The Storyteller

New Zealand Tablet, 8 April 1920, Page 3

The Storyteller

By William Carleton.

——♦ ——— r WILLY REILLY AND HIS DEAR COLEEN DAWN, (A Tale Founded upon Fact)

CHAPTER XVlll.— (Continued.) Let us hear the Messrs. Chambers further: “After the death of William, who was much opposed to severities on account of religion, acts of still greater rigor were passed, for preventing the growth of Popery. Any child of a Roman Catholic, who should declare himself a Protestant, was entitled _to become the heir of his estate, the father merely holding it for his lifetime, and having no command over it. Catholics were made incapable of succeeding to Protestants, and lands, passing over them, were to go to the next Protestant heir. Catholic parents were prevented from being guardians to their children; no Protestant possessing property was to be permitted to marry a Catholic ; and Catholics were rendered incapable of purchasing land property, or enjoying long leases. These - measures naturally rendered the Catholics discontented subjects, and led to much turbulence. The common people of that persuasion, being denied all access to justice, took it into their own hands, and acquired all those lawless habits for which they have since been, remarkable. Treachery, cruelty, and all the lower passions were called into vigorous exercise. Even the Protestants, for their own sakes, were often obliged to connive at the evasion of laws so extremely severe, and which introduced much difficulty in their dealings with Catholics ; but when any Protestant wished to be revenged upon a Catholic, or to extort money from him, he found in these laws a ready instrument for his purpose. By an additional act, in 1726, it was ordained that a Roman Catholic priest, marrying a Protestant to a Catholic, should suffer death; and in order that legal redress might be still less accessible to the Catholics, it was enacted, in 1728, that no one should be entitled to practise as an attorney who had not been two years a Protestant.” This is a clear and succinct epitome of the penal laws; true, much more might be added ; but it is enough to say those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. It 'is not by placing restrictions upon creeds or ceremonies that religion can ever be checked, much less extinguished. Like the camomile plant, the more it is trampled on the more it will spread and grow, as the rude winds and the inclemency of the elements only harden and make more vigorous the constitutions of those who are exposed to them. In our state of the world, those who have the administration of political laws in their hands, if they ever read history, or can avail themselves of the experience of the ages, ought to know that it is not by severity or persecution that the affections of their fellow-subjects can bo conciliated. We ourselves once knew a brutal ruffian, who was a dealer in fruit in the little town of Maynooth and whose principle of correcting his children was to continue whipping the poor little things until they were forced to laugh ! A person was one day present when he commenced chastising one of them —a child about sevenupon this barbarous principle. This individual was then young and strong, and something, besides, of a pugilist; but on witnessing the affecting efforts of the little fellow to do that which was not within the compass

of any natural effort, he deliberately knocked the ruffian down, after having first remonstrated with him to no purpose. He arose, however, and attacked the other, but, thanks to a good arm and a quick eye, he prostrated him again, and again, and again; he then caught him by the throat, for he was already subdued, and squeezing his windpipe to some purpose, the fellow- said, in a choking voice, "Are you going to kill me?" "No," replied the other, "I only want to see the length of your tongue; don't be alarmed, the whole thing will end merrily; come now, give three of the heartiest laughs you ever gave in your life, or down goes your apple-cart—you know what that means." "II c—a—n—t," said he. "Yes, you can," replied his castigator, "nothing is more easy; come, bo merry." The caitiff, for he was a coward, and wanted bottom, upon getting a little wind, whilst the other held him by the throat, gave three of the most ludicrous but disastrous howls that ever were witnessed. On his opponent letting him go, he took to his heels, but got a kick on going out

that was rather calculated to accelerate his flight. Legislators, ~ therefore, ought to-know thatr no; political -whipping will ever make a 4 people laugh at the pleasure of it. ■'•■-■

But to resume our narrative. England, now apprehensive, as we have said, of a descent of the French upon her southern coast," and startled :by .the successes of the young Pretender, ; who ;; had cut • Cope's army to pieces, deemed it expedient to send : over the celebrated Earl of Chsterfield as Viceroy, with instructions to relax the rigor of the laws, and conciliate the Catholics' as well as he could ji so, at least, as to prevent them from joining the Pretender, whose object it was understood to be to. cross the frontier and march upon London. Lord Chesterfield's policy afforded great gratification to the Catholics, who were now restored to their usual privileges, and its political object was so far successful that, as we have said, not'"a single man of them ever joined the Pretender. Still, the Liberal Protestants, or, as they were termed, the Patriotic Party, were not satisfied with the mere removal of the Catholic restrictions: Ireland at that, time was .studded with men, or rather with monsters, like Smellpriest and Whitecraft, who were stained with the blood of. their fellow-subjects and fellow-Christians. Sir Robert Whitecraft, especially, was now in a bad position, although he himself was ignorant of it. The French Ambassador demanded satisfaction, in the name of his Court and the' French nation, for the outrage that had been committed upon a French subject, and by which international law was so grossly violated. • We must say here that Whitecraft, in the abundance of his loyalty and zeal, was in the habit, in his searches after priests and suspected lay Catholics, to pay domiciliary visits to the houses of many Protestant magistrates, and even gentlemen of wealth and distinction who were suspected, from their known enmity to persecution, of harboring Catholic priests and others of that persuasion; so that, in point of fact, he had created more enemies in the country than any man living. , The Marquis of , Mr. Hastings, Mr. Brown, together with a great number of the Patriotic Party, had already transmitted a petition to the Lord Lieutenant, under the former Administration; but it was not attended to, the only answer they got having been a simple acknowledgment of its receipt. This, on coming to Sir Robert's ears, which it did from one of the underlings of the Castle, only gave a spur to his insolence, and still more fiercely stimulated his persecuting spirit. Tie felt conscious that Government would protect him, or rather reward him, for any acts of violence which he might commit against the Catholic Party, and so far, under his own pet Administration, he was right. The petition wo have alluded to having been treated with studied contempt, the persons and party already mentioned came to the determination of transmitting another, still more full and urgent, to the now Viceroy, whose feeling it was, for the reasons we have stated, to reverse the policy of his predecessor. His liberal administration encouraged them, therefore, to send him a clear statement of the barbarous outrages committed by such men as Smellpriest and Sir Robert Whitecraft, not only against his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects, but against many loyal Protestant magistrates, and other Protestants of distinction and property, merely because they were supposed to entertain a natural sympathy for their persecuted fellow r subjects and fellowcountrymen. They said that the conduct of those men, and of the Government that had countenanced and encouraged them, had destroyed the prosperity of the country by interrupting and annulling all bona fide commercial transactions between Protestant and ..Catholic; that those men had not only transgressed the instructions they received from his predecessor, but all those laws that go to the security of life and property; that they were guilty of several cruel and atrocious murders, arsons, and false imprisonments, for which they were never brought to account; and that, in fine, they were steeped in crime and blood, because they knew that his predecessor, ignorant, perhaps, of the extent of their guilt, threw his shield over them, and held them irresponsible to the laws for those savage outrages. ■ i

'■■: They then stated that, in their humble judgment, a mere relaxation in the operation of the severe and penal laws against Catholics would not be an act of sufficient atonement to them for all they had previously suffered; that to overlook, or connive at, or to protect those great criminals would be at variance, not only with all principles of justice, but with the spirit of the British Constitution itself, rfwhich- never recognises, much less encourages, a wicked and deliberate violation of its own laws; that the present was a critical moment, which demanded great judgment and equal humanity in the administration of the laws in Ireland. A rebellion was successfully progressing in Scotland, and it appeared to them that ' not only

common justice, but sound policy, ought to prompt the Government to attract $ and conciliate the Catholic": population of Ireland, by allowing them to participate in" the benefits of the Constitution, which hitherto \ existed not for them, thousands of whom,- finding their country but a bed of thorns, might, from.' a mere sense of relief,, or, what was more to be dreaded, a spirit of natural vengeance, flock to -the standard of the Pretender. '|j .

His Excellency, already aware of the startling but just demand which had been made by the French Ambassador, for the national insult by Whitecraft to his country, was himself startled and shocked by the atrocities of those bloodstained delinquents. His reply, however,-*, was brief, but to the purpose. His secretary acknowledged the receipt of the memorial, and state that the object of his Excellency was not to administer the laws in cruelty, but in mercy that he considered all classes of his Majesty's subjects equally entitled to their protection, and that with respect to the persons against whom such serious charges and allegations had been made, he had only to say that, if they were substantiated against them in a court of justice, they must suffer like other criminals. "If they can be proved, Government would leave them, as it would any common felons, to the laws of the country. His Excellency is determined to administer those laws with the strictest impartiality, and without leaning to any particular class or creed. So far as the laws will allow him, their protection shall be extended, on just and equal principles, to the poor and to the rich, to the Catholic and to the Protestant."

This communication, which was kept strictly secret, reached the Marquis of at a critical period of our narrative. Whitecraft, who was ignorant of it, but sufficiently aware of the milder measures which the new Administration had adopted, finding that the trade of priesthunting and persecution was, for the present, at an end, resolved to accelerate his marriage with Miss Folliard, and for this purpose he waited upon her father, in order to secure his consent. His object was to retire to his English estates," and there pass the remainder of his life with his beautiful but reluctant bride. He paid his visit about 2 o'clock, and was told that Miss Folliard and her father were in the garden. Hither he accordingly repaired, and found the squire, his daughter, and Reilly in the greenhouse. When the squire saw him he cried out, with something of malicious triumph:

'•'Hallo, Sir Robert! 'Why art thou so pale, young lover? Why art thou so pale?' And why does thy lip hang. Sir Robert? New men, new measures, Sir Robert — and so, 'Othello's occupation's gone,' and the Earl of Chesterfield goes to Mass every Sunday, and is now able to repeat his padereens in Irish."

"I am glad to find you so pleasant, Mr. Folliard; but I'm delighted to see the beautiful state of your greenhouseOh, Miss Folliard ! —excuse me. Your back was to me, and you were engaged in trailing that beautiful shrub; allow me the honor of shaking hands with you."

''Sir Robert, I bid you good-day, but you see that I have my garden gloves on; you will excuse me." "Oh, Miss Folliard," he replied, "your will is the spirit of the British Constitution to me." "A spirit which, I fear, you have too frequently violated, Sir Robert; but, as papa says, I believe your cruel occupation is gone—at least I hope so." "Gad, you got it there, Sir Robert," replied her father, laughing.

"I must confess it," replied the baronet; "but I think, in order to ingratiate myself with Miss Folliard, I shall take whatever side she recommends me. How, ; Mr. Folliard," he proceeded, fixing his eyes upon Reilly "what the deuce is this? Have you got Robinson Crusoe here?"

"We have," replied the squire; "but his man Friday has got married to a Tipperary woman, and he's now in quest of a desert island for him and her to settle in."

"I think, papa," said Helen, "that, if the principles of Sir Robert and his class were carried out, he would not have far to go to look for one."

"Another hit, Bob, you dog—another hit; well said, —well said, I say. Crusoe, you villain, hold up your head, and thank God you're christened."

. "Wid de help Gad, shir, I was christened afwhore, sure, be de priesht."

This visit occurred about six weeks after the appointment of the new Viceroy to the Government of Ireland, and about five after the sheriff's illness.

"Come, Whitecraft," said the squire, "come, and let us have lunch; I'll hold a crown, I give you as good a glass of Burgundy as you gave me the other day, and will -say done first." ;. " ... ... ""; •/ .• ■■.. ■??

“.Won’t Miss Folliard join us?” j asked Whitecraft, looking to her for an assent. : j • “Why, I suppose so;’’ replied her father; "won’t you come, Helen?” " fr] “You know, papa, I never lunch.” | **. r.-v “Gad, and neither youado, Helen. "Come, Sir Robert, we ; will : have “r a mouthful to eat, and something good to wash 'it down; come along, man; what the devil are you scrutinising poor old Robinson Crusoe for? Come along, I say; the old chap is making the greenhouse thrive ; he beats Malcolmson. Here, Malcolmson, you know Sir Robert Whitecraft, don’t you?” “Hout, your honor, wha dinna ken Sir Robert Whitecraft? Isn’t his name far and near, as a braw defender o’ the faith, and a putter down o’ Papistry?” “By the way, Malcolmson,” said Sir Robert, “where did you get Robinson Crusoe, by which I mean that wildlooking man in the greenhouse?” “Saul, sir, it’s a question I never speered at him. He cam’ here as a gaberlunzie, and on stating that he was indoctrinated in the sceence of buttany, his honor garred me employ him. De’il ha’e but the truth I tell —he’s a clever buttanist, and knows a’ the sceentific names aff-hand.” “So that’s all you know about him?” said Sir Robert. “He has a devil of a beard, and is shockingly dressed. Why doesn’t he shave?” /' “Ou, just some Papistry nonsense,” replied the gardener; “but we ha’e naething to do wi’ that, sae lang’s we get the worth o’ our siller out o’ him.” “Here’s a shilling, Malcolmson,” said Sir Robert. v.“ “Na, na, r your honor; a shilling’s no for a man that understands the sceence of buttany ; a shilling’s for a flunky in levery ; but as for me, I couldna conscientiously condescend upon less than ten o’ them, or a pund British; but I’m feart that’s contrairy maybe to your honor’s habits.” ■’ ' v - '>r “Well, then,” said Sir Robert, “I have no more silver, and so I leave you to the agreeable society of Robinson Crusoe.” , Reilly had watched Sir Robert’s motions, as well as his countenance, in a manner afc furtive as possible. Sometimes, indeed, he stared at him broadly, and with a stupid, oafish look, and again placed himself in such a position behind the range of flower-pots which were placed upon the ledges, that he could observe him without being perceived himself. The force of habit, however, is extraordinary. Our hero was a man exceedingly remarkable for personal cleanliness, and consequently made a point to wash his hands morning and evening with peculiar care. Be this as it may, the lynx eye of Sir Robert observed their whiteness, and he instantly said to himself, “This is no common laborer; I know that he is not, from the whiteness of his hands. Besides, he is disguised ; it is evident from the length of his beard and the unnecessary coarseness of his apparel. Then his figure, the symmetry and size of which no disguise can conceal; this, and everything else, assures me that he is disguised, and that he is, besides, no other individual than the man I want, William Reilly, who has been hitherto my evil genius; but it shall go hard with me, or I shall be his now.” Such were his meditations, as he passed along with the squire to join him at lunch.” When they had left the garden, Reilly addressed his Coleen Bairn as follows: —• “Helen, I am discovered.” “Discovered! Merciful heaven, no!” “Unquestionably, there is no doubt of it; it is certain.” r “But how do you know- that it is certain “Because I observed that Whitecraft’s eyes were never off my hands; he knew that a common laborer could not possibly have such hands. Helen, I am discovered, and must fly.” >• “But you know that there is a change of Administration, and that the severity of the laws has been relaxed against Catholics.” / “Yes, you told me so, and I have no fear for mvself: but what I apprehend is that this discovery, of which I feel certain, will precipitate your marriage •with that miscreant; they will entrap you into it, and then I am miserable for ever.” / (To be continued.) I;>