forgot the first part of his promise, and getting very tipsy, let the second part slip out of his memory, and became very mad, for stepping aside for his pistols, he re-entered the room, and, laying them on the table, took the cockade from his hat and dashed it into the punch-bowl, demanding of the company to drink the glorious and immortal memory of King William in a bumper, or abide the consequences. I was not there; and if I had been present I could neither have stayed the tumult nor described it. I only know he turned out the next morning merely for honor's sake; but as it was one against a host, the magnanimity of his opponents let him off with a shot or two that did no execution. I returned to the peaceful family at Clonfert, and fought no more cocks.

The fairies were extremely prevalent at Clonfert. Visions of burials, attended by long processions of mourners, were seen to circle the churchyard by night; and there was no lack of oaths and attestations to enforce the truth of it. My mother suffered a loss by them of a large brood of fine turkeys, who were every one burnt to ashes, bones and feathers, and their dust scattered in the air by their provident nurse and feeder to appease those mischievous little beings, and prevent worse consequences. The good dame credited herself very highly for this act of atonement; but my mother did not see it quite in so meritorious a light.

เ

A few days after, as my father and I were riding in the grounds, we crossed upon the Catholic priest of the parish. My father began a conversation with him, and expressed a wish that he would caution his flock against this idle superstition of the fairies; the good man assured the bishop that in the first place he could not do it if he would, and in the next place confessed that he himself was far from being an unbeliever in their existence. My father thereupon turned the subject, and observed to him with concern that his steed was a very sorry one, and in very wretched condition. Truly, my good lord,' he replied, 'the beast himself is but an ugly garron, and, whereby I have no provender to spare him, mightily out of heart, as I may truly say; but your lordship must think a poor priest like me has a mighty deal of work, and very little pay.' 'Why, then, brother,' said my good father, whilst benevolence beamed in his countenance, 'tis fit that I, who have the advantage of you in both respects, should mount you on a better horse, and furnish you with provender to maintain him.' This parley with the priest passed in the very hayfield where the bishop's people were at work. Orders were instantly given for a stack of hay to be made at the priest's cabin; and in a few days after a steady horse was purchased and presented to him. Surely, they could

THOMAS O'ROURKE.

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not be true born Irish fairies that would spite my father, or even his turkeys after this.

Amongst the laborers in my father's garden there were three brothers of the name of O'Rourke, regularly descended from the kings of Connaught, if they were exactly to be credited for the correctness of their genealogy. There was also an elder brother of these, Thomas O'Rourke, who filled the superior station of hind, or headman; it was his wife that burnt the bewitched turkeys, whilst Tom burnt his wig for joy of my victory at the cock-match, and threw a proper parcel of oatmeal into the air as a votive offering for my glorious success. One of the younger brothers was upon crutches in consequence of a contusion on his hip, which he literally acquired as follows: When my father came down to Clonfert from Dublin, it was announced to him that the bishop was arrived: the poor fellow was then in the act of lopping a tree in the garden; transported at the tidings, he exclaimed: 'Is my lord come? Then I'll throw myself out of this same tree for joy.' He exactly fulfilled his word, and laid himself up for some months.

When I accompanied my mother from Clonfert to Dublin, my father having gone before, we passed the night at Killbeggan, where Sir Thomas Cuffee (knighted in a frolic by Lord Townshend) kept the inn. A certain Mr. Geoghegan was extremely drunk, noisy and brutally troublesome to Lady Cuffee the hostess: Thomas O'Rourke was with us, and being much scandalized with the behavior of Geoghegan, took me aside, and in a whisper said: 'Squire, will I quiet this same Mr. Geoghegan?' When I replied by all means, but how was it to be done?-Tom produced a knife of formidable length and demanded-Haven't I got this? And won't this do the job, and hasn't he wounded the woman of the inn with a chopping knife, and what is this but a knife, and wouldn't it be a good deed to put him to death like a mad dog? Therefore, Squire, do you see, if it will pleasure you and my lady there above stairs, who is ill enough, God he knows, I'll put this knife into that same Mr. Geoghegan's ribs, and be off the next moment on the gray mare; and isn't she in the stable? Therefore only say the word, and I'll do it.' This was the true and exact proposal of Thomas O'Rourke, and, as nearly as I can remember, I have stated it in his very words.

We arrived safe in Dublin, leaving Mr. Geoghegan to get sober at his leisure, and dismissing O'Rourke to his quarters at Clonfert. When we had passed a few days in Kildare Street, I well remember the surprise it occasioned us one afternoon, when, without any notice, we saw a great gigantic dirty fellow

walk into the room and march straight up to my father, for what purpose we could not devise. My mother uttered a scream, whilst my father with perfect composure addressed him by the name of Stephen, demanding what he wanted with him, and what brought him to Dublin-Nay, my good lord,' replied the man, 'I have no other business in Dublin itself but to take a bit of a walk up from Clonfert to see your sweet face, long life to it, and to beg a blessing upon me from your lordship; that is all.' So saying, he flounced down on his knees, and, in a most piteous kind of howl, closing his hands at the same time, cried out-Pray, my lord, pray to God to bless Stephen Costello.' The scene was sufficiently ludicrous to have spoiled the solemnity, yet my father kept his countenance, and gravely gave his blessing, saying, as he laid his hands on his head-God bless you, Stephen Costello, and make you a good boy!' The giant sung out a loud amen, and arose, declaring he should immediately set out and return to his home. He would accept no refreshment, but with many thanks and a thousand blessings in recompense for the one he had received, walked out of the house, and I can well believe, resumed his pilgrimage to the westward without stop or stay. I should not have considered this and the preceding anecdotes as worth recording, but that they are in some degree characteristic of a very curious and peculiar people, who are not often understood by those who profess to mimic them, and who are too apt to set them forth as objects for ridicule only, when oftentimes even their oddities, if candidly examined, would entitle them to our respect.

I will here mention a very extraordinary honor, which the city of Dublin was pleased to confer upon my father in presenting him with his freedom in a gold box; a form of such high respect as they had never before observed towards any person below the rank of their chief governor: I state this last-mentioned circumstance from authorities that ought not to be mistaken; if the fact is otherwise, I have been misinformed, and the honor conferred upon the Bishop of Clonfert was not without a precedent. The motives assigned in the deed which accompanied the box, are in general for the great respectability of his character, and in particular for his disinterested protection of the Irish clergy. Under this head it was supposed they alluded to the benefice, which he had bestowed upon a most deserving clergyman, his own particular friend and chaplain, the Reverend Dixie Blondel, who happened also to be at that time chaplain to the Lord Mayor of Dublin. I have the box at this time in my possession.

INFLUENCE OF MY FATHER.

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To the same merits, which influenced the city to bestow this. distinguished honor on my father, I must ascribe that which I received from the University of Dublin, by the honorary grant of the degree of Doctor of Laws. Upon this I have only to observe that to be within the sphere of my father's good name, was to me at once a security against danger and a recommendation to favor and reward.

CHAPTER IV.

The West Indian-Garrick-Vindication of Dr. Bentley-Pride-Duke of AlvaThe Rev. Mr. Reynolds-Neis Nill Society-Garrick-Reynolds-JohnsonJenyns-Anecdote of Garrick-Foote-Anecdote of Thomas Mills-The Fashionable Lover-Anonymous defamation-Oliver Goldsmith-Dr. Johnson— Goldsmith's comedies-Retaliation, Goldsmith's poems-Bishop Cumberland, transferred to Kilmore-Death of-The choleric man-Mrs. Abington-Henderson-Death of the Earl of Halifax-Lord George Germain-Cumberland's promotion.

WHEN I returned to England I entered into an engagement with Mr. Garrick to bring out 'The West Indian' at his theatre. I had received fair and honorable treatment from Mr. Harris, and had not the slightest cause of complaint against him, his brother patentees or his actors. I had, however, no engagement with him, nor had he signified to me his wish or expectation of any such in future. If, notwithstanding, the obligation was honorably such, as I was not free to depart from, in which light I am pretty sure he regarded it, my conduct was no otherwise defensible than as it was not intentionally unfair. My acquaintance with Mr. Garrick had become intimacy between the acting of the 'Brothers' and the acceptance of the West Indian.' I resorted to him again and again with the manuscript of my comedy; I availed myself of his advice, of his remarks, and I was neither conscious of doing what was wrong in me to do, nor did any remonstrance ever reach me to apprise me of my

error.

เ

I was not indeed quite a novice to the theatre, but I was clearly innocent of knowing or believing nyself bound by any rules or usage, that prevented me from offering my production to the one or the other at my own free option. I went to Mr. Garrick; I found in him what my inexperience stood in need of, an admirable judge of stage effect; at his suggestion I added the preparatory scene in the house of Stockwell, before the arrival of Belcour, where his baggage is brought in, and the domestics of the merchant are setting things in readiness for his coming. This insertion I made by his advice, and I punctually remember the very instant when he said to me in his chariot on our way to Hampton-'I want something more to be announced