hem, had
not its superior in Europe.

The position of England at the moment was pregnant with anxiety; at war
with two powerful nations, she had more than ever reason to conciliate
the feelings and consult the wishes of Ireland. The modern theory of
English necessity being Irish opportunity had not the same prevalence
then as in our own day, but still it had some followers, not one of
whom more profoundly believed the adage, or was more prepared to stake
fortune on the issue, than our acquaintance, Anthony Fagan.

If the Grinder was not possessed of very sage and statesmanlike opinions
on politics generally, he was, on Irish questions, fully as far advanced
as the patriots of our own time; his creed of "Ireland for the Irish"
comprising every article of his political belief, with this advantage
over modern patriotism that he was immensely rich, and quite ready to
employ his wealth in the furtherance of his conviction. He was no
needy adventurer, seeking, as the price of a parliamentary display, the
position to which mere professional attainments would never have raised
him, but a hard-working, slow-thinking, determined man, stimulated by
the ambition that is associated with great riches, and stung by the
degradation of low birth and proscribed religion.

Such men are dangerous in proportion as they are single-minded. Fagan,
with all his sincerity of purpose, failed in this respect, for he
was passionate and resentful to an extent which made him often forget
everything else but his desire of a personal reparation. This was his
great fault, and, strange enough, too, he knew it. The working of that
failing, and his iron efforts to control it, made up the whole character
of the man.

The gross corruption which characterized a late period of Irish history
was then comparatively unknown. It is very possible that had it been
attempted, its success had been very inferior to that it was destined to
obtain subsequently, for the whole tone of public feeling was higher
and purer. Public men were both more independent in property, as well as
principle, and no distinction of talent or capacity could have dispensed
with the greater gifts of honesty and good faith. If there were not
venality and low ambition, however, to work upon, there were other
national traits no less open to the seductive arts of a crafty
administration. There was a warm-hearted and generous confidence, and
a gratitude that actually accepted a pledge, and ackn