was reflected, and each of which he was ever ready to sacrifice for the least of his passions,-pride, self-conceit, and the restless thirst for adventure. One, indeed, of the surest indications of spurious sentiment, is its inconsistency; it fails on the practical test of particular applications, and delights to rest in highflown generalities. Mr Tone's love of country did not embrace his countrymen, of whom, as may be found in his ample self-revelations, every rank and class, falls by turn under his hate and scorn; and it is indeed amply evident that a theory not very definite, and a resolution to work it out, constitutes his whole stock of patriotism. But in the perusal of Mr Tone's journals, there are chapters of the morbid pathology of our nature far more interesting than his politics, and offering many temptations to digress from the history to the man. Few indeed have poured themselves so freely

on paper.

But amidst the gloom of disappointment, there appeared a transient gleam of renewed hope to Mr Tone and his companions. On the day after the entry last adverted to, the ardour of Mr Tone seems to have spread, and nothing but a speedy landing was thought of. Mr Tone grows delirious with triumph and delight, and has in the mean time worked himself into a dream of success. "Huzza! I apprehend we are this night 6000 of the most careless fellows in Europe; for everybody is in the most extravagant spirits on the eve of an enterprise, which, considering our means, would make many people serious”- -a patriot, a man capable of reflection, of humanity and feeling, surely; but not one who had thoroughly identified himself with the "desperadoes" by whom Mr Tone was accompanied. His ardour was now and then crossed by painful reflections; he speculates on the result of a battle; and the chilling phantom of the gallows rises portentously among his meditations, and evidently lays strong hold of his imagination; but he nobly dismisses such gloomy shadows by the heroic reflection with which we apprehend he could have consoled himself under any conceivable circumstances-"Nothing on earth could sustain me now; but the consciousness that I am engaged in a just and righteous cause.' The thoughts of his family now, as in former times, can be more easily dismissed, than those inauspicious imaginings; he adds-" for my family, I have, by a desperate effort, surmounted my natural feelings so far, that I do not think of them at this moment." If the reader will give himself the trouble to look back to the history of the first years of Mr Tone's married life, he will rightly appreciate the amount of this "desperate effort."

In our selections from the journal on this occasion, we have only aimed to bring forward the narrator himself. The details of an expedition which led to no result, though very instructive and entertaining, are needless here. Suffice it to say, that symptoms of the abandonment of the enterprise quickly appeared. After having been "six days in Bantry Bay, within five hundred yards of the shore," and having their ships scattered, and diminished from 43 sail to 14, it was settled to sail back to Brest, provided they could escape the English. Mr Tone consoles himself with many characteristic reflections: defrauded by the cruel elements of all hope to "be great, nor famous, nor powerful," he whispers to himself that he may be happy, and con

jures up a dream of domestic felicity. It is nearly ludicrous under these circumstances, how rapidly his moveable nature becomes invested with the cast clothes of parental and conjugal tenderness, and he straightway falls into new horrors about his separation from his wife and "darling babies."

On the last day of the year 1796, he was once more on the way to Brest; where, after a highly tempestuous passage, during which he experienced some very alarming and disagreeable casualties, he arrived on the first of January, 1797. Shortly after his arrival, Mr Tone was transferred, with the rank of adjutant-general, to the army of the Sambre and Meuse, under his friend general Clarke. This interval may be passed-it was not of long duration. In the month of March, we find him journalizing in Paris, leading the "life of a dog." Not being quite a Frenchman, he felt deserted and alone, a state from which his strongly social temper revolted. He becomes acquainted with Tom Paine, and is of course captivated by his profound wisdom, and lofty morality; but has the sagacity to perceive that he is not absolutely perfect. "I have been lately introduced to the famous Thomas Paine, and like him very well. He is vain beyond belief; but he has reason to be vain, and for my part I forgive him. He has done wonders for the cause of liberty, both in America and Europe, and I believe him to be conscientiously an honest man." And again, "he drinks like a fish,—a misfortune I have known to befall other celebrated patriots. I am told that the true time to see him to advantage is about ten at night, with a bottle of brandy and water before him, which I can very well conceive. I have not yet had that advantage; but must contrive if I can, to sup with him at least one night, before I set off for the army."

At this time, it is very observable, that the high animal spirits which have hitherto sustained Mr Tone begin to fail very much. The cause is, we believe, one very apparent through his journals, but to which we have not adverted, a habit of drunkenness early contracted and sedulously kept up. The gloom attendant upon his circumstances of precarious adventure and friendless loneliness becomes frequent, and in the same proportion, he discovers "that it is not good for man to be alone;" and his yearnings after his wife and family grow upon him with a force that seems in some degree to soften and steady the picaroon in his heart.

His wife and family, whom he had left in America, had now reached Hamburgh on their way to join him; from which place, after some time, they reached Paris in safety. At this time, several of the United Irishmen had found their way to this capital, and Mr Tone underwent much vexation from the low intrigues by which they endeavoured to work their way to importance. They exerted themselves to discredit each other with so much dexterity, that they succeeded in obtaining the contempt of men, whose principles were little better than their own. Mr Tone, however, maintained his ground. Though lax in his notions of right and wrong, he yet was governed and sustained by that pride which was a strong trait of his character: he strove hard to keep in favour with himself, and possessed a species of honour accommodated to the general tenor of his conduct. He had by this

succeeded in convincing himself of the virtue and justice of his entire course of action, and framed his own theory, according to which, acts that the received notions of mankind consign to infamy, were either justified or rendered honourable. Without justly considering this disposition (to which the tendencies are common enough, and generally understood,) it is not easy to conceive Mr Tone's character, or to understand the occasional attitude of virtue and dignity which he seems to assume. Indeed, so important is this to many parts of this memoir, that we shall here extract a few of those reflections which now and again distil from Mr Tone's pen-which stood to him in the stead of a father confessor at times, in the total privation of social confidence to which he was often, for long intervals, condemned. The reader of his journals will often enough catch him in the task of proving to himself that he is not a knave. The following is a specimen:-"It is with me a great proof of a man's integrity, when in times of revolution he is alternately sacrificed by both parties." Mr Tone's case, it ought to be noticed in passing, is precisely the most obvious exception to the truth of this rule. Having been by one party spurned for his conduct and opinions, and outlawed from honest men, he was now beginning to be circumvented by the knavery of his associates. But let us hear himself:-"In order to do any good, with any party, a man must make great sacrifices, not only of his judgment, but what is much worse, I fear of his conscience also." "He must keep a sort of running account with his conscience, when he is to set off the good against the bad, and if the balance be in his favour this is all he can expect." Having made this highly descriptive statement of his moral code, he adds with great naiveté, "Thus far at least I have preserved my principles," &c.

It was during this interval, in 1798, that accounts reached him of the arrest of several of his old friends and associates. His comments throw some light on the events to which they refer, and shall be used for the purpose, when we shall again have come back to Irish ground. He rails with violence against the Irish government for proceedings, of which, in the same breath, he fully and unequivocally proves the justice and confesses the necessity.

We must here pass directly to the last events of Mr Tone's life. The death of general Hoche was considered to have terminated the hopes of any expedition against Ireland on a grand scale; as this eminent officer, together with a strong zeal, possessed the influence necessary to carry his views into effect. Still there was a sense that the state of Ireland offered prospects of successful conquest not to be thrown away, though the naval force of England presented an obstacle so great as to discourage any immediate sacrifice of means. Napoleon, strongly intent on more apparently feasible objects, looked on Ireland chiefly as an object to divert the attention, and divide the force of England, the only power which held his projects in check. The Irish expedition was, therefore, handed over to inferior men; and the low state of the republican finances rendered doubtful the prospect of any further effort. Some impulse was, however, now given by the reports of the insurrectionary movements which at last began to appear in Ireland, and it was determined that something should be attempted.

On this occasion the opinions offered, and the plans proposed by the persons to whom the concerting of the invasion seems to have been left, as stated by Mr Tone, display the most farcical ignorance of everything connected with the subject. Mr Tone was, as usual, alert, urgent, and sagacious, and seems to have exerted himself successfully to set them right, and to prompt their motions. At last a plan was arranged, which we are told might have been successful, had it not been too late. This plan was to send small detachments to different parts, so as to spread and keep alive the rebellion, until the main force could be sent.

In consequence of this scheme, a small expedition first sailed from Rochelle, under general Humbert, with one thousand men. He was accompanied by a few Irishmen, among whom were Matthew Tone and Bartholomew Teeling. Towards the end of August they landed in Killala Bay, and immediately stormed the town. Satisfied with this first fruit of French valour in Ireland, Humbert loitered here, drilling Irish peasants, and enjoying the hospitality of the bishop. The report of general Lake's approach, however, roused him, and he advanced to meet his enemy. Lake had been hastily detached to check the advance of the French-they met near Castlebar, and Lake's detachment was defeated. We shall give the particulars further on, as we are here only concerned with the fate of Mr Tone. Humbert's expedition, which had been precipitated by his own impatience, and without awaiting the consent of the Directory, while it perplexed his government, at the same time hurried their movements; and the news of his success which reached them, unaccompanied by any account of the following defeat, gave added impulse to further preparations. A few days decided Humbert's fate, he having been surrounded and compelled to lay down his arms by lord Cornwallis at Ballinamuck. Matthew Tone, with Teeling, were taken and executed. The mass of the United Irishmen, then in Paris, followed in a small vessel, with Napper Tandy at their head. They landed on the north-west coast of Ireland, and finding the real state of affairs, they made their escape, after sending out a few proclamations.

The third party was commanded by general Hardy, with three thousand men: in this flotilla, there were but four Irishmen, of whom one was Mr Tone. Mr Tone was in the Hoche, in which the admiral had set up his flag.

Mr Tone had, it is asserted by his son, no hope of success; he clearly saw that the time was past, the means inadequate, and the expedition by which this was to be followed up, unlikely to be executed. But from his own memoirs we also learn, that though Mr Tone possessed very considerable acuteness and sagacity, he was strongly under the control of the adventure-loving temperament which was the demon that ruled him; he cherished a strong presentiment of success, which he expresses or betrays in many ways. He had nevertheless sufficient apprehensions of the possibility of a fatal event, to lead him into some curious speculations as to the conduct he should pursue, if taken, and came to the resolution never to suffer the indignity of a public execution. Suicide he considered, in such a danger, to be no more than choosing the mode of his death.

It was on the 20th September, 1798, when, as the younger Tone justly observes, the only circumstances that could afford any prospect of success had completely terminated, that this expedition sailed from the bay of Camaret. It consisted of one 74, and eight frigates. "To avoid the British fleets, Bompart took a large sweep to the westward, and then to the northeast, in order to bear down on the northern coast of Ireland, from a quarter where a French force would be least expected." His fleet was scattered by contrary winds, and the Hoche was accompanied by three frigates only, when, after a course of twenty days, they reached Lough Swilly. On the 11th of October, at daybreak, he saw a fleet of six sail of the line and two frigates bearing down upon him. As nothing could be expected from resistance, and as the 74 could not hope even to escape, from the tide having ebbed and low water, Bompart signalled his frigates to escape, and the schooner having sent a boat for orders, the French officers urged that Mr Tone should save himself. He refused-and as the case was one which admitted of no result but his death or capture, it is not easy to see on what ground, consistent with the most ordinary discretion, he could have come to such a decision. A sentiment of military pride is expressed in the answer reported by his son, "Shall it be said that I fled while the French were fighting the battles of my country ?"

The Hoche was presently attacked by two British ships, the Robust and the Magnanime, and presently after by the Amelia; while the frigates were some attacked and some pursued by the remaining vessels of the British squadron,-three of the French frigates, Ambuscade, Coquile, and Bellone, remaining with, and supporting the Hoche. At half-past ten, after a gallant resistance, when masts, sails, rigging, and hull, were shattered, and five feet water in her hold, the Hoche struck-the Ambuscade struck also in another hour, when the Coquile, with the other vessel, attempted to escape and was pursued. The Coquile was caught, made a brave fight, and surrendered. One British vessel, the Anson, had been disabled by the weather, and was compelled to remain far to leeward of the action. She was attacked by five French frigates and greatly damaged; but after sustaining an engagement for nearly three hours, she was relieved by the approach of the other vessels of the fleet. The Melampus was still in pursuit of the French frigate, the Bellone, until about two o'clock, when a very severe action followed, in which the Bellone, after a desperate resistance, lowered her colours. On the following day, the Resolue, and a few days after, the Loire, were taken by the Melampus and Anson, and lastly, the Immortalité by the Fisgard; so that out of the whole squadron, but two frigates and a schooner escaped. The French fought with the utmost bravery in. each instance, while there was any possibility of resistance. We should have been content simply to indicate the result of this action, were it not that the account given by Mr Tone (the younger) is a vapouring misrepresentation from beginning to end.

Tone took an active part in the fight. He took charge of a battery, and exposed himself fearlessly to the British fire. He was not recognised among the other prisoners when taken, having completely