specify, for the purpose of driving the people into detached and futile insurrections, that, so, one collected and well-directed blow may not be levelled at their power."

"What those wise ones mean, I do not understand; but this I understand: whether the story we are told of the Orangeman's oath be true or not, Orangemen act as if it were trueact as if literal extermination of the people was their wish and object. And this I also understand, that if the people passively submit-if they wait to be all scourged or scalped, or half or whole hanged, or shot, I do not know them, and it will be a wonder to me. Tell me, Sir William !"-he stood up, and looked fiercely on his host," which is it better for a man-to die on his own green sod, fighting against his cruel enemies; or stay at home, to be flogged like a negro, or strung up by the blaze of his own cabin ?"

Proportioned to his tall, robust, and powerful figure, the speaker had naturally a boldlymarked countenance, with a brow that could frown daringly, and a strong, intrepid eye; yet the mixture of bluff good-humour and blunt candour which ran through his deportment, generally tamed his features and glances into

a pleasing expression, and took away from his high carriage and formidable figure all traits of the sternness or ferocity that might otherwise attach to them. In fact, Nature had intended him for a bold, generous soldier, and a mistake had made him a clergyman. And, true to his original impress, Father Rourke, upon the first insurrectionary explosion in the County of Wexford, changed into "Father Capt'n Rourke." Flinging aside, with ease and eagerness, the cumbrous sacerdotal character, he sprang into that which had been his primitive destiny, and became, and continued to be, locally distinguished as the most daring and skilful of the few Roman Catholic priests who, in the year 1798, joined and headed the raging people.

CHAPTER V.

SIR THOMAS HARTLEY, quite sincere in his professions to Sir William Judkin, believed that Harry Talbot and Rattling Bill were, generally speaking, acting in concert to prevent the union of his daughter with the young Baronet. He did not, however, so readily conclude, to the utter disgrace and degradation of a person whom he had once called his friend, that, in the particular instance of the charge made upon his rival's character, Talbot uttered what he conceived to be a deliberate falsehood. Sir Thomas rather supposed that the dice-thrower, in the hope of gain alone, was the original author of the slander; and that his patron, blinded and rendered credulous by contending passions, accepted it, without examination, at his hands; and then, in the vague impulse for revenge, rashly communicated it to his unfaithful mistress.

As a preliminary step to the course he intended to pursue, Sir Thomas therefore dispatched, at an early hour next morning, a trusty messenger to secure the person of Nale. His own warrant, as a magistrate, was the legal authority for the arrest.

Bill was easily found. He had taken up his abode in one of those humble village hotels which exhibit, in their green glass window of two panes, a couple of dingy loaves of bread, with perhaps an equal number of salt herrings, by way of supporters to the shield, standing on their heads, because their tails would not keep them up; and in the upper pane a tobaccopipe, forming one side of a triangle, of which another is a tallow-candle of the value of one halfpenny. And over the door of such an establishment may be seen a clumsy piece of board, its ground dim-red, containing white letters indifferently marked thereon, and a third of them mounted, at one side, above the others,-most falsely denoting, that "good beds for travellers are to be found under the black thatch-roof of the miserable cabin. It might be supposed, indeed, that the proprietor, half ashamed of his announcement, or the artist of being a party to it, had shrunk from stating the

falsehood broadly upon the sign-board; and that, therefore, a good portion of the letters thus seemed escaping detection, in order to supply, like ill-worded wills or bonds, in case of the morning remonstrance of a beguiled traveller, a point of legal debate as to the true intent and meaning of the whole declaration. But how far is this away from our purpose.

Without exhibiting the least alarm, or even much surprise, the juggler quietly, and only with a few jeers, suffered himself to be taken prisoner. Then, still according to the instructions of Sir Thomas, he was conducted to the house of a neighbouring magistrate and Captain of Yeomanry, to be dealt with, upon the arrival of the Baronet and his witnesses, as a common vagrant, and disturber of his Majesty's peace. So spoke Sir Thomas Hartley's warrant; and so spoke the private note he addressed to Magistrate Captain Whaley.

If Sir Thomas was regarded by the peasantry as one likely to be their friend in time of necessity, he was by the loyal part of the community considered as any thing but a zealous supporter of Government. It is therefore probable, that his unadmiring brother magistrate might have sent back the case and the offender,