general organisation of that force took place. The military establishments had been so drained to recruit the regiments in America, that there were not sufficient left in the kingdom to defend the seaports from attack; and when the town of Belfast, which had been closely visited eighteen years before by invasion, applied to Government for support against the common enemy that threatened to invade them again, Government could not grant it; and in that state of things the expansion of the volunteer institution was looked upon as the best national safeguard, and with marvellous rapidity men of all conditions and opinions enrolled themselves in these patriot ranks, clothing and arming themselves at their own expense. Henry Grattan's eloquence in the senate increased the national enthusiasm of the volunteers, who looked upon Grattan with a passionate admiration. Sometime before, his indomitable energy in Parliament had obtained freedom of commerce for his country, and now he sought by the force of his argument and the ardour of his eloquence to rouse the Parliament of Ireland to assert its independence, which it did in the year 1782, as noticed under the song of "Our Island," and obtained the repeal of the objectionable act of the English Parliament, 6th Geo. I.

Much as may be granted to the powers of eloquence, it is too much to suppose that such a triumph could have been obtained by mere oratory. Grattan had 80,000 volunteers of the same opinion as himself, not an insurrectionary band, but a legalised association of armed gentlemen, who had been loyally protecting their country from foreign invasion for years, and now determined to obtain domestic independence; to use Mr. Grattan's own words, "It seemed as if the subjects of Ireland had met at the altar, and communicated a national sacrament. Juries, cities, counties, commoners, nobles, volunteers, gradations, religions, a solid league, a rapid fire." That it was thus looked upon by the Government of the day is proved by the address made to Grattan by Mr. J. H. Hutchinson, his Majesty's principal Secretary of State, when he was charged with communicating a message to the House of Commons from the Lord Lieutenant, by command of his Majesty, as preliminary to assenting to their claim. On that occasion Mr. Hutchinson said, "Not only the present age, but posterity would be indebted to Mr. Grattan for the greatest of all obligations, and would, but he hoped at a great distance of time, inscribe on his tomb, that he had redeemed the liberties of his country."

When a Secretary of State thus spoke of that memorable event, it is quite clear that it could not be tainted with the smallest particle of what a people should not ask, nor a Sovereign grant. Moore speaks of this era in the history of Ireland, as possessing "a character of grandeur, as passing as it was bright, but which will be long remembered with melancholy pride by her sons, and as long recall the memory of that admirable man to whose patriotism she owed her brief day of freedom, and upon whose name that momentary sunshine of her sad history rests." He pays a tribute also to the memory of Charles James Fox, in thus alluding to "the frank and cordial understanding entered into with Ireland, which identifies the memory of Mr. Fox and this Ministry* with the only oasis in the desert of Irish history."-Moore's Life of Sheridan, 8vo, pp. 359 to 375.

THE gen'rous sons of Erin, in manly virtue bold,
With hearts and hands preparing our country to uphold,
Tho' cruel knaves and bigot slaves disturbed our isle some years,
Now hail the man, who led the van of Irish Volunteers.

The Rockingham Ministry.

Just thirty years are ending,* since first his glorious aid,
Our sacred rights defending, struck shackles from our trade ;
To serve us still, with might and skill, the vet'ran now appears,
That gallant man, who led the van of Irish Volunteers.

He sows no vile dissensions; good will to all he bears;
He knows no vain pretensions, no paltry fears or cares;
To Erin's and to Britain's sons, his worth his name endears;
They love the man, who led the van of Irish Volunteers.

Oppos'd by hirelings sordid, he broke oppression's chain,
On statute-books recorded, his patriot acts remain ;
The equipoise his mind employs of Commons, King, and Peers,
The upright man, who led the van of Irish Volunteers.

A British constitution, (to Erin ever true,)

In spite of State pollution, he gained in "Eighty-two;
"He watched it in its cradle, and bedew'd its hearse with tears,"†
This gallant man, who led the van of Irish Volunteers.

While other nations tremble, by proud oppressors gall'd,
On hustings we'll assemble, by Erin's welfare call'd;

Our Grattan, there we'll meet him, and greet him with three cheers;
The gallant man, who led the van of Irish Volunteers.

* This would make the date of the song somewhere about 1809.

+ Mr. Grattan's feeling and impressive words were these "I watched by the cradle of Irish Independence, and I followed its hearse."

This shows it to be an electioneering song, and for such an occasion, far above the ordinary mark,

THE SHAN VAN VOGH.§

1796.

OH! the French are on the sea,||

Says the Shan Van Vogh;

The French are on the sea,

Says the Shan Van Vogh;

§ Properly spelt, An t-sean bhean bhochd, meaning, the Poor Old Woman-another name for Ireland.

An expedition sailed from France, 1796. It was scattered by a storm, a few ships only reached Ireland, and the force they carried was not sufficient to risk a landing. A copious note relating to this and other such expeditions, will be found under the song "Up for the reen."

Oh! the French are in the Bay,*
They'll be here without delay,
And the Orange will decay,
Says the Shan Van Vogh.

Oh! the French are in the Bay.
They 'll be here by break of day,
And the Orange will decay,

Says the Shan Van Vogh.

And where will they have their camp?
Says the Shan Van Vogh;
Where will they have their camp?
Says the Shan Van Vogh;
On the Curragh of Kildare,†
The boys they will be there
With their pikes in good repair,
Says the Shan Van Vogh.
To the Curragh of Kildare
The boys they will repair,
And Lord Edward § will be there,
Says the Shan Van Vogh.

Then what will the yeomen do?
Says the Shan Van Vogh;
What will the yeomen do?

Says the Shan Van Vogh;
What should the yeomen do,
But throw off the red and blue,
And swear that they'll be true
To the Shan Van Vogh?

What should, &c.

And what colour will they wear?
Says the Shan Van Vogh;

What colour will they wear?

Says the Shan Van Vogh;

* Bantry.

A noble plain in the county of that name, often used for encampment. A famous race-course is also there.

A familiar name for the rebels. In the following line there is something comically expressive in talking of their pikes being "in good repair," as if a pike was a sort of thing in Ireland one should always have ready for use.

§ Lord Edward Fitzgerald-a worthy descendant of the illustrious Geraldines. The Geraldines always espoused the cause of Ireland, the country of their adoption; fulfilling the truth of the accusation made, of old, by England, against settlers in Ireland-"That they became more Irish than the Irish themselves." See "History of England" for the Earl of Klidare and Henry VII. See also, "The Chain of Gold," in this collection, p. 243.

There are many versions of this song, which has always been a favourite with the people at all times of political excitement, either varied or rewritten, according to circumstances. At the time of the celebrated Clare election, carried by Daniel O'Connell while the "Catholic Emancipation" cause was yet pending, I remember two verses of a street ballad in Dublin running thus:

"Into Parliament you'll go, (meaning O'Connell,) says the Shan Van Vogh, To extricate our woe, says the Shan Van Vogh;

Our foes you will amaze,

And all Europe you will plaze;

And ould Ireland's now at aise,

Says the Shan Van Vogh.

"Our worthy brave O'Connell, says the Shan Van Vogh,

To have you in we're longing, says the Shan Van Vogh;

Sure you we well have tried,

And you're always at our side,

And you never took a bribe,

Says the Shan Van Vogh."

During the "Repeal" movement (about 1840) the original song was revived, with the exception of the first verse, and the name of O'Connell substituted for that of Lord Edward.

SHAN VAN VOUGH.

A Street Ballad.

I have said, in the notes to the foregoing song of the same title, composed in 1796, that it was a favourite form of expressing popular opinion at all times of political excitement. The following version I remember hearing sung in the streets of Dublin, soon after a debate in the House of Lords on some Irish question.

Oн, I'm told that Anglesea,*

Says the Shan Van Vough;

Oh, I'm told that Anglesea,

Says the Shan Van Vough;
Oh, I'm told that Anglesea,
In the House of Lords one day,
Said the Papists he would slay,

Says the Shan Van Vough.

But faith, at Waterloo,

Says the Shan Van Vough;

But faith, at Waterloo,

Says the Shan Van Vough;

But faith, at Waterloo,

He'd have looked very blue,

Hadn't Paddy been there too,†

Says the Shan Van Vough.

Yet, if he needs must fight,

Says the Shan Van Vough;

Yet, if he needs must fight,

Says the Shan Van Vough;
Yet, if he needs must fight,
Oh, he's always in the right
To keep Erin in his sight,

Says the Shan Van Vough.

For Pat is fond of fun,

Says the Shan Van Vough;

For Pat is fond of fun,

Says the Shan Van Vough;

For Pat is fond of fun,

And was never known to run
From cannon, sword, or gun,

Says the Shan Van Vough.

And though Rock,‡ alas, is gone,

Says the Shan Van Vough;

And though Rock, alas, is gone,
Says the Shan Van Vough;

* The Marquis of Anglesea. Pronounced by the ballad-singers Ang-gla-sáy.

This was suggested by a passage in a speech of Daniel O'Connell's at that time, wherein he said that the Duke of Wellington kept all his objections against the Irish for his place in Parliament; but that he had no objection to them on the field of Waterloo.

Captain Rock. The supposititious leader of insurrectionary movements. His memoirs, by Moore, are well worth reading by any one who wishes to be briefly acquainted with the political disturbances of Ireland from the earliest times down to 1824.