66 THE IRISH PEOPLE. 



the victories of Lord Nelson and Lord Hutchinson in 

 Egypt, gained by the efforts and assistance of Irish- 

 men, from which he draws a conclusive proof of the 

 loyalty of the lower order of the Catholics ; and 

 being also convinced of the loyalty of the higher 

 orders of that body, he is determined to reward it 

 by refusing the prayer of their petition." 



55. In 1805, Major Newenham, of the notorious 

 North-Cork Militia, published a book on the popu- 

 lation of Ireland. At pages 132-3 he writes: 

 " Ireland, during the last war, was, no doubt, the 

 great ojficina militum. In former times its hardy 

 and valiant natives, patient of hunger, wet, and 

 cold, were, with the permission of (the English) Gov- 

 ernment, drawn off in thousands to recruit the 

 armies of France ; and on one memorable occasion 

 at least (at the battle of Fontenoy), were employed 

 to tear the well-earned laurels from the brows of 

 their former fellow-subjects. In former times the 

 natives of Ireland were not allowed to shed their 

 blood for our king ; but now they constitute, per- 

 haps, two-fifths of the disposable force of the 

 Empire, and are likely to constitute a much greater 

 proportion. I cannot, however, believe that more 

 than 120,000 Irish Roman Catholics and about 

 10,000 Irish Protestants lost their lives in the course 

 of the last war in distant lands, in defence of our 

 Constitution, Laws, and Religion." 



