412 CAULFIELD. own expense, for their own security. They chose their own officers, were self-clothed, armed, disciplined, and sustained; and in the course of a year or two amounted to a force of eighty thousand. Of the regiment formed by the town of Armagh, Lord Charlemont was chosen to the command, as were the prin- cipal noblemen and gentlemen in other districts to the local corps. The jealousy against the catholics, who by law were debarred the use of arms, precluded their admission to join these corps for some time; but a patriotic ardour for the common safety of the country, consumed for a time all sectarious prejudices, and fixed the whole national mind into one compound, like Corinthian brass. The government did not view, without astonishment and regret, this unexpected combination and formidable array, the effects of its own work, and more remotely, of its prede- cessors and of England; by whose policy there had been but too many dragon's teeth planted in the soil for a cen- tury, which there was some reason to apprehend would, on the first favourable occasion, spring up to armed men. If it were now even possible, they felt it would be highly rash and impolitic to attempt the disarray of the volunteers; and the bumiliations which the British arms had felt from their, ineffectual conflicts in America, taught the govern- ment rather to dissemble their antipathies, and learn to cherish the only force which could protect the country at such a crisis. Therefore the supporters as well as the opponents of administration joined their ranks, and in little more than a year their numbers amounted to four thousand two hundred more. Men of all sects and orders, met in the same ranks, shared in the same fare, and the same services, forgot their divisions, conversed with each other, not as formerly, like enemies or rivals, but as countrymen and friends. It becane every day more clear to the liberal and un- biassed friends of the country, that something should be done for the relief of the catholics, who were in effect " strangers at home." The people of Ireland had long
