Fornets to reimburse a like dum advanced by him on the

Facsimile of the warrant issued by Alex'r Marsden, Under Irish Secretary, to

pay for the betrayal of Robert Emmet

The "Pieces of Silver"

261

warrant with Major Sirr is one borne by a family closely connected for a century at least, with this branch of the Emmet family. On obtaining possession of this paper, it was suspected by the writer that this individual may have been the informer as to Robert Emmet's place of concealment. But on investigation it is made evident that the Wm. Taylor mentioned was a clerk in the employ of the Government, whose special business was in connection with the disbursement of the Secret Service money.

This warrant is signed by Alexander Marsden, Under Secretary in the Civil Department of the Chief Secretary's Office. He was essentially the executive officer of Irish affairs, and it was in his power to keep the Chief Secretary, as well as the Lord Lieutenant, in ignorance of Pitt's command and of the move he himself had made to bring about an uprising in Ireland, with Robert Emmet as the nominal leader.

The following is a copy of the warrant issued for the payment of the reward offered for the arrest of Robt. Emmet:

GENTLEMEN:

DUBLIN CASTLE, 14th November, 1803.

His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant desires that out of the Money issued to you for payment of Rewards for discouvering and apprehending Persons charged with being guilty of High Treason & treasonable Practices, you will pay the following Sum.

To Major Sirr Three Hundred Pounds for apprehending Emmet who has been convicted of High Treason, and to Mr. William Taylor Three Hundred Pounds to reimburse a like sum advanced by him on the same account.

To Henry Blake, Esq. for the Persons who apprehended Quigley, Stafford and the two Parrots, who are charged with High Treason, Three Hundred Pounds.

To Wm Kemmis, Esqr
Crown Solicitor.

I am Gentlemen
Your most obedient
humble Servant,
A. MARSDEN.

Most certainly there is something rotten in the system of which Dublin Castle is the centre. Nothing flourishes, nothing develops under its yoke. It has poisoned the political atmosphere and given public spirit over to corruption. It paralyzes all initiative, every desire of progress, every idea of justice. It blasts everything it touches; for the first demand which it makes on a young Irishman, anxious to fill a part in the public service, is that he should turn back on his beliefs, religious and political. It is the main agent of demoralization, for as has been well said, when the people does not fashion the government the government fashions the people. Detested by Nationalist Ireland, it is also denounced even by Unionists of liberal tendencies. Three successive Under-Secretaries, Sir R. Hamilton, Sir Redvers Buller, and Sir West Ridgeway, have put on record their condemnation of the "Castle" system over which they had presided. Can it be reformed? Would it be possible to make the Castle government a good government, and the Union a reality and an advantage? The answer given by the experience of a century is NO! The only possible reform is a revolution, the revolution that would be effected by the introduction of the representative principle.

L. Paul Dubois, L'Irlande cotemporaire, Tr. Kettle.

Total separation from England offers the only remedy.

T. A. E.

It was equally the wish of the friends of the country to keep the people from commotion, as it was that of the Minister to bring them to it; both felt that partial insurrection must be as injurious to the country, as advantageous to the Ministry.

Miss Emmet.

Chapter XXV

Sarah Curran-Her influence in Robert Emmet's life-Their engagement made only shortly before his arrest-Madden's Poem, "Miss Curran's Lament"-Driven from her father's house-Sheltered by friends at Cork-Her marriage to Captain Henry Sturgeon of the British Army-Her early death-"She is far from the Land"-Description of Sarah Curran-Her fine voice-Petrie's supposed portrait of her proved to be one of her aunt, Miss Curran-Frances A. Gerard relates the story of Sarah Curran-Whitty's account of their first meeting erroneous-Knew each other in childhood-Development of their courtship-In awe of her father-Share of Miss Lambart and Anne Devlin-Criticism of Emmet's plan and its execution-Major Sirr's visit to the "Priory"-Washington Irving's tribute to the unfortunate lovers-Attempted defence of Major Sirr-Secretary Wickham's letter to Major Sirr-Comments of "J. D. S." on Sarah Curran's and Emmet's correspondence-Much exaggeration as to subjects and extent of it-Emmet's letter to J. P. Curran after he was lodged in prison disposes of the inaccuracies in the story of their relations.

SKETCH of Robert Emmet's career would be incomplete,
without an extended reference to Sarah Curran. A mere
statement of the dry details of their connection can offer
but little interest to the general reader, and yet to attempt
more must prove a failure so long as the tale of "The
Broken Heart", by Washington Irving, exists.

While it is believed that their actual engagement was
not of long duration, it would seem the attachment on
Robert Emmet's part had begun in boyhood. His letter

of April 24th, 1802, to Madame de Fontenay, apparently shows that no engagement then existed, but a portion of it seems to refer to his own feelings and expresses some doubt as to their being reciprocated. When alluding to the sacrifice he would have to make if he returned to Ireland, he writes:

I must forget everything,-that I had hopes, friends, tender ties perhaps. I am not, however, certain that this can be done, and I doubt it myself.

Miss Curran was about twelve years of age when Robert Emmet entered Trinity College, and a very close and intimate relation existed between the two families before the political troubles had assumed definite shape, or it was even suspected that the Emmet family was in sympathy with them. Mr. Curran was essentially a self-made man, and a selfish one. Since success and future preferment rested on the good-will of the Government, and he lacked