During the few years which elapsed between 1800 and the death of Mr. Pitt, two or three demonstrations were made in Dublin against the Legislative Union, in all of which Mr. O'Connell continued to gain reputation as a popular leader; but he had not yet been recognised as the great agent of what was called "Catholic Emancipation." The history of the years which elapsed between the development of Roman Catholic agitation in 1809 and its signal victory in 1829 discloses just thus much respecting Daniel O'Connell; that he was sometimes the mere mouthpiece, and occasionally the ruler, guide, and champion of the Romish priesthood; that he maintained a pressure from without," which caused not only the Irish but the Imperial Government to betray apprehension as well as to breathe vengeance; and that he found or created opportunities, during this period of his life, to display in his own person every attribute of a democratic idol. To sustain himself in the position which O'Connell held throughout the meridian of his career required great animal energy and unwearied activity of mind. He possessed both. Long before he reached middle life he had become the most industrious man in Ireland. As early as five o'clock in the morning his matins were conIcluded, his toilet finished, his morning meal discussed, and his amanuensis at full work; at eleven he was in court; at three or half-past attending a Board or a Committee; later in the evening presiding at a dinner, but generally retiring to rest at an early hour, and not only abstaining from the free use of wine, but to some extent denying himself the national beverage of his country. always seemed so unfeigned, that, aided by that and | of Dublin as a "beggarly corporation," and upon other arts, he seldom failed to create in the minds of this a quarrel was founded by their champion, Mr. every jury a prejudice in favor of whichever party D'Esterre, who walked about armed with a bludhad the good fortune to have hired his services. geon, threatening to inflict personal chastisement His astonishing skill in cross-examination; the on his adversary. The habits of thinking which caution, dexterity, and judgment which he displayed then prevailed in Ireland admitted of no other in conducting a cause; the clearness and precision course than that Mr. O'Connell should demand with which he disentangled the most intricate mass satisfaction. Both parties, attended by their friends, of evidence, especially in matters of account, pro- met on the 31st of January, 1815, at a place called cured for him the entire confidence of all those who Bishop's Court, in the county of Kildare. It somehad legal patronage to dispense. In the Rolls Court times happens that a man displays unusual gaiety also, where Mr. Curran at that time presided, Mr. | when he is sick at heart; and never did the jocuO'Connell was in the highest favor. larity of O'Connell appear more exuberant than on the morning of that day when he went forth to destroy the life of his adversary or to sacrifice his own. Sir Edward Stanley attended Mr. D'Esterre, and Major Macnamara was the friend of Mr. O'Connell. At the first fire D'Esterre fell mortally wounded. A gamester would have betted five to one in his favor. Familiarized with scenes of danger from early youth, his courage was of the highest order; practised in the use of the pistol, it was said that he could "snuff a candle at twelve paces," while Mr. O'Connell's peaceful profession caused him to seem-as opposed to a military man-a safe antagonist, and this, added to D'Esterre's supposed skill as a shot, promised assured success to the champion whom the Orange corporation "sent forth to do battle" with the Popish Goliah. But the lifeless corpse of the real aggressor bore its silent and impressive testimony to the imperfect nature of all human calculations. Mr. O'Connell, though less culpable than his victim, still seemed conscious of having committed a great crime; and, influenced by keen remorse, he expressed the deepest contrition. It is, however, not the fact that he at that time "registered" his celebrated "vow" against the use of the duelling pistols. On the contrary, he engaged in another affair of honor before finally abandoning the dernier ressort of bullets and gunpowder. In a few months after the fatal event just recorded, Mr. O'Connell received a communication tending towards hostility from Sir Robert (then Mr.) Peel, who at that time filled the office of Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Sir Charles Saxton, on the part of Mr. Peel, had an interview first with Mr. O'Connell, and afterwards with the friend of that gentleman, Mr. Lidwell. The business of exchanging protocols went on between the parties for three days, when, at length, Mr. O'Connell was taken into custody and bound over to keep the peace towards all his fellow subjects in Ireland; thereupon Mr. Peel and his friend came to this country and eventually proceeded to the Continent. Mr. O'Connell followed them to London, but the metropolitan police, then called "Bow-street officers," were active enough to bring him before the Chief Justice of England, when he entered into recognisances to keep the peace towards all his Majesty's subjects; and so ended an affair which might have compromised the safety of two men who since that time have filled no small place in the public mind. 66 He was often heard to say, "I am the best abused man in all Ireland, or perhaps in all Europe." Amongst those who delighted to pour upon him the vials of their wrath, the municipal authorities of Dublin were perhaps the most prominent. The old corporation of that city was so corrupt, so feeble, and so thoroughly Orange in its politics, that Mr. O'Connell reckoned confidently upon winning golden opinions" from his party, while he indulged his own personal vengeance, by making the civic Government of Dublin an object of his fiercest hostility. In the year 1815 this feud had attained to its utmost height, and various modes of overwhelming their tremendous adversary were suggested to the corporators; but at length shooting him was deemed the most eligible. This manner of dealing with an enemy is so perfectly Hibernian, that in Dublin it could not fail to meet with entire and cordial acceptance. At that time a Mr. D'Esterre, who had been an officer of marines, was one of those members of the Dublin corporation who struggled the hardest for lucrative office. The more knowing members of that body hinted to him that an affair of honor with O'Connell would make his fortune. To such advisers the death of either party would be a boon, for the one was a rival, and the other an enemy. O'Connell had publicly designated the municipality The period which this narrative has now reached was still many years antecedent to the introduction of the Roman Catholic Relief Bill. Down to that moment Mr. O'Connell prosecuted with unabated vigor his peculiar system of warfare against the supporters of Orange ascendency, while he pursued his avocations as a lawyer with increasing and eminent success. As early as the year 1816 his professional position quite entitled him to a silk gown, but his creed kept him on the outside of the bar, where he continued to enjoy the largest and constitution of his mind. Had he not belonged to most lucrative business that ever rewarded the labors of a junior barrister. Meanwhile that body, called the Catholic Association, with O'Connell at its head, carried on the trade of agitating the Irish populace. The Parliamentary career of him-the member for all Ireland"-now more immediately claims our attention; and it naturally takes its commencement from the first occasion upon which he was returned for Clare. A vacancy having occurred in the representation of that county, a gentleman called O'Gorman Mahon, seized by a sudden freak, posted off to Dublin, entered the Roman Catholic Association, and proposed a resolution calling O'Connell to become a candidate, which was unanimously carried. Mr. O'Connell had been so often engaged on the wrong side of a legal controversy that he did not, upon this occasion, hesitate to promise his adherents an easy triumph. He averred that he could sit without taking the oaths; and his legal doctrines were supported by Mr. But-influence had not yet passed out of his hands, and ler, a member of the English bar, while his pretensions as a candidate were sustained by the influence of the priesthood and the agency of the mob. The combined influence of the Government and of the squirearchy were scattered and set at naught by the power of the priesthood; and Mr. O'Connell was, on the 5th of July, 1828, returned to Parliament by a large majority of the Clare electors. He lost no time in presenting himself at the table of the House of Commons, and expressed his willingness to take HERVIO NANO.-The disposition of this person's the oath of allegiance, but refusing the other oaths, remains has been publicly stated, and a friend enables he was ordered to withdraw. Discussions in the us to give an anatomical account of his last (dis)house and arguments at the bar ensued; the speedy appearance. "This extraordinary cripple (says close of the session, however, precluded any practical our informant) exhibits the rare combination of result. Agitation throughout every part of Ireland perfect symmetry, strength, and beauty, with a great now assumed so formidable a character that Minis-amount of deformity. The head is remarkably fine ters said they apprehended a civil war, and early in in form, and the expression intelligent and benign; the next session the Roman Catholic Relief Bill the chest, shoulders, and arms form a perfect model was introduced and carried; Mr. O'Connell was, of strength and beauty; the arms are exceedingly therefore, in the month of April, 1829, enabled to sit muscular, and the hands very well and strongly for Clare without taking the objectionable oaths; formed; when standing, the arms could reach but it was necessary that a new writ should issue, the ground easily, so as to be employed in under which he was immediately re-elected. progression or leaping; in the place of legs Mr. O'Connell had a seat in the House of Com-there are two limbs, the left about eighteen inchmons for eighteen years, under the rule of three suc- es from the hip to the point of the toes, the right cessive sovereigns, during six distinctive Adminis-about twenty-four from the same points. The feet trations, and in seven several Parliaments. are natural. The easiest mode of explaining the Every reader is aware that he took an active part nature of these limbs is to say, that it seems as in all the legislation of the period, as well as in the though the thigh bones and muscles had disappearvarious struggles for power and place in which the ed, and the knee joints been raised up to the hips; political parties of the country have been engaged the bone on the one side is tolerably like a leg-bone, during the last twenty years; and right vigorously on the other it is compressed into an immensely did he bear himself throughout those changing strong bone of triangular form, with the base upscenes. Grattan once said, in reference to Flood, wards, and knit to the hip with very strong ligaan oak of the forest is too old and too great to be ments: these limbs are furnished with the muscles transplanted at fifty." But O'Connell had reached which should have belonged to the thigh, and those the age of fifty-five before he underwent the process of the leg are much increased in size; the muscles of transplantation, yet his Parliamentary character of the calf being comparatively small, on account was of hardy and flourishing growth. His position, probably of his mode of walking, contribute to give as mouth-piece of the priesthood and populace of the limb the look of a lion's fore-arm. Nearly Ireland, usually made it necessary that the tone of double power must have been obtained over the his speeches should harmonize with the feelings of feet by this arrangement; and this would account a rude and passionate multitude; but on subjects for his extraordinary feats of leaping, such as distinct from the party squabbles of his countrymen, following a horse at full speed on the hands and scarcely any one addressed the House more effec-feet, and suddenly springing on its back like a tively than did Mr. O'Connell; and it is generally monkey, or jumping ten feet in the air; his mode of acknowledged that in his speeches upon the great fighting too was most original; he used to spring in question of Parliamentary Reform he was surpassed the air, and at the same instant deal the most terby very few Members of either House. Although rific blow upon his unwary antagonist's head, so it cannot be denied that the faults of his character were numerous, and the amount of his political offences most grievous in the sight of the public, yet he enjoyed some popularity even in this country, for many elements of greatness entered into the that he was a very formidable combatant. It is said that in his palmy days, while driving his cab, a clumsy carter drove against him, and, as usual, accused Hervio of being in fault, at which our hero sprang from his seat on the back of the man, and gave him a most terrible thrashing:-his feats of strength in his monkey characters are well known. A very good cast of the entire figure has been made, which will doubtless be shown to those who may be curious in such matters. NEW OPERA BY MEYERBEER.-Meyerbeer's Camp of Silesia has come out at last at Vienna under the name of Vielka, with very great success: it is promised amongst the attractions of the season at Her Majesty's Theatre, with Staudigl, Jenny Lind, and the composer to conduct. INVENTOR OF GUN COTTON.-Prof. Schönbein has had the honor of Knighthood conferred upon him by the King of Sweden. Julius Cæsar in this tomb; and later, of the tiring woman of the famous Messalina, and another, Cecilia Metella; among whose bones were found broken toilette elegances, gold hair-pins. Pindarus, physician to Augustus; Junius Blesus, the hitherto unascertained colleague of Sergius Lentulus, A.U.C. 762, are also made known through this discovery; and another inscription speaks of a musician be longing to a collegium symphoniacorum, or ancient concert institution of Rome. MYSTERIOUS CANINE INSTINCT.-Mr. Justice Williams' death was extremely sudden. He had passed the shooting season with his valued friends, Mr. and Lady Augusta Milbanke, at the Yorkshire Moors, a family with which he had long been conROMAN REMAINS IN ITALY. - A communication nected, having sat for some years for a borough of the Duke of Cleaveland, her ladyship's father. to the Roman Archæological Society describes a From thence he went to pass a week with Lord sepulchre recently discovered near the family vault Brougham in Westmoreland. While there, he felt of the Scipios, The inscriptions relate to the dea sharp pain in the chest, but this was only men-posit of the bodies of freemen Paulus Emilius and tioned afterwards, for he never spoke of it to Brougham. On his way through London to his residence in Suffolk he consulted his physicians, who considered it as connected with the liver, and of no grave importance. On his arrival at his seat he was seemingly quite well, and went out daily to shoot. After a week or ten days, he was on the 14th of September, somewhat indisposed, but had been out riding before breakfast. He did not dine at table, there being some visitors there. Lady Williams left him pretty well in the drawing-room, and returned after dinner, but before the company retired EDUCATION, SCIENCE, AND ART.-The Miscellafrom table. She found him apparently well, and neous Service Estimates contain an account of the playing with her lap-dog. She went to the dining- sums proposed to be appropriated during the current room, and came back for the dog in three, or, at financial year to the purposes above mentioned. the most, four minutes after she had left him well. The sum total which the Government will require No sooner did she open the drawing-room door from the House of Commons amounts to 349,9434. than the animal set up a loud bark, and rushed against 325,9087. in 1846, and 300,218. in 1845, past her violently, barking and howling all the The sum total will be thus distributed: viz. 100,000/ way. She asked him what ailed the dog, but re- for public education in Great Britain, and 100,000Z. ceived no answer. She repeated the question, and for the same purpose in Ireland; 65001. for Schools seeing him, as she thought, asleep, called his ser- of Design, 2006. for the University Professors, vant to see if his head was not too low. The man 45361. for the University of London, 74801. for the said, "No; he is sleeping comfortably." She ap- Scotch Universities, 3007. for the Royal Irish Hibernian proached him, and again asked him to speak. She Academy, 3007. for the Royal observed one eye nearly open, the other half closed, Academy, 60007. for the Royal Dublin Society, but his color as usual. The servant and another 2600, for the Belfast Academical Institute, 48,518/ thought still that he slept, but her ladyship felt sure for the British Museum establishment, 47,9597. he was gone. So it proved, for he speedily be- for the British Museum Buildings, and 3152. came cold and pale, nor could any of the remedies for purchases; 5537. for the National Gallery, that were applied restore him. He had complained, 89617. for the Museum of Practical Geology and when he awoke just before dinner, that he had in Geological Survey, 40941. for scientific works and his sleep dreamed of a sword piercing his breast. experiments, and 20007. for the completion of the The examination of the body proved only that all monument erected to the memory of the late Visthe nobler parts-both head, chest, and abdomen-count Nelson. Amongst the items of the estimate were in a state of perfect health, except a very slight enlargement of the spleen and liver, of no moment. He never had gout, nor had any of his family. We have entered into this detail on account of the very remarkable circumstance of the dog's instinct. It is quite clear that the poor animal was aware of the fatal change some time before any observer of our own species could discover that the spirit of its master had passed from this world. Many stories have been told of such an instinctive sense, but it has never before, we believe, been established on such irrefragable evidence as the facts above detailed constitute.-Law Review. for the National Gallery are the following sums: 22007. required for the purchase of the "Boar's Hunt," by Velasquez; 7871. 10s. for A. Caracci's "Temptation of St. Anthony; and 10507. for Raffaelle's "Vision of a Knight" (with a drawing).— Times. DEATH OF GEIJER THE HISTORIAN.-By the last advices from Stockholm we regret to learn the death, at Upsala, of Professor Eric Gustaf Geijer, the celebrated historian and philosopher. He has not been spared to complete his great work on the history of Sweden, of which only one volume has been published. SIR DAVID BREWSTER.-We rejoice to see it GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE OF LITERATURE -The stated that our eminent countryman, Sir D. Brew-Marquis of Clanricarde has, in the most spontane ster, has been nominated by the King of Prussia a Chevalier of the Order of Merit, vice Admiral Krusenstern deceased. Palmam qui meruit ferat. ous manner, appointed a son of Mr. Heraud, the poet, to be one of the clerks in the secretary's department of the Post Office. |