conviction of his worth', and her sense of her own destitute and dependant situation', for she was existing on the kindness of friends'. In a word', he at length succeeded in gaining her hand', though with the solemn assurance', that her heart was unalterably another's'.

He took her with him to Sicily', hoping that a change of scene might wear out the remembrance of early woes'. She was an amiable and exemplary wife', and made an effort to be a happy one'; but nothing could cure the silent and devouring melancholy that had entered into her very soul'. She wasted away in a slow but hopeless decline', and at length sank into the grave', the victim of a broken heart'.

It was on her that Mr. Moore', the distinguished Irish poet', composed the following lines':

She is far from the land where her young hero sleeps',

And lovers around her are sighing';

But coldly she turns from their gaze', and weeps',
For her heart in his grave is lying'.

She sings the wild song of her dear native plains',
Every note which he loved awaking'—
Ah'! little they think', who delight in her strains',
How the heart of the minstrel is breaking"!

He had lived for his love'-for his country he died';
They were all that to life had entwined him—
Nor soon shall the tears of his country be dried',
Nor long will his love stay behind him',

Oh'! make her a grave where the sunbeams rest',
When they promise a glorious morrow';

They'll shine o'er her sleep', like a smile from the west',
From her own loved island of sorrow'

Speech of Robert Emmet, Esq. before Lord Norbury, on an Indictment for High Treason.-Extract.

WHAT have I to say', why sentence of death should not be pronounced on me according to law? I have nothing to say that can alter your predetermination', nor that will become me to say with any view to the mitigation of that sentence which you are here to pronounce', and which I must abide by'. But I have that to say which interests me more than life', and which you have laboured' (as was necessarily your office to do', in the present circumstances of this oppressed country') to destroy'. I have much to say why my reputation should be rescued from

the load of false accusation and calumny which has been heaped upon it'.

I do not imagine that', seated where you are', your minds can be so free from impurity as to receive the least impression from what I am going to utter'. I have no hopes that I can anchor my character in the breast of a court constituted and trammeled as this is'. I only wish', and it is the utmost I expect', that your lordships may suffer it to float down your memories', untainted by the foul breath of prejudice', until it finds some more hospitable harbour to shelter it from the storms by which it is at present buffeted'. Were I only to suffer death', after being adjudged guilty by your tribunal', I should bow in silence', and meet the fate that awaits me without a murmur'; but the sentence of the law', which delivers my body to the executioner', will', through the ministry of that law', labour', in its own vindication', to consign my character to obloquy'-for there must be guilt SOMEWHERE'; whether in the sentence of the court', or in the catastrophe', posterity must determine'.

That

A man in my situation', has to encounter', not only the difficulties of fortune', and the force of power over minds which it has corrupted or subjugated', but also the difficulties of established prejudice'. The MAN dies', but his MEMORY lives'. mine may not perish', that it may live in the respect of my countrymen', I seize upon this opportunity to vindicate myself from some of the charges alleged against me'. When my spirit shall be wafted to a more friendly port',—when my shade shall have joined the bands of those martyred heroes who have shed their blood on the scaffold and in the field', in defence of their country and of virtue', this is my hope'-I wish that my memory and name may animate those who survive me'; while I look down with complacency on the destruction of that perfidious government'. . which upholds its domination by blasphemy of the MOST HIGH-which displays its power over men'..as over the beasts of the forest'—which sets man upon his brother', and lifts his hand', in the name of God', against the throat of his fellow'.. who believes or doubts a little more or a little less than the government standard'—a government'..which is steeled to barbarity by the cries of the orphans and the tears of the widows which it has made'. [Here Lord Norbury interrupted Mr. Emmet, saying, that those wicked enthusiasts who felt as he did, were not equal to the accomplishment of their wild designs.]

I appeal to the immaculate God'-I swear by the throne of HEAVEN', before which I must shortly appear-by the blood

of the murdered patriots who have gone before me—that my conduct has been', through all this peril', and through all my purposes', governed only by the convictions which I have uttered', and by no other motive than that of their cure', and the emancipation of my country from the superinhuman oppression under which she has so long and too patiently travailed'; and I confidently hope', that', wild and chimerical as it may appear', there are still union and strength in Ireland sufficient to accomplish this noblest enterprise'. Of this I speak with the confidence of intimate knowledge', and with the consolation that appertains to that confidence'. Think not', my lord', I say this for the petty gratification of giving you a transitory uneasiness'. A man who never yet raised his voice to assert a LîE', will not hazard his character with posterity by asserting a falsehood on a subject so important to his country', and on an occasion like this'. Yes', my lord', a man who does not wish to have his epitaph written until his country is liberated', will not leave a weapon in the power of ENVY to impeach the probity which he means to preserve even in the grave to which tyranny consigns him. [Here he was again interrupted by the judge.]

Again I say', that what I have spoken was not intended for your lordship', whose situation I commiserate', rather than ênvy': my expressions were for my countrymen'. If there is a true Irishman present', let my last words cheer him in the hour of affliction. [Here he was again interrupted by the court.] I have always understood it to be the duty of a judge', when a prisoner has been convicted', to pronounce the sentence of the law': I have also understood', that judges sometimes think it their duty to hear with patience', and to speak with humanity'; to exhort the victim of the laws', and to offer', with tender benignity', their opinions of the motives by which he was actuated in the crime of which he had been adjudged guilty'—that a judge has thought it his duty so to do', I have no doubt'; but where is the boasted freedom of your institutions'—where is the vaunted impartiality and clemency of your courts of justice', if an unfortunate prisoner', whom your policy', not pure justice', is about to deliver into the hands of the executioner', is not suffered to explain his motives sincerely and truly', and to vindicate the principles by which he was actuated'?

My lord', it may be a part of the system of angry justice to bow a man's mind by humiliation to the purposed ignominy of the scaffold': but worse to me than the purposed shame', or the scaffold's terrours', would be the shame of such foul and unfounded imputations as have been laid against me in this

court'. You', my lord', are a judge'; I am the supposed culprit'-I am a man'; you are a man also'. By a revolution of power', we might change places', though we never could change characters'. If I stand at the bar of this court', and dare not vindicate my character', what a farce is your justice'! If I stand at this bar', and dare not vindicate my character', how dare you calumniate it'? Does the sentence of death', which your unhallowed policy inflicts upon my body', also condemn my tongue to silence', and my reputation to reproach'? Your executioner may abridge the period of my existence'; but', while I exist', I shall not forbear to vindicate my character and motives from your aspersions'; and', as a man to whom fame is dearer than life', I will make the last use of that life in doing justice to that reputation which is to live after me', and which is the only legacy I can leave to those I honour and love', and for whom I am proud to perish'. As men', we must appear', on the great day', at one common tribunal'; and it will then remain for the Searcher of all hearts to show a collective universe', who was engaged in the most virtuous actions', or actuated by the purest motives'-my country's oppressors', or'-[Here he was interrupted', and told to listen to the sentence of the law'.]

My lord', shall a dying man be denied the legal privilege of exculpating himself', in the eyes of the community', from an undeserved reproach thrown upon him during his trial', by charging him with ambition', and attempting to cast away', for a paltry consideration', the liberties of his country'? Why did your lordship insult me'?-or', rather', why insult justice', by demanding of me why sentence of death should not be pronounced'? I know', my lord', that form prescribes that you should ask the question': the form also presumes a right of answering'. This', no doubt', may be dispensed with'; and so might the whole ceremony of the trial', since sentence was already pronounced at the castle before your jury was empannelled': your lordships are but the priests of the oracle'—and I submit to the sacrifice'; but I insist on the whole of the FÔRMS'. [Here the court desired him to proceed'.]

I am charged with being an emissary of France'. An emissary of France'! and for what end'? It is alleged that I wished to sell the independence of my country! And for what end"? Was this the object of my ambition'? And is this the mode by which a tribunal of justice reconciles contradictions'? No'; I am no emissary'. My ambition was to hold a place among the deliverers of my country'-not in power', not in profit', but', in the glory of the achievement'. Sell my country's independence

to France'! and for what'? for ambition'!

A change of masters'? Nô'; but

Oh', my country'! had it been personal ambition that influenced me'-had it been the soul of my actions', could I not', by my education and fortune', by the rank and consideration of my family', have placed myself amongst the proudest of your oppressors'? My country was my idol'. To it I sacrificed every selfish', every endearing sentiment'; and for it I now offer up my life'. No', my lord', I acted as an Irishman', determined on delivering my country from the yoke of a foreign and unrelenting tyranny', and from the more galling yoke of a domestick faction', its joint partner and perpetrator in parricide', whose rewards are the ignominy of existing with an exteriour of splendour', and a consciousness of depravity'.

It was the wish of my heart to extricate my country from this doubly riveted despotism'. I wished to place her independence beyond the reach of any power on earth'. I wished to exalt her to that proud station in the world which Providence had destined her to fill'.

I have been charged with so great importance', in the efforts to emancipate my country', as to be considered the key-stone of the combination of Irishmen', or', as your lordship expressed it', "the life and blood of the conspiracy'." You do me honour overmuch-you have given to the subaltern all the credit of a superiour'. There are men engaged in this conspiracy who are not only superiour to me', but even to your own conceptions of yourself', my lord'-men before the splendour of whose genius and virtues I should bow with respectful deference', and who would think themselves dishonoured to be called your friends'-who would not disgrace themselves by shaking your blood-stained hand'-[Here he was interrupted'.]

What', my lord', shall you tell me', on the passage to that scaffold which that tyranny', of which you are only the intermediary executioner', has erected for my murder', that I am accountable for all the blood that has been', and will be', shed in this struggle of the oppressed against the oppressor'-shall you tell me this', and must I be so very a slave as not to repel it'? -I, who fear not to approach the omnipotent Judge', to answer for the conduct of my whole life-am I to be appalled and falsified by a mere remnant of mortality here'?-by you', too', who', if it were possible to collect all the innocent blood that you have shed', in your unhallowed ministry', in one great

27