hundred and twelve men, and the republic had four killed; and then went to a hill called Corrigrua, where the republic encamped that night, and from thence went to a town called Camolin, which was taken without resistance, and the same day took another town and seat of a bishop. At three in the afternoon the same day, they laid siege to Enniscorthy, when they were opposed by an army of seven bundred men; then they were forced to set both ends of the town on fire, and then took the town in the space of one hour, and then encamped on a hill near the town, called Vinegar-hill.

"Dated this 26th."*

"BRYAN BULGER,

"DARBY MURPHY, his hand and pen."

The first despatch is authenticated-the second rests on the credibility of Doctor Madden and the signature of Colonel Atherton. We believe it and why? In military parlance, "it was the order of the day."

The following communication, dated "Newtownards, 20th June, 1798, half-past eleven," was addressed by a British officer holding a commission of the peace, and commanding a large district in the north, to General Nugent. The letter fell into the hands of a magistrate of the County Down, and was communicated by him to the late John Lawless :

"Dear Sir,

"I have had tolerable success to-day in apprehending the persons mentioned in the memorandum. The list is as follows.-[Here follows a list, containing twenty-seven names.]

“We have burned Johnston's house at Crawford's-burn. At Bangor, destroyed the furniture of Patrick Agnew; James Francis, and Gibson, and Campbell's not finished yet. At Ballyholme burned the house of Johnston; at the Demesnes, near Bangor, the houses of James Richardson and John Scott; at Ballymaconnell-mills, burned the house of M'Connell, miller, and James Martin, a captain and a friend of Millock's, hanged at Ballynahinch.

"Groomsport, reserved; Cotton, the same.

"We have also the following prisoners on the information of different people.-[Here follows a list, containing five names.]

"We hope you will think we have done tolerably well. To-morrow we go to Portaferry, or rather to its neighbourhood. Ought we not to punish the gentlemen of the country, who have never assisted the welldisposed people, yeomanry, &c.? For my own part, a gentleman of any kind, but more particularly a magistrate, who deserts his post at such a period, ought to be-I will not say what.

"Mr. Ecclin, of Ecclinville.

"Rev. Hutcheson, Donaghadee.

*Father John Murphy's Journal, found on the field of battle at Arklow, by Lieutenant-colonel Bainbridge, of the Durham fencible infantry, and sent by him to General Needham.

"Mr. Arbuckle, collector of Donaghadee, an official man, Mr. Ker, Portavo, Mr. Ward, of Bangor, now, and only now, to be found. "List of inactive magistrates, or rather friends of the United Irishmen :

"Sir John Blackwood, John Crawford, of Crawford's-burn, John Kennedy, Cultra, &c.

"But among others, Rev. Hugh Montgomery, of Rose-mount, who is no friend to government or to its measures, and whom I strongly suspect. I have got his bailiff. Believe me, dear Sir,

"With the greatest respect and esteem,
"Your most faithful servant,

"Q. ATHERTON.

"I am apt to suspect you are misinformed about Smith, the inn keeper, of Donaghadee. The newspaper account is entirely false. The fellow's fled. I will endeavour to know more about him. I wish for no lawyers here, except as my clerks."

UNIV

OF

H

CHAPTER XXIX.

COMPACT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PRISONERS OF STATE.

A NEGOTIATION with the Irish government to effect a compromise between it and the state prisoners we have already stated had been commenced*-and the capital convictions of Byrne and Bond induced the leaders, then in custody, to bring the agreement to a close, in the hope of saving from the extreme penalty of the law two persons held in high consideration by the disaffected. Many versions of this political arrangement have been given to the world-and the account of its rise, progress, and completion, as detailed by Neilson afterwards, gives a plain and succinct account of what occurred. He states, that the first proposal to enter into terms with government, was made to him by his attorney, Crawford, the middle of July.' That the proposal was taken into consideration, and on the 22nd of July, Mr. Dobbs, a member of the Irish parliament, took on himself the office of mediator between the government and the prisoners, and entered into a negotiation with Neilson on their part. On the following day, the 23rd of July, Mr. Dobbs communicated with Lord Castlereagh, and his lordship said, before any thing was determined on, 'the result of Bond's trial must be first known.'

"On the 27th of July, a government official, Mr. Alexander, communicated with Bond, and undertook, at his desire, to ascertain at the castle how the proposal would be received; and at his suggestion, Neilson drew up a paper stipulating that the lives of Byrne and Bond should be saved-and on that day, Mr. Dobbs and the sheriffs went round the prisons and got the names of several of the prisoners to it. The day following Byrne was executed, pending the negotiation. The reason given for Byrne's execution was, that all the prisoners had not signed the agreement. Arthur O'Connor states, that he was applied to on the 24th, by Mr. Dobbs and one of the sheriffs, who brought the agreement to him signed by seventy of the state prisoners. A second time, however, the agreement was taken round the prisons, and it then received the signatures of all the state prisoners, with the exception of Dowdall and Roger O'Connor.

In endeavouring to accommodate matters with the government, we have already stated that Neilson was actuated by feelings of ardent friendship. His apology for originating this compromise is a curious

*This account of the compact of the state prisoners with the Irish government is taken from the original draft of that document in the handwriting of Emmet, Sweetman, and M'Nevin, drawn up by them in France, on their liberation from For George.