madman. However upon fome of his men obferving that they understood I was an old foldier, and had been in feveral engagements laft war-fired with the charming compliment, off I ran to the Main-freet directly; though followed by peals of laughter!

Completely to remove the fmalleft appearance of boasting, I muft here ingenuously declare, that I had no idea of any part of the battle being within the town walls, (as the ruins are ftill called) otherwife I fhould not have acted fo madly. And I never once bethought myself, on this occafion, of the neceffity of military uniform and accoutrements, to preferve me even from the king's troops, who were much lefs likely to fpare a man in my garb than the rebels themselves.

As I approached near the Main-guard, which was stationed at the Court-houfe in this ftreet, fome of the remoter foldiers called to the reft," Shoot that fellow! Stick him!" I laughingly exclaimed, "ye bloody-backs!" Upon this two men levelled at, and no doubt would have shot me, but for the interference of fome of my last evening's guard, who mentioned the general's friendship for me, as though it were particular. I paffed by and was going further up the street, when my good friends called me back; but the reft bid me "go on and fear nothing," expecting as I was afterwards told, that I should be Shot! Still I advanced up the street, but not half way when I heard a close bustle of I knew not what, as the ftreet was fo incurvated that I could not fee. All this time a remote firing went on, but not without fome intermiffion, which space was filled with huzzas. I advanced now but flowly, ftraining myfelf to fee as far up the treet as poffible, without the hazards of advancing too far. Presently I heard a hafty muttering of about twenty voices and a ratling which I conjectured to be cannon wheels. quets now went off. They were then by about four; then about a dozen; and at last by a heavy fhower for about one minute. This was at the

H

G

naturally and juftly Five or fix muf fucceeded by two,

church-lane.

.

church-lane. At laft a piece of ordnance went off, which was followed by a fearful fhout of one party and a triumphant huzza of another. I was ftill on the gape, and making long ftrides. A very loose firing of mufquetry now began again, and a party of rebels appeared ftalking down the street, in attitudes not unlike my own. I turned about in order to alarm the guard; but lo!-a ftrong body of the king's troops with Grumbling Bess,-a roaring nine-pounder, ftopt up the lower part of the street, not quite fo high as the fhambles and the rebels made a ftand juft above the belly of the curve; fo that one party could hardly fee the other. In this extremity what could I do? I got close up against a fhop door exactly facing Bake-boufe-lane. This was the houfe of Mr. DOWSLEY, an eminent loyalift of whom I fhall have occafion to fpeak by and by. On each fide of me were bow windows, by which I was completely concealed from both parties. Now a dreadful pause took place, neither rebels nor foldiers fully appearing to each other. I popt out my head, and asked the rebels if I might pass through them? But an old, ftrong, well-made man, in a very wretched trim lift up his clumfy withered claw and fhook it at me exclaiming, "Fon! Fon! Fon!" I took his advice and kept clofe. Mean time the foldiers advanced in front of their cannon. The rebels alfo began to fhew themfelves. A few mufquet fhots were exchanged on both fides. Two rebels dropt, and one was wounded, and began to howl just like a Chickasaw Indian when he hears the war-hoop. But very few of the fhots on either fide were fired with proper judgment. Moft of them owing to the cowardly positions of fome, struck against the walls of the hollow fide of the ftreet. I now observed an important circumftance, which I hoped to tell the mainguard: The rebels balls flew (comparatively fpeaking) amazingly feeble. Hence it was evident that their powder was wretchedly inferior to that of our troops. I have been fince told that it was manufactured for them at Wexford.

But

But alas! this was a miferable time for making obfervations; and it was hardly probable that I fhould ever escape alive to communicate them to my loyal friends. Still a fhy firing was kept on, without any further effect; but at last both parties as if by mutual confent, appeared full in each other's view. Never was I more fired with the ardour of battle than What would I not give, to make one amongst the foldiers, even though I were fure to fall! Both parties began a clumfy fort of fire, when, fuddenly the foldiers opening their cannon upon them, blew numbers of them off their legs; amongst whom was my friend Mr. "Fon, Fon !"

now.

While the piece was pointing, but more efpecially during the short action of applying the match "my life" to use a vulgar faying, "was not worth fixpence." The explofion was dreadful! Some of the grape knuckled the flag just by my foot, and rofe to a great height. Large numbers of rebels were still behind, as I am informed, expecting no doubt, to fucceed the front in a charge: but they now fed, and were pursued by the foldiers with charged bayonets, and did further execution. I regret that I know not the name, &c. of a little red-headed ftuttering Connaught foldier, who, on this occafion behaved charmingly. He stumbled over a dead body, and being, by this accident, left fomewhat behind, a rebel from another fhop door rushed at him with a very long pike. But the brave foldier kept his piece close to his hip, in its proper pofition, and thus firmly advanced, and boldly. warding off the rebel's long protruded weapon, ran in upon him and pierced him a little below the heart, entering his body about two inches. Out came the blood and dirt, and there he left him "to make the most of himself" as he expreffed it; without deigning to give him a fingle thrust more. The foldiers having thus paffed by, and I feeing the passage down the street pretty clear, I thought of running down with a budget full of news; but prefently I was discovered

by a foldier (who happily for me) hollowed out to another, "there's a croppy!" Immediately both took their stand on the other fide the ftreet about three and twenty yards above me, and fired at me. On hearing their voice at firft, I got into my former place. The balls grazed the fhutters, and flew clofe by my foolish head, but without hurting me. Oh! had I only thought of knocking at the door, the Mr. DOWSLEY's and others of my loyal friends within would have given me a joyful reception, and good employment too in fhooting Croppies. From the windows just over my head, they shot great numbers of them in the Bake-house-lane, where the villains ftept in to prime and load. And there they lay litterally, in a heap, befides which, very many more lay fcattered about. This brought to my mind the observation on difarming the Glory-men. But to proceed:

The two foldiers perceiving me not to fall rushed towards me, and one of them, a Donegal mlitia-man, feized me by the collar, dragged me on one fide-Juft at this inftant a crowd of foldiers rufhing forward cried "ftop! ftop." But he not regarding them, was in the action of clapping his cocked mufquet to my breaft, when the brave and humane THOMAS FAGAN, of the City Dublin militia, Captain BRABASON'S company, with his firelock toffed up the other, which in the very inftant went off, without doing me the leaft injury. What is that for?" indignantly asked my opponent. "He is a loyal fubject" fays Fagan. "He is a "loyal fubject" exclaimed another. "He is a loyal fubject" re-echoed feveral of my late guards, coming up to my affift"Then what brings him here in coloured clothes?” afked my opponent. "Arragh! then it is a long story you "want?" fays Fagan: "Let us protect the gentleman and "fhew him into fome houfe, and then go to our other bufinefs." Upon this the honeft Donegal man, haying primed and loaded his piece, recovered it very respectfully and took

ance.

me

me by the hand faying, He was glad he had not the ill fortune to hurt a loyal fubject; and that he would be my protector. He then defired me to get in their centre, and on no account to hold any of their clothes if they should be charged by a fresh body of rebels; at which bug-a-bow caution I could not help fmiling.

P

We proceeded towards the church-yard, where we were met by another party of the king's troops, between whom and my protectors a fharp altercation took place, on the subject of the latter quiting their poft to affift others who did not need their affiftance. On this occafion my protectors made fpirited and fuitable replies.

Here my curiofity had like once more, to be my ruin: For, while I was gaping fearlessly about, a fudden firing was heard near us; and being deceived by the number and glare of red coats on all fides of me, and not well knowing the faces of moft of my friends, I difcovered, when almost too late, that the gallant fellows were all gone to affift those who moft probably would not murmur against or cenfure them on the occafion. Presently the little red-headed stuttering Connaught man ftept forward and levelling his piece would have shot me; but was prevented by ferjeant Cunningham already mentioned, who averted the muzzle as he fired, and, not without fome difficulty reconciled the whole party to let me go in peace. By his defire they formed a crefcent behind

me at the head of the street, and then bid me run for my life. I did fo, but prefently I heard high words amongst them, and three mufquet balls came whizzing after me. About this time ferjeant Cunningham was himself shot by fome rebels who had like to come on the whole party by surprise. Paffing by the barrack-lane, a rebel came out and levelled an old mufquet at me, but prefently croffed himself and took aim at a soldier, in doing which, he was himself shot, by a Dublin militia-man. As he fell, his piece went off, and he exclaimed,