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 The Hall of Four Courts.

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of huge proportions, and felt keenly the dis The loyalists raised a volunteer corps from advantages of his " too, too solid flesh " as a among the members of the bar, and the mark for his small antagonist. But Curran majority were enrolled; but many, and was prompt with a remedy. He suggested among them Curran, declined enlistment, that an outline of the size of his own body and incurred the suspicion of being friends should be chalked on Egan's ample front, — of the rebels. "hits outside not to count." The Hall of Four Courts must have Clonmell, afterwards Chief-Justice, fought become a dreary place. The bar was .divided four duels, and divided his attentions equally against itself, its leader was under a cloud,

between two lords and the cluster of and two commoners. brother wits which Baron Medge fought was wont to hang on three, his own brotherhis every word was in-law being one of replaced by a handful the number. Toler, of silent, dogged men. afterwards Chief-Jus And even among these tice, fought three also, there were whispers of lack of opportunity treason, — whispers alone preventing an lately shown to have extension of the list. been well founded. Chief-Justice Patter The man who fought son fought four times, defence on defence — "all hits," as his under Curran's guid biographer unctuously ance, who incurred observes. Finally, with him the reproach Grattan put a bullet of being a little more through an embryo than kind to the men Chancellor of Ex of the rising, has lately chequer, what time had his popularity es his second held a too tablished in somewhat obtrusive sheriff's of grewsome fashion. ficer in a neighboring Leonard McNally, STATUE OF SHEIL. ditch. "the genial Momus of (In the Hall of Four Courts.) Two only of the bar, the Bar," who was wise in their gene both loved and laughed ration, declined the appeal to arms, — one at by his colleagues, and hailed as a " Patriot" on account of his wife, the other because of by the people, has been proved a "Government the affection he had for an only daughter. agent," otherwise and roughly called a spy.1 Bushe has immortalized them as they There were others who, too hot and bitter deserve, — to be content with the silent protest of inaction, joined the rebel standard. Wolfe "Two heroes of Erin, abhorrent of slaughter. Tone and John and Henry Sheares were Improved on the Hebrew command : One honored his wife, and the other his daughter, among them. That their days might be long in the land." These left their colleagues for a time, and When the flame of rebellion broke out in were active workers in organizing French 1798, more than one member of the Irish assistance and in trying to direct the whirl Bar was prominent in its kindling, and suf wind they had helped to raise. fered the penalty of its extinction. 1 Fitzpatrick's Secret Service under Pitt, London, 1892.