what was much worse, the plate was gone too! Poor Stevenson recorded a bitter vow against dining in aristocratic company for the rest of his natural life."

As we drove along Skinner's Row, O'Connell pointed out the ruins of the Old Four Courts, and showed me where the old gaol had stood. "Father Lube," said he," informed me of a curious escape of a robber from that gaol. The rogue was rich, and gave the gaoler 1207. to let him out. The gaoler then prepared for his prisoner's escape in the following manner: he announced that the fellow had a spotted fever, and the rogue shammed sick so successfully that no one suspected any cheat. Meanwhile, the gaoler procured a fresh corpse, and smuggled it into the prisoner's bed; while the pseudo-invalid was let out one fine dark night. The corpse, which passed for that of the robber, was decently interred, and the trick remained undiscovered till revealed by the gaoler's daughter, long after his death. Father Lube told me," added O'Connell, "that the face of the corpse was dappled with paint, to imitate the discolourment of a spotted fever."

During this day's journey, O'Connell, while reading the newspapers, suddenly called out-"Oh, have you seen Lord Charlemont's declaration in his speech at the Armagh dinner? He says that 'if

justice be not done to Ireland, we must see the resuscitation of the volunteer corps.' God bless him! It is just like his father's son."

"And if the volunteers were re-organised," said I, "what command would you take ?"

"I would be colonel of the First Regiment of Dublin Volunteers."

I said something about "the Peace Principle." "Oh," rejoined he, "although a although a military, it would yet be a pacific band; its existence would quietly achieve our rights by showing the futility of resisting them."

"It seems curious," said I, "that so many of our Protestant gentry, who opposed the Union with the utmost bitterness, should have afterwards opposed the Repeal, and adopted what are called Tory politics."

66

They got the patronage of the country," said O'Connell," and the license to misgovern the people. That kept them quiet, and helped to reconcile them to the new order of things."

I spoke of a Conservative barrister named Collis, who in 1800 had written an Anti-Union pamphlet, predicting the ruin of the country from that measure, and who in 1826 had told me all his predictions were fulfilled by the event.

66 "Ah, I knew Collis, too," said O'Connell; "he

was a clever fellow. He had talent enough to have made a figure at the bar, if it had not been for the indolence induced by his comfortable property. His wife was a Miss Rashleigh,* an uncommonly beautiful woman. He and I went circuit together. Going down to the Munster circuit by the Tullamore boat, we amused ourselves on deck firing pistols at the elms along the canal. There were a small party of soldiers on board, and one of them authoritatively desired us to stop our firing.

Ah, corporal, don't be so cruel,' said Collis, still firing away. Are you a corporal?' asked I. He surlily replied in the affirmative. Then, friend,' said I, ‘you must have got yourself reduced to the ranks by misconduct, for I don't see the V's upon your sleeve.' This raised a laugh at his expense, and he slunk off to the stern quite chopfallen."

The punsters said, on the occasion of Mr. Collis's marriage with Miss Rashleigh, "that he had been a long time thinking of marrying, and at last he married 'rashly.”” The lady, in addition to her eminent personal charms, was a wealthy coheiress.

CHAPTER XII.

Provincial Repeal Meeting at Kilkenny-Eulogy on the Irish Church-William Cobbett at Kilkenny-O'Connell's Remark on Cobbett O'Connell's Recollection of his School DaysO'Connell's Account of his First Circuit-Robert HicksonN. P. O'Gorman-Checkley, the Attorney-How to prove an Alibi-Kingstown Harbour-Representation of KilkennyPatronage-The "Edinburgh Review" on Catholicity-Visit to Canterbury Cathedral.

THE provincial meeting of Leinster for the Repeal of the Union shortly took place at Kilkenny.* Croker's Hill, in the vicinity of that city, was the place selected for the meeting. Accustomed as my eyes had been for several years to large assemblies, I was really astonished at the enormous concourse which gathered upon this occasion. The numbers were computed—and I do not think the computation an exaggerated one-at 200,000 persons, of whom at least 20,000 were on horseback. It was a noble sight! that orderly and well-conducted multitude, pacifically met together without riot, without

crime, without violence, to record their hostility to all save domestic legislation for Ireland. They had come to renew the declaration of the Irish Volunteers of 1779-" We know our duty to our Sovereign, and are loyal; we know also our duty to ourselves, and are resolved to be free."

O'Connell felt the full inspiration of the scene before him, and his thrilling words aroused the spirits and confirmed the resolves of his auditors. As has usually happened with his greatest efforts, the report did not do him justice. I have preserved the following passage, in which he alludes to the faith of the people of Ireland; it is one of the best morçeaux of his eloquence, as regards both the beauty of sentiment and the felicity of expression. He had been speaking of the penal code—

"Your priesthood were hunted and put to death; yet your hierarchy has remained unbroken—a noble monument of your faith and your piety. The traveller who wanders over Eastern deserts, beholds the majestic temples of Balbec or Palmyra, which rear their proud columns to heaven in the midst of solitude and desolation. Such is the Church of Ireland. In the midst of our political desolation, a sacred Palmyra has ever remained to us. It is true our altars have been broken down, and the gold and the silver have been taken away; the temple has