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enfeebled in body, depressed in spirits, but still unsubdued in mind. It was desirable he should re-enter Parliament when the session of 1800 opened. He expressed no desire in the matter himself, but Mrs. Grattan urged "that it was his duty; that he had got a great deal from the peo- ple ; that he ought to spend his money and shed his blood in their defence." At length Mr. Grattan yielded, and was brought to Dublin. Being unable to bear any noise, he avoided hotels, and went to a friend's house in Baggot-street. A vacancy oc- curred for the borough of Wicklow; through the friendly offices of the sheriff the election was held at midnight, and Grattan was elected, and a horseman was despatched to Dublin with the return. Mrs. Grattan tells us what followed: " He arrived in Dublin about five in the morning, when we heard a loud knocking at the door. Mr. Grattan had been very ill", and was then in bed, and turning round he exclaimed, * Oh, here they come ; why will they not let me die in peace ? ' The question of Union had become dreadful to him ; he could not bear the idea, or listen to the sub- ject, or speak on it with any degree of pa- tience ; he grew quite wild, and it almost drove him frantic. I shall never forget the scene that followed. I told him he must get up immediately, and go down to the House : so we got him out of bed, and dressed him. I helped him down stairs ; then he went into the parlour and loaded his pistols, and I saw him put them in his pocket, for he apprehended he might be attacked by the Union party, and assassi- nated. We wrapped a blanket round him, and put him in a sedan chair, and when he left the door I stood there, uncertain whether I should ever see him again. Afterwards, Mr. McCann came to me and said that I need not be alarmed, as Mr. Grattan's friends had determined to come forward * . case he was attacked, and if necessary take his place in the event of any personal quarrel. When I heard that, I thanked him for his kindness, but told Mm
- My husband cannot die better than in
defence of his country.' " This was the early morning of the i6th January 1800. Parliament had opened the previous even- ing ; the question of the Union had at once come up, and had been opposed through the night by Blanket, FitzGerald, Ar- thur Moore, Ponsonby, and Bushe. At seven o'clock Grattan entered the House, supported by Ponsonby and Moore. He was dressed in the Volunteer uniform — blue, with red cuffs and coUar. "The House and the galleries were seized with breathless emotion, and a thrilling sensa- 230
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tion, a low murmur, pervaded the whole assembly, when they beheld a thin, weak, and emaciated figure, worn down by sick- ness of mind and body, scarcely able to sustain himself; the man who had been the founder of Ireland's independence in 1782, was now coming forward, feeble, helpless, and apparently almost in his last moments, to defend or to fall with his coun- try." '54 When Mr. Egan, who was speak- ing when he entered, ceased, Grattan rose, but obtained leave to address the house sitting, and delivered a speech of two hours' duration, in which he went over the whole question. But the Government carried the address embodying the question of Union by 1 38 votes to 96. On 5 th Febru- ary Lord Caatlereagh delivered a message to Parliament from the Lord-Lieutenant, re- commending a union. In the course of the debate Grattan said: "Whether you will go, with the Castle at your head, to the tomb of Charlemont and the Yolunteers, and erase his epitaph; or whether your children shall go to your graves, saying, ' A venal military court attacked the liberties of the Irish, and here lie the bones of the honourable dead men who saved their country !' Such an epitaph is an epitaph which the King cannot give his slaves ; it is a glory which the crown cannot give the King." On this occasion Government secured 160 to 117 votes. The complaints made in the House of the dispersion by the military of meetings to petition against the Union, were not denied by Toler, the Attorney-General. On Friday, 17th Feb- ruary, the House went into committee on the Union Bill. In the course of debate, Corry made a personal attack on Grattan, which he repelled in a speech of surpassing eloquence. Since his reply to Flood in 1 7 83 nothing of that character had been heard in Parliament. Speaking of 1798, he said : " The stronghold of the constitution was nowhere to be found. I agree that the rebel who rises against the Government should have suffered ; but I missed on the scaffold the right honourable gentleman. Two desperate parties were in arms against the constitution. The right honourable gentleman belonged to one of these parties and deserved death. I could not join the rebels; I could not join the Government; I could not join torture ; I could not join half-hanging ; I could not join free quar- ter ; I could take part with neither. I was therefore absent from a scene where I could not be active without self-reproach, nor indifferent with safety. Many honourable gentlemen thought differently from me. I respect their opinions, but I keep my own ; and I think now, as I thought then, that the
