of their original plan, probably not half, or even a fourth part of their number, (supposed to be near twenty thousand) ever descended from Corbet-hill to share the danger; and many in the beginning of the action fled to their homes, and were, some hours before the decision of the combat, giving a fancied narration of the success of the day.

The alliance of cowardice with cruelty cannot perhaps be more strongly exemplified than in some of this day's transactions. Some run away rebels, who had not dared to hazard their persons in the battle, turned their fury against objects equally void of criminality as incapable of resistance. Beside the massacre of three protestant men, who had fought courageously on the side of the rebels against the king's forces, they committed an act of such atrocity as requires no comment:-At the house of Scullabogue, the property of a Mr. King, at the foot of Carrickburn-mountain, had been left, when the rebel army marched to Corbet-hill, above two hundred protestant prisoners of both sexes and all ages, under a guard, commanded by John Murphy, of Loghnagheer, The run

aways declared, that the royal army in Ross were shooting all the prisoners, and butchering the catholics who had fallen into their hands, feigned an order from Harvey for the execution of those at Scullabogue. This order, which Harvey,

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himself, a protestant, and a man of humanity, was utterly incapable of giving, Murphy is said to have resisted-but his resistance was vain, were shot and piked at the hallin number, crammed into a barn, were burned door; and the rest, a hundred and eighty-four alive-the roof being fired, and straw thrown into the flames to feed the conflagration. I have conversed with some respectable men who viewed the scene of this diabolical action on the following day, and who were struck with inexpressible

horrors at the sight.

Father John Shallow,

Roman catholic priest of Adamstown, has been charged by some with being concerned in, or approving of this horrid business; but from the affidavits of three protestants which I have read, and other grounds, I am decidedly inclined to think the charge not well founded. Another priest is on more probable grounds considered by some as the chief instigator of this horrible deed-whose name I forbear to menton, lest he may possibly be innocent, and I should unjustly bring odium on him.* A few Romanists, according to some accounts fifteen in number, one of whom was Father Shallow's clerk, had been, partly by mistake or inadvertence, partly

* I, however, after having written this volume, now find his name (Father Murphy of Taghmon) given in Sir Richard Musgrave's great collection, stiled, " Memoirs of the different Rebellions in Ireland." I wish he may prove his innocence.

from obnoxious circumstances in the unfortunate objects, inclosed in the barn with the protestants, and by the precipitancy of the murderers shared the same fate.*

Re-occupying, on the day of their defeat at Ross, their former post on Carrickburn, the rebel troops murmured against the military conduct of Harvey, who in consequence resigned a command not better than nominal, and retired to Wexford. Removing from this position, after a stay of two days, they took post on Slyeeve-Keelter, a hill which rises over the river of Ross, formed by the united streams of the Nore and Barrow, probably with design to intercept the navigation of this channel between Waterford, Ross, and Duncannon-fort. In this

*How strangely are the feelings of mankind governed by party-spirit? Many, who have felt a just horror (and too great they could hardly feel) for this atrocious massacre, have admired the conduct of men who committed acts not less atrocious on the right side of the contest. For instance, Suwarrow or Suvarof, who fought against the Poles and French, caused, beside other massacres, all the inhabitants of Praga, men, women, and children, to be butchered, in number at least ten thousand, beside the garrison. Most of these miserable people were burned alive, with circumstances not less horrible than those of Scullabogue: and Suvarof, next day, sat on horseback exulting over the inexpressibly shocking scene of desolation. Yet, what loyalist would have refused to drink the health of Suvarof in the temporary career of his success, or refuse him the praise of a virtuous hero? No counterfeit loyalist could refuse it.

they in some degree succeeded; for, though they failed in their attempts on some gun-boats, in their engagements with which some lives were lost, they obliged some small vessels to surrender; in one of these was a mail, from which they learned much concerning the state of the kingdom in general from news-papers and private letters. Here, by a tumultuous election, was chosen for general, in the place of Harvey, Father Philip Roche, already mentioned as a leader at the battle of Tubberneering, a man of large stature and boisterous manners, not ill adapted to direct by influence the disorderly bands among whom he acted. Without such influence, titles of command were merely nominal; nor among a number of chiefs in a rebel army, could any one with truth be said to govern the whole body. The priests, by their habitual government in spiritual matters, had naturally the principal sway, especially those whose rage of bigotry was most conspicuous. Great numbers of the rebels acknowledged no other leader than Father John Murphy, the fanatic who first raised the flag of insurrection in the county of Wexford.

Quitting the post of Slyeeve-Keelter in three days after their arrival, the troops of Philip Roche occupied the hill of Lacken, within two miles of Ross, where they formed a less irregular encampment than usual, many tents being erected

for the lodgment of their officers. A detach ment, sent hence for arms and ammunition to the town of Borris, in the county of Carlo, twelve miles distant, on the 12th, was, by a fire of the garrison from the house of Mr. Cavenagh, used on the occasion as a fortress, repulsed with the loss of ten killed and many wounded, while only one soldier fell on the side of the loyalists; but this handsome little town was in great part burned. With exception of this fruitless attempt, the bands on Lacken lay inactive, regaling themselves on the slaughtered cattle and liquors, which were procured in plenty from the country in their possession, and so negligent of their safety, that, in any night after the two first, they might have been surprised and put to the rout by a small detachment from the garrison of Ross.

Inactivity, at least procrastination, among the rebels was not confined to the army of Philip Roche; for to the terrible repulse at Ross, received by their forces on the south-western border, was added an error of conduct on the northern, which, providentially for the British empire in general, and the protestants of Ireland in particular, caused the ruin of their scheme. Many persons are of opinion that government had, by burnings, imprisonments, free quarters of soldiers, floggings, and other severe measures, intended to force a partial insurrection of the