laws of their country and appear innocent.

He begged

and intreated to have them sent to a gaol, and prosecuted according to law (if any proof could be brought against, them) but his humane efforts proved fruitless; the men were murdered!

"On the fair day of Ballymore, 5th of June, a poor man, of irreproachable character, named Keenan, after selling his cow, had his hand extended to receive the price of her; when this valiant soldier struck him with his sword on the shoulder, and almost severed the arm from his body.

A young man named Hynes, a mason, passing through the fair on his way home, was attacked by this furious savage, and in the act of begging his life upon his knces, was cut down by the lieutenant's own hands, and left lying for dead. A clergyman, at the imminent risk of his life, flew to the victim to administer the last consolation of religion, when three of the militia were ordered back, and to make use of a vulgar phrase, made a riddle of his body; the clergyman, however, escaped unhurt. The lieutenant got somewhat ashamed of his abuses and, by way of apology for his conduct, alleged that some stones were thrown, though it is a notorious fact that no such thing happened.

"The clerk of Mr. Dillon, of Ballymahon, being in the fair transacting his employer's business, was so maimed by this valiant soldier and his party, that his life was despaired of. Sixteen persons, whose names I have carefully entered, were so cut, maimed and abused, that many of them are rendered miserable objects for the remainder of their lives. So much for keeping the peace of the country; to create inhabitants for the hospital or the grave, seems to be the favorite measure of tranquilizing a nation,

"A village called Mayvore, was almost at the dead hour of the night set on fire, under the direction of captain Oand the humane lieutenant, and burnt to the ground, except six houses. Captain O-, possessing a little more humanity, seemed to feel for the unparalleled distress thereby occasioned, while this modern Nero only laughed at the progress of the destructive element, and called his brother officer a chicken-hearted fellow for his seeming compassion, for feeling a pang at the miseries he himself created; seeing numbers of his fellow-creatures petrified with horror at viewing their little properties consumed, and afraid to make the least complaint; seeing that military execution was their inevitable fate, should they make the least murmur. Good God! is this the way to make the constitution revered, or the government respected? Had lord North still lived, and had the confidence of Majesty, he would never recommend the practice of those measures to save Ireland, which lost America." (Extracts from the Press, p. 284.)

TOM THE DEVIL.

"IT is said that the North Cork regiment were the inventers, but they certainly were the introducers of the pitch-cap torture into the county of Wexford. Any person having the hair cut short (and therefore called croppy, by which appellation the soldiers designated an United Irishman) on being pointed out by some loyal neighbour was immediately seized and brought into a guard-house, where caps either of coarse linen or strong brown paper, besmeared inside with pitch, were always kept ready for service. The unfortunate victim had one of these well

heated, compressed on his head, and when judged of a proper degree of coolness, so that it could not be easily pulled off, the sufferer was turned out amidst the horrid acclamations of the merciless torturers, and to the view of vast numbers of people, who generally crowded about the guard-house door, attracted by the afflicted cries of the tormented. Many of those persecuted in this manner, experienced anguish from the melted pitch trickling into their eyes. This afforded a rare addition of enjoyment to these keen sportsmen, who reiterated their horrid yells of exultation, on repetition of the several accidents to which their game was liable upon being turned out; for in the confusion and hurry of escaping from the ferocious hands of these more than savage tormenters, the blinded victims frequently fell or inadvertantly dashed their heads against the walls in their way. The pain of disengaging the pitched cap from the head must have been next to intolerable. The hair was often torn out by the roots, and not unfrequently parts of the skin were so scalded or blistered as to adhere and come off along with it. The terror and dismay which these outrages accasioned, are inconceivable. A sergeant of the North Cork, nick-named Tom the Devil, was most ingenious in devising new modes of torture. Moistened gunpowder was frequently rubbed into the hair, cut close and then set on fire; some, while shearing for this purpose, had the tips of their ears cut off; sometimes an entire ear, and often both ears were completely cut off; and many lost part of their noses during the like preparation. But strange to tell, these atrocities were publicly practised without the least reserve in open day, and no magistrate or officer ever interfered, but shamefully connived at this extraordinary mode of quiet

ing the people! Some of the miserable sufferers on these shocking occasions, or some of their relations or friends, actuated by a principle of retaliation, if not of revenge, cut short the hair of several persons whom they either considered as enemies or suspected of having pointed them out as objects for such desperate treatment. This was done with a view, that those active citizens should fall in for a little experience of the like discipline, or to make the fashion of short hair so general that it might no longer be a mark of party distinction. Females were also exposed to the grossest insults from these military ruffians. Many women had their petticoats, handkerchiefs, caps, ribbons, and all parts of their dress that exhibited a shade of green (considered the national colour of Ireland) torn off, and their ears assailed by the most vile and indecent ribaldry." (Plowden, vol. IV. page 346.)

BLOODY FRIDAY.

"THE northern part of the county of Wexford had been almost totally deserted by the male inhabitants, at the approach of the army under General Needham. Some of the Yeomanry, who had formerly deserted it, returned to Gorey, and on finding no officer of the army as was expected, to command there, they, with many others, who returned along with them, scoured the country round, and killed great numbers in their houses, besides all the stragglers they met, most of whom were making the best of their way home unarmed from the insurgents, who were then believed to be totally discomfited. These transactions being made known to a body of the insurgents encamped at Peppard's Castle; they resolved to retaliate, and directly

marched for Gorey, whither they had otherwise no intention of proceeding. The Yeomen and their associates, upon the near approach of the Insurgents, fled back with precipitation; and thence accompanied by many others, hastened towards Arklow, but were pursued as far as Coolgreney, with the loss of forty-seven men. The day was called bloody Friday. The insurgents had been exasperated to this vengeance, by discovering through the country as they came along several dead men with their skulls split asunder, their bowels ripped open, and their throats cut across, besides some dead women and children; they even met the dead bodies of two women, about which their surviving children were weeping and bewailing them. These sights hastened the insurgents' force to Gorey, where their exasperation was considerably augmented by discovering the pigs in the streets devouring the bodies of nine men, who had been hanged the day before, with several others recently shot, and some still expiring." (Plowden, vol. V. p. 36.)

FEMALE WRETCHEDNESS.

"THE Reverend Mr. Gorden, an Episcopal clergyman, recounts an occurrence after the battle, of which his son was a witness, which greatly illustrates the state of the country at that time: Two Yeomen coming to a brake or clump of bushes, and observing a small motion, as if some persons were hiding there, one of them fired into it, and the shot was answered by a most piteous and loud screech of a child. The other Yeoman was then urged by his companion to fire; but being less ferocious, instead of firing, commanded the concealed persons to appear, when