University of Virginia Library

11. CHAP. XI.

Spencer.

As nothing material happened to either our hero
or heroine for some weeks after this period, I shall,
if my reader has no objection, take advantage of
this paucity of events to inform him what became
of Tom Mullins and his companion.

It will be recollected that Tom Mullins, Edward's
servant, set off in company with our gallant Northern
peasant, Jemmy Hunter, in obedience to his
master's orders, to avoid the violence of some enraged
United Irishmen, who had combined against
him. They rode that day, through a lovely and
highly cultivated country as far as the town of Antrim,
without meeting with any adventures worth
relating. Here they consulted their instructions, and
found that they were to remain there for two days
in expectation of Edward overtaking them, at the
expiration of which time, if he did not arrive they
were to proceed to the seat of Sir Philip Martin
in the county of Tyrone, who was a relation and a
confidant of the Recluse, and whose son having
been Edward's fellow-student at Trinity College,
he had resolved to visit on his return homeward.
They had also a letter from Edward to the Earl
O`Neil, whose castle lay on the way from Antrim
to Sir Philip Martin's residence.

On the evening of their second night at Antrim,
as they were sitting comfortably over a mug of ale,
two soldiers belonging to a regiment of fencibles
that then lay in the town, and a townsman, came
into the room. On hearing Mullin's brogue, and the
simplicity of some of his remarks, one of the soldiers
who was a Scotchman, and possessed of more
mirth than good manners, thought to enjoy a little
diversion at his expense. Accordingly, mimicking
his tone of voice as well as he could, he approached
him, saying,

“Arrah, my friend Paddy, and where did yourself
come from?”

Tom, however, had more mettle than he expected;
and although he wished not to give offence, he
replied,

“I'll tell you, friend, whenever you are asked,
just say I came from Kilkenny, where I dont believe
in my shoul that your father was hanged,
though he might have been put in the stocks for
impertinence.”

“What! heigh, ho!” replied the Scotchman somewhat
nettled—“you maun either be a damn'd
crappy, or what is worse, a damn'd papist.”

“Lord! I doubt you're a warlack,” said Hunter,
eyeing him contemptuously, “you can guess sae
weel.”

“Be it sae,” said the Scot, whom wrath had now
reduced to his national accent, “ye'll please awa' to
the guard hoose, whar weel hae you examined, an'
taucht hoo to gie a ceevil answer.”

“By the L—d!” said Hunter, “you maun show
your warrant, ere we stir wi' you.”

“The king's uniform is oor warrant,” said the
fencible, “didna ye confess ye war crappies.”

“Confess the devil,” said Hunter, “if ye dont
leave the room this moment, ye'll no' leave it the
next-wi' a hale skin.”

“What do you mean? you rascal,” cried the
other fencible, “do you mean to strike one of the
king's soldiers? Prepare to march!”

So saying both the soldiers drew their bayonets,
and swore that they would “gut them like herrings”
if they did not accompany them immediately
to the guard-house. The landlord now entered, and
having enquired into the cause of the disturbance,
he advised our travellers to go with the soldiers,
assuring them that if they could justify themselves
before the officers at the guard-house, they would
be instantly dismissed.

Hunter swore he would not stir until absolute
force should be used, or some lawful warrant for
seizing him produced. An officer happening to
pass at this moment, the landlord called him in. On
hearing the soldiers' statement, he ordered the travellers
to the guard-house without waiting for their
reply. Seeing it in vain to resist longer, they complied,
and in less than an hour, were both convicted
by a court-martial of being United Irishmen,
and attempting to abuse two privates belonging to
his majesty's regiment of Fifeshire Fencibles. They
were each sentenced to receive five hundred lashes
the next morning.

The townsman who had entered the room with
the soldiers, and had been an observer of the whole
affray, was, although a zealous kingsman, so much
struck with the iniquity of these proceedings, that he
resolved, if possible, to set the affair in its true light.
He therefore took an opportunity of enquiring of
Hunter, whether he was known to any gentleman
in the neighbourhood who could have influence
enough to procure a re-hearing of the case, offering
to give such evidence of the affair as would entirely
exculpate the prisoners. Hunter was unknown
to any man of property in the vicinity; but, he said,
that he had a letter from a gentleman, on whose

business he and his companion, who was that
gentleman's servant, were then travelling, for lord
O`Neil, who perhaps on their employer's account,
might interfere in their behalf.

“He is just the man that can save you,” said
Thompson, which was the name of their new friend.
“Give me the letter. I will carry it to his lordship,
and tell him the whole truth. I know him well.
He is my landlord, and a good man. He procured
for me the office of guager in this town.”

Without delay Thompson proceeded to Shanes
Castle, long the stately and venerable seat of the
O`Neil family, situated on the border of Lough
Neagh, about two miles from Antrim, with the letter
for its noble owner. His lordship on hearing
the circumstances, and on reading the letter, immediately
ordered his horse, and set off for the
town with Thompson. He called on the commanding
officer, and having told him that he would
pledge himself for the loyalty of the two strangers,
who were then under sentence to be flogged, desired
that they should have the benefit of a new
trial, as he had sufficient evidence to prove their
innocence.

“Whatever your lordship wishes in this affair,”
said the officer, “shall be done.”

A new trial was accordingly ordered, at which
his lordship, as colonel of the Antrim militia, was
invited to preside. The soldiers testified as they
did before, that the prisoners had confessed themselves
to be United Irishmen, and that they had
threatened violence to the deponents who in their
own defence were forced to draw their side arms.

Lord O'Neil then enquired if there was no other
witness, and was answered that no other had been
examined on the last trial. That there had been one
Thompson present during the quarrel; but, in such
cases, they considered two witnesses sufficient to

establish the guilt, and had not therefore examined
him. His lordship desired Thompson to be called,
who correctly stated to the court the facts as they
happened. His lordship then mentioned that he
had strong collateral evidence in favour of the
prisoners, evidence indeed which went to prove
that these men, so far from being conspirators
against his Majesty's government, were, at the moment
of their apprehension, actually flying from
the threatened vengeance of a party of United
Irishmen, whom they had offended by refusing to
join their society.

“Here is a letter which I received,” said he,
“from a son of the honourable Thomas Barrymore,
and a nephew to the earl of Barrymore, one of his
Majesty's privy counsellors, a young gentleman
with whose principles and integrity I am well acquainted,
in which letter he states that his servant,
Thomas Mullins, having had a political quarrel
in the town of Larne with some United Irishmen,
they laid in wait for him, and would have
killed him, had not his companion, James Hunter,
come to his rescue, and succeeded in beating off
the villains. He states further, that his business
not permitting him immediately to leave that place,
and fearing that the conspirators might renew their
attempts against his servant, he has prevailed on
Hunter to accompany him to the seat of his friend,
Sir Philip Martin, in the county of Tyrone, and as
they should pass by Shanes Castle, he took that
opportunity of recommending them to my protection,
in case any accident might befall them in
my neighbourhood. Gentlemen,” his lordship continued,
“after this statement, corroborative of the
positive and direct testimony of Thompson, I need
not enlarge on the injustice of the proceedings that
have taken place, and which, I perceive, have altogether
arisen from the misconduct and malignity

of two private soldiers, who to gratify their revenge
on these innocent men, have not scrupled to
become guilty of perjury, and upon their oaths wilfully
to deceive this court. The testimony of Thompson,
who joined neither party in the quarrel, may
be safely considered impartial, and correct; and,
as the matter now stands, I should suppose that
no officer here will hesitate to concur in acquitting
the prisoners. I also hope that the incident will
impress on the minds of all present, the necessity
of receiving at all times, with extreme caution, the
evidence of men whose feelings are interested in
procuring the conviction of prisoners, which is generally
the case with informers, and of such as, in
times like these, officiously display a more than ordinary
zeal as partisans even in a good cause. I
would therefore recommend it to the court both
from a regard to justice, and as an example to
malicious persons, to inflict a suitable punishment
for perjury on the men who have been the occasion
of this disgraceful business.”

The court acceded to his lordship's wishes. The
prisoners were dismissed; and the two soldiers
ordered to receive each one hundred lashes.

Thus did our travellers escape from the unpleasant
predicament, into which their evil stars
had involved them. But it is impossible not to perceive
that this military court was induced to do
them justice, not so much from the merits of their
case, as from a desire to oblige a man possessed of
a title, of twenty-five thousand pounds a year, and
of unlimited influence with the ministers of the day.
Under the auspices of this great man, they arrived
without further accident, at the place of their destination,
where Hunter left his charge, and returned
home in safety, about three weeks after his departure,
to the great joy of all his kindred and acquaintances,
but to none more than the sweet

Peggy Caldwell, whom he vowed never to leave
so long again until they became “man an' wife.”

Sir Philip Martin, to whom the Recluse had
written concerning Edward's detention, being a
favourer of the United Irishmen, and having by
inquiries from O'Halloran, satisfied himself that
his life was in no danger, refrained from acquainting
his friends with the circumstance. Lord O'Neil
was ignorant of it; consequently, to Edward's relations,
who had become uneasy at his long and
silent absence, and had begun to make some inquiry
after him, he could give no other information,
than that he had received a letter from him
in the month of May last, at which period he was
in the vicinity of Larne. Edward had written to
his friends shortly after coming to the North, that
he intended, before he returned home, to visit the
island of Staffa, and some other places in the
Highlands. It was, therefore, concluded that he
was exploring some of the remote parts of that
wild, but to a mind like Edward's, attractive portion
of the empire, from whence transmitting communications
by letter they knew to be rather difficult
and uncertain. They, therefore, thought proper
for a time to cease their inquiries after him.