descendant of Irish royalty." Whilst Sturt gazed with a pitying kindliness on the unfortunate creature, O'Donovan sang, or rather keened, the first two verses of Moore's beautiful m e l o d y — " T h e Song of O'Rourke"—which describes the return h o m e of the Prince of Brefni only to discover the elopement of his wife with the King of Leinster, and his threats of vengeance thereat :— "The valley lay smiling before me, Where lately I left her behind ; Yet 1 trembled for something hung o'er m e , That saddened the joy of m y mind. I looked for the lamp which she told m e Should shine when her pilgrim returned ; But though darkness began to unfold m e , N o lamp from the battlements burned. " I flew to her chamber—'twas lonely, A s if the lov'd tenant lay dead ! A h , would it were death, and death only ! But no !—the young false one had fled. A n d there hung the lute that could soften M y very worst pains into bliss, While the hand that had waked it so often N o w throbbed to m y proud rival's kiss."
Drawing out the last line in a modulated tenderness of voice, he stood erect, the eyes of the maniac glaring like coals offire,and continued— "Then onward the green banner rearing, G o flesh every sword to the hilt."
Looking yearningly towards the supposed Prince of Brefni, and extending his right hand— "On our side is virtue and Erin"—
Then shaking both fists in Sturt's face, and with the howl of a wild animal— "On yours is the Saxon and guilt!"
Every person in Court felt for the poor maniac, and not the least, the kind-hearted Magistrate before w h o m he was arraigned, for in a subdued, softened voice he thus delivered j u d g m e n t : — " M y poor m a n you are to be pitied, a person with your good parts so besotten by drink as to be completely bereft of reason. Your exhibition before m e leaves little doubt of the superfluousness of a medical enquiry to ascertain your state of mind, but as the law requires it, you are remanded." W h e n under restraint he lost most of his Hibernian gush; and the caged eagle seemed as if deprived of the power of wing, brain and voice.
LLL
