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of mankind in former ages been re-asserted? By what zeal, but the warm zeal of devoted christians, have English liberties been redeemed and conseerated? Under what other sanctions, even in our own days, have liberty and happiness been extending and spreading to the utmost corners of the earth? What work of civilization, what commonwealth of greatness has the bald religion of nature ever established? We see, on the contrary, the nations that have no other light than that of nature to direct them, sunk in barbarism or slaves to arbitrary governments; whilst, since the christian era, the great career of the world has been slowly, but clearly advancing lighter at every step, from the awful prophecies of the gospel, and leading, I trust, in the end, to universal and eternal happiness. Each generation of mankind can see but a few revolving links of this mighty and mysterious chain; but, by doing our several duties in our allotted stations, we are sure that we are fulfilling the purposes of our existence. You, I trust, will fulfil yours this day!

XXXV. CHAP. OF ISAIAH.

THE wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land

springs of waters: in the habitation of dragons where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called, The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those; the way-faring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there: but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

SPEECH OF CURRAN FOR HEVEY.

About the year 1798, it seems, a man of the name of M Guire was prosecuted for some offence against the state. Mr. Hevey, the plaintiff, by accident

was in court: he was then a citizen of wealth and credit, a brewer in the first line of that business. Unfortunately for him, he had heretofore employed the witness for the prosecution, and found him a man of infamous character. Unfortunately for himself, he mentioned this circumstance in court. The counsel for the prisoner insisted on his being sworn: he was so. The jury were convinced, that no credit was due to the witness for the crown, and the prisoner was accordingly acquitted. In a day or two after, Major Sirr met the plaintiff in the street, asked how he dared to interfere in his business? and swore he would teach him how to meddle with "his people." Gentlemen, there are two sorts of prophets; one that derives its knowledge from real or fancied inspiration, and is sometimes mistaken. But there is another class, who prophesy what they are determined to bring about themselves. Of this second, and by far the most authentic class, was the Major; for heaven, you see, has no monopoly of prediction. On the following evening, poor Hevey was dogged in the dark into some lonely alley: there he was seized, he knew not by whom, nor by what authority; and be

came in a moment, to his family and friends, as if he had never been. He was carried away in equal ignorance of his crime, and of his destiny,-whether to be tortured, or hanged, or transported. His crime he soon learned; it was the treason he had committed against the majesty of Major Sirr. He was immediately conducted to a new place of imprisonment in the castle-yard, called the Provost. Of this man

sion of misery, of which you have since heard so much, Major Sandys was, and I believe yet is, the keeper, a gentleman of whom I know how dangerous it is to speak, and of whom every prudent man will think and talk with all due reverence. He seemed a twin-star of the defendant-equal in honor and in confidence,-equal also (for who could be superior?) in probity and humanity. To this gentleman was my client consigned, and in his custody he remained about seven weeks, unthought of by the world, as if he had never existed. The oblivion of the imprisoned is as profound as the oblivion of the dead. His family may have mourned his absence, or his probable death. But why should I mention so paltry a circumstance? The fears or the sorrows of the wretched give no interruption to the general progress of things. The sun rose, and the sun set, just as it did before: the business of the government, the business of the castle,-of the feast or the torture,went on with their usual exactness and tranquillity. At last, Mr. Hevey was discovered among the sweepings of the prison, and was at last to be disposed of. He was now honored with the personal notice of Major Sandys." Hevey, (says the major,) I have seen you ride, I think, a smart sort of a mare; you can't use her here; you had better give me an order for her." The plaintiff, you may well suppose, by this time, had a tolerable idea of his situation. He thought he might have much to fear from a refusal, and something to hope from compliance; at all events, he saw it would be a means of apprizing his family that he was not dead: he instantly gave the order required. The major graciously accepted

it, saying, your courtesy will not cost you much; you are to be sent down to-morrow to Kilkenny, to be tried for your life; you will most certainly be hanged; and you can scarcely think that your journey to the other world will be performed on horseback. The humane and honourable major was equally a prophet with his compeer. The plaintiff, on the next day, took leave of his prison, as he supposed for the last time, and was sent under a guard to Kilkenny.

At Kilkenny, evidence was sought for against him by proclamation, and on the testimony of an adjudged felon, he was condemned to death. The sentence, however, came to the eye of Lord Cornwallis;-with shame and indignation he dashed his pen across the record, and ordered Mr. Hevey to be instantly set at liberty.

Hevey was now a man again; he shook the dust off his feet against the prison gate: his heart beat the response to his anticipated embrace of his family and his friends, and he returned to Dublin. On his arrival here, one of the first persons he met with was his old friend Major Sandys. In the eye of poor Hevey, justice and humanity had shorn the Major of his beams. He no longer regarded him with respect or terror; he demanded his mare; observing, that though he might have travelled to heaven on foot, he thought it more comfortable to perform his earthly journeys on horseback. Ungrateful villain! says the Major; is this the gratitude you show to his Majesty and to me for our clemency to you? You shan't get possession of the beast, which you have forfeited by your treason; nor can I suppose, that a noble animal, that had been honored with conveying the weight of duty and allegiance, could condescend to load her loyal loins with the vile burden of a convicted traitor.

On the 8th of September last, Mr. Hevey was sitting in a public coffee-house. Major Sirr was there. Mr. Hevey was informed that the Major had at that moment said,.that he (Hevey,) ought to have been hanged. The plaintiff was fired at the charge; he

fixed his eye on Sirr, and asked if he had dared to say so? Sirr declared that he had, and had said truly. Hevey answered that he was a slanderous scoundrel. At that instant, Sirr rushed upon him, and assisted by three or four of his satellites, who had attended him in disguise, secured him and sent him to the castle guard, desiring that a receipt might be given for the villain. He was sent thither. The officer of the guard chanced to be an Englishman, but lately arrived in Ireland; he said to the bailiffs, if this was in England, I should think this gentleman entitled to bail, but I don't know the laws of this country.However, I think you had better loosen those irons on his wrist, or I think they may kill him.

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Here he was flung into a room of about thirteen feet by twelve; it was called the hospital of the provost; it was occupied by six beds, in which were to lie fourteen or fifteen miserable wretches, some of them sinking under contagious diseases. Here he passed the first night without bed or food. The next morning his humane keeper, the Major, appeared. The plaintiff demanded "why he was imprisoned?" complained of hunger, and asked for the gaol allowance. Major Sandys replied with a torrent of abuse which he concluded by saying-"Your crime is your insolence to Major Sirr; however, he disdains to trample upon you; you may appease him by proper and contrite submission; but unless you do so, you shall rot where you are.—I tell you this, that if Government will not protect us, by Heaven we will not protect them. You will probably, attempt to get out by an habeas corpus; but in that you will find yourself mistaken as such a rascal deserves." Hevey was insolent enough to issue an habeas corpus, and a return was made upon it; "that Hevey was in custody under a warrant from General Craig, on a charge of treason."

This return was a gross falsehood fabricated by Sirr.

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