Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/209

 GRATTAN. 205 towards Ireland. The parliament voted twenty thousand seamen for his majesty's navy, and the whole volunteer body cheerfully engaged to contribute their aid and in fluence in raising the men. No sooner had the important motion been disposed of, than Mr. Bagenal, a man of sterling sense, and an inflexible patriot, rose; and, after congratulating his coun try, Great Britain, his majesty, and his ministers, for having obtained the greatest of a l l political blessings, h e called upon the house t o confer some signal mark o f a great and grateful nation, upon their illustrious benefactor Mr. Grattan; whose efforts i n procuring them these bless ings, had been timed and conducted with s o much wisdom; and considering this great and good man a s the father o f his regenerated country, h e further called upon them t o look upon him a s the special instrument which benign providence had used, t o convert the oppression and bond age o f their country, into freedom and independence. “Far b e i t from me (said he) t o compare even the ser vices o f Marlborough t o those, for which we stand in debted; we have n o deductions t o make from our gratitude; without protracting, o r any public expence, his efforts have been timed and conducted with s o much wisdom, and the appearance o f such a being o n earth, was s o essential t o the establishment o f liberty a t this most cri tical juncture, that without superstition, men may well record him amongst the most propitious interpositions o f heaven. He has crowned his work; and under his auspices the throne o f freedom i s fixed upon s o certain a basis, and will probably b e always s o well supported b y the due influence the public are likely t o acquire under his system, that, with the blessing o f God, there i s n o danger o f parliament itself ever being able t o shake it; nor shall parliament, I trust, ever again b e profanely styled omnipotent. I am conscious I might have anticipated men infinitely better qualified t o bring such a measure forward; one excuse I have, for i t i s not the impatient wish that every body must have, t o see such a character