mon sailors were sentenced each to six months imprisonment, and to be whipped through the town of Carrickfergus ; while their leaders, M'Manus and M'Cann, were ordered to undergo a year's imprisonment, to pay each a fine of five hundred pounds, and to give ample securities to keep the peace and refrain from smuggling. CHAPTER VIII. Oh! green were the fields where my forefathers dwelt, 0, Though our farm was but small, yet great comfort we felt, O, At length came the day when our lease did expire, Erin ma vorneen, slanliet go bragh! POPULAR SONG. SHORTLY after the expiration of Munn's imprisonment, his father died. He had long acted as the avowed champion of his clan; but on him now devolved, by birth-right, all the dignities and responsibilities belonging to its sole and undisputed patriarch and chief. It, therefore, became his great and unceasing study how to act worthy of this high and exalted station. To his habits of thinking and feeling, no mode of serving his clan appeared half so glorious and gratifying, as that of inflicting vengeance on their enemies. This would be a noble retaliation for the injuries sustained by their ancestors—a holy punishment on the unbelieving enemies of their faith, and a just and sweet revenge for their own daily oppressions. His mind, soured by his late imprisonment, glowed with a more than ordinary resentment against his own and his people's adversaries; and he began to look upon humbling and distressing them as the great duty, to perform which he had been sent into the world. The civilization and enlightening of his followers, the introducing among them knowledge, industry, arts, wealth, comfort, and refinement, were in his estimation far inferior objects,-nay, inasmuch as these were favourite pursuits with the heretics, they were hateful in his eyes; and except in the arts of poetry, music, and dancing, to which we may, perhaps, add those of distilling, smuggling, and fighting, he absolutely set his face against every improvement being made or adopted by the people of GlenArib. In this policy of keeping the minds of his clansmen immersed in ignorance and barbarity, the renowned McManus has had many imitators among the great men of the earth. In latter times especially, we have it on record that a sagacious emperor on the European continent-a ruler no less renowned than Munn for despotism and superstition, but far inferior to him in valour, magnanimity, and candour, issued his imperial edict, that the career of learning should be stopped in his dominions; because knowledge only tended to convert miserable slaves into discontented subjects, and superstitious and bigotted barbarians, into enlightened and liberal Christians. In pursuance of this statesman-like policy, Munn contrived to prevent any heretic or scholar from settling in Glen-Arib, or any of his Glen-Arib men from wandering elsewhere after heresy or learning. He also took care, in the fairs, markets, and other public meetings of the people, that, when any of his own way of thinking should engage in a quarrel, they should always come off victorious, either by his own individual assistance, (for he disregarded his recognizance to keep the peace,) or, if that were not sufficient, by giving a signal for his GlenArib men, of whom, on such occasions, he had always a party at hand, to interfere. But this mode of annoying the government was on too confined and paltry a scale to satisfy the rancorous ambition of Munn. He sighed for some opportunity of national discontent and disturbance, in order that he might obtain allies who could afford him a wider scope and more extended resources for the infliction of his vengeance. It was not long until the conduct adopted by the agent of an absentee nobleman of the county of Antrim towards a large portion of his tenantry whose leases had expired, produced exactly that kind of ferment in the minds of the people, that he wanted. This agent informed the tenants that his employer's wish was, to let his lands, without raising their rents, to such as would pay the highest sum, under the denomination of a fine, for their new leases. Many of the smaller tenants were unable to pay the fines demanded; in consequence of which they were dispossessed, and their farm let to richer individuals, who exacted from the new occupiers, or such of the old ones as ventured to comply with their terms, higher rents than the properties were worth. A great deal of distress and misery, to a numerous class of these unfortunate renters, was the consequence, which of course excited the sympathy of thousands who did not in their own persons feel the grievance. Those especially whose leases were drawing to a close, were afraid that the pernicious example might be followed by other landlords, and they themselves become the next sufferers. It was, therefore, the ardent wish of every farmer, throughout the country, whose lease was terminable,that the growth of such an oppressive custom should be checked, ere it became too formidable for opposition to be useful. At the same time, the feelings of the people were also much irritated by a plan which was adopted for the gratification of such as paid large |