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IRISH MAGAZINE,

AND

Monthly Asylum

FOR

NEGLECTED BIOGRAPHY.

FOR APRIL, 1812.

MEMOIRS OF

MAJOR BRYAN,

With an Elegant Likeness.

THE name of this invaluable pa

T

triot will be deservedly venerated by all true Irishmen, to the latest posterity, while, alas! but too many of his besotted cringing cotemporary Catholic leaders, will only be remembered to excite feelings of a very different nature. For, of him it may be asserted, without fear of contradiction, that he has under the most disheartening circumstances, communicated a manly tone to the Catholic mindthat, in opposition to a powerful faction, actuated by selfishness, cowardice, treachery, or intrigue, he has succeeded in raising his oppressed fellow citizens to a just sense of their own importance in the scale of the empire. This is the revolution, so long wished for by our friends-so little apprebended by our enemies—which already FOR APRIL, 1812, Vol. V.

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must and do live in the confidence and in the gratitude of their country, but what we contend for is, that it is to him who originated the idea of repelling the slovenly insult by retaliationwho, soaring above the cringing system too long, and too generally acted upon by Catholics of his rank and property, quitted the disgraceful path of half-spirit and half-sycophancy who, although deserted, nay opposed by some of the very leaders, voluntarily pledged to his support, nobly put on the armour and the attitude of independence, and openly declared, that, if even left alone, he would appeal to the honourable feelings of Irishmen, in moving the dismissal of Richmond and Pole-it is, we say, to Major Bryan, who did all this and much more, that Ireland is indebted for the happy, the wonderful happy change which has visibly taken place in the sentiments and conduct of her real and would-be grandees. The sequel in its proper place, will shew the truth of this statement.

The illustrious subject of this biographical sketch, was born in Devonshire Square, London, in the year of our lord, 1770; this circumstance of his being an Englishman by birth, has filled us with mixed sensations of sorrow and joy-joy at finding that the land of the most enlightened, the most generous, the most benevolent, the most humane people on the face of the earth, gave birth even to one friend to Ireland and sorrow, at learning (to use his own words at the aggregate meeting, the 26th of December last.) that he had not the high advantage of being born in Ireland as we would most gladly claim him as entirely our orn; however, as he then said, and we believe him, his amiable and ever to be revered father, a mere Irish man, to be sure," never let slip an opportunity of impressing his youthful mind with principles purely Irish,

and, for this conduct, as the penal laws yet in force do not reach this case, we will venture to say-Requiescat in pace.

For education, then denied him at home, by the wise laws of our masters he went at the age of fourteen to Liege, where he remained twelve months. From thence he proceeded to Strasburg. in company with his uncle, at that time a Brigadier Gene ral in the French service, and his elder brother, who died at Metz, in 1786.

From Metz he proceeded to Caen, in Normandy, where he lived until 1787, and from thence returned to England, in which most "thinking" nation, he resided at his father's, until 1789, under the care of a tutor, who afterwards travelled with him to Nancy, Bonn, Cologne, Mayence, Munich and Vienna. In 1791, he again passed over to the land of our most enlightened, generous, benerolent and humane masters, and after spending the winter with the friends of liberty, (for themselves) and deli verers of Europe, he set out for Paris the following spring, where he was present at the memorable scenes of the 20th of June, the 10th of August, and of the King's execution.

From Paris he went again to Nancy, a place in every respect well calculated to prepare his mind for future ocetir rences, in which he was destined to act a conspicuous part. In Nancy he enjoyed his full share of the blessings of Robespierre's" happy constitution," from the period of his arrest, August 6, 1793, to that of his liberation, December 7, 1794; which on the death of Robespierre was effected, by Gennvis, representation of the people.

But Robespierre's" vigour beyond the law," by detaining our patriot so long at Nancy, was productive of an affect never intended. He then formed a matrimoni alliance with his amiable spouse, daughter of the Count De

• The words of old George Rose.

Rutant,

Rutant, who, from her highly polished education and kindness of heart, diffuses happiness, not only throughout her own immediate family, but the respectable circle in which she moves, and the whole neighbourhood in which she resides.

In 1795, he revisited the "thinking" nation, and lived with his father until the period of his death, August 1796, and in May 1797, bought a commission in the Guards, where he was afterwards promoted to a Lieutenancy, with rank of Captain in the Army. In this situation he retained his post untill 1803, when he was in. formed through General Needham, by the Duke of Gloucester, that a great personage would not suffer any person of the Romish persuasion, to hold a Commission in the Guards!!! On this paternal hint, he found it necessary to retire on half pay-accompanied General Archer in 1803, to Drogheda-received a very extensive Property in the County of Kilkenny, on the Death of his Uncle, in 1804-quitted the Army in consequence, to retire to his Estate in Jenkin's-town, Kilkenny--and in 1806, accepted a majority in that County Militia, which he resigned in 1808.

The scenes which our admirable Patriot was condemed to witness on Eis arrival in this Country, were of themselves, God knows, more than sufficient to call forth the tear of sympathy from the heart of any man, not entirely lost to the common feelings of our nature. To see this highly gifted, and once happy Island; the most favored spot, perhaps, of all God's creation, broke down and trod. den under foot by a few detestable Bigots to view her stripped of her independence-even robbed of her name as a nation-and her fine, her matchless "superabundant population," obliged to become "Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water," to

the Stranger, to be condemned, we say, to observe all this and more was surely enough, more than enough, to harrow up the soul of the most callous, But when we reflect on the well known high spirit of Major Bryan-when we take into consideration, the respectability and ancient fame of his family, as an additional stimulus to that spirit-and above all when we fix our thoughts, with attention, on the Sting which his treatment in the Guards must have inflicted, and left rankling in his breast, it will be very easy indeed to account for the manliness of his conduct in every thing relating to the interests and honor of our Poor People.

As our limits will not, at present allow us to go into a minute detail of his services, to his much injured country, suffice it to say, that for the last eight years, he was unceasingly em. ployed in reducing his good Father's principles into practice. In all matters concerning his fellow sufferers, he was, if not the first, at least amongst the foremost, and in delivering his sentiments, whether fit to be adopted, or otherwise, he displayed throughout a noble frankness, unconnected with the vile system of cabal, which even from his enemies must command respect.It was his letter to the Editor of a respectable Newspaper, on the AntiIrish ravings and charges of Bladderchops, gave the first fillip to the pub. lic mind, and his motion for the re-. moval of Richmond and Pole, may be justly called the finishing touch. It served as a touchstone of patriotism, it separated the chaff from the grain :the dross from the sterling metal. It unveiled the dark and hypocritical workings of the intriguers, who had long worried and disgraced the coun try. In a word, it was that motion, which by forcing the proclamation, revived in Irishmen the spirit of Brian Boroihme's days, and from that level we trust, they never will descend.

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Hall the Yeoman.

We are happy to assure our numerous readers, that, the pardon of this loyal man has restored tranquillity and

confidence to the armed Nailors of Kevin-street, they had resolved in case of the execution of their brother to abandon the empire to the common enemy, by laying down the musquets and shirts, with which they were fur nished to defend the Realm against traitors and invaders.

MR. HALL'S CONFINEMENT.

The attention paid to this purple statesman, after his conviction, was very honorable to his brother the Major, and his other numerous friends,

whose solicitude to render him eve

majesty his heirs and successors, two shillings lawful money of England, &c. since the above period, that a guinea As money has been so depreciated will not purchase as much corn as sixpence did in the first age of English domination; it would be but fair to fine Mr. Hall the fuli value of the murdered boy, to be appraised by a comparison made from the two ages of our servitude, the twelfth and nineteenth century; or by such valuation as a board of sergeants ou oath, would agree to we presume to say, from market that, Byrne when alive would our knowlege of the Barrack-street bring eighteen pounds; let Hall be charged this sum, but as it has been insinuated, that the coroner discovered the legs of Byrne, which would lower a large and inflamed pimple, on one of his value in the opinion of a military man, an allowance of fourteen shillings would be a fair deduction from the bounty, for the diminished value caused by the blemish.

Strayed from Mr. Coxe's Mexs.

Continued.

ry comfort, was expressed on the minutest occasions. The Major had a very handsome pair of Irons made by special order, by Mr. Dickinson the Gallows Engineer, they were not heavier than the chains usual y worn by Macheath on the stage, well polished, and made to screw on, instead of rivetting. His religious comforts were superintended by Kent the Huxterman, who preached one sermon every day, and chaunted a set of new hymns, composed for the solemn occasion, by Doctor Brenan, at the request of" his, whither it is imagined he fol Honor," as he is called, by every per son acquainted with the history of Mrs. Moore's pictures; the widow Ratigan's burning, or the robbing memoirs of Henry Walker, the hero of the Cock of the North, stage coach.

HALL NOT FINED.

As Hall the purple marksman, is not to be hanged for the murder of poor Byrne, we would advise, that as some deference is allowed to public opinion, until all the intended bar racks are built, that he should be fined agreeable to an ancient English made statute, that enacted, "whoever killed a mere Irishman, should pay unto his

WEAZEL-a starved ill looking Jack. He was last heard of at —

lowed a she ass, of the name of Actress, now the property of one of the blood royal. Actress is Irish bred; a common Jill, of no blood, but possesses vast flippancy of gait and movement. Actress was broke-in by Manager, of the Crow street Stud, and enter'd by him at the Cork Course for the Day stake, which she got with great ease ; but in consequence of her exertions, picked foal, and forfeited her engage ment. After being enter'd at all the country Courses in England, and carrying every description of Jockey, she was at last matched with Admiral, and has annually won for him the Sweep Stakes at Old Drury. Actress has been very prolific,-her first foal

Chrere

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