BUT, fortunately for England, their schemes were completely blasted, by the treachery of a subordinate agent, the nominal treasurer of a county and a colonel of the insurgents. In consequence of his information fourteen delegates and three members of the directory were arrested; a fourth soon after died of the wounds which he received in his own defence, and the whole plot was at length completely developed. New directors were indeed nominated, but a new discovery not only revealed their names and intentions, but consigned two of them to death*.

In the mean time the government had recourse to measures which subjected some of its members to censure; and the army itself appears to have acted, according to the manly confession of the commander in chieft, with an indefensible degree of severity. By a law lately passed, the viceroy was enabled to proclaim certain districts out of the king's peace; but lord Camden deemed it proper on his own authority, not only to put forage and provisions in requisition, but also to supersede the ordinary tribunals of justice, and issue orders for the trial of civil offences by means of courts martial.

THE remaining leaders, who had determined on a general insurrection, particularly in the province of Leinster, and not only fixed on a day for that purpose, but meditated an attack on the camp of Loughlinstown, the park of artillery at Chapel-izod, and even the castle of Dublin, at the same time, were thus anticipated in their daring attempt, while the capital was subjected to military jurisdiction, and the most efficacious measures adopted for its preservation.

↑ Two brothers of the name of Sheares.

* General sir Ralph Abercromby actually declared in public orders, "that the very disgraceful frequency of courts martial, and the many complaints of irregularities in the conduct of the troops in Ireland, had too unfortunately proved the army to be in a state of licentiousness, which must render it formidable to every one but the enemy."

Bur although many of the chiefs had been secured, and those not as yet arrested were overwhelmed with dismay, a partial revolt actually took place, on the day subsequent to that fixed upon for a general insurrection, of which the stoppage of the mail coaches was to be the signal. An assault was made by a halfarmed rabble on the town and gaol of Naas; but as their scheme had been discovered, they were instantly repulsed by a body of the military*, about one hundred and forty killed on the spot, and three of the leaders executed. A more numerous party was defeated by general Dundas, near Kilcullen; and on the preceding day, a small detachment, consisting of between four and five hundred, which had ventured to advance as far as Rathfarnham, was dispersed by only thirty-five dragoons under lord Raden, many being put to death in their flight, but two of their chiefs were reserved for public execution.

THESE feeble and unconnected attempts were not countenanced by a general rising; for Ulster, in which province alone one hundred and fifty thousand United Irishmen are said to have been enrolled and mustered, in consequence of the unpromising state of affairs wisely declined the contest; and the progress of the rebellion, unsanctioned even by the formality of a manifesto, had hitherto resembled the capricious freaks of a discontented mob, rather than the united efforts of a large portion of the nation.

BUT the agitators had succeeded in implanting certain principles into the minds of the common people; and these appear to have struck their roots into a congenial soil; for although one attempt on Carlow and another on Kildare failed, while a still more formidable commotion at Tallagh-hill was suppressed, yet the inhabitants of the counties of Wicklow and Wexford, being taught to expect immediate assist

* The Armagh militia, 4th dragoon guards, and Ancient British Fencibles.

† Ledwick and Keough.

ance from France, ran to arms, and experienced a transitory but delusive success.

FATHER JOHN MURPHY, who had received the degree of doctor of divinity in Spain, and at this period officiated as priest in the barony of Gorey and parish of Kilcormic, appears to have been the first to recur to arms in this quarter. He collected his forces by lighting a fire on a hill, called Corrigrua, which was answered by a similar signal on an eminence contiguous to his own house at Boolavogue. After disarming the Protestants and burning their houses, a savage mode of warfare but too often perpetrated by both sides on their enemies, they repaired to the vil lage of Oulart, near Kilmeckridge; and as their numbers had now increased to about fourteen thousand, armed chiefly with pikes, they began to acquire confidence.

In the mean time, part of the troops in Wexford, on hearing of the atrocities committed in their neighbourhood, determined to march against and dissipate the insurgents. Accordingly, a detachment of the North Cork, consisting of one hundred and nine picked men, under lieutenant-colonel Foote, with some of colonel Lehunte's yeoman cavalry, marched against. the rebels then posted on the side of Oulart-hill. The attack at first proved successful, and the apparent trepidation of the enemy encouraged the assailants to climb the eminence in pursuit of the fugitives; but, on their approach they not only found the hedges

* So general was the disaffection in the latter county, which is considered among the most industrious in Ireland, that all the inhabitants rose in the course of a singlenight. Mr. Ogle, one of the members for Dublin, and an active supporter of what is termed the Protestant. ascendancy, was so well acquainted with their intentions, that, on hearing a sudden noise, while in bed, he im mediately predicted that a general revolt had taken place, which being confirmed soon after, he and his family were obliged to seek protection in Duncannon fort.

lined with musketry, but their flanks turned: so complete indeed was the defeat, that the whole party was cut to pieces, the commanding officer, who was wounded by a pike in the breast and arms, a serjeant, and three privates, excepted.

On the succeeding day, Dr. Murphy issued circular notices written in red ink*, commanding all persons capable of bearing arms to join him immediately, for the purpose of attacking Enniscorthy; and such was the reputation he had acquired by his late victory, that great numbers flocked to his standard. Having said mass on Ballyorle-hill, and set fire to some houses in the neighbourhood, their leader immediately marshalled about six thousand of his followers, and they were soon after seen on the Newtown-barry road, formed into an immense column, which extended a mile in length; another body, posted on an adjoining eminence, advanced at the same time on the opposite side, and endeavoured to throw the troops into disorder by means of a stratagemf. They were gallantly and successfully opposed for a considerable time, by about three hundred and forty men who occupied the principal outlets; but as a number of disaffected persons was supposed to be in the place, and this small force was incompetent to a prolonged defence, it was determined to evacuate it. No sooner had this been effected, than it was taken possession of by the enemy, who formed a camp on Vinegar-hill early next morning, threw up entrenchments, erected batteries, and regulated all military affairs by means of a committee of twelve, four of which were priestsf.

* See "Memoirs of the different Rebellions in Ireland," by sir Richard Musgrave, bart. p. 343.

†They are said to have collected and driven all the cattle in the neighbourhood before them.

Fathers Murphy, Roche, Kearns, and Clinche. It appears that there were generally twenty priests in the camp.

THE peasantry now flocked thither in such numbers, that the main body soon consisted of ten thousand men. Sentinels, vedettes, qicquet guards, were posted around, and all the appearance of regular troops affected; but it was easy to perceive, that the majority were utterly unacquainted with the use of arms, while the motly appearance of the tents, consisting chiefly of quilts, blankets, and carpets, gave a grotesque and ridiculous appearance to the whole. Nor did they fail to imitate the army in other points of view; for having converted the ruins of a windmill into a gaol, they collected prisoners, and having tried them by the summary jurisdiction of a courtmartial, several of the unhappy victims were occasionally shot or piked in the front of the rebel line. Several protestant women also, who fell into the hands of their scouts and foraging parties, were not only treated with barbarity, but subjected to violation. To the credit, however, of one of the leaders, called general Sutton, he made use of his authority to restrain such atrocious conduct*.

To inure their followers to military exploits, irruptions were made in various directions. One body of insurgents, under the direction of father Kearns, a priest, seized on the town of Borris, and burnt all the houses belonging to the yeomen; but the assailants were repulsed in an attack on the mansion-house, notwithstanding they had provided themselves with a

* PROCLAMATION. "Whereas information has been received, that many outrages are committing through the country, on the wives and daughters of several people: this is therefore to desire and command all officers to use every exertion to apprehend and bring into Vi negar-hill camp each and every person who shall be found guilty of such offences, that they may be dealt with accordingly.

"Given under my hand at Vinegar-hill camp, this 17th day of June, 1793, the first year of liberty. "PATRICK SUTTON, Commander in Chief.”