an abusin’ the nabors when they’d complain of him, or tell us what he was—­ay!—­if we had, it’s a credit an’ a comfort he’d be to us now, an’ not a shame an’ a disgrace, an’ an affliction.  We made our own bed, Larry, an’ now we must lie down an it.  An’ God help us!  We made his bed too, poor boy, an’ a hard one it is.  God forgive us! but, anyhow, my heart a breakin’, for bad as he was, sure we havn’t him to look upon!”

“Thrue,” replied Larry.  “Still he was game an’ cute to the last.  Biddy Doran’s ten guineas will sarve him beyant, poor fellow.  But sure the boys’ kep their word to him, anyhow, in regard of shootin’ Foodie Flattery.  Myself was never betther plased in my life, than to hear that he got the slugs into his heart, the villain!”

*****

We have attempted to draw Phelim O’Toole as closely as possible to the character of that class, whose ignorance, want of education and absence of all moral principle, constitute them the shame and reproach of the country.  By such men the peace of Ireland is destroyed, illegal combinations formed, blood shed, and nightly outrages committed.  There is nothing more certain than this plain truth, that if proper religious and moral knowledge were impressed upon the early principles of persons like Phelim, a conscience would be created capable of revolting from crime.  Whatever the grievances of a people may be, whether real or imaginary, one thing is clear, that neither murder nor illegal violence of any description, can be the proper mode of removing or redressing them.  We have kept Phelim’s Ribbonism in the background, because its details could excite only aversion, and preferred exhibiting his utter ignorance of morality upon a less offensive subject, in order that the reader might be enabled to infer, rather than to witness with his mind’s eye, the deeper crimes of which he was capable.

WILDGOOSE LODGE

I had read the anonymous summons, but from its general import I believed it to be one of those special meetings convened for some purpose affecting the usual objects and proceedings of the body; at least the terms in which it was conveyed to me had nothing extraordinary or mysterious in them, beyond the simple fact, that it was not to be a general but a select meeting:  this mark of confidence flattered me, and I determined to attend punctually.  I was, it is true, desired to keep the circumstances entirely to myself, but there was nothing startling in this, for I had often received summonses of a similar nature.  I therefore resolved to attend, according to the letter of my instructions, “on the next night, at the solemn hour of midnight, to deliberate and act upon such matters as should then and there be submitted to my consideration.”  The morning after I received this message, I arose and resumed my usual occupations; but, from whatever cause it may have proceeded, I felt a sense of approaching evil hang heavily upon