DERMODY. 85 September, 1794, in the nineteenth year of his age, em barked with the regiment for England. He accompanied it afterwards abroad in the expedition under the Earl of Moira, and behaved so well, that his lordship promoted him to a second-lieutenancy in the waggon corps, and he was in almost every considerable action, and received two wounds; one in the face, and the other in the left hand, a bullet having passed directly through i t . On the reduction o f the army, Dermody was put o n the half-pay list. He now came t o London, and followed the impulse o f his passions, a s heretofore; and the supplies which Lord Moira had generously contributed, were dissipated i n the same degraded vices h e had indulged i n i n Ireland. He was a t length arrested and lodged i n the Fleet prison, from which situation Lord Moira released him, with a threat t o withdraw his protection, unless h e amended his con duct; but all admonition was vain, for his own suffer ings had not taught him prudence. The donation that accompanied the admonitory epistle, h e had squandered i n the lowest haunts o f vice, and i n the pursuit o f debauchery had spent his last shilling, when his resources being en tirely exhausted, h e took shelter i n a garret i n Strutton Ground, Westminster, and applied for assistance t o his biographer Mr. Raymond, who relieved him o n this occa sion, and assisted him i n the publication o f a volume o f poems, teeming with originality o f genius, and beauty o f description. “The zeal,” says Raymond, “ o f the few friends who were now acquainted with his distresses, soon procured him a number o f advocates. His story became extensively known, and among the arbiters o f wit, and the admirers o f poetical compositions, his talents and situation were frequent subjects o f discourse. The force o f his genius was universally acknowledged
and from many who interested themselves i n his behalf, h e reaped more solid advantages than praise and admiration; but neither poverty, experience, nor the contempt o f the world, had yet taught him prudence; and h e had n o sooner
