so wild with joy, that they took the horses from his carriage, and themselves drew him home in triumph.

*

It is melancholy to reflect that efforts so great for the liberty and happiness of Ireland, were not crowned with complete success. But the patriotism and the courage were not less noble because overborne by superior power. It is the honor of Curran that he loved Ireland in her woe, and loved her to the last. Toward the close of life he said, "To our unhappy country, what I had, I gave. I might have often sold her. I could not redeem her. I gave her the best sympathies of my heart, sometimes in tears, sometimes in indignation, sometimes in hope, but oftener in despondence."

The history of Ireland, sad as it is, is bright with many instances of such patriotic affection. We shall have constant occasion to observe them in the history of the struggle which we are now to trace.t

* It may gratify the friends of the late Mr. Sampson, to know that he sat beside Curran through the whole of that memorable defense, and that to his rapid pen we owe the report of this, the best preserved of all Curran's speeches. When he had finished, he bent over Sampson, who was writing down the conclusion, and asked him if he was satisfied with him. Sampson assented, but added, “You might have said something of Russell and Sidney." Curran instantly rose, and reminded the court that they were acting, not for the present alone, but that their conduct would live in history, and concluded by comparing the feelings with which posterity would review the transactions of that day, to the emotions which overflowed in their hearts, at reading the sad history of the sufferings of a Russell or a Sidney.

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Those who would know more of this most remarkable man, I must refer to the admirable memoir, by his son-and also to "Recollections of Curran," by Charles Phillips, which Lord Brougham commends as the most lively and picturesque piece of biography ever given to the world." See his Sketches of British Statesmen of the Time of George III.

CHAPTER VI.

THEOBALD WOLFE TONE.-HIS EARLY LIFE.-Marriage.-STUDIES LAW.PROJECT OF A MILITARY EXPEDITION TO THE SOUTH SEAS.-SETTLES IN DUBLIN.--FRIENDSHIP WITH Emmet and RUSSELL.

A DIFFERENT character comes on the stage. We have seen the orator defending his countrymen at the bar and in the senate. We are now to trace the steps by which a political reformer becomes a revolutionist. We are to see an organizer of parties and of peaceful reforms turning into a conspirator and a soldier-an organizer of armies and invasions. We derogate nothing from the many prominent men of this period, in assigning the first place in the designs of revolution to Theobald Wolfe Tone, the founder of the United Irishmen, and the chief agent in negotiating the subsequent French invasions.

This extraordinary man was born in Dublin, June 20, 1763. From childhood he seemed destined for a life of adventure. Though of an active mind, he hated books. He was fond of sports, walking to the country, swimming in the sea; and especially of that which is the delight of every idle boy-military parades. The garrison of Dublin was often reviewed in Phoenix Park, and the sight of their brilliant uniforms, their swords and plumes, with their Ꭰ

quick evolutions, and the inspiring sound of martial music, awoke his ambition to be a soldier-a desire which pursued him through years, and which he was at length able to gratify.

When forced to apply himself to study, the natural quickness of his mind caused him to make rapid progress. At the age of seventeen he entered the University of Dublin, where he distinguished himself particularly as a writer and speaker.

"At length, about the beginning of the year 1785,❞— to quote from his autobiography-"I became acquainted with my wife. She was the daughter of William Witherington, and lived at that time in Grafton-street, in the house of her grandfather, a rich old clergyman of the name of Fanning. I was then a scholar of the house in the University; and every day, after commons, I used to walk under her windows with one or the other of my fellowstudents. I soon grew passionately fond of her, and she also was struck with me, though certainly my appearance, neither then nor now, was much in my favor; so it was, however, that before we had ever spoken to each other, a mutual affection had commenced between us. She was at this time not sixteen years of age, and as beautiful as an angel. She had a brother some years older than herself; and as it was necessary for my admission to the family, that I should be first acquainted with him, I soon contrived to be introduced to him; and as he played well on the violin, and I was myself a musical man, we grew intimate, the more so, as it may well be supposed I neglected no fair means to recommend myself to him and the rest of

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the family, with whom I soon grew a favorite. My affairs now advanced prosperously; my wife and I grew more, passionately fond of each other; and in a short time I pro posed to her to marry me, without asking consent of any one, knowing well it would be in vain to expect it. She accepted the proposal as frankly as I made it, and one beautiful morning in the month of July we ran off together and were married. I carried her out of town to Maynooth for a few days, and when the first eclat of passion had subsided, we were forgiven on all sides, and settled in lodgings near my wife's grandfather. I was now for a short time as happy as possible, in the possession of a beautiful creature that I adored, and who every hour grew more and more upon my heart."

But he had soon to break away from his young wife to go to pursue his studies at the Temple in London. A year later his brother returned from a voyage to St. Helena, and joined him. The story of his wanderings upon the stormy deep fired the adventurous spirit of Tone. He conceived a project of planting a military colony in the Sandwich Islands. He studied the position of these islands on the map, midway between Asia and America. He considered their latitude, in the temperate zone; their mild climate and clear sky, their harbors for shipping, their mountains and inland valleys, their soil and fruits. His imagination reveled in dreams of green and flowery islands, in far-off summer seas; of lying under the cocoa palms, and having the ready food from the bread-fruit trees, dropping around their tents. But with these tropical visions he coupled the military spirit of Cortez. In

maturing his plan, he read every book he could find relating to South America, the voyages of Ulloa, Anson, Dam pièrre and others, and especially the tales of the daring buccaniers, who had been the terror of those seas. The Sandwich Islands lay in the track of the Spanish galleons from the Philippine Islands to the western coast of America. These he proposed to intercept by sending out privateers. But the main design was to assail the Spanish possessions in South America. He dreamed of another conquest of Peru-of marching in the steps of Pizarro to the throne of the Incas. Subsequently he extended his views farther to an invasion of Mexico. He had learned the internal state of New Spain; that the people were subjected to a cruel slavery, and were desirous of a revolution. To aid them to throw off their yoke would cripple the power of Spain, and turn the treasures of her silver mines into England. He therefore proposed these schemes to the English government as war measures. Several years later he had some correspondence on this subject with Lord Grenville and the Duke of Richmond. But the government was too much engrossed with troubles nearer home, and Tone was left to organize revolutions in his own country instead of planting colonies in the South Seas.

Upon his return from London, he commenced the practice of law in Dublin. In this, he continued but a year. He had an insuperable aversion to the law; and the political questions which now agitated Ireland, and the breaking out of the French Revolution, gave a new turn to his thoughts, and opened a career more congenial to his ardent mind.