grappled with a soldier, whom he threw to the ground, and stabbed to the heart, exclaiming, "By Hell! there are military here!" The next moment he was outside of the house vociferating, "Hearts of Steel, withdraw! there is an ambush of troops within."

"Fire again, and pursue!" cried Frederick to his soldiers, as the assailants fled. He was obeyed, and three or four more of the Steel Boys fell. The small party of troops that had been left to watch their proceedings, as before mentioned, now also approached and fired amongst them, but without doing them much injury. On this party a number of Steel Boys rushed with the fury of madmen, and would have cut it to pieces, but for the rapid attack which Frederick's men made on them with their bayonets.

"Spare all who surrender," cried Frederick to his soldiers-for his heart sickened at the carnage he witnessed, but not one offered to surrender. Every one fled who had a chance; and they who had none, fought to revenge themselves, and fell, uttering savage yells of bitter denunciations against their enemies.

While Frederick, careless of personal danger, ran in every direction, anxious to take prisoners and to save lives, a man burst from a thicket upon him with a drawn sword, the thrust of which he

1

just perceived in time to avoid by a leap backwards. That instant the man drew a pistol, presented it—and had he not hesitated to fire, Frederick would have fallen dead on the spot; but from some strange motive he did hesitate.

"By Heavens! it is he," he exclaimed, and throwing the pistol behind him he vanished like

an arrow.

The Steel Boys, now ceased all resistance, and fled; while the soldiers in vain pursued them in darkness, through a country well-known to the fugitives, and not at all to the pursuers.

At length Frederick stopped the pursuit, and led his men back to Huntly's, where he found fewer dead and wounded on either side than he expected. Among his own men three were killed, and seven or eight wounded. Of the Hearts of Steel six were killed, and ten or twelve had, it was supposed, been wounded, all of whom, except two, whose wounds were severe, had contrived to make their escape during the pursuit.

The coroner's inquest the next day relieved Frederick and his party from any bad consequences attendant on the night's transactions, by returning a verdict in regard to the deceased Steel Boys, of "justifiable homicide, done in self-defence;" but in regard to the deceased soldiers, their verdict was-"Death, occasioned by a nocturnal attack

of some banditti, supposed to be a party of these lawless depredators styling themselves Hearts of Steel."

The two wounded prisoners who seemed likely to recover, were handed over to the civil power, and committed to goal to abide their trial at the next assizes.

With the reader's permission I will here forestal events, by informing him, that when the trial of these prisoners came on, although their guilt was proved as clear as noon-day, so much was the jury in terror of the Hearts of Steel, that they were acquitted, to the great surprise of the court, and the consternation of the landed proprietors of the country.

In consequence of this, and several other instances of the same nature, which took place at this troublesome and alarming period, a bill was introduced into parliament, which passed into a law, authorising the Sheriffs of disturbed counties to transmit prisoners accused of illegal combinations, to Dublin for trial. A number of the Hearts of Steel were accordingly tried in the metropolis; but there the unconstitutionality of the "Act," under which they were transmitted from their own counties, operated as much in their favour as the terror of their confederates did in the North, and the juries

acquitted them on the ground, that they had no right to try them.

This remarkable fact in the history of Irish jurisprudence, although attended with some temporary bad consequences, has practically proved that there is a protecting energy in the long-established principles of our happy constitution of which the legislature itself cannot deprive us,-a controlling power too mighty to be overcome by the united caprice of King, Lords, and commons. It is a vic

torious answer to those cavillers who allege that we have no constitution independent of legislative enactments; and that the vote of a servile parliament, in accordance to the will of an ambitious monarch, is capable of annihilating our liberties.

CHAPTER XX.

Now to each bard allot the station due:-
Lady, the contest we refer to you!

This pours melodious strains almost divine;—
That breathes a heartfelt throb in every line.
Give me that throb, she said; the tuneful art
Is ne'er so sweet as when it moves the heart!

IRISH SOOTHSAYER.

THE disagreeable excitement produced in Frederick's mind by the foregoing transactions, in a few days began to subside; and the pleasurable desire to see again the fairest maid he ever saw, became his predominant feeling; and in obedience to its dictates, he set out for Ballycarney.

It was on a sacramental Saturday; and the public services of the day were just finished when he arrived. It is needless to describe the reception he met with from his kind and grateful host, in whose company he found two neighbouring clergymen, who had come to assist in administering the solemn ordinances of the ensuing day. These gentlemen were both communicative and well-informed, and in their deportment perfectly clerical;