obtain leases of lands, which leases should be recorded for the information of future generations. A bill for encouraging papists to become protestants reads thus, Papists may take leases of land for any term of years, in any city or other market town not exceeding fifty square perches, and in any other part not exceeding fifty plantation acres; no papist to have more than one lot; on taking his lease to take the oath of allegiance, and at his death the lease to be divided among his successors; and if the widow or children should conform within twelve months, the conformist was to have the largest share."

Mr. Flood became discouraged, and the state of the country was distressing in the extreme. An extravagant government had exhausted the treasury, pauperism abounded, and in the midst of this, 4000 soldiers were voted to go out to America to help England to conquer the rebels there. This drew from the 12,000 which were stipulated for the defence of Ireland so large a share, that she was left exposed to attacks from foreign invaders.

It has been said that the American Revolution was one of the most important eras of the world, because in it was involved the interests of so many nations, and because it has successfully proved that trade and commerce, arts and sciences, literature and religion, move more harmoniously under the voice of the people than when propelled by a few. The one hundred and thirty million sterling which England lost, with her two armies and colonies beside, gave great hope to Ireland that they might yet shake off the incubus, and be a free people too. Great opposition was made against voting an army to assist England in her war with America, but the men were sent. The Americans were emancipated, and Ireland rejoiced. But before she had achieved her independence, an embargo was laid on the exports of provisions from Ireland, and the American war stopped the trade in Irish linens in that country. Distress was again seen in Dublin, by black flags, denoting that trade was stopped, and great suffering prevailed. When the news reached England that America had declared

her "Independence," the penal laws were a little softened. The fugitive Irish in America had stood nobly in defence of the country which had given her an asylum, and this had greatly attached the Irish at home to that country. They felt that the interests of both nations were, in a measure, mutual, as their condition had been somewhat similar; and if the state of Ireland was not a little bettered soon, she might be strengthened by her transatlantic brethren to make a desperate effort for her own emancipation. All this, doubtless, flung into the scale, produced that famous "Popish Relief Bill,” passed in 1778. By this, catholics could take leases for lives or for 199 years, and could purchase lands, with a few restrictions, on condition of taking the oath of allegiance. The catholics associated again under a leader, who was inefficient; and they were startled by a new association springing up by the protestants in the north. These noble-minded liberals, looking with pain upon the sad state of the country, determined to merge all minor differences of opinion into one common interest for the great good of all. Government was nearly palsied. The Irish landlords were in a sad dilemma; the lordlieutenant stopped payment, and all the wheels which moved grants, pensions, barrack and ordnance payments, &c., ceased their motion. England could spare them nothing; her own debt was enormous, and she could neither help or oppose Ireland effectually, had she been disposed. Ireland applied for the removal of restrictions on trade, but she was not heard. Lancashire remonstrated that Irish trade would ruin her, and the request was waived by granting the Irish leave to export all her manufactures to the plantations but her woollens ; and though this grant was of no use to them, as woollen was their great commodity, yet British merchants were much disturbed at this condescension.

Matters were turning dark in England; she wanted an army of 20,000 soldiers, and could not muster more than 5,000. Spain and Holland had joined France in declaring war. The American war had exhausted the British treasury, and now the protestants arose to defend

Ireland. They saw the storm, and determined to avert it, and defend their country against a common enemy. Ireland would be the most favourable mark for an onset by France, and she put herself in a posture of defence. Belfast began the movement by providing what she could to defend herself, and then applied to government : she could give them sixty troopers. Never was there a more noble, disinterested movement; every man, protestant or catholic, was at his post. "Volunteers" was the appropriate appellation of these self-moved patriots; for, like Deborah's army, they offered themselves willingly. The catholics, who, by a statute, were not allowed to carry arms, yet they aided, by their money and counsels, in raising volunteers. The catholics of Limerick alone subscribed £800. to raise men for the national defence, though they would not be allowed to mingle in the ranks. Drogheda and Dingle did their utmost, as well as many other places, till the number swelled, in a year or a little more, to forty-two thousand men. Government was alarmed, but could do nothing; opposition might turn these armed men upon them, and an attempt to connect them with government failed. An offer was made of temporary officers, only to be used in time of need; this they refused, choosing officers whom they knew. Various uniforms were put on, some green, some white, some scarlet, and others blue. They grew into an army, of regiments and brigades, till protestant and catholic were one united body of valiant soldiers; and if war were not a most reprehensible evil, this body of patriots would have deserved the highest honours. They were, indeed, a most noble body of men as ever combined for an ignoble purpose.

The Duke of Leinster, Earl of Clanricarde, and Lord Charlemont, were not ashamed to be ranked among them, as well as many others of the nobility. The moral grandeur of the whole was, that all equipped themselves; a general purse was established; there was no bribe, no inducement but love of liberty and country. And in these was centred the true greatness of the whole. These volunteers increased as the danger seemed to threaten,

till they were obliged to apply to government for arms. 20,000 stand of arms were handed out from the castle of Dublin. They now had accomplished their wishes, in getting a supply of arms-and the priests chose officers; all worked without pay, and subordination was complete without military law. A higher law than force governed these men, a law of love, a law of honour; and when the soldiers returned from the American war, they were hailed with the greatest enthusiasm, and their experience was of great use in teaching the volunteers the discipline of troops and armies.

It is pleasant to dwell on the principles which were embodied in these volunteers; they were principles of instinct; they had never seen the example of impartial justice, unrestrained freedom, or love to men, any farther than party-interests. And here the two antipodes who hated each other from duty, and killed each other in obedience to what they called religion, were now without coercion, without bribery, all simultaneously rallying round one standard, to accomplish one great object-justice, and the good of all. Well might the historian say, "It was one of the most purely democratic bodies which the world has ever witnessed." How pleasant to dwell on these few short days, when that stricken country had made such rapid strides towards that goal which she so much desired to reach, and which she so richly merited.

France, it appears, did not invade the coast; and when this well-organised body had found herself in readiness, she turned her attention to looking into the causes of the miseries under which the country groaned. Manufactures were what they wanted, and they resolved at once to adopt the advice of Swift, and refuse to purchase goods of English manufacture, and besides, to refuse trading with those merchants who dealt in them. public meeting held at Dublin, by the high sheriffs, adopted this resolution :

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"That we will not from the date hereof, until the grievances of this country shall be removed, directly or indirectly, import or consume any of the manufactures of Great Britain; nor will we deal with any merchant or shopkeeper who shall import such manufactures," &c.

This was recommended to all the country who regarded the commerce of Ireland. This was obeyed; and a writer observes, that the happiest change took place in habits; there was no violence, no religious bigotry taunting an opponent; each sat under his own vine and fig-tree; and none made him afraid. Smiles beautifully expresses it : "The poor oppressed catholic now dreamt of deliverance, and was satisfied; the famished beggar looked up from his crust moistened with tears, and hoped." The wide distinction of rank was so removed, that the "volunteer private could sit at the same board with the volunteer general," and order and quiet reigned universally; and that island of natural beauties had her civil and moral ones, such as she had never seen since the days that their patron St. Patrick had blessed it with his faith. There was no need of " White-boys," or "Oak-boys," and the Rapparees too, the most fearful and dreaded of all, were now quiet.

These Rapparees deserve a name in the history of that devoted country, for they were the terror of all the bad, and the good sometimes were made to tremble by these desperadoes. They originated among the Connaught exiles, who, driven from their own hearths, determined to revenge by robbery and murder, whenever robbery and murder was convenient. They were armed with a kind of half-pike, and hid in the fastnesses of mountains; often without houses, and like the beasts of prey, they prowled at midnight upon defenceless inhabitants, destroying their property; and when detected, they sometimes disappeared so mysteriously, that the superstitious imagined that they had communication with the infernal regions; and when pursued, they entered by some unseen passage into the earth, to the dark abodes below. One of them had been committing depredations, and when hunted he suddenly disappeared in a bog, when lo! he was found safely sunk in the quagmire up to his chin, he was pulled out and hanged immediately. But now these dark gentry had either all gone down to the lower regions, or they had become safe inhabitants of the upper.