act, upon
Falstaff's principle, he had discharged his pistols on the way home,
as a proof of the desperate contest he had had with the blood-thirsty
scoundrels. Like all his other exploits, however, it was added to the
catalogue of his daring conflicts with the Whiteboys, and, ere the lapse
of twenty-four hours, was in possession of "his friend the Castle."

CHARTER XV.--Scene in a Parsonage--An Anti-Tithe Ringleader.

Hitherto we have described the tithe-agitation as one which was
externally general as well as deep-rooted; and so far we were perfectly
correct. Our readers, however, are not to understand by this that there
did not exist among the people--ay, and the priesthood too--a strong
under-current of sympathy for the sufferings of the protestant clergy.
The latter had indeed been now reduced to such privation as it is
pitiable even to look back upon. One-half the glebe-houses presented
such symptoms of cold nakedness and destitution, such a wrecked and
gutted appearance, as could scarcely be conceived at present. Hundreds
of their occupants had been obliged to part by degrees with all that
was valuable or could be turned into money. The elegant and accomplished
young female, hitherto accustomed to all the comforts and luxuries of
life, was now to be taught a lesson of suffering and endurance as severe
as it was unexpected. Many--many such lessons were taught, and we may
add--well and nobly, and with true Christian fortitude, were they borne.
We have already said that Purcel had the collection of tithe for four
Parishes, and now that the distress among the clergy and their families
had assumed such a dreadful and appalling aspect, he had an opportunity
of ascertaining the extraordinary respect and affection for them which
existed after all in the minds of the people. His own house and premises
were now so strongly secured, and his apprehension of nocturnal attacks
so strongly justified by the threats he had already received, and the
disorganized state of the country around him, that he was forced to
decline receiving the tithe at unseasonable hours; it being impossible
for him to know whether the offer of payment might not have been a plan
of the people to get into his dwelling, and wreak their vengeance
upon him and his sons. Under these circumstances, his advice to them,
communicated with due regard to his own safety, was to pay the money
directly to the clergyman himself, or at least to some of his fami