So 5 
IRELAND. 
tioned in Dublin; Quigley in the county of Kildare; and 
Ruffe), without the flighted gleam of probable fuccefs, in 
Down and Antrim. Other perfons of lefs note were dif- 
perfed over the country. Propofals were made by the 
confpirators to Dwyer, a leader of a gang of banditti, to 
engage to levy his whole forces, and make the fird attack 
on the capital. This man had remained in arms ever 
fince the rebellion of 1798, obbinately rejecting repeated 
proffers of mercy, and maintaining himfelf among the al- 
niob'inacceffible faftnefles of the mountains of Wicklow, 
Though his party did not oftenfibly exceed twenty per¬ 
fons, yet he poffeffed confiderable influence over the pea- 
fants of that diftrict, fo that it was in his power to raife 
a formidable body for any particular undertaking To 
the overtures of Emmett and his afiociates, this ruffian 
had, however, too much good fenfe to liften. 
Many furmiffts, obfcure reports, and myfterious obfer- 
vations, were cccafioned in Dublin by circumftances con¬ 
nected w ith this plot, and ftrong fymptoms of clandeftine 
meetings were noticed in the more diftanc counties; bur, 
though a great numberof perfons were entrufted with the 
fecret, no intelligence refpeCting this plot was received 
by government; who had no other warning than what 
was given by perfons familiar with the manners and ha¬ 
bits of the common Irifh, who, perceiving fome-unnfual 
buftle, were convinced that mifchief was to be apprehended 
from the conftant refort of fufpicious perfons to the capi¬ 
tal. Emmett was meanwhile bufily employed; he lodged 
in feveral different houfes, pafled in various places by dif¬ 
ferent names, and eftablifhed his arfenal, and magazines, 
in two tenements in obfcure parts of the town, hired in 
the names-of other perfons. In one of thefe a fmall 
quantity of gunpowder was manufactured ; in the other 
were depofited pikes, timber for making more, and other 
bores. By the month of June, government had received 
fuch hints as to induce it to quicken its diligence ; but 
yet the public difcountenanced the idea that any infur- 
reCtion was contemplated. This date of delufion conti¬ 
nued till the 14-th of July, the anniverfary of the French 
revolution, when bonfires were publicly made in comme¬ 
moration of that event, and collections of .people, though 
not numerous, yet apparently ftrenuous and decided, par¬ 
took of the fedivity. An explofion, which took place 
a day or two afterwards in the houfe where gunpowder 
was made or bored, tended to increafe the alarm which 
by this time began to be excited ; and thefe fufnicions 
determined the confpirators to hahen the execution of 
the meditated treafon. The enfuing days were fpent by 
them in confultation on the bed means of conducting 
their operations. They conceived that the .levity and ig¬ 
norance of the multitude would afford an abundant fup- 
ply of men ; but to arm them was effential, and in this 
point they were deficient. It was therefore determined, 
that their firb objeCt fhould be to feize the feveral depots 
and magazines in the vicinity of Dublin, and above all to 
gain poffeffion of the cable. The execution of this plan, 
with fuch means as Emmett and his afiociates could com¬ 
mand, appeared fo wild, fo extravagant, fo dangerous, and 
fo impracticable, that many of the confpirators declined 
all farther participation in his defigns. 
The 23d of July was the day fixed upon by this enthu- 
fiad to form the era of Irifh liberty, to be ereCted on the 
ruins of the government and conftitution. The date was 
determined by its coincidence with Saturday, when the 
refort of people from all parts of the country to the mar¬ 
kets would be lels liable to notice ; and when the ftreets 
were ufually filled with labourers and handicraftfmen, af¬ 
ter their difmiflal from work, and being paid their week¬ 
ly wages. Another circumdance too, was likely to ferve 
as a cloak for the extraordinary affemblage ox people; for 
it was the eve of St: James’s day, on which occaiion an 
ancient cudom prevailed among the lower claffes of col¬ 
lecting in great numbers in a confiderable fuburb of Dub¬ 
lin, for the purpofe of repairing to the church-yard dedi¬ 
cated to that faint, and drefling the burial-places of their 
deceafed relatives with flowers and other decorations, the 
evening being afterwards devoted to merriment. It does 
not, however, appear, that the pofitive determination to 
aft was communicated to the infurgents until the preced¬ 
ing day. On the morning of that appointed for this mo¬ 
mentous enterprife, unufual crowds of peafants were feen 
hurrying towards the capital from all parts of the county 
of Kildare, where Quigley had fucceeded in difpofing the 
minds of the lower orders once more to try the fortune 
of rebellion. Towards evening, the populace began to 
affemble in vad numbers in St. james’s-dreet and its vi¬ 
cinity, but without any vifible arrangement and diftipline. 
The next objeCt was to arm the multitude thus collected. 
For this purpofe, pikes were deliberately brought from 
the dore-houfe provided for them in that neighbour¬ 
hood, and placed with unmolested regularity along the 
fides of the dreet for the accommodation of all who might 
choofe to equip themfelves. During this alarming feene, 
the mod extraordinary of the kind perhaps ever witnefled 
in a civilized country—in the metropolis—in"day-light— 
within a mile of the refidence of the chief governor—lefs 
than half that didance from the barracks, where between 
two and three thoufand men, under a mod gallant, expe¬ 
rienced, and vigilant, commander-in-chief, were lodged—- 
and in the heart of a city whofe police edablifhment is 
probably the mod expenfive in Europe—the inhabitants' 
were panic-druck. Seeing no profpeCt of protection, they 
fecured their doors and windows, and withdrew into their-’ 
houfes, imploring Providence to avert the impending ca¬ 
lamity. 
The fird outrage committed on this dreadful night,' 
was an attempt to aflaffinate a Mr. Clarke, the proprietor' 
of a manufactory in the neighbourhood of Dublin, on his 
return from the cable, whither he had gone to communi¬ 
cate to the government the refult of his obfervations on 
the conduCl of his workmen, and his certainty of an ap¬ 
proaching fnfurreCtion. His men, who obierved this 
movement, awore of his intentions, way-laid and dif-. 
charged a blunderbufs at him, by which he was defpe- 
rately, though not mortally, wounded, jud at this mo¬ 
ment, the fignal for the commencement of operations was* 
given by the difeharge of a fky-rocket and a fmall piece 
of ordnance. Emmett, at the head of his chofen band, 
fallied from his obfcure head-quarters in Marfhalfea-lane, 
and, drawing his fword in the dreet, incited his ruffians to 
aCtion ; and, before they reached the end of the lane, co¬ 
lonel Browne, a mod refpeCtable and meritorious officer, 
who was pafling in uniform, fell by the fire of a blunder¬ 
bufs dilcharged by one of the party. The prifon for 
debtors, fituated near the rendezvous of the infurgents, 
was the objeCt of their fird onfet. The corporal of the 
guard dationed there was butchered; but, meeting with 
no encouragement from within, the unfortunate inmates 
of this dreary abode calling loudly for arms to protect 
the prifon, the adailants did not think fit to encounter 
the refifiance of twelve foldiers who dood on their de¬ 
fence. The only attempt that indicated any vigour in 
this whole affair, was upon a few foldiers, forming art 
out-ood, who, overpowered by numbers, were put to 
death. A guard houfe of the 21b regiment, which lay 
near the feene of aCtion was in vain attacked, as was alfo 
a watch-houfe, with the like fuccefs. 
Having waited above an hour in thefe futile and inef¬ 
fectual attempts, didinguifhed only by aits of individual 
atrocity, in fpite of all the efforts of their leaders to di¬ 
rect them towards the cable, the-grand objeCt of attack; 
the infurgents feemed at length ferioufly difpofed to ebay 
that mob difficult part of fheir enterprife. They had ac¬ 
tually collected into an immenfe column, and proceeded 
for the purpofe into Thomas-hreet, when the attention of' 
the rear was diverted by the arrival of an equipage, which 
rvas inltahtly recognized to be that of vifeount Kilwar¬ 
den, lord chief judice of Ireland. This unfortunate no¬ 
bleman had on the day of the infurreCtion retired to bis 
country-feat, about font' miles from the metropolis, as he- 
,, * was 
