alternative of a more regular trial of strength, undertaking that he and his companion would await at Kildare any message which might reach them there.

The young officers, however, seem to have thought better of the expediency of pushing matters to extremities, and nothing further came of the incident, except that it is said that, whether because it appeared to the feminine mind that they had gone too far, or possibly not far enough, the aggressors found themselves, at a ball which shortly afterwards took place, left by common consent partnerless.

It would have been interesting, had Lord Edward's light-hearted account of the occurrence been forthcoming, to have contrasted it with that of his historian. Whatever might be his errors of judgment, they did not lie in the direction of manufacturing a tragedy out of a farce.

CHAPTER XIII

1796

Dangerous State of the Country-Protestants and Catholics-
Savage Military Measures-Lord Edward joins the United
Association-Its Warlike Character-The "Bloody Code"
-Lord Edward's Speech on Insurrection Act-Mission
of Lord Edward and O'Connor to French Government-
Meeting with Madame de Genlis-Hoche and Wolfe Tone
-Failure of French Expedition.

WHE

WHEN Parliament reassembled in January, 1796, the condition of the country was such as might well cause the Government uneasiness. The natural results had followed upon Lord Fitzwilliam's recall, and the

policy he had inaugurated.

consequent reversal of the The patience of the people, together with their hopes, were exhausted; repeated disappointment had done its work, and they were ripe for insurrection.

The story has been told too often to need detailed repetition here-outrages followed by retaliation where retaliation was possible, the one as brutal as the other; the Protestants of the north leagued together with the object of ridding the country of its Catholic population, and offering to the latter the sole alternatives

of banishment-penniless and without means of gaining a subsistence" to Hell or Connaught," or of having their homes destroyed and being themselves murdered. The Catholics, for their part, in districts where they preponderated, had set themselves, in despair of the efficacy of other means, to acquire by force that which more legitimate methods had failed to obtain; and finally the country had been delivered over to a savage military despotism, by which punishment was awarded of such a nature and with so reckless a disregard, not only of law but even of the forms of justice, that it was found necessary, on the meeting of Parliament, to pass an Act of Indemnity covering whatever illegalities might have been committed by the local magistracy. Lord Carhampton, of notorious memory, had been despatched to the west to quell disturbances, and as an illustration of the spirit displayed throughout the country with regard to such persons as it was deemed expedient to remove, it may be sufficient to cite the treatment accorded, though at a later date, to the rebel leader Keugh. In this case the very fact that, at the risk of his own life, Keugh had interposed to save that of Lord Kingston was held, at his trial, to constitute a damning proof of his influence with the insurgents, and was accepted as evidence of his guilt. The man whom he had saved acted as witness for the prosecution. It was no wonder, under the circumstances, that when sentence of death was passed upon the prisoner, a gentleman in the crowd should have lifted up his voice to thank God that no person

could prove him to have been guilty of saving the life and property of any man!

Such was the spectacle presented by the unhappy country. It was one which was rapidly turning Edward FitzGerald into a rebel; which was sending a man like O'Connor, cool-headed and little inclined to be swayed by passion or emotion, to recruit the ranks of the United Irishmen; and was making the younger and more enthusiastic of the National party decide, in impotent anger-as was done by some of the guests at a "confidential party" of Lord Edward's -that the English language should be abolished, setting themselves forthwith to the study of the Irish tongue.

It does not appear at what precise date O'Connor and Lord Edward took the definite step of becoming enrolled as members of the United Association. Nor does it seem certain that in their case the customary oath was administered. There can, however, be little doubt that by the early part of the year 1796 both had, to all practical intents and purposes, joined the organisation.

In the new association, constructed upon the ruins of that which had been crushed by the coercive measures of Government, there was much that would attract Lord Edward, soldier as he always remained at heart. For it was a body, if not distinctly military in its original framing, eminently adapted to become so; and which, as it grew evident that by peaceful agitation no remedial measures were to be obtained, was assuming daily a more warlike character.

For the present, however, its new recruit still continued to attend the sittings of Parliament, for the purpose of making his futile and despairing protests against the proceedings which were there taking place. They were such as might well call them forth.

The policy of conciliation having been finally abandoned, the only alternative remaining open to the Government was that of attempting, by means of intimidation and severity, either to terrorise the country into submission or to provoke an open outbreak. It was an expedient which the ministry lost no time in adopting. A series of measures was introduced, designated by Curran as "a bloody code," and as introducing "a vigour beyond the law" into the administration of what still went by the name of justice. It was these Bills which Lord Edward still attempted to oppose.

In the debate upon the Insurrection Act he once more found himself acting alone. Grattan had, indeed, combated the measure with all the force and vehemence at his command; but, in despair of success, he would have finally permitted it to pass without a division. One solitary voice was lifted against it-the voice of the people's champion.

"The disturbances of the country," Lord Edward warned the Government, " are not to be remedied by any coercive measures, however strong. Such measures will tend rather to exasperate than to remove the evil. Nothing can effect this and restore tranquillity to the country, but a serious and candid endeavour of