THE TRAGEDY OF LAWFORD HALL.

JUST sixty years have elapsed since the death of Sir Theodosius Boughton at Lawford Hall, and yet the deepest interest still attaches to the melancholy story. The guilt of the unhappy man, who suffered for the supposed murder, remains to this day veiled in mystery, and the subject is more frequently canvassed than almost any other conviction upon record. Donellan may or may not have been innocent, but, most certainly, the feeling that must arise in every impartial mind, from a patient perusal of the trial is, that the conviction was not justified by the evidence adduced. The judge, who presided, had evidently imbibed a bias against the accused, and Lady Boughton, the mother of Sir Theodosious being strongly prejudiced in the same direction, seems to have allowed her testimony to be seriously affected by her prejudices. In those times, the prisoner's counsel was not permitted to address the jury, and thus the strong points of defence were not urged with proper force or skill. Had the learned advocate, Mr. Newnham, who so ably cross-examined the witnesses, been allowed to complete his task by a commentary on the evidence, he would, doubtless, have impressed on the jury these three important facts:-first, that there was not sufficient proof that Sir Theodosius died by poison at all; secondly, that, if he did die by

This he carried so far, that he sometimes went abroad without giving any notice, and stayed away several days, while things went on as usual at home; and on his return, he would not allow any congratulations to be made him, nor any other notice to be taken of him, than if he had not been absent during that time.

The arrangements of every kind were so prudently made, that no number of guests, or of their domestics, ever occasioned any disorder, and all things were conducted with the same ease and regularity as in a private family. There was one point which at first it seemed rather difficult to accomplish — namely, the establishing of certain signals, by which each servant might know when he was summoned to his master's apartment. For this purpose, a great hall was appropriated to the use of the servants, where they were always assembled when they were not upon duty. Along the wall, bells were ranged in order, one to each apartment, with the number of the chamber marked over it, so that, when any of them was rung, they had only to turn their eyes on the bell, and to see what servant was called.

Mr. Mathew was the first that put an end to the in hospitable custom of giving vales to servants, by making a suitable addition to their wages; at the same time assuring them, that if they took any afterwards, they should be discharged with disgrace; and to prevent the temptation, the guests were informed, that he would consider it as the highest affront, if any offer of that sort were made.

The following particulars of a visit of the celebrated Dean Swift to Thomastown will enable the reader to form a more precise idea of the interior economy of that

establishment.

Swift had heard much of the place from his friend Dr. Sheridan, who had often been a welcome guest

there, both on account of his convivial qualities, and as being the preceptor of the nephew of Mr. Mathew. He at length became desirous of ascertaining with his own eyes the truth of a report which he could not forbear considering as greatly exaggerated. On receiving an intimation of this from Sheridan, Mr. Mathew wrote a polite letter to the Dean, requesting the honour of a visit in company with the doctor, at his next school vacation. The two doctors accordingly set out on horseback, attended by a gentleman who was a near relation to Mr. Mathew. They had scarcely reached the inn where they intended pass the first night, and which, like most of the Irish inns at that time, afforded but miserable entertainment, when they were surprised by the arrival of a coach and six horses, sent to convey them the remainder of their journey to Thomastown, and, at the same time, bringing a supply of the choicest viands, wine, and other liquors, for their refreshment. Swift was highly pleased with this uncommon mark of attention, and the coach proved particularly acceptable, as he had been a good deal fatigued with his day's journey.

to

When they came within sight of the house, the Dean, astonished at its magnitude, cried out

"What, in the name of God, can be the use of such a vast building?"

"Why, Mr. Dean," replied his fellow-traveller, "there are no less than forty apartments for guests in that house, and all of them, probably, occupied at this time, except what are reserved for us.'

Swift, in his usual manner, called out to the coachman to stop, and drive him back to Dublin, for he could not think of mixing with such a crowd. "Well," said he, immediately afterwards, "there is no

remedy, I must

submit; but I have lost a fortnight of my life."

Mr. Mathew received him at the door with uncommon

also ded size price, when the estates devolved on the representative of a junior branch of the family, Thomas Mathew, Esq. of Thuries, father of Francis Mathew, 1st Earl of Llandiž

A SINGULAR WAGER.

A CURIOUS document, dated in 1689, lies before us. It is the original manuscript of a wager laid between two gentlemen in Ireland, with regard to the reduction of the town they lived in, by the arms of the Prince of Orange. Trifles such as these are valuable to the his torian, as indicative of the state of public feeling at the time of their occurrence. They are the unconstrained revealings of the hopes or fears of those who acted in them, and in this way set forth more pointedly the real circumstances of the age than could the most laboured dissertation. How utterly must the unfortunate James II. have been ruined, when, nearly a twelvemonth previous to the Battle of the Boyne, men could thus coolly anticipate his downfall! The reader will remark, that neither party, in the following document, questions the success of the Prince of Orange-the matter in debate is merely the time. The wager assumes the form of a promissory note, and runs thus:

"I doe hereby acknowledge to have rec. of M Francis Baker the sum of Twenty Shill" ster., and in consideration thereof doe oblige myselfe, my heirs, Exec &c. to pay to the said Baker [his heirs and as <" (interlined) the sum of Four guineas, provided

the town of Youghall, in the kingdom of Ireland, be not reduced to y obedience of this present gov'm in England, sometime 'twixt this day and the first of May, wch shall be in the year Sixteen Hundred Ninety. Which if it be so reduc'd, that then this present obligation to be void, oth'wise to be in full force and power of law. As witness my hand seale, this tenth day of October, Sixteen Hundred Eighty nine. 1689.

Being present, and when the

words (his heirs and assigns)

were interlin'd

"JOHN HAYMAN." (Seal.)

JNO. SILVER.

THOMAS COSENS.

ED. NICHOLAS.

On the 2nd of August, 1690, Youghall surrendered to King William, upon fifty dragoons of Colonel Levison's regiment, who were conducting the garrison that marched from Waterford, appearing before it—(vide "Annals of Youghal," p. 33;) consequently, Mr. Hayman lost his wager.