easily to be
forgotten; about two hundred prisoners were standing in a group,
disarmed, it is true, but quite unguarded, and without any preparation
or precaution against escape!

Six or seven English officers, amongst whom were two majors, were
gathered around General Humbert, who was conversing with them in
tones of easy and jocular familiarity. The captured guns of the enemy
(fourteen in all) were being ranged on one side of the square, while
behind them were drawn up a strange-looking line of men, with their
coats turned. These were part of the Kilkenny militia, who had deserted
to our ranks after the retreat began.

Such was the 'fight' of Castlebar. It would be absurd to call it a
'battle'--a day too inglorious for the Royalists to reflect any credit
upon us; but, such as it was, it raised the spirits of our Irish
followers to a pitch of madness, and, out of our own ranks, none now
doubted in the certainty of Irish independence.

Our occupation of the town lasted only a week; but, brief as the time
was, it was sufficient to widen the breach between ourselves and our
allies into an open and undisguised hatred. There were, unquestionably,
wrongs on both sides. As for us, we were thoroughly, bitterly
disappointed in the character of those we had come to liberate; and,
making the egregious mistake of confounding these semi-civilised
peasants with the Irish people, we deeply regretted that ever the French
army should have been sent on so worthless a mission. As for them, they
felt insulted and degraded by the offensive tone we assumed towards
them. Not alone were they never regarded as comrades, but a taunting
insolence of manner was assumed in all our dealings with them, very
strikingly in contrast to that with which we conducted ourselves towards
all the other inhabitants of the island, even those who were avowedly
inimical to our object and our cause.

These things, with native quickness, they soon remarked. They saw the
consideration and politeness with which the bishop and his family were
treated; they saw several Protestant gentlemen suffered to return to
their homes 'on parole.' They saw, too--worse grievance of all--how
all attempts at pillage were restrained, or severely punished, and they
asked themselves, 'To what end a revolt, if neither massacre nor robbery
were to follow? If they wanted masters and rulers, sure they had the
English that they were used to, and could at least understand.'

Such were