This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com THE LIFE of THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN, LATE MASTER OF THE ROLLS IN IRELAND. BY HIS SON, WILLIAM HENRY CURRAN, > BARRISTER AT LAW. IN TWO VOLUMES. WOL. II. LONDON : PRINTED FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO. EDINBURGH, Long MAN, HuRst, RREs, on ME, and Brown, AND HURST, RoRINson, AND Co. LoNDoN. - - 1819. THE LIFE of THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN, LATE MASTER OF THE ROLLS IN IRELAND. BY HIS SON, WILLIAM HENRY CURRAN, _` BARRISTER AT LAW. IN TWO VOLUMES, WOL. II. LONDON : PRINTED FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO. EDINBURGH, LoNGMAN, HURST, REEs, or ME, AND Brown, AND HURsr, RoRINson, AND Co. LoNDON. - 1819. C O N T E N T S TO - WOL. II. == CHAPTER I. * - Reb lli º of 1798—Its causes—Unpopular system of i.”-Influence of the French Revolution— ased *lligence in Ireland–Reform societies— j jºini, views and proceedings–Ap "one-N * France—Anecdote of Theobald Wolfe of the e *mbers of the United Irishmen—Condition *res of th *y and conduct of the aristocracy—Mea "rection * severnment—Public alarm—General in page 1 ºil fH CHAPTER II. 0 en - ry *nd John Sheares - . 45 ºil, CHAPTER III. f M = 'ei ºrn, Jean, Byrne, and Oliver Bond—Reynolds | T*-ord Edward Fitzgerald—his attainder | THE LIFE of THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN, LATE MASTER OF THE ROLLS IN IRELAND. BY HIS SON, WILLIAM HENRY CURRAN, - BARRISTER AT LAW. IN TWO VOLUMES. WOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO. EDINBURGH, LongMAN, Huast, REEs, on ME, AND RRown, AND HURST, RoRINson, AND Co. LoNDoN. 1819. - - - - - * - * - - * - - - - - - - - - * s - - - * - - - - - - - - - - - - - — = ------ CONTENTS TO VOL. II. CHAPTER I. Rebellion of 1798 — Its causes — Unpopular system of government — Influence of the French Revolution — Increased intelligence in Ireland — Reform societies — United Irishmen — Their views and proceedings — Ap ply for aid to France — Anecdote of Theobald Wolfe Tone — Numbers of the United Irishmen — Condition of the peasantry and conduct of the aristocracy — Mea sures of the government — Public alarm — General in surrection . page 1 CHAPTER II. Trial of Henry and .John Sheares . 45 CHAPTER III. Trials of M'Cann, Byrne, and Oliver Bond — Reynolds the informer — Lord Edward Fitzgerald — his attainder VI CONTENTS. — Mr. Curran's conduct upon the state trials — Lord Kilwarden's friendship — Lines addressed by Mr. Cur- ran to Lady Charlotte Rawdon — Theobald Wolfe Tone — his trial and death . page 122 CHAPTER IV. Effects of the legislative union upon Mr. Curran's mind — Speech in Tandy's case — Speech in behalf of Hevey — Allusion in the latter to Mr. Godwin — Mutual friendship of Mr. Curran and Mr. Godwin 168 CHAPTER V. Mr. Curran visits Paris — Letter to his son — Insurrection of 1803— Defence of Kirwan— Death of Lord Kil- warden — Intimacy of Mr. Robert Emmet in Mr. Curran's family, and its consequences— Letter from Mr. Emmet to Mr. Curran — Letter from the same to Mr. Richard Curran . CHAPTER VI. Mr. Curran appointed Master of the Rolls in Ireland — His literary projects — Letter to Mr. M'Nally — Ac count of a visit to Scotland in a letter to Miss Philpot — Letter to Mr. Leslie — Letters to Mr. Hetherington 240 CONTENTS. VII CHAPTER VII. Mr. Curran is invited to stand for the borough of Newry — Speech to the electors — Letter to Sir J. Swinburne — Letter on Irish affairs to H. R. H. the Duke of Sussex . page 273 > CHAPTER VIII. Mr. Curran's health declines — Letters to Mr. Hether- ington-1— Resignation of his judicial office — Letters from London to Mr. Lub£ — Letters from Paris to the same — His last illness and death . .316 CHAPTER IX. Observations on Mr. Curran's eloquence — Objections to his style considered — His habits of preparation for public speaking — His ideas of popular eloquence — His pathos — Variety of his powers — His imagination — Pe culiarity of his images — His use of ridicule — Propen sity to metaphor — Irish eloquence — Its origin — Mr. Currants and Burke's eloquence compared . 386 CHAPTER X. Mr. Curran's skill in cross-examination — His general reading — His conversation — His wit — Manuscript Vlll CONTENTS. thoughts on various subjects — His manners, person — Personal peculiarities — Conclusion . page 444 POEMS. Lines addressed to Lady , in answer to a poem in which she had predicted the future freedom of Ireland . t . 483 A Letter in Rhyme to a Friend . 486 The Plate-warmer . 490 The Green Spot that blooms o'er the Desert of Life- A Song . •, 502 The Poor Man's Labour. A Song . 503 The Meridian is past . 504 To Mrs. Forty, the Dispenser of the Waters at Cheltenham . 505 APPENDIX. Account of the late Plan of Insurrection in Dublin, and the Causes of its Failure, drawn up by Mr. Robert Emmett . 515 Character of Mr. Curran by Mr. Godwin . 522 Character of Mr. Curran by the Rev. George Croly 524 LIFE or THB RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN. CHAPTER I. Rebellion of 1798 — Its causes — Unpopular system of government— Influence of the French Revolution — Increased intelligence in Ireland — Reform societies — United Irishmen — Their views and proceedings — Ap ply for aid to France — Anecdote of Theobald Wolfe Tone — Numbers of the United Irishmen — Condition of the peasantry and conduct of the aristocracy — Mea sures of the government — Public alarm — General in surrection. THE order of this work has now brought us to the year 1798, — the year 98 ! — a sound that is still so full of terrible associations to every Irishman's imagination. During the agitated period which followed the transactions of 1782, Ireland had seen the VOL. IT* B 2 LIFE OF CURRAN. newly-acquired spirit of her people, in flamed by disappointment, by suffering, and by ignorance, discharging itself in bursts of individual or local turbulence^ which were not much felt beyond the par ticular persons, or the immediate spot. But the hour, of which these were the pro phetic signs, and of which so many warn ing and unheeded voices foretold the approach, at length arrived, bringing with it scenes of civil strife that struck dismay into every fibre of the community, sending thousands to the grave, thousands into exile, and involving many a virtuous and respected family in calamity and shame. In adverting to the events of this dis astrous era, it would be an easy task to recapitulate its horrors, or, according to the once popular method, to rail at the memories of its victims : but it is time for invective and resentment to cease; or, if such a feeling will irresistibly intrude, it is time at least to control and suppress- it. Twenty years have now passed over the heads or the graves of the parties to LIFE OF CURRAN. S that melancholy conflict, and their chil dren may now see prospects of prosperity opening upon their country, not perhaps of the kind, or to the extent to which in her more ambitious days she looked, but assuredly of a more rational description than could have been attained by violence ; and such as, when realised, as they promise soon to be, will compensate for past re verses, or at all events console* At such a moment, in approaching this fatal year, we may dismiss every sentiment of personal asperity, or posthumous reproach ; without wishing to disturb the remorse of those upon either side who may be repenting, or to revive the anguish of the many that have suffered, we may now contemplate it as the period of an awful historical event ; and allude to the mutual passions and mis takes of those who acted or perished in it, with the forbearance that should not be refused to the unfortunate and the dead. It has been seen* in the preceding pages, that the system by which Ireland was go verned had excited general dissatisfaction, 02 4 LIFE OF CUKRAN. and that, in the year 1789, several of the most able and distinguished persons in the Irish parliament formed themselves into a body, for the avowed design of opposing the measures of the administration, and of conferring upon their country, if their exertions could enable them, all the prac tical benefits of a free constitution. While they were scarcely yet engaged in this arduous struggle, the French revolution burst upon the world — not, as it has since been witnessed, presenting images of blood and disorder, but coming as> the messenger of harmony and freedom to the afflicted nations. This character ©f peace and in nocence it did not long retain, or was not allowed to retain ; but, in the progress of its resistless career, its crimes seemed for a while almost justified by the gran deur of their results, and by the imposing principles which they were committed to establish. It soon appeared how popular talent, combined with popular force, could level all the old decrepit opinions against which they had confederated, and Europe LIFE OF CURRAN. 5 was fixed with mingled wonder and dismay upon the awful spectacle of a self-emanci pated people seated upon the throne, from which they had hurled the descendant of their former idols as an hereditary usurper. The effects of this great event, and of the doctrines by which it was defended, were immense. Every day some long-re spected maxim was tried and condemned, and a treatise sent forth to justify the de cision. The passions were excited by ad dressing the reason — by bold and naked appeals to the primitive and undeniable principles of human rights, without allow ing for the numberless accidents of human condition by which those rights must in evitably be modified and restrained.