d the invasion of Ireland were thoroughly
informed on the state of parties, and the condition of public opinion
in that kingdom, the English Government were satisfied with vague
and insufficient rumours of those intentions, derived from sources of
questionable accuracy, or communicated by persons in the pay of their
opponents. Certain it is, neither the magnitude of the peril was
appreciated, nor its nearness suspected. Many, in England, regarded the
whole in the light of a menace, and believed that the embarrassments of
the French Directory were quite sufficient to withdraw their thoughts
from foreign aggression, to troubles nearer home. Their great want of
money, arms, and all the munitions of war, was well known and trusted to
as a guarantee of security. Others supposed that a rash attempt might
be made, but were equally sure of its being defeated by our naval forces
before a landing could be effected; and many more believed that the
pretence of foreign aid was but a threat of the malcontents at home, to
enforce compliance with their demands. The event itself was to show how
unfounded were all these calculations, and how little reason we had to
regard our security as derived from our own measures of foresight and
precaution.

Constituted as the French Government of the day was, nothing would have
been easier than to have ample knowledge of all the projects. The men
in high situations were newly elevated to power, from positions of very
humble pretension, with no habits of public business, no experience
of the mode of conducting difficult affairs, and many of them of very
questionable character for integrity; and yet, with these opportunities
at our disposal, a few scattered facts, ill-authenticated and vague,
were all that our Government attained to; and even these were unattended
to, save when they implicated the conduct of some suspected character
nearer home; then, indeed, party violence assumed an appearance
of statesmanlike vigilance, and crown prosecutions and ex-officio
informations, seemed the safeguard of the empire.

On occasions of this kind, the activity of the Government was most
remarkable, and while the great question of national security was
overlooked, no pains were spared to track out the narrow path where
some insignificant treason was plodding, and bring the plotter to
the scaffold. Large sums of money were spent in obtaining secret
information, and the whole science of government was reduced to