tion from the secretary of state, that such of the prisoners as were married had the permission of government to see their wives *. I was much surprised, however, to find that my friend Nelson was not disposed to avail himself of this permission. Nelson had a tender affection for his wife, and she merited all the respect and attachment he could feel; yet he positively prohibited her visiting his prison. "I cannot", said he, "suffer you to undertake a long and fatiguing journey at this season of the year to visit me in my cell. Here your nerves will be shocked by the brutality of a turnkey, and at the Castle your pride will be wounded by the insolence of a minion in office." His prohibition however did not avail. He addressed his letter through the usual channel, the office of the secretary of state; but the faithful partner of his affections had already procured an order of admission to the prison.

As government had now so far relaxed in the severity of our prison discipline, my father addressed the secretary, his friend Lord Castlereagh, and requested permission to visit me af ter so long and painful a separation: but his lordship had not the heart of an O'Neill, nor the

* I have reason to suppose that this indulgence was acceded to the humane interference of the late Lord O'Neill.

feelings of a father; he refused, in the polite language of the courtier, without altogether closing the door against hope. My father was importunate; several letters passed between him and the noble secretary, when the latter, to put an end to the correspondence, terminated his last epistle in these words :-" It is necessary that you should state some specific grounds for the permission sought." My father replied, "I can state no specific grounds for the permission sought, save that God and nature require parental attention to my child, which, considered in a ministerial point of view, may not be deemed sufficient."

For a considerable time no material change took place in our situation; as our prison became too crowded, it was occasionally relieved by the removal of its surplus numbers to the prison ships and military provosts. Many were sent to pine and perish in the distant colonies of Britain, several to work the mines or augment the armies of her Prussian ally; and (fatal infatuation!) others were compelled to enter the British fleet, which in a short time after, under the direction of the unfortunate Parker, taught an awful lesson to ministers, which threatened the extinction of their naval power *. The ill * Mutiny at the Nore.

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success attendant on those measures,-the increasing power of France,-the agitated and defenceless state of Ireland, a great proportion of whose military force was now become more a subject of alarm than security, caused men of reflection to pause for a moment; and in the interval of returning reason some efforts were made to reconcile the conflicting passions of the public, and, by a cessation of hostility on the part of the government, to procure, if not an acquiescence, a non-resistance on the part of the people.

The person who offered his services on this occasion as arbitrator between the government and the people, seemed well qualified for the undertaking: he had once been a distinguished character in Ireland. Of ancient family and ample fortune, he had lately been raised to the peerage, which reflected no additional lustre on the man whose ancestors swayed princely authority in the land before Britain had a title in that land to bestow:-a leader of the immortal band of volunteers, the principles of liberty were early congenial to his heart*:-benevolent and kind, he felt for the misfortunes

* See in Appendix, No. I., Lord O'Neill's sentiments on parliamentary reform.

which he could not relieve, and in the eventful day of strife fell the victim of mistake, when the roused and ungovernable passions of men were no longer under the control of discriminating reason. To Lord O'Neill, then, was assigned the important commission, which it was vainly hoped would afford security to the state and tranquillity to the people.

Lord O'Neill entered on his mission in the full confidence and security of an unsuspecting mind. He had several interviews with us in prison, and though we entertained no very high ideas of the sincerity of the administration, we had no reason to suspect the purity of his views. But his humane intentions were counteracted by the intrigues of faction; for that demon of dissension -the bane of Ireland's happiness and peace, he who, in the language of Grattan, "lived too short for justice, but too long for his country," interposed. The cherished hopes of conciliation and justice were followed by torture on the one hand, and resistance on the other.

* Lord Cl-e.

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CHAPTER V.

Prison anecdotes-Increased severities-Communications from prison-Just reliance on popular feeling-Perilous situation of the Governor-Domiciliary visit-Lord Carhampton.

THE calm resignation and unshaken fortitude which supported men through the severest trials, and accompanied them in the last stage of their mortal career, seemed a matter of unaccountable surprise to those who were insensible to the love of country and the innate feelings of virtue, which teach us how to die.

The fatal bell had tolled, and another victim was doomed to the grave. I endeavoured to conceal from myself the emotion which a recurrence of such scenes had not yet taught me entirely to suppress. He is, perhaps, said I, the only prop of a widowed mother; the husband, father, long sighed for, never to return, or the youthful scion of a noble house. The irresistible impulse of feeling led me forward to exchange,