be nothing more than the effect of a rising breeze, which was rustling in the long grass. Conjecture was soon at an end; the moon which had, behind the cloud, ascended to a height whence it could overlook the ruin, now emerged, and shone with full lustre above the roofless walls, pouring a flood of light into the central hall, and disclosing to Ormsby a scene which might fill a stout heart with astonishment at least.

"The last instant he was alone, surrounded by night and thick darkness; and now the darkness is rolled away, and he is looking upon the faces of a multitude of armed men thronging the silent hall before him; he is so near as to be almost in their presence, and feels, that, if they seek him, escape is impossible. It was certainly a moment full of alarm. They were scattered among the huge fragments, in various attitudes, and variously armed; some had pikes on which they leaned, and pistols stuck in rude belts which were fastened around them; some were reclined with their faces turned up towards the moon, and looking so ghastly in the pale light, that, but for their opened eyes, they might appear to be corpses. There were two or three kneeling before a recess where an altar had stood, and some were standing near the archway with muskets shouldered, and more regularly accoutred than their fellows. Their dress was also various; some wore coats with green on the collars and the wrists; some wore the loose great coat, to which the Irish poor are accustomed; some had procured military caps; some were with bare heads, or with broken hats, through which their wild hair had thrust itself; but all were perfectly silent, and almost motionless; and there was something unusually dreadful in the circumstance, that every one of these grim savagelooking beings, who had assembled together for some common purpose, remained occupied by his own sensations, and did not relax the stern ferocity of his countenance or his purpose, by even a whispered communication with his fellows. They remained, each one confined to himself alone, and seemed less disposed to interchange of thought or sentiment, than a horde of wolves who have made their league of blood, but can hold no converse together.

"As he looked with wonder and alarm on this agitating scene, he heard again the whistle. It now, from the ringing sound, appeared to proceed from under the archway; again the words were repeated, and instantly the entire multitude sprang upon their feet and seized their arms.

The

General!' cried a voice from the entrance, and the musketeers lowered their arms, and formed a kind of guard of honour to the person who entered, with whom they advanced farther into the hall, while all the wild multitude within, arranged themselves into a semicircle before him. For

a short time the silence continued ; the General and his party stood at the centre of the circle: the surrounding multitude saluted by lowering of arms, but there was no noisy demonstration of attachment, not even the low murmur that might be supposed to creep along the lines. Various persons at intervals, in the lines, who were, each of them, distinguished by a cross belt and sword, beginning at the right, and proceeding along to the other extremity, in their turns came forward, and retired after having conversed apart with the Ge neral, who paused after each conference, as if he were comparing the accounts he received with the state of the party he was inspecting. After some time spent in this manner, the persons around him fell back; and he stood full in Ormsby's view, though with his face partially averted. As he took off his hat, his profile became visible, and his head and face seemed to denote him a person of higher consideration than might be supposed connected with such confede rates. He was now about to speak, as the slight bustle among the troops seemed to promise, and Ormsby held his breath, lest he should lose a word of the General's address. He found, however, that he could with ease hear every word, so arti culate was the utterance of the speaker, and so hushed the attention of his hearers."

This leader makes an impassioned speech, but recommends another year's delay this occasions a tumult, the whole course of which is most graphically described; but he succeeds in appeasing it. Ormsby is in imminent danger of discovery, when an alarm draws off the banditti elsewhere, on various errands, leaving the General with but a single companion. Their conversation is characteristic.

"The General and one companion were below him, looking on the various groups as they departed. There they go,' said the General, ruffians! who are cowards without the love of life. There is not a single body of these villains, which would not scatter at the resistance of three brave men; and there is not a man, perhaps, in the whole multitude we have seen, who would not afterwards die with an indifference, which would do honour to an ancient stoic.'

"The reply was, 6 They seem to be impatient for a general rising, which does not indicate anything cowardly in their disposition.'

"Yes, yes; they will have an explosion; they little care or think whether it is their cause or their enemy they blow up. They think they would have freer licence; that it should be everywhere plunder and licentiousness: but I know them well, wretches!"

"And is there no intention of having a general rising?'

"My good friend, can you think that, with instruments like these, anything can be gained in open war? With you I can have no secrets. Our whole plans I will unfold to you fully this night. Indeed, I am directed so to do; but it is only by the promise of boundless success we can act upon these clods. They must be our instruments; but they shall not know our designs. They shall serve us to agitate the country, and to make the privileged orders feel their insignificance, and wither in our sight; but they shall not seem important to the government; it is sleeping, and we will not disturb it.'

“But you will find it a difficult matter to reconcile these fierce men to such repeated postponements of your enterprize.'

"Yes, I began to feel a little alarmed about it to-night; that old father clamouring about his sons was confusing, but we have got through the difficulty; and I am strongly of opinion, that I will not tempt fortune by trying another. I was well pleased to-night that they cannot penetrate my disguises; I would not depend on one of them, they would all betray me. are wise to keep yourself concealed; put yourself once in their power, and you are their slave or their victim, But come, where are the horses? we have a long way to ride; and if these ruffians perform well the business of this and the next night, we may leave the country to themselves for

months to come.'

You

"This conversation took place nearly under the window of the tower where Ormsby was listening; the speakers left the place; it seemed as if they had waited until the marauding parties left the vicinity of the abbey; and soon after, he heard the retreating tramp of horses moving rapidly over the sod. He then ventured to leave his concealment, and proceeded cautiously home, where he found that the family had retired to rest, and left a message for him, to request that he would be ready at an early hour in the morning, to accompany them to breakfast at the house of Mr Hewson, a friend of Mr G-'s, who lived at a few miles distance."

The next day, he visits this gentle man accordingly, and is witness of a different kind of Irish life.

"The old gentleman, as I said, was walking in his yard, inquiring about some horses which were at grass, and examining the state of those in his stables. At some distance, there was a row of wretched-looking peasants, who seemed as if they were on the watch for some encouragement, without which they dared not to venture to approach Mr Hewson. At last one of them, as Ormsby came up, advanced, and taking off his hat, held out a paper- Plase your honour, a little bit of a bill-we're striving to make up the rent for the potatoes.'

"Mr Hewson (Ormsby knew from his

manner) had seen the man approaching, and while returning Ormsby's salute, had turned his back upon the poor petitioner. The poor man, however, seemed not to despair-'It's what I was making bould to spake to your honour about, is a little bill of mine your honour-for work I gave last year, plase your honour.'

"Ryan!' said Mr Hewson, without seeming to notice or even to hear the poor man's request- open the kennel.

"Yes, sir,' said Ryan, a wicked, roguish-looking fellow with one eye, who had been attending on his master, and who now lounged carelessly towards the kennel, singing as he went

"'Twas all one to Ryan-he came back with the same careless air as that with which he was going to unkennel some very fierce hounds, and perhaps halloo them on the unfortunate being. His reasoning, too, was short; it was simply the procuring a book and compelling the poor man to swear that he would never again come to demand his debt. Still the poor creature (after having sworn) was casting a longing look toward Mr Hewson. Ah! if your honour would look upon my case, and the agent going to drive me for the rent.' Whisht, you spalpeen,' cried Ryan- Don't vex the master-isn't it an honour for you, and sure it's little the likes of you-or the father before you, could ever expect such a commendation, to have a gentleman owing you money? Oh, then, that's true enough, Mr Ryan, and it's little trouble I'd give his honour, only the times are so hard; and if your honour,' said he, raising his voice a little, would spake a word for me to the agent.' Didn't I tell you,' said Ryan, not to be troubling his honour? don't you think we have something else to mind, than to hear your petitions? go home, I tell you, or may be it's a word to the magistrate you'll get for yourself, to send you where the blacks will ate you worse than the hounds.'-'It's little matter where I go I get no right here,' muttered the poor fellow, as he walked slowly out of the yard.

"Mr Ormsby,' said Mr Hewson, if ever you come to live in the country, by all means get a pack of hounds—I am going now to look at my kennel, and I think

I can shew you some of the best bred, and best toned hounds that our country possesses. But, sir, it may not be altogether safe for a stranger to visit them-I heard a poor man imploring you not to unkennel them.'- Oh, ay-ha, ha, ha! but you need not fear, they have a keen scent -I can tell you that foxes are not the only vermin a pack of hounds can keep away from you-Ryan undertakes that my hounds shall, out of twenty persons collected in my yard, scent out a single dun-and that was the predicament in which the poor devil stood who was so frightened; he might as well be smeared in fox's blood-you look grave, sir; but I can tell you, when you know the world as well as I do, you will understand how necessary it is to keep these fellows in due subordination: if you gave them a habit of being attended to, you should be constantly pestered, and there is no knowing where it would end.'

But, sir, this poor man said something about last year, as if'-Ormsby paused, ashamed to speak what he supposed would provoke a person so much his senior; but he was mistaken- As if he had been so long seeking his money. Yes, so he was, as I remember, but now I think he will seek it no longer-the seekers are an unfortunate sect here-so I dare say he will wait now for my good pleasure; but come -now for the ladies-I suppose you think me an old fellow, but you'll find yourself devilishly mistaken, when you see me securing the prettiest girl of your whole party as my portion of the spoil; so come on-I'll shew you the kennel some other time: Ryan, send these fellows about their business, and see that the horses are well taken care of.'

"Ormsby found that Mr Hewson was determined not to be considered an old fellow.' There was a vivacity about him, which, as it was the result only of animal spirits, was perhaps more suitable to the companies in which he generally found himself, than if it had derived its origin or its ornaments from the excursions of a lively fancy. He conducted himself as a man who was accustomed to consider himself, and to feel himself considered, the principal person in every society, and romped and rioted like one who had not experienced, or at least felt a rebuff; perhaps within the circle of good manners, but at its extremest verge. Ormsby, who had learned to bear all parts in society, who could preserve his respectability as a fourth, or quietly assume the first place, and do its honours, if it was his right to claim it, was well pleased to be freed from all necessity for exertion during the day, by Mr Hewson's obstinate resolution not to be an old man. He could not help, several times, contrasting the appearance of good humour in his present manner, with the unmoved gravity of that in which he dismissed the poor dun; and sometimes he was disposed VOL. XVI.

to smile at the ludicrous appearance of the morning scene, the master and man so perfectly cool and indifferent, and the wretched peasant in such a panic; but more often he thought with indignation on the conduct of one who ought to be a protector and a guide to the poor, and who exhibited, in his own person, a cruel disregard to their wants, and an example of gross injustice."

The company arrived; and among them, to Ormsby's consternation, in a Mr Stock, he discovers the General roborate such suspicion transpires in of the last night; but nothing to corhis conversation. On the contrary, he argues vehemently in favour of the clergy against Mr Hewson, who, though a violent aristocrat, has no fancy for tythe paying, when the following scene occurs.

"During the whole of this conversation,. Mr Hewson, who felt himself overmatched, made many attempts to have a new subject called; he praised his wines, and told their age; he spoke of the illicit distillation, and endeavoured to make a diversion into the distillery laws; but the company were so well pleased to have such topics as Mr Stock introduced displayed before them, that however they might, for an instant, comply with Mr Hewson, and turn aside, they immediately came back to the subject in which they felt most interested.

"The conversation was at its highest animation, the company strongly excited, and Mr Hewson on the verge of taking shelter, from the arguments with which Mr Stock continued to persecute him, under violent and intemperate language, when the door was thrown open, and a servant rushed into the room, pale and disordered in appearance. 'Colonel Raymond, sir!' said he, Colonel Raymond!' said Mr Hewson ; where is he? show the Colonel in. D-n you, you rascal, why don't you speak? Is Colonel Raymond here ?'"He's shot, sir! Murdered outside his demesne wall! All the company started up, speechless with horror and amazement; and now, for the first time, Ormsby thought his suspicions confirmed. He was sitting opposite Mr Stock, and felt, when he looked at him, as if a sudden light had arisen, which shone through all his disguises, and manifested him as he was. Violent emotion was, for a moment, marked in his appearance and manner, his countenance was flushed, and a new spirit flashed in his eyes, and, as Ormsby thought, a momentary expression of triumph brightened around him; but there was nothing of astonishment-nothing of horror; it was the expression of one who had laid a train and watched the explosion; there was agitation in it, but not astonishment. As his eye caught Ormsby's, who, through all his horror, kept viewing this man, he almost started, and, with some confusion, spoke about

P

6

ordering out their horses; but Ormsby cried out vehemently, Seize him!-seize that man, that murderer, Stock !—I denounce you as a murderer, a traitor, an assassin !I saw you !-I know you!The ruin the ruin!-Ha, General !-I know you!'

"New amazement spread through the whole company; every man looked at Ormsby, gasping out vehemently and unconnectedly, his charge against Mr Stock, who had now completely recovered himself, and was listening with composure, but with an appearance of astonishment, and with something of pity in his manner, to the young man, who was almost like a maniac giving utterance to some horrible fancy.

6

"When Ormsby had ended his wild and seemingly frantic accusation, and while the guests were looking on in a state of amaze. ment, and hesitating what was to be done, Mr Stock turned round to Mr Hewson, and said, with the calmest air, as if of condolence, Poor young man! I feel no kind of anger against him. Mr Craven, you know that I spent the entire of last night with you, and you can answer for the vi sionary nature of this poor young gentleman's accusation.' Mr Craven instantly undertook to answer for his friend, that the charges made by Mr Ormsby were totally unfounded; and all the company became firmly convinced, that in consequence of over excitement and visionary habits, some temporary derangement had taken place in the young man's intellects, in consequence of which he mistook, for reality, the fantastic images of an over-heated imagination. 'Come,' said Mr Hewson, this is no time to think of dreams and fancies; bring out horses-quick-saddle and lead out horses! Put my pistols in the holsters; let every gentleman arm himself!' The horses were quickly ready; and as all gentlemen were armed wherever they went, there soon was mounted a well prepared party of ten persons, who set off at a very rapid pace toward the place where the murder had been committed. As they rode on they could hear shots fired at different distances, as if conveying intelligence of the murder to a very remote extent; and at intervals, upon the mountain-side, they could see persons start out in the hedges, and sometimes ascend on the house-tops, and shout and wave their hats, and then spring rapidly forward and disappear in a thick wood which spread along half-way up the hill. As they approached the place where the murder was committed, and where the body was still lying, they saw a large party of dragoons, and some gentlemen galloping towards them from a contrary direction, and nearly at the same time both parties arrived at the spot where so horrid a spectacle awaited them. The body was literally, in every part, perforated with bullets, and dreadful. ly mangled; the head had been severed,

and was placed on a stake which had been driven through the breast, and fixed firmly in the ground; and although some few persons had collected on the spot, yet, so terrible was the vengeance of the murderers considered, that no one ventured to pay to the corpse a respect which, in Ireland particularly, it is thought almost unhallowed to neglect. The reason assigned for the extreme barbarity with which the insensible remains were treated, was, that Colonel Raymond had suggested the expediency of having two malefactors, much admired amongst their associates, hanged in chains in a populous part of the country.

"The only account that could be ob tained of the horrid business, was given by a gentleman who rode in with the dragoons. He had been riding past Colonel Raymond's demesne, and, at the extremity of the wall, he perceived, at an angle on the brow of the hill, some men who were armed, and who were lying concealed from all who came in an opposite direction. They challenged this gentleman when he came near, and insisted on his retracing his steps, which he accordingly did. He had not proceeded far, when he heard the report of a shot, and stopping for a moment to look back, he heard a kind of loose hedgefiring commenced and kept up for some time; and during the firing, the furious galloping of a horse up the hill which concealed all objects from his view. As the sound of the galloping seemed to advance nearer to the summit, a horse and rider appeared; the rider apparently covered with blood; but before he could turn the brow of the hill, (just when his own lawn had spread vividly before him,) he had fallen off, and a number of persons, with the most hideous yells, rushed forward and surrounded him. At sight of this, the gentleman rode on rapidly to the barracks in the neighbourhood, and conducted the dragoons to the place. The narrative proceeds to relate the conduct of Ormsby and his companions, and their success in arresting a large party of insurgents, supposed to be the murderers of Colonel Raymond. What follows is a description of the peril to which he was exposed, in consequence of his exertions."

Here, however, want of room compels us to break off. The specimens we have quoted shew that if our author took up his pen as a novelist instead of a political polemic-a character which, however, he admirably and triumphantly sustains-he would be to Ireland, not exactly perhaps what the Author of Waverley is to this country, for that would be at least premature praise to so young a writer, but something which would make us forget the existence even of Miss Edgeworth.