ness, he quietly watched them after service, and planting himself behind the sanctuary-door through which they had to pass, he suddenly slashed the entire contents of his full-charged brush into their faces! I thought I should have been choked with laughing. You can't conceive any thing more ludicrous than the discomfited look the fellows had!" And his fancy was so tickled with the recollection, that he chuckled heartily over it.

He spoke of his illness-a severe typhus fever— which had nearly proved fatal to him at Darrynane in 1798.

"It was occasioned," said he, " by sleeping in wet clothes. I had dried them upon me at a peasant's fire, and drank three glasses of whiskey, after which I fell asleep. The next day I hunted, was soon weary, and fell asleep in a ditch under sunshine. I became much worse; I spent a fortnight in great discomfort, wandering about and unable to eat. At last when I could no longer battle it out, I gave up and went to bed. Old Doctor Moriarty was sent for He pronounced me in a high fever. I was in such pain that I wished to die. In my ravings I fancied that I was in the middle of a wood, and that the branches were on fire around me. I felt my backbone stiffening for death, and I positively declare that I think what saved me was the effort I made to

rise up, and show my father, who was at my bedside, that I knew im. I verily believe that effort of nature averted death. During my illness I used to quote from the tragedy of Douglas these lines:

'Unknown I die; no tongue shall speak of me ;

Some noble spirits, judging by themselves,

May yet conjecture what I might have proved;
And think life only wanting to my fame.'

I used to quote those lines under the full belief that my illness would end fatally. Indeed, long before that period—when I was seven years old—yes, indeed, as long as ever I can recollect, I always felt a presentiment that I should write my name on the page of history. I hated Saxon domination. I detested the tyrants of Ireland. During the latter part of my illness, Doctor Moriarty told me that Buonaparte had got his whole army to Alexandria, across the desert. That is impossible,' said I, 'he cannot have done so; they would have starved.' 'Oh, no,' replied the doctor, they had a quantity of portable soup with them, sufficient to feed the whole army for four days.' 'Ay,' rejoined I; 'but had they portable water? For their portable soup would have been but of little use if they had not water to dissolve it in.' My father looked at the attendants with an air of hope. Doctor Moriarty said to my mother, His intellect, at any rate, is untouched.' I remember the doctor's mentioning the rumour of an engagement

between the insurgents and the royalists at Ballinamuck, but the result had not then transpired."

I asked O'Connell whether he admired and pathised with Arthur O'Connor?

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"I had,

"More no than yes," was his answer. indeed, admired him until Curran disclosed to me that he had a plan for an agrarian law, dividing the land in equal portions among all the inhabitants. That I saw at once involved consequences so antisocial, that it greatly cooled my admiration of him."

Except from O'Connell I never heard of Arthur O'Connor's plan for the division of land. But if he meant only such a plan as the small allotment system, which Feargus O'Connor is at present working in England, his scheme cannot have involved antisocial results. The small allotments have been for many years a favourite project of Feargus O'Connor's. Perhaps he derived the idea from his uncle. He detailed it to me at Kilcascan so long ago as 1830; and it seems calculated to promote the comfort of the humbler classes, without encroaching upon the interests or rights of the landed aristocracy.

O'Connell continued: "I travelled with Curran in the Cork mail. We were eight and forty hours coming to Dublin in those days. We had six insides and unlimited outsides. The passengers got

out and walked two or three miles on the rising ground” (I think he said Clasheen) "on this side of Clonmel; and it was on that walk that Curran mentioned to me Arthur O'Connor's agrarian scheme."

In the course of the conversation I asked him who, in his opinion, was our greatest man?

"Next to myself," he answered, “I think old Harry Grattan was. But he was decidedly wrong in his controversy with Flood about the simple repeal."

O'Connell described a curious interview that had taken place between him and Owen, the Socialist. "The fellow called upon me," said he, "and told me he had come for my co-operation in a work of universal benevolence. I replied that I should always be happy to aid such a work. I expected no less from your character, Mr. O'Connell,' said Owen. Would not you wish-I am sure you would-to elevate the condition of the whole human race? Certainly, Mr. Owen,' replied I. 'Would not you wish to see a good hat on every body? Undoubtedly.' And good shoes?' 'Oh, certainly. And good trowsers? Unquestion

ably.' And would not you desire to see the whole family of man well housed and fed?' 'Doubtless. But Mr. Owen, as my time is much taken up, may

I beg that you will proceed at once to point out how all these desirable objects are, in your opinion, to be worked out? In the first place, Mr. O'Connell,'

said Owen, we must educate anew the population of these kingdoms, and entirely remove the crust of superstitious error from their minds. In fact, the whole thing, called Revealed Religion, must be got rid of. I thought my worthy visitor was going a little too far. I rose and bowed him out. " I wish you a very good morning, Mr. Owen,' said I, it would be useless to prolong our interview. I see at once that you and I cannot co-operate in any work or under any circumstances.""

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