fame infamous witneffes, whofe teftimony had been so justly 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 testified 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, scampered 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 steal out of the

town

I fhall mention only one inftance out of many. " During his trial, Mr. Keating, a person of known property and credit in that country, having given the cleareft 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, stood 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 uselefs to Sheehy, but also that of many others was prevented, who came on purpose to testify 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.

town by night, and with all poffible fpeed make his ef cape to Dublin.

The night before his execution, which was but the fecond after his fentence, he wrote a letter to Major Sirr, wherein he declared his innocence of the crime for which he was next day to fuffer death; and on the morning of that day, just before he was brought forth to execution, he, in the prefence of the sub-sheriff and a clergyman who attended him, again declared his innocence of the murder; folemnly protesting at the fame time, as he was a dying man, juft going to appear before the most awful of tribunals, that he never had engaged any of the rioters in the fervice of the French king, by tendering them oaths, or otherwife; that he never had diftributed money among them on that account, nor had ever received money from France, or any other foreign court, either directly or indirectly, for any fuch purpofe; that he never knew of any French or other foreign officers being among these rioters; or of any Roman catholics of property or note, being concerned with them. At the place of execution he folemnly averred the fame things, adding, "that he never heard an oath of allegiance to any foreign prince propofed or administered in his life-time; nor ever knew any thing of the murder of Bridge, until he heard it publicly talked of; nor did he know that there ever was any fuch defign on foot."

Every body knew, that this clergyman might, if he pleased, have easily made his escape to France, when he first heard of the proclamation for apprehending him and as he was all along accufed of having been agent for the French king, in raifing and fomenting thefe tumults, he could not doubt of finding a fafe retreat, and suitable recompence for fuch fervices, in any part of his dominions. It feems, therefore, abfurd in the highest degree, to imagine that he, or any man, being at the fame time confcious of the complicated guilt of rebellion and murder, would have wilfully neglected the double opportunity of escaping the punishment due to fuch crimes, and of living at

T

his ease and fafety in another kingdom; or that any perfon, fo criminally circumftanced as he was thought to be, would have at all furrendered himself to a public trial, without friends, money, or family connections; and, above all, without that consciousness of his innocence, on which, and the protection of the Almighty, he might poffibly have relied for his deliver

ance.

Emboldened by this fuccefs, the knight before-mentioned published an advertisement, fomewhat in the nature of a manifefto, wherein, after having prefumed to cenfure adminiftration for not punishing, with greater and unjuftifiable feverity, thefe wretched rioters; he named a certain day, on which the following perfons of credit and fubftance in that country, viz. Edmund Sheehy, James Buxton, James Farrel, and others, were to be tried by commiffion at Clonmell, as principals or accomplices in the aforefaid murder of Bridge. And, as if he meant by dint of numbers, to intimidate even the judges into lawless rigour and feverity, he fent forth a fort of authoritative fummons

to every gentleman in the county to attend that commiffion." His fummons was punctually obeyed by his numerous and powerful adherents; and thefe innocent (as will appear hereafter) men, were fentenced to be hanged and quartered by that commiffion.

It will naturally be afked, upon what new evidence this fentence was paffed; as it may well be fuppofed,

that

e

"James Prendergaft, Efq; a witnefs for Mr. Edmund Sheehy, perfectly unexceptionable in point of fortune, character and religion, which was that of the established church, depofed, that on the day and hour on which the murder of Bridge was fworn to have been committed, viz. about or between the hours of ten and eleven o'clock on the night of the 28th of October 1764, Edmund Sheehy, the prifoner was with him and others, in a dif tant part of the country; that they and their wives had, on the aforefaid 28th of October, dined at the house of Mr. Tenison, near Ardfinan, in the county of Tipperary, where they continued until after fupper; that it was about eleven o'clock when he and the prifoner left the houfe of Mr. Tenifon, and rode a confiderable way together on their return to their refpec

tive

that no ufe was made of the former reprobated witneffes on this occafion. But truth obliges me to anfwer, with reluctance and fhame, that ufe was made of them, and a principal use too, in the trial and conviction of thefe devoted men. The managers, however, for the crown, as they impudently called themfelves, being afraid, or afhamed, to truft the fuccefs of their fanguinary purposes to the now enfeebled, becaufe generally exploded, teftimony of these mifcreants, looked out for certain props, under the name of approvers, to ftrengthen and fupport their tottering evidence. These they foon found in the persons of Herbert and Bier, two prifoners, accufed like the reft of the murder of Bridge; and who, though abfolutely ftrangers to it (as they themfelves had often fworn in the jail), were nevertheless in equal danger of being hanged for it, if they did not purchase their pardon by becoming approvers of the former falfe witneffes. Herbert was fo confcious of his innocence in respect to Bridge's murder, that he had come to the affizes of Clonmell, in order to give evidence in favour of the priest Sheehy; but his arrival and bufinefs being foon made known, effectual measures were taken to prevent his giving fuch evidence. Accordingly bills of high treafon were found against him,

tive homes; that the prisoner had his wife behind him; that when he (Mr. Prendergaft) got home, he looked at the clock, and found it was the hour of twelve exactly." This teftimony was confirmed by feveral corroborating circumstances, fworn to by two other witneffes, against whom no exception appears to have been taken. And yet, because Mr. Tenifon, although he confeffed in his depofition, that the prifoner had dined with him in October 1764, and does not exprefly deny that it was on the 28th of that month; but fays, conjecturally, that he was inclined to think that it was earlier than the 28th, the prifoner was brought in guilty. Thus pofitive and particular proof, produced by Mr. Prendergast, with the circumstances of the day and the hour, attefted upon oath by two other witneffes, whofe veracity feems not to have been queftioned, was overruled and fet afide, by the vague and indeterminate furmife of Mr. Tenifon. See Exfhaw's Gentleman's and London Magazine for April, and June, 1766.

him, upon the information of one of thefe reprobate witneffes, and a party of light-horfe fent to take him prifoner. Bier, upon his removal afterwards to Newgate in Dublin, declared, in a dangerous fit of ficknefs, to the ordinary of that prifon, with evident marks of fincere repentance, "that for any thing he knew to the contrary, the before mentioned Edmund Sheehy, James Buxton, and James Farrell, were intirely innocent of the fact for which they had suffered death; and that nothing in this world, but the prefervation of his own life, which he faw was in the moft imminent danger, fhould have tempted him to be guilty of the complicated crimes of perjury and murder, as he then confeffed he was, when he swore away the lives of those innocent men."

On Saturday morning, May 3d, 1766, the convicts were hanged and quartered at Clogheen. Their behaviour at the place of execution was chearful, but devout; and modeft, though refolute. It was impoffible for any one in their circumstances, to counterfeit that refignation, ferenity, and pleafing hope, which appeared ftrikingly in all their countenances and geftures. Confcious of their innocence, they feemed to haften to receive the reward prepared in the next life, for those who fuffer patiently in this. For, not content to forgive, they prayed for and bleffed their profecutors, judges, and juries, as likewife all those who were otherwise inftrumental in procuring their deaths. After they were tied up, and juft before they were turned off, each of them, in his turn, read a paper aloud, without tremour, hesitation, or other visible emotion, wherein they folemnly protefted, as dying christians, who were quickly to appear before the judgment-feat of God, "that they had no fhare either by act, counsel, or knowledge in the murder of Bridge; that they never heard an oath of allegiance to any foreign prince propofed or administered amongst them; that they never heard, that, any fcheme of rebellion, high treafon, or a maffacre, was intended, offered, or even thought of, by any of them; that they never knew of any commiffions, or French or Spanish