requesting the cornet's assistance in finding her clogs and mantle : while these were being arranged, she took occasion of hinting to the cornet the delights of “ moonlight walks with one that one likes”-at the same time endeavouring to convey to the cornet her idea of who that favoured one was; but Pierce was indissolubly cold: and after having seen her trot after the long strides of Miss Sally and “the Doctor," followed Breakpeace into the Traveller.

CHAPTER XI.

THE ASSIZES.

The business to the laws alone,
The proof is all it looks upon;
And you can want no witnesses
To swear to any thing you please,
That hardly get their mere expenses.
By the labour of their consciences.

HUDIBRAS.

One fine morning, when neither the duties of the riding-school nor barrack-yard interfered, our cornet rode into the town of Clonmel, which he found in an unusual state of bustle-pigs, cows, horses, men, women, and children, tow wigs and great coats, presented one compact mass in the principal street. It was in vain that our hero, with an air of authority which aț other times would, perhaps, have proved irresistible, ordered the rude rabble to make way before him. “Och wisha, and do you want to ride over us?".

What a jontleman you are !"_“Where the divil are you going with your hoss?"--saluted him from all sides, and he did not advance one inch. As Pierce was debating with himself what all this could mean, he

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saw a carriage, drawn by four Rozinantes, moving slowly on through the crowd. Before the carriage, marched, with all the pomp of war, two men in livery, carrying white wands, with a fifer belonging to one of the regiments in garrison, who, as he went, ever and

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at least, so thought many of the by-standers, who had been long taught to associate with such wood notes wild, the loss of those who were nearest and dearest to them. Upon Pierce, however, who had no such associations, this “ Tip'rarian" pageantry produced a a very different effect; and when the well-known air of "Moll in the Wad" (which the artless musician had oddly enough selected for this occasion) came on his ear, he laughed so loud and long, as to arrest the attention of the crowd around him, who, concluding naturally enough that he was amusing himself with their feelings, shook their shilelahs, and seemed to threaten a general attack upon our hero. He thought it more prudent, therefore, for the present, to restrain his mirth, though he did not understand exactly how it was he had provoked the anger of the Tip'rary boys. At length the carriage already mentioned, approached the place where the cornet was, and he saw within it, bolt upright, in pride of state, an individual, whose richly powdered wig and flowing robes proclaimed a dread minister of the law, and explained at once to Pierce the cause of this unusual assemblage of persons, and of the hostile feelings which he had so unaccountably excited. In fact, the assizes had already commenced, the judge was then on his way to the court-house, with the intention of entering upon a very long criminal calendar, even for the county of Tipperary: and the cornet was in the midst of the numerous friends of the

Voz. II.--13

prisoners, in whose fate they naturally felt an intense interest. Pierce, who was fond of discussing legal questions ('twas no wonder, for he had already sat upon no less than three courts-martial, with much credit to himself, thought that this was an opportunity, not to be lost, of extending his knowledge of the laws of his country. Besides, he was still smarting under a defeat, which he had suffered the day before, in an argument with the major, who was considered in the regiment an accomplished lawyer. “I shall floor them all (thought he,) at the mess, when next a point of evidence arises for discussion, and the major shall acknowledge me to be the better man." Accordingly he followed the judge's carriage, which soon brought him to the door of the court-house; and giving his horse to one of his troop, who was there in attendance, he entered with the crowd the body of the building. It was not without great difficulty that Pierce made his way; indeed his red coat did him no service. As the country was in a state of insurrection, and the military had been often called out to assist the civil power, they were no favourites with the lower orders. Perhaps, if our cornet had been a little less imperious, with a little less of the professed dragoon in his manner, he might have done better. But no doubt he thought that an officer bearing his Majesty's commission, should assert himself

at least, should not be trampled upon by a greasy Irish mob. The time, however, was inauspicious ; his orders and efforts were alike unavailing, and attempting to force a passage by applying one of his spurs to the bare leg of a Tip'rary boy, near him, who bellowed out, “milla murdra!" he was on the point of being rudely handled by the crowd, when a country gentleman with whom he was acquainted, came to his assistance, and, after some difficulty, succeeded in procuring our cornet à place in the grand jury gallery. When Pierce got in, he found the clerk of the crown calling on the prisoners.

Clerk. “ Patrick Gilloughly, are you ready for your trial ?"

Prisoner. “Na, my lord.”

Clerk. “Well, you must be ready to-morrow. Timothy Spillaan, are you ready for your trial ?"

Pris. “My lard, my wutnesses arn't come yit; they'll be here a Monday.”

Člerk. “ The court can wait no longer, you promised to be ready yesterday. Gentlemen of the jury, you are to understand, that in No. 201, Timothy Spillaan stands indicted, for that he, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil-"

Pris. “Och, my lard, my lard, I'm as innocent as the shyld unborn."

Clerk. “Hold your tongue, Sir; his lordship will hear you by and by.—On the third May, &c. &c. with a certain oak stick, value sixpence."

Pris. “Och, my lard, my lard, I didn't do it.”

Clerk. “ Silence, Sir.Which he, the said Timothy Spillaan, then and there held, did assault one Patrick Hurlihy; and in and upon his head did give him one mortal wound, of the breadth of three inches, and of the depth of four inches, &c. &c.

After the clerk of the crown had read the indictment, in which he was interrupted from time to time (as already mentiened) by the prisoner, a smart, attenuated, little, bald-headed old gentleman, with small, sharp-cut features, whose superabundant vivacity and restless demeanour had already caught Pierce's attention, rose to address the jury, beginning sotto voce

“Gentlemen of the jury, it is my duty, my painful duty, to lay before you the particulars of this case, which I shall do as briefly as possible ; and, if I am rightly instructed, it is the most frightful, the most atrocious case that was ever submitted to the consideration of a jury of this county, or any jury-or any jury-(here the learned counsel raised his voice rapidly

to a fortissimo, and suited the action to the word by striking one hand violently against the palm of the other). I am not ignorant, gentlemen of the jury, of the history of this county for many years back (indeed I ought to know it, for I have myself, I may say, been engaged professionally in the greater part of the business which has come before the juries of Tipperary for the last thirty years)- I am not ignorant, I repeat, that this county has been but too fruitful in crime that it holds a fearful pre-eminence in guilt over the other counties in Ireland.

Bella per Emathios plusquam civilia campos,
Jusque datum sceleri;

and therefore I speak advisedly when I use such strong language. Gentlemen of the jury, the deceased Patrick Hurlihy went, at the time laid in the indictment, which you have heard, to the fair of Thurles, in this county, with a view (as I am instructed) of making some purchases there. The fair was, as usual, very much crowded, and several tents were erected on the ground for the accommodation of the visiters. · It appears that the deceased was sitting in one of these tents with some of his friends, quietly enjoying the classical recreations of the place. Now, gentlemen of the jury, the deceased wore a wig—a tow-wig; the weather was hot, and he did what I think you will all of you consider

very natural for any man to do under such circumstances; he took off his wig, and placed it on a peg in the tent on a peg in the tent.” (Here the learned counsel looked through a small eye-glass, which was suspended by a black ribbon from his neck, inquiringly, first at the judge and then at the ry.)

Having done this, gentlemen of the jury, which any of you might have done under the same circumstances, the deceased put his head out of the tent, to see what was passing in the fair. His head,”-(here the crown

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