“By this time the Catholics had retreated out of the town, and Denis might probably have received more punishment, had those who were returning from the pursuit recognized him; but James Wilson, seeing the dangerous situation in which he lay, came out, and, with the assistance of his servant-man, brought him into his own house.  When the Orangemen had driven their adversaries off the field, they commenced the most hideous yellings through the streets—­got music, and played party tunes—­offered any money for the face of a Papist; and any of that religion who were so unfortunate as to make their appearance, were beaten in the most relentless manner.  It was precisely the same thing on the part of the Ribbonmen; if a Protestant, but above all, an Orangeman, came in their way, he was sure to be treated with barbarity; for the retaliation on either side was dreadfully unjust—­the innocent suffering as well as the guilty.  Leaving the window, I found Kelly in a a bad state below stairs.

“‘What’s to be done?’ said I to Wilson.

“‘I know not,’ replied he, ’except I put him between us on my jaunting car, and drive him home.’

“This appeared decidedly the best plan we could adopt; so, after putting to the horse, we placed him on the car, sitting one on each side of him, and, in this manner, left him at his own house.

“‘Did you run no risk,’ said I, ’in going among Kelly’s friends, whilst they were under the influence of party feeling and exasperated passion?’

“‘No,’ said he; ’we had rendered many of them acts of kindness, and had never exhibited any spirit but a friendly one towards them; and such individuals, but only such, might walk through a crowd of enraged Catholics or Protestants quite unmolested.’

“The next morning Kelly’s landlord, Sir W. E------, and two magistrates,
were at his house, but he lay like a log, without sense or motion. 
Whilst they were there, the surgeon arrived and, after examining
his head declared that the skull was fractured.  During that and the
following day, the house was surrounded by crowds, anxious to know his
state; and nothing might be heard amongst most of them but loud and
undisguised expressions of the most ample revenge.  The wife was frantic;
and, on seeing me, hid her face in her hands, exclaiming.

“’Ah, sir, I knew it would come to this; and you, too, tould him the same thing.  My curse and God’s curse on it for quarrelling!  Will it never stop in the counthry till they rise some time and murdher one another out of the face?’

“As soon as the swelling in his head was reduced, the surgeon performed the operation of trepanning, and thereby saved his life; but his strength and intellect were gone, and he just lingered for four months, a feeble, drivelling simpleton, until, in consequence of a cold, which produced inflammation in the brain, he died, as hundreds have died before, the victim of party spirit.”

Such was the account which I heard of my old school-fellow, Denis Kelly; and, indeed, when I reflected upon the nature of the education he received, I could not but admit that the consequences were such as might naturally be expected to result from it.