Conclusion of the Proctor's Meeting. 81 



collection of tithes, to charges of rebellion, 

 and a reference to manual arguments, which 

 might have been attended with serious effects 

 to the combatants, had not the females of the 

 house interfered and hurried the poor fellow 

 away. Peace was no sooner restored, than the 

 champion of their rights was forgotten by his 

 neigbours, in their adulatory complaisance to 

 the Proctor ; who now became " determined 

 not to treat for the tithes," and proudly called 

 for the bill, which " after such usage he would 

 pay himself j" but after much abject submission 

 and entreaty, the parties- at length were not 

 only indulged with the discharge of it, but with 

 an appointment for a third congress, on the 

 following Sunday. The inferior holders, in the 

 other parts of the house, who had been waiting 

 all the afternoon, were now ushered into the 

 presence of the Proctor ; but on his discovering 

 it to be nearly two o'clock in the morning, 

 there was no alternative but to adjourn, in the 

 hope of the next being a more fortunate 

 meeting. 



Much as we had heard of the tyranny of 

 proctors and middle men in Ireland, the unfeel- 

 ing domination at this meeting exceeded in 

 violence what 1 could have imagined. Admitting 

 the circumstances to form an extreme case, 



VOL. n. o 



