ions, and he opened his views in a rebellious pamphlet, which the publisher was fain to suppress next morning. Immediately upon this, Mr. Tone was thrown off by his wife's family, a circumstance for which he tells us in his memoirs that he can give no reason, though we apprehend his readers will easily divine the cause.

亮

From this date, Mr. Tone was the enemy of whigs and tories alike. In the course of the ensuing summer, indeed, he made another effort to draw the attention of the English government to his South-Sea scheme; but this failed, and he consoled himself with dinner-clubs in Dublin, where he formed or strength ened his intimacy with Emmett, Keogh, Napper Tandy, Dr. Mac Nevin, and other congenial spirits, almost all of whom have since earned sufficient notoriety. The French Revolution broke out, and poured new blood and vigour into the hearts of these patriotic whiskey-drinkers."It is needless," says Tone, "to mention that I was a democrat from the beginning; and that this gave the coup-degrace to any hopes of succeeding in a profession which I always disliked, and which the political prostitution of its members had taught me sincerely to despise." "About this time," adds he, "I came rather more forward than I hitherto had done.", By "coming forward" Mr. Tone means making himself notorious by the publication of a series of pamphlets, in which he denounced the members of the established church in Ireland as persons who dreaded and abhorred the principles of the French revolution, and were, in one word, an aristocracy in the fullest and most odious extent VOL. LXVIII.

6

of that term;' and calling upon the dissenters and Roman Catholics to unite heart and hand, for the emancipation of the latter body from all political disabilities, which he advocated expressly on this ground, that it must form a preliminary step towards the true and real object of all good Irishmen's wishes; namely, the shaking off of the connexion with Great Britain. The clubs of United Irishmen (so called from the ominous conjunction of Romish and Protestant dissenters) began at Belfast. A friend of Tone's, Russell, an ensign in the king's service, happening to pass through that town on his way to join his regiment, was struck with the delightful spirit there prevalent, and invited Tone to visit a scene where he must necessarily find himself so much at home. He did so; he was voted an honorary member of the Belfast volunteer corps; subsequently assisted at the framing of the first club of United Irishmen; and was eventually commissioned by the Belfast patriots to act as an agent for procuring them the support of the general committee of Roman Ca tholics in Dublin, who were, about this time, to the Catholics of Ireland what Paris, at the commencement of the French revolu tion, was to the departments. wrote the Declaration of the first club of United Irishmen; became an active partisan of the Catholic committee in Dublin; and was ́ a principal pamphleteer, messenger, negotiator, in every turbulent scene that occurred in that dismal period.** It was at this time that he commenced keeping a diary for the benefit of his wife and intimate friends; which in the present year was published in America by his L

He

son. A few extracts from this journal will illustrate the utter moral and intellectual worthlessness of the creatures who worked so much mischief in Ireland.

'Belfast, July 15, 1792.The business now fairly settled in Belfast and the neighbourhood. Huzza! huzza! Dinner at the Donegal Arts. Everybody as happy as a king, but Waddel, who looks like the devil himself! Huzza! God bless everybody! Stanislas Augustus, George Washington beau-jour. Who would have thought it this morning? Huzza. Generally drunk.-Broke my glass thumping the table. Home, God knows how, or when. Huzza! God bless every body again, generally. Bed, with three times three. Sleep at last."

"Belfast, July 16.-The tanner looks extremely wise and sig nificant. Gog, * Mr. Hutton, t and he, worship each other, and sign an article with their blood; flourish their hands three times in a most graceful manner (see Gold smith's Citizen of the World), and march off into town. Ho! but they are indeed most agreeable creatures. (Do.) Lounge till near dinner. Go to the Donegal Arms, and meet all the Catholics.' 'ner; M'Tier in the chair. Chequered at the head of the table, a Dissenter and a Catholic. Delight ful! The four flags, America, France, Poland, Ireland, but no England! Bravo! Beau-jour!'

Din

"Dublin, Aug. 1.-Busy all day folding papers, &c. for the Munster bishops. Damn all bishops! Gog not quite well on that point: thinks them a good thing. Nonsense. Dine at home with Neilson

Gog, i. e. Keogh.

Mr. Hutton, i. e. Tone himself.

and M'Cracken. Very pleasant. Rights of man. French revolution. No bishops."

14th.The Belfast men get warm with wine and patriotism. All stout: Gog valiant; also the Irish slave; * also the tanner; also Mr. Hutton. The Catholics offer to find soldiers, if Belfast will provide officers. All fair. Lurgan green, as usual. Something will come out of all this. Agree to talk the matter over to-morrow, when we are all cool. Huzza! Generally drunk. Vive la nation! Damn the Empress of Russia! Success to the Polish arms! with three times three. Huzza! Generally very drunk. Bed God knows how. To dine to-morrow with the tanner. Huzza! Huz!”

"16th.What might not be done by the aristocrats of the county Down if they were actuated by the same spirit ? Damn them! Mug a quantity of mulled wine. Generally drunk. Union of Irishmen, with three times three, &c. Bed late."

In 1794, Tone was involved in the treason of Jackson and Hamilton Rowan. He had drawn up a paper to show what excellent things might be expected from the invasion of Ireland by a French army, and how that army ought to act; and this paper was found on Jackson's arrest. There had been, besides, a negotiation about Tone's going over to France himself, as envoy for the patriots of Ireland. However, some gentlemen (particularly Mr. Beresford and Mr. Knox) who had known him in earlier days, and who still pitied him as a misguided coxcomb, interfered so powerfully, that it was agreed to let him save his neck, on condition that he should

leave the country; and, accordingly, after being permitted to linger a year in Ireland, for the arrangement of his private affairs, he embarked with his family for the United States of North America, where he arrived in June 1795.

The French government had at this time a minister in Philadelphia; and Mr. Tone's first anxiety was to be introduced to this person, by his friend Mr. Hamilton Rowan. Citizen Adet received him kindly, and a negotiation touching the scheme of invading Ireland by a French army was forthwith opened. Mr. Tone appears to have felt no scruples whatever in commencing this treaty. He had given, he says, no parole to the government that spared his life.

*

"

He proceeded, therefore, in his work, consulting, he tells us, at every step with Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Hamilton Rowan, and Mr. James Napper Tandy; and at length being supplied with money by Keogh, Russell, and others, in Ireland, and furnished with a letter to the Comité de Salut Public, by Citizen Adet, he sailed for France, there to hasten and conclude his treaty, and arrived at Havre-deGrace on the 1st of February, 1796. His negotiations proceed: the obtains a commission as chefde-brigade, receives a month's pay in advance, and at last the expeditions of Hoche and Humbert are fitted out.

The result of these expeditions is well known. Tone was with the expedition to Bantry Bay, and the vessel in which he sailed escaped shipwreck as narrowly as any in the fleet, which the extraordinary hurricane of Christmas, 1796, so providentially dispersed and ruined. Upon returning to the

continent, we find our chef-debrigade spending some months at the head-quarters of the army of the Meuse and Sambre, but never forgetful of his main purpose, and occupied, from time to time, in attempts to corrupt the British soldiers and sailors then in the prisons of France, with a view to embarking them in his next expedition. He had some success with the Irishmen among them; and thus describes his methods of dealing:

"I know the Irish a little. When every thing else is ready, let them send in a large quantity of wine and brandy, a fiddle and some French filles, and then, when Pat's heart is a little soft with love and wine, send in two or three proper persons in regimentals, and with green cockades in their hats, to speak to them, of whom I will very gladly be one. I think, in that case, it would not be very hard to persuade him to take a trip once more to Ireland, just to s his people a little."Such were his employments, until the expedition of Humbert was at length organized.

see

The expedition sailed; and we need not dwell upon the issue. Tone was one of those who were taken, after a desperate resistance, in the Hoche, by the squadron under sir John Borlase Warren; he was recognised the second morning after he was put ashore, and sent to Dublin, where he was tried, and condemned. Incredible as it may seem, the barrister seems to have believed he was to escape, after all that he had done, simply by proving himself to be the bearer of a commission in the service of the French republic. He delivered a very flowery declamation upon this head, to which his judges

paid due respect; and brigadiergeneral Tone, finding that, in spite of the uniform of the grande nation, he was bond fide ordered for

execution, inflicted on himself a mortal wound the same evening in the gaol of Dublin.

DR. ADAM FERGUSSON, the author of the History of the Roman Republic, and distinguished besides as a moral philosopher, was the son of a clergyman at Loggierait, in Athol. He was himself destined to the church, took orders, and went as chaplain to the Black Watch, or 42nd Highland regiment, when that corps was first sent to the continent. As the regiment advanced to the battle of Fontenoy, the commanding officer, sir Robert Monro, was astonished to see the chaplain at the head of the column, with a broadsword drawn in his hand. He desired him to go to the rear with the surgeons, a proposal which Adam Fergusson spurned. Sir Robert at length told him that his commission did not entitle him to be present in the post which he had assumed. Dan my commission," said the warlike chaplain, throwing it towards his colonel. It may be easily supposed that the matter was only remembered as a good jest; but the future historian of Rome shared the honours and dangers of that dreadful day, where, according to the account of the French themselves," the Highland furies rushed in upon them with more violence than ever did a sea driven by a tempest."

Professor Adam Fergusson's subsequent history is well known. He recovered from a decided shock of paralysis in the sixtieth year of his life, from which period he be

came a strict Pythagorean in his diet, eating nothing but vegetables, and drinking only water or milk. He survived till the year 1816, when he died in full possession of his mental faculties, at the advanced age of ninety-three. The deep interest which he took in the eventful war had long seemed to be the main tie that connected him with passing existence; and the news of Waterloo acted on the aged patriot as a nunc dimittis. From that hour, the feeling that had almost alone given him energy decayed, and he avowedly relinquished all desire for prolonged life. It is the belief of his family that he might have remained with them much longer, had he desired to do so, and continued the exercise which had hitherto promoted his health. Long after his eightieth year, he was one of the most striking old men whom it was possible to look at. His firm step and ruddy cheek contrasted agree ably and unexpectedly with his silver locks; and the dress which he usually wore, much resembling that of the Flemish peasant, gave an air of peculiarity to his whole figure. In his conversation, the mixture of original thinking with high moral feeling and extensive learning; his love of country; contempt of luxury; and, especially, the strong subjection of his passions and feelings to the dominion of his reason, made him, perhaps, the most striking example of the

Stoic philosopher which could be seen in modern days. His house, while he continued to reside in Edinburgh, was a general point of re-union among his friends, particularly of a Sunday, where there generally met, at a hospitable dinner-party, the most distinguished literati of the old time who still remained, with such young per

sons as were thought worthy to approach their circle, and listen to their conversation. The place of his residence was an insulated house, at some distance from the town, which its visitors (notwithstanding its internal comforts) chose to call, for that reason, Kamtschatka.

THE two chemists, Dr. Black and Dr. Hutton, were particular friends, though there was some thing extremely opposite in their external appearance and manner. They were both, indeed, tall and thin; but there all personal similarity ended. Dr. Black spoke with the English pronunciation, with punctilious accuracy of expression, both in point of manner and matter. His dress was of the [same description, regulated, in some small degree, according to the rules which formerly imposed a formal and full-dress habit on the members of the medical faculty. The geologist was the very reverse of this. His dress approached to a quaker's in simplicity; and his conversation was conducted in broad phrases, expressed with a broad Scotch accent, which often heightened the humour of what he said. One day the two doctors had held some discourse together upon the folly of abstaining from feeding on the testaceous creatures of the land, while those of the sea were considered as delicacies. Wherefore not eat snails they are well known to be nutritious and wholesome even sanative in some cases. The epicures of olden times enumerated among the rich

est and raciest delicacies, the snails which were fed in the marble quarries of Lucca: the Italians still hold them in esteem. In short, it was determined that a gastronomic experiment should be made at the expense of the snails. The snails were procured, dieted for a time, then stewed for the benefit of the two philosophers, who had either invited no guest to their banquet, or found none who relished in prospect the pièce de résistance. A huge dish of snails was placed before them; but philosophers are but men after all; and the stomachs of both doctors began to revolt against the proposed experiment. Nevertheless, if they looked with disgust on the snails, they retained their awe for each other; so that each, conceiv ing the symptoms of internal revolt peculiar to himself, began with infinite exertion to swallow, in very small quantities, the mess which he internally loathed. Dr. Black, at length, "showed the white feather,' but in a very delicate manner, as if to sound the opinion of his messmate :-Doctor," he said, in his precise and quiet manner-"Doctor, do you not think that they taste a little -a very little green ?" "D. -d