression is not accurate. Jasper Joly, LL.D., son of -Lord Edward's godson, tells me that 'he was a small, wiry man.' - -[328] Francis Higgins to Under Secretary Cooke, May 18, 1798. - -[329] John Wesley visited Moira House in 1775, and has described -the splendour of its rooms, one of which was inlaid throughout with -'mother-of-pearl.' The spiritualised philosopher adds, 'and must this -pass away like a dream?' But he did not live to see, as Magan did, -Moira House the _refugium_ of hunger, rags, and dirt--a 'Mendicity -Institution.' - -[330] Lecky, viii. 44. - -[331] _Ibid._ vii. 211. - -[332] _Life of Reynolds_, by his Son. - -[333] Francis Higgins to Cooke, Stephen's Green, June 8, 1798. Quoted -by Lecky. For curious facts about Higgins, see chapter xiv.: 'Father -O'Leary.' - -[334] Higgins to Cooke, June 13, 1801. - -[335] The writer will be excused if he seems to linger on this theme; -but from childhood 'Magan' has been to him a familiar household -word. His grandfather, John Brett, lived next door to Magan's house -at Usher's Island. Voices, long since hushed, often described their -strange, silent neighbour, of whom it might be said, 'still waters run -deep.' Brett, though not a rebel, had popular sympathies, and several -patriots, including James Tandy, visited at his house. One day Major -Sirr created a great scare at Brett's by instituting a search for -pikes and papers. The hysterics of the young ladies and the protests -of their brothers served only to stimulate his ardour. No nook was -left unexplored, no stone unturned. The intruders even uprooted the -flower-beds in the garden, hoping to make a discovery, but all in vain; -and Sirr, with drooping plumage, at last withdrew.--See James Tandy's -arrest, Appendix, _infra_. - -[336] _United Irishmen_, ii. 234. - -[337] _Historical Review_, ii. 256. - -[338] O'Kelly held, from a close personal knowledge of the man, that he -would be incapable of treachery. - -[339] _Correspondence of the Duke of Wellington (Ireland)_, pp. 485-6. - -[340] Two gardens belonged to Moira House: one in front of Island -Street, the other at its opposite side. These gardens are separated by -Island Street, which runs parallel with Usher's Island. A subterranean -passage under the street communicates with both pleasure grounds. -Usher's Island was formerly called Usher's Garden. - -[341] The monk names this figure, but I think overstates it. - -[342] The Sirr MSS., Trin. Coll. Dublin. - -[343] In library of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. - -[344] The Sirr MSS. This letter is quoted by Dr. Madden, who thinks -that the information on which Dodgson and Caulfield acted came from -Kildare; but it appears by the letter he himself prints (i. 522) that -it came from Dublin. Caulfield's letter, addressed to Major Sirr, says, -'In consequence of _your_ information, I reached Philipstown.' On the -two previous occasions when Major Sirr had laid hands on Lord Edward -Fitzgerald, the information as we see came from Magan. Dr. Madden, in -printing the letter referred to above, erroneously assigns to it the -date 1798; but the original MS. displays 'December 17, 1803.' - -[345] How Mr. Fetherston came to patronise Thomas Magan's lodgings, -and otherwise to befriend him, was partly due to the fact that Magan -had descended from a once opulent race in West Meath. _Vide_ wills, -in Irish Record Office, of Thomas Magan, Togherstown, co. W. Meath, -dated 1710; and another, probably of his son, dated 1750. By a deed, -dated May 2, 1798, it appears that James and John Fetherston had -been trustees of the will of Mary Magan, the grandmother of Francis. -The property of Papists in penal times was liable to discovery and -forfeiture, and the help of friendly Protestants as trustees sometimes -became a necessity. The first mention of the Magans, and of the -Fetherstons as their trustees, is in 1763. - -[346] Mr. Lecky has been kind enough to say (_History of England_, -viii. 45) that I have 'thrown more light than any other writer on the -career of Magan;' and he quotes the above as 'a very curious fact,' -adding that it would be interesting to know if 'the transaction took -place shortly after the death of Lord Edward.' As satisfaction of the -bond might possibly have been 'entered,' I searched the records of the -Four Law Courts, term after term, from 1798 to 1808, but no trace can -be found. - -[347] The deliberate and mercenary way in which the respected -'counsellor' set himself to spy could be shown by fifty letters. Father -Quigley, or O'Coigly, who, it will be remembered, was arrested at -Margate in February on Turner's information (see chap. iii. _ante_), -and suffered death soon after, escaped by a hair's breadth the net -which Magan had been weaving for his capture in Dublin. A letter -from Higgins to Under-Secretary Cooke, dated 'Stephen's Green, 12th -January, 1798,' goes on to say: 'When I saw M---- this day and just -mentioned Quigly's name, he gave me instantly a description of him. -Met him before he went abroad often, and _was sheltered in Dixon's -house_. Will, he is convinced, find him out. But I beg to recommend -a strict watch on Dixon's and you will instantly discover him.' Four -days later, _i.e._ January 16, 1798, Higgins tells Cooke, 'M---- went -several times to Dixon's, but found no trace of Quigly at his former -residence. Neither has he been at Dr. McNevin's. The only place that he -can be sheltered among the party is at Bond's, and which will be known -by Thursday.' Two previous letters, dated October 17, and October 30, -1797, report very fully Dickson's conversations with Magan. - -[348] Magan, to divert suspicion from himself, may have been the first -to set the story going that Neilson was a base informer. Thomas Moore, -after making inquiries in Dublin, returned home strong in suspicion -that Neilson had betrayed Lord Edward. Magan, in his secret letters of -1798, sometimes seeks to convey that Neilson was giving information at -Dublin Castle. One letter, dated April 22, 1798, says: 'I sometimes -imagine he (Neilson) is the person who communicated with Government; -however, suspicion has not pointed at him.' Higgins writes (May 15): -'M. says Neilson is playing a double game.' So faithful did Neilson -prove, that Major Sirr discovered him organising a plot to rescue Lord -Edward. - -[349] P. 19. The italics are Hamilton's. Hatton was one of the rebel -executive at Wexford. - -[350] James Dickson, at whose house Magan had been a constant guest, -died a few years previously, and was buried beside the Round Tower at -Lusk. - -[351] Fingall before his death expressed deep regret for this policy. -See Fagan's _Life of O'Connell_. - -[352] Afterwards Chief Baron. - -[353] Afterwards Master of the Mint and British minister at Florence. - -[354] Bellew, Lynch, and Donnellan had pensions; not for secret -service, but to restrain them from clanking their chains. - -[355] Afterwards a Privy Councillor, and British minister at Athens. - -[356] Afterwards Mr. Justice Ball. - -[357] The papers which set forth Magan's real claims to his pension -were not then accessible, even to the Irish Government. One of the -many letters addressed by Higgins to Cooke, dated June 30, 1798, -refers to the original intent of the United leaders to rise on May 14. -'Lord Edward was then with Magan, who found means to prevail on him -to postpone his purpose.' The postponement would give time for the -capture of Lord Edward Fitzgerald and others. This letter was written -after the death of the chief, and informs Cooke that 'the plan _was_ -to rise Garretstown, Naul, &c., and circuitously round the metropolis -to Dunleary, &c. Lord Edward insisted on his Kildare men and those of -Carlow being brought in, and he would take the field at Finglas, and -march into the city, which was his great object to carry.' The above -is curious as showing how much Lord Edward's views had changed since -Reinhard described him as one 'of the moderate party.' - -[358] Some said of Smith that he was 'cracked with larnin',' and his -chat deserved that Irish compliment. 'Your phrase "Still waters run -deep" seems happy in its application to Magan. There is also an Irish -proverb of which it reminds me:-- - -[Illustration] - -Well rendered by the Latin, seemingly a mediæval rhyme-- - - "Audi, vide, tace: - Si vis vivere in pace." - -and almost literally translated by the French-- - - "Oys, vois, et te taise, - Si tu veux vivre en paix." - -Magan was not dumb, but he knew well probably when to hold his -tongue.'--Letter of the late J. Huband Smith, M.R.I.A., June 5, 1866. - -[359] The only sense of humour that he is recorded to have evinced -was in reference to Con Leyne, a wit often named in Moore's _Diary_. -The late Rickard O'Connell, of the Munster Bar, and satellite of -the Liberator, wrote, in reply to some questions, that he had been -introduced to Magan at the Four Courts in 1831 by Maurice King, who -said: 'Our young friend can tell you some good ones as to how Con got -on at Darrynane' (Dan's seat); and from time to time after, as I met -Magan in the 'Hall,' there was generally some allusion to Con, and a -chuckle if any fresh story or point against the renowned gastronome -turned up. 'The only members of the Munster Bar I ever saw speaking to -Magan were King, O'Loghlen (Sir M.), Con Leyne, and Howley--all men -of high honour, who would shun him as a black sheep if they had even -a strong suspicion that he was the character you assume him to be. -Usually, he was rather starched and formal in manner.' - -[360] William Allingham. - -[361] See _Lives and Times of the United Irishmen_, 2nd ed. ii. 408. - -[362] Canon O'Hanlon, author of _The Lives of the Irish Saints_, then -attached to the church of SS. Michael and John. The vaults referred -to were once the pit of Smock Alley Theatre. The coffin, inscribed -'Francis Magan,' reposes close to that of the venerable Father Betagh. - -[363] This was written in 1866, though not published until now. - -[364] Secretary to the Mendicity Institution. - -[365] Dr. Carpenter preceded Dr. Troy in the see, and by great prudence -guided the suffering Church through the quicksands which in penal days -encompassed it. He deprecated public agitation on the part of his -flock, lest the very clanking of the chains should arouse their keepers -to renewed activity and vigilance. - -[366] The brother of Mathias O'Kelly was betrothed to Miss Magan; but -he broke away. Whether the bridal feast had been absolutely spread, is -not stated. - -[367] The late Dr. Fleming of Merrion Square, one of the next-of-kin, -sought by legal proceedings to foil this arrangement, but failed. Mr. -H. Fetherston, his attorney after the case had been decided against -his client, said to the gentleman who partly represented Miss Magan: -'According to Canon Law you are now free to keep this money, and none -but a fool would reject it.' Mr. Fetherston was right; but the other -replied that there was also a law of honour and of conscience. - -[368] Hartstown being a freehold, it could not go towards the endowment -of the institution, and the executor says that this fee-farm has cost -him more trouble than all the worry attendant on her complicated -affairs. - -[369] By a deed, dated December 10, 1797, Lord Carhampton, -commander-in-chief, a leading terrorist of his time, grants to Francis -Higgins part of his estate of Hartstown and Barnageath; but without -mention of trusts or considerations of any kind. During a law suit -which took place in 1802, as Mr. James Curran, great-grandnephew of -Higgins, informs me, it transpired that Higgins, in this transaction, -had been merely trustee for Magan. The freehold conveyed by Carhampton -to Higgins is now in the hands of Magan's legal representative. I -long suspected, but, on full inquiry, have failed to satisfy myself, -that Carhampton's grant to Higgins, in trust for Magan, was part of -an arrangement cunningly devised to baffle suspicion, and meant as an -acknowledgment of private information regarding rebel doings, which -Magan, it is certain, was giving to Higgins; but at least, it proves -Carhampton's friendly wish to promote the interwoven interests of both. -On pursuing the labyrinths of the Registry of Deeds Office, Dublin, -I find that the Magans had connection with the property so far back -as 1780. On February 20, 1793, 1000_l._ was lent by Higgins to Thomas -Magan, the father of Lord Edward's betrayer, charged on Blackstaheny -and Clonsilla, the adjoining lands. Three years later Higgins tightens -his toils, and, as already stated, seeks to further secure this -1000_l._ charged on the same property. 'Shamado,' doubtless, well knew -how to make his creature work. The consent to harbour Lord Edward, and -the whispered information as to place and hour would be an easy way -of wiping out the debt for 1000_l._, and of currying favour with the -lender. I may add that the foregoing note was written long before I had -found the criminatory letters of Higgins and Magan. - -[370] Some of Magan's receipts have been preserved. On these receipts -the letters 'S. A.' are marked, a cipher implying that he belonged to a -class of informers who, by special agreement, were never to be called -upon to give public evidence. His pension was paid quarterly, and here -is one of his receipts:-- - -'Received from Wm. Gregory, Esq., by Wm. Taylor, Esq., fifty pounds -sterling, for the quarter to December 24 last. - -'Dublin, January 22, 1816. - - F. MAGAN.' - -[371] Letter of Edward Ferris, M.D., Athy, June 21, 1867. He died, -March 25, 1877. - -[372] A run had been made on La Touche's Bank, and great fears were -expressed lest it should break. At last Lord Limerick, who as Sexten -Pery had been popular, took his stand at the counter, and when people -saw him paying out the gold, confidence became restored.--His kinsman, -Aubrey de Vere, to the Writer. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -WILLIAM TODD JONES. EMMET'S REBELLION - - -Todd Jones, Wolfe Tone, and Hon. Simon Butler were three Protestants -to whom, Mr. Froude says, the Catholic Committee voted 1,500_l._ each, -as a reward for their cordially rendered aid. This was in 1793, and we -hear no more of Todd Jones from Froude. His subsequent history is not -without interest, and seems interwoven with that of Francis Magan. - -John Philpot Curran's writing-desk remains exactly as he left it -when quitting Ireland in 1817 to die. A long and cautiously written -letter,[373] without signature, dated August 13, 1803, but known to -be from Lady Moira, reposes in this desk. It was written three weeks -after Emmet's rebellion, and a month prior to his execution. The -letter begins mysteriously, 'Read, reflect, but do not answer. Time -will unfold the intentions.' She complains of information which had -been sent to the Government, regarding a trunk, assumed to be full of -papers, reaching Moira House, Usher's Island, and presumably from Todd -Jones. She declares that her rooms were ransacked, under a warrant from -the Secretary of State, and how letters addressed to Todd Jones at -Moira House had been carried to Dublin Castle. In writing to Curran, -whom she wishes to be her counsel if the matter should come to trial, -she makes light of these letters, and prudentially describes her -correspondence with Jones as mainly of an antiquarian and picturesque -interest. - -Magan, who resided within a few doors of Moira House, possessed -peculiar facilities for 'setting'[374] the movements of its -_habitués_.[375] It must have been in 1802 when he was found by -Mathias O'Kelly[376] associating with Todd Jones, and that date merits -attention. 'I had been absent from Ireland for _ten_ years, from the -year 1792,' writes Jones in his petition to the king, 'during the whole -of which period I was uninterruptedly a resident in England, and in May -1802 I was indispensably compelled to return to Dublin, by an affair of -honour.'[377] Soon after he proceeded to Munster, 'which I had never -beheld, and had long entertained an inclination to see.'[378] - -At what date can we trace the first arrival of Jones on his mysterious -mission to Clonakilty, where with several of his friends he was -arrested on a charge of high treason in July 1803? To that question -the answer is, December 1802. The 'Account of Secret Service Money, -applied in detecting Treasonable Conspiracies,' contains the following -entry:--'1802, December 15th, Francis Magan, by direction of Mr. Orpen, -500_l._' - -There is but one family named 'Orpen' in Ireland; and the only Orpen -who could possibly be authorised to direct the payment of 500_l._ to -Magan at this time was the High Sheriff of Cork, in whose bailiwick -Jones was tracked and caught.[379] - -Emmet, in his speech from the dock, denied that he was the life and -soul of the conspiracy, as alleged by Mr. Solicitor-General Plunket; -declared that men of greater mark than he were deep in it; that on his -return to Ireland he found the organisation formed; he was asked to -join it; he requested time to consider; they invited him again, and he -embarked in the enterprise. And yet, so carefully was the secret kept, -that nothing transpired to show that he had any colleagues of good -position. Lord Norbury, who tried the case, and the Attorney-General -stigmatised the plan as contemptible from the fact that Emmet's allies -were of no higher rank than 'ostlers, bakers, carpenters, and old -clothes men,' and, notwithstanding the solemnity of Emmet's dying -words, history has since given him the exclusive credit, or discredit, -of the rising of 1803. - -Among others to whom suspicion attaches, although there is no absolute -evidence to show his guilt, may be mentioned William Todd Jones, a -Protestant of good family and some means, a barrister and writer, and a -member of the late Irish Parliament. The Viceregal organ, the 'Dublin -Journal,' in its issue of August 6, 1803, after noticing the arrest of -Jones, adds: 'This gentleman has been many months on a tour through the -provinces of Leinster and Munster, making speculations on the state of -the country through which he passed.' He remained eight months in Cork, -and it is a question whether, during that prolonged stay, he may not -have sought to foment revolution. All memoirs of Emmet have hitherto -been silent as regards the complicity of Cork in his designs. Kildare -is the county of which mention is chiefly made. The following from the -'Courier' (London) of August 5, 1803, furnishes a glimpse into the then -state of Cork:-- - - A Dublin mail arrived this evening, and brought us letters and - papers of Monday last.... Though there has been no rising in Cork, - yet very unfavourable symptoms of disaffection have appeared - there, and to the south of that city we are sorry to hear that the - malignancy of the former rebellion is by no means extinguished. - -The same journal, of August 16, 1803, contains a letter 'written by a -gentleman of distinction in the county of Cork,' possibly Mr. Orpen -himself, who commanded a corps of Yeomanry. The writer, after stating -that he had spread yeomen in all directions to prevent the embarkation -of persons charged with treason, goes on to say:-- - - Todd Jones has been at Dr. Callanan's, Clonakilty, the last eight - months: H.,[380] by order of Government, arrested him for high - treason, as also the Doctor and his son.... These measures have - been attended with alarm; but I think we are at present quite safe; - and a strong fleet at Beerhaven relieves me from all apprehension - of an enemy. - - The entire of the Yeomanry of this kingdom is now on the permanent - establishment. Our corps is strong, and without vanity a good one. - I have applied for an addition of infantry: with this augmentation, - I shall feel very little apprehension for any attack made upon us - without the aid of foreign force. - -It appears from this letter, dated August, 1803, that Jones had been -then eight months at Clonakilty in the county Cork: therefore his -arrival would have been in December 1802--the very date of the payment -of 500_l._ to Magan by direction of Mr. Orpen, high sheriff for the -county. Meanwhile the locality in which Jones pitched his camp became, -from some cause, decidedly heated. A letter in the London 'Courier,' -dated 'Cork, August 21,' after recording the arrest of Todd Jones, -Donovan, and Dr. Callanan, states, 'The peasantry in the neighbourhood -of Ross, near Clonakilty, go armed to their chapels, and mount a -regular guard over their arms while they perform their devotions.' - -We have seen that Magan--traditionally described as an unsociable -person, possessing few friends--maintained most intimate relations -with James Dickson of Kilmainham, in whose house Jones was also a -constant guest. About the same time as the arrest of Jones in Cork, -the 'Courier' of August 30, 1803, announces in its Dublin news: -'Yesterday Mr. James Dickson, of Kilmainham, was arrested at his house -by Messrs. Atkinson[381] and Carleton, chief peace-officers, and his -papers searched. The superintendent magistrate had him conveyed to the -Castle, where he underwent examination, and was afterwards committed to -Kilmainham Gaol.'[382] - -Todd Jones, writing at the time, warmly details the circumstances of -his arrest (the italics are his own):-- - - My person has been assaulted in my bed at daybreak, in the - respectable mansion of a venerable friend, Doctor Callanan, near - Clonakilty, and I have been conveyed, very strongly guarded by - Troops, to an ignominious common Gaol: in reaching which, at - the moderate distance of twenty-two miles, I have been wantonly - exhibited, _like an already convicted Felon_, for two long summer - days, the first and second of August, in _Orange Triumph_, to the - gaze of a very crowded Bandon rabble; and thence paraded, with like - ostentation, _through all the streets of Cork_, as if _in progress - to Execution_.--My venerable friend and hospitable entertainer, - Doctor Calanan, a Physician of the age of seventy, with his only - son, _on my account_, have been dragged from the same mansion to - Prison, after a similar triumphant exposure of two days, to gazing - multitudes, in the short distance of twenty-two miles: a Man - eminent for a long professional life, dedicated to the Poor, and to - the Peasants, whose tears kept pace with his progress. - -He then goes on to request that all concerned in his detainer, -including the Sheriff of Cork, may be summoned to the Bar of -Parliament. An account of his shattered health is sent to the Secretary -of State--'It is my liberty which I pray for--a trial--liberation--or -death! I have been a close prisoner for eleven weeks, without even -having been shown my indictment, or been told the names of my -accusers.'[383] - -These complaints were made in October, 1803, but entirely failed -to obtain redress. His petition to the king, dated 1808, resumes -the story: 'Within this prison I continued confined from 23rd -July, 1803, until the latter end of October 1805, when I was -unconditionally discharged by the High Sheriff of the County of -Cork--untried--unbailed--unexamined and unredressed.'[384] - - -When the High Sheriff of Cork liberated Jones it may be assumed that -the same authority was instrumental in his committal. Formerly, high -sheriffs took much more active part in such proceedings than now. No -organised system of police then existed, and the high sheriffs seem to -have been duly impressed with the responsibility of their position. -On March 18, 1800, we find in the Secret Service Money Book, 100_l._ -handed to Mr. Archer, High Sheriff of Wicklow, for the detection of -treason, and on April 27, 1801, a further sum. But these exertions were -dignified in comparison with the acts of Sir Judkin Fitzgerald, High -Sheriff of Tipperary, who, with his own hands, flogged the peasantry to -extort confession. - -Emmet's insurrection burst forth in Dublin on the night of July 23, -1803; that same morning, and at a distance of 150 miles, Jones is -arrested. - -The connection of Todd Jones with Irish politics was apparently of a -graver and more subtle sort than might be inferred from Lady Moira's -letter to Curran, or even Plowden's account of him in his History. -Plowden, a Catholic--the guest, with Jones and Magan, of James -Dickson--says that the persecution which Jones underwent at the hands -of the Government was due solely to his powerful advocacy of Catholic -Emancipation and Parliamentary Reform. He defends Jones with all the -warmth of friendship; his 'History of Ireland' enters most largely -into the case, and quotes various orators who sought to vindicate -Jones in Parliament.[385] But the reply of the ex-Secretary of State, -Mr. Wickham, finds no place, contrary to Plowden's usual honesty and -fulness in that work. Wickham, as appears from Hansard, rose from the -bed of sickness to reply to Fox, who had taken up the case of Jones, -and addressed the House sitting. He said:-- - - For some time after the arrest of Mr. Todd Jones, which the Irish - Government was induced to order upon information--the particulars - of which he could not with any propriety describe, but which were - satisfactory to their minds as to the measure. Mr. Jones remained - in prison without any particular inquiry having been instituted - in his case. As soon, however, as the trials which followed the - insurrection of 1803, and which so much occupied the attention of - the Irish Government, had terminated, an inquiry into the case of - Mr. Jones took place.... He had already stated the impossibility - of giving a full explanation to the House without acting unfairly - towards the character of the Petitioner. After the trial of the - rebels, and the fullest investigation of the charge against Mr. - Jones, his case became much more serious than it appeared at the - outset. Willing, however, to act with every possible mildness, - his case was submitted to the Crown lawyers accompanied by this - question, 'whether it would be proper to liberate Mr. Jones,' and - their unanimous opinion was decidedly in the negative. The Irish - Government transmitted the case of Mr. Jones to his Majesty's - Ministers in this country, requiring their advice; and their answer - was, that it would be extremely unadvisable to allow such a person - to be at large in Ireland![386] - -Of how Jones's alleged guilt was hushed up, and why the vengeance of -the Attorney-General preferred to fall on 'ostlers, bakers, carpenters, -and old clothes men,' as he said, an idea may be perhaps formed from a -letter addressed by the Right Hon. William Saurin to Jones, proposing -that he should secretly, and as if of his own accord, exile himself -from Ireland. This letter was enclosed by Wickham to Jones on October -11, 1803. Saurin, Jones states, had been his schoolfellow.[387] - -Dr. Madden professes to supply a list of all persons of substance -connected with Emmet in his attempt; also of persons who were cognisant -of his plans, and were supposed to be favourably disposed towards them; -but Todd Jones obtains no place,[388] and therefore the less excuse is -needed for this effort to embrace a long neglected figure, and one not -uninteresting for 'Auld lang syne.'[389] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[373] The full text of this long letter will be found in the Appendix. - -[374] 'Setting' is the phrase used by Mr. Secretary Cooke (see _ante_, -p. 118). - -[375] _Ibid._ p. 134. - -[376] See previous chap. p. 140. - -[377] Mr. Jones's 'Petition to the King,' dated 'Cork, March 9, 1808'; -printed in Plowden's _History of Ireland_, iii. 624. - -[378] _Ibid._ - -[379] The records of the Chief Secretary's Office show that in 1802 -Richard Thomas Orpen, of Frankford, was High Sheriff of Cork. During -the present year (1891), I found in the Irish State Papers a letter -dated 'Cork, March 24, 1802,' from the above Mr. Orpen, in his capacity -of high sheriff, regarding a correspondence he had with General Myers -as to a small assistance of cavalry. - -[380] Probably Dr. Hardinge of Cork, an active agent in those troubled -times. - -[381] Atkinson was desired to be on the alert in Cooke's letter to -Sirr, written on the day of Lord Edward's intended move, of which Magan -gave notice. - -[382] Mr. Justice Day, writing to the Irish Government on September 27, -1803 (eight days after Emmet's execution), suggests that Lord Bantry, -who got his peerage for reporting the arrival of the French in '96, -would be a good man to make inquiries regarding Jones. - -[383] _Curious Correspondence of William Todd Jones with the Secretary -of State._ Dedicated to Lord Moira and Mr. Fox. (Cork: Odell, 1804.) - -[384] Plowden's _History of Ireland since the Union to 1810_, iii. 626 -_et seq._ - -[385] Plowden's _History of Ireland since the Union to 1810_, ii. 36, -216-220, 623-632. - -[386] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, v. 793-5. - -[387] _Curious Correspondence._ (Cork: Odell, 1804.) - -[388] _United Irishmen_, iii. 329. - -[389] The _Annual Register_ and other usually well-informed sources -fail to record the death of Jones. A full obituary of him appears in -the _Ulster Register_ for March 1818, iv. 186-8; and a fine monody on -'Immortal Jones,' probably by Drennan, in the same serial, pp. 224-5. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THOMAS COLLINS. PHILLIPS THE SACERDOTAL SPY - - -A recent letter from the ex-Crown and Treasury Solicitor for Ireland -quotes the following from Mr. Lecky's notice of an unnamed spy, and -asks me 'Who is he?'[390] 'He was a Dublin silk merchant,' writes -Lecky, 'and can be identified by a letter from Cooke to Nepean, May 26, -1794, in the Record Office, London.'[391] - -I may now state that his name was Collins. Cooke's letter mentions that -200_l._ a year had been settled on the informer of 1794, and that he -was recommended for office in the West Indies--his future residence in -Ireland, after Rowan's arrest, being unsafe. - -Mr. Joynt's query comes not amiss, for John Keogh, also a silk -merchant, was broadly branded by Walter Cox as an informer, and the -plausible indictment is transcribed by Dr. Madden and enshrined in his -_magnum opus_.[392] The charge against Keogh, who, by the way, preceded -O'Connell as leader of the Irish Catholics, is, however, baseless. - -Mr. Cooke does not give the Christian name of this Collins, but later -official records describe it as Thomas. Collins was the first of the -systematic informers. Some sheaves of his letters are still preserved -at Dublin Castle, addressed to 'J. G.,' and heretofore supposed -to imply 'Gregory,' a highly distinguished secretary to the Lord -Lieutenant. But Gregory's name was William, and 'J. G.' stands for -'Jack Giffard,' whom Curran and Grattan, in often-quoted philippics, -denounced. The reports furnished to Giffard were regularly passed on -to Cooke, and two letters[393] from Collins to the latter speak of his -confidant 'Mr. G---- d.' - -The daily reports extend almost unbroken from 1792 to 1795. All are -without a signature, while the official endorsement usual on such -letters is confined, in this case, to 'U. I. M.,' meaning, of course, -the rebel brotherhood. On December 15, 1792, he writes to Cooke: -'Implicitly depend upon my being totally unknown to mankind in this -business, save and except to you and J. G.'[394] - -Collins--at each conclave--feigned to be an advanced republican, and -was regularly invited to attend. New members, on being admitted, -repeated 'a test.' In an early letter to Giffard he writes:-- - - It is contemplated to abolish the Test, as it is found by - experience that it prevents a number of very warm friends to a - Reform from joining us; but I shall oppose it, as we have no - business with any of your _lukewarm fellows_ who may hesitate at - going as great lengths as ourselves.[395] - -In advance of every meeting a list was sent to Collins of the new -candidates for election. Scores of his secret letters enclose these -lists, and announce the results of the ballot, with the names of the -rejected, and it is curiously illustrative of the precautions taken -to ensure secrecy, and as showing how little Collins was himself -suspected, that men much superior to him were refused admission. -Carefully prepared reports of the proceedings, with the names of the -speakers and of the number present, exist in endless evidence. In one -letter he encloses, for the Viceroy's satisfaction, the receipt given -to him for his annual subscription to the Society, signed by Oliver -Bond, but the part which names Collins is first blotted out, and -finally cut clean away.[396] - -In August 1792, Cooke deputed Collins to extend his secret inquiries to -a wider area than the Hall in Back Lane where the United Irishmen met; -and the result is found in the subjoined letter. Its stealthy style -contrasts with the boldness of later missives. - - Sir--I have made every possible inquiry and I have reason to - think that there now are Foreign agents here who have frequent - conferences with a noble Viscount and his Brother,[397] who - is a lawyer; also with J--hn K--gh, Ed--d B--re and Richard - McC--m--k.[398] For your Information you have a list of such - U---- I---- men as I think really dangerous from abilities. As to - Inclination, the whole of the Society are nearly _alike_. - - You may be assured that whatever steps Mr. Tandy has for some - time past taken, or is now pursuing, are by the advice of the - before-mentioned noble Viscount[399] and Mr. Gr-tt-n; and also, - that let the pretentions (_for the present_) of the R-m-n Ca---- be - ever so moderate, the real design of their _leaders_ is to effect a - separation between this country and Gr--t B--t--n. - - I remain, &c. &c.[400] - -Collins had the same liking for dramatic mystery as Turner; many of -the letters to 'G.' ask him to call at night to hear things that could -not be put on paper, to tap at a certain door in a dark passage, and -'no one would be the wiser.' In the graphic sketch he daily furnished, -special attention is paid to the chief 'sitter,' Hamilton Rowan, who -presided as chairman until his arrest; while Tone, Tandy, Emmet, -Drennan, Bond, Lewins, the Sheares, and B. B. Harvey (the last three -afterwards hanged) stand forth in bold outline from a crowd of minor -faces grouped in the background. Sometimes they all dined together. -'When Paine's health was given his picture was introduced and received -a general embrace. Several French songs were sung by Mr. Sheares, with -proper explanations for those ignorant of the language.'[401] Glimpses -of further feasts are caught, revealing the same familiar faces: men -who had not yet begun to realise the gruesome fact that the handwriting -was on the wall. - -John Keogh is not often mentioned as present; and never after 1793. -In October '92 Collins furnishes an abstract of a spirited speech -delivered by Keogh. This led to queries, and in reply Collins tells -Cooke: 'The leaders are Hamilton Rowan, Tandy, Jackson, Bond, Dowling, -McCormick, Warren, and some others. But Keogh and Drennan are the -_grand movers_;'[402] and on the following day he writes: 'Keogh -is the principal performer behind the scenes--as the fellow's art -is such he does not appear amongst us, but has a set of fellows to -constantly attend and broach his sentiments.'[403] Keogh, a man of rare -sagacity--whose life has yet to be written--took the course described -in consequence of having recognised in his audience a person whom he -did not fully trust. Turning to Richard McCormick, in the hearing of -'Billy Murphy,' the subsequent millionaire, he said, 'Dick, men's lives -are not safe here,' and glided quietly away. John Keogh is the only -man of mark who passed unscathed through the crisis of '98; and Cox, -mistakenly believing that this immunity was due to treachery towards -his colleagues, sought to brand him as a spy. - -In 1793, John Keogh, Sir Charles Ffrench and several other Catholic -delegates,[404] waited on George III. at St. James's and presented a -petition craving relief from the disabilities by which their order was -oppressed. The loss of America had preached the wisdom of concession; -and the tempest of the French Revolution roared within measurable -distance. While Pitt and Dundas were not indisposed to grant a full -emancipation to the Irish Catholics, they were constantly opposed in -this policy by Dublin Castle. The often sensational reports of Collins -seem to have had due effect. A long letter to Cooke regarding the -Catholics begins by saying that - - There are few individuals better acquainted with the views and - dispositions of those people than I am. If they are gratified the - day is not far off when High Mass with all its mummery will be - performed in Christ Church[405]--the auditors to be a popish Lord - Lieutenant, a popish Chancellor, &c. &c., unless the use of the - former be preceded by an entire separation from Honest John Bull, - which is the grand object of the disaffected of every description - in this country. - - Where Government has _resisted_, the good effects have been found; - when it has _relaxed_, demands have increased.... To come to the - point: give the Papists all they _want_ or _nothing_. Without the - former the sword must be drawn at one period or another; and the - query is, whether it's not better to try the _event_ when they are - _unprepared_, than to continue going on to give the _adder_ time - to strengthen with the heat of _summer_: not that I think there is - the smallest danger of any _war_ but _wordy_ ones from them--unless - time and the interference of their _Gallic Friends_ may embolden - them to acts of desperation. [He then proceeds to advise the - embodiment of military corps in Dublin, well officered. The pay to - be such as to induce respectable Protestant tradesmen and others to - enlist.] - - Suppose the whole to be mounted and appointed as dragoons, this - small corps will be found of as much use as any Regiment of Cavalry - in the Kingdom. - - If a _friend_ of yours[406] should be thought of, I think there - would be an end to all _illegal meetings_,[407] associations and - combinations, and I will answer for his compleating and arraying - the number in 10 Days.[408] - -A small measure of Catholic Relief was at length offered by Pitt. -Collins, a month later, courageously writes: 'If you think it -prudent to have me examined by the Secret Committee, I may give some -useful information previous to the Catholick Bill going to the Upper -House.'[409] - -It is not surprising that, from the regularity and general accuracy of -the spy's reports, Giffard in his conversations more than once revealed -a knowledge that fluttered the Inner Circle. On February 15, 1794, -Collins reports, in the _précis_ of proceedings that had taken place -that night:-- - - A notice by Mr. John Sheares that he will on Friday next propose - a new Ballot of the whole of the Society, or else the total - dissolution thereof, in order, as he says, to get rid of some - suspected Members, who, he says, are in the habit of betraying the - Secrets of the Society to Government. At the time he gave this - notice there were not more than fifteen members present and the - proposition seemed to meet their approbation. The fact is they - are all cursedly frightened by the examples made of some of their - friends. Fear only can keep them in order; gentleness will only - encourage their audacity. - -Three months elapsed: they met and deliberated; the reports went -regularly to Dublin Castle; arrests were made; the Society wondered; -but Collins, though a loaded mine lay beneath his feet, stood his -ground. On Saturday, May 10, 1794, he announces:-- - - Surgeon Wright proposed appointing a commission of inquiry to - inspect into the character and conduct of not only the members of - the Society, but of all other persons in this city who profess - patriotism, as he had reason to suspect that Mr. Pitt's system of - having spies in all company and in all Societies, had made its way - into this country. - -Collins, no coward like Turner, maintained his character as one of -the most regular attendants at the meetings, played his part, opposed -some minor propositions,[410] and continued his carefully framed -reports.[411] These reports perturbed Dublin Castle quite as much as -the United Irishmen had been scared by the leakage of their plans. On -April 28, 1794, Marcus Beresford writes to his father, who had long -been regarded as the virtual governor of Ireland:-- - - Government are determined to hang Rowan if possible; but they have - not yet shown any suspicion of any person here being concerned - in the plot, in order to lull them into security. No person - knows as much as I now tell you except Lord Westmoreland, the - Attorney-General, and Sackville Hamilton.[412] - -Judging from Cooke's letter to Nepean, Collins' chief enterprise was -in bringing Hamilton Rowan within the meshes of the law. In 1792, as -we learn from his Autobiography, Rowan was arrested on a charge of -distributing a seditious paper. Informations were filed against Rowan, -difficulties supervened, and he was not brought to trial until January -1794. Rowan offered proof that two of his jurors had declared 'Ireland -would never be quiet until Rowan and Napper Tandy were hanged.'[413] -The challenge, however, was not allowed. Curran acted as his counsel, -and delivered a speech reminding one of Cicero's defence of Milo. Rowan -was found guilty, fined, and committed to Newgate, but, by bribing -his jailer, escaped; and, after various romantic adventures, reached -France in a boat manned by two fishermen of Howth.[414] - -A proclamation offering 1,000_l._[415] reward for his capture was read -by the men, but they told him not to fear. This remarkable escape took -place on May 4, 1794. Cooke's letter, saying that Collins' further -residence in Ireland would be unsafe, is dated May 26 following. An -amusing proof of the general distrust which then prevailed is shown in -the fact, recorded by Rowan, that on reaching France he was arrested -as a British spy, sent under a strong guard to Brest, and lodged with -galley-slaves.[416] Judging from Beresford's letter, written two days -before the escape, however, it cannot be said that he got out of the -frying-pan into the fire, as Rowan seems to have thought. - -Some few letters from Mr. Douglas, who filled a Government post in -London, are intermingled with the Collins MSS. The Right Hon. John -Beresford, in a letter dated May 13, 1794, writes: 'Douglas called upon -me this day; we had a great deal of conversation about Rowan. He told -me that, as Rowan had escaped, Tone was the next guilty person, and -ought to be hanged.' This, however, it was not so easy to do. Neither -Turner nor Collins would prosecute openly. Meanwhile some friends of -Tone entered into negotiations with Government, and he was at last -allowed to expatriate himself beyond the seas.[417] - -Mr. Collins[418] did not get the post for which he was recommended -until the year 1800. It was Dominica, one of the West Indian Islands, -as we learn from the 'S. S. Money Book.' The first entry of his name -is on November 23, 1797: 'Mr. Collins.--Sent to him, in London, -108_l._'[419] Here he remains for two years--no doubt one of the -gentlemen 'recommended by Mr. Cooke,' and mentioned in the 'Castlereagh -Correspondence' as qualified to 'set' the movements of Lord Cloncurry -in London. - -In more than one of the secret letters sent by Collins to Cooke, he -offers his services for fields in other countries, where he thinks -he could be even more useful than at home. A large sheaf of papers -regarding troubles in the West Indies is preserved at Dublin Castle. -Dominica--the site of his first appointment--had been captured by the -British in 1756, but in 1771 the French, after a hard fight, once -more became its masters. In 1783 the island was again restored to -the English, but its executive felt far from secure. Intrigue was at -work; French emissaries were not few; and the presence of Collins, a -practised spy, came not amiss. The French, however, again effected a -landing in 1805; Roseau, the chief town, was obliged to capitulate, -and pay the enemy 12,000_l._ to quit. In 1890, after the cession of -Heligoland to Germany, there was talk of surrendering Dominica to -France. - -What was Collins' later history I have been unable to discover. -'Sylvanus Urban' tells of a Thomas Collins who was hanged; but this -is a mere coincidence of name. It is within the possibilities that -our spy may have posed as Governor Collins, and even received at his -levees Hamilton Rowan, who, during the travels by which his exile -was beguiled, would pay his devoirs, as he says, to the British -resident.[420] - -An informer of a novel type was a priest named Phillips. Describing the -events of the year 1795, Mr. Froude writes:-- - - Lord Carhampton went down and took command in Connaught. Informers - offered their services, provided their presence was not required in - the witness-box. A Priest named Phillips 'caused himself to be made - a Defender with a view of giving information.'[421] Others came - whose names the Viceroy dared not place on paper. With the help - of these men, Carhampton was able to arrest many of the Connaught - Leaders;[422] and legal trials being from the nature of the case - impossible, he trusted to Parliament for an Act of Indemnity, and - sent them by scores to serve in the Fleet. Thus, amidst the shrieks - of Patriots and threats of prosecution, he succeeded in restoring - some outward show of order.[423] - -Among Mr. Froude's startling passages, none created in Ireland a more -painful sensation than this. That an Irish priest--the _Soggarth -Aroon_[424] of the people--should be selling the lives of his friends, -flock, and penitents, was indeed a novel incident. Interest in the -episode has quite recently been revived by Mr. Lecky, who describes -Father Phillips as having given the Government some really valuable -assistance in detecting Rebel Leaders.[425] For all we know to the -contrary, this Ecclesiastic might have gone on to the end undiscovered, -posing and pontificating as a solemn Hierarch. But, in point of fact, -Phillips, though in orders, had been degraded and suspended by his -Ordinary. Dr. Madden, long before the publication of Froude or Lecky, -casually notices Phillips[426] as an 'excommunicated priest from French -Park, co. Roscommon.' - -His end was involved in some mystery which it may be well to -penetrate. McSkimmins' 'History of Carrickfeargus' records, under -date January 5, 1796: 'The body of a stranger, said to have been an -informer, of the surname of Phillips, was found in a dam, near the -paper mills, Belfast.' How he came there we learn from James Hope, a -Protestant rebel of Ulster. After the excommunicated priest, Phillips, -had betrayed a number of the Defenders in Connaught, he proceeded to -Belfast, only to find, however, that his character had cast its shadow -before him. A party of Defenders seized Phillips, tried him on the -spot, and sentenced him to death. 'They gave him time to pray,' adds -Hope, 'then put leaden weights into his pockets, and drowned him.' - -Punishment of informers by death was not of the frequency that -McSkimmin supposed and Turner feared. Hope, who is always truthful, -adds, that at a meeting of the Craigarogan Branch, 'they came to a -resolution: "That any man who recommended or practised assassination -of any person whomsoever, or however hostile to the Society, should be -expelled."' - -There is another informer whose name Mr. Froude undertakes to disclose. -In April 1797 Camden sends Portland 'A statement which had been -secretly made to him by a member of the Military Committee of the -United Irishmen,'--and we learn that the informer in this instance -was a miniature painter named Neville. Due inquiry has failed to -find any man named Neville in the Society of United Irishmen, though -a respectable wine merchant, Brent Neville, appears as the uncle of -Henry Sheares's wife; 'Neville' has been reprinted in every succeeding -edition of Mr. Froude's book. But it is now quite certain that Neville -is a misprint for Newell. The 'Life and Confessions of Newell (a Spy),' -written by himself, and undoubtedly genuine, was published in London -in 1798; and in it (pp. 13-15) he describes his calling as that of a -miniature painter. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[390] William Lane Joynt, D.L., to W. J. F., Grange Abbey, June 29, -1891. - -[391] Lecky's _England_, vii. 8. - -[392] Madden's _United Irishmen_, iii. 331-2. Again, at p. 41, Dr. -Madden says that so early as 1793, the very time that Collins is now -shown to be at work, Keogh was suspected of infidelity. Mr. Lecky, in -reply to a private query, agrees with me that Keogh was thoroughly true. - -[393] Notably that of November 26, 1793. - -[394] Anonymous to Cooke, December 15, 1792. One letter only, dated -three years later, appealing to Dublin Castle for money and place, and -in the same handwriting as the others, lays aside his disguise and is -boldly signed 'Thomas Collins.' - -[395] To 'J. G.' April 13, 1792. MSS. Dublin Castle. - -[396] The date of this receipt is November 1, 1793. - -[397] The Hon. Simon Butler, K.C., was brother of Edmund Viscount -Mountgarret, a peerage dating from October 1550. At a meeting of the -Society of United Irishmen in February 1793, Butler in the chair, and -Bond acting as secretary, a declaration was proposed and adopted, -pronouncing as illegal certain proceedings of the Secret Committee of -the Irish House of Lords, in compelling witnesses to answer on oath -questions compromising themselves, and directed to the discovery of -evidence mainly in support of prosecutions already commenced. For -this act, Butler and Bond were sentenced by the Lord Chancellor to be -imprisoned for six months and to pay a fine of 500_l._ to the King. -(See Madden, ii. 244.) Simon Butler was fortunate in not living to -witness the sad scenes of '98. - -[398] John Keogh, Edward Byrne, and Richard McCormick. - -[399] Diplomacy sought to paralyse the more influential arm of the -movement. This same Viscount Mountgarret was promoted to an earldom on -December 20, following! - -[400] Anon. (Thomas Collins) to Cooke, August 27, 1792. - -[401] [Collins] to 'J. G.,' November 20, 1793. - -[402] [Collins] to Cooke, November 29, 1792. - -[403] _Idem_, November 30, 1792. - -[404] As in the case of Lord Mountgarret subtlety was employed in -the hope of moderating the tone of Sir Charles Ffrench. He had much -influence with the Irish Catholics; and in 1798 a peerage was conferred -on his aged mother, who, in her simplicity, said to a cousin, 'I don't -know what I have done that they should make a Lord of me.' In point of -lineage few had higher claims. - -[405] A Protestant Cathedral in Dublin used by the Catholics until the -Reformation. - -[406] Himself. - -[407] Italics in original. - -[408] Endorsed by Cooke, 'U. I., Jan. 29, '93.' - -[409] [Collins] to Cooke, February 28, 1793. - -[410] Letter of January 4, 1793. - -[411] The zealous subserviency of Collins, as in the case of Reynolds -and Magan, originated in pecuniary straits. A letter of January 24, -1792, to Giffard, speaks of the accommodation he had received at his -hands; and addressing Mr. Cooke (June 26, 1793), he dilates on his -'embarrassments.' - -[412] _Beresford Correspondence_, ii. 26 (unpublished). - -[413] _Autobiography of Archibald Hamilton Rowan_, p. 183. - -[414] Rowan, until the willing hands were found, remained in Mr. -Sweetman's house, now known as Rosedale, Raheny. - -[415] Mr. Froude says that the proclamation named '£2,000 for Rowan's -apprehension' (_Hist._ iii. 119). The proclamation, dated May 2, 1794, -offers '£1,000 to any person or persons who shall apprehend the said -Hamilton Rowan, wherever he may be found, or to so discover him that he -may be apprehended or committed to prison.' - -[416] _Autobiography of Hamilton Rowan_, p. 220. - -[417] In December 1796 Tone accompanied the French fleet to Bantry Bay. -Mr. Froude and other historians think that it was Grouchy who failed to -attempt a landing. 'Then, as twenty years later, on another occasion, -no less critical,' he writes, meaning Waterloo, 'Grouchy was the good -genius of the British Empire' (iii. 205). In point of fact, Grouchy -was not at Bantry. M. Guillon, in _France et Irlande_, written with -full access to the papers of the French Admiralty, makes it clear that -Bouvet, and not Grouchy, was the man who ought to have been named. - -[418] Several persons named Collins, and described as silk mercers, -appear in the Dublin Directory between the years 1770 and 1800. Thomas -Collins vanishes in 1793; and 'Samuel Collins, silk and worsted -manufacturer, 35 Pill Lane,' is also found for the last time in the -Directory for 1793. They seem to have been brothers. A bill of Samuel, -duly receipted, for goods supplied to Dr. McNevin, a leading rebel, is -enclosed by Thomas in one of his secret missives to Cooke. - -[419] Other entries follow: 'Thomas Collins' bill, from London, 54_l._ -3_s._ 4_d._' is entered on September 22, 1798. These payments continue -to be made until 1799, when they become very frequent. - -[420] _Autobiography of Hamilton Rowan_, p. 318. - -[421] Camden to Portland, July 29, 1795. - -[422] The late Colonel the Right Hon. FitzStephen French, whose brother -became Lord De Freyne, informed me that his father, Arthur French, M.P. -for Roscommon from 1785 to 1820, had been threatened with arrest by -Lord Carhampton. French lived at French Park, where 'Priest Phillips' -also resided. - -[423] _The English in Ireland_, iii. 161. - -[424] _Anglice_ 'darling priest' John Banim has given to the ballad -poetry of Ireland a well-known piece under this title. - -[425] Cooke to Pelham, Dec. 4, 1795. - -[426] _United Irishmen_, i. 537. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -LEONARD MCNALLY - - -Thirty years ago I published in 'Notes and Queries'[427] an _exposé_ of -McNally, so far as it could then be done on circumstantial evidence. -His secret letters to the Irish Government were not accessible when I -first touched the subject, but these have become very familiar to me of -late, and it will be seen that all I sought to show is proved by the -revelation of McNally's own testimony. Before I come to these letters, -some of the remarks with which I had long previously prefaced my doubts -may perhaps be allowed to stand. - -It is an object with Mr. Froude to show--and evidently as pointing -a moral--that men who posed as the greatest patriots were secretly -betraying the plans of their colleagues. But although Mr. Froude -mentions McNally more than once, it does not appear that he was an -informer. When describing the arrest and death of the Rev. Wm. Jackson -in 1794, he mentions McNally as 'a popular barrister,' and further on -his name is given with that of Curran, Ponsonby, Emmet, and Guinness, -as constituting 'the legal strength of Irish Liberalism.' This remark -is made in connection with an episode told with such dramatic effect -by Mr. Froude that it remains merely for a minor pen to unmask 'the -popular barrister.' - -Charles Phillips, although he had made the lives of famous Irish -barristers his study, as shown in 'Curran and his Contemporaries,' -refused to believe any tale to the prejudice of McNally. In the last -edition of his popular book Phillips declares that - - The thing is incredible! If I was called upon to point out, next - to Curran, the man most obnoxious to the Government--who most - hated them, and was most hated by them--it would have been Leonard - MacNally--that MacNally, who, amidst the military audience, stood - by Curran's side while he denounced oppression, defied power, and - dared every danger![428] - -In this impression he was supported by W. H. Curran, afterwards -judge--a man who, unlike his illustrious father, was of the hardest and -coldest nature. He travelled out of his path, in writing that father's -life, to pronounce a panegyric which is quite a curiosity to exhume:-- - - Among many endearing traits in this gentleman's private character, - his devoted attachment to Mr. Curran's person and fame and, since - his death, to the interests of his memory, has been conspicuous. - The writer of this cannot advert to the ardour and tenderness with - which he cherishes the latter, without emotion of the most lively - and respectful gratitude. To Mr. McNally he has to express many - obligations for the zeal with which he has assisted in procuring - and supplying materials for the present work. The introduction - of these private feelings is not entirely out of place--it can - never be out of place to record an example of steadfastness in - friendship. For three and forty years Mr. McNally was the friend - of the subject of these pages; and during that long period he - performed the duties of the relation with the most uncompromising - and romantic fidelity. To state this is a debt of justice to the - dead. The survivor has an ampler reward than any passing tribute of - this sort can confer, in the recollection that during their long - intercourse not even an unkind look ever passed between them.[429] - -These remarks were elicited by a scene which occurred in Finney's -trial[430] in '98. John Philpot Curran, embracing McNally, said, 'My -old and excellent friend, I have long known and respected the honesty -of your heart, but never until this occasion was I acquainted with the -extent of your abilities. I am not in the habit of paying compliments -where they are undeserved.' Tears fell from Mr. Curran as he hung over -his friend.[431] Emotion spread to the Bench, and Judge Chamberlain, -and Baron Smith warmly complimented McNally. Poor Curran! He - - loved to recall the past moments so dear - When the sweet pledge of faith was confidingly given, - When the lip spoke in voice of affection sincere, - And the vow was exchanged and recorded in Heaven.[432] - -In 1817, when Curran died in England, Burton--afterwards judge--singled -out McNally, as the attached friend of the illustrious dead, to tell -him the sad news.[433] - -It does not surprise one that Phillips should have expressed the -scepticism he puts on record. No man was more deeply versed in Bar -traditions. He loved to question its oldest members about their -contemporaries; and amongst all their ana he never heard, as regards -McNally, a dark doubt started. 'Dr. Madden in his "Life of Robert -Emmet,"' writes Phillips, 'broadly states the fact [that he was in -Government pay], but does not give, as he usually does, his grounds for -so stating it.'[434] Madden, replying to Phillips, said, 'I acknowledge -I am ignorant of the time when the pension of 300_l._ was conferred.' - -We now know not only the date, but the nature of the service by which -the pension was earned. - -Under-Secretary Cooke, in the year 1800, drew up for Castlereagh's -information a confidential memorandum respecting 'Secret Service -Pensions' for those who had given important assistance during the -Rebellion. 'Mac,' for a pension of 300_l._ a year, is the first name -recommended.[435] On the following page, Mr. Cooke--obliged to be -explicit--writes the name _Leonard MacAnally_ in full, with the amount -300_l._ as his annual wages. - -Major Sirr was chief of the police system in Dublin. His papers contain -no letters from McNally; but Thomas O'Hara, writing to Sirr on November -11, 1800, proffers his services as a spy, and requests Sirr to address -his answer to 'Leonard McNally, Esq., 20 Harcourt Street, Dublin.'[436] -McNally, irrespective of the knowledge he possessed as counsel for -the rebels, was himself a 'United Irishman.' An organ of that body, -the 'Northern Star,' on March 3, 1797, proudly describes him as such -in connection with the fact that, some days previously, he challenged -and fought Sir Jonah Barrington for having used disparaging language -towards the United Irishmen. In this combat he lost his thumb. The two -Sheareses and Bagenal Harvey--all hanged the following year--escorted -McNally to the ground. - -A number of receipts for quarterly payments of Secret Service money -were stolen from Dublin Castle during the thirties, and came to the -hammer at a literary sale-room. Among them is the following:-- - - Received from William Taylor, Esqr., Seventy-five pounds, due the - 25th June last. - - J. W. - - Endorsed (by Mr. Taylor)--5th July, 1816, 75_l._ L. M‘N. - - S. A.[437] - -McNally seems to have been the only recipient who was permitted to use -false initials. The handwriting in the above is identical with some -acknowledged autograph lines of Leonard McNally; but 'trifles light as -air' at first encouraged my suspicions. For instance: there appears in -the 'Cornwallis Papers,' some five hundred pages away from the part -which mentions him, a letter signed 'J. W.'[438] The able editor, Mr. -Ross, cannot guess the writer; but the information given deals with -matters arising out of legal proceedings, and thereby points to a -barrister as the spy. - -In the same letter,[439] 'J. W.' states that a man named Bird is -determined to 'let the cat out of the bag.' Here it may be observed -in passing, that a pamphlet of the day is entitled 'The Cat let -out of the Bag,' and, though published anonymously, the copy now -before me displays his well known autograph, 'By Leonard McNally, -Barrister-at-law.'[440] - -John Pollock was Clerk of the Crown for the Leinster Circuit in 1798. -The Book of Secret Service Money[441] records frequent payments, -through his hands, to 'J. W.' These entries appear from February 16, -1799, to June 16, 1801, when the words 'repaid from pension' are added. -McNally, it will be remembered, received his pension the previous year. -Cooke, in a confidential memorandum for Castlereagh, writes:-- - - Pollock's services ought to be thought of. He managed Mac----, - and MacGuicken,[442] and did much. He received the place of - Clerk of the Crown and Peace, and he has the fairest right to - indemnification.[443] - -Thus we see how weak was the attempt made by McNally's friends to -explain away his secret pension. It was plausibly alleged that -McNally, having been refused a silk gown in 1808, the pension was then -conferred to compensate for his disappointment. So popular was this -barrister, that the refusal of the Crown to give him silk was voted a -grievance. Indeed, so far as outward appearance went, he uniformly took -the popular side on all questions. The Bar meeting, to denounce the -proposed Legislative Union, held on December 9, 1798, includes, among -the patriotic orators, Leonard McNally. - -Some of the reasons given by Phillips for refusing to doubt McNally's -patriotism were, that he declined to join the lawyers' corps of -yeomanry in 1798, and that his was the last hand Curran grasped when -leaving Ireland! These waifs and strays only prove how well McNally -played his part. As a successful dramatic author, and one who had been -himself upon the stage, theatrical effect was at all times easy to him. - -It is now time to appeal to direct evidence, not until recently -accessible. Mr. Lecky, in examining the archives of the Home Office, -has found record of McNally's fall, and the virtuous historian -describes it as a 'peculiarly shocking one.'[444] It will be remembered -that the Rev. Wm. Jackson, a parson, came to Ireland in 1794 on a -secret mission from France. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to -death. McNally now found, it is said, that if he did not become an -informer the halter would soon encircle a neck previously dignified by -forensic bands. - - Jackson, shortly before his death [Mr. Lecky goes on to say], found - an opportunity of writing four short letters, recommending his - wife and child, and a child who was still unborn, to two or three - friends, and to the care of the French nation, and he also drew up - a will leaving all he possessed to his wife, and entrusting McNally - with the protection of her interests. He wrote at the bottom of it, - 'Signed and sealed in presence of my dearest friend, whose heart - and principles ought to recommend him as a worthy citizen--Leonard - McNally.' These precious documents he entrusted, when dying, to his - friend, and about three weeks after the death of Jackson, McNally - placed them in the hands of the Irish Government. - - A few days later, Camden sent a copy of them to England, with a - 'most secret and confidential letter.' 'The paper which accompanies - this,' he said, 'was delivered to Counsellor McNally, from whom - Government received it. There is so much evidence against this - person, that he is--I am informed--completely in the power of - Government. Your Grace will observe that the care of Mrs. Jackson - is recommended by her husband to the National Convention, and that - Mr. McNally is desired to assist her by every means in his power - to procure her assistance from them. It has occurred to me that - an excuse might be made for Mr. McNally's being allowed to enter - France for the purpose of attending to this woman's fortunes, that - he should go through London, and in case your Grace should wish to - employ him, I would inform you when and where he will be found.' - - Portland replied that he was perfectly ready to make use of the - services of McNally in France, if Camden thought that he might be - safely trusted, but he suggested that this was very doubtful. The - control which Government possessed over him depended entirely upon - the conclusive evidence of treason they had against him. Would - that control continue in a foreign country? Camden, on reflection, - agreed that it would not be safe to try the experiment. McNally, - however, he was convinced, would be very useful at home.[445] - -Jackson, finding no chance of acquittal, took poison and died, just as -Lord Clonmell was about to sentence him to be hanged. Shortly before -his death in the dock, seeing McNally pass, he grasped his hand and is -said to have whispered, 'We have deceived the Senate!' This was true of -McNally, but Jackson did not suspect him; nor did Curran, or the many -other shrewd scribes who have chronicled the touching incident. - -Mr. Lecky thinks that McNally's fall dates only from 1794: my belief -is that he had previously evinced some frailty. In 1790, when counsel -for Lord Sherborne, Beresford Burston accused him of 'doing dirty -work,'[446] and McNally thereupon challenged Burston. Dr. Madden -says that, in 1792, at the time of Napper Tandy's action against the -Viceroy, some of Tandy's legal advisers were suspected of having -disclosed their ingenious case to the Crown. McNally was certainly -counsel in this cause. St. John Mason, brother-in-law of Addis Emmet, -broadly charges McNally with perfidy committed in 1792.[447] Previous -to this date Collins the spy calls McNally 'one of us,' in a secret -letter to the Government agent, Jack Gifford.[448] Who Gifford was is -shown by Curran, who complains to the Chief Secretary for Ireland, that -'Gifford, a note-taker for your Government, had the daring to come up -to me in the street and shake his stick at me.'[449] - -Mr. Lecky says that McNally often betrayed to the Crown the line of -defence contemplated by his clients, and other information which he -could only have received in professional confidence, and the Government -archives contain several of his briefs annotated in his own hand. Mr. -Lecky finds that - - he was also able, in a manner not less base, to furnish the - Government with early and most authentic evidence about - conspiracies which were forming in France. James Tandy[450] ... - was his intimate friend; McNally, by his means, saw nearly every - letter that arrived from Napper Tandy, and some of those which - came from Rowan and Reynolds. The substance of these letters - was regularly transmitted to the Government, and they sometimes - contained information of much value. Besides this, as a lawyer in - considerable practice, constantly going on circuit, and acquainted - with the leaders of sedition, McNally had excellent opportunities - of knowing the state of the country, and was able to give very - valuable warnings about the prevailing dispositions.[451] - -Among the earlier victims to the severe legislation of that time was -Laurence Conner, a poor schoolmaster of Naas, charged with Defenderism, -whose case has been invested with interest by Sir Jonah Barrington, -Dr. Madden, and others. A moving speech from the dock failed to avert -his doom, and his head, for years after, grinned from a stake at the -top of the gaol. McNally, who had defended him, stated in his secret -report to Pelham that a provision had been offered for Conner's family -if he would make discoveries; but his reply was, 'He who feeds the -young ravens in the valley will provide for them!'[452] It is strange -that McNally should report to his employers this chivalrous speech, -which places in marked contrast his own frailty and disgraceful fall. -But corrupt as his heart had now become, he could not help admiring -magnanimity wherever he met it. The man who sought to make Conner -inform was, doubtless, McNally himself, at the instance of Crown -Solicitor Pollock, who, as the 'Cornwallis Papers' record (iii. 120), -'managed Mac.' - -This is the man whose name Earl Russell erased from Moore's Diary of -February 27, 1835, leaving merely the initials 'L. McN.,' because some -doubts of his honesty had been expressed postprandially by Plunket, a -man more clear-sighted, it appears, than Charles Phillips. Succeeding -chapters will show Plunket associated with McNally during the State -trials of '98. - - Lord Holland amused with my saying how much I used to look up to - this L---- McN---- [writes Moore], on account of some songs in a - successful opera which he wrote, 'Robin Hood.' 'Charming Clorinda' - was one of the songs I used to envy him being the author of. - -'Your profession should have taught you principles of honour,' McNally -writes in the piece which first roused the muse of Moore. With such -fine sentiments it must have caused him a struggle to betray. All will -rejoice that he who sang - - Let Erin remember the days of old - Ere her faithless sons betrayed her-- - -escaped the blight of McNally's breath. Moore was the bosom friend of -Emmet, sympathised with the 'cause,' and wrote for the organ of the -United Irishmen. Shortly after '98, however, he entered at the Middle -Temple, London, and saw McNally no more. Plunket told Moore that it was -in a duel McNally received the wound in the hip that lamed him, and on -a subsequent occasion, when he was again going out to fight, a friend -said, 'I'd advise you, Mac, to turn the other hip to him, and who knows -but he may shoot you straight.'[453] - -McNally was indeed a brave man. If anyone seemed to doubt him, he -would be called out and probably shot. In early life he practised at -the English Bar. It is recorded in the 'Cyclopædian Magazine,' for -1808, that during the Gordon Riots, when the mob had smashed down the -Bishop of Lincoln's coach, had dragged him out, and were beating him -with bludgeons, McNally, at the risk of his life, rescued Dr. Thurlow, -on whose forehead, he heard them say, they meant to cut the sign -of the cross. This prelate, who somewhat favoured Catholic Relief, -was the brother of Lord Chancellor Thurlow; and the young barrister -may have had an ulterior object in thus exposing himself to danger. -McNally himself evidently supplied the account, of which but a few -details are here borrowed, and we learn that 'the Bishop required, and -received, the address of his protector, but never after acknowledged -the obligation.'[454] Some pamphlets on the Regency struggle, and the -'Claims of Ireland' vindicated on the principles of the English Whigs, -introduced him to Fox, for whom he acted as counsel at an election for -Westminster. 'By whatever right England possesses Liberty,' he said, -'by the same right Ireland may claim it!' - -McNally as an orator was declamatory, and at times theatrical. His -outward man has been often caricatured, but John O'Keefe tells us -that he had 'a handsome, expressive countenance, and fine sparkling -dark eyes.'[455] Sir Jonah Barrington recognises the same features. -Contemporary memoirs of him supply a long list of his dramas, farces, -comic operas, touching lyrics, prologues and masques, all produced at -Covent Garden. But when in England he was a genuine, thoroughgoing -Irishman very unlike the sham which he afterwards became; and why -he resigned a dramatic for a forensic career is curiously shown by -'Sylvanus Urban.' The opening of Covent Garden Theatre, on September -23, 1782, was commemorated by a prelude from McNally's pen. - - The author, with a partiality to his own countrymen which we know - not how to censure, has drawn the character of an Irishman as one - possessed of qualities which he had rather imprudently denied to - the other persons of the drama--English, Scotch, Welsh, and French. - This circumstance gave offence, and before the conclusion of the - piece the clamour became too great for anything to be heard. It - was, therefore, laid aside. - -No name seems to have been more popular with the pit and galleries, -and the admiration of his countrymen for him showed itself in odd -ways. Kemble somewhere describes an Irishman at Drury Lane indignantly -claiming one of Shakespeare's plays for McNally: and when a spectator, -duly challenged, replied that he did not want to dispute the point with -him, his tormentor said, still trying to foster a quarrel, 'but perhaps -you don't believe me?' Again the man received a polite assurance which -seemed quite satisfactory; but five minutes later 'Pat,' observing -Kemble whispering to a companion, came over in an attitude still more -menacing--'Maybe your friend doesn't believe that the play is written -by Leonard McNally?' and to avoid a scene both were glad to decamp. -Those were the days when the voice of national predilection made itself -heard and felt in dramatic criticism. Home scored a success with -'Douglas:' 'and where be your Wully Shakespeare noo?' was shrieked by -some clannish Scots that night. McNally's friends regretted more than -once that he ever left London. A book called 'Five Hundred Celebrated -Authors of Great Britain now living' was published here in 1788,[456] -and it is amusing to find McNally's name included with those of Burke, -Gibbon, Walpole, Crabbe, Burns, Cowper, De Lolme and Mackenzie, who at -the close of a century were helping to educate the minds which were to -adorn its successor. - -One day Lord Loughborough, finding McNally ill prepared in a case which -came before the Court, advised him to abandon the Muses and study -Blackstone; but the _cacoëthes scribendi_ burned too strongly within -him to relinquish more cultured pursuits. His 'Sentimental Excursions -to Windsor' appeared, and on rejoining the Irish Bar he produced 'The -Irish Justice of the Peace,' for which 2,500_l._ was paid by Hugh -Fitzpatrick, the Catholic publisher; 'but it contained so much bad -law,' writes Charles Phillips, 'that it proved a treasure not to the -J. P's., but to the country attorneys.' Sadly soon the former had -practical experience of a writ; and Michael Staunton told me, that -if McNally's law points often served culprits, they hanged as many -more.[457] 'In Dublin,' records a contemporary scribe,[458] 'he has now -very considerable law business.' - -'He had a shrill, full, good bar voice,' writes Barrington, in -bestowing other praise. Sir Jonah occupied the judgment seat, and was -famous for his power of discerning character; but, although he impugns -the good name of many men, he does not distrust McNally. According to -Barrington, 'Mac' was 'good-natured, hospitable, and talented.'[459] -It is to be feared that hospitality with the popular barrister was -but a means to an end. 'Will you walk into my parlour?' said the -spider to the fly. McNally, in some of his letters to the Government -when requesting money, urges as an extra reason the necessity of -entertaining friends in order to get at new information. - - Without money [he writes] it is impossible to do what is expected. - Those Spartans wish to live like Athenians in matters of eating and - drinking. They live so among each other, and without ability to - entertain I cannot live with them, and without living with them I - cannot learn from them.[460] - -McNally knew human nature quite as well as Bishop South, who says of -the bacchanal that his 'heart floats upon his lips, and his inmost -thoughts proclaim and write themselves upon his forehead;' and he adds -that, just 'as a liar ought to have a good memory, so a person of guilt -ought to be also a person of great sobriety.'[461] McNally's dinner in -honour of unfortunate 'Parson Jackson' and of the man who shadowed him -to the grave, suggests that it was not the only occasion when death sat -at the table. - -In midsummer 1798 the clangour of battle filled the air. 'Fear -prevails, and all jovial intercourse has ceased, so far as my -experience goes,'[462] he writes; but when hostilities ceased, -amenities were renewed. - -After he had ceased to produce 'masques' at Covent Garden, and entered -on his new career of a barrister and a spy, one great effort of his -energetic life was to divert suspicion and puzzle posterity. He saw the -wisdom of the proverb, 'Show me your company,' and thus he had a double -object to gain by cultivating touch with patriotic men. In 1790 he was -admitted a Freeman for--as the address to him said--his services to his -country. In 1802 he published 'The Rules of Evidence, or Pleas of the -Crown.' It is dedicated to John Philpot Curran, 'from an affectionate -attachment,' writes McNally, - - and from a proud wish to make known to posterity that a reciprocal - and an uninterrupted amity subsisted between the Author and the - man whose transcendent genius and philosophic mind soar above all - competition--whose honest and intrepid heart was never influenced - in the Senate, nor intimidated at the Bar, from exerting, with - zeal, independence, and spirit, his love to his country and his - duty to his client. - -The 'authorised' memoir of McNally in the 'Cyclopædian Magazine' -quotes the above, adding, 'The relatives of Mr. Curran may extract from -this dedication an epitaph worthy of his memory.' The whole object of -the memoir, one evidently inspired by McNally himself, is to foster -a feeling of respect for and confidence in his own pretensions. No -wonder that, in the eyes of Young Ireland one hundred years ago, a halo -encircled McNally's head. Some of the spirited efforts which roused -the Muse of Moore and Drennan are found in the organ of the United -Irishmen. The 'Northern Star' of November 10, 1792, contains rebellious -verses signed L. M. N. - -Mr. Lecky has not examined McNally's secret reports after the year -1800, and his impression is that he 'did not wish to implicate -"persons."'[463] It would appear, however, on Mr. Lecky's own showing, -that McNally was not squeamish--even during the reign of terror--in -pointing to men by name. - - In September and October 1797 he told them [writes Mr. Lecky] that - Bond was the treasurer of the conspiracy; that the chief management - was now transferred from Belfast to Dublin and confined to a - very few; that Keogh, McCormick, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Arthur - O'Connor, Sweetman, Dixon, Chambers, Emmet, Bond, and Jackson were - in the secret.[464] - -On February 5, 1797, McNally warns the Government that O'Coigly (hanged -the following year) was in Ireland on a political mission, and reports -the pith of his conversation.[465] 'O'Connor, Macnevin and Lord Edward -Fitzgerald,' he whispers, 'are the advocates of assassination,'[466] -which, indeed, there is great reason to doubt.[467] On November 19 -Grattan is put in jeopardy.[468] Next month 'a most circumstantial and -alarming story,' writes Lecky, had come from McNally. 'It was, that -Lord Edward received, some days since, orders from Paris to urge an -insurrection here with all speed, in order to draw troops from England. -In consequence of it, there was a meeting of the head committee, where -he and O'Connor urged immediate measures of vigour;' and thereupon -their plans are laid bare: but how Emmet, Chambers, etc., opposed. -McNally lived in Dominic Street, near the Dominican Fathers. In letters -to Cooke he points to MacMahon and other of his reverend colleagues; -and I learn from the present custodian of the 'Dominican Records' that -Fathers MacMahon, Bushe, and Mulhall were arrested in '98, but at last -suffered to leave Ireland for America. On May 24, 1798, J. W. mentions -that MacMahon had called on him the previous day. But so early as June -14, 1797 the falcon eye of McNally had become fixed on this friar. -He and other priests, he states, meet weekly at Herbert's tavern, -Clontarf. 'Reilly, an officer who served in Germany, is often with -them. Individually, no doubt, they are all concerned in the politics -of the day, and they act when together with a caution certainly -suspicious. Vernon, of Clontarf, offered the waiter 100_l._ to make -discoveries, which he refused.' - -'Troy may be up,'[469] McNally reports, meaning that the Catholic -archbishop had been probably enrolled a United Irishman. Henceforth -his Grace's letters were regularly opened at the Post Office.[470] -Minor names are often breathed, and who can doubt that, with the Habeas -Corpus Act suspended, advanced men stood upon the brink of an abyss? -Carhampton, Commander-in-Chief, sent numbers of untried men out of -the country,[471] and threatened to do the same with the Rev. Edward -Berwick,[472] and others. Hundreds were seized on bare suspicion and -expatriated without even knowing their accusers, or hearing the charge -for which they suffered.[473] - -The acts of no member of the Directory are more regularly reported -than those of Arthur O'Connor. McNally seems to have been in his -confidence as political ally and legal adviser. In turning over his -letters I met one much more voluminous than the rest, furnishing -a complete list of all the witnesses to appear at Maidstone for -O'Connor's defence, and the facts to which they were prepared to -testify.[474] These witnesses included Erskine, Fox, Grattan, Sheridan, -Whitbread, Lords Moira, Suffolk, Thanet, and Oxford. - -Throughout the State Trials men stalked who, as Curran said, measured -their value by the coffins of their victims, and gloom was relieved by -forensic _persiflage_. The duel already described left McNally lame, -and another limping barrister one day asked Parsons in 'the Hall' of -the Court, 'Did you see McNally go this way?' 'I never saw him go any -other way,' was the reply. - -Ned Lysaght had his skit, too:-- - - One leg is short which makes him lame, - Therefore the legs don't tally; - And now, my friends, to tell his name, - 'Tis Leonard MacAnally. - -He had been urged to join a Volunteer corps; but Curran told him that -serious trouble might result, for, when ordered to 'march,' he would -certainly 'halt.'[475] When writing to Cooke on the subject of the -Lawyers' Corps, J. W., in a secret letter of June 12, 1798, introduces -his real name, no doubt to puzzle outsiders into whose hands it might -fall: 'It would be well perhaps if some of the judges would institute a -Corps of Invalids. McNally might lead blind Moore to battle.' - -Mr. Lecky thinks that McNally after his fall 'retained all the good -nature and native kindness of his disposition.'[476] I fear that this -redeeming virtue cannot be safely assigned to him. A careful sketch of -the man appears in a local publication of the year 1806; and we learn -that among his characteristics are-- - - Satire--oft whetted on ill-nature's stone, - Which spares no other's failings, nor his own. - But well may Leonard wield that branch of trade - Where cunning comes to penetration's aid; - --No logic closer--strong his declamation, - But his best leg is cross-examination.[477] - -This, as we now see, was done quite as much in the privacy of his study -as in the forensic arena. - - * * * * * - -Curran's great speech in Hevey _v._ Sirr contains a passage which has -often been quoted:-- - - A learned and respected brother barrister had a silver cup; Major - [Sandys] heard that for many years it had borne an inscription - of 'Erin go bragh'--which meant 'Ireland for ever.' The Major - considered this perseverance for such a length of time a forfeiture - of the delinquent vessel. My poor friend was accordingly robbed of - his cup. - -This 'learned and respected barrister' was none other than McNally -himself. I have read his secret letter to Cooke on the subject, -endorsed 'June 2, 1798,' and it makes him less a hero than he -would publicly convey. He complains of the seizure of his cup, -notwithstanding that, as he assured his military visitor, he had -already erased the offending inscription. 'Mac,' in conclusion, says -that the cup was value for 22_l._ 10_s._, 'hardly earned,' and encloses -a separate paper distinctly naming that sum as his due. Four days later -he writes to Cooke: 'Major Sandys returned a _sterling_ answer to _my -friend's_ note,' which means a full money remittance for the amount -claimed.[478] - -Below we have McNally's version of this transaction, as supplied to -Curran's son for historic and popular purposes:-- - - A sergeant waited upon him, and delivered a verbal command from - Major Sandys to surrender the cup. Mr. McNally refused, and - commissioned the messenger to carry back such an answer as so - daring a requisition suggested.[479] The sergeant ... respectfully - remonstrated upon the imprudence of provoking Major Sandys. The - consequences soon appeared: the sergeant returned with a body of - soldiers, who paraded before Mr. McNally's door, and were under - orders to proceed to extremities if the cup was not delivered up. - Upon Mr. MacNally's acquainting Lord Kilwarden with the outrage, - the latter burst into tears and, exclaiming that 'his own sideboard - might be the next object of plunder, if such atrocious practices - were not checked,' lost not an instant in procuring the restitution - of the property. The cup was accordingly sent back with the - inscription erased.[480] - -Arthur Wolfe, Lord Kilwarden, was the Chief Justice of the King's -Bench, and his alleged intimacy with McNally is probably exaggerated. -The biographer says that Curran repeatedly told this episode of -'98, and quotes a touching peroration regarding Kilwarden's alleged -interposition: that, in fact, great was the odour of its memory and -precious the balm of its consolation! - -McNally's account of the robbery of his silver cup was part of his -stock-in-trade, and I am sure that for twenty times the price he would -not have been without it. - -William Henry Curran knew not very much of his father, whose biographer -he became. John Philpot Curran had excluded him from his domestic -circle, and the letters to his son which appear in the book were -addressed to Richard. Who can doubt that much detail which lends -interest to the ever popular 'Life, by his Son,' was supplied to the -youth by the practised old scribe Leonard McNally? Curran's gratitude -to him for help afforded is freely expressed. McNally wrote a style -clear as rock water and full of classic strength. Nothing can be finer -than his secret letters to Pelham and Cooke--three of which he often -despatched in one day. The wonderful anecdotes which made Curran's -Life, by his son, almost a classic have been quoted over and over, -including the dinner scene at McNally's, when the ill-fated Rev. Mr. -Jackson was entertained. Curran's son tells how the talk had been -getting imprudent, when the butler, beckoning his master to the door, -warned him to be careful; 'for, sir, the strange gentleman who seems to -be asleep is not so, but listening to everything said: I see his eye -glistening through the fingers with which he is covering his face.' - -Cockayne was, of course, a spy of Pitt's; but some of the sensational -anecdotes which McNally told of him, as also of Reynolds and Armstrong, -may have been overcharged to divert suspicion from himself. These are -not the only instances in which the embellishments of the professional -advocate seem traceable. As regards Jackson's death in the dock, we are -told that he made an effort with his cold and nerveless hand to squeeze -McNally's, muttering a quotation from Addison's 'Cato'; but the lines -and the adjuncts would be more likely to occur at such a moment to an -old playwright like McNally than to the dying clergyman. - -Emmet's revolt took place on July 23, 1803, but was soon quelled. He -remained in concealment at Harold's Cross, and chose that position in -order that he might see Sarah Curran, with her father, pass daily to -Dublin. On August 25 he was arrested by Major Sirr. Popular confidence -in McNally had now reached its height. A special commission for trying -the insurgent leaders began on August 24, 1803. 'Most of the prisoners -chose Mr. McNally as their counsel, and Mr. L. McNally, junior, as -their agent,' records the 'Evening Post' of the day. - -McNally had long had his eye on the gifted young orator Robert Emmet: -'Emmet, junior, gone on business to France--probably to supersede -Lewins,'[481] he writes to Cooke three years previous to the -insurrection of 1803. On September 3, in the latter year, McNally sends -one of his secret letters to Cooke, saying that he is authorised to -treat on behalf of a person privy to the whole conspiracy.[482] - -The remainder of McNally's letters during these troubles of 1803 are -yet wanting. No doubt they remain among Wickham's papers of the period -which are still a sealed book.[483] Among the sensational incidents of -the hour was the outrage of searching Curran's house, and the capture -of Emmet's love-letters to Sarah Curran--to whom the youth had been -secretly engaged. Curran himself, we are told, though aware of Emmet's -visits, was ignorant of the attachment. But there was a seemingly dear -old friend, having access to Curran's domestic circle, whose eagle -eye could penetrate still deeper secrets. In the absence of McNally's -private reports of that month there is, however, no absolute proof -against him on this point. - -Mount Jerome,[484] the seat of John Keogh, the great Catholic leader, -was also searched, and his papers seized. Dr. Madden mentions that, in -1802, Emmet had dined at Keogh's in the company of John Philpot Curran, -when the probability of success in the event of a second rebellion was -debated with great animation.[485] Whose was the whisper which betrayed -this information never transpired. But Curran, the great depository of -popular secrets, maintained, as will be shown, no reserve with McNally. -So far back as 1797 McNally writes:-- - - Grattan and Curran are compleatly in the secret. Everything that's - done or intended is communicated to them.[486] - -A quantity of information follows, and the letter ends with these -pregnant words:-- - - Curran gives a dinner at his house. _Will be there._ - -This is the man whom William Henry Curran describes as having been -'from his youth to his latest hour the most affectionate, unshaken and -disinterested friend' of his father.[487] - -Before and after the conviction and death of Robert Emmet, the initials -'L. M.' peep from the 'Secret Service Money Book.' On August 25, 1803 -(the very day on which Emmet was captured), we read: 'Mr. Pollock for -L. M., 100_l._' Pollock, Clerk of the Crown for Leinster, is the same -man through whom the bribes for 'J. W.' (McNally) are paid.[488] The -100_l._ cannot have been for the actual capture of Emmet, for I know -that in November following a bulk sum was paid for that service. The -_douceur_ to L. M. was in acknowledgment of useful information.[489] - -McNally appears as counsel for Emmet in the State trial on September -19, 1803. Four days previously, namely, on September 14, 100_l._ is -set down to 'L. M.' On the morning of Emmet's execution an affecting -scene took place between the rebel chief and McNally, the only friend -allowed to see him. Emmet's mother had just died, but he did not know -it, and desire to see her filled him--'Then, Robert, you shall meet -her this day,' replied McNally, pointing to Heaven in his accustomed -dramatic style. A long account of the interview, doubtless supplied by -'Mac' himself with his usual itch for writing, and evidently designed -to promote Lord Hardwicke's popularity as Viceroy, appears in a -Ministerial journal, the London 'Chronicle,' on September 24, 1803. - - Emmet [we are told] observed that, had he not been interrupted by - the Court in his address, he would have spoken as warm an eulogium - on the candour and moderation of the present Government in this - kingdom as his conception or language were adequate to. - -After Emmet's arrest Curran was examined by the Privy Council, when -Chancellor Redesdale sought by a tone of intimidation to extort the -truth; but the scowl of contempt he encountered gave his own nerves the -shock he designed for another's, and made him sink back into his chair, -abashed by the failure of his rash experiment. Curran's son speaks of -the wonderful intrepidity of McNally's language in his addresses to -the Court; but it is easy to be defiant when one knows he is safe. -Contemporary critics record his marvellous power of penetration in -cross-examining witnesses on the State trials. A shrewd man, deep -in the secrets of both sides, would not find it hard to create this -impression. - -Lord Cloncurry complains, in his Memoirs, that after his liberation -from gaol in 1801, and for many subsequent years, no man suffered more -from petty worries at the hands of the Irish Government. McNally was -in the coterie of which Cloncurry formed the central figure, and it -cannot be doubted that he consistently reported his fervid sentiments. -The 'Press' was the Rebel organ, its tone distinguished, as Lord Camden -said, by 'an unheard-of boldness,'[490] and a friendly offer made -by Lawless, afterwards Lord Cloncurry, to McNally is thus reported. -After mentioning when the private committee of United Irishmen met, -McNally[491] announces--the underlining his own:-- - - Lawless, principal proprietor of the 'Press': _he has offered a - share to J. W.[492]--a £50 share_.... Nothing save rebellious - toasts at the dinner; _McNevin was there_. Lawless gave 'Cut the - Painter' [_i.e._ Separation from England]. - - _An accurate and dayly_ [sic] _account will be given_. Lawless - sails for London to-morrow night. It is his turn of duty,--perhaps - to meet some people at the Head. He ought to be watched from - George's Quay every hour till his return.[493] - -A later letter assures Pelham: 'The fellow-travellers of Lawless shall -be found out if possible.'[494] - -Higgins and Magan knew nothing of Cloncurry's movements, but between -Turner and McNally he had a warm time of it. Lord Holland compared his -long detention in the Tower, untried and unaccused, to the operation -of the _lettres de cachet_ in old France. In 1803, on secret but, he -declares, erroneous information, that Emmet's wounded rebels were -concealed there, 'a large military force' searched Lord Cloncurry's -house in Kildare, and robbed it of a quantity of papers, some -fowling-pieces, armour, and even plate.'[495] - -No details are forthcoming as regards the intercourse which subsisted -between McNally and Cloncurry throughout the eventful period -subsequent to their friendly relations in '98; but the cordiality of -that intercourse may be seen from a waif or two. The 'Correspondent,' -a Dublin journal, reports on August 27, 1817, a speech of the patriot -peer, Cloncurry, in which the epithet 'dear' is applied to his old -friend McNally. 'There is no gentleman,' he adds, 'for whom I have a -higher respect or esteem, and of whose knowledge, talent and elocution -I am more sensible.' - -Sometimes McNally travelled as a spy, probably in disguise, through -remote rural districts. On August 28, 1805, he announces Tipperary as -'ready to rise.' In September he goes up the Dublin mountains, 'Emmet's -line,' and the result of his inquiries was that no rising need be -apprehended.[496] I do not find that McNally's secret letters exist at -Dublin Castle beyond the year 1805; I must, therefore, seek to trace -from other sources the close of his career. Pecuniary need drew its -toils tighter round him every day, making him, no doubt, more energetic -in his effort to cast them off.[497] - -Readers of the 'Wellington Correspondence' from 1807 to 1809 will -be able to identify McNally. The subjugator of Tippoo Saib, then -Chief Secretary at Dublin Castle, found Catholic Ireland galled by -various disabilities. One letter, dated November 21, 1807, encloses -a paper headed 'Information received this evening from a very -intelligent Priest.'[498] This, on being quoted by the reviewers of the -Wellington Papers, excited disgust that a priest should be in secret -correspondence with Dublin Castle; but it is quite clear to me that -the letter came from McNally, and embodies merely the responses of a -gossiping priest to the pumping of a practised hand--the same, I may -venture to add, to whom McNally, upon dying, will be found making his -own confession. - -The Whig Duke of Bedford took office with Fox, Lansdowne, and Grey in -the administration of 'All the Talents,' and ruled Ireland for one -year. Curran became Master of the Rolls, and McNally thought that he -himself, as the leading popular barrister, had claims for promotion. -All the men who will be remembered as voting with him at the bar -meeting in 1799 had got snug berths. His appeal to Bedford was referred -to Wellesley, whose common sense appears in the following reply:-- - - I agree entirely with you respecting the employment of our - informer. Such a measure would do much mischief. It would disgust - the loyal of all descriptions, at the same time that it would - render useless our private communications with him, as no further - trust would be placed in him by the disloyal. I think that it might - be hinted to him that he would lose much of his profit, if, by - accepting the public employment of Government, he were to lose the - confidence of his party, and consequently the means of giving us - information.[499] - -Curiously enough, at the time he is himself most active as a spy, Mr. -T. Mulock, of Dublin, reports him, with Messrs. Hutton and O'Connell, -as persons who 'ought to be watched.'[500] An account of the first -meeting for Repeal of the Union, on September 18, 1810, is preserved in -the State Papers; and McNally spoke on that day 'with great zeal and -patriotism,' as Plowden proudly[501] records. Mr. Mulock had not the -knowledge of character shown by his kinswoman Miss Mulock, the novelist. - -Reference has been already made to the fact that in 1811 the Irish -Secretary of State, Wellesley Pole, with the object of suppressing the -Catholic Committee, caused to be arrested, under the Convention Act, -Lord Fingall, Lord Netterville, and the other Catholic delegates. Able -counsel were retained by them, and private conferences, attended by -Burrowes, Johnson, Perrin, O'Connell, Burton, O'Driscoll, and McNally, -were held in order to decide on the lines of defence to be taken. The -questions involved were difficult and subtle; and although the courses -decided upon were equally novel, it was observed with amazement that -the Orange Attorney-General, Saurin, seemed marvellously well prepared -for every point, as the delegates daily fought their ground inch by -inch.[502] - -An aggregate meeting of Catholics was held after the arrests of their -delegates. John Mitchel describes the party then in power as a 'No -Popery Administration,' and the appearance of a Protestant on the -platform was hailed as a happy incident. The following is taken from -the 'Correspondent,' a once influential organ of Dublin Castle:-- - - Mr. McNally offered himself to the consideration of the Catholic - body. He was anxious that his name should be coupled to the - glorious cause for which, as Irishmen, they were contending--a - cause that, from his earliest youth, although a Protestant, he felt - as his own. He insisted that the conduct of the Lord Lieutenant was - illegal--that he had not the power of arresting an individual by - his own mere authority; that, not having the authority, he could - not, of course, delegate it to a Magistrate.--[Here he animadverted - upon the conduct of Mr. Hare, the police magistrate, who made - the arrests.] The King himself, he said, possessed not the power - which the Lord Lieutenant assumed in the arrest of Lords Fingal - and Netterville. He instanced the case of Chief Justice Hussey and - Edward IV.--The King asked the Judge whether his own warrant would - not be deemed sufficient to arrest a subject?--The Chief Justice - answered in the negative. And the reason was obvious. _The King can - do no wrong._--But the subject could have no legal redress against - such an impeccable magistrate. He referred to the State trials for - an exemplification and authority on this point; and he showed that - a power which could not be exercised by Majesty itself, could not - pass through the opaque body of his Lieutenant--a moonshine and - intermitting ray. - -O'Connell followed, and the clear head of that great lawyer saved -the Catholic body from the deeper pitfall in which the bad law of a -false adviser would have placed them. In the course of his speech he -declared:-- - - With regard to what had been said by Mr. McNally he could not - assent. The action of Mr. Hare was merely his own, as a magistrate, - and the Lord Lieutenant had no concern in being responsible for it; - and he [Mr. O'Connell] would not allow in that assembly anything to - be laid to the charge of the Duke of Richmond for which His Grace - was not in every respect accountable. - -On October 19, 1811, Wellesley Pole writes from Dublin Castle to the -Home Secretary regarding the proceedings of the Catholic Committee, -and enclosing 'a report from,' as he says, 'one of our spies.' This -document, signed 'J. W.' is still preserved with Pole's letter in the -Record Office, London. About the same time Pole announces to the Home -Office that 'Young Mr. Curran, son of the Master of the Rolls, has been -very active in soliciting from the Catholics subscriptions for Mr. -Finnerty, and letters from persons associated in London for promoting -that object have been addressed to the Catholics here.'[503] These -regular reportings of Curran's domestic circle involve a degree of -treachery painful to contemplate.[504] - -The reports of 'J. W.' did not tend to make Curran a favourite with -'the powers.' The patriot's son, describing a prior year, records:-- - - A party of seventeen soldiers, accompanied by their wives, or their - profligate companions, and by many children, and evidently selected - for the purpose of annoyance, were, without any previous notice, - quartered on Mr. Curran's house.[505] - -The late Mr. Byrne, an old Petty Sessions clerk, informed me that when -walking at this time with his cousin Mr. Phelan, an attorney of Liberal -politics, McNally, with a significant wink, accosted him, saying: 'The -people are at last beginning to read; those who cannot yet read have -books and papers read to them; after they read they will think, and -they won't be long thinking until they act.' - -On the trial of Sheridan and Kirwan, two Catholic delegates, he spoke -warmly against the sheriff and others tampering with the jury, and was -checked by the bench. He excused himself by saying 'that where the -heart and the understanding went together it was difficult to keep -bounds,' etc. Great excitement prevailed by the effort made to crush -the freedom of speech, in the midst of which Percy Bysshe Shelley came -to Dublin, and largely helped by voice and pen to make the crisis -historic. Mr. Pole declared in Parliament, that 'if gentlemen would -read the debates of the Catholic Committee they would find separation -openly and distinctly recommended.' O'Connell, on February 29, 1812, -replied: 'Why, my lord, this is a direct accusation of high treason, -and he who would assert it of me, I would brand with the foulest -epithets. I defy the slightest proof to be given of its veracity.' -The Duke of Richmond, then Viceroy, writes at great length to the -Home Secretary, speaks of his 'secret information,' and flutters the -Cabinet.[506] - -It was during the same year that Roger O'Connor, of Dangan -Castle--father of Feargus, member for Nottingham--headed a band of rude -retainers and robbed the Galway mail coach on Cappagh Hill. Though -somewhat daft, he had method in his system, and when, five years later, -he found himself a prisoner in Newgate, pending the long averted -prosecution, he directed his attorney, named Maguire, to draw up a -fictitious case, including a false line of defence, and lay it before -McNally, taking for granted that he would betray to the Crown the -person he supposed to be his client. The prosecution strangely broke -down, and O'Connor, although notoriously guilty, was acquitted.[507] -This trial took place in 1817: the death of Curran followed soon. A -man named Waring having been indicted for perjury, McNally is found -saying: 'Oppressed by the loss of my earliest friend, I have not -strength for the task. But I wish to repel the stigma thrown out -against my client, though I should die in the trammels.'[508] - -The letters of McNally to Curran would be curious to read; 'but,' -writes his daughter-in-law, 'they were destroyed by my late husband -when he became so disgusted by the knowledge of the double face McNally -must have worn for so many years as the _friend_ of his father.'[509] - -Although McNally's are destroyed, some characteristic letters from -Curran to him were supplied by the spy to Curran's biographer. It was a -constant effort of McNally to engraft himself on the fame and name of -Curran. A touching document in the romance of real life is the letter -addressed by Curran to McNally in 1810. He exhibits a kind solicitude -for the improved health of his false friend, and alludes to their -future meeting where secrets and sorrow would be no more. - - Godwin's, 41, Skinner Street, London. - - Dear Mac,-- ... I am glad to hear you are letting yourself out - at Old Orchard; you are certainly unwise in giving up such an - inducement to exercise, and the absolute good of being so often - in good air. I have been talking about your habit without naming - yourself. I am more persuaded that you and Egan[510] are not - sufficiently afraid of weak liquors.[511] I can say from trial how - little pains it costs to correct a bad habit. On the contrary, poor - nature--like an ill-used mistress--is delighted with the return of - our kindness, and is anxious to show her gratitude for that return - by letting us see how well she becomes it. - - I am the more solicitous upon this point from having made this - change, which I see will make me waited for in Heaven longer than - perhaps they looked for. If you do not make some pretext for - lingering, you can have no chance of conveying me to the wherry; - and the truth is, I do not like surviving old friends. I am - somewhat inclined to wish for posthumous reputation; and if you - go before me, I shall lose one of the most irreclaimable of my - trumpeters. Therefore, dear Mac, no more water, and keep the other - element, your wind, for the benefit of your friends. I will show my - gratitude as well as I can, by saying handsome things of you to the - saints and angels before you come. Best regards to all with you. - - J. P. C. - -'Mac' stuck to him like a leech to the end. 'As he walked through the -grounds of his country seat with Mr. McNally,' writes Curran's son, 'he -spoke of the impending event with tranquillity and resignation:-- - - I melt (said he) and am not - Of stronger earth than others. - -'"_I wish it was all over._"'[512] - -'Curran's will, which I have in the house,' writes his daughter-in-law, -'is dated September 14th, 1816, and the codicil the 5th September, -1817; it bears the signatures (as witnesses) of Richard Lonergan and -Leonard McNally. Lonergan was editor of 'Carrick's Morning Post,' a -popular organ. The first of a series of papers on the Dublin Theatre, -signed 'L. M. N.,' appears in this journal of December 16, 1817:-- - - A moral, well-acted play [he writes] is of more real benefit to - Society at large than all the inflated harangues of puritanical - declaimers. To men of letters the drama affords a most delightful - recreation, after their understandings have been absorbed in - perplexities, or their intellectual powers strained by continued - study. - - O what a tangled web we weave - When first we practise to deceive. - - -The elder Farran began his career in Dublin, and McNally's criticism -helped to make it a success. Mrs. Edwin, Miss Walstein, Fullam, -Williams, Young, all were cleverly reviewed. It was not necessary, he -said, for a tragedian to roar like a lion, or for a comedian to grin -as through a horse-collar. Two letters signed 'L. M. N.' espouse the -part of Mrs. Edwin, who had met with some unkindness. The concluding -sentence is characteristic: 'Allow me, madam, to inform you, that while -I continue your Panegyrist, you shall never know me. All old men are -more or less eccentric. I have my whims, and one of them is a dislike -to being thanked for doing what I think to be my duty.' - -Friendly relations were established between the popular journalist and -his contributor, but at last they seem a little strained. The paper got -into trouble with a very formidable enemy to popular principles, Jack -Giffard, known as the 'Dog in Office.' The officiousness of McNally, if -he had no deeper design, is shown by Lonergan in a hurried leader of -September 17, 1818--the italics are his:-- - - MR. JOHN GIFFARD _versus_ THE 'MORNING POST.' - - We did not and could not anticipate that an attempt would be made - to induce the Recorder to fix on a day for the trial, so early as - Thursday (this day!). Now, it is certainly not our intention that - one hour's unnecessary delay should take place on the part of the - proprietor of this paper, in meeting the Corporators face to face - in Court, or elsewhere. It was, however, extraordinary, that a day - so very early should be sought for, and that the motion should be - made at a time when we could have no notice of even the Bills being - found! This prosecution, in other respects _unique_, is equally - unprecedented, we believe, in this _extreme_ anxiety to hurry - the business forward. The Recorder did not countenance this very - suspicious haste. Like an upright judge, he guarded the interests - of the absent. - - He said it was of little consequence whether a day was fixed or - not, as he supposed the case would be put off until next sessions. - - Mr. M‘Nally--'I understand, My Lord, they do not intend to traverse - in _prox_. _Suppose your Lordship says Thursday next._' - - Recorder--'No, Mr. M‘Nally. _I cannot fix a day for the trial - of an indictment only just found; especially as there is not any - reason, that I can perceive, for such haste._' - - We have made this extract from one of the newspapers. If it be - correct, may we ask Mr. M‘Nally _who instructed him to speak for - us_? We had no counsel or agent present--how then could the worthy - gentleman, with all his shrewdness and sagacity, _understand_ what - was our intention? Mr. M‘Nally, finding that nobody present was - authorised to speak in our behalf, as _amicus curiæ_, we suppose, - states to the Court our intention; but how Mr. M‘Nally discovered - that intention, it puzzles us to find out, for Mr. M‘Nally, with - all his legal knowledge and abilities, is no conjuror. We wait then - to hear from this gentleman by what authority, he, employed on the - other side, in the absence of counsel or agent for the proprietor - of this paper, did undertake to state to the Recorder what were our - intentions? We think the conduct of Mr. M‘Nally, in this instance, - of a piece with the rest of this curious proceeding. - -Some legal proceedings are reported by the Dublin papers of September -18, 1818, as having been instituted by the histrions of Crow Street -Theatre for the recovery of their salaries. McNally's swaggering -pretensions to pose as an honourable man are amusingly marked. He was -counsel for the lessee, Frederick W. Jones. - - Mr. MacNally--Now, Sir, you suppose your profession to be a very - honourable and gentlemanlike employment--equally respectable with - my own as a barrister. Now, Sir, let me ask you, are you not a - servant? - - Mr. Gladstone--Most certainly. I consider myself the servant of - Mr. Jones and the public. But there is higher authority than mine, - for the Lord Chancellor of England declared, at an investigation - of the affairs of Drury-lane Theatre, that all the performers were - servants, and must be paid before any other creditor. - - The Lord Mayor instantly ordered Mr. Gladstone his money. - -The last important case in which McNally figured was that of the Wild -Goose Lodge murderers at Dundalk. This case, highly tragic in its -nature, has been invested with thrilling interest by the powerful pen -of Carleton. - -'From grave to gay' marked his course on circuit. A glimpse of the -'chaff' which followed McNally at mess is shown by Charles Phillips. - - It was a common practice with the juniors to play upon his vanity - by inducing him to enumerate the vast sums he made by 'Robin - Hood.' The wicked process was thus. They first got him to fix the - aggregate amount; and then, luring him into details, he invariably, - by third nights and copyright, quintupled the original. Woe to - the wight, however, luckless enough to have been detected in this - waggery. He was ready with his pistol. - -Phillips also describes 'Mac' as ever varying in his account of how he -lost his thumbs, and that one night, tired and perplexed by repeated -questioning on the point,[513] he at last exclaimed, 'I don't know how -I lost them!' It seems to me that 'Mac' was too cool and cunning to -trip. Phillips, as a most distinguished co-operator with the Catholic -Board, was a man worth McNally's while to 'draw'; and the hoary-headed -'father,' in encouraging the juniors' chaff, probably feigned features -which he did not possess. We have seen how resolutely incredulous -Phillips stood when the spy's real character was first impugned. -Phillips is remembered by the English bar as a very cunning man. But as -regards McNally's treachery he died unconvinced. The man whose seeming -simplicity he loved to chaff was of deeper acumen. The 'Metropolis,' a -review of the Bar, printed in 1805, indicated among McNally's gifts-- - - With all he saw or learned his memory fraught - Acute perception of his neighbour's thought. - -Phillips seemed to pity the awkward simplicity of his venerable friend; -but it was clearly McNally's game at times to pose as a 'butt,' and -Charles adds no more than the truth in saying, 'his eyes and voice -pierced you through like arrows.' - -'Howell' should be consulted by those who care to trace the forensic -career of McNally-- - - 'L' stands for Lysaght, who loves a good joke; - 'M' for MacNally, who lives by the rope! - -sings 'the Alphabet of the Bar.' But it is McNally's speeches as a -democratic orator, delivered on all great national occasions, in which -he appears to best dramatic effect. - -The mission of General d'Evereux to Ireland, with the object of raising -troops for Bolivar--the South American patriot--took place in 1819, -and with it is involved McNally's last important acts of espionage. A -military passion had seized on the popular mind. For many weeks the -streets of Dublin, gay with plumage, reminded one of Paris during the -Napoleonic fever. The city swarmed with stalwart, ruddy youths, clad in -uniforms of green and gold, their swords clanking at every step. Levées -were held by D'Evereux with all the pomp of a court; public banquets -sought to do him honour. At first these things caused alarm at Dublin -Castle; but, finally, it was decided that the statute which forbade -foreign enlistment might be suffered to lie dormant: after all, the -opportunity was not a bad one to rid the land of those military spirits -whose presence could never conduce to its repose. In this connection -Dr. Scallan has something to say:-- - - The badge of the United Irishmen worn by Lord Edward Fitzgerald, - and taken from his remains when he lay dead in Newgate, was given - by Leonard McNally to General d'Evereux, who recruited a number - of Irishmen and drilled them, and formed a regiment with which he - sailed to Venezuela, and there attacked the Spaniards and drove - them from the country and freed the Venezuelans from the Spanish - yoke, which had grown into an intolerable tyranny. The badge has - attached to it a paper on which is the following inscription:-- - - 'From Leonard MacNally, Barrister at-law, to General d'Evereux of - the Irish Legion, raised by him for emancipating the oppressed - inhabitants of South America, and punishing their Tyrants. 20 July, - 1819.' - - This presentation would appear to be one of the, no doubt, many - acts of McNally done for the purpose of concealing his perfidy and - gaining his ends. - - My father-in-law, Laurence Esmonde White, of Scarnagh, exerted - himself very much in assisting to procure men and officers for - the Legion; and very successfully, as he had much influence with - the people of the County Wexford, in which he always resided, and - where his family had extensive estates. General D'Evereux gave him - several tokens of his gratitude, of which the badge of Lord Edward - was one. He also gave him a deed of gift, witnessed by his military - secretary, of 200,000 acres of land in Venezuela. Which deed I - have; but no one went there to take possession of the land, and it - would seem to be lost through neglect. An old friend of mine (now - deceased) who travelled much in that country, told me that the land - was worth at least 50,000_l._ - - I never could understand how the badge could have got into the - possession of McNally, until his perfidy was revealed by Mr. - Fitzpatrick. Then all was made clear. He, no doubt, obtained the - badge from his paymasters in order that he might use it as he - did.[514] - -During the passage from Dublin to Venezuela dissensions arose among -the officers, and some came back complaining that they had been misled -in the business. D'Evereux returned to justify his conduct, and a -committee, consisting of Lord Cloncurry, with Counsellors Curran, -McNally and Phillips, was appointed to inquire and report. - -In 1820 Ireland lost her Grattan.[515] The man who had long shadowed -him vanished at the same time. Catholics may care to know, though they -will hardly attach much importance to the accession, that Leonard -McNally, 'after life's fitful fever,' sank into the bosom of Rome. -Father Smith, of Townsend Street Chapel, on February 13, 1820, gave -him the last rites. This priest, having got word that 'the Counsellor' -wished to see him, went to his house in Harcourt Street, where Mrs. -McNally informed him that her husband was then asleep, and must not be -disturbed. McNally's son, who happened to be coming down stairs at the -moment, reproved his step-mother for the indisposition she evinced to -admit the clergyman, adding, 'Can't you let him go to the devil his own -way?'[516] He then conducted the priest to the sick man's room. Father -Smith put on his stole, and heard muttered from the parched lips of -Leonard McNally a general confession, embracing the frailties of his -youth and the sins of his manhood. Contrition was manifested, and the -priest gave him absolution.[517] Within an hour McNally was dead. In -life he had been no coward, but the death-bed was no place to show old -instincts. His funeral _cortège_ wended its way to the old graveyard -of Donnybrook, where his bones now lie, near those of Dr. Madden, the -historian of the 'United Irishmen.' - -McNally had married Miss Janson, the heroine of his famous lyric, -'Sweet lass of Richmond Hill;' but it was his second wife, _née_ -Edgeworth, who appeared to Father Smith. The son had acquired a rough -reputation, and having been once robbed near Rathcoole, his father -asked Parsons, 'Did you hear of my son's robbery?' and received for -reply, 'No, whom did he rob?' This son died in 1869, leaving no -representative.[518] - -An action was brought by old McNally's administrator regarding the -house in which he died. 'I was present at the trial,' writes 'Rebellion -Smyth,' an aged correspondent. 'Judge Burton gave McNally a high -character for legal learning and worldly simplicity. "In the affairs -of the world" said Burton, "he was as simple as a child."'[519] The -eminent judge for once was mistaken. - -Grattan's name has been mentioned by McNally as privy to the plans of -1798. What truth may be in the assertion that Grattan would join in an -appeal to arms is a point which may never be fully determined. It is -certain that in 1782 he would not have hesitated to employ physical -force. His friend Mr.--afterwards Justice--Day records of him that -'Grattan was resolved to assist, even by arms, if driven to it, the -liberties of Ireland.'[520] - - Neither Grattan[521] nor Curran were United Irishmen [writes - Macnevin shortly before his death]. It was known in the event of - success Grattan would have accepted an important appointment in the - new Government; but Curran was continually consulted by them, knew - everything that was going on, and his whole heart was in the cause. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[427] Vide _Notes and Queries_, October 8, 1859. - -[428] _Curran and his Contemporaries._ - -[429] _Life of Curran_, by his Son, i. 384. - -[430] McNally had spoken against time for an hour and three-quarters, -as he states in an autograph note. This has been enlarged into 'three -hours and a half' by Dr. Shelton Mackenzie in his _Life of Curran_, p. -228, while professing to quote from McNally's note as given by Thomas -Davis in _Curran's Speeches_, p. 365. - -[431] _Life of Curran_, v. i. 397. - -[432] From Curran's lines, 'The green spot that blooms on the desert of -life.' - -[433] _The Freeman's Journal_, October 13, 1817. - -[434] _Curran and his Contemporaries_, p. 376. (Blackwood, 1850.) - -[435] _Cornwallis Papers_, iii. 320. - -[436] Sirr Papers, MS., Library, Trinity College, Dublin. - -[437] Secret Aid. 75_l._ would be a quarter's pay. - -[438] Cornwallis, ii. 350. - -[439] This letter, signed 'J. W.', speaks of Father Quigley, dressed _à -la militaire_. The _Cyclopædian Magazine_ for 1808 says that McNally -had lived at Bordeaux, and spoke French well (p. 537). The proceedings -of the Whig Club are reported. McNally was a member of this club. - -[440] Halliday Collection, Royal Irish Academy, vol. 613. - -[441] MS. now in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy. - -[442] The attorney for the Ulster United Irishmen (see _ante_, p. 36). - -[443] _Cornwallis Papers_, iii. 320. See Appendix to present work for -some account of Mr. John Pollock, who first succeeded in seducing the -once staunch patriot. - -[444] Lecky, vii. 139. - -[445] Lecky's _England_, vii. 140. (Longmans, 1890.) - -[446] _The Grand Juries of Westmeath, from 1727 to 1853_, by J. C. -Lyons, p. 200. - -[447] Madden, iii. 37. - -[448] This letter reports an early meeting of the rebel conclave, and -is dated March 30, 1792. (MSS., Dublin Castle.) - -[449] _Life of Curran_, by his Son. - -[450] For a notice of James Tandy, afterwards stipendiary magistrate -for Meath, see Appendix. - -[451] Lecky, vii. 141. - -[452] Dr. Madden assigns Conner's death to the year 1796, but McNally's -report is dated September 17, 1795. - -[453] Moore's _Journal, &c._, vii. 75. Edited by Lord John Russell. - -[454] _Cyclopædian Magazine_, 1808, p. 539. A sensational and detailed -account of the rescue, evidently supplied by McNally, is culled from a -contemporary newspaper, and, in response to the present writer, appears -in _Notes and Queries_, of May 19, 1860, p 293. - -[455] _Recollections of John O'Keefe_, ii. 45. - -[456] McNally's name is amusingly mentioned by the _Saturday Review_ -(lxvi. 516) in a paper on the 'Immortals of 1788.' - -[457] Mr. Lecky thinks that, had not McNally become a spy, he might -have risen to the judgment seat. This, with the testimony of Phillips -and Staunton before us, is doubtful: but I am bound to say that many -contemporary Irish judges were bad lawyers, who owed their promotion -solely to political claims. Higgins does not seem to have known that -McNally was also a spy. He often reports him to Cooke: 'Counsellor -McNally told me this night at Parisoll's, that Government had offered -a sinecure employment, which he rejected. I offered to hold him 100 -guineas that his services were never sought for, which completely put -him down.'--Francis Higgins to Cooke, November 18, 1797. MSS. Dublin -Castle. - -[458] _Sketches of Irish Political Characters_, 1799. - -[459] _Personal Memoirs._ - -[460] This passage has been culled by Mr. Lecky. - -[461] Sermon on Concealment of Sin. - -[462] J. W. to Cooke, June 5, 1798. - -[463] Lecky, vii. 142, 401. - -[464] All these men, Keogh alone excepted, though never brought to -trial, underwent a prolonged term of imprisonment. Keogh was the highly -influential leader of the Catholics, and the Crown, probably, wished to -make an exception in his favour. - -[465] Lecky, vii. 55. - -[466] _Ibid._ p. 337. - -[467] See O'Connor's letter (_United Irishmen_, ii. 234), saying that -in 1797 he expressed abhorrence of the Union _Star_, which had urged -assassination; whereupon Cox, its editor, instantly discontinued it. -Then, as regards Macnevin and Lord Edward, they are described by -Reinhard as 'of the moderate party.' See the _Castlereagh Papers_, i. -283. - -[468] Lecky, p. 423. - -[469] _Ibid._ p. 331. - -[470] _Ibid._ p. 462. - -[471] Plowden's _Historic Review_, ii. 537. - -[472] Berwick to Grattan. See _Life of Grattan_, vol. v. - -[473] 'Trials, if they must so be called, were carried on without -number, under martial law. It often happened that three officers -composed the court, and that, of the three, two were under age, and -the third an officer of the yeomanry or militia, who had sworn, in -his Orange lodge, eternal hatred to the people over whom he was thus -constituted a judge. Floggings, picketings, death, were the usual -sentences, and these were sometimes commuted into banishment, serving -in the fleet, or transference to a foreign service. Many were sold -at so much per head to the Prussians. Other less legal, but not more -horrible, outrages were daily committed by the different corps under -the command of Government. The subsequent Indemnity Acts deprived -of redress the victims of this widespread cruelty.'--Lord Holland's -_Memoirs of the Whig Party_. - -[474] This despatch is dated merely 'Tuesday, 25th'; but a second on -the same subject bears 'April 27, 1798.' (MSS. Dublin Castle.) - -[475] In 1810, Sir William Stamer, who seized John Keogh's papers in -1803, gave a masquerade. McNally went as Æsop, but scorned to wear a -mask. Huband, whom he often reports, went as Pan; Dogherty, afterwards -Chief Justice, as Jeremy Diddler; Wolfe, afterwards Chief Baron, as -a hair-dresser; Sir Jonah Barrington as a friar; and 'Doctor Turner' -(no doubt Samuel, LL.D.), as Punch. For a full account, see _Hibernian -Magazine_ for 1810, p. 125. - -[476] Lecky's _History of England_, vii. 142. - -[477] _The Metropolis_ (Dublin, 1806), p. 43, second edition. - -[478] McNally always describes himself, in his secret letters, as 'my -friend.' - -[479] Spy as he was, McNally trembled throughout the troubles, and is -not likely to have delivered the defiant reply which he claims to have -done. On May 24, 1798, he describes his family as 'all females--all -live in terror.' He has moved them a short way from Dublin. He hopes -that Cooke's interest will prevent the impending evil of free quarters -on his house. It was astutely felt at Dublin Castle, however, that the -more McNally seemed to suffer persecution for justice sake, the more -freely would popular confidence be reposed in him. On June 27, 1798, he -writes to Cooke, bitterly complaining that his house had been attacked -by soldiers, who refused to respect Castlereagh's protection.' - -[480] _Life of Curran_, by his Son, ii. 148-9. Compare Lecky, viii. 24, -where MacNally seems humanely to lament the theft by soldiers, from a -Dublin barrister, of a stand inscribed 'Erin go bragh.' - -[481] J. W. (secret), September 19, 1800. - -[482] Wickham seems to allude to this fact in the _Colchester -Correspondence_, i. 456. - -[483] Mr. Ross, in his preface to the _Cornwallis Papers_, states that -Wickham's papers are destroyed. His grandson tells me that the papers -are safely in his possession. - -[484] Now the cemetery at Harold's Cross, Dublin. - -[485] Madden's _United Irishmen_, iii. 330. - -[486] J. W. to Mr. Secretary Cooke: endorsed 'November 1797.' McNally -adds, of a subsequent Whig Lord Chancellor, on whom he had his eye: -'Geo. Ponsonby is not of the private meetings at Grattan's or Curran's.' - -[487] _Life of Curran_, by his Son, ii. 385. - -[488] The same manuscript further records, under the respective dates, -March 16, 1803, and November 26, 1803, two sums of 100_l._ each, paid -to 'J. W.' - -[489] Mr. W. B. Kelly, who held the copyright of a book of mine called -_The Sham Squire_, got it reprinted in Edinburgh many years ago. I had -no opportunity for revising the proofs, and I am anxious to correct -the strange misprint at p. 250, of '1,000_l._' instead of '100_l._' -to McNally. The original edition, at the same page, states the amount -correctly. - -[490] Camden to Portland, December 2, 1797. - -[491] Most of McNally's letters are endorsed by Cooke. This is marked -by Pelham, 'November 8, 1797.' - -[492] McNally himself. - -[493] Cloncurry did not see Ireland again until his liberation from the -Tower. The object of his mission to England was mere surmise. Pelham -assumes that he carried a despatch to the French Republic (Froude, -iii. 287); but Cloncurry, ignorant of the above letters, tells his law -adviser: 'No papers on politics were found on me, for I never had such' -(_Memoirs_, p. 138). Previously, he casually mentions that his father -'insisted upon my going to London to keep my terms at the Temple, which -I accordingly did _in November_, 1797,' the very date of McNally's -letter. (_Memoirs of Lord Cloncurry_, p. 57.) - -[494] Endorsed, 'M. secret. November.' - -[495] _Personal Recollections of Lord Cloncurry_, p. 219. - -[496] Not one of McNally's letters is dated beyond the day of the week; -but many have a correct date endorsed. Some conjectural dates, supplied -in late years by an official pencil, are often wrong. - -[497] In 1807-8 he appears as a defendant in several judgments 'marked' -by the King's Bench. To Benjamin Bradley, 38_l._ 4_s._ 9_d._; to -Thomas Shaw, 56_l._; to the administrators of Hatch, and others; and -the search, if continued, would show the same results in after years. -Curran frequently accommodated him, as well as William Godwin and -others. - -[498] _Wellington Correspondence (Ireland)_, p. 192. - -[499] _Wellington Correspondence (Ireland)_, pp. 99-100. - -[500] Ireland, 1810, August to December, No. 648, State Paper Office. - -[501] _History of Ireland since the Union_, by Francis Plowden, iii. -896. - -[502] The late Michael Staunton to W. J. F. - -[503] Ireland, 1811, January to June, No. 652. Peter Finnerty, who, in -1798, had been pilloried as editor of the _Press_, was now (1811) in -Lincoln Gaol for a libel on Lord Castlereagh. - -[504] Mr. Lecky thinks that, so early as 1795, McNally reported to the -Government a secret conference of Curran and Grattan. _Hist._ vii. 145. - -[505] _Life of Curran_, i. 147. - -[506] These papers are exclusively quoted in the _Correspondence of -Daniel O'Connell_ (edited by W. J. F.), ii. 420. - -[507] For details, see _Ireland before the Union_, p. 8. (Dublin: -Duffy.) - -[508] _The Correspondent_, November 4, 1817. - -[509] Letter of Mrs. John Philpot Curran, dated 'The Priory, -Rathfarnham, September 14, 1872.' - -[510] John Egan, a member of the Irish Parliament, lost a judicial -office he held by voting against the Union, and died in poverty. A -staunch patriot to the end, he belonged to the set which numbered -Curran and McNally. Curran's first acquaintance with him was in an -affair of honour. Egan, a large man, complained of the great advantage -which Curran's diminutive figure gave him. 'I scorn to take any -advantage of you, whatever,' replied Curran. 'Let my size be chalked -out on your side, and I am quite content that every shot which hits -outside that mark should go for nothing.' - -[511] It is a question whether 'Mac,' in society, drank as much as he -may have pretended to do. See _ante_, p. 185. - -[512] _Life of Curran_, 1820, ii. 380. Italics in original. - -[513] He seems not to have been so badly maimed as he gave Phillips to -believe. John P. Prendergast, a nonagenarian, remembers McNally saying -at the Trim Assizes in 1817, 'I have a finger and thumb to tweak the -nose of any man who dares to question my acts.' Luckily the present -writer did not live in those days. How one thumb went, see p. 177. - -[514] Letter of J. J. Scallan, Esq., M.D., to the author. Black Rock, -April 23, 1890. The Doctor may not be quite right in his assumption. - -[515] Mr. Lecky says that 'McNally had specially good opportunities of -learning the sentiments of Grattan' (vii. 281). Grattan died May 14; -McNally on February 13. - -[516] Rev. John Kearney, P.P., St. Catherine's, to the author, February -10, 1860. - -[517] McNally and Father Smith seem to have been old chums. So far -back as 1805, 'J. W.' writes, in one of his undated letters: 'Smith, -the priest whom I have before mentioned, informed me last night that a -person arrived here from France within these few days. The intelligence -he brings is an assurance of a Descent by the French, and that the -Fleet is now in the Atlantic with this object. I do not give credence -to his Information. I found it impossible to extract particulars or -names, but I am to see him to-morrow (Sunday).' - -Smith, suspecting McNally to be a spy, is likely to have charged his -news with sensationalism, and 'Mac,' no doubt, found him useful as -a scout. That he was an open-mouthed gossiping man, his account of -his very solemn mission to the death-bed of the spy shows. He never -received promotion, and in the end became so deaf that when officiating -in his confessional he always reiterated audibly the character of -the sin disclosed, so as to be sure he heard it correctly, and the -result was very painful embarrassment to such neighbouring worshippers -as could not fail to become _en rapport_ with the conscience of the -penitent. Compare _Wellington Correspondence (Ireland)_, pp. 192-3, -and the 'Information of a Priest regarding threatened Invasion.' - -[518] Lyons, in his _Grand Juries of Westmeath_, records, -deprecatingly, that Leonard McNally's people were engaged in trade; -but, according to their tombstone at Donnybrook, they once owned the -castle and lands of Rahobeth. Like other Irish gentry of the proscribed -faith, they sank during penal times, and the name of Leonard McNally -is found in the official list of 'Papists' who 'conformed' early in -the reign of George III. How this came about is traceable in Sheil's -notice of McNally in 1820: 'His grandfather made a very considerable -personal property, which he laid out in building in Dublin; but having -taken leases liable to the discovery of this property, in consequence -of a bill under the popish laws, he was stripped of it. His father died -when he was an infant, at which time the bill of discovery was filed, -and little attention was paid to his education.' The 'will of Leonard -McNally, Dublin, merchant,' who died in 1756, is preserved at the -Record Office. - -[519] William Smith, B.L., died at Torquay, April 29, 1876. - -[520] See _Life of Grattan_, by his Son, ii. 272. - -[521] One of the more voluminous of the secret reports signed 'J. W.' -is dated March 24, 1797, and details twenty-three propositions of a -plan, through which the United Irishmen were to act with Grattan. The -proceedings took place at a meeting at Chambers's, one of the Rebel -Directory. (MSS. Dublin Castle.) - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -FATHER ARTHUR O'LEARY - - -Dr. Madden, in a well-known work of considerable authority, singles out -three divines as examples of noble qualities: _i.e._ 'the Right Rev. -Dr. Doyle, the Rev. Arthur O'Leary, and Archbishop Murray.'[522] - -Several years ago an influential journalist posted at Melbourne the -following letter. He was the mouthpiece of many. It is rather late -to answer his question publicly; but, in truth, the subject was not -an inviting one to touch, especially as, not having studied it, I -felt unable to reply in a way which would be deemed satisfactory by -the querist. On the other hand, the application having come from the -antipodes, I am encouraged to think that the subject possesses an -interest not confined to a hemisphere. 'No one was more generally loved -and revered than Father O'Leary,' writes Charles Butler. Yelverton, -speaking in the Irish Parliament, said: 'Unattached to this world's -affairs, Father O'Leary can have none but the purest motives of -rendering service to the cause of morality and his country.' He was the -subject of a grand panegyric from the pulpit. Two biographies of him -have been written by anointed hands. Idolised while living, his memory -was cherished by thousands. His name wore a halo! Now, according to -recent commentators, it seems not free from that light which floats -over unhealthy places. Let it not be denied that at different times -O'Leary did good work for his creed and country. As a religionist he -continued true to the end; but if we accept the high testimony of -Froude and Lecky, the same cannot be said of him as a patriot and a -gentleman. - - 38, William Street, Melbourne, December 1, 1875. - - Sir,--Knowing you from your published writings to be intimately - acquainted with the secret political history of Ireland at the - close of the last century, I venture to trespass on your courtesy, - with a query relative to a celebrated character of those times, - whose name, long gratefully and affectionately remembered by his - countrymen, must in future, if the statements of a recent historian - are deserving of any credit, be associated only with the names of - the wretches whom, in the pages of 'The Sham Squire' and 'Ireland - before the Union,' you have held up to the scorn of posterity! - - I allude to the famous 'Father O'Leary,' who, according to Mr. - Froude, was a spy of Pitt's, systematically employed in betraying - the secrets which his sacred calling and influence as a trusted - patriot enabled him to become possessed of; and, with unparalleled - audacity and baseness, publicly receiving the encomiums of his most - distinguished contemporaries, such men as Grattan and Curran, for - virtues which he only assumed, and for talents which he so basely - prostituted! Is it possible that this man could have played such an - odious part? Do you consider, sir, that the evidence produced by - Mr. Froude in support of so terrible an accusation is sufficiently - conclusive; or, has that sensational writer in this, as perhaps in - other instances, accommodated his facts to his theories?[523] With - tantalising reticence Mr. Froude gives only a few meagre lines from - the correspondence in which he claims to have found the proofs of - O'Leary's guilt. The subject has been much discussed in Australia, - as no doubt it has in every country in which Irishmen are to be - found. You have yourself, in one of your ...[524] volumes, referred - to a mysterious connection between O'Leary and William Pitt. Was it - an honourable, or an infamous one? - - May I ask you to favour me with your opinion upon it, judged by the - light of Mr. Froude's revelations? By kindly complying with my - request, you will oblige many anxious inquirers at the 'Antipodes.' - - I am, Sir, etc., - MORGAN MCMAHON. - - W. J. Fitzpatrick, Esq. - - -I may at once say that, although evidence exists of O'Leary's frailty, -it is not sufficient to warrant, in all details, the very sensational -picture drawn by Mr. McMahon. - -People always knew that O'Leary became entitled to a pension, though -how he acquired it was not so clear. Perhaps it is only fair to give -him the benefit of the version which his intimate friend, Francis -Plowden, placed on record eighty years ago.[525] His information was, -doubtless, derived from O'Leary himself; but O'Leary seems to have told -him no more than it was convenient to reveal:-- - - O'Leary's writings on toleration had removed from the minds of many - Catholics the difficulties which up to that time prevented them - from swearing allegiance to the House of Hanover, and abjuring - the House of Stuart. That Rev. Divine so happily blended a vein - of liberality and original humour with orthodox instruction, that - his writings became popular even with Protestants, and induced so - much toleration and cordiality between them and the Catholics, that - created a serious alarm in those who studied to perpetuate their - division and consequent weakness. With much art they endeavoured - to stop the progress of this terrifying liberality and harmony - among Irishmen of different religious professions. The Rev. Arthur - O'Leary was thanked by the British minister for the services he - had rendered to the State, by frightening away the bugbear of - Jacobitism, and securing the allegiance of the whole Catholic - body to the House of Hanover. A pension of 200_l._ was granted to - him for his life in the name of a trustee, but upon the secret - condition that he should for the future withhold his pen, and - reside no more in Ireland,--in such dread was holden an evangeliser - of tolerance and brotherhood in that country. Two or three payments - of this hush-money were made. Afterwards an arbitrary refusal for - many years threw the Rev. Pensioner upon the voluntary support - of his friends for subsistence. After a lapse of many years, by - importunity and solicitation, and repeated proofs of his having - complied with the secret conditions, he received a large arrear; - and, in order to make himself independent for the rest of his days, - he purchased with it an annuity for his life from a public office, - and died before the first quarter became due. - -It was, in fact, entirely by Plowden's intervention that the arrear -was paid. So we learn on the authority of the Rev. Thomas England, -who in 1822 brought out a life of O'Leary. Plowden was a friend of -Pitt's, and undertook to write a History of Ireland under the auspices -of that statesman. He had previously published in defence of the -British Constitution, and received in acknowledgment the D.C.L. of -Oxford. When writing eighty years ago of so popular and respected a -priest as O'Leary, Plowden--himself a Catholic--made his revelation -cautiously. It would now seem that some greater service was rendered -than the public service to which Plowden refers. It will be shown on -high contemporary authority that the object of the Castle in 1784 was -to divide the two great parties. This policy later on was boldly avowed -as _Divide et impera_.[526] The service, therefore, for which O'Leary -accepted secret pay cannot have been for promoting cordial co-operation -between Catholics and Protestants. - -Mr. Lecky, in the sixth volume of his 'History of England,' has brought -to light a letter, going far to establish the fact that in 1784 O'Leary -'consented, for money, to discharge an ignominious office for a -Government which despised and distrusted him.'[527] - -On studying O'Leary's public life there seems no doubt that the secret -pension of 100_l._ a year, which in 1784 he agreed to accept, was -merely supplemental to a larger subsidy previously enjoyed. How he -earned the first pension is now to be shown. - -A volume, 'Sketches of Irish Political Characters,' was published in -1799. The writer, Henry McDougall, commanded sources of information -which gave his book value. Speaking of O'Leary, he says (p. 264):-- - - During the most awful period of the American War, he addressed his - Catholic countrymen, upon the subject of what ought to be their - political conduct, in a manner that merited the thanks of every - good citizen, and for which, it has been said, Government rewarded - him with a pension; if so, never was a pension more deservedly - applied. - -McDougall doubtless refers to a publication of O'Leary's, largely -circulated and often reprinted, _i.e._ 'An Address to the Common People -of Ireland on occasion of an apprehended Invasion by the French and -Spaniards in July 1779,[528] when the united Fleets of Bourbon appeared -in the Channel.' On April 12, 1779, Spain had concluded an alliance -with France and America, whereupon Vergennes, the French Premier, -divulged to the Spanish minister, Blanca, that an invasion of Ireland -was meditated. To promote this design, an American agent was instructed -to foster the interests of the allies amongst the Presbyterians of -Ulster; while the task of winning over the Irish Catholics was to be -entrusted to Spanish agents. - -America was all but lost at this time, and England found herself in a -position of great difficulty. Ireland was drained of its garrison; the -people much discontented; the Catholic middle classes, grown rich by -commercial success, had established branches of their houses in France -and Spain. A letter of warning, which alarmed the Cabinet, and probably -led them to ask O'Leary's help, still exists. At the same time, -hurriedly and with a bad grace, they conceded a measure of Catholic -Relief. Lord Amherst, writing to Lord North from Geneva on June 19, -1778, says:-- - - I have acquired a piece of information here, concerning a plot - for a revolt in the West of Ireland among the Roman Catholics, - with a view to overturn the present Government, by the aid of the - French and Spaniards, and to establish such an one as prevails in - this country, I mean the Cantons, by granting toleration to the - Protestants.[529] You may depend on its authenticity. - -And again:-- - - My intelligence comes from Rome, and I am pretty certain these - Acts have been brought in from the ministry receiving the same - intelligence, which I know they have been in possession of for some - time; as the measures for preventing the mischief proposed by the - person who gives the information are exactly those that have been - adopted. - -O'Leary by his address aroused not only Catholic loyalty, but awakened -the apathy of many Protestants on whom the report of invasion had -previously made no impression. The Volunteers sprang into vitality, and -though they at first numbered merely 8,000, the force swelled ere the -year was out to 42,000 armed men, and without the cost of one shilling -to the Crown. Years after, the Government dreading, like Frankenstein, -the heaving mass it had helped to create, sought to suppress the -Irish Volunteers; but in 1778 their feeling was very different, when -O'Leary's inspiring address fanned the spirit of volunteering, and -conduced to preserve the country. It was then that Lord Buckinghamshire -officially declared that Ireland was prepared to offer a determined -resistance to invasion. - -A link or two of the heavy penal chain had now been struck from -Papist limbs. The relaxation, however, was hampered with a new test -oath, drawn up in terms even more subtle than that which, when handed -to O'Connell fifty years later in Parliament, he withdrew rather -than take. Dr. Carpenter[530] ruled the R. C. see of Dublin at this -time. His flock embraced a considerable number who, from timidity -of conscience, expressed doubts as to the propriety of taking the -oath. Dr. Carpenter, though himself no great friend to the temporal -power of the Pope, felt that to deny on oath a power already claimed -by some famous theologians would seem rash and arrogant. Bishop de -Burgo, author of the 'Hibernia Dominicana,' opposed the oath in terms -still stronger; lay orators described as a poisoned cup the proffered -measure of Catholic relief. Again O'Leary came to the front. A pamphlet -of eighty-six pages was thrown on the country, entitled, 'Loyalty -asserted, or a Vindication of the new Test Oath of Allegiance, with -an impartial inquiry into the Pope's Temporal Power [a strong attack -upon it] and the claims of the Stewarts to the English Throne: proving -that both are equally groundless.' O'Leary examined the oath sentence -by sentence, and with logical precision showed its conformity to -Catholic teaching. 'The work was widely circulated,' writes Father -England, the first biographer of O'Leary, and called forth as well the -acknowledgments of the friends of the Government as the warm gratitude -of his Catholic fellow-countrymen. In November 1778 we read that the -Catholic Archbishop Carpenter, at the head of seventy of his clergy, -and several hundred Catholic laymen, attended at the Court of King's -Bench in Dublin and took the oath prescribed.[531] - -The dreaded invasion never took place; but O'Leary's address was -scattered broadcast, and during subsequent years it reappeared again -and again. It reads more like the argument of a paid advocate than the -disinterested appeal of a poor Franciscan. - -All this--not to speak of O'Leary's tracts on Toleration, and his -exertions, written and oral, to deter the Whiteboys from their -conspiracies--furnishes sufficient claim to a pension, without assuming -that it must have been earned in the dark field of espionage. However, -we now approach the time when overtures to discharge an ignominious -task were undoubtedly made to him. - -On August 26, 1784, the Viceroy, Rutland, addressed a '_most secret_' -letter to Pitt's brother-in-law, Lord Sydney:-- - - I have discovered a channel by which I hope to get to the bottom - of all the plots and machinations which are contriving in this - metropolis. As I always expected, the disturbances which have been - agitated have all derived their source from French influence. There - is a meeting in which two men named Napper Tandy and John Binney, - together with others who style themselves free citizens, assemble. - They drink the French King on their knees, and their declared - purpose is a separation from England and the establishment of the - Roman Catholic religion. At their meetings an avowed French agent - constantly attends, who is no other than the person in whose favour - the French ambassador desired Lord Caermarthen to write to me a - formal introduction....[532] One of this meeting, alarmed at the - dangerous extent of their schemes, has confessed, and has engaged - to discover to me the whole intentions of this profligate and - unprincipled combination.[533] - -This is a glowing picture, one more than realising the beautiful vision -of Davis:-- - - The mess tent is full, and the glasses are set, - And the gallant Count Thomond is president yet. - The vet'ran arose, like an uplifted lance, - Crying: 'Comrades a health to the monarch of France!' - With bumpers and cheers they have done as he bade, - For King Louis is loved by the Irish Brigade. - -The first mention of O'Leary's name in the State Papers is under date -September 4, 1784, when Sydney writes to the Lord-Lieutenant:--'O'Leary -has been talked to by Mr. Nepean, and he is willing to undertake what -is wished for 100_l._ a year, which has been granted him.' - - On Sept. 8th [writes Mr. Lecky] Orde thanks Nepean for sending over - a spy, or detective, named Parker, and adds: I am very glad also - that you have settled matters with O'Leary, who can get at the - bottom of all secrets in which the Catholics are concerned, and - they are certainly the chief promoters of our present disquietude. - He must, however, be cautiously trusted, _for he is a Priest_, and - if not too much addicted to the general vice of his brethren here, - he is at least well acquainted with the art of raising alarms for - the purpose of claiming a merit in doing them away.[534] - -Thus, as it would seem, O'Leary had already not been slow in claiming -from the Government the merit, if not the wages, of allaying the causes -of public alarm. Plowden and England admit that O'Leary had a pension -of 200_l._ a year. He must have been in receipt of at least 100_l._ for -his writings at the time that, for an extra hundred, it was proposed -to him to undertake a base task. The promptitude and facility with -which Sydney, in September 1784, made the proposition shows the close -relations that had previously subsisted. - -A curious letter from Weymouth, a previous Home Secretary, addressed -to Dublin Castle, is printed in Grattan's 'Life' (vol. i. p. 369). In -great panic he expresses fear that the Catholic colleges of France and -Flanders would despatch their _alumni_ as secret agents to Ireland. -These were among the reasons that made the Government anxious to secure -O'Leary's aid. - -Dr. England--his earliest biographer--lived comparatively near the -time, and heard from O'Leary's publisher, Keating, a few interesting -incidents which, to some extent, tally with the revelations of the -State Papers. The biographer knows of an interview between O'Leary and -Nepean on behalf of Sydney and Pitt, but England and his informant are -deceived as to the conditions which accompanied the pension. Their -memory is also at fault as regards the year. Instead of 1784, they set -it down as 'soon after O'Leary had fixed his residence permanently in -London,' which, of course, was in 1789. O'Leary had been a good deal -in London previously, for, as Froude states, Orde in 1784 asked Sydney -to send him over confidential agents, and in September 1784 he writes, -'your experts have arrived safe.'[535] - - Soon after he [O'Leary] had fixed his residence permanently in - London [writes Dr. England], one day whilst dining with his - attached and valued friend, Mr. Keating, the bookseller, he - was informed that Lord Sydney's secretary was in the adjoining - parlour, and had a communication to make to him. He immediately - left the table; and when, in a short time, he returned, he related - the substance of the interview. The secretary stated to him that - Government had observed with much satisfaction the good effects - which Mr. O'Leary's writings had produced in Ireland--peace, good - order, and unanimity, amongst all classes of his countrymen, - had been promoted and advanced by his exertions; and that, in - consideration of the services thus rendered to the Empire, it was - determined to manifest the approbation of such conduct by offering - him a pension suitable to his circumstances, and worthy of his - acceptance; that, with a delicacy arising from the ignorance of - his means of subsistence, they had as yet hesitated fixing on - any specific sum, choosing rather to learn from himself what - would answer his expectations, than to determine on what might be - insufficient for his claims. The secretary took the liberty of - asking a question to which, at the same time, he did not insist - on receiving an answer: whether, in the event of any popular - commotion in Ireland, as it was dreaded would be the case from the - diffusion of American republican notions, O'Leary would advocate, - as formerly, principles of loyalty and allegiance? To this latter - question an unhesitating reply was given, confirmatory of the - known inflexibility of O'Leary's political conduct; with regard - to the pension, he never had sought for one, though, at a former - period of his life, something of the kind had been hinted to him; - in the present instance he was grateful to the Government for the - recollection of him, and suggested that the utmost of his claims - would be answered by 100_l._ a year. He was afterwards informed - officially that his presence in Ireland was necessary for the - purpose of having the pension placed on the list of that country. - He repaired thither, and, after the necessary formalities were gone - through, he became entitled to 200_l._ per annum; but England adds - that, 'for some unexplained cause, his pension, after one or two - years, was arbitrarily withheld.'[536] - -It will be seen that the point here made is not consistent with -Plowden's account (_ante_, p. 213). According to him, the pension was -'hush-money:' he was to write no more, and, above all, he was not to -write in promotion of good feeling and toleration. England upholds -that it was given in the hope that O'Leary would continue to write in -the same tone that had already earned Governmental gratitude. Sydney -settled terms with O'Leary in London, and, through his secretary, told -him what to do. - -'Cedars have yielded,' says St. Peter. It was a clever thought to plan -the corruption of O'Leary for the performance of a part which his -employers describe with gusto. Two years previously, on February 27, -1782, popular confidence in him had reached its height when Yelverton, -Grattan, and Sir Lucius O'Brien praised him with enthusiasm. - - A man of learning, a philosopher, a Franciscan [said Grattan] did - the most eminent service to his country in the hour of its greatest - danger. He brought out a publication that would do honour to the - most celebrated name. The whole kingdom must bear witness to its - effect by the reception they gave it. Poor in everything but genius - and philosophy, he had no property at stake, no family to fear for; - but descending from the contemplation of wisdom, and abandoning the - ornaments of fancy, he humanely undertook the task of conveying - duty and instruction to the lowest class of the people.[537] - -How he qualified for these praises Mr. Froude may now be allowed to -show. After O'Leary arrived in Dublin he saw Orde, and was told what -the Government expected him to do. The following letter is dated -September 23, 1784:-- - - Your experts have arrived safe [wrote the Secretary, reporting - their appearance]. At this moment we are about to make trial of - O'Leary's sermons,[538] and Parker's rhapsodies. They may be both - in their different callings of very great use. The former, if we - can depend on him, has it in his power to discover to us the real - designs of the Catholics, from which quarter, after all, the real - mischief is to spring. The other can scrape an acquaintance with - the great leaders of sedition, particularly Napper Tandy, and - perhaps by that means dive to the bottom of his secrets.[539] - -Sir Richard Musgrave was one of the alarmists who loved to purvey -sensational news for Dublin Castle. His 'History of the Rebellion,' -published in 1801, embodies his impressions of events for twenty years -before. No wonder that Dublin Castle was fluttered by his reports. -Here is clearly one of them, and it serves to show why it was that the -Government were so anxious in 1784 to secure O'Leary by a subsidy:-- - - A corps called the Irish Brigade was raised in Dublin, of which - nineteen out of twenty were Roman Catholics, and they appointed - Father O'Leary, an itinerant friar, their chaplain. I have been - assured that they exceeded in number all the other Volunteer corps - in the city. - -And again:-- - - In the summer of the year 1783, the Irish Brigade, with the Dublin - Independent Volunteers, commanded by James Napper Tandy and Matthew - Dowling, formed an encampment between Roebuck and Dublin, under - the pretext of studying tactics and learning camp duty, though it - was well known that they were hatching revolutionary projects. It - is to be observed that the war, the only pretext for their arming, - was now at an end; yet many corps in different parts of the kingdom - resolved not to lay down their arms but with their lives.[540] - -Musgrave's construction of the above, as in many other incidents, is -not wholly correct; though in his estimate of Tandy and Dowling, both -Protestants, he was accurate enough. - -If O'Leary played the part assigned and attributed to him, never did -face more belie internal baseness, or was more exquisitely fashioned -to command the confidence of its dupes. The 'Gentleman's Magazine' for -February 1802 contains a study of 'Father Arthur' from the pen of Mr. -Pratt. - - His manners [he says] were the most winning and artless, - anticipating his goodwill and urbanity before he opened his lips; - and when they were opened, his expressions did but ratify what - those manners had before ensured. And you had a further earnest of - this in the benign and ineffable smile of a countenance so little - practised in guile that it at the same time invited to confidence, - and denoted an impossibility of your being betrayed. - -Curran, addressing the Irish House of Commons in 1787, revealed a trait -highly honourable to the friar: 'Mr. O'Leary was, to his knowledge, a -man of the most innocent and amiable simplicity of manners in private -life. The reflection of twenty years in a cloister had severely -regulated his passions and deeply informed his understanding.'[541] -Curran's knowledge was partly derived from the fact that O'Leary -belonged to 'The Monks of the Screw,' often regarded as a convivial -club; but 'whose more important object,' writes Hardy, the biographer -of Charlemont, 'was a co-operation of men holding a general similarity -of political principles resolved to maintain the rights and -constitution of their country.' Previously, O'Leary had dedicated his -Miscellaneous Tracts 'to the Dignitaries and Brethren of the Monks of -St. Patrick,' addressing them, with his wonted humour, as 'Reverend -Fathers and illustrious Brethren.' - -He had already written in denunciation of French designs on Ireland; -and what more natural than that he should now be asked to track the -movements of certain French emissaries which the Government heard -had arrived in Dublin, and were conspiring with the Catholic leaders -to throw off the British yoke.[542] This task O'Leary, as a staunch -loyalist, may have satisfied his conscience in attempting, especially -as he must have known that in 1784 the Catholics, as a body, had no -treasonable designs, though, doubtless, some few exceptions might be -found. In fact, his friend Edmund Burke, a member of the Ministry in -1783, declared, but later on, that 'the Irish Roman Catholics were -everywhere loyal, save at certain points where their loyalty had been -impaired by contact with Protestants.' Orde,[543] while using O'Leary, -thought him a knave; yet feigned a readiness to believe his reports. -The exhaustive correspondence of Count d'Adhémar, the French ambassador -in London, with his Government, is now open to inquirers at the French -Foreign Office; but, as it makes no allusion to any French agent in -Ireland at this period, the story may be little better than one of the -sensational myths so often found in the letters of informers to the -Irish executive.[544] But, although no documental evidence exists of a -French agent having been in Dublin in 1784, it is certain that five -years later, _i.e._ in 1789, one Bancroft, an American by birth, was -sent on a secret mission from France to Ireland.[545] - -We hear of no important arrests during the troubled period that O'Leary -is said to have been set in motion; but the Habeas Corpus Act had not -been suspended since 1779, and was not until 1794 that Pitt renewed the -suspension. - -In analysing O'Leary's life and judging his conduct, it is not fair -to ignore any remark of his tending to exculpate; but, if panegyrics -are desired, the reader should consult the memoirs by England, Buckley -and some others. Almost O'Leary's last public performance appeared in -1800: 'An Address to the Lords of Parliament, with an account of Sir H. -Mildmay's Bill relative to Nuns.' - - His loyalty was not [he said] the effect of necessity or - timeserving policy, for in France, where the Penal Laws of England - drove him for education, and where the Catholics of Ireland had - Seminaries and Convents with full admission to all the degrees - of her universities, I _resisted every solicitation to enlist - any of the subjects of these kingdoms in the French King's - service_, though I had then every opportunity of being appointed - to superintend prisons and hospitals during the wars. It was my - interest to recommend myself to the favour of people in power, and - consequently more my interest to become more a courtier than a - moralist. St. Paul calls God to witness when he asserts the truth: - I can do the same when I assert that conscience was the rule of my - conduct.[546] - -This is further useful in showing that O'Leary was no admirer of the -French king, and now that he was a pensioner of England would hardly -object to discover the reported French agents in Dublin, who, with -Napper Tandy, are said to have 'drank on their knees' the toast of -'Louis of France.' - -The latter story--told by the Viceroy, Rutland, in his letter to -Sydney--bears improbability on its face. It seems strange that Tandy -and his party, who not long after were Red Republicans and the allies -of Carnot and Hoche, would drink the health of Louis XVI. on their -knees.[547] They were principally Protestants; and John O'Connell, in -the Life of his father, says that Sheares shocked the future Liberator -by exultantly displaying a handkerchief soaked in the French king's -blood. - -I suspect that when O'Leary returned from making, in September 1784, -the inquiries which he is assumed to have done, his report was -something in the spirit of Canning's knife-grinder: 'Story! God bless -you, I have none to tell, sir;' and that Orde concluded O'Leary himself -was in the plot. On October 17, Orde writes to Nepean, alluding to some -rumour about our friar which is not stated. 'Del Campo's connection -with O'Leary--or rather O'Leary's with him--may have given rise to all -the report; but, after all, I think it right to be very watchful over -the priest, and wish _you_ to be so over the Minister. They are all of -them designing knaves.' - -Thus it appears that in little more than a fortnight after O'Leary is -supposed to have begun to spy, Orde was far from satisfied with him. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[522] _United Irishmen_, iii. p. vi. - -[523] Mr. Froude, with the letter before him which he found, could -adopt hardly any other impression. Mr. Macdonough, in _Irish Graves in -England_, follows Froude, and speaks of O'Leary's 'traitorous conduct.' -He, however, errs in assigning 1811, instead of 1802, as the date of -his death. See _Evening Telegraph_, February 6, 1888. - -[524] The omitted matter is merely a compliment. - -[525] Plowden's _Ireland since the Union_, i. 6. (Dublin, 1811.) - -[526] Mr. Lecky, who examined the State Papers, tells us that seven -years later, _i.e._ 1791, 'The chief members of the Irish Government -made it their deliberate object to revive the religious animosities -which had so greatly subsided, to raise the standard of Protestant -ascendancy, and to organise through the country an opposition to -concession.' - -[527] Vol. vi. 369. - -[528] _Vide_ Lecky, iv. 491. - -[529] 'If 30,000 men under the denomination of French troops landed in -Ireland,' writes O'Leary, '15,000 Protestants from France, Germany, -Switzerland, &c., would make up half the number. Neither are you to -confide in their promises of protection.'--O'Leary's _Tract_, p. 104. - -[530] Dean Lee, the grandnephew of Dr. Carpenter, tells me that a smart -apostate priest had been deputed to frame the new oath. - -[531] _Annual Register_, xxi. 208. See also a fine panegyric on -O'Leary, published in the _Irish Quarterly Review_, vii. 686. - -[532] This is, no doubt, M. Perrin, of whom some particulars will be -found, _infra_, p. 246. - -[533] Rutland to Sydney, most secret, Aug. 26, 1784. - -[534] Rutland's letter, to which this is an answer, seems to have been -destroyed. - -[535] My first idea was that, unless it were possible to trace some -of the written reports in which Froude insinuates that O'Leary kept a -daily record of espionage, his guilt as a spy must be doubted; but, -judging by Sydney's testimony, the guilt seems _primâ facie_ proven, -the absence of such letters notwithstanding. O'Leary was not much of a -letter-writer: few of any sort appear in his memoirs. The biographers -tell us that when producing the great essays by which he acquired fame, -his practice was to dictate them while he paced his study.--W. J. F. - -[536] _Life of Rev. A. O'Leary_, by Rev. T. R. England, 1822, pp. 234 -_et seq._ In 1788, Orde himself received a pension of 1,700_l._ a year, -charged on the Irish Establishment. - -[537] _Irish Parl. Debates_, i. 293. - -[538] From the word 'sermons' I thought, at one time, that O'Leary was -summoned--on the re-appearance of the 'Whiteboys'--to administer the -dissuasives which, some years previously, had produced good effect. I -have diligently searched newspaper files and contemporary pamphlets, -and I can find no letter, or reported sermon, addressed by O'Leary -to the Whiteboys in 1784. Two years later, he certainly tried to -reason with them. The words 'if we can depend on him,' lead to the -inference that O'Leary gave Orde some personal assurance as regards his -willingness to make the inquiries desired. - -[539] Froude's _English in Ireland_, ii. 413. - -[540] Musgrave's _Memoirs of the Rebellion_, pp. 50-1. (Dublin, 1801.) - -[541] In 1784, the very year that O'Leary consented, as we are told, -'to dive to the bottom of secrets,' a gold medal was presented to him -by the Cork Amicable Society. 'Father O'Leary is represented in the -habit of his order,' writes England, 'crushing with his right foot -the Hydra of religious persecution; with his right hand he opens the -gates of the Temple of Concord; whilst with his left he beckons his -countrymen (emblematically represented by the harp) to enter the sacred -edifice, forgetful of their prejudices against each other. The genius -of his country is represented with extended arms over his head, each -bearing a crown--the one of Science, the other of Victory.' - -[542] See Attorney-General Fitzgibbon's account of this scare, _infra_, -p. 245. - -[543] The Chief Secretary for Ireland. - -[544] State papers of the present century are a sealed book; but -special leave was given to search for such papers as threw light -on Shelley's visit to Dublin in 1812. During this inquiry a sight -was obtained of a correspondence between Dublin Castle and the Home -Office, numbering many hundred sheets, and dealing entirely with the -information furnished by a tipsy clerk of Mary's Lane Chapel to the -effect that a general massacre of all the Protestants in Ireland -had been projected! Myths of this sort have periodically scared -the executive. Passing on to 1830, we find, in the Sirr Papers, -informations dated December 24 and 27, and disclosing another Popish -plot. Among the men alleged to be deep in the conspiracy were the -late saintly Bishop Blake, Brother Syrenus, a monk, Thomas Reynolds, -afterwards city marshal, W. J. Battersby, and a number of other -Catholic laymen. Twenty-three officers--_i.e._ young priests from -Carlow and Maynooth--are alleged to be sent by different coaches to -various parts of Ireland, and all charged with secret missions of a -most formidable character! - -[545] Lecky, _Hist. of England_, vi. 537. - -[546] London, printed; Dublin, reprinted by H. Fitzpatrick, 1800. -O'Leary seems to have had a pension when in France. 'I resisted the -solicitations,' he adds, 'and ran the risk of incurring the displeasure -of a Minister of State, and losing my pension.' 'A small pension from -the French Government he retained until the French Revolution,' as we -learn from a sketch of O'Leary, probably written by Plowden, in the -_Gentleman's Magazine_ for January 1802. - -[547] The obsolete custom of drinking healths on the knees is noticed -in Brand's _Popular Antiquities_, ii. 329; and Dekker's _Honest Whore_, -A.D. 1630. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -ARTHUR O'LEARY IN LONDON - - -It is to be regretted that the State Paper naming 'O'Leary and Del -Campo' should be couched in words so brief and cautious. Mr. Lecky -offers no explanation of it. Not only are we uninformed as to the -nature of the 'Report;' but we are left to guess who Del Campo was. One -thing is evident: Dublin Castle and the Home Office put their heads -together, shook them mysteriously, and then urged extreme caution in -dealing with knaves. Books of biographic reference make no mention of -Del Campo's name; but it is quite clear from Cumberland's memoirs that -Del Campo was the Spanish minister, next in authority to Florida Blanca. - - In the year 1780 [writes Cumberland], and about the time of - Rodney's capture of the Caracca fleet, I had opportunities of - discovering through a secret channel of intelligence many things - passing, and some concerting, between the confidential agents - of France and Spain (particularly the latter) resident in this - country, and in private correspondence with the enemies of it. Of - these communications I made that use which my duty dictated and - to my judgment seemed advisable. By these, in the course of their - progress, a prospect was opened of a secret negotiation with the - Minister Florida Blanca, to which I was personally committed, and - of course could not decline the undertaking it.[548] - -While the American War still raged, and hostilities from France and -Spain continued to threaten, Richard Cumberland, son of a bishop and -the secretary of a former viceroy, started on his secret mission to -the courts of Lisbon and Madrid, bearing from England letters of -accreditation, quite a boxful of instructions, and accompanied by his -wife and daughters 'on the pretence of travelling into Italy upon a -passport through the Spanish dominions.' Cumberland's interviews with -Del Campo are described, and for a time all went well; but, owing to -terrible rumours as regards the 'No Popery' riots in London, which -now broke out, led by Lord George Gordon, President of the Protestant -Association, the treaty[549] collapsed; Del Campo refused to appear; -Cumberland was recalled, and the Government who sent him out withheld -the repayment of 5,000_l._, the amount of expenses he had incurred. - -It may be said that Orde's want of confidence in O'Leary arose, not -because he had furnished so little secret information, but because of -some whisper that the Spanish Minister had had _pourparlers_ with him. -It would be strange if O'Leary, who in 1779 wrote powerfully against -the hostile designs of Spain, should be suspected, within the next -few years, of abetting them. The rumour, which Mr. Lecky says is not -stated, may have been merely that O'Leary, the only Catholic writer of -intrepidity at that day, had been asked by Del Campo, who soon after -became resident Spanish minister in London, and was himself of English -extraction,[550] to write an exposure of the 'No Popery Riots' and -their leaders--incidents which Spain, now more than ever defiant in its -pose, could not fail to turn to political account. - -A postscript to O'Leary's 'Miscellaneous Tracts' mentions that he had -been requested to give a history of the London riots. 'I promised to -undertake the task,' he writes, 'and began to digest my materials; -but afterwards reflecting that the duty of the historian bound me to -arraign at the impartial tribunal of truth both men and actions--unmask -the leading characters,' &c.... he then came to 'consider my own state -exposed in consequence of the Penal Laws to the insult of every -ruffian, and, comparing the defenceless situation of the priest with -the duty of the historian, I dropped the attempt.' - -These tumults of 1780 lit a flame which did not die out even with -the expiring century. During their height most of the Roman Catholic -chapels of London, especially those of the foreign embassies, were -gutted and burnt. Papists' houses were attacked, as well as the houses -of all persons known to favour them. For days and nights the mob gained -an almost complete mastery of London, which is described as like a -city taken by storm. The venerable Bishop Challoner was roused from -his sleep and urged to fly; he died soon after of palsy, the effects -of the shock. No man's life was safe who did not mount the badge of -riot, a blue cockade; windows displayed flags of the same colour; while -the watchword 'No Popery' was prudentially inscribed. Broadsides were -circulated under the auspices of Lord George Gordon--the unholy high -priest of the holocaust--in which Englishmen were exhorted to remember -'the bloody tyranny and persecuting plots exercised on Protestants -by Rome'--the Spanish Armada, of course, included. Society seemed -falling to pieces. From Tyburn to Whitechapel the highway presented -a frontage of mourning. Every shop was closed. Mr. Archer, a priest, -deposed in court that he had paid 40_l._ to be allowed to pass through -Fleet Street, and a hackney coachman refused 10_l._ to drive a papist -to Hampstead. The mob, flushed with victory, now sought allies in the -prisons. Newgate, then recently rebuilt at a cost of 150,000_l._, -was attacked with fury; its great gates fell before them like frail -partitions; 500 felons, including those set free from Clerkenwell, were -let loose upon the burning city, leaving behind them in flames, not the -gaol only, but the whole street.[551] It seemed a second 1666, and the -famous fall of the Bastile, nine years later, was but the mere echo. - -Storm had not as yet burst over Ireland; but the heavy air was charged -with electricity. The following are the words with which Mr. Froude -awakened widespread interest, and drew forth that missive from the -Antipodes given on a previous page. - - If rebellion was meditated [Froude writes], the Government required - fuller knowledge; and 'a new plan of management' had to be adopted - 'to obtain exact information of the conduct and motives of the most - suspected persons.' 'Useful and confidential agents,' whose silence - and fidelity could be relied on, 'who would write the daily history - of a man's motions,' without betraying himself, were not to be - found in Dublin. - - The Irish Secretary applied to the English Cabinet to furnish him - from their own staff of informers. Two valuable persons answering - to Mr. Orde's description were sent, and the name of one of them - will be an unpleasant surprise to those already interested in the - history of the time. - - They were both Irishmen. One was a skilled detective named - Parker,[552] an accomplished orator who could outmouth the noisiest - patriot, and had already some knowledge of the leading agitators. - Orde welcomed this man with a twinge of misgiving. 'I hope he is - discreet,' he wrote, 'for he must to a certain extent be possessed - of the power of hurting us by garrulity or treachery.'[553] - - The other was no less a person than the celebrated Father O'Leary, - whose memory is worshipped by Irish Catholic politicians with a - devotion which approaches idolatry. O'Leary, as he was known to the - world, was the most fascinating preacher, the most distinguished - controversialist of his time. A priest who had caught the language - of toleration, who had mastered all the chords of liberal - philosophy, and played on them like a master; whose mission had - been to plead against prejudice, to represent his country as the - bleeding lamb, maligned, traduced, oppressed, but ever praying for - her enemies; as eager only to persuade England to offer its hand to - the Catholic Church, and receive in return the affectionate homage - of undying gratitude. O'Leary had won his way to the heart of Burke - by his plausible eloquence. Pitt seemed to smile on him: it is - easy now to conjecture why. When he appeared in the Convention at - the Rotunda the whole assembly rose to receive him. Had such a man - been sent over on an open errand of conciliation, his antecedents - would have made the choice intelligible. But he was despatched as - a paid and secret instrument of treachery, in reply to a request - for a trained informer.[554] What the Government really thought of - Father O'Leary may be gathered from Orde's language when told to - expect him. 'He could get to the bottom of all secrets in which - the Catholics were concerned,' and Catholics were known to be the - chief promoters of the agitation in Dublin. But he too was to be - dealt with cautiously, for he was a priest. 'They are, all of - them,' Orde said, 'designing knaves;' 'the only good to be derived - from them is, perhaps, to deceive them into an idea that they are - believed.'[555] - -Sir Jonah Barrington describes Orde as 'a cold, cautious and -sententious man.'[556] These letters in some respects support that -impression. A few years later he was created Lord Bolton. His letter, -announcing O'Leary's arrival at Dublin on secret service, is dated -September 23, 1784.[557] Let us look back a little and see what the -previous year was doing. - -The Dungannon Convention, which won great boons for Ireland, was -followed by provincial assemblies in Leinster, Munster and Connaught. -Resolutions were carried, delegates were appointed, and the nation -anxiously awaited the great Volunteer Convention in Dublin, on which -the fate of Ireland was declared to depend. Meanwhile one hundred -and sixty envoys of the Volunteer army met, electing Lord Charlemont -chairman. Red uniforms fringed the streets, and the delegates, two by -two, marched through the lines, amid the roll of drums and the waving -of national ensigns. The Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry rode to -the Convention with an escort of dragoons. - - A distinguished corps of volunteers [writes Mr. Buckley] had - conferred on O'Leary the honorary dignity of chaplain; and we are - assured that many of the measures submitted for consideration at - the great Convention held in Dublin had been previously placed - before him for his opinion as to their prudence and utility. On - that memorable day, when the delegates of a hundred thousand men - met in the Rotunda, with all the pomp and power that an armed - nation could concentrate for a great national purpose, it was - gratifying to the assembled masses of spectators to behold Father - O'Leary, as he entered the building, received at the door by the - entire guard of volunteers with a full salute of rested arms. He - marched up the hall amidst the deafening cheers of the surrounding - delegates, and, in the debate which followed, his name was - frequently mentioned with honour and applause.[558] - -'Plowden's remarks, which you enclose, do not meet the specific -statements of Froude, that O'Leary was employed as an informer at the -period of the Volunteer Convention,' writes Mr. Morgan McMahon, my -Australian correspondent.[559] Mr. Froude's words certainly tend to -convey that the Convention took place at the time of Orde's application -for a spy. The date of the Convention was November 1783: Orde's letter -was written in September 1784. Again, it is suggested that O'Leary was -despatched in reply to a request for a _trained_ informer. But it does -not appear that though he may have been useful as a diplomatist he was -already a spy. On the contrary, Sydney writes (Sept. 4): 'O'Leary has -been talked to and he is willing to do what is wished for 100_l._ a -year.' Orde replies (Sept. 8), 'I am very glad that you have settled -matters with O'Leary, who can get to the bottom of all secrets in which -the Catholics are concerned.' O'Leary had already a pension, ostensibly -for his writings; but the pension for espionage must not be confounded -with it. - -It is certainly admitted by even O'Leary's panegyrists that at the -period of the Convention of 1783 delicate overtures, which they assume -he rejected, were made to him; but the magnanimous words supposed to -have been used by O'Leary when parleying with his tempter rest on no -authority whatever, and some will be disposed to suspect that a colour -is imparted to the overtures more presentable to general readers than -the naked truth, whatever it was. The pension, I repeat, which O'Leary -already enjoyed, was, I think, merely for his writings; though, prior -to September 1784, he may have accepted douceurs for distinct acts of -diplomacy. At all events it is due to O'Leary to give him the full -benefit of the exculpatory words of his brother priest. Describing the -Volunteer Convention, Father Buckley writes, eighty years later:-- - - During Father O'Leary's visit to Dublin on this occasion, he was - waited on by a gentleman who was well known to be on very close and - friendly relations with the Government of the day.[560] The visit - appeared, for some time, to be merely one of ceremony, and the - visitor paid many handsome compliments to the Father on the style - of his writings and their good effect on the public mind. Soon, - however, it was easy to see that diplomacy had more to do with the - visit than etiquette, for the gentleman, in courteous language, - intimated that if Father O'Leary would use his pen in extolling - certain measures just then brought forward by the Administration, - his services would be handsomely requited. O'Leary was displeased - and indignant at the proposal to barter his patriotism for a bribe, - and conveyed his feelings in no measured phrase. The request was - therefore softened down into an entreaty that he would at least - abstain from writing on those measures in terms of condemnation. - But the minion of the Government knew not with what manner of man - he had to deal. 'I will never be silent,' warmly exclaimed O'Leary, - 'whilst my exertions can be of the least service to my religion or - my country.'[561] - -Thus far Buckley, the biographer of 1867. England, O'Leary's -biographer of 1822, finishes the interview in less florid words: 'He -was then told that a pension of 150_l._ per annum was to be offered -for his acceptance, and that no condition repugnant to his feelings -as an Irishman or Catholic was to be annexed to it. A change in the -Administration[562] took place shortly afterwards, and the promise -remained unfulfilled.'[563] - -Father England assumes that O'Leary spurned the overtures at the time -of the Convention, though later on his acceptance of a pension is -admitted. While guiltless, no doubt, of direct betrayal, he may have -been led to connive at a trick by which the Irish Government succeeded -in breaking up the Convention.[564] - -O'Leary, towards the close of his life, had made copious notes -illustrative of the history of Ireland--notes handed by him to Plowden, -who was glad to interweave them with his own when compiling 'The -Historical Review.' Plowden dismisses with the following note the great -incident of the Convention:-- - - Whilst the business of equal representation was in agitation at a - meeting of the Convention in Dublin, a pretended letter from Lord - Kenmare was produced, purporting to convey the general sentiments - of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, in which they were made to - express their perfect satisfaction with what had been already done - for them, and that they desired no more than peaceably to enjoy the - privileges they had obtained. - -Catholics thus became excluded from the constitutional prerogatives -claimed for Protestants. The proceedings of the Convention were at -last adjourned _sine die_. Sir Boyle Roche invented the fatal letter, -and Mr. Froude conveys that he was instigated to this course by the -Viceroy. Sir Gavan Duffy states--as a common belief in Ireland--that -'had the Convention not been betrayed by its leaders, the Union would -never have taken place.'[565] - -O'Leary, though his name, and that of Sir Boyle Roche, are not -mentioned in the printed abstract of the proceedings, was certainly -present when the fictitious letter was read. Dr. England, describing -the demonstration by which O'Leary's arrival was hailed at the Rotunda, -adds that it 'occurred on the same day on which the message said to be -from Lord Kenmare was read at the Convention,'[566] but no fault is -found with O'Leary by England, who is his invariable eulogist. - -Lord Kenmare was a fast friend of our friar,[567] and is uniformly -praised by him.[568] It was when on a visit to this peer that O'Leary, -seeing a wounded stag approaching Yelverton, wittily said: 'How -naturally instinct leads him to come to you to deliver him by a _nolle -prosequi_.'[569] Kenmare, this leader of the higher class of Catholics, -was falsely represented as announcing at the Convention that his -co-religionists were satisfied with the concessions they had got. I -find that O'Leary had privately expressed, very much to his honour, but -a short time before, an opinion diametrically opposite; and urging the -Catholics not to cease agitation till every link in their fetters had -been struck off;[570] but he now held his peace, and thus wittingly, or -otherwise, aided the base schemes of the Viceroy. O'Leary himself had -long been recognised as the most prominent exponent and mouthpiece of -the Catholic demand; and, from his intimacy with Lord Kenmare, he could -hardly fail to have known his sentiments on a question in which both -were naturally most interested; the forged letter, however, claiming -authority to speak for the Catholics of Ireland, was allowed to pass -unchallenged, to the ruin of the Convention and the exultant triumph of -a faction. - -O'Leary and Sir Boyle Roche are not persons likely to have been -intimate; and yet it can be shown that an intimacy did exist. A letter -from O'Leary, written a year before the Convention, and to be found -later on, avows that he was the friend and political correspondent of -Roche.[571] The forged letter--in which were travestied the opinions -and aspirations of the Catholics of Ireland--was read on November 11, -1783.[572] Not until a fortnight after was the fraud exposed by the -popular Earl-Bishop of Derry, who read a letter from Lord Kenmare, -dated Killarney, Nov. 20, saying, 'I utterly disavow having given the -least authority,'[573] &c., &c. Sir Boyle Roche thereupon addressed -to several leading Catholics a remarkable note dated 'Dublin Castle, -14th February, 1784.' This document was, of course, the act of the -Administration, Roche having been merely wound up and used as an -automaton. His letter, seeking to entrap slavish Catholics and sink -them in the mire of unpopularity, began by saying that it would flatter -him in the highest degree 'if I should find that my conduct was not -disapproved by yourself and friends,' and he holds out the hope that, -being once more in Parliament, he would be not unmindful of Catholic -interests. - - I had certain intelligence [he adds] that the Bishop of Derry had - leagued himself with some of the unthinking part of the Catholics, - who were in town for the purpose, and that the admission of that - body to the rights of voting for members of Parliament was to be - the first matter agitated in the Convention. I now thought that - the crisis was arrived in which Lord Kenmare[574] and the heads - of the body should step forth to disavow these wild projects, and - to profess their attachment to the lawful powers.... I therefore - resolved on a bold stroke.[575] - -He adds that he was elated to the greatest degree by his success, -having 'entirely disconcerted the measures of the leaders of the -Convention.' - -The Earl-Bishop of Derry was a decided revolutionist and very eager for -separation, and is alleged to have said to Lord Charlemont, 'Things -are going well, my lord: we shall have blood.' O'Leary, author of -'Loyalty Asserted,' and notoriously a man of peace, would probably -have felt little scruple in seeking to avert by diplomatic means what -Orde feared might become a bloody chaos. Burke, writing to a brother -priest of O'Leary's, said, 'Do everything in your power to check -the growth of Jacobinism on the one hand, and oppression, which is -its best friend, on the other.' No wonder that the Irish Government -blenched at the outlook. One Dublin paper, called the 'Volunteer -Journal,' urged assassination; and some men had been arrested, in the -previous spring, on a charge of conspiring to murder seven unpopular -members of Parliament. The supineness of magistrates and the absence -of any regular police force opened great facilities for crime. Riots -raged in the streets owing to trade strikes; men were 'tarred and -feathered' and let loose before the infuriated mob; soldiers were -houghed and left bleeding on the pavement. New corps of volunteers -advertised for recruits, and men of the worst repute rushed into their -ranks. Meanwhile the Bishop of Derry was raising a fresh regiment of -volunteers in Ulster. 'The Viceroy, at Fitzgibbon's advice,' writes -Froude, 'sent down officers in disguise to watch him, with a warrant -in their pockets should an arrest be necessary;' and he adds that -'this singular prelate ran a near chance of ending his career on the -gallows.' The withdrawal from public life of so remarkable a figure was -second only in its effect to the collapse of the Convention, of which -he was the animating spirit. When, six years later, Bancroft was sent -by France on a secret mission to Ireland, his report, now preserved -in the Foreign Office at Paris, states, as we learn from Lecky, that -the fall of the Convention had 'thrown a certain ridicule on Irish -democracy, and it may be long before it is repaired.' - -The Convention belongs to the year 1783. Not until the autumn of 1784 -are any letters found compromising O'Leary--letters not revealing any -distinct acts of espionage, or even penned by himself, but showing him -to have yielded to the voice of the tempter. - -In judging a man who is not alive to defend himself, one whose memory -has been for a century revered, I am reluctantly led to encumber this -narrative with various considerations for and against, so that readers -may have the result of a conscientious study of the case, and he able -to form a judicial conclusion. - -The promptitude of O'Leary's arrival in Dublin impressed badly all -who read it in Froude; for Orde, according to that historian, asked -the English Secretary of State to send him over two trained men from -their own staff of informers.[576] The letter containing this request, -however, I have not seen in print or manuscript. O'Leary came over -at the same time as a detective named Parker; but the alacrity of -the priest's arrival, though it looks badly, may not be altogether -due to his readiness to play the spy. This man, 'poor in everything -save genius and philosophy,' to quote Grattan's words, was informed, -according to England, one of his biographers, that his presence in -Dublin was necessary in order that some formalities should be gone -through ere his name could be placed on the Irish Civil List.[577] -England says that a pension which, during the previous year, he was -on the point of receiving, fell through because of a change in the -Cabinet; and may not this consideration have been in itself enough to -expedite the journey? - -O'Leary had been interviewed in London by Sir Evan Nepean, a practised -diplomatist, and consented, we are told, to come to Dublin to make -certain inquiries. But who can tell what wily words were employed to -induce him to wait on the Irish Secretary, Orde, at Dublin Castle? Orde -posed as a man rather liberal for the time, and was the correspondent -of Grattan and Lord Kenmare. Men of the world know that very different -language is often used when writing _of_ a person, than when addressing -that person direct. On the other hand it should be remembered, assuming -that Sydney conveys a correct impression of what passed, that O'Leary -seemed willing to accept 100_l._ for services dealing, not with the -special exigencies of the hour, but on condition that he continued, -from year to year, and for the same annual fee, to probe to the bottom -certain secrets of his party. - -When he arrived in Dublin the country was rent by great and just -discontent. One grievance was that Parliament possessed no adequate -representation of the popular voice. In March 1784, Flood brought in a -Bill for 'Reform,' and twenty-six counties petitioned in its favour. - -It had been decided that the Convention[578] of the previous year -should be followed up by a national Congress. This announcement brought -dismay to the Castle. The loss of her American Colonies had just taught -Pitt a lesson. Contemporary pamphleteers, thinking perhaps of the then -fashionable melodrama, 'The Castle Spectre,' saw Dublin Castle scared -by mysterious terrors. - -'The letters C.O.N.G.R.E.S.S.,' writes Orellana,[579] 'are magic -letters, of themselves sufficient to rise an apparition before the eyes -of a guilty Minister--an apparition that will seem to draw his curtains -in the dead of night, and rouse him from his pillow!' - -The Congress was in fact the ghost of the Betrayed Convention. - -There was to be a great meeting at the Tholsel in Dublin, on September -27, 1784, preliminary to the coming Congress. The prompt arrival from -London, on September 24, of O'Leary and Parker, and Orde's confidential -whisper that they were to begin operations at once, lead to the belief -that both attended this meeting. Indeed, from O'Leary's prominent -attitude at the previous Convention, he is almost certain to have taken -part in the deliberations that followed it. No mention, however, is -made of O'Leary or Parker in the Dublin prints of the day.[580] The -Congress and its preliminary meeting are, no doubt, constantly referred -to, but they sat with closed doors, and no reports appear. What took -place must be gleaned from other sources. A letter from Orde, published -in Grattan's 'Life,' and dated September 18, 1784, six days before -O'Leary's arrival from London, mentions that at the coming meeting -opposition would be made to putting a question upon the election of -representatives for a National Congress.[581] - -As this was a period full of great issues, and yet but little known, -perhaps I may be allowed to cull from the local journals of the day a -few remarks to show the spirit which animated both sides. - -The 'Dublin Evening Post,' the popular organ, 'most earnestly -recommends a numerous and respectable meeting at the Tholse on Monday -next. The occasion,' it adds, 'is great.'[582] But ere long the Castle -journalist gleefully chronicles a collapse. - - The weeping and gnashing of teeth among _the city Patriots_ on - account of yesterday's melancholy disappointment at the Tholsel - is not to be described. What a damp must this falling off in the - metropolis give to the yet unassembled bailiwicks. Alas! alas! that - the city which laid the first stone of 'a national Congress' should - now give a shock to the precious building! How are the mighty - aggregate Committee fallen! ah, how are they despised! Resolutions, - address, circular letters--all, all are scattered to the winds; - and commotion, revolution, and scramble, sunk in an abyss of - despair beyond all hopes of resurrection.[583] - -If O'Leary attended the meeting at the Tholsel, it is easy to know what -tone he took. Three years later he published a pamphlet in which he -seems very familiar with the incidents of that month. - - I recollect the unmerited abuse given for a long time in the - papers to the Catholics, because seventeen housekeepers in - Dublin unguardedly signed a requisition to the high sheriff for - the purpose of convening an aggregate meeting relative to a - parliamentary reform, though I am confident the seventeen knew as - little about the impropriety of their signing that requisition, and - foresaw as little the offence it would give, as the high sheriff - himself. And as to the Catholics, in their disqualified situation, - they could not with either prudence or propriety follow any other - line but that of a strict neutrality in a political question, on - which neither the friends nor opponents of a parliamentary reform - would acknowledge them competent to determine. - -This tamed tone will not fail to strike on comparing it with his -intrepid letter[584] written not two years before. - -Meanwhile the National Congress was announced to hold its first -meeting. 'Whatever underhand engines may endeavour to effect,' says -the popular organ, 'we hope to see these just and constitutional -deliberations re-establish the purity of representation.'[585] - -One prime object of the Castle is detected and denounced by the same -courageous journalist, John Magee. The 'Dublin Evening Post' of -November 5, 1784, records:-- - - The borough-ridden Government, disappointed in its impotent - attempts to prevent the laudable exertion of the people in - prosecuting a Parliamentary Reform, and finding that even the venal - knaves of the Castle nauseate the fulsome charges so long run on - Binns and Tandy, has directed the venal writers, as the last effort - of an expiring and despairing cause, to endeavour to sow those - seeds of dissension which so long desolated this divided Kingdom, - and set father against son, and brother against brother, that all - might become the easy slaves of foreign tyranny.[586] - -These extracts do not criminate O'Leary, but are useful as illustrating -the history of the time, and developing secret policy, while, moreover, -they correct some strange inaccuracies. For instance: the Viceroy, -writing to Sydney, as printed in Mr. Lecky's History, calls Tandy's -colleague 'Binney.' Of course it should be Binns, a name frequently -found in the dark records of '98. - -The Castle scribe, in another paragraph, states of Binns and Tandy, -both thoroughly honest men--'Fame is very busy that they have received -the all-subduing touch of "aurum mirabile."' This was probably to -divert suspicion from the really subsidised quarter. It will be -remembered that the date of O'Leary's arrival, and that of Parker, -quite tallies with the meeting on the 27th September; and it may be -asked what else could have brought the popular orators to Dublin at -that juncture? Parker knew Tandy, and, as Orde remarks, might be 'able -to dive to the bottom of his secrets.' - -While diplomacy sought to work its ends in one quarter, brute force -laboured in another to disable the arm which had been upraised. The -Sheriff of the County Dublin having convened his bailiwick to meet on -the subject of Reform, Fitzgibbon, then Attorney-General, addressed an -unconstitutional letter to him threatening to proceed by attachment -against those who responded to his call. The sheriff himself was fined -and imprisoned. - -The subsidised journalist, Francis Higgins, writes on December 24, -1784:-- - - The Roman Catholics may evidently see how wickedly intent on their - ruin certain people have been, with a serious idea of extending the - elective franchise, or, indeed, any other privilege to them. They - endeavoured to cajole (the Roman Catholics) into a commotion.[587] - -In conclusion, the old charge of venality and perfidy is brought -against the incorruptible Tandy. 'Napper,' we are told, 'betrayed -them.' But Barrington, and all other historians, admit that Tandy was -sound to the core. - -Grattan, in the Life of his father, notices as strange that the Bishop -of Derry, who the previous year was so active at the Convention, -absented himself from the Congress. The explanation probably is that -his lordship had heard something of the detectives with a warrant -for his arrest in their pocket. How the Congress crumbled, and the -organisation melted away, a glimpse is obtained from Plowden, who -embodied in his 'Historical Review' a mass of notes made by O'Leary. -'It is well posterity should know,' writes his biographer, 'how much -Plowden was indebted to his co-operation.'[588] - -Plowden had never been to Ireland until about the year 1800. The -following words seem those of a man who knew the inner workings of the -governmental policy in 1784. - - The link of unanimity having been once severed [we read in - Plowden], the fall of the armed associations into difference - and contention was much more rapid than had been their progress - to union. The divisions of the volunteers were encouraged by - Government; and for that purpose discord and turbulence were rather - countenanced than checked in many counties, particularly upon the - delicate and important expedient of admitting the Catholics to the - elective franchise, a question which it was artfully attempted - to connect with the now declining cause of Parliamentary Reform. - Through a long series of years Government had never wanted force - to quell internal commotions; and it seemed to be now dreaded - lest an union of Irishmen should extinguish the old means of - creating dissension. The desire of disuniting the volunteers begat - inattention to the grievances of the discontented and distressed - peasantry of the South: that wretched and lawless rabble once - more assumed the style of _White Boys_,[589] and for some time - committed their depredations with impunity, particularly against - Kilkenny.[590] - -The Volunteer army became gradually disorganised and disbanded; and the -cannon, on which the words 'Free Trade or This' were inscribed, went -back to the foundry. - - * * * * * - -In 1785 things looked a little dark in Dublin, which must have given -O'Leary something to do to see through. A storm signal was raised -by a few alarmists, and the Attorney-General, Fitzgibbon, though he -sought to make light of the outlook, admitted enough to show that the -country ought to be prepared for foul weather. Mr. Lecky, in rejecting -as without foundation[591] the report confided by Rutland to Sydney -in 1784, that a French agent was then in Dublin, makes no reference -to a man named Perrin, mentioned in a remarkable speech of the -Attorney-General, Fitzgibbon, better known as Lord Clare. On February -14, 1785, he announced in the Irish Parliament that - - The great majority of the original Volunteers have hung up their - arms and are retired to cultivate the arts of peace: their place - has been assumed by men who disgrace the name. I have seen - resolutions inviting the French into this country. On the 26th - April, 1784, the Sons of the Shamrock voted Mr. Perrin, a native of - France, honorary member of their corps. I have seen publications - inviting Catholics, contrary to the laws of the land, to arm - themselves to reform the constitution in Church and State. I - have seen encomiums on Louis XVI., the friend of mankind and the - assertor of American liberty.... They may invite the French to - invade our country. I have seen invitations to the dregs of the - people to go to drills and form into corps; we should therefore - distinguish between the gentlemen--the original Volunteers--and - those sons of sedition. I have seen a summons from a Major Canier, - ordering his corps to attend with nine rounds of ball cartridge, - _as there might be occasion for actual service_, and at the same - time intimating a threat to Government; and will any man tell me, - that we should be overawed by such people as these? or that the - Commons of Ireland should be afraid to grant a sum of money to - array a militia until these people should lay down their arms?[592] - -M. Perrin, the native of France, whose name Fitzgibbon mentions in -connection with the resolution to invite the French to invade Ireland, -was no doubt the father of the subsequently well-known judge of the -Queen's Bench, Louis Perrin. Under what circumstances M. Perrin first -came to Dublin is not clear. Sometimes he was styled a Professor of -French; usually resided in Dublin; but would sojourn, for months at -a time, in the houses of such Irish gentry as wished to acquire a -knowledge of that tongue. 'Perrin's French Grammar' was at a later date -very familiar in Irish circles.[593] - -The tinge of disappointment which peeps forth in the later allusion of -Secretary Orde to O'Leary may have been influenced by a circumstance -casually noticed by his biographer. We have seen from a well-informed -local journal of the day, that venal writers had received instructions -to endeavour to sow the seeds of dissension. It will be shown that -O'Leary was specially intimate with the proprietor of the Castle organ, -and O'Leary would be one of the first writers on whom Orde's thoughts -could not fail to fall. O'Leary's biographers say, but without giving -dates, that he recoiled from the proposal to write in the organ of -the Irish Government. Indeed, in a pamphlet, previously published, he -records his dislike to anonymous compositions.[594] An eloquent divine, -the Rev. Morgan d'Arcy, in preaching the funeral panegyric on Father -O'Leary, travelled slightly out of his path to touch on this point. He -said:-- - - The well-timed and effectual exertions of this extraordinary - man, could not fail to attract the notice of Government, and, - consequently, were not suffered to remain unrewarded by his - gracious and beneficent sovereign; but, though he received with - all becoming gratitude this unsolicited and well-earned mark - of royal remuneration, yet such was his disinterestedness, and - the noble independence of his spirit, that when, soon after, a - very considerable annuity had been offered him to become the - supporter of a periodical publication,[595] which then was, and - still continues to be, the foul vehicle of misrepresentation, - slander, and calumny on the Irish people; indignant at the - insulting proposal, he rejects it with becoming contempt, though - by his refusal he was sure to incur the displeasure of a certain - description of men, and through their influence might apprehend - a discontinuance of his pension; yet, destitute as he was of all - earthly property beside, sooner than prostitute his heaven-sent - talents, he leaves his native country and repairs to this - metropolis, to enjoy the boasted and enviable blessings of British - protection and British liberty. - -The preacher's reference here would be to the year 1789, when O'Leary -removed permanently to London. It was in '89 that the great struggle on -the Regency Question, which will be dealt with later on, raged between -the camps of Whig and Tory in Ireland. - -Higgins, the subsidised owner of the Castle organ, was called 'Shamado' -by John Magee, and painted in colours of demoniac hue. According to -Dr. Morgan d'Arcy, O'Leary did not yield to the tempter, but rejected -the proposal with indignation and contempt, and this would naturally -incur displeasure. The statement proves too much, for Higgins, by his -will dated 1791, speaks of O'Leary as his 'long and faithful friend,' -and leaves him a bequest in proof of affection. Further, his journal -devoted part of its very limited space to occasional paragraphs -laudatory of O'Leary, and not ill-calculated to strengthen popular -confidence in his name. Thus, on May 12, 1785--a few months after -Orde says he had consented to work secretly for pay--we read in the -subsidised organ of the Irish Government:-- - - Nothing can more mark the influence of wisdom and superior genius - than the mention made of Dr. O'Leary in George Anne Bellamy's - 'Apology' where she says the philanthropy and interference of that - liberal man put an end to the scandalous conduct of Count Haslang's - (the Bavarian ambassador's) chaplain on the death of that old - representative of the _corps diplomatique_.[596] - -The organ of the Irish Government does not praise O'Leary for -political support. To do so would arouse suspicion whether well founded -or not; but Higgins, from friendship or policy, seeks to exalt his -prestige and popularity. In the 'Freeman' of November 20, 1784, we have -a long account of how he put down Dr. Johnson, who had addressed him -with boorishness. 'The literati,' it is added, 'consider themselves as -much obliged by Dr. O'Leary's conduct on the occasion, as it has much -humbled the imperious and surly behaviour of Johnson.' - -The statement of Plowden, that O'Leary was pensioned on condition that -he should withhold his pen in support of toleration,[597] will not bear -test.[598] In 1784, O'Leary is conclusively shown to be subsidised. -His dissuasive address to the common people of Ireland denunciatory of -Whiteboyism, a bulky treatise, bears date 1786. It seems more likely -that a subsidy would be given for writing in support of the oppressive -laws of that day. This letter to the peasantry writes up that grinding -impost--Tithes--in reference to which Bishop Doyle afterwards prayed, -'May our hatred of Tithes be as lasting as our love of justice!' - - Pray, my brethren, what right have you to curtail, to your own - authority, the income of the Protestant clergy? [O'Leary writes]. - If the tithes became the property of the laity, they would raise - their rents in proportion. Or is it because that, from the earliest - ages of the world, those who believed in the true God have - consecrated to Him a part of the fruits of the earth, you will - think it an heavier burthen to pay the same thing because it was - in conformity to the law of God that the laws of Christian states - have appointed it? You know that the rules of justice extend to all - without exception, and that, to use the familiar phrase, everyone - should have his own, whether he be Protestant or Catholic, Turk - or Christian. It is more your interest than you imagine, that the - Protestant clergy of this country should be maintained in their - rights. For many ages you have been defenceless, destitute of any - protection against the power of your landlords, your clergy liable - to transportation or death. The mild and tolerating spirit of the - clergy of the established religion has been the only substitute - for all other resources. They trained up from their early days - the Protestant nobility and gentry in the principles of morality - and virtue. If they preached against Purgatory, they enforced - charity.... If they denied that the Pope is head of the Church, - they taught their congregation that no man is to be injured on - account of his religion, and that Christianity knows no enemy. As - by nature we are prone to vice of every kind, and that the earliest - impressions are the strongest, had it not been for those principles - which they instilled into the minds of their hearers, long before - now your landed men in this country would have treated you as - Turks, who think it no scruple to violate the beds of the Jew, and - warn the husbands that if they come into their houses whilst they - are doing them this injustice they will cut off their heads. - - Is it then to gentlemen of this description, the children of the - first families in the kingdom, the instructors of the most powerful - part of the community, the most moral and edifying amongst them, - the most charitable and humane, that a handful of poor men are to - prescribe laws tending to diminish the support of their offspring, - destined to fill one day the most important offices in the State? - What! a Rev. Archdeacon Corker, a Rev. Archdeacon Tisdal, a Rev. - Mr. Chetwood, a Rev. Mr. Weekes, a Rev. Mr. Meade, a Rev. Mr. - Kenny, who spent his time and fortune amongst you, relieving your - wants, and changing part of his house into an apothecary's shop to - supply you with medicines, which yourselves could not purchase, - must from an apprehension of violence quit his house.[599] - -In this strain O'Leary argued at much length; but the impartial -historian of this very time describes 'the system of Tithes as the -greatest practical grievance, both of the poorer Catholics and of the -Presbyterians.'[600] - -Most people have heard of O'Leary's controversy with the Bishop of -Cloyne, in which, when the prelate disputed Purgatory, O'Leary retorted -that he might 'go farther and fare worse.' The 'Critical Review' -examined the controversy with a shrewdly penetrative eye. Lord Kenmare, -in a letter dated October 2, 1787, writes: 'I read with the greatest -pleasure the 'Critical Review' on the Cloyne controversy. It is the -best performance that has yet appeared on the subject. Grattan is -violent against the Bishop of Cloyne for his publication, and thinks, -with the reviewer, that Government is at the bottom of it.'[601] -O'Leary's reply, which runs to 175 pages, contains many excellent -truths worthy of commendation; but it is a question whether this -elaborate controversy may not have been inspired and encouraged from -Dublin Castle. Law and order are, very properly, inculcated throughout -by O'Leary, and powerful dissuasives addressed to the 'Whiteboys' are -printed at the end.[602] As regards the Bishop of Cloyne, O'Leary -assures him, in words somewhat supererogatory: - -'I was not sent here to sow sedition (p. 119). I returned here, not as -a felon from transportation, but as an honourable exile, who returns -to his native land after having preferred a voluntary banishment to -ignorance and the abjuration of the creed of his fathers.' Some years -later, _i.e._ in 1789, he was falsely reported to have taken the latter -step, and, like Drs. Butler and Kirwan, to meditate matrimony. 'Having -from my early days,' he wrote, 'accustomed myself to get the mastery -over ambition and love, the two passions which in every age have -enslaved the greatest heroes, your correspondent may rest assured that -I am not of the trio.' - -O'Leary was a Franciscan friar who had made vows of voluntary poverty. -The fact that he had long been accustomed to rest content with a little -may help to explain the modest sum he was satisfied to accept for -services which, if cordially rendered, were worth the amount twenty -times told. And in judging the man for accepting this money it must be -remembered that the bulk of it was spent in alms deeds. Bishop Murphy -told Father England that when a youth he was frequently O'Leary's -almoner, and that a number of reduced persons were weekly relieved in -Cork to the average extent of two or three pounds. 'Charity,' we are -told, 'covers a multitude of sins.' - -FOOTNOTES: - -[548] Cumberland's _Memoirs_, ii. 2-38. (London, 1807.) - -[549] Cumberland several times calls it a 'treaty.' - -[550] Vide _Correspondence of Sir John Sinclair_, ii. 385-6. Del -Campo's letters are written in excellent English; it appears that, -though born in Spain, he had come from an English Catholic family named -Field. - -[551] Vide _Annals of the English Catholic Hierarchy_, by W. Maziere -Brady, pp. 170-4. (Rome, 1883.) 'Sketch of a Conference with Earl -Shelbourne,' _The Dublin Review_, vols. xx.-xxi. Trials of the rioters, -_The Rockingham Correspondence_, ii. 419. This remarkable incident has -been all but overlooked by historians. Dickens was greatly struck by -its features. - -[552] We have no proof that Parker was an Irishman. - -[553] Orde to Evan Nepean, September 8, 1784 (see _English in Ireland_, -ii. 413). - -[554] In the postscript to O'Leary's letter (see Appendix) we catch -a glimpse of some of the Catholic leaders in Dublin at this time, -into whose secrets Orde assumes he could easily dive. They include -Thomas Braughall, so often mentioned in Wolfe Tone's _Diary_ as a -Catholic organiser and United Irishman; Charles Ryan, a very important -Catholic leader (fully described in Wyse's _History of the Catholic -Association_, i. 138-9); and Mr. Kirwan, noticed at p. 177 of the same -book. Sutton, 'the Brigadier,' also mentioned in O'Leary's letter, was, -with Braughall, one of the thirty-three Catholic delegates who, in -1793, represented the City of Dublin (see _Vindication of the Catholics -of Ireland_, p. 90.) (London: Debrett, 1793.) Edward Lewins, the two -Sweetmans, Thomas Reynolds, and other afterwards very prominent rebels, -figure in the said list of the Dublin delegates. - -[555] Mr. Orde to Mr. Evan Nepean, October 17, 1784. See Froude's -_English in Ireland_, iii. 414. But Mr. Froude will excuse me for -adding that the chief passage he quotes is from a letter dated -September 8, 1784. - -[556] _Rise and Fall of the Irish Nation_, Paris ed. p. 319. - -[557] My Australian correspondent, Mr. Morgan McMahon, was puzzled to -determine how O'Leary, the scene of whose labours was Ireland, could be -summoned from London in 1784, inasmuch as his biographer states that it -was not until 1789 O'Leary took up his residence in that city (Buckley, -p. 304). The accuracy of Mr. Froude's date is, however, confirmed by -a letter in the _Life of George Anne Bellamy_, iii. 120 (Dublin ed. -1785). On August 16, 1784, Mr. W. T. Hervey writes to that celebrated -actress, then living at 10, Charles Street, St. James', and expressing -the 'infinite satisfaction' he felt at meeting O'Leary at dinner. - -[558] _Life of Father O'Leary_, by the Rev. M. B. Buckley, p. 203. - -[559] See his letter, _ante_, p. 212. - -[560] England, from whom Buckley recast and embellished this account, -calls him 'a gentleman in the confidence of the Ministry' (p. 118). Was -it Sir Boyle Roche--of whom presently? - -[561] See England's account of the overtures made to O'Leary in London, -_ante_, p. 220. England puts 'country' before 'religion.' - -[562] In April 1783 the Coalition came into power. Pitt's -administration dates from December 1783. - -[563] England's _Life of O'Leary_, p. 118. - -[564] O'Leary was specially weak in yielding acquiescence. Buckley -states (_Life_, p. 355) that O'Leary, having been led to connive at the -legislative union, he expressed remorse. - -[565] _Bird's-eye View of Irish History._ - -[566] England's _Life of O'Leary_, p. 105. (London, 1822.) - -[567] See _Life_ by Buckley, pp. 212-213, 237, 277. See also England, -pp. 133, 134, 176, 179. - -[568] See _Mr. O'Leary's Defence, in reply to the Lord Bishop of -Cloyne_, pp. 41-42. (Dublin, 1787.) - -[569] Thomas Moore's _Diary_, iv. 112. - -[570] See letter to Mr. Kirwan in Appendix. After 1783, no such bold -tone is traceable in O'Leary's expressions. - -[571] See Appendix. Their intercourse may have been strengthened by -clannish claims. O'Leary was a Cork man, and Roche is described as -'a branch of the ancient baronial family of Roche, Viscount Fermoy.' -See obituary in _Gentleman's Magazine_ for 1807, p. 506. His wages -comprised the baronetcy bestowed in 1782; a pension of 300_l._ a year, -with a separate annuity of 200_l._ for his wife; and, later on, the -miserable post of Gentleman Usher, or Master of Ceremonies, at Dublin -Castle. It is remarkable that in all the contemporary reports of the -discreditable transaction, as regards Lord Kenmare, the name of Sir -Boyle Roche is suppressed, and George Ogle, afterwards a P.C., put in -his place. Ogle and O'Leary were both 'Monks of the Screw.' - -[572] The Rev. Dr. Wills, when writing his _Lives of Distinguished -Irishmen_ (v. 243), gathered curious facts from survivors of those -times. Of Sir Boyle Roche we learn that 'it was usual for the members -of the Irish Cabinet to write speeches for him, which he committed to -memory, and, while mastering the substance, generally contrived to -travesty into language, and ornament with peculiar graces, of his own. -On many of these occasions he was primed and loaded for action by the -industry of Mr. Edward Cooke, who acted during several administrations -as muster-master to the wisdom of the Castle.' Sir Boyle felt that he -had specially earned the gratitude of the Crown; and I find, by the -Précis book of Lord Fitzwilliam, he had even applied for a peerage. In -the Pelham MSS. he is constantly found worrying for honours and reward. - -[573] See England's _Life of O'Leary_, p. 109. - -[574] Lord Kenmare died September 9, 1795. For a careful study of -his temporising character see Wyse's _Catholic Association_. He had -enjoyed his title merely by courtesy. In 1798 his son was advanced to a -Viscounty, and the next year to an Earldom. - -[575] Mr. Lecky says that 'it is a strange illustration of the standard -of honour prevailing in Ireland, that a man who, by his own confession, -had acted in this manner continued to be connected with the Government -and a popular speaker in the House of Commons' (vi. 368). But, in point -of fact, Dublin Castle could not get on without him. - -[576] See Froude, ii. 415. - -[577] Vide _ante_, p. 220. - -[578] The Convention had greatly alarmed the Government. In 1793, -Lord Clare introduced the Convention Act, making all such assemblages -henceforth illegal; but a popular leader remarked that it was the -wisdom of Xerxes attempting with iron fetters to chain the sea. In -1811, Lord Fingall, Mr. Kirwan, and other Catholic delegates were -arrested under the Act. It never became law in England, and about the -year 1878 Mr. P. J. Smyth, M.P., succeeded in freeing Ireland from its -pressure. - -[579] _The Letters of Orellana_, an Irish Helot, to the Seven Northern -Counties not represented in the National Assembly of Delegates held at -Dublin in October 1784, for obtaining a more equal representation of -the people. Halliday Pamphlets, Royal Irish Academy, vol. 482, p. 29. - -[580] Besides the journals of the day, I have searched the litter -of pamphlets to which that pregnant year gave birth; but, the names -'O'Leary' and 'Parker' never appear. Their mission, clearly, was a -secret one. Sheahan's _Articles of Irish Manufacture_ (Cork, 1833) -certainly speaks of Mr. Parker, 'who fell in with a Doctor O'Leary' -(p. 112); but, on hunting up the pamphlet from which he quotes, _Plea -for the Poor_ (p. 15), it appears that the date is 1819, and the Dr. -O'Leary was a physician in Kanturk. - -[581] Diplomatic letters, but fulsomely servile, are addressed by Orde -to Grattan (vide _Life_, by his Son, iii. 209-11). Orde must have known -that Grattan was jealous--first, of Flood, with whom he constantly -quarrelled, and, secondly, of a new, bold, and thoroughly honest -Protestant leader, who had just made his _début_, and worked hard to -make the Congress a success. This was James Napper Tandy, commander of -the Dublin Volunteer Artillery, and afterwards a general of division in -the service of France. - -[582] _Dublin Evening Post_, September 18, 1784. - -[583] The _Freeman's Journal_, September 28, 1784. This journal, once -the organ of Grattan, Flood, and Lucas, fell into the hands of an -unprincipled adventurer, named Francis Higgins, who prostituted the -once virtuous print to a venal executive. - -[584] See Appendix, p. 374. - -[585] _Dublin Evening Post_, October 23, 1784. - -[586] The policy of creating a schism has often since been acted upon. -We have already seen Lord Northington's approval of such a scheme. -The Viceroy, Cornwallis, addressing Portland, June 22, 1799, writes -in reference to a public question: 'Dublin is not without material -for a counter party, which I should have sanguine hope of collecting -if my endeavours to produce a schism in the corporation should prove -successful.'--_Cornwallis Correspondence_, i. 339. - -[587] _The Freeman's Journal_, December 24, 1784. - -[588] _Life of O'Leary_, by Rev. M. B. Buckley, p. 385. See also -England's _O'Leary_, p. 289. (London, 1822.) - -[589] The 'White Boys' were perpetually denounced by O'Leary. - -[590] _Historical Review of the State of Ireland_, by Francis Plowden, -ii. 104. - -[591] Lecky, vi. 369. - -[592] _Irish Parliamentary Register_, iv. 227. - -[593] 'For King Louis is loved by the Irish Brigade,' we know on the -authority of Irish song, and the judge was baptised 'Louis' apparently -in compliment to the French king, described as 'the assertor of -American liberty.' The bias of the Perrins was always democratic, -and the judge himself had been the attached friend of Robert Emmet, -whom he embraced in the dock. The conduct of 'P. _the Scholar_' -(T.C.D.) at this time is noticed by Archbishop Magee, then a fellow, -in a letter printed in Plunket's _Life_. The judge's brother, Mark -Perrin, rector of Athenry, in a letter to me, states that on the -night Emmet was sentenced to death, Louis Perrin came home to their -house at Chapelizod, bathed in tears. In that picturesque part of the -'Strawberry Beds,' where one can cross the Liffey by a ferry, access is -gained to the old churchyard of Palmerstown, in which, partly smothered -in weeds and fallen leaves, may be traced the epitaph of Judge Perrin's -father. When Brougham declared in 1828 'The Schoolmaster is abroad, -and I trust to him armed with his Primer against the Soldier in full -military array,' he used the idea in a higher sense than could apply to -M. Perrin and his 'Grammar,' who, unobtrusive as he seems to have been, -caused some disquietude to Lord Clare, a man of all others the most -difficult to perturb. - -[594] 'I disclaim anonymous productions.'--Postscript to his -_Miscellaneous Tracts_. (Dublin, 1781.) - -[595] Buckley says that this proposition was made to O'Leary in Dublin -(_Life_, p. 354). - -[596] As service of a political or diplomatic sort might possibly be -inferred from this paragraph, I thought it just to O'Leary to see the -book from which 'Shamado' quotes. The incident is described by Mrs. -Bellamy in the _Apology for her Life_, ii. 246-7 (Dublin ed. 1785). She -complains that the remains of Count Haslang were not treated with due -respect; and that a new chaplain, who had been assigned to the Bavarian -ambassador, behaved towards 'the chaplains and domestics of the late -count with unmanly arrogance ... had it not been for the timely arrival -of that justly respected luminary Father O'Leary.' Her account is not -very clear. In what year Haslang's death occurred is not mentioned; -but the _Gentleman's Magazine_ of the time throws in a few dates and -facts. Count Haslang died at Golden Square, London, on May 29, 1783, -after an embassy of forty-two years (liii. 454). George II. had formed -an attachment for him in Hanover, and brought him to London. Haslang's -son was Prime Minister of Bavaria, while his father, during a crisis in -its history, filled the post of ambassador to England. On June 5, 1783, -a solemn dirge, attended by all the _corps diplomatique_ in London, was -sung in Warwick Street (R.C.) Chapel; but 'owing to a dispute at the -grave [in old St. Pancras] several of the ambassadors returned home -without supporting the pall.' The dispute, which is not explained, at -last obliged the Anglican chaplain to read the burial service over the -deceased envoy of a Catholic power. - -O'Leary, in finally adjusting the difficulties, may have discharged a -diplomatic mission inspired from Downing Street. Mrs. Bellamy alludes -to insults offered even to the domestics of Count Haslang. How serious -it was to insult even a servant of the Bavarian ambassador is shown -by the _Gentleman's Magazine_, xxv. 232-3. In 1755, we learn that 'T. -Randall, late an officer to the Sheriff of Middlesex, pursuant to his -sentence for arresting a servant of Count Haslang, was brought from -Newgate before his Excellency's house in Golden Square, having on his -breast a paper proclaiming that he had been adjudged by Lord Chancellor -Hardwicke and the Chief Justices to be _a violator of the laws of -nations, and a disturber of the public repose_, and stands convicted -thereof.' Randall was carried back to Newgate. - -Mrs. Bellamy, in vaguely alluding to insults offered even to Count -Haslang's domestics, doubtless includes herself, for Haslang describes -her as his 'housekeeper' (_Life_, ii. 104). This woman, the natural -daughter of Lord Tyrawley, ambassador at Lisbon, was introduced -into society by his sister; became a very influential person, and -shared the confidence of Fox and other Whig lights. O'Leary, she -describes (ii. 8): '... who, with unaffected piety, is blest with -that innocent chearfulness which, joined to his brilliant wit and -sound understanding, makes him the admired darling of all who have the -happiness of knowing him.' - -Count Haslang's house in Golden Square has been, since 1789, the -presbytery of Warwick Street R. C. Chapel; and its transfer to -parochial uses dates also from that year. - -[597] _Ante_, p. 213. - -[598] The _Freeman_, the subsidised organ of the Irish Government, -after extolling O'Leary, added, on May 12, 1785: 'It were sincerely to -be wished that this excellent writer and Christian philosopher would -once more sit down and employ his talents in the service of his country -and literature in general.' In the following year, _i.e._ 1786, he -reviewed a 'forgotten controversy,' including a defence of Pope Clement -XIV. in suppressing the Jesuits. - -[599] The Rev. Mr. O'Leary's _Address to the Common People of Ireland_, -pp. 12-14. (Dublin: Cooney, 1786.) - -[600] Lecky's _England in the Eighteenth Century_, vi. 540. - -[601] Edward Hay, in his _History of the Rebellion_, says that the -Bishop of Cloyne's pamphlet 'was dedicated to the Spirit of Discord.' -Dr. Woodward was hardly the bigot that he pretended to be; his epitaph -in Cloyne Cathedral records that 'he was a warm friend to Catholic -Emancipation.' - -[602] A very clever, poetic version of this and other addresses of -O'Leary, entitled _The O'Leariad_, appeared, and seems to have been -written to direct attention to O'Leary's loyal pamphlets, and to -enforce and imprint their arguments on the popular mind. (Printed in -Dublin, and reprinted at Cork by Robert Dobbyn, 1787.) _Vide_ Halliday -Pamphlets, Royal Irish Academy, vol. 514. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE REGENCY--STRUGGLE BETWEEN WHIG AND TORY CAMPS--O'LEARY AND THE -PRINCE OF WALES - - -The State Papers throw no light on what Plowden styles 'the arbitrary -withdrawal of O'Leary's pension.' The following historic incident, now -forgotten, and curious in its detail, may have led to that act. - -In 1789, a great struggle raged between the Parliaments of England -and Ireland on the question of creating the Prince of Wales Regent -during the insanity of George the Third. The Prince at this time had -been bound up, politically and socially, with the Whigs. Pitt, fearing -that the Regency might prove fatal to his ambition and his Cabinet, -resisted the heir-apparent's right to the prerogative of his father, -and declared that 'the Prince had no better right to administer the -government during his father's incapacity than any other subject of the -realm.' An address to the Prince from the Irish Parliament requested -that he would 'take upon himself the government of Ireland during the -continuation of the King's indisposition, and no longer; and under the -title of Prince Regent of Ireland, in the name, and on behalf of his -Majesty, to exercise, according to the laws and constitution of that -kingdom, all regal powers, jurisdiction, and prerogatives to the crown -and government thereof belonging.' - -Pelham, speaking of 'the tricks and intrigues of Mr. Pitt's faction,' -adds, 'I have not time to express how strongly the Prince is affected -by the confidence and attachment of the Irish Parliament.' Portland -takes the same tone. The Buckingham Papers afford rich material for a -history of this struggle. The noble editor admits that 'the Parliament -of Ireland preserved the unquestionable right of deciding the Regency -in their own way. The position of Lord Buckingham[603] had become -peculiarly embarrassing. What course should be taken in the event of -such an address being carried? The predicament was so strange, and -involved constitutional considerations of such importance, as to give -the most serious disquietude to the Administration.'[604] - -Hopes were felt that the King might recover. The Viceroy receives -instructions to use obstructive tactics, 'to use every possible -endeavour, by all means in your power, debating every question, -dividing upon every question, moving adjournment upon adjournment, -and every other mode that can be suggested, to gain time!'[605] But -the Viceroy did more. He openly threatened to make each opponent 'the -victim of his vote.' Fitzgibbon was promised the seals and a peerage -if he succeeded for Pitt. Lures and threats were alternately held out. -The peerages of Kilmaine, Glentworth, and Cloncurry were sold for hard -cash, and the proceeds laid out in the purchase of members. Meanwhile -the King got well. Thereupon the Master of the Rolls, the Treasurer, -the Clerk of Permits, the Postmaster-general, the Secretary of War, -the Comptroller of Stamps, and other public servants, were dismissed. -The Duke of Leinster, Lord Shannon, the Ponsonbys were cashiered. -Employments that had long remained dormant were revived, sinecures -created, salaries increased; while such offices as the Board of Stamps -and Accounts, hitherto filled by one, became a joint concern. The -weigh-mastership of Cork was divided into three parts, the duties of -which were discharged by deputies, while the principals, who pocketed -the profits, held seats in Parliament. In 1790, one hundred and ten -placemen were members of the House. The Viceroy, Buckingham, during his -short régime, added 13,040_l._ a year to the pension list; the names -of the recipients are already on record. On the other hand, some men -who had taken the Prince's side in the contest lost their pensions. -O'Leary may have been in this batch.[606] Croly, in his 'Life of George -IV,' dilates on the intimate relations which subsisted between the -Prince and the priest, and adds that O'Leary was no unskilful medium -of intercourse between his Church and the Whigs, and contributed in no -slight degree to the popularity of the Prince in Ireland. According to -Buckley, the Prince patronised O'Leary to such an extent that rumour -whispered it was by him the marriage ceremony with Mrs. Fitzherbert had -been performed. - -Barrington, describing the chastisement applied to those who, in -Ireland, favoured the appointment of the Prince as Regent, says: 'Lord -Buckingham vented his wrath on the country;' but what proof have we -that the alleged agent of the Castle, O'Leary, incurred that Viceroy's -displeasure? - -In 1789, the year O'Leary removed permanently to London, he settled -down, at the Spanish Ambassador's Chapel in London, as an assistant -priest to Dr. Hussey, and, apparently, a most unwelcome one. An -extraordinary pamphlet, not known to his biographers, was privately -issued by O'Leary referring to a feud between himself and Dr. Hussey. -At page 11 O'Leary writes:-- - - The old clerk told me in the vestry, 'that I might now return to - Ireland, as my enemy, the Marquis of Buckingham, had returned to - England.' Surprised how or where the clerk of a vestry could get - such an insulting information, I recollected that his master [Dr. - Hussey] had told me some time before that he had seen a letter - from the Marquis of Buckingham, when Viceroy of Ireland, to some - nobleman or gentleman of the English Catholic Committee, wherein he - depicted the Catholics of that kingdom in very unfavourable if not - odious colours, and painted me as one of the ringleaders.[607] - -This serves to explain Dr. England's remark in 1822, when accounting -for O'Leary's permanent removal to London, that 'his residence in -Ireland had become painful;'[608] but elsewhere in his book he assigns -a different reason for the change. - - It has been stated [he writes] that a secret condition was annexed - to this grant, binding O'Leary to reside in England,[609] and - preventing him from further interference in the political concerns - of the empire. The fact, however, is that O'Leary had made previous - arrangements for a permanent residence in London--not only as being - more favourable to his health, which generally suffered by his - visits to Dublin, but from a rational conviction that the great - seat of influence and power was the proper sphere of his benevolent - exertions. - -This biographer did not know O'Leary personally; his conjecture, -or explanation, is plausible. But few men would remove for their -health to the purlieus of St. Giles and Soho, the mission with which -O'Leary had most to do. Its fearful squalor at the period described -is curiously shown in Clinch's recently published 'Bloomsbury and St. -Giles.' It will be remembered that the preacher of his funeral sermon -conveys that the migration in 1789 was caused by O'Leary's refusal to -write in a venal Dublin print against the party with whom he had long -been associated. Snubbed by the Viceroy, Buckingham, his usefulness -at Dublin Castle was now a thing of the past; but yet, as he could -not afford to give up all State endowment, I suspect that he settled -down in London in some undefined diplomatic rôle, where his tact and -influence would find a field for exercise. A most careful memoir of -O'Leary, ending with the words 'Requiescat in pace'--written probably -by his friend and co-religionist Plowden--appears in the 'Gentleman's -Magazine' for February 1802. It contains some facts not noticed by his -more diffuse biographers. 'This laudable conduct,' we are told, 'did -not escape the attention of the Irish Government, and induced them, -when he quitted Ireland, to recommend him to men of power in this -country.' I believe that O'Leary's removal to London was made under -Government auspices, extended in the hope that, by his diplomatic -power, it might lead to useful knowledge and results. - -As George, Prince of Wales, held Whig views at this time, Mr. Pitt's -great career ran some risk of being cut short. The Prince gathered -round him the leading Whig lights, including O'Leary, as we learn -from Croly's 'Life of George IV.'[610] A good picture of life in the -Pavilion at Brighton is given, and of the brilliant jokes which capped -the hits of Sheridan and Curran. But O'Leary's presence had, I think, -a deeper significance. With graver men his intercourse was frequent. -'Edmund Burke was very marked in the regard which he manifested to -O'Leary,' writes England. 'Fox was not only Pitt's rival, but the -leader of a powerful party constantly on the watch to oust Pitt from -office.' It may be presumed that the men of power in London to whom -O'Leary, on leaving Ireland, had letters from Dublin Castle, occupied a -camp hostile to the Whig garrison of the Pavilion. - -One proof that O'Leary wished to regain favour with Pitt is afforded -by the casual remark of his biographer. 'When O'Leary learned that -his friend (Plowden) was engaged at the desire of Pitt in writing -the 'Historical Review,' he sent him his invaluable collections, as -affording the best and most authentic materials for the recent history -of Ireland.'[611] - -I do not like that phrase of Plowden in which he says--when speaking -of O'Leary's pension--that it was only after giving repeated proofs -that the secret condition had been complied with, he received a large -arrear.[612] Plowden no doubt thinks that the pension was meant as -'hush money;' but it is a question whether O'Leary was quite frank -with him as to its character. - -'An oak of the forest is too old to be transplanted at fifty,' said -Grattan, regarding Flood's removal to London in 1784. 'Disgusted with -the condition of his country,' writes O'Leary's later biographer, -Buckley, 'and hopeless of doing anything by which it could be improved, -he resolved on quitting it altogether and living in the free atmosphere -of England, so congenial to a bounding and manly temperament like -his.... In the year 1789 Arthur O'Leary left Ireland for ever, and -took up his residence in London as one of the chaplains to the Spanish -Embassy.'[613] It appears, however, from the testimony of Plowden, the -attached friend of O'Leary, that it was a condition expressly made -by the Crown that O'Leary was 'to reside no more in Ireland.'[614] -I suspect that the appointment just described was brought about by -Court intrigue. From the time of the Armada the movements of the -Spanish minister were viewed with jealousy, often with alarm. In -1779, when the combined fleets of Spain and France rode menacingly in -the Channel, O'Leary, as we have seen, denounced them to the Irish -people, and his appointment to the Spanish embassy must have been the -work of England rather than of Spain. In 1789 strained relations had -again arisen between Spain and England; and a few years later war was -actually declared by Spain.[615] Sydney states that O'Leary had already -consented to furnish secret information.[616] His present position -would enable him to acquire knowledge of, not only the designs of -Spain, but of Dr. Hussey too; and without saying that O'Leary could be -capable of downright treachery, it is probable that Pitt believed he -would. It will be remembered that, in 1780, Dr. Hussey, chief chaplain -to the Spanish embassy in London, had been sent with Richard Cumberland -to effect a treaty with the Court of Spain, a negotiation not entirely -successful. What was the precise nature of the hold which Hussey, -originally a Carthusian monk, acquired over the Court of England is -destined to remain shrouded. Buckley says it was at the special request -of George III. that Dr. Hussey accompanied Mr. Cumberland on a secret -mission to Madrid.[617] - -What Cumberland himself thought of his colleague is curious to see. We -are told that 'the high-sounding titles and dignities showered upon -Dr. Hussey by the Court of Spain outweighed in his balance English -guineas;' that 'in his heart he was as high a priest as à Becket, and -as stiff a Catholic as ever kissed the cross;' but yet 'had left behind -him in his coffin at La Trappe no one passion native or ingrafted -that belonged to him when he entered it.' So clear-sighted a man as -Hussey could not fail to see the secret thoughts of Cumberland, or to -have diagnosed, in his turn, the jaundiced retina through which he -was viewed; for Cumberland complains of 'his singular, sudden, and -capricious conduct to the author and his family, of which he was an -inmate.'[618] Hussey had demanded his passports to return to England; -but on Cumberland's remonstrance paused, and cancelled a letter he had -addressed to the English Secretary of State asking leave to return. -Mystery covers much of this mission to Spain, for Cumberland says, 'I -will reveal no more than I am in honour and strict conscience warranted -to make public. For twenty years I have been silent, making no appeals -at any time but to my official employers, who were pledged to do me -justice.'[619] - -Mr. Froude tells us that Dr. Hussey[620] was in the confidence of -Dundas and Portland, and had received favours from them. Both were -prominent statesmen in the Cabinet of Pitt, and both eventually turned -against Hussey. Dr. Hussey is described as Chaplain to his Catholic -Majesty of Spain, and Rector of the Church of the Spanish Embassy in -London. He evidently knew something of O'Leary not revealed to the -world. - -At this point it may be well to open once more the pamphlet privately -printed--'A Narrative of the Misunderstanding between the Rev. Arthur -O'Leary and the Rev. Mr. Hussey.' Its purport, O'Leary says, is to -remove the bad impressions which a late report, one which impugned his -morality, might have made on some Catholic families, and the reader is -requested either to burn the brochure, or erase altogether the name of -Mr. Hussey. The latter is just the man to have muttered 'qui s'excuse -s'accuse' as he read the following; and O'Leary's remark serves to show -that Hussey suspected he had deeper motives. - - The desire of co-operating in the work of the ministry [writes - O'Leary] was my only inducement for associating with Mr. [Hussey] - in the Spanish Ambassador's Chapel. He soon began to throw some - obstacles in my way--but in the most insulting and contemptuous - manner. The old clerk of his vestry, who retails among the common - people all the stories he hears from his employer, was commissioned - by him to direct me in the choice of my theme [in the pulpit].[621] - -In 1780, the Spanish ambassador to London was, we learn, 'Count Fernan -Nunez, who had committed himself to a conversation from which Mr. -Hussey drew very promising expectations.'[622] But in 1789 we find -him succeeded by no less a person than the Marquis del Campo, whose -previous attitude, as sub-Premier of Spain, had filled the British -Cabinet with alarm.[623] Orde, writing to Nepean, of the Home Office, -five years before, tells him to be very watchful over this minister; -and O'Leary's friend, Plowden, whatever he means by it, says that it -was only after giving repeated proofs that the secret conditions had -been complied with, that O'Leary received a large arrear of his pension. - -'A Narrative of the Misunderstanding' between O'Leary and Hussey -shows that the appointment of the former as Hussey's colleague was -forced upon the latter, and that Hussey distrusted and despised him, -confirming the old adage, two of a trade never agree. O'Leary complains -that on Good Friday, in presence of a crowded congregation numbering -many Protestants, Hussey sent - - one of the boys who attend the altar, twice into the pulpit to - interrupt me in the most pathetic part of my discourse by chucking - the sleeves of my surplice and ordering me to come down under - pretence that the ceremonies of the day were too long. Thus a scene - was exhibited of which neither the congregation nor myself had ever - been spectators before. - -And again:-- - - By the manner in which he concerted his plans, in waiting until - the eve of the days on which I was to appear in public, and - then sending me, on a sudden, verbal messages by his clerk, and - afterwards such insulting notes as no Prelate would send to the - meanest clergyman in his diocese, one would be apt to imagine that - he played the part of a skilful general, who amuses an enemy the - better to decoy him unprepared into an ambuscade. - - I was surprised at such peremptory mandates from a man who, at - most, could pretend but to an equality.... But his view was, either - to disgust me with the chapel, or to commit me with the public, in - thus thwarting me in the exercise of my functions. - -O'Leary was the lion of the hour; his portrait looked out from the -windows of Bond Street and Piccadilly, surrounded by soul-stirring -sentiments culled from his published books.[624] There it was that Dr. -Hussey sought to reduce his prestige, which he considered overcharged, -and to destroy the confidence and respect usually manifested in his -regard. It is certain that he felt as uncomfortable in his society as -he had ever done in the hair shirt and enforced reserve of La Trappe. -He did not brand O'Leary as a spy; he could not do so without offending -the Government; but he raised what lawyers call 'a false issue.' Indeed -O'Leary charges the doctor, on strong circumstantial evidence, with -having supplied to the newspapers paragraphs in which an unworthy -innuendo is advanced, and one by no means calculated to exalt the -friar's reputation for asceticism: 'In proportion as the breach widened -between us, the paragraphs rose in a climax to a greater degree of -asperity.'[625] - -Many curious things transpire in this _brochure_, and amongst them -the following: 'I got the very singular information,' writes O'Leary, -'that some years before, in a boarding school at Hampstead, then under -his (Hussey's) direction, he took my picture out of a frame, tore it -in several pieces, and cast it away with disdain, saying, "One would -imagine he is founder of this establishment."'[626] Here again I submit -that Dr. Hussey raised a false issue, and his dislike to O'Leary, as -evidenced by this strong proceeding, must have had deeper grounds than -the paltry plea assigned. - - When this affair relative to the picture happened [writes O'Leary] - I was in Ireland, in the full bloom of my reputation,[627] which I - would have preserved unfaded to the last moment of my existence, - had it not spread on the lips of a man to whom I cannot apply the - Italian proverb, Whatever your mouth touches, it heals: 'La vostra - bocca sana quel die tocca' (p. 14). - -Dr. Hussey, as already stated, was in the secrets of the Crown. In -1784 Sydney tells Orde, rightly or wrongly, that O'Leary had consented -to furnish private information. In 1789 O'Leary, as we have seen, -removed to London and settled down in alarming proximity not only to -Hussey, but to the minister of Spain. Hussey's attachment to Spanish -interests, Cumberland states, outweighed his devotion to his English -patrons, and of course it was highly inconvenient that a man who played -fast and loose with both should be domesticated with O'Leary. 'They are -all of them designing knaves,' writes Orde, and doubtless he and his -colleagues, acting on the coarse prejudice thus expressed, urged the -arrangement on the principle of 'set a thief to catch a thief.' The -more refined Sydney probably calculated that it would be 'diamond cut -diamond' between them. - -The effort it must have cost so polished a person as Dr. Hussey to -pursue the course ascribed to him may be inferred from the words -of Charles Butler: 'He was a man of great genius, of enlightened -piety, with manners at once imposing and elegant, and of enchanting -conversation: he did not come in contact with many whom he did not -subdue: the highest rank often sunk before him.' Cumberland, his -companion in the secret mission, describes him as wearing 'a smile -seductive; his address was smooth, obsequious, studiously obliging and, -at times, glowingly heightened into an impassioned show of friendship -and affection. He was quick enough,' he adds, 'in finding out the -characters of men.' - -O'Leary appealed to Bishop Douglas, and a meeting between the parties -took place at his house. The result was a written statement, dated June -21, 1791, that Dr. Hussey never had any crime or immoral conduct to -allege against O'Leary, and that he had left the Spanish Ambassador's -chapel of his own free will. 'Mr. O'Leary and I have come to a full -explanation upon all past misunderstandings, and are both satisfied -with the explanation,' writes Dr. Hussey. This paper was certified -by Bishops Douglas and Berington[628] and by Francis Plowden to be -conformable to Dr. Hussey's verbal declaration. The finale was worthy -of an ecclesiastic who wished to avoid disedifying the laity by -unseemly wrangles. But, privately, Dr. Hussey took means to prevent a -recurrence of an incident which greatly annoyed him. The Castlereagh -Papers contain a letter to Lord Hobart from Sir J. Cox Hippisley, in -which he mentions as having been reported to Rome, 'a very offensive -measure of Hussey's in a way so as to have produced a sort of censure -on Bishop Douglas of London.' Dr. Hussey, it is stated, had claimed -the right, as chaplain to the Spanish mission, of nominating priests -to officiate at the Spanish chapel in London independently of Bishop -Douglas.[629] - -Frequent reference has been already made to Del Campo. The concluding -words of O'Leary's 'Narrative' go on to say:-- - - I intended to complain in person or to write a severe letter - against him to the Marquis del Campo,[630] than whom there are - few ambassadors[631] of a more amiable disposition, or in whose - train a chaplain would be more happy. But, expecting never to be - disturbed by Mr. [Hussey], after leaving him in the unrivalled - possession of his pulpit and controversy, I retired without the - slightest murmur. Had I even been treated with that civility to - which I was entitled, I would yet have quitted York Street. We were - on the eve of a war with Spain, and from my peculiar obligations to - my own sovereign, in case of a threatened invasion, I would have - returned to Ireland, where, upon a similar occasion, the exertions - in the line of my profession had been attended with the happiest - results in promoting that loyalty which recommends my Religion and - countrymen. - -Here O'Leary, though so recently attached to the Spanish embassy, -declares himself a partisan, if not a sentinel, in the English -interest. It appears that, while officiating at Spanish Place, he -lodged in Warwick Street, probably acting as assistant chaplain to -the Bavarian embassy as well, and where, as Mrs. Bellamy records, he -arrived opportunely, in 1783, to adjust angry difficulties that had -arisen in that quarter. Seven years later, although ostensibly pastor -of St. Patrick's, Soho, from 1790 to his death, he seems still attached -in some way to the Bavarian chapel and embassy, for the preface to -his sermon in denunciation of French principles is dated from Warwick -Street, though the sermon itself had been preached at St. Patrick's. - -In March 1797, O'Leary's desire to retain the favour of Pitt is -traceable in the sermon to which reference has just been made. It was -preached before a congregation mainly Irish, but embracing also the -famous Duchess of Devonshire, and many other great personages.[632] Its -aim is apparent in the account given of it by the 'Monthly Review' as -'a discourse well adapted to keep alive a high degree of good, warm, -Christian hatred of the French, on whom the preacher is very severe, -with now and then a stroke of pleasantry, sarcasm and rough wit.' -Ireland had been nearly lost to England the previous year by Hoche's -expedition to Bantry Bay, but England's unsubsidised allies, the winds, -had come to her aid. O'Leary's discourse, occupying fifty pages, was at -once issued in pamphlet shape, and reprinted in Dublin. - -As has been already observed, O'Leary maintained cordial relations with -some men who bore a bad name. Francis Higgins, originally a Newgate -felon, became at last a most influential negotiator. Plowden exhibits -fully his unpleasant character in the 'Historical Review,' vol. ii. -pp. 256-9. 'This man' he says, 'had the address, by coarse flattery -and assumed arrogance, to worm himself into the intimacy of several -persons of rank and consequence, who demeaned themselves by their -obsequiousness to his art, or sold themselves to him. The fact that -he died worth 40,000_l._ is highly illustrative of the system which -generated, fostered, and pampered this species of reptile.' Higgins is -shown by the 'Cornwallis Papers' to have been a spy on a great scale. -There is reason to know that he wormed himself into the confidence of -O'Leary; and reason to fear that he turned it to account. The man who -began his career by duping a Jesuit and obtaining his co-operation -in making an heiress his wife, is not likely to have failed with the -genial Franciscan. Higgins early won the friendship of O'Leary; and -his bequest 'to my long and faithful friend, the Rev. Arthur O'Leary,' -has been already noticed. Fidelity to Shamado seems like fidelity to -Mephistopheles! - -Higgins liked to utilise profitably the information he acquired from -pliable Catholics like Magan.[633] Magan was a barrister, and held -his head high. It will be remembered that Higgins drew from him the -secret of Lord Edward Fitzgerald's hiding place, and for this service -alone received 1,000_l._ in hand, and a pension of 300_l._ a year. The -'Sham Squire' was not the man to leave money, in 1791, 'to his long and -faithful friend,' O'Leary, unless he had made more than the amount by -the use of him. Higgins claims O'Leary as a dear friend; the habits of -the time warrant the assumption that he was his boon companion too. In -the unguarded intimacy of social intercourse, that frank and affable -nature is likely to have enriched the Squire's stock of gossip. To what -extent that confidence was unfolded can be now but darkly surmised. - -O'Leary, if called upon to reveal information to the Government, may -have acted with reserve. In softer moments[634] much may have leaked -out which was not deliberate betrayal. - -It is casually stated by Mr. Lecky (vol. vii. p. 211) that Higgins, in -enumerating his services to the Government, especially mentions the -expense he had incurred in entertaining priests, and other persons -of the higher class, for the purpose of obtaining intelligence. In -one respect O'Leary's intercourse with Higgins worked for good. The -newspaper of the latter, though an organ of Orangeism, advocated the -Catholic claims. - -In 1796 Dr. Hussey, afterwards Bishop of Waterford, seems to have -accepted the post of secret agent,--probably not widely dissimilar from -that which the statesmen of 1784 thought O'Leary would not object to -discharge. Higgins, writing to Dublin Castle in October 1796, expresses -regret that the Government had not been very judicious in their -selection of 'an agent for acting on the Catholics.[635] 'The Roman -Catholic body hold a superficial opinion of Dr. Hussey as a courtly -priest. If anything was to be effected or wished to be done in the -Roman Catholic body, Dr. O'Leary would do more with them in one hour -than Hussey in seven years. Of this I am perfectly assured; and O'Leary -not ten days since wrote me word he would shortly claim a bed at my -house.' - -O'Leary had a nephew for whom in a recently published letter he hopes -to provide a berth when some friends of his would regain their power. -The allusion no doubt is to Fox and the Whigs. This is the nephew -noticed by Francis Higgins, in a secret letter to Under-Secretary Cooke -eight months before the rebellion. 'At a meeting at Bond's, which Lord -Edward Fitzgerald and O'Connor attended, O'Connor read a letter from -Fox which had been delivered to him (O'C.) by O'Leary, nephew of Dr. -O'Leary, who had arrived from London with despatches from Mr. Fox, -and set off in the mail for Cork the same night.' These despatches -concurred with the United Irishmen as to the necessity of enforcing a -parliamentary reform.[636] - -The bequest of Higgins to O'Leary is noticed as strange by the priest's -biographer. Was it meant by way of restitution, seeing that the compact -to pay O'Leary had been broken? As in the case of the betrayal of Lord -Edward Fitzgerald by Magan, 'Shamado' no doubt pocketed the lion's -share. - -The will of Francis Higgins goes on to say: 'To Andrew D. O'Kelly, -of Piccadilly, London, I leave 300_l._: declaring that if I did not -know that he, my friend, was in great affluence, I would have freely -bequeathed him any property I might be possessed of.' This was the -man sometimes known as Count O'Kelly, but more generally as Colonel -O'Kelly. An Irish judge who once acted as advising counsel for the -legatees of O'Kelly, informs me that the latter was originally a -jockey, afterwards a successful blackleg, and was made colonel of a -regiment that never existed, simply by the Prince Regent addressing -him under that title. This explains a remark made by the 'St. James's -Gazette,' that 'his military rank, whatever right he may have had to -it, as well as to his Countship, could never obtain for him an entrance -to the clubs of his fellow sportsmen.'[637] He owned the racehorse -'Eclipse,' and by its aid netted 124,000_l._ - -There has been much discussion by O'Leary's biographers upon Plowden's -statement as to the stoppage of the pension, and they vainly try to -account for so harsh a step. 'What the reason for this withholding -was, it is not easy to ascertain,' writes Father Buckley; but, from an -observation in the 'Life of Grattan,' by his son, we surmise that it -must have been because O'Leary refused to comply with a request made by -the minister, that he _would write in the support of the Union_.[638] -Plowden takes care to say that the pension was 'hush money.' Buckley's -argument demands, however, a fuller reply. - -The agitation against the Union took place chiefly in 1799. O'Leary -died in January 1802, soon after the Union became law. Plowden, through -whom he got the arrears paid, says that it was 'after a _lapse of many -years_, by importunity and solicitation, and _repeated proofs_ of his -having complied with the _secret conditions_, he received a large -arrear.' Therefore there could not have been time for all this in the -interval between the Union and O'Leary's death. - -But, in point of fact, O'Leary _did_ express himself publicly in -favour of the Union. His 'Address to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal,' -dated from O'Kelly's house, and published in June 1800, mentions -that he is 'a great friend to the Union, and reconciled many to it;' -and then follows much clever argument in support of the measure. -This rather spoils the statement in Grattan's 'Life,' quoted by the -biographer of O'Leary as proof that he spurned Pitt's proposal to -support the Union. - - Colonel O'Kelly [writes Grattan] related that, at the period of the - Union, Mr. Pitt offered a considerable pension to O'Leary, provided - he would exert himself among his Roman Catholic countrymen, and - write in support of the Union; but every application was in vain; - O'Leary steadfastly resisted Mr. Pitt's solicitations, and, though - poor, he rejected the offers of the minister, and could not be - seduced from his allegiance to his country. - -The newspapers recording O'Leary's death, in January 1802, say that he -died at his lodgings in Great Portland Street, London. When the Union -was carried, he probably got his _congé_ from O'Kelly. This man, of bad -odour, became a Crœsus in wealth, and eventually a sort of Brummagem -Brummell, deep in the confidence of George, Prince of Wales.[639] -O'Leary is found living with O'Kelly in Mayfair, London, and some of -his pamphlets are dated from 46 Half-Moon Street, Piccadilly, the -'Colonel's' house.[640] Father Buckley is puzzled 'how our worthy -friar contracted so close an intimacy with a man of tastes and habits -apparently so little congenial to his own.'[641] Perhaps O'Kelly[642] -was the trustee in whose name O'Leary got a pension on secret -conditions. Plowden is the only writer who alludes to the intervention -of a trustee. He was very intimate with O'Kelly, and witnessed his will -in 1820. The Prince of Wales had already made O'Kelly the medium for -paying a secret pension of 300_l._ a year to Chifney the jockey, in -consideration of having designedly lost a race at Epsom.[643] - -I now come to a startling piece of evidence, calculated, almost, to -make one exclaim with Luke (xix. 22), 'Out of thy own mouth I judge -thee.' The testimony of no less a witness than O'Leary himself claims -to be heard. - -More than sixty years after the death of O'Leary, Father Buckley was -informed in writing, by a relative of the deceased, that O'Leary, when -dying, often exclaimed, 'Alas! I have _betrayed_ my poor country.'[644] -The informant's impression is that O'Leary's remorse was due to having, -at the request of Pitt, acquiesced in the Union, notwithstanding -that we have 'Colonel' O'Kelly's testimony that 'O'Leary withstood -Pitt's solicitations to support that measure.' The Catholic bishops -of Ireland cordially encouraged the Union, as the Castlereagh Papers -show--and we do not hear that Dr. Troy and his _confrères_ felt much -remorse--although, in addition to their support of the Union, they -signed resolutions in favour of giving to a Protestant king a veto in -the appointment of Catholic prelates. - -But the letter of O'Leary's kinsman must not be dismissed without -quoting its context. 'Pitt,' he writes, 'promised the emancipation -of Catholics and repeal of the Penal Laws, if he (O'Leary) would -acquiesce, &c. He did; and so silence was deemed consent. Pitt obtained -the Union; then resigned his office; and tricky enough,' adds O'Leary's -kinsman, 'said he could not keep his promise.' - -This is slightly misleading. Pitt had given a pledge, through -Cornwallis, to Archbishop Troy that he would not accept office except -on condition that the Catholic claims were to be met. In 1801, owing -to the fixed resolve of the King against Emancipation, Pitt went out. -His conduct, therefore, was so far straight. When he returned to power -in 1804, in complete violation of that compact, O'Leary had been two -years dead. - -Among O'Leary's admirers there was none more ardent than the late Lord -Chancellor O'Hagan, in whose now deserted study still hangs a fine -portrait of the friar, inscribed with soul-stirring sentiments on which -O'Hagan had long sought to shape his own course. This gentleman could -not bring himself to believe Mr. Froude's charge branding O'Leary as -a spy, and was unable to rest until he read with his own eyes at the -State Paper Office the original correspondence. He returned to Dublin -declaring that the imputation was but too well founded. This view, -coming from a man of judicial mind, might be taken as conclusive; -but yet, one is unwilling to see a great reputation wrecked, without -wishing to throw out a hope or a plank by which there is a chance of -saving it. This plank is, indeed, a poor one; but, just as a sinking -man will grasp even at a straw, humanity suggests that no effort should -be left untried to keep the struggler afloat. - -The two letters which led Lord O'Hagan to his reluctant conclusion are -now before the reader. In neither is the Christian name of O'Leary -given; but no other priest of the name obtained contemporary notice. -The most damaging bit of evidence is Sydney's letter to Rutland -announcing that O'Leary, having been talked to by Nepean, was willing -to do what was wished for 100_l._ a year.[645] These letters bear -date 1784, eighteen years before O'Leary's death. No letters of his -in any way compromising him have been found. The voluminous papers of -Pelham, the Irish Secretary, from 1795 to 1798 do not once mention -his name. 'I have certainly never seen any reports from O'Leary to -the Government,' writes Mr. Lecky in reply to an inquiry; 'and I have -quoted in my History every passage I have come across in which he is -ever mentioned.'[646] These passages are few. - -O'Leary was a decided humourist: no one conversing with him felt quite -sure when he meant to be serious. In the 'talk' that passed he may -have played the diplomat. We have seen how Orde distrusted him. To -a request blandly urged in personal converse by a statesman who had -already pensioned him, this friar, existing merely by connivance, could -not afford to assume attitudes of offended dignity. A glimpse of his -precarious position is caught from a speech of Grattan's:-- - - At the time that this very man lay under the censure of a law - which, in his own country, made him subject to transportation or - death, from religious distinctions, and at the time that a prince - of his own religion threatened this country with an invasion, this - respectable character took up his pen and, unsolicited and without - a motive but that of real patriotism, urged his own communion - to peace, and to support the law which had sentenced himself to - transportation.[647] - -Nepean and Orde suggested certain inquiries which O'Leary was to make; -but who can tell at what point of these inquiries the practised casuist -may have meant to draw the line? A hundred pounds a year, which Nepean -says he named, seems marvellously small for the magnitude and risk of -the service expected. Orde writes on September 8, 1784, expressing -satisfaction that Nepean, in London, had 'settled matters with O'Leary, -who can get to the bottom of all secrets in which the Catholics are -concerned, and they are certainly the chief promoters of our present -disquietude.' A fortnight later, after an interview with the priest at -Dublin Castle, he adds, (September 24, 1784): 'O'Leary has it in his -power, _if we can depend upon him_, to discover to us the real designs -of the Catholics, from which quarter, after all, the real mischief is -to spring.' O'Leary must have known that, in 1784, _no_ treasonable -designs were harboured by the Catholics, and probably felt that he -would be safe in making the inquiries prescribed. Mr. Lecky, a most -patient historic investigator, a man who has searched more secret -sources of sound information than any other writer of Irish history, -while he considers that the letters just quoted prove O'Leary a spy -(p. 369), yet, in describing this very time, doubts - - whether the Catholics themselves took any considerable part in - these agitations. For a long period an almost death-like torpor - hung over the body, and, though they formed the great majority - of the Irish people, they hardly counted even in movements of - opinion. Even when they were enrolled in volunteer corps there - were no traces of Catholic leaders. There was, it is true, still - a Catholic Committee which watched over Catholic interests; - Lord Kenmare and a few other leading Catholics were in frequent - communication with the Government; two or three Catholic bishops - at this time did good service in repressing Whiteboyism; and Dr. - Troy, who was then Bishop of Ossory, received the warm thanks of - the Lord-Lieutenant;[648] but for the most part the Catholics stood - wholly apart from political agitation. - -I do not like repetitions; but they are sometimes a necessity, as in -judicial summing-up. Twelve days after O'Leary had been set to work, -the Chief Secretary at Dublin Castle seems quite dissatisfied with him. -The tone in which our humourist's reports were pitched may be guessed -from the following passage in a later pamphlet from his pen[649]:-- - -Lord Chesterfield, on his return from his Viceroyship, informed George -II. that he had met in Ireland but _two dangerous Papists_, of whom -_His Majesty should be aware_--two [comely] ladies named Devereux, who -had danced at the Castle on the King's birth-night. All the viceroys of -Ireland, from Lord Chesterfield to Earl Camden, could have made a much -similar answer, if interrogated, concerning what is called the _danger -of Popery_.[650] - -Whether from this tone, or from other causes, the Government -became quite disappointed with their man; for, as Plowden states, -they withheld his pension, and 'an arbitrary refusal for many years -threw the reverend pensioner on his friends for subsistence.' 'The -unexplained cause,' noticed by Dr. England,[651] may, perhaps, here be -guessed. O'Leary, as Sydney states, consented, in 1784, to make the -secret inquiries which Orde wished, and probably to offer such advice -as his experience should suggest; but the idea thrown out at an early -stage of this study seems likely enough,--that, after he had made due -efforts to find out the truth, he pleasantly assured the Government -that no French emissaries had been to Dublin at all; that the Catholics -were loyal subjects; and, instead of a slumbering volcano, that Rutland -had found a mare's nest! This Viceroy's letter will be remembered in -which he drew a highly sensational picture of alleged secret doings -in Dublin. It was he who first urged on Sydney the wisdom of securing -O'Leary as a spy, and Sydney soon after reports the negotiation -as successful. But we have no testimony from Nepean with whom the -interview took place. When Rutland spoke, Orde spoke; the act of one -was the act of the other. Both were equally fluent as correspondents; -but during the three subsequent years that they held office at Dublin -Castle, we find no letters from either announcing any discoveries made -by O'Leary, and which, no doubt, they would have been only too glad to -do as confirming their own forecast, and building up a reputation for -subtle statesmanship. - -More troublesome times came within the next ten years: the Society of -United Irishmen spread with alarming rapidity; and if O'Leary had any -wish to play the spy, he had now a grand opportunity by simulating -ardent patriotism like McNally and others. His great sermon in 1797 was -a declaration of war against French principles, and against all who -adopted the policy of revolution. Again, when it became necessary for -him to preach the panegyric of Pius VI., who died at this time, he went -out of his way to run full tilt against democracy. The 'Courier,' a -popular organ, thus describes it:-- - - Abounding with glowing imagery, classical allusion, and displaying - in every sentence the energy of an enlightened and vigorous mind, - the Doctor took occasion to felicitate his flock, in the most - emphatic terms, on the happiness enjoyed in this country, on the - constitution and state of which he pronounced a fine panegyric, - happily applying to the extent of our dominion and national glory - the line of the poet-- - - Imperium Oceano, famamque terminat astris. - - -O'Leary's friends will hope that it was by this tone, rather than by -playing the ignominious _rôle_ of a spy, that he sought to regain -governmental favour. - -The sole remaining letter in the carefully preserved records of the -informers of '98 which names O'Leary must not be excluded here. Things -had quite changed since 1784. Higgins, in a secret letter to Dublin -Castle, dated January 2, 1798, says:-- - - I took leave to inform you, some time since, that many Roman - Catholics seem apparently sorry for the lengths they've been led, - and suggested, if O'Leary, or any popular preacher, was to exert - himself among them, thousands would come to swear allegiance. I - know O'Leary would be a tower of strength among them. He was their - first champion, and is most highly respected by the multitude. His - writings and preaching prevented the White Boys and insurgents of - the South from joining the rabble of Cork and rising _en masse_ at - the period when the combined fleets of Spain, France, etc., were in - the English Channel.[652] - -Higgins does not say that O'Leary authorised him to make this -proposition; and even had he done so, it cannot be deemed base. - -Orde's letters to the Home Office in 1784, though urging extreme -caution lest he and his colleagues should be themselves betrayed, show -him to be impulsive in statement, and prone to jump to conclusions. -These letters, blemished by an occasional expletive, are printed by Mr. -Lecky. Orde is quite sanguine as regards wonderful Catholic secrets -that O'Leary would unearth, but this is not the only case in which he -exhibits rashness of assumption. - -These notes must now end. If their freedom and fulness need -justification, it is found, perhaps, in O'Leary's own words. He had -meditated a history of the political events of 1780. - - The duty of the Historian [he writes] binds him to arraign at - the impartial tribunal of truth both men and actions; unmask the - leading characters; examine into their motives; lay open the hidden - springs of proceedings, whether worthy of applause, or deserving - to be doomed to censure; and embellish his narrative with suitable - reflections. No person is obliged to write a history [he adds], but - when he writes it he must tell the truth.[653] - -A word remains to be said respecting Parker, the second agent named -in Orde's letter of 1784. He is not so easily identified as Father -O'Leary. The Irish books which treat of the period may be vainly -searched for the name of Parker. It has been said that the adventurous -spirit, who thirteen years later aroused by his eloquence the British -navy to mutiny, was identical or connected with Orde's agent. I do -not bind myself to the truth of this theory; nor am I able to prove -a negative; but certainly some circumstances support it worthy of -consideration; and having promised in a former chapter to recur to -Parker of the Nore, I am afforded an opportunity for doing so by Mr. -Froude's account of the secret mission to Dublin. Orde's agent arrived -there in September 1784, to overreach and, as we are told, outmouth -noisy patriots. It is true that Parker the mutineer was finally -executed by the English authorities; but Jemmy O'Brien, the spy, also -swung at the same hands. The former had received a classical education, -and had served in the navy during the American War. His character -was bad. His irrepressible oratory and power of influencing minds -got him into scrapes. He married a woman with some property, which -he dissipated, and was then imprisoned for debt. Released at length, -he was sent on board the royal fleet as a 'supernumerary seaman,' -to quote Portland's proclamation offering 500_l._ for his arrest. -'The address, ready eloquence, but, above all,' says Rose, 'the deep -dissimulation he possessed, gave him vast influence over his comrades.' -If true that Parker was sent on board the fleet to counteract mutiny, -the result only shows that it is possible for an extinguisher to take -fire. In his written defence, read on the fourth day of his trial, he -'solemnly declared that his only object of entering into the mutiny was -that of checking a most dangerous spirit of revolt which had prevailed -in the different ships, the bad effects of which he had done all in -his power to prevent.' How he fanned the flame of mutiny, and on its -outburst was appointed 'President,' we have already seen. This was in -1797. Who is the Parker, with persuasive oratorical powers, that is -sent on a questionable mission to Ireland in 1784? It may be said that -this cannot be Parker who afterwards figured at the Nore, because at -the time of the secret mission to Dublin he was serving in the navy -at a far distant place. The following words of Gorton make it hard to -prove an 'alibi' for Richard Parker.[654] After describing his service -during the American War, Gorton writes: 'On peace taking place he -retired from his professional duties.' American independence had been -won in 1778; but the articles of peace were not signed by England until -November 30, 1782. Therefore Parker could be easily in Dublin in 1784. -Mr. Froude's remarks about him are meagre, but it may be gleaned that -the Parker of '84 was a man qualified and ready to keep a dark diary -of what he observed. Parker of the Nore had the same habit. When he -was searched, an elaborate diary of the proceedings which had taken -place on shipboard was found. Parker's wife testified to the fact -that he was rhapsodical and eccentric, but the plea failed to save his -life. Orde, in announcing the arrival of Parker of '84, speaks of his -'rhapsodies,' and avows a misgiving that he might not act discreetly. -The written defence of Parker of the Nore was highly rhapsodical, and -the reverse of discreet. But he had abundant talent. Parker of '84 is -described as an accomplished orator, and a good hand at sedition. So -was Richard Parker. The former was an expert in dissimulation. The same -character is given of Richard Parker by Rose. It may be also noteworthy -that Orde's agent hailed from London. Mr. Froude assumes that Parker -was an Irishman; the name is certainly English. - -The 'Courier' of October 14, 1797, records some conversations with -Richard Parker which afford a sample of the rhapsodical eloquence which -had so often entranced his audience. An officer on board the ship that -held him prisoner expressed impatience at not getting ahead, as the -winds were contrary. 'What!' said Parker, 'are you not satisfied with -having an admiral of the British fleet in chains, but you must also -usurp the command of the elements? Or, because you have the honour to -be my executioner, are you likewise as mad as the Persian tyrant who -ordered his minions to lash the waves?' Much more of his talk is given. -The 'Courier' states that 'from peculiar energy of intellect, his -diction, even in common conversation, was bold and original.' - -FOOTNOTES: - -[603] The Viceroy of Ireland. - -[604] _Memoirs of the Courts and Cabinets of George III., from Original -Family Documents_, by the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 1853. - -[605] _Ibid._ - -[606] Dr. England, the first biographer of O'Leary, mentions that his -pension had been charged on the _Irish_ Establishment. - -[607] _Narrative of the Misunderstanding between Rev. A. O'Leary and -Rev. Mr. Hussey_, p. 11. (Dublin, 1791.) - -[608] _Life of O'Leary_, by Rev. T. England, p. 190. - -[609] The good Priest does not quite deny the statement though seeming -to do so. - -[610] With Lord Moira, too--a great Whig power in those days--O'Leary -was specially intimate; and it was this peer who erected in St. -Pancras the monument to his 'virtues and talents,' for which the -_Tablet_ newspaper, fifty years later, opened a subscription list to -restore,--in such enduring honour was the memory of this marvellous -friar held. - -[611] England's _Life of O'Leary_, p. 289. (London, 1822.) - -[612] See _ante_, p. 214. - -[613] _Life of the Rev. A. O'Leary_, by the Rev. M. B. Buckley, pp. -304-5. - -[614] Vide _ante_, p. 213. - -[615] See Alison's _History of Europe_, ii. 30, 203, 425. - -[616] See p. 218, _ante_. - -[617] Buckley's _O'Leary_, p. 306. - -[618] Cumberland's _Memoirs_, ii. 62-5. (London, 1807.) Dr. Hussey had -died four years previous to their publication. - -[619] _Ibid._ - -[620] Previously, Dr. Hussey is found at Vienna, hand in glove with the -Emperor Joseph of Austria. See England's _O'Leary_, p. 199. - -[621] _A Narrative of the Misunderstanding, etc._ p. 7. - -[622] Cumberland's _Memoirs_, ii. 2. - -[623] Del Campo lived in the well-known palatial structure opposite the -old chapel in Spanish Place, described by Thackeray as 'Gaunt House,' -and lately occupied by Sir Richard Wallace. The defeat of the Armada -in 1588 had marked an epoch in the history of the British Empire, and -Englishmen uneasily regarded the feasts and intrigues in Manchester -Square. - -[624] One, published in 'April, 1784, by Keating, of Bond Street,' -displays the following fine sentiment: 'Let not religion--the sacred -name of religion--which even in the face of an enemy discovers a -brother, be any longer a wall of separation to keep us asunder.' - -[625] _A Narrative of the Misunderstanding between the Rev. Arthur -O'Leary and the Rev. Mr. Hussey._ (Dublin: printed at No. 75, Aungier -Street, 1791.) - -[626] _Ibid._ p. 13. - -[627] O'Leary's comment on Hussey's treatment of his picture is -amusing. 'When Constantine the Great was informed that stones were cast -at his statue, he rubbed his forehead and said that he did not feel -himself hurt. And I can say that my body was not lacerated when my -picture was torn.' - -[628] Why Dr. Berington, Bishop of the Midland District, should be -called in was, clearly, because a schism threatened the diocese in -consequence of the Pope appointing Dr. Douglas bishop in opposition -to the strenuous efforts made by the Catholic Committee to get Dr. -Berington translated to London. Several lay members of that league -went so far as to maintain that the clergy and laity ought to choose -their own bishops without any reference to Rome, and procure their -consecration at the hands of any other lawful bishop. After the -appointment of Dr. Douglas, they even threatened to pronounce it -'obnoxious and improper.' Dr. Berington, however, addressed a printed -letter to the London clergy, resigning all pretension to the London -vicariate, and soon the schismatical opposition to Dr. Douglas was -withdrawn. See Brady's _Catholic Hierarchy in England_, pp. 178-9. -(Rome, 1877.) - -[629] On visiting this chapel, in 1888, a fine relic of the ancient -splendour of Spain, I found it very much as it was in the days of -Father O'Leary. A study of Dr. Hussey's face, by Gainsborough, is -preserved here, as well as some maps and papers in the autograph of -the former. The foundation stone of a new church to replace it, and -near the old one, was laid by Cardinal Manning, on June 27, 1887, -in presence of the Infanta of Spain and the Spanish minister. Canon -Barry, the present pastor, mentions an interesting tradition connected -with Tyburn tree, which, as is well known, stood near the Marble -Arch: 'The Chapel of the Spanish Embassy was, during the dark days of -persecution, a special home for Catholics. Many a martyr on his way to -Tyburn received the blessing of the chaplain of the embassy and was -aided by the prayers offered in the Spanish Chapel for perseverance in -his conflict for the faith.' The Canon, in the course of a statistical -detail, adds: 'When war between England and Spain broke out, the usual -payments made by Spain for the support of the chapel fell 4,000_l._ -into arrears. Diplomatic relations having been again suspended between -England and Spain in 1805, the chapel was confided to the care of Don -Miguel de la Torre.' - -[630] Del Campo ceased, soon after, to be Spanish minister to St. -James's, and was succeeded by the Chevalier Azara. The latter had great -influence at the Vatican, and proposed that Dr. Hussey should be the -channel of communication between the Pope and the British Government. -_Castlereagh Papers_ iii. 86. - -[631] An historic writer, Sir Nathaniel Wraxall, famous rather for -pleasant gossip than for strict accuracy, states that the Spanish -embassy in London maintained friendly relations with England. But what -was the prevailing idea in Spanish diplomatic circles at this time -is traceable in a despatch of Talleyrand published last year (1890) -by M. Pallain. Talleyrand states, on the authority of the personal -assurance of the Spanish minister, that nearly all the sailors who man -the British fleet are Irish, and from love of country would turn their -guns on England. The accurate number will be found set forth at p. 114, -_ante_. - -[632] The sermon was preached in St. Patrick's, Soho, where O'Leary -mainly officiated. Last year (1891) the chapel was in process of -demolition. - -[633] _Vide_ chap. xi. _ante_. - -[634] Father Buckley, the biographer of O'Leary, died soon after the -date of the following letter. It notices a weakness, of which a paid -purveyor of news, like Higgins, would be apt to take ready advantage. -Shamado is likely to have been the more successful because his own -character of a brain-sucker and betrayer had not then been unmasked. -On December 7, 1869, Father Buckley writes from SS. Peter and Paul's, -Cork: 'The _Personal Memoirs_ have arrived, and I am much pleased with -them. The sketch of O'Leary I am sorry I had not seen, to embody in -my book. I fear, however, it would not have tended much to enhance -the esteem of the good _padre's_ character, inasmuch as, in the -background of the picture, there is a strong steam of whisky-punch, -and the narrative affords a strong confirmation of what Michael Kelly -records that Father O'Leary, like himself, was rather partial to "Saint -Patrick's Eye-Water." - -[635] It cannot be said that this agency was of a base character. In -1795, Dr. Hussey announces to Edmund Burke that the Catholics were -loyal and ready to spill their blood to resist the French (Lecky, -vii. 90). Mr. Lecky states that he was 'constantly employed by the -Government in negotiations with the Irish Catholics.' In September -1794, Dr. Hussey, then an _employé_ of the Crown, comes over to consult -with the Catholic bishops at Dublin on new measures of education -(Lecky, vii. 121). The foundation of Maynooth College was the result. - -[636] Higgins to Cooke, September 1, 1797. (MSS. Dublin Castle.) - -[637] _Vide_ 'Fathers of the Turf,' in _St. James's Gazette_, January -6, 1881. The writer adds that O'Kelly is said to have held post-obits -to a large amount, 'and his transactions were upon so large a scale -that he might be seen turning over "quires" of bank-notes in search of -a "little one," by which term he meant one for £50.' In the Registry of -Deeds Office, Dublin, is preserved a document, dated February 12, 1819, -whereby the Marquis of Donegal secures to O'Kelly the sum of 27,934_l._ -12_s._ 4_d._, a gambling debt, and O'Kelly is described as Andrew Denis -O'Kelly, Esq., son and heir apparent of Philip Kelly, Esq., deceased. -'Colonel' O'Kelly died in 1820, leaving no children. - -[638] _Life of O'Leary_, by the Rev. M. B. Buckley, p. 357 (italics in -original). - -[639] Vide _Ireland before the Union_, 6th ed. pp. 211-15. (Dublin: -Duffy.) - -[640] Grattan's _Life_, by his Son. Those who may suppose that O'Leary -forgot the priest in the diplomat, should see Father Morgan D'Arcy's -account of the reforms he effected in the demoralised region of St. -Giles. _Vide_ Buckley, pp. 397 _et seq._ - -[641] _Life of O'Leary_, by Rev. M. B. Buckley, p. 359. - -[642] See _ante_, p. 213. - -[643] _Ireland before the Union_, pp. 211-15. - -[644] _Life of the Rev. Arthur O'Leary_, by the Rev. M. B. Buckley, p. -355. - -[645] See _ante_, p. 218. - -[646] W. E. H. Lecky, Esq. to W. J. F., October 28, 1890. - -[647] _Parliamentary Register_, Feb. 26, 1782. - -[648] In a letter signed by Orde. - -[649] _Address to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal_, p. 12. (London, -1800.) - -[650] O'Leary does not tell this anecdote correctly. It was not of -two ladies named Devereux, but of a famous beauty, Miss Ambrose, that -Chesterfield made this joke; and it was told, not to George II., but -to Lord North. Chesterfield addressed the following impromptu to Miss -Ambrose at a viceregal ball:-- - - 'Pretty Tory, where's the jest - Of wearing orange on a breast - Which, in whiteness, doth disclose - The beauty of the rebel rose?' - -[651] See _ante_, p. 220. - -[652] Francis Higgins to Under-Secretary Cooke. (MSS. Dublin Castle.) - -[653] _Postscript to Miscellaneous Tracts_, 1781. - -[654] Richard Parker is usually described as a common sailor. A -statement from his widow appears in the _Courier_ of July 5, 1797: -she claimed Parker's corpse, and, when asked by the admiral for what -purpose, she answered, 'To have him interred like a gentleman, as he -had been bred.' The request was refused. Parker's corpse remained -exposed for years on the island of Sheppey, hung in chains until it -dropped to pieces at last. The London _Courier_ of the day insists that -he had been for some time a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -BISHOP HUSSEY - - -The subsequent career of Dr. Hussey--of whom a glimpse is obtained on a -previous page--affords features sufficiently curious to claim a fuller -view. - -A second mission of secrecy to Spain proved more successful than his -first. In 1786 London swarmed with freed negroes, made wicked by -idleness, and four hundred of them, with sixty white women in bad -health and worse repute, were shipped by the Government to Sierra Leone -to form a colony. Eight years afterwards this settlement was attacked -by the French; Spain sided against England; Dr. Hussey again repaired -to Madrid, healed the rupture, and Sierra Leone is now a bishopric. For -these and other services Hussey enjoyed a pension from Pitt.[655] - -The 'Wickham Papers'--published in 1870--reveal the successful efforts -of Pitt to sap Napoleon's power, by paying Pichegru and other French -generals on condition that they would do their best to be beaten in -battle. Wickham had been sent on more than one secret mission to -the Continent, and acquired a shrewd knowledge of the intrigues of -men.[656] He was afterwards appointed Under-Secretary at the Home -Office, in which capacity he addressed to Lord Castlereagh at Dublin -Castle, many letters in 1798, but hundreds of their allusions as -printed have been, hitherto, unintelligible. One, referring to the -statement drawn up by Arthur O'Connor and the other State prisoners, -says:-- - - I observe also that they have passed very lightly over their - connections with the Spanish Government, and yet we have undoubted - proof that a direct communication had taken place with some - Minister of that country at the time that McNevin was at Hamburg. - The Duke of Portland particularly wishes that some of them should - be closely questioned as to this point, and the mode now adopted of - examining them separately seems to be particularly favourable for - drawing the real secret from them. They certainly had audiences of - the Spanish Chargé d'Affaires at Hamburg, and, I believe, also of - Mr. D. C. at Paris. I have always had strong suspicions that Dr. - H.[657] has sent returns of the state and temper of the Catholics - in Ireland to the Spanish Government.[658] - -'D.C.' must be Del Campo,[659] the Spanish Minister already mentioned -in Sydney's letter about O'Leary; and 'Dr. H.' can only mean Dr. -Hussey, chaplain to the Spanish embassy in London. As such, he was -the servant of Spain, and when a conclave of English Catholics named -him as envoy to Rome, there to lay before Pius VI. a document of much -importance, Del Campo refused him leave of absence. The latter had now -ceased to be Spanish minister, and Lord Camden had become the Viceroy -of Ireland. Mr. Froude, with warmth, writes: 'Lord Camden had brought -into Ireland, as he supposed, a serpent of healing, but it turned on -him and stung him.'[660] This allusion is to Dr. Hussey who, in 1797, -became Bishop of Waterford, and at once issued a pastoral charge so -ultramontane that it gave quite a shock at Whitehall. He lived in -a style of brilliant pretension hitherto unattempted by his brother -bishops,--men who, as Shiel states, were wont to pick their steps -stealthily, as among penal traps. Dr. Hussey's elevation to the See of -Waterford was due to the British Crown, but may have been influenced by -a desire to shelve him in a remote place where he could do scant harm -by intrigue. - -'It was as mischievous a performance as ever I read,' quoth Sir John -Coxe Hippesley _à propos_ of Dr. Hussey's pastoral, 'and ministers -here took care he should know their sentiments on that subject. He was -in dudgeon thereat, and the Duke of Portland told me he demanded his -passport "to return to Spain;" it was made out, but the doctor thought -better of it, and he remains to lend his hand to _the tranquillity_ of -Ireland.'[661] - -It appears, however, from the Vatican archives that Hussey, in March -1798, did petition the Pope for leave of absence from his diocese, and -for a coadjutor, 'as he could not obtain the consent of the Court of -Spain to leave its service.' He adds that for thirty years he was head -of the Spanish Ambassador's Chapel, London.[662] His _amour propre_, -no doubt, revolted from accepting at Portland's hands the passport to -return to Spain--if, indeed, he could desert his diocese without leave -from the Pope. A coadjutor bishop was not granted, but, in reply to the -request for leave of absence, it was stipulated by Rome that Hussey -should appoint efficient vicars to govern the see while away.[663] Was -it of this arrangement that, as Hippesley says, he 'thought better'? -Between the two accounts the diplomat stands confessed. He certainly -passed the year 1799 in London, where, true to his instincts, we find -him busy as a bee. Writing to J. Bernard Clinch, the influential -occupant of a chair at Maynooth, he says of the then mooted Legislative -Union:-- - - Whatever my reason may tell me upon a cool inquiry, my feelings - rejoice at it. I told the Chancellor of your Exchequer here, that I - would prefer a Union with the Beys and Mamelukes of Egypt to that - of being under the iron rod of the Mamelukes of Ireland; but, alas! - I fear that a Union will not remedy the ills of poor Erin. The - remnants of old oppression and new opinions that lead to anarchy - (to use the words of a foolish milk-and-water letter) still keep - the field of battle, and until one side be defeated, the country is - not safe. Another project upon which I have been consulted is, to - grant salaries or pension to the Catholic clergy of the higher and - lower order.[664] The conditions upon which they are to be granted, - as first proposed to me, are directly hostile to the interests of - religion, and, taken in the most favourable point of view, must - be detrimental to the Catholics, by cutting asunder the slender - remaining ties between the pastor and his flock, by turning the - discipline and laws of the Church into a mercantile, political - speculation, and must end in making the people unbelievers, and, - consequently, Jacobins--upon the French scale. Whether the prelates - of Ireland have courage or energy enough to oppose any such project - so hurtful to religion, I will not say. Indeed, the infernal Popery - laws have lessened the courage of the clergy, as well as destroyed - the honesty and morals of the people, and my affection for my - native land is not so effaced as to enable me to say with our - countryman, after he had gone to bed, 'Arrah, let the house burn - away; what do I care, who am only a lodger?'[665] - -Dr. Hussey had been so long condemned to observe the Carthusian rule of -silence that he seemed, when freed from restraint, like an opened flask -of 'Mumm.' - -It has been said that only in the confessional, or in chaunting, is -this Trappist vow wholly dispensed with. The desire for shrift is -implied by pointing to the mouth and beating the breast. To a man -orally gifted like Hussey this restraint must, indeed, have proved -painful, and accounts for the wonderful reaction in which he now -revelled. - -As a preacher, he made a sensation in the West End second only to that -subsequently awakened by Irving's sermons at Hatton Garden. Charles -Butler was present at one preached by Dr. Hussey on the small number -of the elect. He asked whether, if the arch of Heaven were to open and -the Son of Man, bursting from the mercy in which He is now enveloped, -should stand in that church and judge his hearers, 'it were certain -that three or even two--nay, trembling for myself as well as for you, -is it quite certain that even one of us,' thundered Dr. Hussey, 'would -be saved?' 'During this apostrophe,' writes Butler, 'the audience was -agonised--at the interrogation there was a general shriek--some fell on -the ground--the greatest triumph of eloquence I ever witnessed.'[666] - -'Dr. Hussey was no favourite at Rome--possibly through lay intrigue, to -which Gonsalvi was but too open,' observes an octogenarian priest of -Waterford. The Holy See, however, quite recognised Hussey's powers as -a diplomatist, for one of his last acts was to draw up the _Concordat_ -between Pius VII. and Napoleon--in which delicate mission he obtained -the thanks of both. A long account of Hussey's interview at the -Tuileries is given by England; and how struck Napoleon was with his -arguments and expression. - -The 'Burke Correspondence' describes Dr. Hussey's resolute attitude in -requiring that the rights of Catholic soldiers should be recognised. -The 'O'Renehan Papers' supply further details. At Clonmel Gaol he -demanded the release of a Catholic soldier who had refused to receive -religious instruction from the parson. The officer in command insulted -Dr. Hussey, adding that he would flog him but for his coat. 'You wear -the coat of a brave man,' said the bishop, 'and no one but a coward -ever uttered such a threat; I dare you to touch me.' 'You shall not -remain here, sir,' cried the officer, sulkily. 'Nor the soldier -either,' replied Hussey, 'for I shall report your conduct this day, -and obtain his release.' He did write to the Duke of Portland, and the -soldier was discharged from prison.[667] - -People were puzzled as to how Hussey managed, in penal days, to -have influence with the Home Secretary. The most secret doings of -the executive were known to Hussey. Lord Cloncurry mentions in his -'Memoirs' (p. 64), that all his motions in London in 1798 were -carefully watched by a spy, and he adds: 'My kind informant was Dr. -Hussey, who had been private secretary to the Duke of Portland.' - -How he first came in touch with the King's ministers, and even with -the King himself, happened in this way. When Spain joined France in -assisting America to throw off the English yoke, the Spanish minister -quitted London, giving to Hussey authority to complete certain -diplomatic negotiations. - -Some erroneous impressions prevailed to the prejudice of this singular -man. Cumberland blows hot and cold: speaks of the honours Hussey -received from Spain, and that he had clearly no repugnance to those -that his Church could give. 'He had no wish to stir up insurrection; -but'--adds Cumberland--'to head a revolution that should overturn the -Church established, and enthrone himself primate in Armagh, would have -been his glory and felicity--and, in truth, he was a man, by talents, -nerve, ambition, and intrepidity, fitted for the boldest enterprise.' -This impression seems partly due to a Good Friday sermon, in which -Dr. Hussey announced the speedy emancipation of the Catholics, and -the downfall of sectarianism in Ireland. He established new schools, -hospitals, and convents in Waterford, and endowed them with gold. - -The widespread feeling of distrust in public men which certain -incidents of the time aroused is curiously shown by the remark of -Sylvanus Urban, when announcing Hussey's death. 'The enemies of -administration said he was employed by Government to sow the seeds of -dissension with a view to bring about the Union. Others considered him -an agent of France.'[668] We have seen, on the authority of Froude, -that he turned on his former friends in the Cabinet, and stung them; -while Edmund Burke, writing to Hussey on his famous pastoral, says:-- - - From the moment that the Government, who employed you, betrayed - you, they determined at the same time to destroy you. They are - not a people to stop short in their course. You have come to an - open issue with them. On your part, what you have done has been - perfectly agreeable to your duty as a Catholic bishop and a man of - honour and spirit. - -This was almost the last letter written by Burke. - -The Pelham MSS. contain the following curious letter addressed by -Hussey to Pelham, afterwards Lord Chichester, and a most influential -member of the Government. Hussey's informant was, no doubt, Edmund -Burke:-- - - Waterford: April 19, 1797. - - Sir,--I received this day a letter from a friend of mine who sits - in Parliament, who heard you defend the meaning of some sentiments - in a pastoral letter, supposed to be addressed to the Roman - Catholic clergy of this diocese by the Right Reverend Dr. Hussey, - against the admixture of fulsome flattery and captious malevolence - of a placeman, and though the intimacy that once subsisted between - us has ceased, I will not be inferior in generosity to any man, and - accordingly I embrace this occasion to thank you for the justice - you do me. If done some months ago it would silence some malevolent - whispers and have obliged your humble servant, - - THOS. HUSSEY. - - -An account of Maynooth College by one of its professors appears in -the 'Irish Magazine' for February 1808; and it is mentioned as a fact -not generally known that Burke was 'attended spiritually in his last -illness by Dr. Hussey.' In the accounts of Burke's funeral Dr. Hussey's -presence is recorded; and it is told by Dr. England that when Hussey -approached his old friend Portland in the graveyard, the duke turned -abruptly away. 'Crosses' continued to come. Pelham, replying to Dr. -Duigenan on February 22, 1799, declared that the Board of Maynooth had -displaced their president for non-residence. - -Hussey with all his friendship for Burke was no friend to his son. A -letter from John Keogh to Hussey, dated October 2, 1792, and seemingly -communicated by the latter to Dundas, then Home Secretary, is preserved -among the Secret Irish State Papers in London. It repudiates Burke's -son who had been sent to Ireland by his father as an agent on behalf -of the Catholics, and tells Dundas that he was wholly unauthorised to -speak for that body. According to Tone's journal of September 1792, -Keogh regarded young Burke as a spy sent by Dundas. He was wrong, for -Hobart, writing to Nepean, on October 4, 1792, states that Dundas took -credit with Westmoreland for having given Burke a chilling reception on -his return to England. This was the youth of whom Buckle says, 'Never -can there be forgotten those touching allusions to the death of that -only son, who was the joy of his soul and the pride of his heart, and -to whom he fondly hoped to bequeath the inheritance of his imperishable -fame.' - -Hussey was succeeded as an intermediary between the Irish Catholics -and the Crown by Dr. Moylan, Bishop of Cork. This prelate--who had -denounced the French when their fleet lay in Bantry Bay, for which he -would have lost his head had they been able to land--became a great -favourite with Pitt and Portland. - -The duke in a letter dated Bulstrode, July 27, 1800, states:-- - - There can be, and there never has been, but one opinion of the - firmness, the steadiness, and the manliness of Dr. Moylan's - character, which it was agreed by all those who had the pleasure - of meeting him here, was as engaging as his person, which avows - and bespeaks as much goodwill as can be well imagined in a human - countenance. - -Dr. Hussey, as the first President of Maynooth, regarded it with -paternal anxiety; and as he was now in deep disfavour with the -Government, he asked Dr. Moylan to plead for it, and probably -draughted the words. The lay seminary of Maynooth, in which Judge -Corballis and other able men received their education, was threatened -with suppression at this time. - - Whoever was the adviser of this measure [writes Dr. Moylan] - consulted more his bigotry than the welfare of his Excellency's - administration, or the dictates of sound policy, for what could be - more impolitic than the suppression of the only house for the lay - education of the Roman Catholic youth immediately under the eye - and inspection of Government, and under the direction of trustees - who must have the confidence of Government--an establishment in - which the principles of loyalty and attachment to his Majesty's - Government and to our excellent Constitution are, I am bold to - say, as strongly inculcated into the minds of the pupils as in any - college or other place of education in his Majesty's dominions. - -Dr. Moylan adds:-- - - So violent an act gives cause to suspect that it is only a prelude - to other unfriendly measures, and in particular to the suppression - of the college at Maynooth, of which we shall ever remember with - gratitude that your Lordship has been the comer-stone.[669] - -Pelham usually endorses his letters with a memorandum of his reply--but -in this instance none seems to have been given. Dr. Hussey regarded -uneasily the threatened downfall of the house which he had raised. The -estrangement of old friends, and prolonged anxiety, preyed upon him, -and in the following year he dropped down dead. This event occurred at -Tramore, near Waterford. He had - - Fondly hoped--his long vexations past-- - Here to return, and die at home at last. - -The Bishop outlived O'Leary by eighteen months, and attended the -funeral of his rival. His own was marked by a painful incident. Polemic -and party spirit ran so high that some militia and soldiers attempted -to throw the coffin into the river Suir; a disgraceful riot took place, -and several lives were lost.[670] My correspondent was puzzled to -account for an occurrence so painful, but it is clearly traceable to -the friction which had arisen between Dr. Hussey and certain military -officers. He was fortunate in not living to see the extinction of the -Lay College at Maynooth which had known his fostering care. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[655] For other instances in which priests acted as secret agents see -Appendix. - -[656] One letter conveys the proposal of a much respected ecclesiastic -'to foment an insurrection in the Cevennes.' _Wickham Correspondence_, -i. 165. - -[657] Hussey was residing in Ireland from 1795. Four years previously -his friend, Bishop Egan of Waterford, recommended him at Rome as -worthy to succeed 'the illustrious' Archbishop Butler of Cashel. See -_O'Renehan Papers_. - -[658] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 264. - -[659] It may be said that the prefix 'Mr.' disturbs this belief; but -all Wickham's letters thus describe foreign diplomats. For example, -he writes to Lord Grenville on October 5, 1796: 'I have had in my own -hands, and read, a despatch of _Mr._ La Croix to _Mr._ Barthelemy,' -etc.--_Wickham Correspondence_, i. 462. - -[660] _English in Ireland_, iii. 215. As Dr. Hussey, an Irishman by -birth, had been president from 1795, of the college at Maynooth, it is -not quite correct to say that the young Englishman, Lord Camden, who -became Viceroy in 1797, brought Hussey to Ireland. - -[661] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, iii. 89. - -[662] See Brady's _Episcopal Succession_, ii. 75. (Rome, 1876.) - -[663] _Ibid._ - -[664] In 1799, it appears that Bishop Douglas of London was anxious -that a provision should be made for the English Catholic clergy; in -other words, that they should be pensioned. See _Castlereagh Papers_, -iii. 87. - -[665] In March 1799, as I find from the Pelham MSS., Dr. Moylan, Bishop -of Cork, urges in the name of his colleagues a State endowment of the -clergy. - -[666] Hussey, as the friend of Johnson, is allotted a niche by Boswell. - -[667] I find in the Pelham MSS. an interesting paper of eight folios, -in Hussey's autograph, as regards an alleged systematic interference -with the religious tenets of soldiers, and handed by himself to the -Government. There is also a letter from Portland, dated November 1, -1796, concerning the alleged appointment by the Pope of Dr. Hussey as -Vicar Apostolic over the Catholic military of Ireland. Pitt, in giving -him authority over Catholic chaplains, did so on the understanding -that, as a staunch anti-Jacobin which he was, he would stamp out -disaffection in the army. - -[668] _Gentleman's Magazine_, September 1803, p. 881. - -[669] Cork, January 1, 1802; the Pelham MSS. Pelham had been Chief -Secretary for Ireland when Maynooth College was founded. - -[670] The late Very Rev. Dr. Fitzgerald, P.P., Carrick-on-Suir, to the -Author, September 19, 1888. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS DEEP IN TREASON--PLOT AND COUNTER-PLOT - - -Twelve Presbyterian clergymen were concerned in the rebellion: the Rev. -W. Steel Dickson, D.D., who wrote an interesting 'Narrative' of his -'Confinement and Exile,' Rev. Samuel Barbar, Rev. William Porter, Rev. -Sinclair Kelburne, Rev. Arthur McMahon, and the Rev. Messrs. Stevelly, -Simpson, MacNeil, Sinclair, Glardy, Birch, and Warwick. Of these men -three were executed: Porter, Stevelly, and Warwick. It is to be feared -that one of the twelve became a Judas. - -There are two informers, McMahon and Durnin, who have never been -noticed by Madden or other historians of the time. I now quote from -Bourrienne, formerly the private secretary of Napoleon, and afterwards -ambassador to Hamburg. Berthier will be remembered as the Minister of -War and Prince of Wagram, who met a violent death during the Hundred -Days. - -'Previous to my arrival in Hamburg in 1804,' writes Bourrienne, -Marshal 'Berthier had recommended to Bernadotte two Irishmen as spies. -Bernadotte employed them, but I learned that McMahon, one of the two, -rendered himself more serviceable to England than to us. I communicated -this fact to Bernadotte, who ascertained that my information was -accurate.' The future King replied:-- - - I have the honor to inform you, Marshal, that two Irishmen residing - in Hamburg, MM. Durnin and MacMahon, who had been liberally - rewarded by the English Government _for coming to France_ to act as - spies on the Irish refugees and the views of the French Government, - have offered their services to assist the designs of France in the - cause of the United Irishmen. - - His Majesty wishes that you should accept the offer of these two - Irishmen; that you should employ them in obtaining all possible - information, and even furnish them with whatever money may be - necessary. - - For the sake of expedition, I have written on this subject to - General Dessolle, who commands in Hanover during your absence, - and I beg that you will transmit to him the orders necessary for - following the Emperor's instructions. - - I have the honor, etc. - BERTHIER. - -Bourrienne says that, but for the information he had transmitted to -Berthier, Bernadotte would have conceived himself bound to employ the -two men recommended to him. The following was his answer:-- - - I have received your letter, my dear minister, and thank you for - your attention in communicating to me the information it contains. - - I never had great confidence in the fidelity or intelligence of - MacMahon. He was never entrusted with any business of importance, - and if I furnished him with the means of subsistence, it was - because he was recommended to me by the war minister, and, - besides, his unfortunate condition could not but excite pity. I - at first allowed him four hundred francs per month; but finding - him perfectly useless, I reduced that allowance to two hundred and - fifty, which was barely sufficient for him to live on. He has not - been at headquarters for the last three months. - - I enclose a copy of the letter which the war minister wrote to me - respecting MacMahon. - - T. BERNADOTTE.[671] - -Bernadotte's missive, like a shell, bursts with crushing force. The -fact that McMahon's movements in '98 are continually reported to the -British Government would show, however, that it was not until _after_ -the collapse of the rebellion, and want stared him in the face, that -he sold his information. When hunger sent its spasm remorse lost its -pang. - -In the report of the Secret Committee of the House of Lords, issued in -1798, it appears, from the sworn testimony of John Hughes of Belfast, -that - - in June 1797 he attended a meeting at Randalstown, which consisted - of Teeling, Lowry, Robert Moore, and Colonel James Plunkett. He - attended said meeting by the direction of Lowry and Teeling to hear - the report of the Colonels of the County of Antrim. The Report - was brought by Dunne, accompanied by the Rev. Arthur MacMahon of - Holywood. The first resolution was that it would be imprudent to - act at that time without foreign aid, but that if the County of - Down would act, a part of the Antrim Colonels, who could bring out - nine or ten thousand men, would act with Down. The meeting broke - up in consequence of the division amongst the Antrim Colonels. The - Rev. Arthur MacMahon told the meeting that he had been sent by the - Colonels of the County of Down to state to the Colonels of the - County of Antrim, who had met at Park Gate that day, that they (the - Colonels of Down) were willing to rise, and that he had delivered - such the message of the Down Colonels to the Antrim Colonels. - MacMahon was then a member of the Ulster Provincial Committee, - and he told him that he had been one of the seven Colonels of the - County of Down who had been selected and appointed leaders for said - county; and he also told him that he (MacMahon) was a member of the - National Executive. - - MacMahon was informed on his road home (as he heard) that he would - be taken; and he, Robert Rollo Read, Hastings Mason, once an - officer in the Downshire Militia, and John Magennis, took boat at - Bangor and got over to Scotland, and afterwards _MacMahon got to - France_, where he still is.--Pp. 28-9. - -The report and appendix of the Secret Committee is known to have been -edited by Alexander Knox, whom Lord Macaulay afterwards described -as 'a remarkable man.' Mr. Knox was the private secretary of Lord -Castlereagh; and, in compiling the report for the Government, he -disclosed as much of McMahon's proceedings as was convenient for their -purpose. The Government well knew that McMahon had engaged deeply in -treason between the period of his taking boat at Bangor and getting -to France. The second volume of Lord Castlereagh's Correspondence -opens with the following secret letter. Quigley, or O'Coigly, will be -remembered as the unfortunate priest who was hanged at Maidstone in May -1798:-- - -'McMahon, member of the executive committee, a Presbyterian parson -from the County of Down, forced to emigrate in June last, came over to -London, where he met with Quigley, who was likewise obliged to leave -Ireland. They started together in London, imitating the Patriots in the -mode of forming societies after the plan of the United Irish. They had -heard of the expedition at the Texel being intended for Ireland, and it -was agreed on that an insurrection should be attempted in London, as -soon as the landing was effected in Ireland. Colonel Despard was to be -the leading person, and the King and Council were to be put to death, -&c. Their force was estimated at 40,000, ready to turn out. McMahon, -hearing he was traced to London, resolved on going for France, and took -Quigley as his interpreter; he got a subscription made to pay Quigley's -expenses, and collected twenty-five guineas, fifteen of which were -given by a Mr. Bell, of the City. - -'McMahon and Quigley went over to Cuxhaven, thence directly to Holland, -were on board the fleet, and, when the expedition went off, proceeded -to Paris. They there found Lewins, but could get no satisfactory -answers from him relative to his communications with the French -Government. A quarrel was the consequence, and Father Quigley was -despatched privately by McMahon to London, to get some one sent over to -represent the Patriots of both nations, and to replace Lewins.'[672] - -Seaton Reid, D.D., the able historian of the Presbyterian Church, -says that in 1789 McMahon was ordained to the pastoral charge of -Kilrea, and in 1794 became minister of Holywood. He is described as -a man of daring character, and considerable literary attainments. Dr. -Reid's History has been continued by Dr. Killen, an ecclesiastical -historian of rank, who found McMahon's subsequent career involved in -great mystery. 'On the Continent,' writes Dr. Killen, 'he embraced the -military profession, and it is said--with what truth I know not--that -he became distinguished as General Mack.' Most notices of Mack, the -Austrian general, say that he died in obscurity, and at a date unknown. -It is almost a pity to disturb the romance with which Dr. Killen has -invested this subject,--but 'truth is stranger than fiction.' An -inquiry into the life of General Mack is fatal to the suggestion of the -Presbyterian historian.[673] - -The arrival of Arthur McMahon at Paris is specially noted in Tone's -Diary on February 1, 1798.[674] Soon after the Hamburg spy announces, -with other facts, that McMahon--O'Coigly's companion--is appointed -colonel and aide-de-camp to Napper Tandy.[675] A later letter of secret -information, no doubt from Turner--who had been a colleague of McMahon -when organising treason in Ulster--says:-- - - MacMahon has about 300_l._ sterling, property remitted him by - Charles Rankin of Belfast; this he means to employ in buying a - farm. Tired of politics,[676] especially those of France, he is to - write to Citoyen Jean Thomas, à la Poste restante, à Hamburg, whom - he looks on as a good patriot. - -The 'Castlereagh Papers' give a secret account of Tandy's expedition; -and how 'Joseph Orr and McMahon the clergyman, went out in a small -corvette of eight guns, to reconnoitre the Irish coast and to fire -signals; but the boat turned leaky, and they were obliged to put into -Flushing, being chased by the English cruisers. These two refused to go -any more, and went to Boulogne, where they follow privateering.'[677] - -This is the last we hear of McMahon until he turns up in the letter of -Berthier, the French Minister of War. - -It would have been well for McMahon's friends had the quondam shepherd -entered on pastoral work of another sort, assuming that he seriously -entertained the idea, and that it was not mooted by him to throw Turner -off the scent. Turner--at this time--had begun to be suspected, as -Reinhard shows (_ante_, p. 53). Certain it is, the _soi-disant_ farmer -chose dirtier work than scouring drains, or even spreading manure. -But as his movements with Tandy are secretly reported to the British -Government, it would seem that he had not as yet become a regular -informer. Whatever proposal he made to Pitt, the bargain was apparently -bungled. Unlike others, his name is not to be found in any pension -list. Judging from the poverty in which Bernadotte found McMahon in -1803, his trade as a spy cannot have been very remunerative. But -increased trade often brings large profits, and his opportunities for -doing good work for Pitt were certainly greater after 1804. - -Experience taught McMahon something. A disappointed man, willing to spy -on behalf of whichever side paid best, had at least no difficulty in -making a choice. How he gradually acquired facilities for plying his -trade with profit now remains to be shown. - -Miles Byrne--who held a command in the rebel lines at Vinegar -Hill, narrowly escaped with his life, was afterwards the trusted -agent of Robert Emmet in 1803, and became a colonel in the French -service--supplies in his Memoirs an honoured list of 'exiled Irish -whom he met in France,' including 'Arthur McMahon.' This would be -about the year 1803. Matthew Dowling, Byrne's host on the occasion, -had been deeply compromised in '98, and his name is often met in the -autobiographies of Cloncurry, Hamilton Rowan, and Moore. - - I spent [writes Byrne] one evening at his lodgings in company with - Paul Murray and Arthur MacMahon, and he made us nearly forget we - were far away from our home; he made us proud of being exiles in a - good cause. - -The statement of the historian of the Presbyterian Church that the -Rev. Arthur McMahon embraced the military profession, and became -distinguished as 'General Mack,' is true in every particular, except -the last three words. - -In 1804 the Irish legion was formed by Napoleon, and McMahon got a -commission from Berthier. Colonel Miles Byrne speaks of McMahon as -amongst his 'best friends and comrades--we were happy and united.'[678] -The risk he ran of a bear's hug never struck him. 'We could see the -masts of the ships in the bay of Brest, from whence we expected soon -to sail with an army to liberate our beloved country; this view caused -sensations that exiles alone can feel and appreciate.' Byrne goes on -to say that General Sarazan was 'suspected to have been in the pay of -England.' Not one word is dropped to the prejudice of McMahon. - -A great crisis in England's history had now arisen. Buonaparte was -master of Europe. Russia joined him; Prussia and Austria were all but -his serfs; North Germany was annexed to France. In 1809 the Walcheren -expedition--consisting of 235 ships and 40,000 land forces--was -despatched by England with the object of checking Napoleon's advance -into Austria. - -Never had a grander fleet left England, or great expectation been more -utterly crushed. After a prolonged bombardment, Admiral Strahan and -Lord Chatham evacuated Walcheren on December 23, 1809. They returned -to England, but with McMahon a prisoner.[679] This capture, however, -failed to satisfy Parliament. Angry discussion rose, Canning and -Castlereagh fought a duel, Burdett was lodged in the Tower, riots rent -London, and Lord Chatham resigned to avoid deeper disgrace.[680] - -Bernadotte, it will be remembered, while admitting that McMahon had -never been entrusted by France with secret business of importance, yet -complains of his inefficiency as a spy. What but disappointment could -ensue? Bourrienne, the minister of France at Hamburg, learned long -after, as he tells us, that MacMahon gave to England information vastly -exceeding in value anything he told France. England could pay well when -she chose, while the fund available in France for secret service was -shallow and precarious. - -As regards the second spy named in Bernadotte's letter to Berthier, -histories of the rebellion may be vainly searched for any mention of -Durnin; nor is it surprising, when we know, as we now do, that this -man had three or four aliases. Nay, more--he is sometimes described in -the Government reports merely by an initial! Thus, Wickham encloses -to Castlereagh a letter from Crawford, British minister at Hamburg, -in which he says, 'one D----, alias C----, who murdered Pentland at -Drogheda--a man much esteemed by Mr. Beresford, is now here.'[681] The -usually exhaustive index to the 'Castlereagh Correspondence' includes -no name resembling Durnin. However, it turns up in a letter of Wickham -to Castlereagh, dated November 23, 1798, announcing that a vessel named -the 'Morgan Rattler' had just arrived at Hamburg from Dublin with some -rebel fugitives, and bearing letters and papers from Coll, a colonel in -the rebel army at Wexford, and 'Duff, alias Campbell, but whose real -name,' he adds, 'is _Dornan_.'[682] Lower down in the letter, Wickham -adds that 'Campbell, alias Duff, but whose real name is Dornan, is -said to have been concerned in the murder of a person of the name of -Pentland, or Portland, near Drogheda.'[683] - -Here at last one gets upon a long-lost track--a track, it is to be -feared, of a double-dyed villain. Dalton's 'History of Drogheda' -mentions (ii. 370) that in 1796, shortly after the arrival of the -French fleet in Bantry Bay, 'Mr. Pentland, surveyor of excise in -Drogheda, was inhumanly and wilfully murdered.' - -Officers of excise usually kept a sharp watch on the coast; and hence, -probably, Durnin deemed it well to 'remove' him. Why Durnin figured -under the name of Duff at Drogheda may have been because it was -endeared to the people by historic tradition. D'Alton--the historian of -Drogheda--often mentions the Duffs, and how for faith and fatherland -they suffered attainder in 1691. I cannot find that Durnin attained -any influence in the councils of the United Irishmen; but McMahon must -have been a person of culture and prepossessing manners to succeed in -exciting the sympathy of a stoical soldier of the Revolution, and who, -moreover, had reason to doubt his fidelity. The name Arthur McMahon -is found in the Fugitive Bill of 1798. But this circumstance affords -no proof that he was not then a spy; for Turner also figures in the -Fugitive Bill, and was afterwards subjected to the mock penalty of -imprisonment. The Banishment Act includes the name 'John Dorney.' -Durnin and Dorney are convertible names. A gardener named Durnin, or -Dorney (for the peasantry hail him by both names), has been employed in -the author's family for many years. - -When one considers the heterogeneous character of the throng who -joined the ranks of the United Irishmen, it is only surprising that -their secrets were so well kept. The late Frank Thorpe Porter, a -well-known police magistrate, gave me a personal reminiscence not -devoid of interest. His father had been one of the brotherhood; but -one dark night in March 1798, a beggarman having given him 'the secret -sign' in the street, he musingly said, 'By Jove! if our Society -includes such fellows as this, the sooner I get out of it the better.' -He had been a sergeant of grenadiers in the Irish Volunteers of 1782, -and his tall figure may be recognised in Wheatley's celebrated picture -of the review in College Green under the Duke of Leinster and Lord -Charlemont. - -Many United Irishmen, whose names do not appear in history, had escapes -as narrow, but on a more modest scale, as those which favoured Hamilton -Rowan. Mr. Porter added a reminiscence worth preserving. The house -of his father, an eminent Protestant printer, was 69 Grafton Street. -The maidservant had a sweetheart in an opposite house, and one Sunday -evening, while Mrs. Porter was entertaining Dignan, a proscribed rebel, -the domestic left her master's door ajar, and tripped across the street -for a chat. Meanwhile, who should walk up to Porter's but the city -sheriff, holding in his hand the manuscript of a Proclamation which he -required him to print. Finding that the hall-door gave no resistance, -he proceeded upstairs. Mrs. Porter, thunderstruck, but with presence of -mind, hailed him from the lobby above, exclaiming, 'Oh! _Mr. Sheriff_, -I am very glad to see you.' Dignan took the alarm that she intended -and, seizing a dark table-cover with which he concealed his person, -flung himself under a pianoforte that stood in a corner. This had -hardly been accomplished when the sheriff entered. 'Sheriff,' said Mrs. -Porter, 'you probably met your friend the Town Major, who has just -gone after having a glass of punch--take his seat and make yourself -comfortable.' The sheriff, nothing loth, accepted the proffered -hospitality. Mrs. Porter's feelings may be imagined during the _mauvais -quart d'heure_ of his stay, when a single sigh from the outlaw would -have sealed not only his doom, but probably her husband's as well.[684] - -Mr. Porter did not know what Dignan had done. But I find, among -McNally's secret letters to Dublin Castle, one enclosing a copy of the -'Union Star,' a revolutionary print, which, he says, 'has been printed -at Dignan's house in Grafton Street.' A later letter (endorsed May 23, -1798, the night on which the rebellion burst forth) announces 'Ferris -is the informer against Dignan.' Ferris is described by Musgrave in -his history (p. 176) as head of a committee of United Irishmen, who -was waited upon by a blacksmith named Dunne offering to murder Lord -Carhampton, the famous terrorist. Ferris warned Carhampton, and Dunne -with his accomplice McCarthy was hanged. Frequent payments to Ferris -through Lord Carhampton are recorded in the book of 'Secret Service -Money.' Musgrave notices him as a rather meritorious man. Who Ferris -was McNally tells Cooke in a letter of secret gossip. 'Ferris, forty -years ago, was an attorney and stripped of his gown for perjury; lived -in Green Street; at present in Castle.' - -FOOTNOTES: - -[671] Napoleon's marshals were rich men. The salary of a marshal -was 1,600_l._ a year; but their emoluments were much increased by -allowances made by Napoleon. Berthier had in addition 400_l._ a month -as a major-general, and further received from his generous master -50,000_l._ every year. - -[672] It may have been because Lewins, the shrewd attorney, and -incorruptible envoy of the United Irishmen, suspected MacMahon, that -he refused to yield information on being pumped. Hence the intrigue to -oust Lewins of which we have already heard. - -[673] MacMahon was in the pastoral charge of Kilrea at the very time -that Mack, a native of Franconia, held high rank in the army of the -Prince of Coburg, and was directing the operations of the campaign of -1793. From 1794 to 1797, while MacMahon was preaching at Holywood, and -representing the rebel colonels of the county Down, General Mack was -serving in the Netherlands, and in command of the Army of the Rhine. -Charles Mack earned notoriety by delivering over to Napoleon, in virtue -of the capitulation of Ulm, 33,000 Austrians as prisoners of war. -For this act he was tried at Vienna, and received sentence of death -as a traitor to his country. But Bourrienne denies that any secret -understanding existed between him and Buonaparte. Mack's sentence -having been commuted, he was consigned to an Austrian dungeon, where -for a long time his fate was lost in mystery. Even more inglorious was -the final career of Arthur McMahon. - -[674] _Life of Wolfe Tone_, ii. 460. - -[675] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 306. - -[676] Compare the passages 'sick of politics,' in p. 6, _ante_, &c. - -[677] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 408. - -[678] _Memoirs of Miles Byrne_, ii. 17. (Paris, 1862.) - -[679] _Memoirs of Miles Byrne_, ii. 59. - -[680] Hoche's expedition was scattered by adverse winds. How the -Walcheren came to grief was partly due to fever, which decimated the -troops. A long report from Dr. Renny appears in the sixth volume of the -_Castlereagh Correspondence_, and, on reading it now, one cannot doubt -that the 'antiphlogistic' treatment then employed thinned the ranks -more effectively than Napoleon's shells. Antimony and calomel, blister -and blood-letting, did their work. - -[681] _Castlereagh_, ii. 226. - -[682] _Castlereagh_, ii. 15. - -[683] The Pentlands opposed the United Irishmen. Henry Pentland served -as sheriff of Drogheda in 1799, with George MacIntagart as mayor. -MacIntagart was the man who dressed up spies in French uniforms to -entrap credulous peasants. - -[684] F. Thorpe Porter, police magistrate, to W. J. F., January 1862. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THOMAS REYNOLDS: SPY, AND BRITISH CONSUL - - -No greater contrast could be found to the idiosyncrasy of Magan -than that of Thomas Reynolds. If the former was shy, shrinking, and -unobtrusive, Reynolds had indomitable _audace_, a fondness for display -and luxury, a love of society, and an effrontery which no rebuff could -disconcert. After several arrests had been made, and when a suspicion -of infidelity rested on him for the first time, Neilson, a powerful -man, meeting him unarmed at night, grasped him by the throat, and, -presenting a pistol, exclaimed, 'What should I do to the villain who -has sought my confidence to betray me?' Reynolds, with perfect _sang -froid_, replied, 'You should shoot him through the heart!' Neilson, -struck by the reply, changed his purpose and suffered Reynolds to go. - -Fourteen delegates from Leinster, as they sat in council at Bond's, -had been arrested on Reynolds's information, and the sickening fact is -told by Dr. Madden that some days after the arrests he paid a visit of -condolence to Mrs. Bond, and caressed the babe she held in her arms. - -But let it not be supposed that he had any share in the betrayal of -Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Reynolds held an advantageous lease of lands -under the Leinster family, warmed to Lord Edward, and, during the -period of his outlawry, gave him some money to meet a pressing call. -The Geraldine little dreamed from what source it was derived. Before -the payment of the 5,000_l._ to Reynolds he received, early in 1798, -500_l._ from Dublin Castle. - -Reynolds, a silk mercer, had been persuaded to inform by Mr. W. Cope, -an eminent merchant, who exercised great influence over him, under -circumstances that will be soon apparent. His grandson, Sir William -Cope, Bart., has sent me the correspondence which attained this end. -Cope, in a memorandum, dated 1799, writes:-- - - I exerted my influence, and, though Mr. Cooke said - to me, 'You _must_ get him to come forward; stop at - nothing--100,000_l._--anything,' etc., I conditioned with - Government for him for only 5,000_l._ and 1,000_l._ per year, and - he is satisfied. He came forward at my repeated intercession. - -The 'Life of Thomas Reynolds,' by his son, was issued in 1839, with -a view to whitewash a sullied memory; the biographer--not supposing -that the Cope papers existed--states that, as compensation for heavy -losses, a bulk sum of but 500_l._ was paid to Reynolds, 'with an -annuity of 1,000_l._ Irish, with reversion to my mother, my brother and -myself.'[685] - -The accounts of Secret Service Money have also turned up to bear out -Cope's statement and confront Reynolds junior. It appears, under date -of March 4, 1799, that Reynolds received on that day not 500_l._, -but the completion of a sum of 5,000_l._ As regards the pension, it -continued to be paid for near forty years, and it has been computed -that he drew altogether 45,740_l._ - -The information which had been dropping from Reynolds, sometimes not -as freely as had been hoped, received a stimulus by his arrest at -Athy on May 5, 1798. He writes to Mr. Cope that he has been thrown -into a dungeon, and demands from the Government, what they well -know he merits, instant enlargement. He refers to the great and -essential services he had rendered to Government, and adds that by his -confinement he is totally prevented from obtaining and giving further -knowledge. Then it was that Cope settled the terms with Cooke. Cope's -powerful influence over Reynolds was due to the fact that the latter -had gradually become his slave as a creditor to a large extent. Sir -William Cope[686] has sent me a letter from Reynolds's wife to show the -falsity of the biographer's assertion that he had made no terms with -the Crown for his information. It appears from a letter of Reynolds -that the wife was empowered to act for him, and among the terms -required were, 'that he might settle in any part of England he liked, -receive from the Government letters of introduction, recommending him -and family to the particular attention of the gentry of the place;' -the pension to commence on June 25, 1798, with 5,000_l._ in hand; in -conclusion she begs Cope to advance on loan 1,000_l._[687] - -These and other references to monetary transactions led me to search -the Registry of Deeds Office, and the following result appears: -'1794--Thos. Reynolds of West Park Street Dublin to Wm. Cope. -Consideration 5041_l._ 14_s._ 5_d._ Lands of Corbetstown, King's Co.' - -The fact that Reynolds was obliged to borrow this sum shows the -erroneousness of Lord Castlereagh's statement in Parliament, 'that -he was a gentleman in considerable circumstances.' Fresh proof of -the wisdom of the proverb (xxii. 7), 'the borrower is servant to the -lender,' is afforded by this episode. In the case of Higgins and -Magan, the treachery of the latter to Lord Edward was entirely due -to the fact that Higgins had bound him, hand and foot, in bonds more -inextricable than those by which Mephistopheles sought to enchain his -victim. Shamado got the lion's share of the blood money earned by that -betrayal. Cope, though a man of great wealth, and professing to have -influenced Reynolds solely from a sense of moral duty, obtained a -pension of 1,000_l._ a year for his wife, with reversion to his three -daughters.[688] Cope survived until December 7, 1820, when he died at -his house in Hume Street, Dublin. His three daughters never married. -The foregoing inquiries have been invited by the son and biographer -of Reynolds, who, seeking to pillory Dr. Taylor, author of the 'Civil -Wars,' writes:-- - - 'Perhaps Mr. Taylor could furnish me with the records from which he - discovered that my father was distressed from want of money.' He - may, perhaps, consider Mr. Moore's 'Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald' - as a record, or Mr. Moore himself as an historian, of small value; - but I shall notice his work in another place, I shall confine - myself for the present to Mr. Taylor. 'From what source,' he asks, - 'did Mr. Taylor discover that my father had been an active member - of the Union? and, above all, from what record did he receive the - foul slander that he had sold the secret to Government? Could not - the same record have supplied him with the price also; and, if so, - why did he not name it? From what records did he learn that my - father had insured to himself by his conduct even the slightest - reward? The whole accusation is as false as it is malicious.'[689] - -Among other damaging things alleged against Reynolds on the trials of -Bond, Byrne, and McCan were that he had stolen his mother's jewellery -and had afterwards poisoned her, and that he had broken several oaths; -and it was sworn by five respectable witnesses that they did not -believe him worthy of credit on his oath. - -A small incident, which has never appeared in print, may perhaps be -given here. The guard which seized the fourteen delegates at Bond's -house entered by means of a password. This we shall presently know, -and Major Sirr had Reynolds to thank for the information, though the -father of a late police magistrate--Mr. Porter--lay for a time under -the stigma. Wm. Porter--in whose house Dignan will be remembered as -having had a narrow escape from arrest--met Oliver Bond one day on -Cork Hill, Dublin, and asked him, as a United Brother, for a list of -the signs and passwords employed on special occasions. Bond replied: -'Call at my house on Monday evening next, making sure to ask as you -enter, "Is Ivers from Carlow come?"' Porter was on his way to keep -this appointment when he met Luke White--the founder of the Annaly -peerage --who asked him to accompany him to Crampton Court close by, -where some business was transacted between the two--one being a printer -and the other a publisher. An hour was thus consumed, and Porter on -arriving at Bond's--it was Monday, March 12, 1798--found a cordon of -soldiers round the house. Reynolds, who held the rank of colonel in the -rebel organisation, was not then suspected; and it was Oliver Bond's -conviction, freely expressed, that William Porter had betrayed the -password to Sirr. For this suspicion he made frank atonement. Bond's -trial did not come on for three months, and the interval proved one of -much anxiety to Porter. Then it was that Reynolds excited much surprise -by entering the witness-box. Bond, recognising Porter in court, -stretched forth his arm across the necks of his keepers, and shook the -hand of the man he had wronged.[690] - -Reynolds, unlike Magan, who seemed content with the crumbs which -fell from 'Shamado's' hand, was less easily satisfied. In 1810 he -got the postmastership at Lisbon, the emoluments of which for four -years amounted to 5,600_l._, after which he became British Consul at -Iceland; but, not liking the post, he coolly returned to London without -leave, when the following scene took place between himself and Mr. -Cooke, formerly Under-Secretary at Dublin Castle. Reynolds's son thus -tells what passed: '"You are a madman; you are an imprudent; I tell -you so to your face; and you were always an imprudent man, and never -will be otherwise. I tell you, you are considered as a passionate, -imprudent man." "Mr. Cooke," said my father, "if I was not so, perhaps -Ireland would not at this day be a part of the British Empire: you did -not think me passionate or imprudent in 1798." "I tell you again," -said Mr. Cooke, "you are mad. Well, what do you intend to do now?" -"Really," said my father, "I intend to do nothing at all; I suppose -Lord Castlereagh, on his return, will settle my resignation." ... "Lord -Castlereagh," continued Mr. Cooke, "knows you to be a very imprudent -man, and he would certainly hesitate at allowing you to be in London, -where your imprudence would give advantage to your enemies to bring you -into trouble, and him too. He does not like you to be in London: I tell -you fairly that is the feeling."'[691] - -Lord Castlereagh then filled the critical post of Minister for Foreign -Affairs. A formidable Opposition daily questioned and tormented him. -The horror of Mathias on hearing 'the Bells' can hardly have been -greater than that of Castlereagh whenever Reynolds's ring sounded at -his door. Reynolds refused to freeze any longer in Iceland, and, after -some delay, was appointed consul at Copenhagen. He soon got tired of -it, and coolly installed his son there as vice-consul; but, on Canning -succeeding to Castlereagh, after the suicide of the latter, he sent -young Reynolds adrift. Meanwhile the sire divided his residence between -Paris and London. He constantly crossed Castlereagh's path, posing -before him as an ill-used man and largely helping to drive him mad. The -cupidity of Reynolds is described as insatiable. In 1817, Thistlewood, -Watson, and Hooper were indicted for treason; true bills were found by -the grand jury of Middlesex; but the name of Thomas Reynolds having -appeared on the panel, much wrath found vent, and a feeling of disgust -passed over England. The press took up the subject, and Parliament -resounded with 'Reynolds, the Irish informer.' - -Society snubbed him, but still his chariot went round the Row day by -day. After Castlereagh's death he removed permanently to Paris, where -he loved to parade his pompous person, and became as well known in the -Champs-Elysées as Charles X. or Louis Philippe. Some lines scribbled at -this time illustrate the feelings with which thinkers of a certain type -watched his diurnal progress:-- - - Lolling at his vile ease in chariot gay, - His face, nay, even his fearful name, unhidden! - Uncloaked abroad, 'neath all the eyes of day, - Which--as he passeth--close, while breath is hushed,-- - Unspat upon, untrampled down, uncrushed, - I've seen the seven-fold traitor! &c. - -Reynolds had a habit of leaving his card on men the buckles of whose -shoes he was unworthy to burnish. Amongst others whom he thought -that by doing so he honoured, was Dr. Daniel Haliday, of Paris, who -represented a family distinguished in Irish letters. In Haliday's hall -there hung a fine portrait of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Turning its -face to the wall, and sticking Reynolds's card on it, he said to his -servant: 'When he again comes, refer him to this picture.' Reynolds, of -course, repeated the visit, and felt the rebuff the more because Lord -Edward was not among the men he had betrayed. The late Charles Haliday, -to whom I owe this story of his uncle, shared the rather general belief -as to Reynolds having informed against the Geraldine, while the now -convicted Magan, who lived close to Charles Haliday on the banks of the -Liffey, failed to incur his suspicion. - -One fine day in August 1836, when Paris was _en fête_, Reynolds died, -and his remains were brought to England and consigned to the vaults -of Wilton Church, Yorkshire. By a coincidence Dr. Haliday died at the -same time, as appears from his epitaph in the picturesque graveyard of -Dundrum near Dublin. When struck down by death at Paris, he had been -engaged on a History of the Irish Brigade. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[685] _Life of Reynolds_, by his Son, ii. 514. Mr. A. F. Reynolds, -the biographer, died in 1856, after having long filled the post of -stamp-distributor for the East Riding of Yorkshire. - -[686] Sir W. Cope died Jan. 9, 1892. - -[687] The full text of the correspondence I have published elsewhere. -The letters of Reynolds are full of bad spelling. - -[688] _Cornwallis_, ii. 375. - -[689] _Life of Thomas Reynolds_, by his Son, i. 103. - -[690] Frank Thorpe Porter, police magistrate, to W. J. F., May 30, 1860. - -[691] _Life of Thomas Reynolds_, by his Son, ii. 445. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -ARMSTRONG AND THE SHEARESES--GENERAL LAWLESS - - -Armstrong was another man who, unlike Turner and Magan, boldly -betrayed, and by baring his name to popular odium, bared his breast to -its penalties. He lived to old age in a district specially burrowed by -agrarian crime; but, though often taunted with his treachery, never -suffered a pin-scratch at the hands of the people. - -Before Armstrong comes on the scene it is well to give some account of -the men he so cruelly betrayed.[692] This becomes the more imperative, -inasmuch as unpublished letters of Sheares, containing important -explanations, were placed in my hands for historic use by the late Mr. -Justice Hayes. - -The father of John and Henry Sheares was a banker and member of the -Irish Parliament, remarkable for having introduced a bill, which -became law in 1766, for the regulation of trials in cases of treason, -and under which his sons were afterwards tried. He was a person of -culture, too, author of some touching reflections on 'Man in Society, -and at his Final Separation from it.' Several passages seem to reveal -a presentiment of the great domestic tragedy which he did not live to -see. A practical Christian, he published an essay elaborating the great -fact that unless man forgives, he can never himself be forgiven; and -these inculcations, it is hoped, helped to calm the closing thoughts -of his suffering sons. Mr. Sheares founded a Debtors' Charity in -Cork, and an amateur performance of 'King Henry IV.,' in aid of it, -introduced as its chief histrions the subsequently historic brothers. -Their career was highly dramatic. Henry successfully competed for the -hand of Miss Swete with a young barrister, Mr. John FitzGibbon, who, as -the Lord Clare of after years, is said to have shown that he neither -forgot nor forgave. In 1792 Henry Sheares visited France to see his -children at school. The Revolution was then at its height; he and his -brother John became intimate with Brissot and Rolande, and thenceforth -may be dated the birth of that bias which finally made both easy prey -for Armstrong. In July 1793, Henry Sheares challenged his early rival, -now Lord FitzGibbon, to explain or retract what he called an 'infamous -calumny,' conveyed in a speech wherein the chancellor referred to two -men, agents of the French Jacobin Club, who had employed themselves -in disseminating its principles in Dublin. But even John Sheares was -not the revolutionist which party spirit loved to depict him. A letter -appears in the 'Castlereagh Papers,' in which the writer, Redhead -York, describes John Sheares at Versailles, falling on his knees and -vowing that he would plant a poignard in the heart of any person who -would hurt a hair on the head of the Queen of France. In 1792 Henry, -a barrister of some years' standing, secured the house, 128 Lower -Baggot Street, Dublin, now the Ulster Bank. It was at that time a -corner house; but Sheares, shortly before his death, assigned a plot of -ground adjoining it whereon the two houses between Sheares's residence -and Pembroke Street were built. The large block of buildings between -St. Stephen's Green and Sheares's house did not then exist. Miss -Steele saw, from her father's back windows in the Green, the soldiers -surrounding Sheares's home when, in May 1798, treason was deemed -sufficiently ripe for a _coup_. John Sheares, the junior of Henry by -nine years, lived with him, and the utmost fraternal love subsisted -between both. - -Captain John Warneford Armstrong, the descendant of a Scotch settler -in Ireland, was at heart a supporter of oligarchical principles, but -acted so well the part of a flaming patriot, that Byrne, a democratic -bookseller, led Armstrong to his private room and presented him to -Sheares as 'a true brother on whom you may implicitly depend.' Henry -declined to hold converse unless in presence of his brother John. -Armstrong said he would wait until John came. Conversation, however, -had commenced before his arrival; he at length appeared with Byrne, and -the latter introduced Armstrong in an equally impressive way. Armstrong -deposed on the trial that John Sheares said--'I know your principles -very well,' and asked him to join the cause by action as he had already -done by inclination. Armstrong replied--'I am ready to do everything in -my power for it, and if you can show me how I can assist I will serve -you to the utmost.' John, an impulsive youth, said that the best way he -could help was to gain over the soldiery, and confer with him as to the -best way of seizing the royal camp. Armstrong appointed to meet him at -Baggot Street with this end; he did so, and on Sunday night, May 13, -paid another visit--both brothers being present. On the 15th he called -twice; John Sheares said he would like to introduce him to a friend of -his, Surgeon (afterwards General) Lawless, with whom he might consult -and advise in his absence--he [John] being obliged to go down and -organise Cork. All this time Henry Sheares is found reticent, and at -some of the interviews he was not present at all. However, on Thursday, -the 17th, both brothers appeared to this apparently zealous convert -to their cause; Lawless was also by, and (according to Armstrong's -testimony) said: 'He had lately attended a meeting of deputies from -almost all the militia regiments, at which meeting there were two of -his [the approver's] men.' - -Henry Sheares, now familiar with Armstrong as his guest and constant -visitor, let fall some remarks by which the betrayer succeeded in -implicating him as having knowledge of the military organisation. -This was not enough for Armstrong; that evening he returned to their -house. Henry did not appear; John came down and obtained a written -introduction from him to a sergeant in his regiment, known to be -a United Irishman. The most sickening part of this story has yet -to be told. Armstrong continued to worm himself into the hearts of -his victims. He accepted their invitations to dinner, mingled with -their family, listened to Mrs. Sheares singing at the harp for his -entertainment, and, as Curran declared, fondled on his knee the child -of the man whom he had marked for doom! - -The time was now coming, and coming fast, when the blood of the Sheares -was to be set free--a fact the more painful, when we know that two of -their brothers had already given their lives in the service of the -King. Armstrong in the year 1843 said, in presence of Mr., afterwards -Lord, O'Hagan, that 'Lord Castlereagh persuaded him to dine with the -Sheares with a view to gather further information.' Dogging their -steps, scenting their hot blood, and measuring the days they had -to live, he at last gave tongue, and on May 21 both brothers were -seized. That evening, while John was a prisoner, but as yet ignorant -of Armstrong's perfidy, the betrayer is found paying him a visit of -condolence, probably hoping to gather, during the excitation of his -victim, facts which would compromise absent friends. Any evidence which -could incriminate Henry was far less than that affecting John. It is -surprising that the wonderful caution shown by Sheares when a younger -man should not have made him more guarded in his intercourse with -Armstrong; and at this point it is curious to look back at Collins's -report (p. 168 _ante_) where he describes Sheares warning the Society -of United Irishmen that spies were spreading snares around. - -Anyone reading this trial, with the light now available, cannot fail -to be struck by a circumstance which has heretofore passed without -comment. The outlook was black for the brothers when their counsel, -Plunket, Curran, McNally, and Ponsonby, held a conference to see what -could be done. A good point was at last detected; one of the Grand -Jury who found the bill appeared to be a foreigner, or, as legally -termed, an alien. Law books had to be looked up; some searching -inquiries made. McNally, meanwhile, had been despatched to the -Court of Common Pleas to appease the judges, who had been waiting -for some time and waxed impatient. McNally explained that there was -a deliberation among the counsel on a serious point of law, and, -until they came in, he could say no more. The court made an effort -to draw him, but he parried it with seeming firmness. The case stood -adjourned, and when Plunket, Curran, and Ponsonby arrived to spring a -surprise, they found Attorney-General Toler (the Lord Norbury of after -years) fully prepared, not only by a written 'replication' bristling -with points, but by an elaborate oral argument, and, between him and -the prime-sergeant, they met the objection with a readiness quite -wonderful, and which meant ruin to the brothers. The court of course -overruled a plea which counsel for the Sheareses hoped would have -quashed the proceedings, and it cannot be doubted that the point had -been betrayed to Toler by one of the counsel engaged in the conference. - -The Attorney-General said he would go on with the trial of John; but -at another conference of their counsel it was decided, in evil hour, -that both brothers should go into the dock together and join in their -challenge. The luckless suggestion is likely to have come from McNally. -Curran was not a great lawyer, his _forte_ lay in cross-examination -and classic eloquence; he revered McNally, as has been already shown, -and he was not the man to differ with him. Two witnesses, it will be -remembered, were then necessary to convict for treason in England; the -Irish judiciary were satisfied with one. The amazement of the Sheares -on beholding Armstrong enter the witness-box can be guessed. Curran -drew a picture of the children of his client sitting in the mansion -where Armstrong was hospitably entertained--the aged mother supported -by the devotion of her son--and it was suggested that the informer -'smiled upon this scene, contemplating the havoc he was about to make.' -Midnight had passed when the evidence closed. Armstrong's first cousin, -Thomas Drought, testified, among other damaging facts, to atheistical -expressions used by the approver.[693] Lieutenant Shervington, an uncle -by marriage, heard Armstrong say 'that if there could be no other -person found for the purpose, he would, with pleasure, become the -executioner of George III., and glory in the deed.' His uncle replied -that if such were his principles he ought to throw up his commission -and go over to the enemy at once. - -When the trial had proceeded for fifteen hours, Curran, sinking with -exhaustion, moved for an adjournment, but Toler opposed, and at eight -o'clock next morning a verdict of 'Guilty' was returned. At these -words the brothers fell into each other's arms. At three o'clock both -were brought up for judgment. Lord Carleton, who presided, was said -to have been appointed by Sheares's father the guardian of John, -but it is correct to say that he had been only the attached friend -of their father.[694] This judge was visibly affected, and made -touching reference to the past. John, with his full blue eyes and open -countenance, as Maria Steele describes him, made an earnest appeal for -his elder brother's life, declaring that he knew nothing of a fatal -manuscript that, admittedly written by John, had been found in Henry's -desk; all in vain: Toler seemed impatient for the sacrifice, and both -were sentenced to be hanged next day. Sir Jonah Barrington prints a -painful letter addressed to him by Henry, but which by some mistake -did not reach him, he says, till the fatal morning. Henry could not -believe that an adverse verdict awaited him, and when at last it came, -he was utterly stunned by the blow. Sheares begs Barrington to see Lord -Clare:-- - - Oh! speak to him of my poor wretched family--my distracted - wife, and my helpless children; snatch them from the dreadful - horrors which await them. Desire my mother to go to Lord Shannon - immediately, and my wife to the Lord Chancellor.... We are to - receive sentence at three o'clock. Fly, I beseech you, and save a - man who will never cease to pray for you--to serve you. Let me hear - from you, my dear fellow, as quick as possible. God bless you. - - Newgate: eight o'clock. - -Sheares's wife sat for hours in a sedan chair at Lord Clare's -hall-door; and when, at length, he appeared, she threw herself at -his feet, clasped his knees, and implored him to save her husband, -but failed. Barrington, tardily acting upon Henry's letter, had more -influence with the chancellor. - - I immediately waited on Lord Clare [he writes]; he read the letter - with great attention; I saw he was moved--his heart yielded. I - improved on the impression; he only said 'What a coward he is! but - what can we do?' He paused. 'John Sheares cannot be spared. Do you - think Henry can say anything, or make any species of discovery - which can authorise the Lord Lieutenant in making a distinction - between them?--if so, Henry may be reprieved.' He read the letter - again, and was obviously affected. I had never seen him amiable - before. 'Go,' said he, 'to the Prison, see Henry Sheares, ask him - this question, and return to me at Cooke's office.' I lost no time, - but I found on my arrival that orders had been given that nobody - should be admitted without a written permission. I returned to the - Castle--they were all at Council. Cooke was not at his office: I - was delayed. At length the secretary returned, gave me the order. I - hastened to Newgate, and arrived at the very moment the executioner - was holding up the head of my friend, and saying, 'Here is the head - of a traitor.'[695] - -Barrington says nothing of Lord Shannon, who was related to the -Sheareses, and it is certain that the message for him miscarried. -This peer, with the object of offering condolence, called upon their -mother[696] the day of the execution, and was greatly distressed when -she threw herself upon her knees to beg the favour of his intervention -for John; she did not know that Henry had been implicated, and, of -course, was ignorant that either had already suffered death. Lord -Shannon, in an agony of mind, and unable to explain, rushed from the -room. - -There was a butchery displayed in the immolation of the brothers which, -if employed at the present day on a beast in the shambles, would evoke -angry protest. The 'New Cork Evening Post' of July 23, 1798, while -supplying some painful details, bears out Barrington's recollection:-- - - They requested that they might not continue long exposed to the - gaze of the multitude, and, having each an halter fixed round - his neck, and a cap drawn over his face, holding by each other's - hand, they tottered out upon the platform in front of the prison. - In making the rope fast within, John Sheares was hauled up to the - block of the tackle, and continued nearly a minute suspended alone - before the platform fell. It did fall, and instantly both were - suspended. After hanging about twenty minutes, they were, at a - quarter after three o'clock, let down, when the hangman separated - their heads.[697] - -Much feeling was roused by this sanguinary act. Classic students -who lived in the past started in horror, comparing the Sheareses -to 'the hapless victims' described by Gibbon: 'the two brothers -of the Quintilian family whose fraternal love endeared them to -posterity--whose bodies seemed animated by one soul--and whose union in -death is due to the cruelty of Commodus.' Grattan loudly condemned -the men 'whose misrule had brought Ireland to so black a crisis. The -question men should have asked was, not why was Mr. Sheares upon the -gallows?--but why was not Lord Clare along with him?' And two years -later, in a speech of resistance to the Union, he declared that the -treason of the minister against the liberties of the people was far -worse than the rebellion of the people against the minister. But even -in the latter sense, Henry Sheares must be held guiltless. John, -pouring out to his sister, in an agonised letter, his most secret -thoughts, writes: 'Heaven is my witness how assiduously I sought to -keep aloof, in any of my political concerns, from _him_;' and there is -not a line in the evidence of Armstrong to prove that Henry took any -active part in the treason. Addis Emmet, Arthur O'Connor, McNevin--all -the men who had been at the head of it, and its very soul, were at that -hour in gaol. O'Connor declared that he and his colleagues knew nothing -of the Sheareses; and it is certain that neither of them had ever -intrigued with France, as O'Connor and the others had done. The names -of the Sheareses find no place in the list of marked men that Turner -gave Downshire (p. 7, _ante_). This omission can be easily accounted -for. Arthur O'Connor, in a letter to Dr. Madden, which pointed out some -inaccuracies, writes:-- - - You seem to think the Sheares were leading men in the Union,[698] - whereas, I may say, they never entered it, so as to be known to us. - The fact is, they were just entering it when they were cut off. It - was the younger Sheares's Proclamation, which was an act purely - personal, without the knowledge or concurrence of the Union, that - has misled some to think he and his brother were deeply engaged in - the Union.' - -The following is one of the letters, already promised, and now -published for the first time. It is written by Henry previous to his -trial:-- - - Dear Sir,--Accept my best thanks for the friendly readiness with - which you consented to present my letter, which I hope has been - received. I am now to trouble you on a subject more immediately - relating to my unfortunate situation. I have apply'd as is usual - in those cases to my different Friends to come forward on my tryal, - and to give me a character such as they think I deserve, and to put - it in a manner most likely to produce a beneficial effect. From - my knowledge of the goodness of your heart, from a sympathy which - I am sure you feel for a fond husband and an affectionate father, - from the regard which I am sure you have for Mrs. Sheares, I feel a - hope that in this instance you will gladly embrace this opportunity - of saving us both. You know that on these occasions a general - character is not admissable so that it must apply to the political - character. And so far to the domestic as will go to establish the - political. - - Taking it this way may I hope that you can say that you know me - to be a man of domestic habits, fondly attached to my wife and - children, so as to make it highly improbable that I would suffer my - political conduct to endanger their happiness; that you consider me - a man of liberal but not violent principles; that I go no farther - in them than the first characters of opposition in the English - and Irish Parliament have done, namely being an advocate for a - reform in Parliament and a renovation of the ancient purity of our - constitution; that I am not a friend to violent systems, and that I - am not an advocate for Revolution. - - This is what, from your knowledge of me, I trust you can say - without going farther than will justify you to yourself. And for - this friendly service I shall seize with pleasure every opportunity - of showing how much I shall feel myself obliged to you for it. - - As it is usual and necessary for the use of counsel to have the - witnesses' names which they are to prove arranged in the brief, I - have given directions to my agent to wait on you for that purpose - whenever it may be convenient to you, as also to go through the - form of giving you a summons. - - Your very much obliged and grateful Friend, - HENRY SHEARES. - - Kilmainham Gaol: July 10, 1798. - -The superscription of this letter has been removed--probably by the -recipient--and it seems very likely that he left his friend in the -lurch, and did not come forward for his defence. The prosecuting -counsel of those days loved to taunt such witnesses with a -participation in the views held by the accused; they were browbeaten -and bullied, and often left the court wincing under some dark -innuendo, dropped with jibing leer. - -John, the younger brother, wrote two letters to his sister, from which -it is clear that--constituted as the jury panel was at that day--he had -no hope of acquittal. The matter omitted deals with sundry small debts -which he desired should be paid:-- - - Kilmainham Prison: July 10, 1798. - - The troublesome scene of life, my dear Julia, is nearly closed, - and the hand that now traces these lines will in a day or two be - no longer capable of communicating to a beloved and affectionate - family the sentiments of his heart. A painful task yet awaits me. - I do not allude to my trial, or my execution. These--were it not - for the consciousness I feel of the misery you all will suffer on - my account--would be trivial in comparison with the pain I endure - in addressing you for the last time. You, Julia, who have been - kind to me beyond example; your solicitudes for my welfare have - been unremitting, nor did they leave you a moment's happiness. As - a wayward fate seems from the earliest moment of my life to have - presided over my days, I will not now recapitulate the instances of - a perverse destiny that seems to mark me out as the instrument of - destruction to all I love. Robert--Richard--and Christopher, dear, - valued brothers! If it be true that the mind survives the body, - I shall shortly join you, and learn for what wise purpose Heaven - thought fit to select me as your destroyer! My mother too--Oh! - God! my tender revered mother, I see her torn looks--her broken - heart--her corpse! What have I done to deserve this misery? I must - forbear these thoughts as much as possible, or I must forbear to - write. - - My trial comes on the day after to-morrow, and the event is - unequivocal. You must summon up all the resolution of your - soul, my dear Julia; if there be a chance of snatching my - afflicted mother from the grave, that chance must arise from your - exertions; my darling Sally, too, will aid you; she will, for a - while, suspend her joy at the restoration of her husband to her - arms--for of his escape I have no more doubt than I have of my - own conviction and its consequences. All, all of you must forget - your individual griefs and joys, and unite to save that best of - parents from the grave; stand between her and despair; if she will - speak of me, sooth her with every assurance calculated to carry - consolation to her heart; tell her that my death--though nominally - ignominious--should not light up a blush in her face; that she knew - me incapable of a dishonourable action or thought; that I died in - full possession of the esteem of all those who knew me intimately; - that justice will yet be paid to my memory, and my fate be - mentioned rather with pride than shame by my friends and relations. - Yes, my dear sister, if I did not expect the arrival of this - justice to my memory, I should indeed be afflicted at the nominal - ignominy of my death, lest it should injure your welfare, and wound - the feelings of my family. But, above all things, tell her that at - my own request I have been attended in my latest moments by that - excellent and pious man, Doctor Dobbin, and that my last prayer was - offered up for her. While I feared for Harry's life, hell itself - could have no tortures for the guilty beyond what I suffered. I - pictured you all, a helpless, unprotected group of females, left to - the miseries of your own feelings, and to the insults of a callous, - insensible world. Sally, too, stripped of a husband on whom she - tenderly doats, and the children of their father--and all by my - cursed interloping, and by my residence with them! Yet, Heaven is - my witness, how assiduously I sought to keep aloof in any of my - political concerns from him. My efforts, however, have kept him - clear of any of those matters that have involved me in destruction. - When Sally has got him back to her arms, and that I, who caused his - danger, and her unhappiness, am no more, she will cease to think of - me, perhaps, with reproach. This I trust she will do; she ought, - for she herself could never have done more for his salvation than - I endeavoured to do. But the scene is changed, I am no longer the - frantic thing I was while his danger appeared imminent. A calm - sorrow for the sufferings that await you on my account, and a - heart-felt regret at being obliged to quit your beloved society for - ever, has succeeded; yet all this will soon have an end, and with - comfort I already anticipate the moment when your subsiding grief - gives you back to the enjoyment of each other. Still, my dearest - Julia, even when I shall be no more, your plagues on my account are - not likely to cease.... - - Good night, Julia. I am going to rest, thank God! free from the - consciousness of intentional offence, and from any wish tainted - with personal resentment. - -John when in France had been an ardent admirer of Rousseau, whose style -he now unconsciously catches:-- - - Wednesday night: July 11. - - It is now eleven o'clock, and I have only time to address my - beloved Julia in a short eternal farewell. Thou sacred power! - whatever be thy name and nature, who has created us the frail and - imperfect creatures we are, hear the ardent prayer of a creature - now on the eve of an awful change. If thy Divine Providence can be - affected by mortal supplication, hear and grant, I beseech Thee, - the last wishes of a heart that has ever adored Thy goodness. Let - peace and happiness once more visit the bosom of my beloved family. - Let a mild grief succeed the miseries they have endured, and when - an affectionate tear is generously shed over the dust of him who - caused their misfortunes--let all their ensuing days glide on in - union and domestic harmony. Enlighten my beloved brother; to him - and his invaluable wife grant the undisturbed enjoyment of their - mutual love, and as they advance let their means of providing for - the sweet pledges of their attachment increase. Let my Julia, my - feeling--my too feeling--Julia, feel the consolation she has so - often sought for others, let her soul repose at length in the - consummation of all her wishes--let her taste that happiness her - virtues have so well merited. For my other sisters provide those - comforts their situation requires. To my mother, oh, Eternal Power! - what gift shall I wish for my matchless parent? Restore to her - that peace which I have torn from her--let her forget me in the - ceaseless affections of my remaining sisters, and in their growing - prosperity--let her taste that happiness which is best suited to - her affectionate heart, and when at length she is called home, let - her find in everlasting bliss the due reward of a life of suffering - virtue. Adieu, my Julia, my light is just out, the approach of - darkness is like that of death, since both alike require I shall - say farewell for ever. Oh, my dear family, farewell--farewell for - ever! - -In dealing with Armstrong's conduct in this case,[699] I regret being -obliged to take a tone different from that of Mr. Lecky, who has placed -his character in a somewhat favourable point of view. - -The sealed chest in Dublin Castle, which was opened some years ago, -contained McNally's secret reports, signed 'J. W.' Among them is the -following, dated by McNally, July 14, 1798:-- - - _Lord Cork's First Letter_ - - Lord Cork writes: 'Mr. John Warneford Armstrong was certainly in - my regiment and quitted it in a most disgraceful manner. From his - conduct while there I would not pay much attention to what he did - say, nor give much credit even to his oath. - - 'I would send a person on purpose did I not think it would be too - late.' - - [Dated by Lord Cork, July 9.] - - - _Lord Cork's Second Letter, dated 11th_ - - 'Mr. Sheares's letter did not reach me till to-day. I lose no - time to inform the Lord Lieutenant circumstances concerning - Mr. Armstrong that I hope may be of service to the unfortunate - brothers.'[700] ... - - It has transpired [adds McNally], perhaps without foundation, - that amnesty is to be held out to-morrow--chearfulness is the - consequence. - - The letters above alluded to are in the hands of _my friend_ - [_i.e._ himself]. He has kept them private. - -Sheares and McNally had been old friends. Sheares stood by him in the -hour of danger.[701] These ties were strengthened by the fact that -McNally was counsel for him on the trial.[702] Assuming that McNally -had the letters in his possession of which he sends copies, it seems -quite indefensible to have kept back Lord Cork's, dated July 9, until -the very day on which the brothers were hanged. The execution took -place in Dublin at 11·45 A.M. on July 14, 1798. Sir Jonah Barrington -mentions that a reprieve was granted but did not arrive in time. It -cannot be assumed that McNally humanely used these letters in any other -quarter, for, as he assures Cooke, he 'has kept them private.' - -Sir Jonah Barrington, who was constantly consulted by the Irish -Government, says, when noticing Armstrong's evidence against the -Sheares, that, unlike Reynolds--a man of spotted fame and impoverished -finances--'Armstrong had a stake and a status to lose; but he took -the bold course of sacrificing openly the honour of an officer and a -gentleman.' These words he would not use had Lord Cork's letter seen -the light. - -Armstrong, forty-five years after the execution of his victims, held, -in a conversation with Dr. Madden, that Curran's statement as to taking -'baby Sheares' on his knee could not be true because he was never fond -of children. An unscrupulous man, however, playing a desperate game, -and in the excitement of hot pursuit, may have done things contrary to -his usual habits. Armstrong's sole effort was to extort the confidence -of the Sheares; and he could not forget that he who takes the child -by the hand takes the parent by the heart. It is to be feared that -Armstrong's oral 'pooh pooh' is untenable. The following anecdote, -now told for the first time, rests on the high authority of Lawrence -Parsons, Earl of Ross. Armstrong, shortly after the death of the -Sheareses, when landing from Holyhead at the Pigeon House, and anxious -to avoid hostile greetings from the mob who always awaited the coach -which brought to Dublin the usually seasick passengers, crossed the -Strand to Sandymount, and when midway observed approaching a lady in -black accompanied by two children. The latter on recognising Armstrong -ran gleefully to meet him.[703] Needless to say they were the widow and -orphans of Henry Sheares. Another authentic anecdote ought to be told. -The grand-aunt of Mr. Gray, F.T.C.D., gave him the following curious -reminiscence. Her family resided near Armstrong in the King's County, -and he was intimate at their house. One evening in 1797 the lady heard -angry voices in the parlour, where she had left the gentlemen after -dinner, and on turning the handle to re-enter a loud smash followed. -Armstrong had talked so much treason that it excited her brother to -disgust; and this feeling gave place to rage when Armstrong, having -left the room for some minutes, had returned dressed in rebel green. -The former seized a decanter and hurled it at Armstrong, who ducked, -and the panel suffered instead of his head. - -The Rev. Dr. Dobbin, who attended the brothers at their execution, now -claims to be heard in a letter published for the first time. It is -addressed to Captain William Flemyng, a cousin of the Sheareses:-- - - Finglas: July 16, 1798. - - My dear Sir,--Agreeably to your desire I send the letter which - Mr. John Sheares addressed to me, and which I received from his - own hands on Saturday morning after his participating in the most - solemn rite of our religion. However criminal I may consider his - conduct to have been in other respects, of the charges from which - he is so anxious his memory may be vindicated I acquit him from - my soul; under this conviction I shall chearfully comply with - his request, and embrace every opportunity of explaining his - real intentions in writing the paper which has so much irritated - the public mind. You, I trust, will exert yourself in a similar - manner; when you have taken a copy of the letter you will be so - good as to return it. The two unfortunate brothers, who forfeited - their lives last Saturday to the violated laws of their country, - were the sons of an eminent banker in Cork with whom I had lived, - many years since, in intimacy and friendship. The elder brother - I was but slightly acquainted with, but Mr. John Sheares I knew - more intimately. I admired his uncommon talents, and still more - the distinguished humanity and philanthropy which marked the - whole of his conversation and demeanour. It was, therefore, with - equal surprise and concern I heard of his being under confinement - on a charge of high treason. With still greater astonishment, - if possible, I heard a paper had been found in his handwriting, - the tendency of which was to excite the people to violent and - sanguinary proceedings: this was so entirely irreconcileable with - the humane and liberal principles which I was persuaded had - ever directed the conduct of J. S. that I ardently wished for an - explanation. An opportunity soon occurred. On Friday morning I - received your letter informing me of the conviction of the two - brothers, and conveying an earnest request from J. S. that I - should visit him as soon as possible. I undertook the melancholy - office with mingled pain and satisfaction. I continued with them - some hours that day. What past during the solemn interview was, - I trust, suited to the awful circumstances in which they were - placed, and becoming the character and situation in which I stood. - I shall only trouble you, however, with what relates immediately - to the subject of the letter, or is connected with it. The charge - of sanguinary intentions he disclaimed as most abhorrent to his - nature and repugnant to his principles, asserted his object to - prevent the effusion of blood, and assigned more fully and more at - large the motives and reasons contained in his letter. The whole - was delivered with a serious, solemn, and unembarrassed air, such - as usually accompanies truth, and must have imprest on my mind - the fullest conviction of his sincerity. There is one fact he - mentioned on this occasion, which I shall relate to you as nearly - as I can in his own words: 'To the taking away of the life of a - fellow creature where it can be prevented my nature is so abhorrent - that I was called by some of my democratic friends "the Informer": - assassination was mentioned, and I reprobated the idea with horror - and positively declared that, unless it was instantly given up, I - would myself inform against them: in consequence of my peremptory - declaration it was given up, and the lives of some persons were - preserved.' - - On my strongly representing to him the fatal and unjustifiable - part he had taken, and the miserable condition of his country, he - made the following reply: 'Dr. Dobbin, many wished for reform who - did not think of rebellion, but you know the progress of the human - mind; where demands, just in the opinion of those who make them, - instead of concession produce further coercion, discontents are - encreased, and a man is gradually led on step by step to lengths he - would in the beginning shudder at.' - - His behaviour with respect to his near relatives was tender and - affecting; resigned to his own fate, he expressed the strongest - desire to save, if possible, the life of his brother. When I was - parting from him at my last visit, he conjured me in visible - emotion with tears in his eyes to visit his poor mother and - endeavour to console her. - - Adieu, my dear Sir,[704] most truly yours, - WILLIAM DOBBIN. - - Finglas: July 16, 1798. - - -The enclosure does not seem to have been sent back by Flemyng as -requested. The original of John Sheares's letter is now before me, -preserved within the decaying folds of Dr. Dobbin's manuscript:-- - - _To the Rev. Dr. Dobbin._ - - My dear Sir,--As to-morrow is appointed for the execution of - my brother and me, I shall trouble you with a few words on the - subject of the writing produced on my trial, importing to be a - proclamation. The first observation I have to make is that a - considerable part of that scrolled production was suppressed on - my trial; from what motive, or whether by accident, I will not - say--certain it is that the part which has not appeared must have - in a great measure shewn what the true motives were that caused - that writing, if it had been produced. To avoid a posthumous - calumny in addition to the many and gross misrepresentations of - my principles, moral and political, I shall state, with the most - sacred regard to Truth, what my chief objects were in writing, - or rather in attempting to write, it, for it is but a wretched, - patched and garbled attempt. It was contained in a sheet of paper - and in one or two pieces more, which are not forthcoming--the sheet - alone is produced. It is written in very violent revolutionary - language, because, as it in the outset imports, after a revolution - had taken place could it alone be published--and the[705] - occurrence of such an event I thought every day more probable. - The first sentence that has produced much misrepresentation is - that which mentions that some of the most obnoxious members of the - Government have already payed the forfeit of their lives--I cannot - state the words exactly. From this it is concluded I countenanced - assassination--Gracious God!--but I shall simply answer that this - sentence was merely supposititious, and founded on that common - remark, oftenest made by those who least wished it verified, that - if the people had ever recourse to force and succeeded, there were - certain persons whom they would most probably destroy. The next - most obnoxious sentence--more obnoxious to my feelings, because - calculated to misrepresent the real sentiments of my soul--is that - which recommends to give no quarter to those who fought against - their native country [unless they should speedily join the Standard - of Freedom]. With this latter part of the sentence I found two - faults, and therefore drew my pen over it as above. The first fault - was that the word 'speedily' was too vague and might encourage the - sanguinary immediately to deny quarter, which was the very thing - the whole sentence was intended to discountenance and prevent--the - next fault was that it required more than ever should be required - of any human being, namely, to fight against his opinions from - fear. The sentence was intended to prevent the horrid measure of - refusing quarter from being adopted: by appearing to acquiesce in - it at some future period, when the inhuman thirst for it should - no longer exist. But as the sentence now stands in two parts of - the sheet it would appear as if I sought to enforce the measure I - most abhor. To prevent it was, in fact, one of my leading motives - for writing the address: but I had also three others that are - expressed on the piece or pieces of paper, which made part of the - writing, but which, tho' laid all together in the same desk, have - disappeared. - - The three objects alluded to are these, the protection of property, - preventing the indulgence of _revenge_, and the strict forbiddal - of injuring any person for religious differences. - - I know it is said that I call on the people to take _vengeance_ - on their oppressors, and enumerate some of their oppressions. But - this is the very thing that enables me to point out the difference - between _private revenge_ and _public vengeance_. The former has - only a retrospective and malignant propensity, while the latter, - though animated by the recollection of the past, has ever only in - view the removal of the evil and of the possibility of occurrence. - Thus the assassin _revenges_ himself; but the patriot avenges - his country of it's enemies, by overthrowing them, and depriving - them of all power again to hurt it: In the struggle some of their - lives may fall, but these were not the objects of his vengeance. - In short, even the Deity is said in this sense to be an _avenging_ - Being; but who deems him _revengeful_? Adieu, my dear sir. Let me - entreat you, whenever an opportunity shall occur, that you will - justify my principles on these points. Believe me your sincere - friend, - - JOHN SHEARES. - - Newgate: 12 o'clock at night, July 13.[706] - - -The Proclamation which brought John Sheares to the scaffold (Henry had -no part in it, and died, so far, innocent) ended with these words:-- - - Vengeance, Irishmen, vengeance on your oppressors! Remember - that thousands of your dearest friends have perished by their - merciless orders! Remember their burnings--their rackings--their - torturings--their military massacres, and their legal murders. - Remember Orr! - -These declamatory words of a young barrister and amateur tragedian, who -probably had no serious design of going red-handed into revolution, -were by no means confined to _his_ mouth. In the Appendix will be found -some account of William Orr. Meanwhile, the late Henry Grattan, son of -the greater Grattan, writes:-- - - 'Remember Orr!' were words written everywhere--pronounced - everywhere. I recollect, when a child, to have read them on the - walls--to have heard them spoken by the people. Fortunately I did - not comprehend their meaning. The conduct of the Irish Government - was so reprobated, that at a public dinner in London, given in - honor of Mr. Fox's birthday, in one of the rooms where the Duke of - Norfolk, Lord Oxford, Mr. Erskine, Sir Francis Burdett, and Horne - Tooke sat, two of the toasts were,--'The memory of Orr--basely - M--D--D. May the execution of Orr provide places for the Cabinet of - St. James's at the Castle!' - -The fate of the Sheareses was soon forgotten, but occasionally a -pilgrim in thoughtful mood wended his way to their last resting place. -William Henry Curran sent to the 'New Monthly Magazine,' in 1822, -an account of St. Michan's crypt, Church Street, Dublin. This vault -possesses the rare virtue of preserving human remains.[707] He was -struck on entering to find that decay had been more busy with the -tenement than the tenant:-- - - In some instances the coffins had altogether disappeared; in others - the lids or sides had mouldered away, exposing the remains within, - still unsubdued by death from their original form.... I had been - told that they (the Sheares) were here, and the moment the light - of the taper fell upon the spot they occupy, I quickly recognised - them by one or two circumstances that forcibly recalled the close - of their career--the headless trunks and the remains of their - coarse, unadorned penal shells. Henry's head was lying beside his - brother; John's had not been completely detached by the blow of - the executioner--one of the ligaments of the neck still connects - it with the body. I knew nothing of these victims of ill-timed - enthusiasm except from historical report; but the companion of my - visit to their grave had been their cotemporary and friend, and - he paid their memories the tribute of some sighs, which, even at - this distance of time, it would not be prudent to heave in a less - privileged place. - -The late Richard Dalton Webb, when a boy, also went to see these -reliques. With a penknife he severed the ligament mentioned by Curran, -and carried away the head to his own home, where it remained twenty -years. He finally regretted having taken it, and offered it to Dr. -Madden, at whose door the gruesome relic duly arrived. - - The head was finely formed [he writes], but the expression of the - face was that of the most frightful agony. The mark of very violent - injuries, done during life to the right eye, nose, and mouth, were - particularly apparent; the very indentation round the neck, from - the pressure of the rope, was visible; and there was no injury to - the cervical vertebræ occasioned by any instrument. - -These horrible marks were doubtless caused by the brutal and bungling -way in which the executioner had done his work. Madden, in good -taste, restored to the shrunken trunk its long-lost head. When John -Sheares, in his last letter, spoke of 'an affectionate tear shed over -his dust,' he little foresaw the grim irony by which the words of the -Burial Service--'Dust to dust, ashes to ashes'--were to be thwarted. He -never married. Roche, in his 'Essays of an Octogenarian,' says that, -happening to occupy the rooms in Dublin where John Sheares had once -lived, he discovered, in a recess, a package of his letters, which, on -finding them addressed to a lady, he instantly burned. Rich material -for romance was thus, happily, lost. - -John Sheares's last letter to his sister makes feeling reference to -his natural daughter Louise, then aged seven years. Julia Sheares gave -from her pinched resources what served to educate this girl. Louise -married a Mr. Coghlan, but, owing to his loose habits, left him. John's -dramatic dash descended to his child. She became a popular actress, and -was known on the London stage as 'Miss White.' Here the gentle histrion -went through many struggles, and was pursued by much adulation. But -panting--like Goldsmith's hare--to the spot from whence at first she -flew, Louise returned to Ireland, and died there in 1828. - -Whilst the parchment features of the Sheareses grinned in agonised -expression, and their orphans shivered in the storms of a cold, -neglectful world,[708] John Warneford Armstrong battened on his -blood-money, and posed as a prosperous and popular man. Lord Cork's -damaging account of his antecedents in the letter which remained near -a century sealed will be remembered. The magisterial bench hailed his -adhesion; he took a leading place on the grand jury of his county; -Burke's 'Landed Gentry' enrolled him in its ranks. - -In 1843 the name of Captain Armstrong again came before the public, in -connection with the prosecution of his servant, Egan, for stealing, -among other effects, a gold medal in commemoration of his discoveries -in 1798. The late F. Thorpe Porter, from whose lips I had the following -anecdote, was on the bench with Sir Nicholas FitzSimon as police -magistrate, when the latter, recognising through a glass door the -well-known figure of Armstrong approaching, said: 'Here is Sheares' -Armstrong; I don't care to meet him,' and retired into a private room. -FitzSimon, as former member for the King's County in which Armstrong -lived, had been in pleasant touch with him, and often chuckled at his -quaint conceits. Armstrong with his accustomed swagger took his seat, -uninvited, on the bench. Mr. Porter said that he had not the honour of -his acquaintance, and requested him to withdraw. 'I always had this -privilege from Major Sirr,' replied Armstrong, unabashed; 'and I am a -magistrate for the King's County.' 'This not being the King's County,' -retorted Porter, 'I must only repeat my request. If you continue to sit -here people in court might suppose that you were--what I should much -regret--a friend of mine.' - -Sir Thomas Redington, the Under-Secretary, informed Mr. Porter that -Armstrong had reported to the Government the words of which he -complained, but that it was decided to take no action in the matter. - -Soon after a case came on for hearing before the judicial Chairman -of the King's County, to whom the Clerk of the Peace, speaking in a -half-whisper, said: 'Sheares' Armstrong' (a nickname by which he was -well known) 'has some testimony to offer which it might be well for -you to hear.' This was done, and the chairman, in summing up, said: -'I now come to the evidence of Mr. _Sheares_ Armstrong'--and he -then proceeded to observe upon it, innocently using--over and over -again--the stigmatising nickname, to the amusement of the audience -and the agony of Armstrong. All was not _couleur de rose_ with this -prosperous person. 'The Attornies Guide,' a local satire, published -at Dublin in 1807, and written by the Rev. Richard Frizell, rector of -Ilfracombe, notices as a judgment, a fact which can be regarded merely -as a coincidence: 'Shortly after he gave his ever-memorable evidence -on the trial of these unfortunate gentlemen--the Sheareses--he was -afflicted with a fistula in the face, which rendered him as remarkable -an object as Cain is supposed to have been after the murder of his -brother.' Frizell finally exclaims (p. 42):-- - - Unhappy Sheares--an Armstrong thus caressed - Thy infant, hanging at its mother's breast; - Friendship pretending, revelled at thy board, - While round your neck he tied the fatal cord! - -Stings like these must have severely tried his patience. His temper -was of as hair-trigger a character as the pistols which he carried for -protection. Robert Maunsell, a leading solicitor, of whom Armstrong -was a client, informed me that the captain, on one occasion, when -entertained by Mrs. Maunsell in Merrion Square, smashed, by an awkward -swinging gesture, the leg of the chair on which he sat, whereupon his -exclamation was not a gallant apology, but--'D---- n your chairs, -madam!' This, Maunsell said, was intoned with a nasal twang--the -penalty paid for the _lupus_--which ate into his beauty fifty years -before. - -To earn 500_l._ a year Armstrong must have done something more than -merely to ensnare the Sheareses, although hitherto he has been -credited with that exploit alone. William Lawless was Professor of -Physiology at the College of Surgeons, Dublin, a man of mark, and very -highly connected. Immediately after his interview with Armstrong at -Sheares's house we find a warrant issued for his arrest, and it was -not Armstrong's fault if he failed to meet the fate of the brothers. -A timely hint from Surgeon-general Stewart put Lawless on the alert. -By hair-breadth escapes he eluded his pursuers, and at last reached -France, where he became a distinguished general under Napoleon. - -Armstrong, when stealing on the Sheareses, sought to kill another -bird with the same stone. He was clearly making notes for the ruin of -Lawless as well, and mentioned on Sheares's trial, among other remarks -alleged to have been made by Lawless, that the trees near the Royal -camp would come handy in suspending prisoners captured by the rebel -force. Lawless had luckily escaped at this time, but at once wrote -indignantly denying that he had ever made so horrible a suggestion. -Previous to his flight he had resided in French Street, Dublin, whither -Major Sirr proceeded with a warrant both for his arrest and that of -John Sheares, who had been in daily conference with him. While Sirr was -engaged in searching Lawless's house a knock came to the door, Sheares -entered, and Sirr at once said, 'You are my prisoner.' - -Lawless had seen Lord Edward constantly during the period of his -concealment; but Armstrong knew nothing of the chieftain's movements, -and, of course, had no hand in his betrayal, though some infer to -the contrary from a passing remark made by Mr. Froude.[709] But he -qualified for his pension by a general vigilance and activity in -support of that red system and policy which John Sheares's proclamation -brands. Armstrong having been questioned by Curran as to three peasants -which he had taken prisoners in '98, he replied: 'We were going up -Blackmore Hill, under Sir James Duff; there was a party of rebels -there. We met three men with green cockades. One we shot, another we -hanged, and the third we flogged and made a guide of.'[710] - -The murder of a little child by a yeoman named Woolagan excited, even -in those days, a feeling of abhorrence, and Plowden, in his 'History -of Ireland,' notices Woolagan's acquittal by the court-martial which -tried him, but does not cite the evidence. This we find in the 'Dublin -Magazine' for October 1798. There it will be seen that the murderer -threw the onus on the general orders issued by Captain Armstrong. -Phillips and Curran, who have written of that man, do not appear to -have read this trial. The crime was proved and not denied, yet Woolagan -was acquitted. But the Viceroy, Lord Cornwallis, condemned the verdict, -and disqualified the president of the court-martial, Lord Enniskillen, -from again presiding in that capacity. - -Captain Armstrong, though hot-tempered, was capable of generous acts, -and his redeeming points must not be ignored. He was a bad hater, a -good laugher. Affable to all, he frequently went out of his way to -be civil; and with him sweet words had more than their proverbial -value. In days when landlordism reigned with iron sceptre, he showed -indulgence to his tenantry; but when giving leases, or using his -influence with higher lords of the soil for that end, he cunningly -got his own life inserted as a beneficial interest to the tenants. -Thus in the hot-bed of Ribbonism he gloried to the end in a sort of -charmed life. He survived until April 20, 1858, when he died at Clara, -in the King's County, after having drawn from Dublin Castle 500_l._ a -year, or about 29,464_l._ Castlereagh, who had urged him to his work, -recommended him for a pension, and predeceased him by nearly forty -years, might have deemed this sum excessive had he lived to see it paid. - -Seeking to disarm prejudice and cultivate rural friendship, Armstrong -maintained cordial relations with the peasantry. He would enter their -cabins, sit with rude hosts, and converse with their wives on various -domestic points solely of interest to themselves. We must suppose that, -consistently with his later utterance, their children attracted from -him no moving manifestation of regard. His long life had one decided -advantage. It is stated that he lived down every political enemy -and contemporary, becoming in the end downright popular. His face, -familiar from childhood even to old men, became at last endeared to -early memories, and his neighbour, Captain Fuller, who attended his -funeral, testifies to the almost incredible fact that he saw some -well-known Ribbonmen, who were present, weep, and horny hands upraised -which, in the hot blood of youth, had dispensed 'the wild justice of -revenge.'[711] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[692] The fact that Mr. Lecky, when noticing the Sheares, tells his -readers to 'see a curious anecdote about them' in a former book of -mine, affords in itself an excuse for now offering something new. Vide -_England in the Eighteenth Century_, viii. 191. - -[693] Ridgeway's _Report of the Trial of the Sheares_, p. 129. - -[694] The will of Sheares senior lends no support to this often -repeated statement; but he commits his children to the care of Lord -Shannon, a relative of their mother. This peer had been created, in -1786, Baron Carleton in the peerage of England, and hence the confusion. - -[695] _Rise and Fall of the Irish Nation_, p. 365. (Paris, 1833.) - -[696] She did not long survive the great shock, but a prolonged -purgatory was reserved for Henry's widow. She never raised her head, -loved to occupy a darkened room, and always spent in fasting and prayer -the anniversary of his death. Like her husband she was a Protestant. - -[697] Brutal and bungling as all this was, it would appear that, from -the first, it was designed that a cruel butchery should desecrate their -death. The original warrant for their execution orders that:-- - -'They, and each of them, be hanged by the neck--but not until they be -dead--for whilst they are yet alive, they are to be taken down--their -entrails are to be taken out of their bodies, and, whilst they are yet -alive, to be burned before their faces; their heads are then to be -respectively cut off; their bodies to be divided into four quarters, -and their heads and bodies to be at His Majesty's disposal.' - -The above death warrant, with written directions from Mr. Cooke, as -to the troops to attend at the scaffold, is addressed to Alderman -Archer, High Sheriff for Dublin in 1798, and is now preserved by his -grandnephew, Rev. Thomas Gray, M.A., F.T.C.D. - -[698] The Society of United Irishmen. - -[699] Most writers on the period, in noticing the anomaly that in -England two witnesses were necessary in cases of treason, but in -Ireland only one, assume that this law continues in force. The law as -regards two witnesses dates from the reign of Edward III. It received -strengthening touches by the 7 & 8 Will. III. cap. 3. But in 1822 it -was extended to Ireland (1 & 2 Geo. IV. cap. 24); and editors of Haydn -might note this fact. - -[700] General Edward Boyle, eighth Earl of Cork, survived until June -29, 1856, and was the last surviving peer who had sat in the Irish and -in the English House of Lords. - -[701] See notice of the duel, p. 177, _ante_. - -[702] 'Anonymous letters are flying. _My friend_ got two this week -threatening death and destruction if he exerted himself on the -approaching trials.' 'My friend' is the 'cipher' by which McNally -always means himself.--J. W. to Cooke, July 10, 1798. (MSS. Dublin -Castle.) - -[703] The late Lord Ross, a friend of Armstrong's, to Rev. Thomas Gray, -M.A., F.T.C.D., who has communicated it to W. J. F. - -[704] The late Dr. Ireland, a nonagenarian, who had filled official -posts in Dublin Castle, knew Flemyng, to whom Dr. Dobbin's letter is -addressed. Flemyng had been in the East India Company's service, but -joined the United Irishmen during leave of absence from Bengal, in -which place he had known Lord Cornwallis, its then Governor-General, -but later Viceroy of Ireland. 'Flemyng,' says Dr. Ireland, 'attained -popularity for having, with his own arm, killed the largest boar seen -in India, an animal which had often ripped open horses and oxen. One -night, at Dublin, the Viceroy sent for Flemyng and surprised him by -saying that all that had passed between him and the Sheares was known -to the Privy Council. The Lord Lieutenant, then placing his arm on -Flemyng's shoulder, said: "Let not another day elapse, or not all my -influence can save you from the gallows. Start for India at once; those -fellows at Ghazapore must be put down; you are just the man to do it. -You will be gazetted to your company ere you reach Bombay." Flemyng -went to India, did the work, rose, and died rich. In 1805 he again met -Lord Cornwallis, on his arrival in India charged with the re-assumption -of its reins of government; with gratitude he acknowledged the -timely service he had rendered him in 1798. Death was written in the -face of Lord Cornwallis as he landed at Calcutta: India, the grave -of Europeans, folded him to its embrace, and a few weeks later the -soldier-statesman was no more.'--Richard Stanley Ireland, M.D., to W. -J. F. This aged physician died on March 13, 1875. - -[705] The word 'possible' was written here, but afterwards crossed out. - -[706] The above letter of John Sheares, enclosed in Dr. Dobbin's -communication, has, I find, been printed by Dr. Madden; but, on -comparing the original document with the printed copy, no fewer than -thirteen discrepancies are detected. - -[707] The soil and walls of the crypt being a compound of argillaceous -earth and carbonate of lime, a singularly antiseptic character is thus -imparted to these vaults. - -[708] In 1860, a daughter of Henry Sheares, then seventy-two years of -age, was an occupant of an almshouse in Cork. - -[709] Froude, iii. 341. - -[710] _The Trial of the Sheareses_, reported by Ridgeway, p. 129. - -[711] The late Sir Robert Peel. - - - - -APPENDIX - - -_LORD DOWNSHIRE'S MYSTERIOUS VISITOR_ - -(_Vide_ p. 8, _ante_.) - -The following is a _résumé_ of some earlier evidence which had -convinced me that the informer whose name Mr. Froude says is -still wrapped in mystery[712] could be only Samuel Turner, LL.D., -barrister-at-law. - -Speaking of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Mr. Froude says: 'His meeting with -Hoche on the Swiss frontier was known only to very few persons. Hoche -himself had not revealed it even to Tone.' - -But Turner knew a vast deal about the arrangements with Hoche. An -intercepted letter addressed by Reinhard, the French Minister at -Hamburg, to De la Croix, and written on July 12, 1797, may be found in -the 'Correspondence of Lord Castlereagh,' and assigned by mistake to -the year 1798. In this letter Reinhard tells De la Croix that he sent -Turner to General Hoche. From Hoche[713] himself Turner most likely -learned of the secret interview between Lord Edward and the French -general. - -But what proof have we that Lord Downshire's muffled visitor had had -himself an interview with Hoche? - -Mr. Froude at some pages distant from the part where he refers to Lord -Edward's meeting with Hoche, when recurring to Downshire's visitor, -whose identity was 'kept a secret even from the Cabinet,' states, from -knowledge acquired after reading the spy's secret letters, 'He had -actually conferred with Hoche and De la Croix.' - -The intercepted letter in the 'Castlereagh Papers' refers at much -length to the proceedings of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, MacNevin, and -Turner; but Turner in this letter is called _Furnes_. The general -index to that work states[714] that Furnes is an alias for Samuel -Turner; and further he is described as 'an Irish rebel.' Had the noble -editor supposed that Turner was a spy in the pay of the Crown, this -letter would doubtless have been suppressed in common with others -which Dr. Madden misses. Lord Londonderry brought out his brother's -correspondence in 1848, during the 'Young Ireland' agitation, and was -careful to let few secrets appear. - -'He had accompanied the Northern delegacy to Dublin,' proceeds Mr. -Froude, 'and had been present at the discussion of the propriety of an -immediate insurrection.' - -John Hughes, of Belfast, an officer in the Society of the United -Irishmen, was arrested immediately after Turner opened communication -with Downshire, and while in gaol turned King's evidence. From the -sworn testimony of John Hughes we learn that, in June 1797, he was -summoned by Lowry and Teeling to attend a meeting in Dublin of -delegates from the different provinces of Ireland, in order to receive -a return of the strength of the United Irishmen. Whilst he was in -Dublin, in June 1797, Teeling invited him to meet some friends at his -lodgings, including Tony McCann of Dundalk, _Mr.[715] Samuel Turner_, -John and Patrick Byrne, Lowry, Dr. MacNevin, and others.[716] The -leaders differed as to the expediency of an immediate rising. 'He met -the above mentioned persons at several other times in Dublin, in June -1797.'[717] - -'The Northern delegate had been present at the discussion of the -propriety of an immediate insurrection. The cowardice or the prudence -of the Dublin faction had disgusted him,' writes Mr. Froude. - -The Northern leader who was disgusted with the prudence of the Papist -conspirators in Dublin must have been Turner. In the 'Castlereagh -Papers' is a letter of Reinhard, the French Minister, stating, on -the authority of Turner, 'that it was of dilatoriness and indecision -several members of the Committee were accused; that the Northern -province, feeling its oppression and its strength, was impatient to -break forth.'[718] - -Reinhard adds, what will surprise many regarding Lord Edward: 'Macnevin -and Lord Fitzgerald are of the moderate party. Furness [Turner] is for -a speedy explosion, and it is some imprudences into which his ardent -character hurried him that obliged him to leave the country, whereas -the conduct of Macnevin has been circumspect.'[719] - -Among the men whom Hughes swears he met in June 1797, with the Northern -delegates in Dublin, were _Turner_, Teeling, MacCann, John Byrne [Union -Lodge, Dundalk], Dr. Macnevin, Colonel Plunket,[720] and Andrew Comyn -of Galway. These men--Turner excepted--were all Roman Catholics; so -were John Keogh, Braughall, MacCormick, and other influential Dublin -leaders--whose names do not appear. Tone was abroad. Downshire's -visitor speaks of the men he met in Dublin as 'Papists' whose prudence -and cowardice disgusted him, and he came to the conclusion that the two -parties could not amalgamate. - -Mr. Froude, again describing Downshire's visitor, writes: 'He had seen -Talleyrand and talked with him at length on the condition of Ireland.' - -The 'Castlereagh Papers' contain a remarkable letter, headed 'Secret -Intelligence,' and describing very fully an interview with Talleyrand -in reference to an invasion of Ireland. On the third page of his letter -the spy writes: 'Enclosure containing the cyphers _I sent to the -Marquis of Downshire_.'[721] - -To this letter I must again return. - -Mr. Froude states that Downshire's visitor had discovered one of the -objects of the Papists to be a seizure of property, and had determined -to separate himself from the conspiracy. - -Turner belonged to a family of Cromwellian settlers. This we learn from -Prendergast's 'Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland,' p. 417. The letter -(quoted above), printed in the Castlereagh Papers, and acknowledging -to have spied for Lord Downshire, mentions that the writer's 'most -particular friends' were men 'who feared in a Revolution the loss of -their property, especially such as held their estates by grants of -Oliver Cromwell.'[722] - -Mr. Froude says that when the mysterious visitor threw back his -disguise Downshire recognised in him the son of a gentleman of good -fortune in the North of Ireland. Lord Downshire is part proprietor -of Newry, where Turner lived, and Hill Street, Newry, is named after -the Downshires, just as Turner's Hill, Newry, is called after the -Turners.[723] - -It may be added that Jacob Turner, of Turner Hill, in the county -of Armagh, esquire, by his will, dated April 27, 1803, acquits and -discharges his son 'Samuel from a judgment debt obtained by me against -him for 1,500_l._'[724] - -'"The person" had been a member of the Ulster Revolutionary Committee,' -writes Mr. Froude. This Turner admittedly was. - -'He had _fled_ with others,' he tells Lord Downshire when describing -how he came to leave Ireland and settle at Hamburg. - -James Hope, in his narrative supplied to Dr. Madden in 1846, when -noticing Turner, writes, 'He _fled_ and settled in Hamburg, where he -was entrusted by the Directory with carrying on the correspondence -between the Irish and French Executives.'[725] - -Mr. Froude says that the mysterious man was intimate with all the -United Irish refugees at Hamburg, received instructions from the -Home Office to open a correspondence with rebel leaders, and had the -_entrée_ to the house of Lady Edward Fitzgerald. - -No wonder that Lord Downshire's friend should command these exceptional -facilities for spying when we know, on the authority of James Hope, a -veteran rebel of Ulster, that Samuel Turner was the accredited agent at -Hamburg of the 'United Irishmen.'[726] - -Mr. Froude tells us that he revealed such evidence of his power to be -useful--at Hamburg--that Pitt was extremely anxious to secure his help. - -As Turner is shown by Hope to have been the authorised agent of the -'United Irishmen' at Hamburg, the reason becomes clear why Pitt was so -anxious to secure a man who had access at that place to all the secrets -of his party. - -'An arrangement was concluded,' writes Mr. Froude. 'He continued at -Hamburg, as Lady Edward's guest and most trusted friend, saw every one -who came to her house, kept watch over her letter-bag, was admitted to -close and secret conversations upon the prospect of French interference -in Ireland with Reinhard,[727] the Minister of the Directory there, and -he regularly kept Lord Downshire informed of everything which would -enable Pitt to watch the conspiracy.' - -The first volume of Castlereagh should here be opened. At pp. 277-286 -will be found three intercepted letters, addressed by Reinhard at -Hamburg to De la Croix, revealing minute particulars regarding the -United Irish envoys, and bearing testimony to the zealous help rendered -to the conspiracy by Turner. - -'I showed Reinhard Lowry's letter,' quotes Mr. Froude. - -Turner and Lowry were old allies in Ireland, and had no secrets between -them. The sworn information of John Hughes mentions that he saw Lowry, -Turner, and Teeling engaged on a committee for conducting the defence -of United Irishmen at the Antrim and Down Assizes in February, 1797. - -Mr. Froude tells us that the spy who hurried to London and sought -Lord Downshire was able to describe an important letter which was on -the point of going over from Barclay Teeling in France to Arthur -O'Connor.[728] Great confidence must have been reposed by Teeling in -the man who could tell all this; and such confidence could be earned -only by old intimacy and association. What proof is there that early -intimacy existed in Ireland between Barclay Teeling and Samuel Turner? - -The correspondence of Major Sirr, the Fouché of Dublin, with minor -spies, is preserved in Trinity College, Dublin. These papers contain -an information in which Dr. Conlan of Dundalk denounces, as deep in -the conspiracy, Samuel Turner, Barclay Teeling, Lowry, and Byrne. He -describes some hair-breadth escapes of Barclay Teeling, Turner, and -Lowry, and how they spent one night in a barn near Dundalk. Conlan had -been a United Irishman, who finally brought to the gibbet his cousin -Hoey and Marmion[729] of Dundalk. - -After the betrayer had hurried from Hamburg to London to sell his -secrets to Pitt, and then as suddenly disappeared, 'he wrote to Lord -Downshire,' observes Mr. Froude, 'saying that he had returned to his -old quarters, for fear he might be falling into a trap.' - -In fact, as Mr. Froude shows, he was in mortal terror of the assassin's -knife. Conlan's sworn information, describing the previous doings of -Teeling and Turner in Ireland, mentions how Teeling, Corcoran, and -Byrne had a password for putting informers out of the way. Whenever one -was detected he was sent to some United Irishman with the password, -'Do you know Ormond Steel?' 'But,' adds Conlan--laying 'the flattering -unction to his soul'--'there never was occasion for this.'[730] -Turner's treachery was of enormous magnitude, and most momentous in -its results. Once a man of indomitable courage, conscience made him an -arrant coward in the end. - -'I feared,' writes the betrayer to Lord Downshire, 'lest Government -might not choose to ratify our contract, and, being in their power, -would give me my choice either to come forward as evidence or suffer -martyrdom myself. Having no taste for an exit of this kind, I set out -and arrived here safe.'[731] - -His dread of 'Ormond Steel' is further proved by Portland's words in -reply to the Viceroy Camden, who vainly begged that he might come over -to Dublin--'he is convinced he would go to utter destruction.'[732] - -Speaking of Napper Tandy, Mr. Froude says of the veiled informer that -he 'had been naturally intimate with the other Irish refugees.'[733] - -Tandy, in the chapter devoted to him, tells how he and three other -Irish refugees had been invited at Hamburg by 'T.' to sup, and were -betrayed. Watty Cox, a sound authority on such points, broadly states -in the 'Irish Magazine' for January 1809, p. 34, that Tandy and his -comrades were 'betrayed by TURNER.' - -'He had come to England to sell his knowledge to Pitt,' says Mr. Froude. - -It will be seen that the price paid to _Samuel Turner_ is officially -reported in Dublin Castle. For centuries it had been the custom for -England to charge her Pension List on the Irish Establishment. Irish -spies and informers are generally of a low type. Reynolds--perhaps -the most important of them--could not spell, as his letters, placed -in our hands by Sir W. Cope, show. The same remark applies to the -correspondence of other informers printed by Dr. Madden. The letters -of Mr. Froude's spy are those of an educated man, and show that -he corresponded and conversed in French. Samuel Turner was well -qualified for all this and more, having graduated in the University of -Dublin.[734] - -These are but a few of the reasons which satisfied me that the betrayer -described by Mr. Froude was SAMUEL TURNER. I arrived at my conclusions -slowly--according as certain facts, 'far between,' presented themselves -in the field of research. But the reader, if he cares to trace the -career of this man, and does not object to meet a repetition or two, -will find an array of circumstantial evidence amounting to moral -demonstration. It may be added that documental proof finally came to -crown these researches. - - -_GENERAL NAPPER TANDY_ - -(See chap. viii. _ante_.) - -The late Mr. Allingham, of Ballyshannon--father of William Allingham -the poet--in one of his last letters, dated April 25, 1866, recalls a -strange incident. 'Should you treat of the stirring period of 1798,' -he writes, 'perhaps the following little fact may be acceptable. Some -forty years ago I chanced to be on a visit at the hospitable residence -of the late N. Foster, Esq., in the Rosses;[735] he told me of J. -Napper Tandy having put in to the Rosses, in the year 1798, with a -French ship of war, the "Anacréon," and how he at once hoisted an -Irish flag emblazoned with the words "Erin go Bragh." Tandy was then -a general in the French service. He had with him, for distribution, a -sheaf of proclamations, addressed to the Irish nation; they had been -printed in France, and he left several copies at Mr. Foster's. I got -Miss Grace Foster to take an exact copy of the strange document, and -which now I send you. - -'The French General Rey also had a grandiloquent proclamation with him, -beginning "The soldiers of the Great Nation have landed on your coast, -well supplied with arms and ammunition of all kinds, with artillery -worked by those who have spread terror amongst the ranks of the best -troops in Europe, headed by French officers; they come to break your -fetters, and restore you to the blessings of liberty. James Napper -Tandy is at their head; he has sworn to lead them on to victory or die. -Brave Irishmen! the friends of liberty have left their native soil to -assist you in re-conquering [_sic_] your rights; they will brave all -dangers, and glory at the sublime idea of cementing your happiness with -their blood."[736] - -'Napper Tandy had a large number of saddles and cavalry appointments -on board the French ship of war, but he could not procure any horses -in the Rosses. So Mrs. Foster said to him, "I fear, General, you will -not be able to put the saddle on the right horse!" N. Tandy asked -Mr. Foster: "What news?" to which Foster replied that a part of the -French troops had landed at Killala, and, after winning the battle of -Castlebar, had been finally compelled, near Longford, to capitulate -to Lord Cornwallis. Napper Tandy seemed to doubt this intelligence, -and proceeded to take forcible possession of the Rutland post-office, -which was kept by Mr. Foster's sister. He opened the newspapers, -and, to his dismay, found that all was over with the expedition. -His descent on Rutland took place September 16, 1798. Tandy, when -embarking from the Island for France, wrote an official letter, signed -and sealed, with a view to exonerate Foster from blame for not having -despatched his mail-bags. Tandy testified that, being in temporary -want of accommodation, he was obliged to put "citizen Foster under -requisition," and place sentinels around the island. He and his -officers paid for everything they took, including two pigs and a cow. -General Rey, when leaving, removed a gold ring from his finger and -presented it to Mrs. Foster, as a token of fraternity. Tandy not only -discharged every obligation, but discharged a cannon as a farewell -note. Foster was a staunch loyalist, and ere the "Anacréon" was under -way he despatched two expresses, one to Letterkenny, in hopes that the -Lough Swilly fleet would intercept them. This was not so easy, for -Tandy told Foster they had met several English cruisers _en route_, but -had outsailed them all. The "Anacréon" was equally successful on its -return voyage, captured two English ships near the Orkneys, after a -stiff engagement, and at last landed Tandy and his A.D.C.s in Norway.' - -A copy of Tandy's letter, deliberately penned when leaving Rutland, -appears in the appendix to Musgrave's 'Rebellion,' and seems not quite -consistent with the statement in the Castlereagh Papers that he got -so drunk on the island he had to be carried to the ship.[737] But his -grief was so poignant on finding his dearest hopes frustrated that it -would not be unnatural, in days when hard drinking was the fashion, -if the amateur French general had recourse to _eau-de-vie_. How he -was arrested on neutral territory, contrary to the law of nations, -subjected to cruel suffering, and sentenced to death, a previous -chapter tells. - -Fuller inquiry into the career of this quondam merchant of Dublin -finds it curiously interwoven with the history of Europe and his -fate influential in its affairs. In 1793 Holland was the scene of -disaster to the Duke of York; and his second campaign to that country -in 1799 ended in a disadvantageous capitulation. Previously he had sent -General Don into the interior of Holland to foment among the natives -an insurrection against French rule. Don was seized as a spy and -threatened with death for seeking to corrupt an enemy which England had -failed to conquer in the field.[738] He was, however, safely restored -during the negotiations of 1799, and Plowden makes the statement, -as one generally believed, that in the Helder convention there was -a secret article for restoring to liberty Tandy and Blackwell, in -return for the delivery of Don, who, by the laws of war, had incurred -the penalty of death. The Paris journals of October 1799 said that -the Duke's capitulation contains some private articles which his -Royal Highness did not wish to submit to the consideration of the -coffee-houses in London. - -Prolonged delay attended the liberation of Tandy. Brune bitterly -complained of it in the Council of Five Hundred; and then it was that -Buonaparte branded, as an attack upon the rights of nations and a crime -against humanity, the surrender, by Hamburg to England, of Tandy, -Blackwell, Morres, and Corbet. - -The painful details already given as regards the severity of their -imprisonment it is pleasant to relieve by some notice of the conduct of -one official who, superior in gentlemanly instinct to others of higher -rank, treated Tandy and his companions with a courteous consideration -most acceptable to men whose hearts ached from recent persecution. This -letter--unknown to Mr. Ross, the editor of the 'Cornwallis Papers'--was -addressed, we believe, to a near kinsman of that writer. - - _To Mr. Ross, the King's Messenger._ - - 'Dublin: November 18, 1799--_in prison_. - -'Sir,--We find ourselves at a loss to know how we best can express -our acknowledgments for the very polite, gentlemanly, and philosophic -manner in which you have uniformly behaved towards us, ever since -the period of our first getting under your care at Sheerness, during -our subsequent stay in London, upon the whole of our journey through -England, and until our arrival here; a conduct the peculiar inheritance -of a man of sense, education, and honour; and which, upon all -occasions in life, must leave with the feeling mind a pleasing and -everlasting impression. - -'All that we, sir, on our parts, can offer (and request your acceptance -of as a just tribute to your merit) is our sincerest wishes for your -happiness and future welfare--and to all of our fellow-citizens whom -the casualties of the day may hereafter chance to place in similar -circumstances with us, we wish from our hearts the superior good -fortune of falling into the hands of an officer who, knowing his duty -like Mr. Ross, like him also executes it in a manner that honours -humanity--an idea, that, with us, while drawing a comparison between -such-like conduct as we now speak of, and that which we but very -recently experienced in a foreign country, restores to its pristine, -but nearly lost worth, in our minds, the invaluable weight of social -law, and of all generous and liberal-minded converse betwixt man and -man.' - -The following signatures are affixed: - - 'JAMES NAPPER TANDY. - COLONEL BLACKWELL. - HARVEY M. MORRES. - GEORGE PETERS.' - -The interest which continued to attach to Tandy's memory long after his -death, even in quarters not likely to evince sympathy, is curiously -shown in the following extract from a letter addressed in 1846 by -Robert Shaw Worthington, B.L., to O'Connell, soliciting his patronage -with the Whig Government: 'My Liberal opinions I inherit from my -father, who, strange as it may appear, was Lord Mayor of Dublin in -1795.[739] _His_ liberal opinions did not serve him in those days; he -was a supporter of Catholic Emancipation, and in the year 1809, at a -private dinner-party at the house of Mr. Farrell, Blackhall Street, my -father proposed the memory of Napper Tandy.[740] One of the company -(the perfidious name was Fanning) reported the circumstance next day at -the Castle; my father received a letter from the Chief Secretary (the -present Duke of Wellington) calling upon him to disprove the charge; -but, being unable to do so, he was dismissed from his office of Dublin -Police Magistrate, the salary of which was 500_l._ per annum.'[741] - - -'O' - -The letters of secret information in the 'Castlereagh Papers,' though -assumed by most readers to come from the one source, are divided -between two spies. No successful attempt has been hitherto made to -identify the writers. The result of Dr. Madden's inquiry went no -further than to show that the letters were penned, not by spies of a -low type, but by _gentlemen_ of high standing.[742] It was then that -I sought to draw aside their masks. 'Downshire's friend' (Turner) -was traced more easily than a correspondent of the Home Office, -London, whose initial 'O' is dropped once only by Wickham. The spy -who contrived to accompany General Tandy's staff in the expedition to -Ireland in 1798 has left us a curious account of what passed on board -the 'Anacréon'[743] during their brief visit to Ireland. The perilous -character of his enterprise was quite as striking as Tandy's descent -on Donegal and escape from the English fleet. Wickham confides to -Castlereagh merely the initial letter of this spy's name.[744] The -written statement from 'O' is a curious document, and one which has -been more than once quoted by historians. An old note-book of mine -contains the following:--'I have long and vainly tried to discover -this man; but to Dr. Madden it will be at least satisfactory to know -that "O" can never have taken any prominent part in the councils of -the United Irishmen, and his name, even if discovered, would not be a -familiar one. He can never have been in the Executive Directory, or on -any of the baronial committees. He mentions incidentally that he has -been but once in Ireland for eight years.' - -Some readers fancied that the spy 'O' who accompanied Tandy was -O'Herne,[745] O'Finn,[746] Ormby,[747] O'Mealy,[748] O'Hara,[749] -O'Neill,[750] - -O'Connor,[751] or O'Keon[752]; my own theory was that 'O' stood for -some man whose name would prove to be Orr. At p. 309, vol. i., of the -'Castlereagh Papers,' in a report of the French fleet preparing to -invade Ireland, a list is given of the Irish agents at Brest: 'Orr, -_who accompanied Murphy_, was still at Paris.[753] Did not seem to like -going.' The letter of 'O,' describing the crew on board the 'Anacréon' -in its expedition to Ireland, mentions 'Murphy ... and myself' (p. 407). - -'O,' in his secret letter dated 1798, speaks of having been in Trinity -College, Dublin, nine years before. An 'Orr' graduated as B.A. in -1789, but this proved not much. His letter shows (pp. 406-10) that -he had the confidence both of the French Directory, and of the Irish -envoys in France. Another anonymous letter of secret information from -Paris (Castlereagh, ii. 2-7) is undoubtedly Turner's. He speaks of -Orr and Murphy as together; the first as a 'relation of him that was -hanged,' and 'Murphy as having been lately expelled Dublin College,' -and both, he adds, were applying for passports at Altona (p. 6). John -Murphy made a deposition[754] at Bow Street, dated November 2, 1798, -in which he names _George Orr_ and himself, proceeding to the Hague, -thence to Paris, and afterwards joining Tandy's expedition, when Murphy -became secretary to the General. It is curious to find Turner[755] -and Orr--each ignorant of the treachery of the other--reporting their -movements to the Secretary of State.[756] - -'By direction of the Duke of Portland,' writes Wickham to Lord -Castlereagh, 'I send for the information of the Lord Lieutenant the -enclosed extract from some very important communications that have been -made to his Grace by a person of the name of O----.' - -In this letter, describing Tandy's descent on Ireland, the relations -between him and the French Directory are minutely detailed, with an -account of the equipment of the expedition, and studies of the officers -on board and their antecedents.[757] It is not unlikely that Orr and -Murphy, especially the latter, had been at first zealous adherents of -the movement headed by Lord Edward and Tone; but that after the death -of these leaders and the consignment of the Rebel Directory to dungeons -they considered their own position as materially changed. - -When Buonaparte broke faith with Addis Emmet, and sent his legions to -the Pyramids of Egypt, instead of encamping them among the Round Towers -of Ireland, Orr then sought to fill his purse, and console a baulked -ambition, by extracting gold from Pitt: 'To show how the finances of -France are,' he writes regarding Tandy's expedition, 'and how they -meant to make their Irish friends pay their expenses, three generals -went out on that little expedition; and all the money they could muster -among them was about thirty louis d'or. One of them, to my own certain -knowledge, had but five guineas in all.'[758] - -Again, in a subsequent letter, he writes: 'The grand object of the -French is, as they term it themselves, London. _Delenda_ (sic) -_Carthago_ is their particular end; once in England, they think they -would speedily indemnify themselves for all their expenses and recruit -their ruined finances.'[759] - -England, unlike France, could pay lavishly, and it would be curious -to know if Orr's increasing facilities for acquiring valuable -information, according as Napoleon's power grew, were acknowledged by -the '5,000_l._, and not more than 20,000_l._ within the year,' which -Wellington in 1808 thought fair fees for the unnamed informer who sent -secret news from France--a man who, it is added, had been paid at this -rate by Pitt.[760] - -Orr continued long after to discharge in France the perilous _rôle_ of -a vigilant spy, and, as such, was a small thorn in Napoleon's side. The -Pelham MSS. contain a long letter signed 'G. O.' (33-112, folio 205), -further described in a separate note as 'George Orr,' and beginning--'I -much fear that the French have outgeneraled the British Government -with respect to what is to go forward in the West Indies.' The date -would be about 1802, but it is incorrectly placed with papers of 1807. -This is the only report from Orr preserved by Pelham. With complicated -precautions of secrecy it is addressed 'C. W. F., Esq.', and by this -mysterious official passed on to Pelham for perusal. These initials are -often met in the State Papers, both of England and Ireland; and future -inquirers have a right to know something of the man who played no -unimportant part during an eventful period of our history. 'Cornwallis' -and 'Castlereagh' furnish no note on this point; the 'Gentleman's -Magazine,' that great storehouse of facts, knows him not. At last, in -'Three Thousand Contemporary Public Characters,' published by Whittaker -in 1825, I found the following notice of a career which deserves more -permanent record. - - -'_SIR CHARLES WILLIAM FLINT_ - -Was born in Scotland in 1775; and, after having finished his studies -at Edinburgh, was taken, in 1793, by Lord Grenville, into the office -of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In 1796 Lord Grenville -sent him as confidential secretary with Mr. Wickham, then going -minister to Switzerland: with that gentleman Mr. Flint entered into -a close intimacy. He was recalled in 1797, and again employed in the -Foreign Office. Next year the Alien Bill passed, and Lord Grenville -recommended Mr. Flint to the Duke of Portland, as a fit person to put -it in execution; and his Grace, who was then Home Secretary, appointed -him Superintendent of Aliens. In this situation he was very active, -and is said to have rendered essential service to many of the Royalist -emigrants.[761] When Pichegru returned from Cayenne, he confided to -Mr. Flint those plans which, in the end, brought on his destruction. -In 1800 the Duke of Portland granted Mr. Flint leave of absence, and -he was sent as secretary of legation to Mr. Wickham, then envoy to the -allied armies in Germany. After witnessing the campaigns in Bavaria -and Austria, he returned to England, where he was employed until 1802, -and was then sent to the sister kingdom as Under-Secretary of State in -Ireland. He is now [1826] agent, in London, of the Irish Department. In -1812 he received the honour of knighthood.' - -It may be added that the Irish 'S. S. Money Book' records a number of -payments in 1803 by Flint to minor informers, including Murphy, the -colleague of George Orr. The Wellington Correspondence makes frequent -reference to Flint; but readers are left without any information as to -who this 'very clever fellow' was--to quote the Duke's own words. (v., -p. 643). - - -_ROBERT AND ROGER O'CONNOR_ - -The unscrupulosity with which spying was practised in the days of 'the -First Gentleman in Europe' is not pleasant to contemplate. I find -Robert O'Connor, nephew of Lord Longueville, betraying his own brother! - -Pelham writes to Brigadier-General Coote on May 27, 1797:-- - -'I have received at different times very important information from -Mr. Robert O'Connor, and indeed he was the first person who gave me -information against his brother. - -'I hear that you have excellent spies, and I expect great success from -your exertions.' - -General Eyre Coote writes ('Pelham MSS.' July 24, 1797):-- - -'I enclose you strong information against Roger O'Connor just -received from Robert. It is very curious that one brother should be -so inveterate against the other. I, however, am of opinion that Roger -O'Connor has been the principal in all the treasonable practices in -this part of the country.' - -Roger, of whose adventurous feats volumes might be written, was noted -more for backsliding than backbone. Pelham, in a letter to Coote, dated -Phœnix Park, July 25, 1797, says:-- - -'He [Roger] declares himself to be disposed to give every information, -and to render every service to the King's Government, in his power.' - -No circles, however cultured, were untainted by the spy. Dr. Madden -gives a very ugly picture of Sir Jonah Barrington revealing at -Dublin Castle the seditious talk that he heard at Lady Colclough's -dinner-table, and how Grogan, Colclough, and Harvey, men of rank -and fortune, who were present, died on the gallows ere the year -expired.[762] - -Mr. Pelham's Papers afford curious glimpses of social life in Ireland -as presented by his correspondents. A priest, who resided near Collon -in the county Louth, is described as having dined at a squire's house -in the neighbourhood,[763] and a paper having fallen out of his pocket, -'curiosity tempted some of the gentlemen to read it. A copy of it -was brought to England by Mr. William Beaufort, son of the Rev. Dr. -Beaufort, rector of Collon, and Mr. Young, his connection, furnished a -copy.' The paper, in point of fact, embodied merely secret tenets of -his religious rule. - - -_ARTHUR O'CONNOR_ - -On his way to Fort George prison, in Scotland, O'Connor distributed -some curious lines, which at first passed as an exemplary effusion, -but, on being more closely scanned, they developed rebel sentiments. -O'Connor intended that the lines of the second verse should be read -after the corresponding lines in the first. The first lines of the -two verses constituted the great sentiment which O'Connor liked to -emphasise. - - The pomp of courts, and pride of kings, - I prize above all earthly things; - I love my country, but the King - Above all men his praise I sing; - The royal banners are display'd, - And may success the standard aid. - - I fain would banish far from hence - The 'Rights of Man' and common sense; - Confusion to his odious reign, - That foe to princes, Thomas Paine! - Defeat and ruin seize the cause - Of France, its liberties, and laws! - - -_LADY MOIRA AND TODD JONES_ - -(_Vide_ chap. xii. p. 156.) - -An unpublished letter, addressed to John Philpot Curran, though -anonymous, bears internal evidence to show that the writer was Lady -Moira, whose daughter, Selina, had married Lord Granard. In those days -it was not unusual to intercept and read letters at the post-office, -and to this circumstance is doubtless due the great caution with which -the noble writer describes her relations with Todd Jones. He was then -in custody, and Lady Moira's great object was to exculpate him as well -as herself, for 'Cæsar's wife should be above suspicion.' Enough has -been already said to indicate the spy[764] who kept his eye on Moira -House and the movements of Todd Jones. - - _To John Philpot Curran, K.C._ - - 'Castle Forbes: August 13, 1803. - -'Read, reflect, and do not answer. Time will unfold _the intentions_. -But it is common prudence to watch knaves, who are playing the fool, -and who may not chance to consider that others, from having hearkened -to the precept to be, although "innocent as doves," induced to adopt -somewhat of the "wisdom of the serpent," will scrutinise their -measures. To state the case, Mr. Todd Jones is the son of a physician, -who in the year 1752 I formed the acquaintance of, and attendant -on the family into which I entered by marriage; he was a sensible -well-informed man, and having studied abroad his profession at the same -college with Doctor Aberside, a person known to Lord Huntingdon and me; -as a friend to that medical poet, he became an intimate acquaintance of -mine; and having for thirty years and upwards exercised his Æsculapian -skill with such success as to have recovered me from dangerous fevers, -and also never letting a single patient die in his hands beneath my -roof, he became the intimate friend of the family, and his son was -the companion of _my_ sons in his early youth, and an inmate like to -a relation till my sons went into the world, and since then he has -regarded me with a sort of filial respect and attention, and I have -shown to him the return of maternal kindness and goodwill. However, -his residence for many years past being in England and Wales, has -confined our intercourse to correspondence; now and then a letter from -me in answer to many of his, which, as he excels in letter-writing, -I always received his letters as real sources of amusement, and -of information on the subject they transmitted, which usually had -reference to antiquities.[765] I had not seen him for several years -when he came over a twelvemonth ago, to settle some pecuniary affairs -with Lord Downshire's executors or agents, having sold his estates as -an annuity during his life; and a sum of money, which money was to be -kept for a space of time in his lordship's hands, lest any claim should -be made on the estate. I saw him frequently whilst he was in Dublin, -which was during that space of time that Sir Richard Musgrave and he -quarrelled and at length fought. He left Dublin before I quitted it, -and came here in the first week of last October. He wrote to me lately -from the Lake of Killarney giving me a description of the lake and its -odd traditions, mentioning his return to Dublin in a month, and from -whence he was to return to Wales. I then heard from general report -that he was arrested and in Cork jail, which I imputed to Sir Richard -Musgrave's malice.[766] For as to any treasonable practices, Jones's -indolence as well as his turn of thinking and whimsical pursuits were -a conviction to me that he was neither inclined to be, or capable -of being, a conspirator. However, in the course of last week I was -informed from _Moira House_ that a person, by warrant from the Castle, -had come to search _for a trunk in consequence of their having received -intelligence that Mr. Todd Jones had sent off a trunk directed to me -at Moira House_. My servants were examined, my house and storerooms -explored, but not any such trunk had arrived nor been heard of, and -orders were left that when it did, where it was to be sent to. Some -English letters that were directed to him at my house were conveyed to -Mr. Marsden.[767] They were opened to show their contents. One was from -a Mr. Maddox, who, I think, is married to Lord Craven's sister[768] -(better known by being the daughter of the Margravine); another from -a young man going to India, and not conveying a trace of injury to -him. I wrote to a person who was employed to execute the warrant that -I could not be blind to the affront intended to be cast upon me; -that, if such intimation had been given of a trunk then sent, the -person that communicated the intelligence was able and would certainly -inform by what coach it went, and consequently they might have had it -seized when Mr. Jones was arrested. That time had now sufficiently -elapsed to have had another key made for the trunk and to place in -it whatever papers, &c., _might be reckoned convenient_. That if any -trunk did come, the _lock_ and the hinges should be well examined, -before credible witnesses, before it _went out of my house_; and that -I neither was awed, nor capable of being frightened, by so mean and -paltry a contrivance. Thus they had taken up McCan,[769] but, I find, -have liberated him, and given out that, as he was connected with Mr. -Grattan, it was to get papers of Mr. Grattan's into their hands that he -was arrested for that purpose; now, whether this report is to blacken -the character of the famous ex-senator, or with further views, I do -not decide. In respect to the insult I have met with, it is aimed -against Lord Moira through me. It is, however, to me a much blacker -and more artful attempt against him, in which _high and mighty ones_ -were blended when too many cooks spoiled the broth. The former plot, -however, has made me alert, and awakened all my expectations respecting -possible malevolence. But my spirit, like the palm-tree, rises by the -pressure of oppressive indignity. My eyes are so weak that I fear you -will not be able to decipher this hasty scrawl. How absurdly are they -acting! Lady G----[770] does not know that I write this. It is not in -my nature to worry people with disagreeable humours, nor to humiliate -myself by complaints, though I like to guard against probable evils, in -which case I shall, sir, depend upon your aid if it comes to publicity.' - - -_JAMES TANDY AND McNALLY_ - -Any person who has read the secret reports furnished by McNally to -Dublin Castle must see that the source from which he drew his more -important knowledge was James Tandy, son of the arch-rebel Napper -Tandy. This information, however, may have been gathered partly during -the unguarded intimacy of friendship. Its accuracy, not less than the -promptitude and opportuneness of each disclosure, led a very shrewd man -to suspect that James Tandy was betraying his party, and not McNally -who picked his brains. In the 'Cornwallis Papers' (iii. 85) is one of -the many secret reports sent by J. W. to Dublin Castle. He probably -chuckled when penning the following allusion to the source from which -he himself mainly derived his knowledge. - -'Wright, the surgeon, of Great Ship Street, has had a long conversation -with J. Tandy, in which he [J. T.] urged him to send a paper from -Wright to his father, Napper; and this he did in such a manner as has -created in Wright's mind very strong doubts of his sincerity; indeed, -_he conceives him to be a spy_, and has resolved to avoid all further -conversation with him.' - -Dr. Thomas Wright, M.R.I.A., secretary to the United Irishmen, was a -long-headed man, still well remembered in Dublin; but I do not think -that James Tandy--beyond being indiscreetly open-mouthed--can be called -an informer, much less a spy. - -James Tandy is found a state prisoner with others after the rebellion, -but this fact in itself is not enough to exculpate him; for Turner -is also found a state prisoner. During his detention he addressed a -letter to the Secretary of State, solemnly declaring that while he -loved Napper Tandy as his father, he abhorred his politics; and he -complains of an oral slander circulated by the Solicitor-General, -afterwards Baron McCleland, that he 'was guilty of high treason, and -to a certainty would be hanged.' I may here remark that the manuscript -list of United Irishmen, furnished by Collins the spy so early as 1793, -includes James Tandy's name. Tandy with thirteen others petitioned -the Viceroy on July 11, 1804, in regard to harsh treatment they had -received when state prisoners, entered into a personal correspondence -with Mr. Secretary Marsden, whom he holds responsible for it, and -threatens to horsewhip him in case he should ever be set at liberty. -James Tandy--though not his companions in durance--was liberated -on bail in September following, and he states in a public letter: -'I obtained my enlargement on condition that I would relinquish my -intention of horsewhipping Mr. Marsden.'[771] This statement, however, -which Plowden quotes as history, must be taken _cum grano_, for -Tandy in his memorial to the Viceroy Bedford says: 'Petitioner was -discharged from prison when in a state of health which allowed no -hopes for his life--a fact which Dr. Richards can testify, as also the -surgeon-general, Mr. Stewart.'[772] - -The antecedents of his family earned no gratitude from Government, and -yet we find James Tandy appointed to a lucrative post. Lord Cloncurry -casually mentions him exercising his functions as a stipendiary -magistrate.[773] - -James Tandy's arrest and imprisonment were certainly not due to -McNally, who would be the last to kill the goose which laid the -golden eggs; more than that, he tells Cooke that James Tandy was no -republican. How McNally utilised James Tandy may be seen from his -secret letters. Both are found constantly together. A hurried despatch -from McNally, dated January 31 (he rarely gives the year) says: -'McNally and James Tandy went yesterday morning to Mr. Grattan's at -Tinnehinch, and returned in the evening.' - -A negotiation between Arthur O'Connor and Napper Tandy in France is -detailed by McNally: 'James Tandy has consulted McN. on the danger -of such an undertaking.'[774] On September 23, 1800, McNally writes: -'Emmet, T. assures me (and he made inquiry), is in Paris.' On September -19, 1800, McNally writes, 'my friend,[775] passed yesterday morning -with T., junior,' and he jots down a large amount of matter as the -result of the conference. - -'Mr. Pelham's answer to James Tandy is expected with anxiety,' records -a previous report. - -The secret letters of Higgins to Cooke constantly point to James Tandy. -On March 7, 1798, he urges Cooke 'to watch Napper Tandy's intercourse -with his son, and through him with the rest of the incendiaries. His -son waited on a Mr. Connell with a letter this day.' I quote this -passage because of the name 'Connell' which occurs in it. The allusion -is to the subsequently celebrated Daniel O'Connell. Higgins tells Cooke -that 'Connell holds a commission from France (a Colonel's). He was to -be called to the Bar here to please a very rich old uncle, but he is -one of the most abominable and bloodthirsty republicans I ever heard -of. The place of rendezvous is the Public Library in Eustace Street, -where a private room is devoted to the leaders of the United Irish -Society.' - -The words are given as a curiosity, and not as accurately describing -O'Connell's real sentiments, and the statement that this ardent youth, -fresh from the mint of the French College at Douai, held a commission -from France is one of the sensational myths with which Higgins loved to -garnish his reports. In 1798 Daniel was called to the Bar to please, -as Higgins correctly states, his rich uncle, Maurice Connell of -Darrinane--traditionally known as 'Old Hunting Cap.' Higgins is also -right in regarding the future Tribune as a rebel. He had joined the -United Irishmen in 1798, but escaped in a turf-boat previous to the -insurrection. It will be remembered that Maurice Connell, as shown by -the Pelham MSS., was the first to report the arrival of a French fleet -in Bantry Bay. - -It is worthy of notice, in exploring the _genus_ 'spy,' that the -violently incisive language used by Higgins is never employed by -McNally. The latter gives a man a wound and leaves him there. Higgins -poignards his victims over and over again, and kicks their dead bodies, -as in the case of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. - -The arrest of James Tandy was made in 1803, a year after the death of -Higgins, and is likely to have been prompted by Magan, who was active -(see p. 157 _ante_) at that time. In closing these notices of the Tandy -family, it may perhaps be mentioned that Napper Tandy's father took an -ultra loyal part during the excitement caused by the rising of Charles -Edward in 1745. A run on the Dublin Banks was made, and _Faulkner's -Journal_ of October 8 in that year contains a manifesto from some -Dublin merchants, including Tandy, agreeing to accept their notes as -cash. - - -_A TARDY AMENDE TO LORD CAMDEN.--THE FRENCH IN IRELAND_ - -Lord Camden, the Irish Viceroy in 1798, has been often styled a dull -man; but he seems to have had his wits about him, as will presently -appear. - -I find, by a remarkable letter of this Lord Lieutenant, written two -months previous to General Lake's retreat from Castlebar, that he saw -the weak points of the somewhat overrated warrior who afterwards got a -peerage for beating the Mahrattas. It may be said that the defeat at -Castlebar was due to panic among the troops, but all accounts agree -that Lake and Hutchinson had been out-manœuvred by Humbert. - -'I remain in the opinion I originally held,' writes Lord Camden at a -time anterior to the arrival of the French, 'that General Lake is not -fit for the command in these difficult times, and have written to Pitt -in the most serious and impressive manner I am able to make him master -of the actual danger of the country. It is unfortunate that he should -have lost the advantage of General Lake's services where he was really -well placed, and have brought him to one which is above his capacity. -He has no arrangement, is easily led, and no authority.'[776] - -Passing reference has been made to the arrival at Killala, on August -22, 1798, of a small French force under Humbert; and some notice of -the sequel is due. Humbert had started from Rochelle solely on his own -responsibility. General Lord Hutchinson held Castlebar with 5,200 men; -but Lake, as the senior officer, assumed the command. Lake arrived at -dark with a large reinforcement, and next morning was surprised to see -the French troops rise from a defile hitherto regarded as impassable, -General Taylor having been previously sent forward to cut off their -approach by road. Although the French were jaded after a forced march -of fifteen hours, they advanced with much vivacity, and attacked the -King's troops, who had posted themselves on a steep hill-side with -nine pieces of cannon. 'They advanced in excellent style--with great -rapidity as sharp-shooters,' Cooke writes.[777] Lake's line wavered, a -retreat was sounded, the flight of the infantry was most disorderly, -and Sir Jonah Barrington compares it to that of a mob. Lord Jocelyn's -Light Dragoons (he was taken prisoner soon after by Humbert) ran -like so many 'Tam O'Shanters' to Tuam, a distance of forty miles, -followed by such of the French as could get horses for the chase. -All the artillery, with five pair of colours, fell into the hands of -the French. This disgraceful panic is remembered as 'The Races of -Castlebar.'[778] - -Such conduct, unlike their position, was indefensible; for Lake's -men, different from the enemy, had been refreshed by a good night's -rest. The French had left 200 men to garrison Killala, and Humbert's -soldiers, when in action, did not exceed 800, according to the -statement of Lake's secretary.[779] But it has been often said that the -French, in making so successful an attack, must have been supported by -vast numbers of native insurgents. Again Cooke writes, on the authority -of Lake's secretary, 'he saw no peasantry.'[780] - -Mr. Vereker, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Limerick Militia, got a peerage -for having repulsed the French at Coloony, and the motto on his arms is -simply the name of that place. Lord Carleton records, in his autograph, -on the margin of a book, some curious facts:-- - -'The skirmish at Coloony,' he writes, 'began and ended in a blunder. -Vereker (who knew nothing of the rapid march of thirty-five Irish miles -which the French had made from Castlebar) supposed he was attacking -only their vanguard; and Humbert, equally ignorant of Vereker's force, -mistook the troops which attacked him for the vanguard of a larger -body, and altered his plan of marching to Sligo, which must have -surrendered at his approach. When Lake, with his division, arrived at -Coloony next morning, he found eighteen Frenchmen, dangerously wounded, -who were left behind by their army.' - -The strangest part of the story is that Vereker in this attack acted -on his own responsibility, and contrary to the instructions he had -received from Lake. This brief campaign was marked by a series of -wonderful misapprehensions. French accounts say that Humbert, seeing -the strength of the British line at Castlebar, thought of retiring to -Ballina, and to cover the retreat ordered General Sarrazin to make a -feigned attack, which, being mistaken by Lake for an attempt to turn -his flank, produced the panic, where upon Sarrazin, changing his plan, -and without Humbert's orders, charged the enemy and sent them flying. -But here Humbert's triumph stopped. Meanwhile, as Lord Carleton in -another note states, 'The Hompesch Dragoons were of infinite service, -being chiefly Hungarians, and hanging close on the enemies' rear; -the (common) Irish, deceived by their dress and foreign language, -took them for the French, and came to join them in great numbers, but -were immediately cut down, and their pockets rifled by their supposed -friends.' - -Again, as Lord Carleton notes, the French mistaking, by its picturesque -dress, a Highland regiment for guerilla troops, sought to fraternise -with them, and greatly to their cost. - -It has been repeatedly stated, and is generally believed, that Lord -Camden was recalled in order to make way for the milder policy of Lord -Cornwallis; but it is a fact now worth recording, though somewhat late, -that the appointment of Cornwallis was directly due to Camden himself. - -Camden continues:-- - -'I return to the opinion I had entertained before, that the Lord -Lieutenant ought to be a military man. The whole government of the -country is now military, and the power of the chief governor is almost -merged in that of the general commanding the troops. I have suggested -the propriety of sending over Lord Cornwallis, whose name, with some -good officers under him, will have great weight; and I have told Pitt -that which I really feel, that without the best military assistance I -conceive the country to be in the most imminent danger, and that my -services cannot be useful to the King.'[781] - -Mr. Froude quotes from a letter of Camden's 'The insurgents will be -annihilated.'[782] But his tone to Pelham is widely different. He -writes:-- - -'Unless Great Britain pours an immense force into Ireland the country -is lost.... I cannot suffer my character and my peace of mind to be -trifled with.'[783] - -Pitt acted on Camden's counsel and appointed Lord Cornwallis. Camden -confides to Elliot:-- - -'If I relinquish my situation, as I do now, merely for the public good -at the risque of a false construction, it becomes doubly necessary that -I should receive some mark of confidence that it may not be supposed I -am recalled from any opinion on the part of the ministers that I have -not acted as became me.'[784] - -And in a letter of the same date to Pelham, Camden says he is the -servant of the public, and ready himself 'to act in Ireland, or -elsewhere, in whatever manner I might be the most usefully employed.' - -Camden's counsel was followed, that the Viceroy of Ireland--in such -times--ought to be a military man. Lord Cornwallis, the new chief -governor, went down to Connaught at the head of 20,000 troops, and -Humbert surrendered. On September 8, 1798, after a fortnight's progress -through the country, 96 officers and 748 French rank and file became -prisoners of war; and, according to Gordon, 500 peasant auxiliaries -were put to the sword. Several sympathisers, chiefly local gentry, -were hanged; including, as Lord Carleton notes, Messrs. Blake, French, -and O'Dowd. Thus ended Humbert's quixotic enterprise; but the previous -expedition to Bantry Bay, in 1796, was very formidable; and England had -not had such an escape since the Spanish Armada. In this connection -Lord Carleton has another word to say; and I do not feel warranted -in omitting what serves to explain some things hitherto a puzzle. -Few believed that Hoche's expedition of 1796 could have escaped the -vigilance and vengeance of the English fleet which had long been -watching it off Brest. - -'Admiral Kingsmill (a most excellent naval officer), who commanded in -Cork Harbour, was one of these sceptics. He thought it impossible so -large a fleet could have escaped the vigilance of all his cruisers. -Kingsmill had no intelligence of it, and repeatedly said, if the French -fleet was in Bantry he would suffer his head to be chopped off on his -own quarter-deck. Had not the French, when they first made the land, -mistaken the Durseys for Three-Castle-Head, by which they missed their -port, and were several hours beating back again, they would have got -so far up the bay as to have been able to effect their purpose. It is -much to be lamented that an officer of high rank in the British navy, -Keith Elphinstone (afterwards Lord Keith), returning from India in the -'Monarch' of 74 guns, and putting by accident into Crookhaven at the -very time the two French ships and frigates were in Bantry Bay, could -not be prevailed upon to put himself at the head of the ships then in -Cork Harbour--the 'Powerful' of 74 guns, and three stout frigates--and -block up the bay till Lord Bridport's fleet could arrive. "_It was not -his business._" He got all the stores Kingsmill could send him, and -sailed off to England. I assert this fact as positively true.--H. C.' - -The signature of Lord Chief Justice Carleton is affixed to all the -Government proclamations of the time. His peculiar knowledge was -largely derived as a member of the Irish Privy Council, and from his -relations with Cork, of which he was a native. - -It was not 'the Shan Van Voght' who first announced, as the old -ballad has it, that 'the French were on the sea.' The news came from -Darrynane Abbey, where the waves roll in unbroken from Labrador. Daniel -O'Connell's people have been accused of treasonable leanings--but -unfairly. Old Maurice Connell, or O'Connell, chieftain of Darrynane, -made money through 'smuggling,' but he was no rebel. Opening that -scantily explored mine--the Pelham MSS.--I find Maurice Connell -announcing to an under-strapper of the Government, who reports it to -Pelham, that a French fleet is in Bantry Bay, and he calls it 'most -melancholy intelligence.' The letter is dated 'Darrynane, December 20, -1796.' 'I give you this early information,' writes Maurice from his -mountain crag, 'in order that every proper measure should be pursued on -an event _soe_ very alarming.'[785] - -This timely information had the start by two days of Mr. Richard -White's, who notoriously received his peerage in acknowledgment of a -message of similar tenor. We learn from the old pamphlet of Edward -Morgan, that 'A servant of his (White's) brought the first despatch -to General Dalrymple, in Cork, of the arrival of the French, on the -night of Thursday, December 22, who was but four hours going forty-two -miles, Irish, on a single horse.'[786] The above is culled from Lord -Carleton's copy, and it is added in his autograph, 'Mr. White, for his -services on this occasion, which were very meritorious, was created -Lord Bantry.' - -Communication with London proved so slow in those days that reward was -justly due to those who sought to mend a state of things now hard to -realise. The King's messenger, when autumnal or wintry winds prevailed, -had often to wait three or four weeks ere the boat could sail from -Dublin to Holyhead; and on one occasion in the seventeenth century -Dublin Castle was three months without letters from London.[787] Even -on _terra firma_ a snail's pace too often marked the progress of great -officials who ought to have set a better example. Carew, when going -from Dublin to London, lost five days in accomplishing the 'run' -between Holyhead and Chester. When the winds proved propitious, and the -King's messenger was an active man, he was able to deliver in Dublin in -one week the despatch from Whitehall. - - -_JOHN POLLOCK_ - -(See p. 178, _ante_.) - -John Pollock, Clerk of the Crown for Leinster, who, according to -the 'Cornwallis Papers,' 'managed' the counsel and attorney of the -United Irishmen, deserves a note, especially as he is one of the men -regarding whom the industrious editor of that work found it impossible -to ascertain particulars. His services, which, Cooke says, 'ought to -be thought of,' were rewarded in 1800 by the Deputy Clerkship of the -Pleas of the Exchequer. Gross abuse defiled this post; but until 1816 -the iniquity was not brought before Parliament. On April 29 Mr. Leslie -Foster declared that 'Mr. Pollock drew 10,000_l._ out of the profits, -and on which he ought to pay the salaries of the other clerks; but, -instead of this, he pocketed the whole of the money, leaving them to -raise the fees upon the suitors on no other authority than their own -assumptions!' In 1803 Pollock's emoluments from this office did not -exceed 3,000_l._ a year. Mr. Attorney-General Saurin impeached him in -nine distinct charges, and as a result he was deposed.[788] - -Pollock's name constantly appears in that curious manuscript known as -the 'S.S. Money Book,' one of the last payments to him being on January -10, 1799, for 1,137_l._ 10_s._ The frequent payments to 'John Pollock -for J. W.' suggested to me that the gold which he disbursed was usually -for persons connected with the law, and with this clue I am able to -trace and make clear various ciphers which Dr. Madden was unable to -explain when publishing a copy of the Secret Account just named. For -instance, we find: '1799--16 Feb. J. Pollock for J. W.--£150--G. M. -£50.' Again, on May 3 following: 'J. Pollock for G. M. I.--£50.' And on -June 5 and August 3, '£150 to G. M. I.' Who is 'G. M.' and 'G. M. I.'? - -George McIntagart is described in 1798 as an attorney-at-law. Benjamin -P. Binns, in an autobiographical sketch, speaks of this man as his -step-father. It was George McIntagart who, when Mayor of Drogheda in -1798, dressed up Orangemen in French uniforms, and sent them through -the country to entrap simple peasants. He then flogged them until, they -revealed whatever they knew. The future Duke of Wellington, writing to -the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on March 17, 1809, observes: 'Will you -have Mr. McIntagart appointed to be Collector of Drogheda?'[789] - -'February 24, 1798. Mr. Pollock for J. W. H.' appears on record. -Turning to the list of attorneys in that year, the name of 'J. Wright -Heatly' is found. Dr. Madden also prints, 'August 23. Major Sirr for W. -A. H., £68 5_s._ 0_d._,' but offers no conjecture as to the owner of -these initials. He must be the man described by Plowden who, after an -interview with the Irish Privy Council, was equipped at the expense of -Dublin Castle with a showy rebel uniform, including a cocked hat and -feathers, and sent on a mission to Belfast to seduce and to betray. An -orderly dragoon repaired with instructions to General Sir Charles Ross, -who commanded in Belfast, that Houlton was a confidential agent and not -to be molested. Houlton, however, having started in a chaise and four, -arrived at Belfast in advance of the orderly, and the result was that, -when in the act of declaiming treason at a tavern, he was arrested -by the local authorities, paraded in his uniform round the town, and -sent back a prisoner to Dublin.[790] The Belfast papers of the day give -his name as William Ainslie Houlton, and he is clearly identical with -the W. A. H. of Mr. Cooke's cipher. It would be endless to pursue this -subject. Meanwhile, those who care to follow the various ciphers in the -'S.S. Money Book,' and to know the circumstances under which each item -is penned, can obtain full information from the present writer. - -Pollock in his new sinecure did not cease to gratify the instincts -which made him so efficient in 1798. A letter from him is found in -the 'Wellington Correspondence,' dated January 12, 1809, directing -attention to McNevin's 'Pieces of Irish History,' then recently -published in New York. Pollock assures the future subjugator of -Napoleon that, from information he received, this book is the precursor -of a French invasion of Ireland. '_If you have Cox_,'[791] he adds -'(who keeps a small bookshop in Anglesea Street), he can let you into -the whole object of sending this book to Ireland at this time; and -further, if you have not Cox, believe me that no sum of money at all -within reason would be misapplied in riveting him to the Government. -I have spoken of this man before to Sir Edward Littlehales and to Sir -Charles Saxton. He is the most able, and, if not secured, by far the -most formidable man that I know of in Ireland.'[792] This letter, from -the niche assigned to it in the 'Wellington Correspondence,' calls -for a distinct notice of Cox, whose name occurs so frequently in the -foregoing sheets. - - -_WALTER COX_[793] - -(See p. 71, _ante_.) - -Mr. O'Donoghue, in 'Irish Humourists,' states of Cox and his rebel -sheet, the 'Union Star,' which openly urged assassination: 'While -the moderate organs of the United Irishmen--the 'Press' and the -'Northern Star'--were being suppressed and their editors persecuted -and imprisoned, Watty Cox and his sheet were left severely alone.' I -am sure the author will allow me, in the interests of history, to set -this point right. The Pelham MSS. contain the following letter from -Cooke:--'This day I suppressed the "Union Star." Cox offered [Justice] -Bell to disclose the author, and to tell what he knew to Government -on condition of pardon. I accepted the terms and have seen him. He -was sole author, printer, and publisher. He composed the "Star" at -different printing houses with types of different printers and struck -them off by a small bellows press of his own. He says he continued the -publication more from vanity than mischief; says that he has been for -some time against continuing the scheme of separation from England -because he thought it could not succeed ... thinks it will if there be -any invasion. Lord Edward F. [_sic_] and O'Connor have been often with -him; they knew of his writing the "Star." Cox pronounced Lord Edward -"weak but very zealous"; O'Connor has abilities and is an enthusiast, -but he thinks they want system.' Much more follows, and Cooke adds, 'he -[Cox] is a clever man and deep.'[794] - -The viceroy, Camden, writing two days later, says: 'He [Cox] seems -able to give much important information;'[795] but Camden assumes this -merely on the strength of the fact mentioned in Cooke's letter, and Cox -does not seem to have compromised his friends by any actual disclosure. -Arthur O'Connor, addressing Dr. Madden in 1842, declared that Cox -remained always faithful to him, and also to Lord Edward Fitzgerald. -Whatever changes may have taken place in his conduct, it was not until -after Lord Edward's death and O'Connor's exile. While there was a -chance of success, he was one of the staunchest men in Ireland to their -cause. Had O'Connor--a person of great vanity--dreamt that Cox called -him an enthusiast, and Lord Edward weak, his praise might perhaps have -been modified. - -In 1803, when Dublin Castle was dismayed by the outbreak of Emmet's -rebellion within shadow of its walls, I find addressed to Cox the copy -of a letter from Under-Secretary Marsden requesting him to call upon -him, and 'nobody would be the wiser.' Cox replies in writing to the -effect that he did not care how public their communications should be; -and certainly at this time he cannot be called 'a spy,' if indeed he -ever was. - -The Viceroy Hardwicke wrote, soon after, an official vindication of his -conduct; and he mentions incidentally that it had been meditated to -place Cox under arrest as a dangerous democrat. His 'Irish Magazine' is -a marvellous medley, and contains, intermingled with some rubbish, a -good deal of valuable matter useful for future reference. Having been -put in the pillory more than once for his writings, and finally been -sentenced to pay a fine of 300_l._, and enter into security himself -for one thousand, with two others of 500_l._ each, to keep in good -behaviour for seven years, as well as suffer one year's confinement in -Newgate, Cox at last consented, on receiving a pension of 100_l._ a -year, to expatriate himself to America. This Lord Mulgrave stopped in -1835, and the death of Cox occurred soon after.[796] - - -'_REMEMBER ORR!_' - -(See chap. xxi.) - -Documents previously quoted make ambiguous reference to the fate of -William Orr. This unfortunate person was arraigned at Carrickfergus in -September 1797, for having administered to a soldier named Wheatley the -United Irishman's oath. He was found guilty on evidence so glaringly -bad that Baron Yelverton, in sentencing him, sobbed. Most of the -inhabitants left the town to mark their horror of the sacrifice. -Newspapers of the last century did not deal much in sensational -headings. The _Courier_, an influential London journal, of December 25, -1797, affords some exception:-- - -'Murder Most Foul!--The Irish papers which arrived this morning contain -the affidavits of the Rev. George Macartney, D.L., magistrate for -the county Antrim; the Rev. James Elder, Dissenting Minister; and -of Alexander Montgomery, Esq., stating that Hugh Wheatley--one of -the witnesses brought forward by the Crown against Mr. Orr, lately -executed in Ireland--had confessed that he had been guilty of _perjury_ -and _murder_!!' - -Some of the jury also came forward and admitted that they were drunk -when they gave their verdict. These facts, duly deposed to and -attested, were laid before the Viceroy, Lord Camden, by the magistrate -who had caused Orr to be arrested, 'and who,' writes Dr. Madden, 'when -he found the practices that had been resorted to, used every effort, -though fruitlessly, to move Lord Camden to save the prisoner. Orr was -executed because of his known connection with the United Irish system, -but not on account of the crime legally laid to his charge.' - -The date of Lord Camden's fatal decision, in reply to the influential -appeal which had reached him, merits attention. Turner, on October -8, 1797, disclosed to Downshire--for the private information of the -Government--a list of men, including 'two Orrs,' who, he said, were -members of the Executive Directory of the United Irishmen; and Camden, -probably, thought that Orr, who then lay in jail, adjudged guilty of -having administered the rebel oath, was one of them. On October 13, -Camden surprised Great Britain quite as much as Ireland, by deciding -that William Orr should hang, and within forty-eight hours he suffered -death.[797] A painful sensation passed through the country: Drennan's -fine lyric, 'The Wake of William Orr,' will live as long as 'The -Burial of Sir John Moore.' '_Remember Orr_' were the last words in -the manuscript which hanged Sheares. The fate of Orr had more effect -in hurrying rebellion to a premature explosion than all the efforts -of Tone, McNevin, and O'Connor. The latter urged that Ireland should -strike without further waiting for French aid. - -Dr. Madden re-awakened interest in this case of Orr by claiming to -show that Wheatley, by whose tainted testimony he died, was identical -with a subsequently well-known military officer. Hugh Wheatley, the -informer and common soldier (Dr. Madden holds), is the same man who -afterwards figured as Captain Wheatley in the West Middlesex Regiment, -who served in Egypt, 'wore the Sphinx on his cap,' and in 1827 resided -at Uxbridge.[798] In 1844 Dr. Madden addressed to a brother officer of -this man--a Captain Hester--various queries, all of which drew forth -answers disparaging to Captain Wheatley, including the fact that he -was remarkable for his love of money and his profligacy. 'How did he -get his commission?' asked Dr. Madden: 'I cannot say,' replied Hester, -'nor could any of the officers. The commanding officers appeared always -in fear of him. It was not because he had good pistols, for he never -used them himself, but he would lend them--as he would his cash--on -interest.' - -It seems almost a pity to spoil the piquancy of an attractive page, but -'truth is stranger than fiction,' and as Dr. Madden declares more than -once that justice to the dead and historic accuracy are his objects, -it is right to show that in this case he has confounded two utterly -different men. Even a son of the wronged officer is brought on the -_tapis_ as a person Dr. Madden had known in another land. The following -letter confirming my doubts will help to distinguish between the two -Wheatleys:-- - - 'War Office: September 6, 1866. - - 'Sir,--I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to - acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st ultimo, asking - for particulars of the service &c. of a Mr. Hugh Wheatly in the - West Middlesex Militia, between the years 1799 and 1810, and to - acquaint you that he regrets that he is unable to give you the - information you wish for. - - 'I may add that a Mr. W. Wheatley was appointed to the Regiment - as Lieutenant on the 21st February, 1804, and was promoted to a - Company, 17th December, 1811.[799] - - 'A Mr. Hugh Wheatly was serving in the Tenth (Edinburghshire) - Militia in 1800 as Lieutenant. His commission was dated 26th March, - 1798. - - 'I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, - 'L. SHADWELL, Col. - - 'W. J. Fitzpatrick, Esq., J.P.' - -The Hugh Wheatley who--as we are informed by the War Office--received -a commission in the Edinburghshire Militia on March 26, 1798, is -certainly Orr's Wheatley. One of the depositions of the Rev. George -Macartney--a magistrate and D.L. for Antrim--speaks of Hugh Wheatly as -a _Scotch_ soldier, who confessed he had been instigated to give false -evidence against Orr. Even after he had received his commission we -find Wheatley in receipt of Secret Service money; and on February 5, -1800, 115_l._ 2_s._ 9_d._--or one hundred guineas old currency--appears -on record to his credit. - -Notes of a conversation with the late Dr. Verdon--a representative of -William Orr--discloses some things new to students of the time. Major -Orr, son of William Orr, served with distinction in the Peninsular -War; he obtained his commission at the age of twenty-three, and on his -return to England the Duke of York, then Commander-in-Chief, after -complimenting him upon his services, asked if there was any promotion -he ambitioned. 'I hate the sword I wear,' was Orr's sullen reply; -'perhaps your Royal Highness will allow me to retire from the service.' -'Pray are you related to Orr who suffered in '98?' inquired the Duke. -'I have the honour to be his son,' the soldier replied. The Duke with -reluctance accepted the resignation, and next day wrote a cheque for -1,000_l._, and sent it to the widow of William Orr 'as some slight -compensation for the loss she had sustained' twenty years before. The -Duke of York was at this time heir apparent to the throne. Captain Orr -retired on full pay with the rank of brevet major. Some years after, -finding that his means were inadequate to meet domestic expenses, he -asked the Duke for a barrack mastership. Orr filled this office in -Longford, and subsequently in Dublin till his death. - - -'_THE WEARING OF THE GREEN_' - -Mrs. Anastasia O'Byrne, who died in 1875, had been in the habit of -sending me rough recollections of such small things as came within the -cognisance of a very unobtrusive woman. Some of her letters appeared in -a former book. The following is new:-- - - 'In May, 1798,' says Mrs. O'Byrne, 'the narrator, then a comely - matron of thirty, possessing a soft innocent expression and a - delicate rose-hue complexion, donned her bonnet of the previous - season, with intent to make some purchases in the drapery line - at a flourishing mart in Thomas Street. The bonnet was of bright - green silk, had often been worn without remark, was purchased for - its supposed becoming effect, and had lain quietly ensconced in - its bandbox throughout the winter. But during that eventful season - the political atmosphere had undergone disturbance, and the storm - which shattered to pieces many happy homesteads was about to sweep - through Ireland. Amid other signs of the times, "the wearing of - the green" came to be regarded with suspicion and dislike by the - authorities of the day. Of this, however, the wearer of the green - bonnet was then quite unconscious. On she went, but was rather - concerned, and somewhat puzzled, to find herself attracting an - unusual share of the attention of the passers-by, particularly as - she was alone. As she passed out of Dame Street into Castle Street - and Skinner's Row,[800] where the narrowness of the flag-way made - collisions of passengers a rule rather than an exception, she was - startled to hear, every other moment, a voice whispering, almost - under her bonnet: "God bless your colour, ma'am!" She remarked - that those who did not use this phrase regarded her with an angry - scowl; but still no thought of connecting these incidents with - the _hue_ of her bonnet ever crossed her mind. On her return - from Thomas Street her attractive power seemed to increase, the - cabalistic words: "God bless your colour, ma'am!" were not uttered - so frequently, but the streets were greatly crowded by men, some of - whom regarded her bonnet with so fierce a glare that she thought - they had a notion of plucking it from her head. She then began to - perceive, with some alarm, that scarcely any women were abroad, - and that military and yeomanry paraded the streets. When she - reached Cork Hill she saw masses of people thronging the line of - way in Dame Street, whilst the crowd about the Castle gates and - the Royal Exchange seemed heaving in agitation like the waves of a - troubled sea. Whilst trying to pierce the dense crowd around the - Royal Exchange she heard a familiar voice shout her name twice in a - loud, excited tone. She glanced in the direction of the sound, and - saw the pale, eager face of a young man of her acquaintance, the - husband and brother of two intimate female friends, peering at her - through one of the windows of the Royal Exchange, then a receptacle - for State prisoners. Entering a little by-street she turned with - great difficulty from the surge of the crowd which was floating - from College Green side, and soon got into more quiet quarters. - By the circuitous route she reached home unmolested, but found the - household in great alarm about her, for tidings had reached them - that several females during the tumult of the day had been rudely - insulted, and roughly treated, for wearing ribbons or garments - of green hue, one most respectable lady having had a gown of the - obnoxious colour sliced from her body by the sabre of a loyal - trooper. The excitement of the day was caused by the arrest of the - unfortunate brothers Sheares. The young prisoner who called on - her from the window had just recently been arrested in the street - on suspicion, solely on account of having used indignant words of - remark in the hearing of a loyal yeoman. His great anxiety to gain - the notice of the wearer of the green bonnet was caused by his - desire that his relatives, who were ignorant of his arrest, should - learn it, and take measures for his release, before the tidings of - it could reach the ears of a very youthful wife in a very delicate - condition. - - 'The poor fellow was speedily released, for higher game had been - bagged, and nothing beyond his warm words could be adduced against - him. But the young wife, whom he soon after left a widow, always - believed that his early death was caused by his arrest. He had - caught a severe cold whilst in prison, his lungs became affected, - and rapid decline and early death ensued. - - 'On the day of the arrest of the Sheareses the wearer of the green - bonnet beheld the sacking and the attempted burning of the house - and stock-in-trade of Patrick Byrne, the bookseller of Grafton - Street in whose shop the brothers were first introduced to their - betrayer, Captain Armstrong. It was a pitiful sight to behold the - amount of property in beautifully bound books ruthlessly torn - to pieces and tossed out of windows into the street. Byrne was - arrested, but afterwards got safely out of the country, and settled - in Philadelphia. His brother, a Roman Catholic priest in Rosemary - Lane Chapel, followed him to America.' - -The old lady's garrulousness about her green bonnet has been allowed -space the more readily because the following contemporary statement -comes to illustrate and explain, not only her own reminiscence, but an -oft-quoted phrase which has become historic. I have culled it from the -London _Courier_ of August 29, 1797. The _Dublin Journal_ to which it -refers was the organ of the Irish Government, and the property of Jack -Giffard:-- - - -IRELAND. - - _Dublin, August 24._--The _Dublin Journal_, with base malignity, - throws out the most indecent insinuations against the virtue of - every female who wears _green_ in her apparel. How the citizens of - Dublin, and the inhabitants of the country, who are also included - in this infamous denunciation, will bear to have their wives and - daughters so stigmatised, remains to be seen. A more villainous - libel never disgraced the Press. In case of success, it must render - useless all the goods in silk, cotton, or woollen which have been - dyed green, to the ruin of the manufacturers. Language is not - adequate to express the abhorrence that arises at this hellish - meditation to rob women of their character and working-people of - bread! - -A corps, called the 'Antient Britons,' attained by their cruelties -notoriety in '98. Pelham, in a secret letter, recognises their activity -and loyalty; but casually adds (a trait which, coming from him, will -be more regarded than if told by a partisan): 'They were quartered -at Newry,' he writes, 'where there was a lady as active as the Miss -Greggs at Belfast, and upon her accosting a soldier on guard, she was -certainly very roughly treated.... They tied her petticoats round her -neck, and sent her home showing her garters.'[801] Pelham probably -learned this fact from one of the letters of Samuel Turner, formerly of -Newry. - - -_FATHER O'LEARY_ - -(See chap. xvi. p. 236.) - - -O'LEARY IN 1782. - -The following letter--one honourable to O'Leary--has escaped the -vigilance of all his biographers. It seems to have been addressed -to Mr. Kirwan, a Catholic leader who held some military rank in the -Volunteer army, and who at mess had been asked to drink 'The glorious, -pious, and immortal memory' of William III.! '_Jungamus dexteras_' -was the motto of O'Leary and Grattan at this time. The former, in his -reply to the Bishop of Cloyne in 1796, states that the policy of Dublin -Castle was '_Divide et impera_.' - -This letter is dated a year previous to Lord Sydney's effort to corrupt -O'Leary. From that hour no such courageousness of demand marked his -utterances. - - 'Cork: October 4, 1782. - - 'Much esteemed and dear Sir,--I am honoured this instant with your - kind favour, which makes me doubly happy, in the information that - you are well, and the satisfaction of still retaining a share in - your remembrance. Your choice of Lord Mornington[802] for your - Colonel gave me infinite satisfaction, and your design to continue - him at your head until he forfeits his claim to that honour by - some unbecoming and well-attested steps is equally founded in - wisdom and justice. Let it be the province of bigots to censure the - toast, after the reasons alleged for having given it. King William - was the first who scattered the seeds of liberty in this kingdom. - There is nothing in the frame of a Catholic that is averse to its - growth. He never violated his engagements with the Catholics of - Ireland, though often solicited to a breach of promise. There was - not a Stuart, from the first to the last, but betrayed them, either - from cowardice or treachery. James II. promised to repeal his - Declaration, on condition of being reinstated. What could freedom - expect from the resumption of his dignity? - - 'In the very heat of action, when the alternative was death or - victory, he commands _to spare his English subjects_.[803] _Poor - man! he was tender-hearted and pusillanimous!_ I care not. Bears - are fierce, and deer are timid. It is equal to me whether I suffer - by the claws of the one or the horns of the other. In my opinion, - though our sufferings have been long and unmerited, it is happy - for us that King William came over; for under weak kings of our - own religion, controlled by laws, we would be for ever obnoxious - to our fellow-subjects. Every gentleman from Dublin whom I meet - here talks with admiration of the Irish Brigade.[804] Sir Boyle - Roche, who wrote me a letter the other day, talks of them in a - strain of rapture. I never have seen an address from the Catholics - of Ireland but I spurned with indignation at, except your late - address to Earl Temple. They were always couched in the cringing - language of servility, and even falsehood, boasting of _common - blessings_, when it was in the power of your children to strip - you of your kitchen-gardens and the shoeboy of your houses. In - your last address you spoke as Gentlemen, thankful for what you - got, and decently intimating that you want and deserve more. I - make it my humble request that, whilst one Penal Law stands upon - record, except those that exclude you from the Senate and high - offices under the Crown, in every address you will glance at - your restraints. Were it not from an apprehension of incurring - the displeasure of the Catholic Gentlemen of Dublin, I would - have torn Gormanston's[805] address, and Portland's answer, to - pieces. The former addressed as a contented slave, and the latter - answered with the rudeness of a Batavian burgomaster who would say - "_Behave always so, or else ----!_" The liberal-minded Protestants - themselves acknowledge that enough has not been done for us. It - is what Lord Beauchamp wrote to me when I was in Dublin. I send - you Mr. Hamilton's letter on the same subject. I received it - here, in a letter from Sir Boyle, who applauds _the wisdom of the - Irish Brigade in not adopting the violent measures of several - armed societies_. There is some meaning in these words, which I - here would not have communicated but to a few of the discreet - of our own. You can keep Mr. Hamilton's letter until I pay you - my respects in Dublin. I wish I knew who he is.[806] As to the - Dungannonists,[807] they should be remembered with gratitude by - the Catholics of this kingdom. But as the Brigade is composed of - all parties without distinction but such as merit confers, whether - a letter which would give them the appearance of a Roman Catholic - armed society would be expedient, however merited, you are the - more competent judge. Whether the sycophants of Government, averse - to the Northerns, would not represent Peter leaguing with John - against Martin, who once confined them to a boxing-match over - a tub, but sees them now shake hands over the table when they - can appear with their swords and bucklers in the hall. However, - should you deem the measure eligible, considering time, place, - circumstances, the sympathies of some, the antipathies of others, - the clashing of interests, the factions of parties, the jealousy of - Government wishing the metamorphosis of your shining blades into - shepherd's crooks,--there is not one living who would sooner comply - with my friend's request than I would. But from conviction, free - from flattery, I affirm that he is better qualified for a similar - letter. I heard of him before I knew him; known, I conversed with - him. I guessed what he could do. I read the sentimental and correct - Las Casas. I was convinced that I had not guessed in vain. From - this motive I cannot be prevailed on, besides the time, which has - grown so scanty on my hands since my arrival here that I cannot - spare one hour; exhorting every Sunday, and attending to several - avocations, which, though of some benefit to others, often make me - regret that I ever quitted my solitude and books. I suggested once - to Mr. Weldon to propose Dr. Dunn--a Dissenting minister--to the - Brigade for a third chaplain. If he be proposed and elected about - the beginning of March, or any time after, I shall write him a - letter, in which I shall pay those of his profession the compliment - they deserve without giving offence to others. Ever &c. - - 'ARTHUR O'LEARY. - - 'My best regards to Mrs. Kirwan, Messieurs Braughill, Ryan, Gavan, - without forgetting our worthy Brigadier Sutton.'[808] - -The biographer of Grattan cannot be regarded as an authority when -speaking of O'Leary. A letter headed 'Dr. O'Leary to Mr. Grattan,' -appears in Grattan's 'Life,' vol. v. pp. 263-4. It is dated May 25, -1805; begins, 'My dear Grattan;' speaks of his (O'Leary's) little -grandson, and ends, 'Believe me, with truth and affection, your sincere -friend and faithful confessor, Father O'Leary.' 'I congratulate you, -myself and my country on the honour your speech on the Catholic -question has conferred on us,' he writes, and thanks Grattan in -extravagant terms for having introduced his name with laudation. - -Grattan's speech--delivered on May 13, 1805--occupies from page 914 -to 940 of 'Hansard,' and O'Leary is not once named in it. Grattan's -biographer inserts with all the prominence and respect due to a genuine -document this transparent hoax. He adds a foot-note to say that -Grattan's speech in May, 1805, praised O'Leary. The biographer ought to -have known that O'Leary had been three years dead in 1805, and that it -is not usual for friars to rejoice in grandsons. - - -OLD ST. PANCRAS. - -Father Arthur O'Leary died in London on January 8, 1802. The remains -lay in state; a grand dirge was sung; an imposing funeral cortège -followed them to Old St. Pancras, where a fine monument to his memory, -inscribed with words of praise, soon marked the spot. Tradition states -that Old St. Pancras was the last church in London where Mass was said -after the Reformation: hence the wish felt by Catholics in penal days -to sleep within its precincts. A visit to this historic graveyard in -its present desecrated state awakens emotion. No ground, however, is -sacred to the engineer. Old St. Pancras is now traversed by two lines -of railway--more regard being paid to the 'sleepers' above than to the -sleepers below. Passing trains ever and anon cause this resting-place -of the dead to tremble violently as if by earthquake. Indeed a seismic -shock, had it passed through the churchyard, could hardly have produced -more wreck. Here many an old tombstone inscribed '_Requiescat in -pace_'--others displaying grand heraldic sculpture--even a bishop's -mitre and a shattered coronet--proclaim the irony of fate. The -scorched and begrimed soil, once green and rural, but now split into -a hundred fissures--almost tends to remind one of a great Scriptural -picture, where shrouded dead are seen rising in protest from the -riven earth. Tablets and tombs sufficient to represent the life of -a city are rudely removed and ranged far from the graves they ought -to mark. 'Old Mortality' will find them piled--close as cards in a -pack--beneath a dark archway, over which locomotives rush, their shrill -scream suggesting a cruel travesty of the last trumpet. A few massive -mausoleums are certainly spared, and amongst them that to the memory of -O'Leary. Another part of the disused cemetery creates quite a contrast -to the scene of desolation just described. Parterres smiling with -flowers may be seen; also winding walks, and an occasional shaded seat, -where whispering love repeats a story older even than Old St. Pancras. - - -_PRIESTS AS SECRET AGENTS_ - -Dr. Hussey was not the last Catholic priest sent by the Court of -England on a private mission to the Continent. The subsequent Duke of -Wellington, writing from London to Dublin Castle on March 18, 1808, -says:-- - -'It would be very desirable to have a person to send over to Holland -and France just at the present moment, and I know nobody that would -answer our purpose so well as ----, the Scotch priest. I wish, -therefore, that you would desire him to come over to me.' - -On the following day he writes:-- - -'As I intend to send ---- to Paris, it might not be inconvenient to -know the person through whom the disaffected communicate with the -French Government in order that ---- might watch him.'[809] - -The chief blank may be filled with the name of the Rev. James -Robertson. The nephew of this man, Mr. A. B. Fraser, found among his -papers, 'A Narrative of a Secret Mission to the Danish Island in 1808.' -The priest had been sent by Wellington to the Spanish general Romana, -and the result was the transmission of the Spanish army from the -service of France, by the British fleet, from North Germany to Spain. - -Spain was the theatre of a still more important case of secret service -rendered by a Catholic priest. In 1860 I wrote to Field-Marshal Lord -Combermere as the only man then living likely to know of the relations -which subsisted, during the Peninsular War, between Wellington and Dr. -Curtis, Rector of the Irish College of Salamanca. The following is a -portion of his reply:-- - - 'Dr. Curtis had been fifty years head of the College when he left - Spain to become Roman Catholic Primate of Ireland. - - 'He had communicated very valuable information to the Duke of - Wellington while Soult held his headquarters at Salamanca. - - 'His connection with the Duke was suspected before the first entry - of the British into Salamanca, and two days previous to this event, - while dining with Soult, Dr. C. heard the General remark how - strange it was that Lord Wellington seemed so well acquainted with - his proceedings. - - 'Some of the aides-de-camp looked at Dr. Curtis pointedly on this - occasion, and the next day, while at table with the same party, - similar observations were made, and Dr. Curtis perceived that the - suspicions of Soult had been in some manner confirmed. - - 'On his return home that night, he found two gendarmes awaiting - him, and he was at once conveyed to prison. - - 'He assured Lord Combermere that had not the English arrived the - next day, he would have been executed as a spy.' - -It may be added that the mysterious reference in Wellington's despatch -of May 8, 1811,[810] is to Dr. Curtis. - -The appointment of this priest by the Pope as 'Archbishop of Armagh, -and Primate of All Ireland' was directly due to influence exerted with -Cardinal Gonsalvi by British statesmen, including Lord Castlereagh, -Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Duke of Wellington maintained for -many years a constant and cordial correspondence with the Primate, -and the Duke's change of policy on the Catholic Question was not -uninfluenced by it. The papers of this eminent prelate, varied and -voluminous in their character, have been long in the custody of -the present writer, and at a future day may be dealt with as their -importance demands. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[712] Froude, iii. 277. - -[713] See _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 285. - -[714] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 285. - -[715] Turner's is the only name in the list to which Hughes prefixes -this title of courtesy, which shows that he was looked up to as a man -superior to his fellows. - -[716] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, iv. 504. - -[717] _Report of the Secret Committee of the House of Lords_, 1798, pp. -26-8. - -[718] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 283. Turner was known by the -_alias_ of 'Furness,' partly, perhaps, in allusion to his seemingly -red-hot patriotism. - -[719] _Ibid._ - -[720] James Hope in his narrative speaks of Colonel Plunket as at first -a flaming rebel, who had been assigned to the command of Roscommon; -but Lord Carleton, in a manuscript note to _Irish Pamphlets_, vol. 129 -(Nat. Lib. of Ireland), says that on the eve of action he surrendered -to Dr. Law, Bishop of Elphin. Plunket was tried by court-martial and -hanged. - -[721] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, ii. 231. - -[722] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, ii. 232. - -[723] Every man desiring to become a barrister is obliged to lodge a -memorial describing himself and his parentage. Anxious to ascertain -whether the description of Lord Downshire's friend would apply to -Turner, as the son of a gentleman of property in Ulster, I applied at -the King's Inns, Dublin, to be allowed to see how Turner described -himself--but was refused, although the object was explained to be one -purely historical. This greatly retarded my inquiries, which were -begun many years ago. At last an examination of the wills and the -entrance-book of Trinity College, Dublin, established all that I had -surmised, and the following letter, which I find in the Pelham MSS., -is further important in this connection:--'The arms belonging to Mr. -Turner, senior, a magistrate near Newry, were taken from him at the -time of the general search for arms in that county. I believe that his -conduct has been misconceived owing to the conduct of his son, and, if -you see no particular objection to it, I should be glad that his arms -should be restored to him' (Pelham to General Lake, Phœnix Park, August -3, 1797). - -[724] _Records of the Probate Court, Dublin._ - -[725] _United Irishmen_, 1st edit. i. 252. - -[726] _United Irishmen_, 1st edit. i. 240. These references to Turner, -supplied by Hope, were not reprinted by Dr. Madden in the second -edition of his _United Irishmen_. 'The Cornwallis Papers' had not then -appeared, disclosing the name of Samuel Turner as a recipient of a -pension for important but unexplained services in connection with the -Rebellion. - -[727] Bourrienne's _Life of Napoleon_ describes Reinhard as a Lutheran. - -[728] The betrayer, in his letter to Lord Downshire, states that Lowry -wrote from Paris to him on October 11, 1797, in great despondency on -account of Hoche's death. - -[729] Mr. Cashel Hoey, grandson of Conlan's victim, an important -Government official in London, decorated by the Crown, died Jan. 6, -1892. Antony Marmion, author of _The Maritime Ports of Ireland_, was -the son of Conlan's second victim. - -[730] The Sirr MSS. Trin. Coll. Dublin. - -[731] Froude's _English in Ireland_, iii. 284. - -[732] Froude's _English in Ireland_, iii. 305. - -[733] _Ibid._ 281. - -[734] Samuel Turner, B.A., T.C.D., 1786; LL.D., T.C.D. 1787, _College -Calendar_. He claimed to have descended, I believe, from Dr. Samuel -Turner, M.A. of Oxford in 1605, whose parliamentary career and daring -spirit are noticed in L'Estrange's _History of the Reign of Charles I._ - -[735] A wild district near Gweedore, on the coast of Donegal, embracing -the contiguous island of Rutland. - -[736] The facsimile of this proclamation, as furnished by Mr. -Allingham, is headed 'Liberty or Death!' and displays a drawing of -the Irish harp and the cap of liberty; but as the text appears in the -_Castlereagh Papers_ (i. 407), a sample must suffice here:--'Horrid -crimes have been perpetrated in your country, your friends have fallen -a sacrifice to their devotion to your cause, their shadows are around -you and call aloud for vengeance, etc.' - -[737] These and other statements appear in a letter signed 'O.' which -will be dealt with presently. - -[738] From 1795 the Duke enjoyed the titles of Field-Marshal, -Commander-in-Chief, and Bishop of Osnaburg. - -[739] The Corporation at that time was notoriously Orange. - -[740] James Farrell, though a Rebel leader during the troubles, is -afterwards found entertaining at dinner H.R.H. the Duke of Sussex and -Major Sirr. - -[741] Letter dated 'Salmon Pool Lodge, Dublin, September 21, 1846.' -(O'Connell MSS. Derrinane Abbey.) If it were not for the letter of Sir -A. Wellesley, which fixes the date, I would be disposed to place this -incident earlier. - -[742] Madden's _United Irishmen_, ii. 391. - -[743] There is an account in Musgrave of the arrival of the 'Anacréon' -with notices of some of the men on board, but it throws no light on -'O.' He was lost in the crowd of French officers and adherents. - -[744] _Castlereagh Correspondence_, i. 405. - -[745] O'Herne, otherwise Aherne (see _Castlereagh_, i. 308). He is -often mentioned in _Tone's Journal_. - -[746] O'Finn (see _Castlereagh_, ii. 5). O'Finn figures in the Fugitive -Bill. See p. 96, _ante_. - -[747] Ormby, an Irish rebel in France (_Castlereagh_, i. 307). - -[748] O'Mealy, an Irish rebel in France (_ibid._ ii. 7, 359 _et seq._). - -[749] O'Hara (_ibid._ i. 327). - -[750] Colonel O'Neill (_ibid._ ii. 230). - -[751] O'Connor (_Castlereagh_, i. 374). - -[752] O'Keon, who went with the French to Killala. See _Byrne's -Memoirs_, iii. 164. (Paris, 1863.) - -[753] At Paris 'O' had three interviews with General Lawless in -reference to the invasion, which is detailed in his clever letter (see -_Castlereagh_, i. 397). He is able to tell Lawless the number of men -the French Directory were prepared to sacrifice in the attempt. The -added statement that 'Orr did not seem to like going' is consistent -with his sneering tone at all that passed on board the 'Anacréon.' -Were Orr discovered to have been a spy, he would have swung from the -yard-arm. - -[754] MSS. Record Tower, Dublin. A narrative of the progress of Tandy's -expedition, dated October 21, 1799, and preserved in the same archives, -is endorsed 'G. O.' - -[755] Turner (see p. 5, _ante_) announces Orr as at Paris with Tandy, -Teeling, Lewins, and other arch-rebels. - -[756] See p. 56, _ante_, and _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 405. - -[757] The most trivial incidents are chronicled, including Tandy's -fondness for gazing on a few laced coats that he had in his -wardrobe. Tone himself was not proof against this vanity: 'Put on my -regimentals--as pleased as a little boy in his first breeches' (ii. -176). 'O' announces that 'Turner refused to accompany any of the -expeditions to Ireland, and went from Paris to the Hague' (i. 409). -Turner had been in dread of assassination as the penalty of betrayal, -and could not be persuaded to revisit Ireland while the troubles and -their excitement continued. - -[758] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 408. - -[759] _Ibid._ p. 410 (October, 1798). - -[760] _Wellington Correspondence (Ireland)_, p. 455. - -[761] But Flint seems to have had more to do in this _rôle_ than -paternally to extend the ægis. Lord Cloncurry, describing his own -arrest in 1798, writes (_Memoirs_, p. 68) that his Swiss valet was -seized under the Alien Act, sent out of the country, and never heard of -more. - -[762] _United Irishmen_, iv. 232-5. Sir Jonah, in his _Personal -Sketches_ (pp. 163-6), tells this himself, but without the elaborate -colouring of Madden. - -[763] Probably Foster. Some of the papers in the same volume are -addressed to the Right Hon. the Speaker, Collon (Pelham MSS. fol. 205). -Thomas Pelham, Earl of Chichester, whose name has been often mentioned -in this book, died July 4, 1826. A pleasing sketch of Pelham appears in -_Barrington's Memoirs_, i. 180. - -[764] Francis Magan (see p. 134, _ante_). - -[765] It would be unlike Jones if his letters to Lady Moira did not -deal with warmer topics than 'antiquities.' Tone's _Life_ contains a -letter from Lady Moira to Jones, in which she says: 'As to making a -democrat of me, that, you must be persuaded, is a fruitless hope.' - -[766] It has never been my habit to print only such parts of letters as -are convenient to my purpose. Lady Moira would be the last to suspect -her neighbour Magan; and she naturally thought at once of Musgrave, who -had so recently accepted Jones's challenge. But Lady Moira was wrong in -thinking that, when their affair of honour ended, Musgrave owed spite -to Jones. He afforded good proof to the contrary in omitting from later -editions of his book the passages which had offended Jones. The duel -took place at Rathgar, Musgrave was slightly wounded, and Ned Lysaght -said that his next edition would probably be 'in boards.' Jones, in a -private letter, written long after, speaks of his antagonist as 'Dick -Musgrave,' and exonerates him from the suspicion of having spitefully -caused his arrest. A notice of the duel appears in the _Annual -Register_ for 1802, p. 410. T. O. Mara attended Jones as second. - -[767] Under-Secretary at Dublin Castle. - -[768] The Lady Elizabeth Craven, whom Mr. John Edward Maddox married, -died in 1799. - -[769] McCan, the agent of Grattan, was examined by the Privy Council; -when the Attorney-General, O'Grady, is stated to have offered -McCan office, and a payment of 10,000_l._ if he would criminate -Grattan.--_Life of Grattan_, by his Son, v. 228. McCan, on behalf -of Grattan, had remitted money to Dowdall, but only from motives of -humanity. Dowdall was concerned in Robert Emmet's plot. Mathias O'Kelly -told me that he met Dowdall, Magan, and Todd Jones dining at the table -of James Dixon, the active rebel already noticed. - -[770] The Countess of Granard. The Dowager Lady Moira, from whom her -son inherited the baronies of Hungerford and Hastings, died on April -12, 1808. - -[771] Plowden's _History of Ireland_, 1811, ii. 22. - -[772] _Appeal_, p. 122; Halliday Collection, vol. 915. R. I. A. - -[773] _Personal Recollections_, p. 246. - -[774] J. W. Sunday evening, 9 o'clock. - -[775] McNally himself. - -[776] Camden to Pelham, Dublin Castle, June 6, 1798. (Pelham MSS., -London.) - -[777] Cooke to Wickham, Dublin Castle, September 1, 1798. - -[778] Philip Crampton, afterwards the famous Surgeon-General and -medical baronet, took part in the action at Castlebar, as assistant -surgeon to the Longford Militia. His friends often chaffed him on -having been the first man to reach Tuam. - -[779] Cooke to Wickham, Dublin Castle, September 1, 1798. - -[780] _Idem._ - -[781] Camden to Pelham, Dublin Castle, June 6, 1798. (Pelham MSS.) - -[782] Froude's _English in Ireland_, iii. 351. - -[783] Camden to Pelham, June 11, 1798. (MS.) - -[784] Camden to Elliot, Dublin Castle, June 15, 1798. (Pelham MSS.) The -only weak suggestion in the remaining part of Camden's letter--needless -to transcribe--is that the scene in Ireland was sufficiently extensive -for the Duke of York 'to assume the command-in-chief,' for York's -failures in the field constitute unpleasant incidents in history. - -[785] The Pelham MSS., London. - -[786] _A Journal of the Movements of the French Fleet in Bantry Bay_ -(Cork, 1797). Hugh Lord Carleton's copy, with manuscript notes. It was -this peer who tried and sentenced the Sheareses to death. When the -Legislative Union became law in 1800, Lord Carleton retired from the -bench and continued to reside in London until his death on Feb. 25, -1826. Though twice married he left no issue, and his peerage, like that -of Bantry, is extinct. - -[787] From the first days of October to the end of December, 1605. - -[788] William Sinclair, of Belfast, one of the founders of the -Dungannon Convention, married John Pollock's sister. He afterwards took -part in the battle of Antrim where Lord O'Neil fell. He survived until -the year 1864, and had reached the age of ninety-eight. - -[789] See _Wellington Correspondence (Ireland)_, p. 612. - -[790] Plowden's _Post-Union History_, i. 223-5. - -[791] Watty Cox, publisher of the _Irish Magazine_. Eighteen months -previously, Mr. Trail, of Dublin Castle, reports to Sir A. Wellesley a -long conversation with Cox. See _Wellington Correspondence (Ireland)_, -p. 121. - -[792] _Civil Correspondence and Memoranda of F. M. Arthur Duke of -Wellington_, edited by his Son, p. 535. - -[793] The author of _Irish Humourists_ describes Cox as one of the most -peculiar individuals to be met with in Irish history, and expresses -hope that some day the documents relating to him possessed by the late -Dr. Madden, and other manuscripts that must be somewhere in existence, -will be published, and a full biography given to the world of so -striking a personality. - -[794] Cooke to Pelham, Dublin Castle, December 14, 1797. - -[795] Camden to Pelham, December 16, 1797. (Pelham MSS.) - -[796] In Birmingham Tower, Dublin Castle, the box marked 'Carton -620-24' should be consulted. - -[797] Hope, who knew most of the secrets of his party, has stated that -the man who administered the oath to the soldier was not William Orr -but William McKeever, a delegate from Derry, who afterwards escaped to -America. - -[798] _United Irishmen_, i. 486-7. - -[799] This was the Wheatley known to Captain Hester. - -[800] This narrow street--as well as the adjoining passage known as -'Hell'--was cleared away soon after, in order to form Christchurch -Place in front of the cathedral. - -[801] Letter of the Right Hon. Thomas Pelham, Phœnix Park, Nov. 1, -1797, to the Home Office. (Pelham MSS.) - -[802] Garret, Earl of Mornington, married the daughter of Lord -Dungannon, was father of the Duke of Wellington, and died May 22, 1784. - -[803] The late John Cornelius O'Callaghan, the highest authority on the -Jacobite and Williamite wars, assured me that this speech, attributed -to James, was never uttered. - -[804] O'Leary was honorary chaplain to the Irish Brigade Volunteers. - -[805] A Catholic Peer. - -[806] No doubt 'Counsellor Hamilton,' a democratic barrister of Ulster, -uncle of Thomas Russell, who was executed in 1803 as the colleague of -Emmet. - -[807] The volunteer meeting at Dungannon in February, 1782, resolved -that 'the claim of any body of men other than the King, Lords, -and Commons of Ireland, to make laws to bind this kingdom, is -unconstitutional, illegal, and a grievance.' - -[808] Who these men were, see p. 231 _ante_. Gavan may have been an -error of the copyist for Thomas Glanan, one of the Catholic delegates -of the city of Dublin in 1793. - -[809] _Wellington Correspondence (Ireland)_, pp. 371-6. - -[810] Vide _Wellington Despatches_, compiled by Lieut.-Colonel Gurwood, -ii. 538. (London, 1835.) - - - - -INDEX - - - Aberside, Dr., and Lady Moira, 352 - - Aboukir Bay, lost treasure in, 81 - - Academy, Royal Irish, 9, 86, 138, 240 - - Addison, Joseph, 192 - - Admiralty, the, 112 - - 'Agamemnon,' mutinous man-of-war, 113 - - Agar, Mr., arrested, 42 - - Agnew, of Larne, 7 - - Aherne, Capt., 75 - - Alien Bill, 349 - - Alison, Sir A., 3, 258 - - 'All the Talents' Administration, 198 - - Allen, Colonel, arrested, 15 - - Allingham, Wm., 148, 342 - - Altona, 96, 347 - - Ambrose, Miss, 274 - - 'American Arms,' Inn, 73 - - American War, 215, 278 - - Amherst, Lord, 215 - - Amiens, Peace of, 101 - - Amsterdam, Duke of York marches on, 81 - - 'Anacréon,' French war ship, 71, 342, 347 - - Antient Britons Regt., 373 - - Annaly, Lord, 304 - - Antrim, rebel colonels of, 292, 364 - - Archduke, the, Charles, 81 - - Archer, Alderman, 315 - - -- Rev. Mr., a priest, 229 - - Armada, Spanish, 229, 260 - - Armstrong, Captain (J. W.), 153, 308, 309, 311, 312, 314, 316, 324, - 325 - - Artillery, present at arrests, 59 - - -- Volunteer, commanded by Napper Tandy, 241 - - Assassination urged, 238, 365 - - 'Athenæum,' the, 126 - - Atkinson, High Constable, 122, 159 - - -- Dr., 148 - - Attainder, Act of, 83, 96, 100 - - 'Attornies Guide,' the, a local satire, 331 - - Austria, 81, 90, 95, 257, 295, 296, 350 - - Autun, Bishop of (Talleyrand), 27 - - Avonmore, Lord, _see_ Yelverton. - - Azara, Chevalier, 264 - - - Bailey, a rebel, 16 - - Ball, Mr. Justice, 144 - - -- Sergeant in 1803, 99 - - Bancroft, a secret agent, 225, 238 - - Banim, John, 172; - lines by, 307 - - Banishment Act, 96, 298 - - Banks, run on the, 154, 357 - - Bantry Bay, French expedition to, 45, 170, 287 - - -- Lord, 368 - - Barber, Rev. Samuel, implicated, 290 - - Barrington, Sir Jonah, 142, 177, 181, 183, 185, 189, 231, 255, 313, - 315, 321, 358, 368 - - Barthélemy, M., 45 - - Bathurst, Lord, 39, 95, 290, 291 - - -- Benjamin, 95 - - Battersby, W. J., 224 - - Bavarian Embassy in London, 248, 264, 355 - - Beauchamp, Lord, 375 - - Beaufort, William, Rev., 351 - - Bedford, Duke of, 198, 356 - - Bellamy, Anne, 231, 248, 249 - - Bennett, William Newton, a United Irishman, afterwards Chief Justice, - 125 - - Bentinck, Lord Wm., 37 - - Beresford, Rt. Hon. J. C., 168, 169, 170, 180, 297 - - -- Correspondence, 169 - - Bergen, Tandy at, 78 - - Berington, Bishop, 263 - - Bernadotte, King, 291, 296, 297 - - Berthier, Marshal, 27, 90, 290, 295, 297 - - Berwick, Rev. E., 188 - - Betagh, Father, S.J., 191 - - Binns, Benjamin P., 15, 21, 31, 40,44, 218 - - Birch, Rev. Mr. (Presbyterian), implicated, 290 - - Bird, an informer, 178, 268 - - 'Black-book,' the, 73 - - Blackburn, Francis, 224 - - Blackwell, Colonel, 71, 79, 82, 85, 344, 345 - - Blake, Bishop, 224 - - -- Mr., executed in 1798, 361 - - Blanca (Spanish Minister), 215, 227 - - Bolivar, Simon, 207 - - Bolton, Lord (_see_ Orde) - - Bond, Oliver, 7, 69, 72, 127, 165, 187, 301, 304 - - Botany Bay, 86 - - Boulogne, 90, 295 - - Bourdon, Leonard, 30, 72, 110 - - Bourrienne, Louis, 82, 290, 291, 294, 297, 339 - - Bouvet, Admiral, at Bantry Bay, 170 - - Boyce, John, 104 - - Brady, Maziere, 229, 282 - - Braughall, Thomas, 7, 231, 337, 376 - - Brennan, Dr., 'the Wrestling Doctor,' 117, 309 - - Brest, armament at, 90, 110 - - Brett, John, 135 - - Bridport, Admiral (Lord Hood), 108, 144, 160, 362 - - Brigade, the Irish, in service of France, 246, 307 - - Brissot, Jean Pierre, 309 - - Bristol, Earl of (Bishop of Derry), 232, 236, 237 - - Brophy, P., state dentist, 117 - - Bruix, Admiral, 32, 83, 110 - - Brune, Marshal, 344 - - Buckingham, Lord, Viceroy of Ireland, 119, 255 _et seq._ - - -- Papers, 255 - - Buckinghamshire, Lord, 216 - - Buckley, Rev. M. B., 231, 244, 259, 267-9 - - Buller, Mr. Justice, 21 - - Buonaparte (_see_ Napoleon) - - Burdett, Sir F., 197, 297, 328 - - Bureaud, 14 - - Burke, Sir Bernard, C.B. LL.D., _preface_ - - Burke, Edmund, 224-38, 257, 268, 286, 287 - - Burton, Mr. Justice, 176, 199, 210 - - Bushe, Chas. Kendal, 136 - - Butler, Archbishop, 281 - - -- Charles, 211, 263, 284 - - -- Lord Jas., 37 - - -- Hon. Simon, 167 - - Byrne, Colonel Miles, 117, 295-7 - - - Callanan, Dr., 159, 160 - - Camden, Lord, 17, 38_n_, 43, 58_n_, 63, 64, 117_n_, 125, 137, 179, - 194, 195, 196_n_, 274, 314-66, 358, 360, 361, 368 - - Campbell, Thos., 96, 297 - - Canning, George, 45, 77, 145, 226, 297, 306 - - Carhampton, Lord, 11, 78, 103, 152, 171, 188 - - Carleton, Lord Chief Justice, 313; - his MS. notes, 337, 360, 363 - - -- Ald., peace officer, 159 - - -- William, 205 - - Carnot, French Minister in 1796, 113 - - Carpenter, Roman Catholic Abp. of Dublin, 120, 150, 161_n_, 216 - - Carrick's 'Morning Post,' 203 - - Carthusians of La Trappe, 259 - - Casey, Rev. Mr., a priest, 15, 74-5 - - Castlebar, battle of, 343, 359 - - Castlereagh, Lord, 9, 18, 20, 36_n_, 38_n_, 39, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, - 50, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71_n_, 72, 73, 76_n_, 83, 92, 95, 97, - 108, 109, 110, 115, 119, 191, 200, 281_n_, 282, 283, 292, 293, - 294, 295, 297, 299, 303, 306, 309, 311, 333, 335, 336, 337, 378, - 379 - - Catholic Emancipation in 1797, 68, 161, 215 - - Caulfield, Captain, 138, 297 - - Challoner, Bishop, 229 - - Chamberlain, Mr. Justice, 176 - - Chambers, John, 36, 187, 210 - - Chapman of Cork, 85 - - Charlemont, Lord, 223-99 - - Charles, Archduke, 81 - - Chatham, Lord, 157, 296, 297, 299 - - Chesterfield, Lord, 272, 274 - - Chichester, Earl of (_see_ Pelham) - - Chifney the jockey, 271 - - Clancy, Master, 145_n_, 147 - - Clare, Lord Chancellor, 120, 309, 313, 314, 316 - - Clarke, Duc de Feltre, 108_n_ - - Clement XIV., Pope, 249 - - Clements, The Brothers, 139 - - Clerkenwell prisoners set free, 229 - - Clinch, J. B., 282 - - Cloncurry, Lord, 7, 21, 34, 38, 39, 40_n_, 42, 94, 171, 195, 196, - 197, 203, 286, 296, 349_n_, 356 - - Clonmel, Lord Chief Justice, 80 - - Clony, (Rebel) General, 102 - - Coburg, Prince of, 294 - - Cockayne, 48, 192 - - Cockburn, Lord, 30 - - Code, H. B., 100 - - Colchester Correspondence, Preface - - Colclough, Lady, 331, 351 - - Coll, (Rebel) Colonel, 297 - - Collins, Thomas, 163, 165, 166, 169, 170, 171, 181 - - Coloony, action at, 359 - - Colpoys, Admiral, confined by mutineers, 108 - - Combermere, F. M. Lord, 378 _et seq._ - - Commons, enclosed, 145 - - Comyn, Andrew, 337 - - Congress, National, in 1784, 240 - - Conlan, Dr., 12, 340 - - Connor, Lawrence, hanged, 181, 182 - - Convention, Volunteer, in 1783, 234 - - -- Act, 240 - - Cooke, Edward, Under-Sec. for Ireland in 1798, 13, 27_n_, 93, 97, - 118, 119, 121, 122, 123, 127, 128, 130, 131, 133, 135, 138, 141, - 144, 159_n_, 168_n_, 169, 170, 171, 172, 189, 190, 191, 192, - 193, 300, 305, 314, 315, 321, 322, 358, 366 - - Coote, General Sir Eyre, 350 - - Cope, Sir Wm. H., 93, 302, 303 - - -- William, pensioned in 1798, 302-3 - - -- Misses, pensioned, _ibid._ - - Corballis, J. R., 123, 148, 288 - - Corbet, General, 71, 72, 78, 79, 81, 89 - - Cork, proposed capture of, 85 - - -- Lord, on the Sheareses, 321-330 - - Cornwallis, Lord, 6_n_, 32, 63, 64, 78, 79_n_, 118_n_, 144, 178, 243, - 266, 271, 325, 333, 336, 343-9, 360-63 - - Correspondence, Wellington, 209, 364, 365, 378-79 - - 'Courier,' the (London), 8-82, 112, 158, 276-89, 372 - - Cox, Walter, 71-85, 117, 144, 163, 188, 191, 325_n_, 333, 341, 365, - 366, 367 - - Coyle, Bernard, 137 - - Crampton, Dr., afterwards Sir P., flight from Castlebar, 359_n_ - - Craven, Lady E., 354 - - Crawford, Sir James, British Minister at Hamburg, 71, 72, 73, 77, 79, - 93, 100, 109, 169, 180-297 - - Creevy, General, 95 - - Crofton, Morgan, 145, 146, 338 - - Croix, De la, French Minister of War, 25, 52, 53, 54, 60, 67, 69, 78 - - Cromwell, Oliver, 26 - - Cromwellian Settlers, 32 _et seq._ - - Crow Street Theatre, 205 - - Cullen, Luke, _preface_, 137, 138 - - Cumberland, R., 227, 228, 258, 285 - - Curran, John Philpot, 32, 36, 42, 48, 76_n_, 80, 125, 156, 161, 164, - 174, 175, 176, 180, 189, 191, 192, 307, 312, 313, 324, 328, 333 - - -- Sarah, 193 - - -- W. H., 192-202 - - Curtis, Archbishop, 378 - - Cuxhaven, 23-30, 31, 81, 293 - - Cyclopædian Magazine, 178, 183, 187 - - - D'Adhémar, Count, 224 - - Daendels, General, 75 - - Dalrymple, General, 362 - - D'Alton, John, 298 - - Dangan Castle, 201 - - Darrynane, 147_n_ - - Daunt, O'Neil, 159_n_ - - D'Auvergne, Captain, 35, 38, 39, 60 - - Davis, Thomas, 105_n_, 175_n_, 218 - - Day, Judge, 159, 210 - - De Burgo, Bishop, 217 - - De Feltre, Duc, French War Minister, 108 - - De Genlis, Madame, 5, 34, 42, 45, 108, 133 - - De la Croix, 66, 67, 76, 78_n_, 105, 124, 125, 140, 187 - - Del Campo, Marquis, 52, 53, 63, 226, 227, 228, 260, 264, 281 - - D'Enghien, Duc, murdered, 90 - - Derby, the, races, 271 - - Derry, Bishop of (Lord Bristol), 237 - - Despard, Col., 293 - - Dessolle, General, 291 - - D'Esterre, Mr., shot by O'Connell, 102 - - Destinger, J., an _alias_ for Samuel Turner, 97 - - De Vere, Aubrey, 154 - - Devereux, General, 207, 208 - - Dickson, James, 124, 143, 159, 161 - - -- Rev. W. Steele, D.D., 13, 291 - - Dignan, a rebel, 299 - - Dillon, 23_n_ - - Directory, French, 26, 29, 347 - - Directory, Irish Rebel, Lord Cloncurry a member of, 40; - French mission to, 59, 120 - - Dirham, Dr., 149 _et seq._ - - Division in the rebel councils, 292 - - Dixon, W. Hepworth, 126 - - Dobbin, Rev. Dr., 319, 323, 325, 327_n_, 354_n_ - - Dodgson, Capt., 138, 170 - - Dominica, 171 - - Don, General, 344 - - -- O'Conor, _preface_ - - Donegal, Marquis of, his gambling debts, 269 - - Donellan, Councillor, 144 - - Douglas, Bishop, 115, 263-4, 283 - - Dowdall, W., 353, 354_n_, 358 - - Dowling, Mathew, 222, 223 - - Downshire, Lord, 2 _et seq._, 14, 16, 17, 18, 34, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48, - 49, 51, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 74, 76, 78, 91, 92, 94, - 102, 104, 107, 316, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 346; - pecuniary transactions with Todd Jones, 353, 358 - - Doyle, Bishop, 59, 211 - - Drennan, Wm., 187, 368 - - Dromgoole, Dr., 137 - - Drought, George, 312 - - 'Dublin Evening Post,' 76, 100, 120, 241 - - Duckett, 30, 33, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, - 111, 113, 114, 141, 354_n_ - - Duff, General Sir James, 332 - - Duffy, Sir Gavan, 105_n_, 113_n_ - - Duggan, Bernard, 99 - - Duigenan, Dr. Patrick, 287, 291, 304 - - Dumouriez, General, 3 - - Duncan, Lord Admiral, 112 - - Dundas, L. (Lord Melville, colleague of Pitt's), 167, 287 - - Dungannon Convention, 232, 375 - - Durham, Lord, 290 - - Durnin, 72_n_, 290, 297, 298 - - Dutton, Frederick, of Newry, 18; - afterwards Brit. Vice-Consul, 23 - - Dwyer, Michael, an outlaw, 137 - - - Edgeworth, Miss, 89, 209 - - -- Richard Lovel, 154 - - Egan, Bishop, 202_n_, 281_n_, 330 - - Elder, Rev. J., 367 - - Eldon, Lord, 31 - - Elliot, Lord, 87 - - -- Mr., of the Foreign Office, 77 - - Emmet, Robert, relations with Lord Cloncurry, 41, 77, 87, 88, 129, - 137, 139, 140, 156, 157, 161, 162, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 200, - 251, 256, 275, 295, 356 - - -- Temple, 356 - - -- Thomas Addis T., 42, 65, 79_n_, 90, 98, 101, 180, 188, 316-18, 356 - - England, Rev. Thomas, 214, 217, 219, 220, 226, 286 - - Enniskillen, Lord, 333 - - Erskine, Lord, 21, 114, 189, 328 - - Esmonde, Dr., hanged, 77 - - 'Exile of Erin,' the, 96 - - - Fallon, John, D.L., 128 - - Farrell, James, 345_n_ - - Farran, W., actor, 204 - - Fetherstonhaugh, John, 138, 152 - - Ferris, Dr. E., 153 - - -- informer, 300 - - Ffrench, Lord, 137, 167, 361 - - Fingal, Lord, 137, 143, 198, 199 - - Finglas, Lord Edward to take the field at, 129, 144, 323 - - Finlay's Bank, 154 - - Finnerty, Peter, 200 - - Finney's Trial, 175 - - Fitzgerald, Lord Edward, 1, 34, 42, 43, 44, 45, 57, 58, 65, 67, 76, - 77, 78_n_, 86, 91, 92, 124, 125, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, - 136, 137, 142, 148, 159, 303, 335, 357, 366 - - -- Lady Edward (Pamela), 33, 49, 76, 91, 121-34 - - -- Lady Lucy, 4, 33, 44, 92 - - -- Sir Judkin, 161 - - -- Very Rev. Dr., 289 - - FitzGibbon, John (Lord Clare), 120, 254_n_, 309 - - Fitzpatrick, Hugh, 185, 213, 221 - - FitzSimon, Sir Nicholas, 330 - - Fitzwilliam, Lord, 303 - - -- Dr., 150, 323, 325 - - -- Capt. Wm., 323 - - Flint, Sir C., 349, 350 - - Flood, Henry, 241 - - Foley, Sir T., K.C.B., 4 - - Fort George Prison, 101, 351 - - Foster, Rt. Hon. J., Speaker, 351 - - -- Leslie, 303, 341, 342, 343 - - Foulkes, Mr., 21 - - Fox, C. J., 198, 249, 268, 328 - - Francis, Emperor, 90 - - Frankfort Peerage, 77 - - Fraser, Mr., a suspected rebel, 49 - - 'Freeman's Journal,' 119, 176_n_, 242 - - French, Right Hon. FitzStephen, 172 - - Frizell, R. F., Rev., 331 - - Froude, J. A., _preface_, 1, 8, 17, 34, 39, 41, 42, 48, 49, 52, 53, - 54, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61_n_, 62, 68, 72, 75, 91, 92, 107, 118, - 120, 121, 122, 124, 144, 170_n_, 172, 173, 174, 176, 179, 180, - 212, 239, 277, 279, 281, 286, 332, 335, 336, 337, 338, 341, 360 - - Fry, Parson, 9 - - Fugitive Bill, 96 - - Fullam, Mr., actor, 204 - - Fuller, Capt., 334 - - Furnes (_alias_ for Samuel Turner), 47, 59, 336 - - - Gainsborough, 264 - - Gallagher, 132, 151, 159 - - 'Gentleman's Magazine,' 102, 225, 236, 248, 256, 349 - - George, Prince Regent (afterwards George IV.), 257, 270 - - Germany, North, annexed to France, 296 - - Gibbon, Edward, 315 - - Gifford, John, 163, 164, 181, 204, 278, 372 - - Gladstone, an actor, 205 - - Glardy, Rev. Dr., implicated, 290 - - Godwin, William, 197_n_ - - Gonsalvi, Cardinal, 284, 379 - - Gordon, Lord G., 228, 229 - - Gormanston, Lord, 143, 375 - - Gossett, Sir W., Under-Sec., Dublin Castle, 144-5 - - Goulburn, Rt. Hon. W., 145 - - Gould, Baring, Rev., 96 - - Granard, Lord, 144, 352 - - -- Lady, 355 - - Grattan, Rt. Hon. Henry, 7, 21, 94, 164, 188, 189, 194, 200_n_, 208, - 210, 212, 219, 221, 270, 273, 315, 325, 327, 354, 356, 369, 375, - 376, 377 - - Gravesend, project to bombard, by mutinous fleet, 113 - - Gray, Rev. Thos., F.T.C.D., 315_n_, 322 - - Gregg, Miss, 372 - - Grégoire, Bishop of Blois, 29, 33 - - Gregory, Sir W., Dublin Castle, 144, 153, 164 - - Grenville, Lord, 109, 281, 349 - - Griffiths, Captain, arrested, 108 - - Grogan, Cornelius, executed, 351 - - Grouchy, General, 170_n_ - - Guillamore, Lord (_see_ O'Grady) - - Guillon, M., 49, 106, 170 - - - Habeas Corpus Act, 225 - - Hague, The, 75, 88, 347 - - Halliday, Charles, 46, 86_n_, 95 - - -- Dr., 307, 356 - - Hamburg, 4 _et seq._, 14, 39, 49-60 _et seq._, 76 _et seq._, 81, 84, - 109, 110, 290, 294, 297, 344 - - Hamill, Mr., 7 - - Hamilton, 36, 141, 142, 169, 375 - - Hammond, Mr., of the F. O., 77 - - Hansard, 161, 162, 376 - - Hardinge, Dr., 159 - - Hardwicke, Lord, 194, 195, 249, 367 - - Hardy, Francis, 223, 231_n_ - - Hare, Mr., Police Magistrate, 199 - - Harel, Nain Jaune, 27 - - Harold's Cross, 193 - - Harpe, La, Col., 30 - - Harvey, B., hanged, 125, 177, 351 - - -- Philip Whitfield, legal representative of the 'Sham Squire,' 124 - - Haslang, Count, 248-9 - - Hatton, J., 142 - - Hawkesbury, Lord, 87 - - Hay, Edward, 251 - - Hayes, Mr. Justice, _preface_, 369 - - Heatly, J. W., 364 - - Helder, the Convention, 344 - - Hertford, Marquis of, 50 - - Hester, Captain, 369 - - Higgins, Francis, _preface_, 13, 19_n_, 24, 118 _et seq._, 127, 128, - 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 135_n_, 136, 141_n_, 149, 185_n_, 196, - 266, 267, 268, 276_n_, 357 - - Hippisley, Sir J. C., 264, 282 - - Hobart, Lord, 264 - - Hoche, General, 4, 6, 45, 49, 111, 126_n_, 226, 297_n_, 335, 340_n_, - 361 - - Hoey, Mr., hanged, 340 - - Holland, Lord, 21, 22_n_, 160, 182, 189-91 - - Holmes, Robert, 125 - - Holt, General, rebel, 110 - - Hood, Admiral Lord, 144, 160, 362 - - Hooper, conspirator, 306 - - Hope, James, 5, 13, 14, 173, 337_n_, 338, 339, 368_n_ - - Horne Tooke, 114 - - Houlton, W. A., 364, 365 - - Howe, Admiral, Lord, 113 - - Howell's 'State Trials,' 84_n_, 207 - - Huband, Joseph, 125 - - Hughes, John, 5, 94, 292, 336, 337 - - Hulbert, Joel, 118 - - Humbert, General, 19, 83, 327, 358, 359, 360, 361 - - Huntingdon, Lord, and Lady Moira, 352 - - Hussey, Rev. Dr., 255, 259, 264, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 287, - 288, 289, 378 - - -- Chief Justice, 199 - - Hutchinson, General, Lord, 358 - - Hutton, Mr., 198 - - - Iceland, British Consul at, Thos. Reynolds, 305 - - Ireland before the Union, 130 - - -- Richard Stanley, M.D., 325 - - - Jackson, Henry, of the Rebel Directory, 40, 127 - - -- Rev. W., 33, 48, 174, 179, 180, 192 - - Jacobin Club, 309 - - Jägerhorn, M., French secret agent, 59-61, 91-2 - - James II, 374 - - Janson, Miss, 209 - - Jeffrey the democrat, 30 - - Jesuits, the suppressed, 249 - - Johnson, Dr. Samuel, 249, 284 - - Johnston, Judge Robert, 125 - - Joly, Jasper, LL.D., 133 - - Jones, W. Todd, 157 _et seq._, 205, 353_n_ - - Josephine's, Empress, debts, 82 - - 'Journal des Débats,' 70 - - Joynt, W. Lane, D.L., 163 - - - Keating, a publisher, 219 - - Keith, Admiral Lord, 363 - - Kelburne, Rev. Sinclair, implicated, 290 - - Kelly, Michael, 267 - - -- W. B., 194_n_ - - Kemble, J. P., 184 - - Kenmare, Lord, 143, 199, 234, 235, 237, 239, 251, 274 - - Keogh, John, 7, 163, 166, 167, 168_n_, 187_n_, 189, 193, 337 - - Keon, a rebel, 141 - - Kernan, Chas., 148 - - Killen, Rev. Dr., 294 - - Kilmainham Gaol, General Corbet's escape from, 89; - 100, 126, 159, 318 - - Kilwarden, Lord, 191 - - Kingsland, Lord, 140 - - Kingsmill, Admiral, 361 - - Kirwan, the Catholic delegate, 201, 231, 373 - - Knox, Alex., 7, 292 - - - Lagan, General, 72 - - Lake, General, 13, 338, 359-60 - - Las Casas, 32, 376 - - Law, Bishop of Elphin, 337 - - Lawless, V. B., afterwards Lord Cloncurry, 7, 35 _et seq._ - - -- Wm., General, 128, 136, 310, 347 - - Lecky, W. E. H., _preface_, 36, 44_n_, 46, 47_n_, 48, 49_n_, 62_n_, - 130, 134, 135, 140_n_, 172, 179, 180_n_, 181, 186_n_, 188, 189, - 190, 208, 212, 214, 215, 218, 223_n_, 227, 228, 230, 231_n_, - 237, 243, 267, 268, 273, 274, 276, 308, 320 - - Leinster, Duke of, 36, 299, 301 - - Lewins, Edward, Rebel Envoy to France, 14, 44, 54, 60, 63, 74, 75, - 193, 293 - - Leyne, Con, 147 - - Limerick, Lord (Sexton Pery), 154 - - Lisbon, 305 - - Littlehales, Sir Edward, 365 - - Liverpool, Lord, 145 - - Londonderry, Lord, 336 - - Lonergan, Richard, 203, 204 - - Longueville, Lord, 43, 310 - - Loughborough, Lord, 185 - - Louis XVI., 110_n_, 226, 245 - - Lowry, a rebel, 74 - - Lucas, Dr., 242 - - Lyons, J. C., 180_n_, 209_n_ - - -- Dorothy M., 84 - - --(Lord Cloncurry's seat) searched, 198 - - Lysaght, Edward, 353 - - -- George, 84 - - - McCan, 14, 57, 58, 61, 63, 64, 304, 336, 397 - - Macara, Dr., 13 - - Macartney, Rev. Andrew, 56, 367 - - Macaulay, Lord, 292 - - Macdonough, 222 - - MacIntagart, George, 298, 364 - - Mack, General, 90, 294 - - Mackenzie, Dr. Shelton, 175 - - McSkimmin's History of Carrickfergus, 103-73 - - McCarthy, 300 - - McCleland, Baron, 356 - - McCormack, Richard, 5, 7, 74, 165, 166, 337 - - McDougall, Henry, 215 - - MacGuicken, 42, 58_n_, 95, 178, 213, 235_n_ - - McKeever, 173 - - McKeon, 368_n_ - - McKinley, 126 - - McLoughlin, Con, 102 - - McMahon, Rev. Arthur, 74, 290, 292, 294_n_, 296 - - McMurdoch, W., 57 - - McNally, Leonard, 24_n_, 36_n_, 37_n_, 85, 87, 127, 174, 175, 176, - 178, 179, 180, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 193, 194, - 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206_n_, - 208, 224, 311, 312, 321, 322, 335, 336, 356 - - -- Leonard, junior, 193, 209 - - -- Mrs., 208, 209, 210, 295, 300 - - Macnevin, Dr., 58, 59, 65, 66, 67, 69_n_, 94, 142, 316, 335, 336, - 337, 340_n_ - - Madden, Dr. R. R., 7, 49, 68, 76, 96, 105, 106, 109, 117, 118, 120, - 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 138, 148, 162, 163, 173, 190, 193, 194, - 209, 211, 327, 329, 339, 341, 343, 346, 352, 368, 369 - - Maddox, Mr., and Lady Moira, 354 - - Madgett, M., 74, 105 - - Magan, Francis, 108, 116, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 127, 128, 129, - 133, 134, 135, 136, 138, 147, 169, 173, 175, 196, 301, 303, - 305, 307, 308 - - Magee, Archbishop, 246 - - -- Darcy, 105 - - Mahon, 137 - - Maidstone (Father O'Coigly hanged at), 21 - - Maitland, Mr., 6, 74, 92 - - Mara, T. O., 353 - - Maragan, M. (French Consul at Hamburg), 76, 79 - - Margate, arrests at, 16, 47 - - Marsden, Mr. Under-Secretary, 86, 89, 99, 100, 354, 367 - - Marshals of France, rich, 291 - - Mask, the Iron, referred to, 28 - - Mason, St. John, 98 - - -- Hastings, 292 - - Mass, High, 167 - - Mathew, J., 12, 103, 104 - - Matthieson, Mrs., 6, 31, 92 - - Maunsell, Robert, 331 - - Maxwell, 93, 98 - - -- W. H., 117 - - Maynooth, College, 224, 288 - - Meyer, Daniel, Consul-General at Hamburg, 70 - - Mignet, M., 67 - - Mildmay, Sir H., 225 - - Minto, Lord, 77 - - Mitchel, John, 199 - - Moira, Lord, 21, 139, 150, 160, 184, 189, 257, 353 - - -- Lady, 137, 139, 156, 161, 362 - - Monks of the Screw, 223 - - Moore, Thomas, 117, 121, 182, 235 - - -- R., 290, 296, 364 - - -- F., 116_n_, 117, 120, 131, 182 - - -- Miss, 121, 122, 123, 132, 143 - - Mornington, Lord, 40, 374 - - Morres, Harvey, 71, 76, 82 _et seq._, 304, 305, 345 - - Morris, Gouverneur, 32 - - Mountgarret, Lord, 67, 165 - - Mount Jerome (seat of J. Keogh), 193 - - Moylan, Bishop, 283, 287, 288 - - Muir, Thomas, 74 - - Mulgrave, Lord, Viceroy, 144, 367 - - Mulock, Mr. T., 198 - - -- Miss, _ibid._ - - Multon, 156 - - Murphy, 132, 347, 348, 350 - - -- John, P., 347 - - -- Billy, 71, 166 - - Murray, Archbishop, 211 - - -- John, _pref._ - - Musgrave, Sir R., 222, 300, 343 - - Mutiny in the British Fleet, 113 - - - Napoleon, 32, 81, 82, 85, 86, 89, 90, 291, 296, 332, 344, 348, 365 - - Neilson, Samuel, 47, 51, 55, 59, 101, 117, 136, 140, 141, 301 - - Nelson, Lord, 33, 81, 137 - - Nepean, Sir E., 163, 218, 226, 230, 231_n_, 239 - - Netterville, Lord, 137, 198, 199 - - Neville, B., 173 - - New South Wales, 74 - - Newcomen, Lord, banker, 153 - - Newell, E. J., 12, 114, 175 - - Newgate, 130; - burnt down, 229; - executions, 314 - - 'No Popery' riots, 228-9 - - Norbury, Lord, 125, 158, 312 - - Nore, Mutiny at the, 111, 115 - - Norfolk, Duke of, 21, 328 - - North, Lord, 7, 112, 113, 205-75 - - 'Northern Star,' 59, 187 - - Northesk, Lord Admiral, 112, 113 - - Northington, Lord, 243_n_ - - 'Notes and Queries,' _preface_, 73, 183 - - Nugent, General, 13 - - - O'Brien, W. S., 201, 278 - - O'Byrne, Patrick, 10, 102 - - O'Callaghan, J. C., 374 - - O'Coigly, Father, hanged, 15 _et seq._, 31, 37, 38, 40, 41, 44, - 47_n_, 93, 115, 117, 127, 141, 178, 188, 293, 294 - - O'Connell, Daniel, 102, 103, 143, 147, 198, 199, 200, 201, 216, 357, - 363, 367 - - -- John, 226 - - -- Maurice ('Old Hunting Cap'), 357; - first to announce the arrival of the French in Bantry Bay, 362 - - -- Richard, 247 - - O'Connor, Arthur, 4, 5, 17, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 48, 49, 60, 65, 67, - 101, 102, 201, 308, 309, 311, 316, 340, 350, 351, 366, 368 - - -- Roger, 350, 351, 368 - - O'Conor Don, The, 89 - - 'Octogenarian, Essays of an,' 329 - - O'Donoghue, D. J., 365 - - O'Dowd, The, hanged, 361 - - Ogilvie, Wm. (connected with Lord Edward Fitzgerald), 118 - - Ogle, George, 236 - - O'Grady, Standish (Lord Guillamore), 100, 354 - - O'Hagan, Lord, 51, 311, 345 - - O'Hanlon, Canon, 148 - - O'Herne, Captain (_alias_ Aherne), 75 - - O'Keefe, John, 183 - - O'Kelly, Colonel Andrew Denis, 268, 269, 270, 271, 354 - - -- Mathias, 136, 140-3, 151, 157 - - O'Leary, Rev. Arthur, 211-13, 215-28, 230-53, 255, 257, 258, 260-3, - 265-76, 281, 288, 373-7 - - O'Loghlen, Sir Michael, 147 - - O'Neill, Lord, killed, 364 - - Orde, Irish Secretary, 218, 219, 221, 223, 226, 230, 231, 233, 236, - 239, 240, 246, 247, 260, 262, 273, 275, 276, 277 - - 'Orellana,' Letters of, 240 - - O'Renehan, Rev. Dr., 281 - - Orkneys, Tandy's engagement at the, 342 - - Orleans, Duc de, 5, 133 - - Orpen, Mr., 157, 158, 159 - - Orr, Wm., 55, 74, 327, 346-48, 368 - - -- George, 346 _et seq._, 349, 350 - - Orr, J. R., 295 - - -- Major, 370 - - Osnaburg, Bishop of (_see_ Duke of York) - - Otto, M., 86 - - Oxford, Lord, 21, 189, 328 - - - Paine, Thomas, 166 - - Pallain, M., 33, 265 - - Palmer (one of Lord Edward Fitzgerald's bodyguard), 14, 132 - - 'Pamela,' _see_ Lady Edward Fitzgerald - - Pancras, Saint, 248, 377 - - 'Papists,' the, _pref._, 2, 32, 62, 140, 229 - - Parker, 109, 112, 114, 132, 230, 239, 240, 241, 243, 265, 277, 373 - - Parliament, the Irish, 1, 7, 253 _et seq._ - - Parliamentary Reform in 1797, 68, 161 - - Parsons, Laurence, 189, 209, 322 - - Patten, John, 101 - - Pavilion at Brighton, 257 - - Peel, Sir Robert, 334 - - Peerages sold, 255 - - Pelham, Right Hon. Thos., _preface_, 56-8, 13-23, 76, 86, 87, 181, - 185, 192, 196, 200, 338, 349, 350, 351, 360, 361, 366, 373 - - Peninsular War, 378 - - Pentland, Henry, murdered, 297 - - Perrin, Louis, 199, 218, 246_n_ - - Phelan, Mr., friend of MacNally, 200 - - Philippe, King Louis, 5, 95 - - Phillips, Charles, 174, 176, 185, 206, 208, 233 - - -- Friar, a spy, murdered, 172 - - Pichegru, General, 46, 349 - - 'Pieces of Irish History,' by Dr. McNevin, 66, 365 - - Pitt, Prime Minister, 3, 4, 6, 9, 76, 77, 85, 92, 93, 95, 106, 108, - 109, 114, 167, 192, 212, 240, 253, 254, 255, 257, 270, 271, 272, - 280, 339, 340, 341, 349, 361 - - Pius VI., Pope, 275, 281 - - -- VII., Pope, 284, 285 - - Plowden, Francis, 136, 161, 188, 198_n_, 213_n_, 214, 221, 225, 242, - 245_n_, 249, 259, 266, 269, 270, 275, 281, 332, 344 - - Plunket, W. C., Lord, 136, 157, 169, 182, 292, 311, 312, 337 - - Plunkett, Colonel, hanged, 292, 337 - - Pole, Wellesley W., 198, 200, 201 - - Pollock, John, 178, 194, 201, 363, 364, 365 - - Ponsonby, George, 125, 254, 260, 261, 262, 311, 312 - - Porter, F. Thorpe, 299, 300_n_, 304, 305, 330 - - -- Rev. Wm. (Presbyterian), hanged, 290 - - -- William (father of F. T. Porter), in '98, 299, 305 - - Portland, Duke of, 20, 22, 30, 41, 43_n_, 49, 55, 58_n_, 60, 62, 63, - 64, 65, 70_n_, 110, 172, 173, 176, 179, 180, 196_n_, 208, - 243_n_, 250, 253, 260, 264, 278, 281, 282, 284, 285, 287, 297, - 298, 341, 347, 349, 350 - - Portobello, 121 - - Portsmouth, mutiny at, 108 - - Pratt, Mr., on Fr. O'Leary, 223 - - Prendergast, J. P., 33_n_, 206, 337 - - Presbyterians, the, of Ulster, 215 - - 'Press,' the, organ of the U. I. M., 197 - - Pretender, the (Charles Edward), rising of, 357 - - Privy Council, Lord Downshire expelled from, 104 - - - Quigley, or O'Coigly, a priest, 15 _et seq._, 293-4 - - Quintilian family, case of the, cited, 315 - - - Randall, T., 248 - - Rankin, Charles, 28, 62 - - Reade, Robert Rollo, 292 - - Redesdale, Lord, 195 - - Redington, Sir Thomas, 330 - - Reform, Parliamentary, 68 - - Regency, struggle for the, 247, 253 _et seq._ - - 'Register, Annual,' 217 - - Registry of Deeds Office, _preface_, 84, 124, 269, 303 - - Reid, Rev. Seaton, D.D., 293 - - Reinhard, French Minister at Hamburg, 4, 5; - letters of, 53-61, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 76, 78, 91, 107, 108, 109, - 117, 118, 144, 145, 295, 335, 336, 337, 338 - - Renny, Dr., 297 - - Rey, General, 343 - - Reynolds, Thomas, informer, 59, 66, 93, 116, 117, 118, 142, 145, 163, - 169, 231, 301, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307 - - 'Ribbonmen,' 333 - - Richards, Dr. Solomon, 356 - - 'Richardson, J.' (_alias_ for Samuel Turner), 45, 50, 68, 98 - - Richmond, Duke of, 201, 204 - - Riots in London, 229-297 - - Robertson, Rev. J. (Secret Agent), 378 - - Robespierre, Maximilian, 110 - - Roche, Sir Boyle, 177, 232, 233, 235, 236, 237, 245, 329, 374 - - -- James, 329 - - Rodney, Admiral Lord, 227 - - Rogers, Samuel (examination of), 33 - - Rolande, Madame, 309 - - Romana, Spanish General, 378 - - Rose, Rev. Mr., 278, 279 - - Rosemary Lane Chapel, 120, 373 - - Ross, General Sir C., 73, 74, 193, 344, 345, 364 - - -- Charles, _preface_, 10, 119 - - Rosses, the, Tandy's arrival at, 342 - - Ross, Lord, 322, 326 - - Rousseau, Jean Jacques, 319 - - Rowan, Hamilton, 3, 102, 163, 166, 169, 171, 183, 296, 299 - - Rumbold, Sir G., 97 - - Russell, Sir Charles, Q.C., _preface_ - - -- Lord John, in 1798, 21, 183 - - -- Thomas (executed), 51 - - Russia, ally of England, 92 - - Rutland, Duke of, 217, 218, 219, 285 - - -- Island of, 343 - - Ryan, Captain, 133, 169, 189, 231 - - - Salamanca, Irish College at, 378 - - Sampson, Wm., 59, 85 - - Sandys, Major, 190, 191 - - Sarrazin, General, 297, 360 - - 'Saturday Review,' 184 - - Saurin, Rt. Hon. Wm., 162, 199, 364 - - Saxton, Sir Charles, 365 - - Scallan, J. S., 208 - - Secret Committee of the Irish Parliament, Report of, 17, 53, 67, 292 - - Secret Committee in Paris, 75 - - Shannon, Earl of, 254 - - Shaw, W., 141 - - Sheares, Brothers, hanged, 127, 142, 162, 165, 166, 173, 177, 226, - 309, 310, 311, 314, 315, 316, 317, 321, 322, 327, 329, 368, 372 - - Shee, Colonel, 111 - - Sheahan, Mr., writer, 241 - - Sheehy, Rev. N., 145 - - Shiel, R. Lalor, 144 - - Shelley, Percy Bysshe, in Dublin, 201, 224 - - Sheridan, R. Brinsley, 5, 21, 112, 210, 287 - - Sierra Leone, 280 - - Simms, Robert, 5, 55 - - Simpson, Rev. Mr., implicated, 290 - - Sinclair, Rev. Mr., implicated, 290 - - -- William, 365 - - Sirr, Major, 118, 121, 122, 124, 132, 133, 134, 135, 138, 142, 159, - 177, 224, 229, 305, 330, 332 - - Smith, Father (McNally's confessor), 208, 209 - - -- Sir W., Baron, 125, 176 - - -- Huband, 32, 146 - - Smock Alley Theatre, 148 - - Smyth, P. J., 240 - - Soult, Marshal, 378 - - South, Bishop, 186 - - Southwell, Lord, 143 - - Spain and England, strained relations between, 215, 260, 264, 276, 281 - - Stafford, a rebel, 98 - - Stamer, Sir Wm., 189 - - Stanhope, Lord, 94 - - Staunton, Michael, 199 - - Steele, Maria, 309, 313 - - Stevelly, Rev. Mr. (Presbyterian), hanged, 290 - - Stewart, Surgeon General, 356 - - St. Germans, Lord, 87 - - Stokes, Rev. Dr., 126 - - Stone, tried for high treason, 30, 33, 108 - - Strahan, Admiral, 296 - - Stuart, Mr., implicated, 39, 42, 43 - - Suffolk, Lord, 21, 189 - - Suvarov, Marshal, 81 - - Swan, Town Major, 123, 132, 133 - - Swete, Miss (married to Henry Sheares), 309, 314 - - Sydney, Lord, 217, 219, 220, 224, 233, 239, 240, 245, 256, 262, 272 - - - 'Tablet,' the, 257 - - Talleyrand, 5, 25 _et seq._, 72, 74, 76, 265_n_ - - Tandy, Jas. Napper, 33, 56, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, - 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 88, 89, 90, 93, 98, 100, 218, 222, 223, 225, - 226, 241_n_, 242, 243, 244, 294, 295, 341, 343, 344, 345, 346 - - -- James, 135, 181, 355 _et seq._ - - Taylor, Wm. (Dublin Castle), 177 - - -- W. C., author of 'Civil Wars,' 304 - - Teeling, 4, 5, 47, 51, 74, 86, 94, 292, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340 - - Temple, Lord, Viceroy, 119, 375 - - Thanet, Lord, 21 - - Thistlewood, Arthur, 306 - - Thomas, Jean (an _alias_ for Samuel Turner), 20 - - Thurlow, Lord, 183 - - Toler, John, Lord Norbury, 125, 312, 313 - - Tone, T. Wolfe, 15, 45, 49, 53, 55, 58, 59, 74, 75, 106, 108, 109, - 110, 111, 185, 231, 287, 294 - - Tooke, Horne, 114, 328 - - Tracy, Miss Frances (legatee of the 'Sham Squire'), 124 - - Trafalgar, Incident at, 113 - - Trail, Mr., Dublin Castle, 365 - - Treason, High, two witnesses necessary to convict in, 320 - - Trimleston, Lord, 143 - - Trinity College, Dublin, 120, 126 - - Troy, Dr., Archbishop of Dublin, 150, 271, 274 - - 'True Briton,' the, 53 - - Truguet, M., French Minister of Marine, 106, 113, 114 - - Tuite, the carpenter, 121 - - -- Jacob, 55, 57 - - Turner, Samuel, LL.D., Barrister-at-Law, 8, 33, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, - 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 54, 55, 57, 59, 60, 61_n_, 63, 66, 67, - 68, 69, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76_n_, 78, 79, 84, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, - 97, 98, 99, 100, 102_n_, 105, 125, 190, 196, 294, 295, 298, 308, - 316, 335, 336, 339, 340, 347, 348 - - Tyburn Tree, 264 - - Tyrawley, Lord, 249_n_ - - Tithes (Father O'Leary in favour of), 250 - - - Ulm, Capitulation of, 294 - - Union, Legislative, 104, 178, 269, 286, 365 - - Union, Star, the, 189, 300, 365 - - Urban, Sylvanus, 171, 186, 285 - - - Valence, General, 3, 12, 78, 92 - - Vanbrugh, Sir T., 6 - - Venezuela, 207 - - Verdon, Dr., 368 - - Vereker, Colonel, 359 - - Vergennes, Count (French Premier), 215 - - Versailles, 5 - - Vicar-Apostolic, Military, 285 - - Vienna, 259 - - Villemarest, M. de, 25 - - Vincennes, murder of Duc d'Enghien at, 90 - - Vinegar Hill, 295 - - Volunteer Convention, 77 - - Volunteers of 1782, Irish, 216, 232, 238, 245 - - - Wagram, Prince of, 290 - - Walcheren, Expedition to, 297 - - Wales, George, Prince of, 253, 270 - - Wall, Rev. Dr., 236 - - Wallace, Sir Richard, 260 - - Walstein, Miss, 204 - - Warren, Thomas, 163 - - Warwick, Rev. Mr. (Presbyterian), hanged, 290 - - Watson, Dr., 306 - - 'Wearing of the Green,' 78, 79, 370 - - Webb, R. D., 328 - - Wellington, Duke of, 93_n_, 96, 101, 102_n_, 137, 198_n_, 209, 345, - 349, 351, 364, 365, 378, 379 - - Wesley, Rev. John, 134 - - Westmoreland, Lord, 169, 219, 349_n_ - - Weymouth (Irish Secretary), 219 - - Wheatley, Hugh, 369 - - Whigs, the English, 9, 21, 183, 198, 249, 253, 257, 345 - - Whitbread, Mr., 21, 189 - - White, Esmonde, 208 - - -- Luke, ancestor of Lord Annaly, 304 - - -- R., created Lord Bantry, 362, 363 - - Whiteboys, the, 217, 245, 249, 274 - - Whitechapel, Lord Edward Fitzgerald in, 91 - - Whitworth, Lord, 103_n_ - - Wickham, Rt. Hon. W., 21, 37, 39, 46, 48_n_, 49, 63, 65, 66, 68, 71, - 72, 92, 94, 98, 110, 161, 162, 193, 280, 297, 298, 346, 347, 350 - - Wills, Rev. James, 117_n_, 236_n_ - - Wolcot, John, 84 - - Wolfe, Stephen C. Baron, 1, 144, 189 - - Woodward, Bishop, 251_n_, 374 - - Woolagan, Court-martial on, 332 - - Worthington, Sir R., Police Magistrate, dismissed, 345 - - Wraxall, Sir N., 265, 271 - - Wright, Surgeon Thos., 168, 355 - - Wylde and Mahon sheltered by Lady Moira, 139 - - Wyse, Rt. Hon. Thos., 144, 231_n_, 237_n_ - - - Yelverton, Baron, 211, 221, 235, 367 - - Yeomanry, the, 159, 333 - - York, Duke of, 81, 361, 369, 370 - - -- Redhead, 309 - - Young, Charles (actor), 204 - - -- Mr., 351 - - PRINTED BY - - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - - LONDON - - Two vols. 8vo. 1,200 pp. 12_s._ 6_d._ - - THE LIFE, TIMES, AND CORRESPONDENCE - OF BISHOP DOYLE (J.K.L). - - BY W. J. FITZPATRICK, F.S.A. - - KNIGHT OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT. - - * * * * * - - OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. - -'Mr. Fitzpatrick's memoir is richly studded with anecdotes and sketches -of his attractive hero as politician, scholar, theologian, professor, -bishop, religious director, and friend. The biographer has a keen eye -to humour, and has thrown in a number of specimens of Irish wit. He is -exclusively the master and the specialist of his subject.'--SATURDAY -REVIEW. - - * * * * * - -'Of this distinguished man, Mr. Fitzpatrick has lately published the -"Life, Times, and Correspondence," after having accumulated ample -materials for his undertaking by unwearied personal investigation and -epistolary inquiries extending through several years. It is in every -respect an original work, tracing the intellectual progress, examining -the motives and policy, and illustrating the character and habits, -of by far the ablest Roman Catholic prelate of recent times. [Three -columns of eulogy followed.] Men of all parties united in conceding -to him the praise of a high order of genius and of unsullied virtue. -Indeed, under whatever point of view the career of this eminent man is -viewed, the conclusion which the perusal of these volumes will force, -even upon those least disposed to appreciate his high qualities, must -be that he was a master-spirit, an honour to the country which gave -him birth, and an ornament to the Christianity which he so earnestly -preached and so devoutly practised.'--MORNING POST. - - * * * * * - -'Mr. Fitzpatrick, whose previous biographical works have been -favourably received, has published a "Life of Dr. Doyle" full of -amusing and instructive matter.... In closing this volume, we cannot -but express our regret that so good a man and so sincere a patriot -should not have survived to our own happier times.... A lively, -gossiping, and sensible biography.'--SPECTATOR. - - * * * * * - -'Those who take an interest in tracing the history of past -agitations will find ample amusement in the "Life and Times of Dr. -Doyle."'--WESTMINSTER REVIEW. - - * * * * * - -'... These volumes really contain the history of Ireland for a quarter -of a century. In these days of hasty compilation and superficial -literary labour, it is refreshing to meet a work so original, so full -of research, so honestly and ably written as this "Life of Dr. Doyle." -Mr. Fitzpatrick has performed a task which secures for him a very high -place among Irishmen who have enriched the historical literature of -their country.'--DAILY EXPRESS (Dublin). - - * * * * * - -'Our words may sound extravagant. We can only repeat the motto in -Doyle's coat of arms--"_Tolle lege_." Take up the book which narrates -his life, times, and correspondence, and read. We appeal to the -monuments of history, so beautifully, so accurately, so eloquently -displayed before us by the great historian of one of the greatest men. -The book before us is a monument of Mr. Fitzpatrick's skill, of his -knowledge of men and events, of his great power of discernment, of his -faithfulness, of his impartiality, of his herculean labour, of his -exalted Christianity.'--BOSTON PILOT. - - * * * * * - - 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - IRELAND BEFORE THE UNION. - - By W. J. FITZPATRICK, F.S.A. - - * * * * * - - OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. - -'Mr. W. J. Fitzpatrick has brought out a new and much-amended edition -of his capital contribution to our knowledge of "Ireland before the -Union."'--ATHENÆUM. - - * * * * * - -'But we must refer the historical student, who would know something -more than the historian has yet deigned to tell us, to this remarkable -production of patriotic industry. Wonderfully clear, and vivid, and -varied is the portraiture interspersed in the illustration of the -man and his times, and very often illumined by bright flashes of -wit and humour. Mr. Fitzpatrick has been called the Irish Boswell, -but he includes all the best qualities of his best editors added -to Boswell. This volume ought to have a place in every historical -library.'--MORNING POST. - - * * * * * - -'Most complete and entertaining. As anecdote follows anecdote, and -revelation after revelation is unfolded, we are lost in wonder that -the perpetrators of such outrages and acts of oppression as Mr. -Fitzpatrick describes, gathered from the most authentic sources, could -have been suffered to follow out their evil courses for even a single -week.'--FIELD. - - * * * * * - -'A true picture of Irish society towards the close of the last century, -and shows to what sort of people the highest places of the State were -in that country entrusted. The author is Mr. Fitzpatrick, who has -hunted up his facts in many quarters, and woven them into an exciting -narrative.'--DAILY TELEGRAPH. - - * * * * * - -'A clever work, filled with amusing anecdotes and interesting -disclosures. No doubt it will have a large sale, not only in Ireland, -but in the United States.'--COSMOPOLITAN. - - JAMES DUFFY & SONS, Dublin. - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES - - - Numerous errors exist in the index, e.g. Keon and Multon don't - appear anywhere in the text. Also indexed items often don't appear - on the listed page. Corrected the spelling of index names to that - used in the text. - - Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical - errors. - - Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. - - Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Secret Service Under Pitt, by -William John Fitzpatrick - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SECRET SERVICE UNDER PITT *** - -***** This file should be named 51030-0.txt or 51030-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/0/3/51030/ - -Produced by Richard Tonsing, MWS and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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