CHAPTER XXII.

Danger of Secret Political Societies-Arbitration Court-Judge Day-Bully Egan-Who wrote Junius ?-Reply of Lord Charlemont to the Address of the Repeal Association.

WHILST we walked up from the beach on the evening mentioned in the preceding chapter, O'Connell said,

"I learned from the example of the United Irishmen the lesson, that in order to succeed for Ireland, it was strictly necessary to work within the limits of the law and constitution. I saw that fraternities banded illegally, never could be safe; that invariably some person without principle would be sure to gain admission into such societies; and either for ordinary bribes, or else in times of danger for their own preservation, would betray their associates. Yes.-The United Irishmen taught me that all work for Ireland must be done openly and above-board."

On our return to the house, there was a large

concourse of the peasantry awaiting O'Connell's arbitration of their various differences. He constantly held a Court of Arbitration at his gate, in which he heard and determined the disputes arising amongst the peasantry. The litigants, of course, were their own counsel. O'Connell was judge and jury. The proceedings were always conducted in Irish. I am not aware of any case in which the Liberator's decision was appealed from to any other tribunal.

Ere O'Connell entered the house, a poor man solicited from him employment as a labourer. "My labour list is full," replied O'Connell; "but go to my steward, and try what he can do for you. Good God!' he exclaimed, when the man was gone, "what a country is this, in which a fellow-creature solicits as a boon, permission to labour for twelve hours at hard work for eight-pence!"

In the evening he amused us with forensic recollections. He talked of ex-judge Day, who had then for many years retired from the bench.

"He must now," said O'Connell, "be at least ninety-eight;* and he writes as firm a hand as ever, and preserves his intellect (such as it is) unimpaired. To be sure he never had much to preserve in this respect; but all he ever had, he has kept. He

* Day died a few months after the period when these words were uttered.

has excellent qualities of the heart; no man would take more pains to serve a friend; but as a judgethey could scarcely have placed a less efficient man upon the bench. Curran used to say that Day's efforts to understand a point of law, reminded him of nothing so much as the attempt to open an oyster with a rolling pin. He once said to me at the Cork assizes, 'Mr. O'Connell, I must not allow you to make a speech; the fact is, I am always of opinion with the last speaker, and therefore I will not let you say one word.' 'My lord,' said I, 'that is precisely the reason why I'll let nobody have the last word but myself, if I can help it!' I had the last word, and Day charged in favour of my client. Day was made a judge in 1798. He had been chairman of Kilmainham with a salary of 12001. a year. When he got on the bench, Bully Egan got the chairmanship."

"Was Bully Egan a good lawyer ?"

"He was a successful one. His bullying helped him through. He was a desperate duellist. One of his duels was fought with a Mr. Reilly, who fired before the word was given; the shot did not take effect. Well, at any rate my honour's safe!' cried Reilly. Is it so?' said Egan,' egad, I'll take a slap at your honour for all that.' And Egan deliberately held his pistol pointed for full five minutes at Reilly,

whom he kept for that period in the agonies of mortal suspense."

"Did he kill him?" asked I.

"Not he!" replied O'Connell; "he couldn't hit a haystack. If courage appertained to duelling, he certainly possessed it. But in every thing else, he was the most timid man alive. Once I stated in the Court of Exchequer, that I had, three days before, been in the room with a man in a fever, 120 miles off. The instant I said so, Egan shuffled away to the opposite side of the court, through pure fear of infection. Egan used to make a vast deal of money as counsel at elections." We spoke of that quæstio vreata, the authorship of Junius.

"It is my decided opinion," said O'Connell, "that Edmund Burke was the author of the 'Letters of Junius.' There are many considerations which compel me to form that opinion. Burke was the only man who made that figure in the world that the author of Junius must have made, if engaged in public life; and the entire of Junius's letters evinces that close acquaintance with the springs of political machinery which no man could possess, unless actively engaged in politics. Again-Burke was fond of chemical similes; now, chemical similes are frequent in Junius. Again-Burke

was an Irishman; now, Junius speaking of the government of Ireland, twice calls it 'the Castle;" a familiar phrase amongst Irish politicians, but one which an Englishman in those days never would have used. Again-Burke had this peculiarity in writing, that he often wrote many words without taking the pen from the paper. The very same peculiarity existed in the manuscripts of Junius, although they were written in a feigned hand. Again-it may be said that the style is not Burke's. In reply, I would say that Burke was master of many styles. His work on natural society, in imitation of Lord Bolingbroke, is as different in point of style from his work on the French Revolution, as both are from the Letters of Junius.' Again -Junius speaks of the king's insanity as a divine visitation; Burke said the very same thing in the House of Commons. Again-had any one of the other men, to whom the letters are with any show of probability ascribed, been really the author, such author would have had no reason for disowning the book or remaining incognito. Any one of them but Burke would have claimed the authorship as fame-and proud fame. But Burke had a very cogent reason for remaining incognito. In claiming Junius, he would have claimed his own condemnation and dishonour-for Burke died a pensioner.