to cottiers far above their value, and to lighten their burthen, had allowed commonage to their tenants. Afterwards in defpite of all equity, contrary to all compacts, the landlords inclofed thefe commons, and precluded their unhappy tenants from the only means of making their bargains tolerable."

I

Another cause of these people's difcontents was, the cruel exactions of tithe-mongers: these harpies "fqueezed out the very vitals of the people, and by procefs, citation, and fequeftration, dragged from them the little which the landlord had left them. Thefe are the real causes of the late tumults in Munfter, and it may be fafely affirmed (adds my author) that there is no nation that has not had tumults from fuch or the like causes, without religion coming into question."

The riots, however, of thefe few forlorn men, were foon conftrued into a general popifh confpiracy against the government; because, indeed, the greatest part of them were papists, at least in name; although it was

b

well

An Enquiry into the Caufes of the Outrages committed by the Levellers.

from the moft illiberal clafs in the kingdom. If a poor man lodges a complaint against a gentleman, or any animal that chufes to call itself a gentleman, and the justice iffues out a fummons for his appearance, it is a fixed affront, and he will infallibly be called out. Where manners are in confpiracy against law, to whom are the oppreffed people to have recourfe?...... They know their fituation too well to think of it; they can have no defence but by means of protection from one gentleman against another, who probably protects his vaffal as he would the theep he intends to eat.

The colours of this picture are not charged. To affert that all these cafes are common, would be an exaggeration; but to fay that an unfeeling landlord will do all this with impunity, is to keep ftrictly to truth; and what is liberty but a farce and a jeft, if its bleffings are received as the favour of kindness and huma nity, instead of being the inheritance of RIGHT?" Young's Tour, Dub. Edit. vol. ii. p. 40-41.

Confequences have flowed from thefe oppreffions (fays Mr. Young) which ought long ago to have put a stop to them. In England we have heard much of white-boys, fteel-boys, oak

boys,

well known, that feveral proteftant gentlemen and magiftrates of confiderable influence in that province, did all along, for their own private ends connive at, if not foment these tumults, and although we were affured by authority, "that the authors of these riots confifted indifcriminately of perfons of different perfuafions, and that no marks of difaffection to his majesty's perfon or government appeared in any of these people." This authentic declaration was grounded on the report which had been made to government, by perfons VOL. II.

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2 Dublin Gazette.

of

boys, peep-of-day-boys, &c. But these various infurgents are not to be confounded, for they are very different. The proper diftinction in the discontents of the people is into protestant and catholic. All but the white-boys were among the manufacturing proteftants in the north. The white-boys catholic labourers in the fouth: from the best intelligence I could gain, the riots of the manufacturers had no other foundation, but such variations in the manufacture as all fabrics experience, and which they had themselves known and fubmitted to before. The cafe, however, was different with the white-boys; who being labouring catholics met with all thofe oppreffions I have described, and would probably have continued in full fubmiffion had not very fevere treatment in respect of tithes united with a great speculative rife of rents about the fame time, blown up the flame of refiftance; the atrocious acts they were guilty of made them the object of general indignation: acts were paffed for their punifhment, which feemed calculated for the meridian of Barbary; this arofe to fuch a height, that by one they were to be hanged under circumstances without the common formalities of a trial, which though repealed the following feffions marks the spirit of punishment; while others remain yet the law of the land, that would if executed tend more to raise than quell an insurrection. From all which it is manifeft that the gentlemen of Ireland never thought of a radical cure from overlooking the real cause of difeafe, which in fact lay in themselves, and not in the wretches they doomed to the gallows. Let them change their own conduct intirely, and the poor will not long riot. Treat them like men who ought to be as free as yourselves: put an end to that system of religious perfecution which for seventy years has divided the kingdom against itself; in these two circumftances lies the cure of infurrection, perform them completely, and you will have an affectionate poor, inftead of oppreffed and difcontented vaffals." Young's Tour, vol. ii. p. 41-42.

of diftinguished loyalty and eminence in the law, fent down and commiffioned fome time before to enquire upon the spot into the real caufes and circumstances of thefe riots; which report was afterwards confirmed by the going judges of affize, and by the dying protestations of the first five of these unhappy men, who were executed in 1762 at Waterford, for having been prefent at the burning down of a cabin, upon the information of one of their affociates, who was the very perfon that with his own hand fet fire to it. Thefe men immediately before their execution, publicly declared and took God to witness," that in all these tumults it never did enter into their thoughts to do any thing against the king or government."

BUT the perfon moft obnoxious on this occafion, and whofe life feems to have been moft eagerly fought after, on a real or affected belief of his having primarily ftirred up, and with French money and officers, fupported these rioters, for the purpose of a future rebellion, was one Nicholas Sheehy, parish-priest of Clogheen. This man was giddy and officious, but not ill-meaning, with fomewhat of a Quixotish cast of mind towards relieving all those within his district, whom he fancied to be injured or oppreffed; and, fetting afide his unavoidable connexion with those rioters, several hundred of whom were his parishioners, he was a clergyman of an unimpeached character in all other refpects. In the course of these disturbances, he had been often indicted, and tried as a popish priest, but no fufficient evidence having appeared against him on that charge, he was always acquitted, to his own great misfortune; for, had he been convicted, his punishment, which would be only transportation, might have prevented his ignominious death, which foon after followed.

In

In the year 1765, the government was prevailed upon by his powerful enemies, to iffue a proclamation against him, as a perfon guilty of high treason, offering a reward of three hundred pounds for taking him, which Sheehy in his retrcat happening to hear of, immediately wrote up to Secretary Waite," that as he was not confcious of any fuch crime, as he was charged with in the proclamation, he was ready to fave to the government the money offered for taking him, by furrendering himself out of hand, to be tried for that or any other crime he might be accufed of; not at Clonmell, where he feared that the power and malice of his enemies were too prevalent for juftice (as they foon after indeed proved to be), but at the court of king's bench in Dublin. His propofal having been accepted, he was accordingly brought up to Dublin and tried there for rebellion, of which, however, after a fevere fcrutiny of fourteen hours, he was honourably acquitted; no evidence having appeared against him but a blackguard boy, a common prostitute, and an impeached thief, all brought out of Clonmell jail, and bribed for the purpose of witneffing against him.

But his inveterate enemies, who like fo many bloodhounds had pursued him to Dublin, finding themselves disappointed there, refolved upon his deftruction at all events. One Bridge, an infamous informer against fome of those who had been executed for these riots, was said to have been murdered by their affociates, in revenge (although his body could never be found *), and a confiderable reward was offered for difcovering and convicting the murderer. Sheehy, immediately after his acquittal in Dublin for rebellion, was indicted by his purfuers for this murder, and notwithstanding the promife given him by thofe in office on furrendering himfelf, he was tranfinitted to Clonmell, to be tried there for this new crime, and, upon the fole evidence of the

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fame

a It was pofitively fworn, by two unexceptionable witneffes, that he privately left the kingdom fome fhort time before he was faid to have been murdered. See notes of the trial taken by one of the jury, in Exfhaw's Magazine for June 1766.

fame infamous witneffes, whofe teftimony had beers fo juftly reprobated. in Dublin, was there condemned to be hanged and quartered for that murder.

What barefaced injustice and inhumanity were fhewn to this unfortunate man on that occafion," is known and teftified by many thousands of creditable perfons, who were present and eye-witneffes on the day of his trial. A party of horse furrounded the court, admitting and excluding whomfoever they thought proper, while others of them, with a certain knight at their head, fcampered the streets in a formidable manner, forcing into inns and private lodgings in the town, challenging and queftioning all new comers, menacing his friends, and encouraging his enemies: even after fentence of death was pronounced against him (which one would think might have fatisfied the malice of his enemies), his attorney found it neceffary for his fafety, to fteal out of the

town

"During

* I shall mention only one inftance out of many. his trial, Mr. Keating, a perfon of known property and credit in that country, having given the clearest and fulleft evidence, that, during the whole night of the fuppofed murder of Bridge, the prifoner, Nicholas Sheehy, had lain in his house, that he could not have left it in the night time without his knowledge, and confequently that he could not have been even present at the murder. The Reverend Mr. H. an active manager in these trials, ftood up, and after looking on a paper that he held in his hand, informed the court, that he had Mr. Keating's name on his lift as one of those that were concerned in the killing of a corporal and ferjeant, in a former rescue of fome of thefe levellers. Upon which he was immediately hurried away to Kilkenny jail, where he lay for fome time, loaded with irons, in a dark and loathfome dungeon: by this proceeding, not only his evidence was rendered ufelefs to Sheehy, but alfo that of many others was prevented, who came on purpofe to teftify the fame thing, but inftantly withdrew themselves, for fear of meeting with the fame treatment. Mr. Keating was afterwards tried for this pretended murder at the affizes of Kilkenny, but was honourably acquitted; too late, however, to be of any fervice to poor Sheehy, who was hanged and quartered fome time before Mr. Keating's acquittal." The very fame evidence which was looked upon at Clonmell as good and fufficient to condemn Mr. Sheehy, having been afterwards rejected at Kilkenny, as prevaricating and contradictory with refpect to Mr. Keating.