corthy castle for the liberation of all, except one, pent up within its walls; so, in the event of Wexford falling into the hands of the peasant force, friends would not be wanting, or slow, to fling open the doors of his present dungeon; and thus, and thus only, he might once more be free to pursue the only objects for which he breathed.

It would seem that he had taken up arms against the Government of his country only because, or chiefly because, that step promised, at the moment, to speed him on his course of rescuing his wife, and avenging himself and her upon Talbot. Events, however, since appeared to suggest that he had accidentally sided with the party most likely to gain predominance in the contest.-It is known, that while the insurgents of the County of Wexford proceeded, as we have seen, triumphantly, from the day of their rising, all intelligence of the fate of their fellow-insurgents in other counties was shut out from them; so that, according to the easy credulity of taking for granted what we wish to come to pass, similar and simultaneous success, throughout all the disturbed districts, was assumed as certain; and hence, even Sir William Judkin, particularly in his present fiery mood,

might, apart from personal motives, see no reason to regret his choice of a cause. Regret were useless, too, even were there reason for it; and, in occasional moments of mental observation, he haughtily admitted the fact. He had fought against his King; death, in case of ultimate failure and apprehension, was the forfeit; and, standing or falling by his party, he dared that forfeit. Perhaps something lurked in his nature to relish the prospect of bold adventure to be encountered, and deeds of valour to be accomplished in the character of a popular commander; or, if not, it is certain that with such stirring views his present reckless temper fully sympathised.

After some silent indulgence, therefore, of the fury and despair which had possessed him upon his first entrance into the prison, Sir William, in common with his fellow-captives, anxiously calculated the probable movements of the insurgents.

And no less anxiously were these movements watched by the garrison and people of the

town.

The capital of the county is eleven Irish miles south-west of Enniscorthy; yet, from many points in Wexford, the dense clouds of smoke, arising out of the conflagration of that part of

the conquered town which had been fired, could distinctly be viewed. The militia detachment, who met so signal a fate upon the hill of Owlard, had advanced to the insurgent position from Wexford; and the wild screams of the wives and children of the slain soldiers scarce ceased to fill the ears of the inhabitants, when the defeated garrison of Enniscorthy, covered with blood and dust, and accompanied or followed by a throng of fainting fugitives, crowded their streets for shelter. Young and tender beauty, accustomed from infancy to all the conveniences and little vanities of affluence, tottered in a-foot, gladly clinging for support to the arm of a common soldier; -mothers, respectable too, clasping their babes to their breasts, were just able to stagger through the gates, when they dropped, overcome by fatigue and terror; for both had escaped perhaps after witnessing the massacre of father or of husband, and in the wild instinct of self-preservation, had rushed, unconsciously, through flame, and shot, and shout, and groan, many miles along a dusty road, and under the meridian rays of a burning sun.

The numbers of the insurgents, too great to be opposed; their frantic courage, and murderous ferocity; all was even exaggerated by the

panic-stricken fugitives to their Wexford friends; and while such accounts sent some of the shuddering hearers to terrify their families with fearful forebodings, others, secretly combined in the United Irish cause, listened in different feelings and anticipations, and stealthily withdrew to arrange amongst their confederates the best means of effectually assisting their triumphant brethren, in case of an attack upon the town.

As has been seen, when Sir William Judkin reached one of the gates, some measures were also taken to fortify the place. We have noticed also that the town-wall stood in complete preservation, and it was defended by square castles, differing, in more points than merely that of their form, from other more ruinous fortresses of the kingdom, yet, together with the solid walls, affording good means of resistance, even by a small garrison, against any number of such irregular besiegers as were now expected to approach. And if vigorous precaution had been taken, and a vigorous defence made, there can be little doubt that Wexford would have defied the impetuous insurgents, at least for a sufficient length of time to allow of the advance of a relieving force. Nay, had its wise men only left the insurgents to themselves, to contend with their

own distracted and uproarious councils, and even with their doubts of their own ability, hitherto successful as we have seen them, to attempt so serious an affair as the attack of a county town, it is very probable that the good Wexfordians might have remained at peace till the end of the short-lived campaign. But the terror of the pike-head, or the itch for diplomacy, ordered matters otherwise; in what manner, as well as for proof of the assertions just made, we must turn back to their noisy foes to explain.

The lower town of Enniscorthy is situated at different sides of the Slaney, and connected by a rude bridge; and above that portion of it, upon the eastern bank of the river, and at about a quarter of a mile's distance, appears the almost conical eminence of the not uncelebrated Vinegar-hill. To, its base is a gradual ascent from the town, and then it rises suddenly, presenting a surface, partly of grey rocks, some swelling out in large masses, some half clothed with dwarf furze, and partly of intervening patches of spare grass, which draw from the scanty mould, during winter's moisture only, their verdant livery; while in summer they become parched into a russet colour, blending with the general barrenness of the hill-side.