第13章

Butthouwastnottogothere，David-thebloodwhichthouhadstshedinScotlandwastoberequiredofthee；theavengerwasathand，theavengerofblood。Seized，manacled，broughtbacktothynativeland，condemnedtodie，thouwastleftinthynarrowcell，andtoldtomakethemostofthytime，foritwasshort：andthere，inthynarrowcell，andthytimesoshort，thoudidstputthecrowningstonetothystrangedeeds，bythatstrangehistoryofthyself，pennedbythyownhandintherobbertongue。Thoumightesthavebeenbetteremployed，David!-buttherulingpassionwasstrongwiththee，eveninthejawsofdeath。Thoumightesthavebeenbetteremployed!-butpeacebewiththee，Irepeat，andtheAlmighty’sgraceandpardon。

CHAPTERIX

Napoleon-Thestorm-Thecove-Upthecountry-Thetremblinghand-Irish-Toughbattle-Tipperaryhills-Elegantlodgings-

Aspeech-Fairspecimen-Orangemen。

ONWARD，onward!andafterwehadsojournedinScotlandnearlytwoyears，thelongcontinentalwarhadbeenbroughttoanend，Napoleonwashumbledforatime，andtheBourbonsrestoredtoalandwhichcouldwellhavedispensedwiththem；wereturnedtoEngland，wherethecorpswasdisbanded，andmyparentswiththeirfamilyretiredtoprivatelife。Ishallpassoverinsilencetheeventsofayear，whichofferlittleofinterestasfarasconnectedwithmeandmine。Suddenly，however，thesoundofwarwasheardagain，NapoleonhadbrokenforthfromElba，andeverythingwasinconfusion。Vastmilitarypreparationswereagainmade，ourowncorpswasleviedanew，andmybrotherbecameanofficerinit；butthedangerwassoonover，Napoleonwasoncemorequelled，andchainedforever，likePrometheus，tohisrock。Asthecorps，however，thoughsorecentlylevied，hadalreadybecomeaveryfineone，thankstomyfather’senergeticdrilling，theGovernmentveryproperlydeterminedtoturnittosomeaccount，and，asdisturbanceswereapprehendedinIrelandaboutthisperiod，itoccurredtothemthattheycoulddonobetterthandespatchittothatcountry。

Intheautumnoftheyear1815wesetsailfromaportinEssex；weweresomeeighthundredstrong，andwereembarkedintwoships，verylarge，butoldandcrazy；astormovertookuswhenoffBeachyHead，inwhichwehadnearlyfoundered。Iwasawakenedearlyinthemorningbythehowlingofthewindandtheuproarondeck。I

keptmyselfclose，however，asisstillmyconstantpracticeonsimilaroccasions，andwaitedtheresultwiththatapathyandindifferencewhichviolentsea-sicknessissuretoproduce。Weshippedseveralseas，andoncethevesselmissingstays-which，todoitjustice，itgenerallydidateverythirdorfourthtack-weescapedalmostbyamiraclefrombeingdashedupontheforeland。

OntheeighthdayofourvoyagewewereinsightofIreland。Theweatherwasnowcalmandserene，thesunshonebrightlyontheseaandoncertaingreenhillsinthedistance，onwhichIdescriedwhatatfirstsightIbelievedtobetwoladiesgatheringflowers，which，however，onournearerapproach，provedtobetwotallwhitetowers，doubtlessbuiltforsomepurposeorother，thoughIdidnotlearnforwhat。

Weenteredakindofbay，orcove，byanarrowinlet；itwasabeautifulandromanticplacethiscove，veryspacious，and，beingnearlyland-locked，wasshelteredfromeverywind。Asmallisland，everyinchofwhichwascoveredwithfortifications，appearedtoswimuponthewaters，whosedarkbluedenotedtheirimmensedepth；

tallgreenhills，whichascendedgraduallyfromtheshore，formedthebackgroundtothewest；theywerecarpetedtothetopwithturfofthemostvividgreen，andstuddedhereandtherewithwoods，seeminglyofoak；therewasastrangeoldcastlehalf-wayuptheascent，avillageonacrag-butthemistsofmorningwerehalfveilingthescenewhenIsurveyedit，andthemistsoftimearenowhangingdenselybetweenitandmynolongeryouthfuleye；Imaynotdescribeit；-norwillItry。

Leavingtheshipinthecove，wepassedupawideriverinboatstillwecametoacity，wherewedisembarked。Itwasalargecity，aslargeasEdinburghtomyeyes；therewereplentyoffinehouses，butlittleneatness；thestreetswerefullofimpurities；handsomeequipagesrolledalong，butthegreaterpartofthepopulationwereinrags；beggarsabounded；therewasnolackofmerriment，however；

boisterousshoutsoflaughterwereheardoneveryside。Itappearedacityofcontradictions。Afterafewdays’restwemarchedfromthisplaceintwodivisions。Myfathercommandedthesecond，Iwalkedbyhisside。

Ourroutelayupthecountry；thecountryatfirstofferednoveryremarkablefeature，itwaspretty，buttame。Onthesecondday，however，itsappearancehadaltered，ithadbecomemorewild；arangeofdistantmountainsboundedthehorizon。Wepassedthroughseveralvillages，asIsupposeImaytermthem，oflowhuts，thewallsformedofroughstoneswithoutmortar，theroofofflagslaidoverwattlesandwicker-work；theyseemedtobeinhabitedsolelybywomenandchildren；thelatterwerenaked，theformer，ingeneral，blear-eyedbeldames，whosatbesidethedoorsonlowstools，spinning。Wesaw，however，bothmenandwomenworkingatadistanceinthefields。

Iwasthirsty；andgoinguptoanancientcrone，employedinthemannerwhichIhavedescribed，Iaskedherforwater；shelookedmeintheface，appearedtoconsideramoment，thentotteringintoherhut，presentlyreappearedwithasmallpipkinofmilk，whichsheofferedtomewithatremblinghand。Idrankthemilk；itwassour，butIfoundithighlyrefreshing。Ithentookoutapennyandofferedittoher，whereuponsheshookherhead，smiled，and，pattingmyfacewithherskinnyhand，murmuredsomewordsinatonguewhichIhadneverheardbefore。

Iwalkedonbymyfather’sside，holdingthestirrup-leatherofhishorse；presentlyseverallowuncouthcarspassedby，drawnbystarvedcattle：thedriversweretallfellows，withdarkfeaturesandathleticframes-theyworelongloosebluecloakswithsleeves，whichlast，however，dangledunoccupied：thesecloaksappearedintolerablygoodcondition，notsotheirundergarments。

Ontheirheadswerebroadslouchinghats：thegeneralityofthemwerebare-footed。Astheypassed，thesoldiersjestedwiththeminthepatoisofEastAnglia，whereuponthefellowslaughed，andappearedtojestwiththesoldiers；butwhattheysaidwhoknows，itbeinginaroughgutturallanguage，strangeandwild。Thesoldiersstaredateachother，andweresilent。

’Astrangelanguagethat!’saidayoungofficertomyfather，’I

don’tunderstandawordofit；whatcanitbe？’

’Irish!’saidmyfather，withaloudvoice，’andabadlanguageitis，Ihaveknownitofold，thatis，IhaveoftenhearditspokenwhenIwasaguardsmaninLondon。There’sonepartofLondonwherealltheIrishlive-atleastalltheworstofthem-andtheretheyhatchtheirvillainiesandspeakthistongue；itisthatwhichkeepsthemtogetherandmakesthemdangerous：Iwasoncesenttheretoseizeacoupleofdeserters-Irish-whohadtakenrefugeamongsttheircompanions；wefoundtheminwhatwasinmytimecalledaken，thatisahousewhereonlythievesanddesperadoesaretobefound。KnowingonwhatkindofbusinessIwasbound，I

hadtakenwithmeasergeant’sparty；itwaswellIdidso。Wefoundthedesertersinalargeroom，withatleastthirtyruffians，horrid-lookingfellows，seatedaboutalongtable，drinking，swearing，andtalkingIrish。Ah!wehadatoughbattle，I

remember；thetwofellowsdidnothing，butsatstill，thinkingitbesttobequiet；buttherest，withanubbubbooliketheblowingupofapowder-magazine，sprangup，brandishingtheirsticks；forthesefellowsalwayscarrystickswiththemeventobed，andnotunfrequentlyspringupintheirsleep，strikingleftandright。’

’Anddidyoutakethedeserters？’saidtheofficer。

’Yes，’saidmyfather；’forweformedattheendoftheroom，andchargedwithfixedbayonets，whichcompelledtheotherstoyieldnotwithstandingtheirnumbers；buttheworstwaswhenwegotoutintothestreet；thewholedistricthadbecomealarmed，andhundredscamepouringdownuponus-men，women，andchildren。

Women，didIsay!-theylookedfiends，halfnaked，withtheirhairhangingdownovertheirbosoms；theytoreuptheverypavementtohurlatus，sticksrangaboutourears，stones，andIrish-IlikedtheIrishworstofall，itsoundedsohorrid，especiallyasIdidnotunderstandit。It’sabadlanguage。’

’Aqueertongue，’saidI；’IwonderifIcouldlearnit。’

’Learnit!’saidmyfather；’whatshouldyoulearnitfor？-

however，Iamnotafraidofthat。ItisnotlikeScotch，nopersoncanlearnit，savethosewhoareborntoit，andeveninIrelandtherespectablepeopledonotspeakit，onlythewildersort，likethosewehavepassed。’

Withinadayortwowehadreachedatallrangeofmountainsrunningnorthandsouth，whichIwastoldwerethoseofTipperary；

alongtheskirtsoftheseweproceededtillwecametoatown，theprincipaloneoftheseregions。Itwasonthebankofabeautifulriver，whichseparateditfromthemountains。Itwasratheranancientplace，andmightcontainsometenthousandinhabitants-I

foundthatitwasourdestination；therewereextensivebarracksatthefartherend，inwhichthecorpstookupitsquarters；withrespecttoourselves，wetooklodgingsinahousewhichstoodintheprincipalstreet。

’Youneversawmoreelegantlodgingsthanthese，captain，’saidthemasterofthehouse，atall，handsome，andathleticman，whocameupwhilstourlittlefamilywereseatedatdinnerlateintheafternoonofthedayofourarrival；’theybeatanythinginthistownofClonmel。Idonotletthemforthesakeofinterest，andtononebutgentlemeninthearmy，inorderthatmyselfandmywife，whoisfromLondonderry，mayhavetheadvantageofpleasantcompany，genteelcompany；ay，andProtestantcompany，captain。ItdidmyheartgoodwhenIsawyourhonourrideinattheheadofallthosefinefellows，realProtestants，I’llengage，notaPapistamongthem，theyaretoogood-lookingandhonest-lookingforthat。

SoInosoonersawyourhonourattheheadofyourarmy，withthathandsomeyounggentlemanholdingbyyourstirrup，thanIsaidtomywife，MistressHyne，whoisfromLondonderry，“Godblessme，“saidI，“whatatrulyProtestantcountenance，whatanoblebearing，andwhatasweetyounggentleman。Bythesilverhairsofhishonour“-