MEMOIR OE THE LATE ROBERT BALL, LL.D. 
5 
For his prudent conduct as Secretary and Treasurer to this fund, he 
afterwards received the marked thanks of his fellow-townsmen. 
In the year 1824, a few months after coming of age, he was ap¬ 
pointed a local magistrate, and, in the active discharge of his duties as 
such, encountered the risk of assassination, from which he more than 
once narrowly escaped. 
He was afterwards introduced to the Duke of Devonshire by Mr. 
Abercromby. Both were interested in his welfare, and he sought their 
aid to procure some metropolitan employment, which would enable him 
to pursue the study of medicine without expense to his father. His 
request was kindly met, but with an expressed desire that he should 
abandon his studies, and enter the Government service. 
Burnished with a letter to Lord Melbourne, then Chief Secretary, he 
went to Dublin in 1827, and was appointed to the third clerkship in 
the Constabulary and Yeomanry Office. The duties were onerous, but 
were entered on with zeal and determination. To his father he writes:— 
“I have determined not to embark in any other study at present be¬ 
sides that of making myself acquainted with the duties of my office.” 
In another letter he says:—“I have been hard at work for ten days 
from 10 o’clock until after 7 o’clock.” And in 1828 he writes:—“ I 
am at present too hardly worked to attend to any very serious studies.” 
On the 6th of January, 1829,* he writes thus :—“ Hew Year’s day, 
tho ugh a holiday, I devoted to finishing off all business connected with the 
last year. When done, I made a comparison between the quantity of 
duty performed by me since I came into office, and a similar period of 
my predecessor’s (viz., 13 months). My correspondence occupies 
1281 pages; his, 491. Letters have increased seven-fold, and other 
business in proportion. I merely mention this to prove that our labours 
are something more than nominal.” 
His subsequent letters to his father show that he did not find scope 
for his energies in the routine duties of the office, and that he longed 
for a change. 1829. “ Should any opportunity be afforded you, I 
wish you would let it be understood how gladly I should accept any 
more personally active employment, holding out brighter prospects, 
though without even so much of present emolument; as, in the changes 
in Government regulations about to be made, I may be thrown out, 
when too late to turn with hope of success to any other pursuit. My 
former occupations and acquirements would be of much advantage to 
me in other ways, but are of no use to me at present.” 
The following is in a more animated style, caused, doubtless, by the 
pleasure of having spent an entire day in the open air, engaged in agree¬ 
able excitement in company with one of his most valued friends:—“ Yes¬ 
terday was the King’s birth-day, and instead of going to the review, I 
went with W. Todhunter to Howth, on a cruise against the seals. We 
had a grand battle, and succeeded in securing one fellow of about four 
cwt. It was very exciting; we went armed with grains and guns; 
we saw three seals; the first got off clear; the second we struck with our 
harpoon, but, though tolerably deeply wounded, he got off, leaving us 
