were then given over.  Words fail to describe its cruelty and its horrors.  It was too much for human nature to bear.  On the 23rd of May, three days after Buonaparte had sailed from Toulon for Alexandria, the Irish insurrection broke out.  The news of the occurrence created the most intense excitement among the Irish refugees then in Paris.  Tone rushed to and fro to the Directory and to the generals, pleading for the despatch of some assistance to his struggling countrymen.  Various plans were suggested and taken into consideration, but while time was being wasted in this way, the military forces of the British Government were rapidly suppressing the insurrection of the unarmed and undisciplined Irish peasantry.  In this condition of affairs a gallant but rash and indiscreet French officer, General Humbert, resolved that he would commit the Directory to action, by starting at once with a small force for the coast of Ireland.  Towards the middle of August, calling together the merchants and magistrates of Rochelle, “he forced them to advance a small sum of money, and all that he wanted, on military requisition; and embarking on board a few frigates and transports with 1,000 men, 1,000 spare muskets, 1,000 guineas, and a few pieces of artillery, he compelled the captains to set sail for the most desperate attempt which is, perhaps, recorded in history.”  Three Irishmen were on board the fleet—­Matthew Tone, brother to Theobald, Bartholomew Teeling, and Sullivan, an officer in the French service, who was enthusiastically devoted to the Irish cause, and had rendered much aid to his patriotic countrymen in France.  Humbert landed at Killala, routed with his little handful of men a large force of the royal troops, and held his ground until General Lake, with 20,000 men marched against him.  After a resistance sufficient to maintain the honour of the French arms, Humbert’s little force surrendered as prisoners of war.  The Irish who had joined his standard were shown no mercy.  The peasantry were cruelly butchered.  Of those who had accompanied him from France, Sullivan, who was able to pass as a Frenchman, escaped; Teeling and Matthew Tone were brought in irons to Dublin, tried, and executed.  The news of Humbert’s expedition and the temporary success that had attended it created much excitement in France, and stirred up the Directory to attempt something for Ireland more worthy of the fame and power of the French nation, and more in keeping with their repeated promises to the leaders of the Irish movement.  But their fleet was at the time greatly reduced, and their resources were in a state of disorganization.  They mustered for the expedition only one sail of the line and eight small frigates, commanded by Commodore Bompart, conveying 5,000 men under the leadership of General Hardy.  On board the Admiral’s vessel, which was named the Hoche, was the heroic Theobald Wolfe Tone.  He knew this expedition had no chance of success, but he had all along declared, “that if the