It was in vain that his wife used every argument to induce him to relinquish such practices; the only reply he was in the habit of making, was a good-humored slap on the back and a laugh, saying,
""That"s it, Honor; sure and isn"t that the Magraths, all over, that would let the manest spalpeen that ever chewed cheese thramp upon them, without raising a hand in their own defence; and I don"t blame you for being a coward, seeing that you have their blood in your veins--not but that there ought to be something betther in you, afther all; for it"s the M"Karrons, by your mother"s side, that had the good dhrop of their own in them, anyhow--but you"re a Magrath out and out."
""And, Denis," Honor would reply, "it would be a blessed day for the parish, if all in it were as peaceable as the same Magraths. There would be no sore heads, nor broken bones, nor fighting, nor slashing of one another in fairs and markets, when people ought to be minding their business. You"re ever and always at the Magraths, bekase they don"t join you agin the Caseys or the Orangemen, and more fools they"d be to make or meddle between you, having no spite agin either of them; and it would be wiser for you to be _sed_ by the Magraths, and _red_ your hands out of sich ways altogether. What did ever the Murphys do to sarve you or any of your family, that you"d go to make a great man of yourself fighting for them? Or what did the poor Caseys do to make you go agin the honest people? Arrah, bad manners to me, if you know what you"re about, or if _sonse_ (* Good Luck) or grace can ever come of it; and mind my words, Denis, if G.o.d hasn"t said it, you"ll live to rue your folly for the same work."
"At this Denis would laugh heartily. "Well said, Honor _Magrath_, but not _Kelly_, Well, it"s one comfort that our childher aren"t likely to follow your side of the house, any way. Come here, Lanty; come over, acushla, to your father! Lanty, ma bouchal, what "ill you do when you grow a man?"
""I"ll buy a horse of my own to ride on, daddy."
""A horse, Lanty! and so you will, ma bouchal; but that"s not it--sure that"s not what I mane, Lanty. What "ill you do to the Caseys?"
""Ho, ho! the Caseys! I"ll bate the blackguards wid your blackthorn, daddy!"
""Ha, ha, ha! that"s my stout man, my brave little soger! _Wus dha lamh avick!_--give me your hand, my son! Here, Nelly," he would say to the child"s eldest sister, "give him a brave whang of bread, to make him able to bate the Caseys. Well, Lanty, who more will you leather, ahagur?"
""All the Orangemen; I"ll kill all the Orangemen!"
"This would produce another laugh from the father, who would again kiss and shake hands with his son, for these early manifestations of his own spirit.
""Lanty, ma bouchal," he would say, "thank G.o.d, you"re not a _Magrath_; "tis you that"s a _Kelly_, every blessed inch of you! and if you turn out as good a _buillagh balthah_ as your father afore you, I"ll be contint, avour-neen!"
""G.o.d forgive you, Denis," the-wife would reply, "it"s long before you"d think of larning him his prayers, or his cateehiz, or anything that"s good! Lanty, agra, come over to myself, and never heed what that man says; for, except you have some poor body"s blessing, he"ll bring you to no good."
"Sometimes, however, Kelly"s own natural good sense, joined with the remonstrances of his wife, prevailed for a short time, and he would withdraw himself from the connection altogether; but the force of habit and of circ.u.mstances was too strong in him, to hope that he could ever overcome it by his own firmness, for he was totally dest.i.tute of religion. The peaceable intervals of his life were therefore very short.
"One summer evening I was standing in my own garden, when I saw a man galloping up towards me at full speed. When he approached, I recognized him as one of the Murphy faction, and perceived that he was cut and bleeding.
""Murphy," said I, "What"s the matter!"
""Hard fighting, sir," said he, "is the matter. The Caseys gathered all their faction, bekase they heard that Denis Kelly has given us up, and they"re sweeping the street wid us. I"m going hot foot for Kelly, sir, for even the very name of him will turn the tide in our favor. Along wid that, I have sent in a score of the Duggans, and, if I get in Denis, plase G.o.d we"ll clear the town of them!"
"He then set off, but pulled up abruptly, and said,
""Arrah, Mr. Darcy, maybe you"d be civil enough to lind me the loan of a sword, or bagnet, or gun, or anything that way, that would be sarviceable to a body on a pinch?"
""Yes!" said I, "and enable you to commit murder? No, no, Murphy; I"m sorry it"s not in my power to put a final stop to such dangerous quarrels!"
"He then dashed off, and in the course of a short time I saw him and Kelly, both on horseback, hurrying into the town in all possible haste, armed with their cudgels. The following day, I got my dog and gun, and sauntered about the hills, making a point to call upon Kelly. I found him with his head tied up, and his arm in a sling.
""Well, Denis," said I, "I find you have kept your promise of giving up quarrels!"
"And so I did, sir," said Denis; "but, sure you wouldn"t have me for to go desart them, when the Caseys war three to one over them? No; G.o.d be thanked, I"m not so mane as that, anyhow. Besides, they welted both my brothers within an inch of their lives."
""I think they didn"t miss yourself," said I.
""You may well say they did not, sir," he replied: "and, to tell G.o.d"s truth, they thrashed us right and left out of the town, although we rallied three times, and came in agin. At any rate, it"s the first time for the last five years that they dare go up and down the street, calling out for the face of a Murphy, or a Kelly; for they"re as bitter now agin us as agin the Murphys themselves."
""Well, I hope, Denis," I observed, "that what occurred yesterday will prevent you from entering into their quarrels in future. Indeed, I shall not give over, until I prevail on you to lead a quiet and peaceable life, as the father of a rising family ought to do."
""Denis," said the wife, when I alluded to the children, looking at him with a reproachful and significant expression--"Denis, do you hear that!--the father of a family, Denis! Oh, then, G.o.d look down on that family; but it"s--Musha, G.o.d bless you and yours, sir," said she to me, dropping that part of the subject abruptly; "it"s kind of you to trouble yourself about him, at all at all: it"s what them that has a better right to do it, doesn"t do."
""I hope," said I, "that Denis"s own good sense will show him the folly and guilt of his conduct, and that he will not, under any circ.u.mstances, enter into their battles in future. Come, Denis, will you promise me this?"
""If any man," replied Denis, "could make me do it, it"s yourself, sir, or any one of your family; but if the priest of the parish was to go down on his knees before me, I wouldn"t give it up till we give them vagabone Caseys one glorious battherin," which, plase G.o.d, we"ll do, and are well able to do, before a month of Sundays goes over us. Now, sir, you needn"t say another word," said he, seeing me about to speak; "for by Him that made me we"ll do it! If any man, I say, could persuade me agin it, you could; but, if we don"t pay them full interest for what we got, why my name"s not Denis Kelly--ay, sweep them like varmint out of the town, body and sleeves!"
"I saw argument would be lost on him, so I only observed, that I feared it would eventually end badly.
""Och, many and many"s the time, Mr. Darcy," said Honor, "I prophesied the same thing; and, if G.o.d hasn"t said it, he"ll be coming home a corpse to me some day or other; for he got as much bating, sir, as would be enough to kill a horse; and, to tell you G.o.d"s truth, sir, he"s breeding up his childher--"
""Honor," said Kelly, irritated, "whatever I do, do I lave it in your power to say that I"m a bad husband? so don"t rise me by your talk, for I don"t like to be provoked. I know it"s wrong, but what can I do? Would you have me for to show the Garran-bane,* and lave them like a cowardly thraitor, now that the other faction is coming up to be their match?
No; let what will come of it, I"ll never do the mane thing--death before dishonor!"
* The white horse, i.e., be wanting in mettle.
Tradition affirms that James the Second escaped on a white horse from the battle of the Boyne; and from this circ.u.mstance a white horse has become the emblem of cowardice.
"In this manner Kelly went on for years; sometimes, indeed, keeping quiet for a short period, but eventually drawn in, from the apprehension of being reproached with want of honor and truth, to his connection.
This, truly, is an imputation which no peasant could endure; nor, were he thought capable of treachery, would he be safe from the vengeance of his own party. Many a time have I seen Kelly reeling home, his head and face sadly cut, the blood streaming from him, and his wife and some neighbor on each side of him--the poor woman weeping and deploring the senseless and sanguinary feuds in which her husband took so active a part.
"About three miles from this, down at the Long Ridge, where the Shannons live, dwelt a family of the Grogans, cousins to Denis. They were anything but industrious, although they might have lived very independently, having held a farm on what they called an old take, which means a long lease taken out when lands were cheap. It so happened, however, that, like too many of their countrymen, they paid little attention to the cultivation of their farm; the consequence of which neglect was, that they became embarra.s.sed, and overburdened with arrears. Their landlord was old Sam Simmons, whose only fault to his tenants was an excess of indulgence, and a generous disposition wherever he could possibly get an opportunity to scatter his money about him, upon the spur of a benevolence which, it would seem, never ceased goading him to acts of the most Christian liberality and kindness. Along with these excellent qualities, he was remarkable for a most rooted aversion to law and lawyers; for he would lose one hundred pounds rather than recover that sum by legal proceedings, even when certain that five Pounds would effect it; but he seldom or never was known to pardon a breach of the peace.
"I have always found that an excess of indulgence in a landlord never fails ultimately to injure and relax the industry of the tenant; at least, this was the effect which his forbearance produced on them. But the most extraordinary good-nature has its limits, and so had his; after repeated warning, and the most unparalleled patience on his part, he was at length compelled to determine on at once removing them from his estate, and letting his land to some more efficient and deserving tenant. He accordingly desired them to remove their property from the premises, as he did not wish, he said, to leave them without the means of entering upon another farm, if they felt so disposed. This they refused to do; adding, that they would, at least, put him to the expense of ejecting them. He then gave orders to his agent to seize; but they, in the mean time, had secreted their effects by night among their friends and relations, sending a cow to this one, and a horse to that; so that, when the bailiff came to levy his execution, he found very little, except the empty walls. They were, however, ejected without ceremony, and driven altogether off the farm, for which they had actually paid nothing for the three preceding years. In the mean time the farm was advertised to be let, and several persons had offered themselves as tenants; but what appeared very remarkable was, that the Roman Catholics seldom came a second time to make any further inquiry about it; or, if they did, Simmons observed that they were sure to withdraw their proposals, and ultimately decline having anything to do with it.
"This was a circ.u.mstance which he could not properly understand; but the fact was, that the peasantry were almost to a man members of a widely-extending system of agrarian combination, the secret influence of which intimidated such of their own religion as intended to take it, and prevented them from exposing themselves to the penalty which they knew those who should dare to occupy it must pay. In a short time, however, the matter began to be whispered about, until it spread gradually, day after day, through the parish, that those who already had proposed, or intended to propose, were afraid to enter upon the land on any terms.
Hitherto, it is true, these threats floated about only in the vague form of rumor.
"The farm had been now unoccupied for about a year; party spirit ran very high among the peasantry, and no proposals came in, or were at all likely to come. Simmons then got advertis.e.m.e.nts printed, and had them posted up in the most conspicuous parts of this and the neighboring parishes. It was expected, however, that they would be torn down; but, instead of that, there was a written notice posted up immediately under each, which ran in the following words:--
""Take Notess.
""Any man that"ll dare to take the farm belonging to smooth Sam Simmons, and sitivated at the long ridge, will be flayed alive.
"" Mat Midnight.
""B. N.--It"s it that was latterrally occupied by the Grogans."
"This occasioned Simmons and the other magistrates of the barony to hold a meeting, at which they subscribed to the amount of fifty pounds as a reward for discovering the author or authors of the threatening notice; but the advertis.e.m.e.nt containing the reward, which was posted in the usual places through the parish, was torn down on the first night after it was put up. In the meantime, a man, nicknamed Vengeance--Vesey Vengeance, in consequence of his daring and fearless spirit, and his bitterness in retaliating injury--came to Simmons, and proposed for the farm. The latter candidly mentioned the circ.u.mstances of the notice, and fairly told him that he was running a personal risk in taking it.
""Leave that to me, sir," said Vengeance; "if you will set me the farm at the terms I offer, I am willing to become your tenant; and let them that posted up the notices go to old Nick, or, if they annoy me, let them take care I don"t send them there. I am a true blue, sir--a purple man*--have lots of fire-arms, and plenty of stout fellows in the parish ready and willing to back me; and, by the light of day if they make or meddle with me or mine, we will hunt them in the face of the world, like so many mad dogs, out of the country: what are they but a pack of ribles, that would cut our throats, if they dared?"
* These terms denote certain stages of initiation in the Orange system
""I have no objection," said Simmons, "that you should express a firm determination to defend your life and protect your property; but I utterly condemn the spirit with which you seem to be animated. Be temperate and sober, but be firm. I will afford you every a.s.sistance and protection in my power, both as a magistrate and a landlord; but if you speak so incautiously, the result may be serious, if not fatal, to yourself."
"Instead of that," said Vengeance, "the more a man appears to be afeard, the more danger he is in, as I know by what I have seen; but, at any rate, if they injure me, I wouldn"t ask better sport than taking down the ribles--the b.l.o.o.d.y-minded villains! Isn"t it a purty thing that a man darn"t put one foat past the other only as they wish. By the light o" day, I"ll pepper them!"
"Shortly after this, Vengeance, braving all their threats, removed to the farm, and set about its cultivation with skill and vigor. He had not been long there, however, when, a notice was posted one night on his door, giving him ten days to clear off from this interdicted spot, threatening, in case of non-compliance, to make a bonfire of the house and offices, inmates included. The reply, which Vengeance made to this was fearless and characteristic. He wrote another notice, which he posted on the chapel-door, stating that he would not budge an inch--recommending, at the same time, such as intended paying him a nightly visit to be careful that they might not chance to go home with their heels foremost. This, indeed, was setting them completely at defiance, and would, no doubt have been fatal to Vesey, were it not for a circ.u.mstance which I will now relate:--In a little dell, below Vesey"s house, lived a poor woman, called Doran, a widow; she inhabited a small hut, and was princ.i.p.ally supported by her two sons, who were servants, one to a neighboring farmer, a Roman Catholic, and the other to Dr.
Ableson, rector of the parish. He who had been with the rector lost his health shortly before Vengeance succeeded the Grogans as occupier of the land in question, and was obliged to come home to his mother. He was then confined to his bed, from which, indeed, he never rose.
"This boy had been his mother"s princ.i.p.al support--for the other was unsettled, and paid her but little attention, being like most of those in his situation, fond of drinking, dancing, and attending fairs. In short, he became a Ribbonman, and consequently was obliged to attend their nightly meetings. Now it so happened that for a considerable time after the threatening notice had been posted on Vengeance"s door, he received no annoyance, although the period allowed for his departure had been long past, and the purport of the paper uncomplied with. Whether this proceeded from an apprehension on the part of the Ribbonmen of receiving a warmer welcome than they might wish, or whether they deferred the execution of their threat until Vengeance might be off his guard, I cannot determine; but the fact is, that some months had elapsed and Vengeance remained hitherto unmolested.