all moral principle, constitute them the shame and reproach of
the country. By such men the peace of Ireland is destroyed, illegal
combinations formed, blood shed, and nightly outrages committed. There
is nothing more certain than this plain truth, that if proper religious
and moral knowledge were impressed upon the early principles of persons
like Phelim, a conscience would be created capable of revolting from
crime. Whatever the grievances of a people may be, whether real or
imaginary, one thing is clear, that neither murder nor illegal violence
of any description, can be the proper mode of removing or redressing
them. We have kept Phelim's Ribbonism in the background, because its
details could excite only aversion, and preferred exhibiting his utter
ignorance of morality upon a less offensive subject, in order that the
reader might be enabled to infer, rather than to witness with his mind's
eye, the deeper crimes of which he was capable.

WILDGOOSE LODGE

I had read the anonymous summons, but from its general import I believed
it to be one of those special meetings convened for some purpose
affecting the usual objects and proceedings of the body; at least
the terms in which it was conveyed to me had nothing extraordinary or
mysterious in them, beyond the simple fact, that it was not to be a
general but a select meeting: this mark of confidence flattered me, and
I determined to attend punctually. I was, it is true, desired to keep
the circumstances entirely to myself, but there was nothing startling
in this, for I had often received summonses of a similar nature.
I therefore resolved to attend, according to the letter of my
instructions, "on the next night, at the solemn hour of midnight,
to deliberate and act upon such matters as should then and there be
submitted to my consideration." The morning after I received this
message, I arose and resumed my usual occupations; but, from whatever
cause it may have proceeded, I felt a sense of approaching evil hang
heavily upon me; the beats of my pulse were languid, and an undefinable
feeling of anxiety pervaded my whole spirit; even my face was pale, and
my eye so heavy, that my father and brothers concluded me to be ill; an
opinion which I thought at the time to be correct, for I felt exactly
that kind of depression which precedes a severe fever. I could not
understand what I experienced, nor can I yet, except by supposing that
there is in human nature some mys