the irons which bound his unfortunate son. When he was conducted to the place of execution, the relations of the unhappy culprit surrounded the father; they conjured him again to spare his son. His wretched and disconsolate mother, whose name was Blake, flew in distraction to the heads of her own family, and prevailed on them for the honour of her house to rescue and prevent the ignominy his death must bring on their name. They armed themselves, to deliver him from prison. Great crowds had gathered in the mean time, and were loud in their outcries for mercy, threatening instant destruction to the magistrate, if their request was not complied with.

He

In vain did he exhort them to preserve tranquility, and suffer the law to take its course. at length, taking hold of his son, mounted a winding staircase within the building, which led to an arched window that overlooked the street in which the populace were assembled. He there presented himself and his victim, about whose neck he had previously fastened the rope with which he had been bound, and securing the other end in an iron projecting from the wall, said, "You have little time to live, my son. Let the care of your soul, employ those few momentstake the last embrace of your unhappy father."

He embraced his unfortunate son, and launched

him into eternity.

Expecting instant death from the fury of the rabble, this extraordinary man retained his station, satisfied with the silent approval of a good conscience, perfectly regardless of the applause or censure of the multitude, conscious of having fulfilled his duty to God, to man, and to his country. But this act of greatness awed them; they stood motionless with amazement; a sentiment of admiration and sorrow united alone prevailed; and when all was over, they slowly and peaceably retired. So wondrous is the influence of an exalted and daring mind, when actuated by the principles of virtue !

The innocent cause of this lamentable tragedy is said to have died of grief; and the father of her lover to have secluded himself from society for the remainder of his days. His house still exists in Lombard Street, which is yet known by the name of 'Deadman's Lane,' and the execution is said to have taken place at a window in the rear of the house; though the common error is, that he was suspended over the front window, which is distinguished by a handsome representation carved in black marble of a human skull with two bones crossed beneath; it is dated 1624,

and contains the following motto

"Remember

Death!—Vaniti of vaniti, and all is but vaniti.” It is supposed to have been put up by some of his family.

EXTRACT

FROM MR. NIMMOS'S REPORT ON

DRAINING AND CULTIVATING THE BOGS OF IRELAND.

Though the general improvement and cultivation of Connamara would seem an undertaking of the most arduous description, it is not without facilities, which might, upon a candid consideration, make it appear a subject more worthy of attention than many other of the waste lands of the kingdom.

The climate is mild, snow being little known during the winter; the cattle are never housed; the mountains on the north, and general variety of surface, afford considerable shelter. The summers, however, are wet, and it is exposed to heavy westerly winds.

Although Connamara be mountainous, it is by no means an upland country like Wicklow; at least three-fourths of Connamara Proper is lower than 100 feet over the sea. Great part of Jar

connaught rises from the shore of Galway Bay, in a gently sloping plain, to about 300 feet, at the upper edge of which there are some hills of about 700 feet, and beyond them, a low limestone country extends to the edge of Lough Corrib, and but little elevated above its level, which is only 14 feet higher than the sea; but Joyce's Country, on the other hand, is an elevated tract with flat-topped hills of 1,300 feet to 2,000, interspersed with deep and narrow valleys.

The district is nearly surrounded by the sea on the south and west, and the great lakes Mask and Corrib on the east, the latter navigable into the town of Galway, and could easily be made so to the sea. Various great inlets penetrate the district, so that no part of it is distant four miles from existing navigation. There are upwards of twenty safe and capacious harbours, fit for vessels of any burthen; about twenty-five navigable lakes in the interior, of a mile or more in length, besides hundreds smaller; the sea coast and all these lakes abound with fish. The district, with its islands, possesses no less than 400 miles of sea shore. On Lough Corrib it has about 50 miles of shore, so that with Lough Mask, &c., there are, perhaps, as many miles of shore of the sea, or navigable lakes, as there are square miles of surface.

This extent of shore is particularly important from its produce in sea weed, either for manure or the manufacture of kelp: the value of this last article, a few years ago, amounted to about £50,000; at present, from the low prices, it does not exceed £16,000.

There are extensive banks of calcareous sand round the coast, in almost every bay; and in the interior are numerous beds of limestone, nearly all the navigable lakes having some on their banks. The supply of fuel is evidently inexhaustible.

Connamara is very destitute of wood, a few scrubby patches only being thinly scattered through it. The country, however, possesses an extensive stool of timber, for in almost every dry knoll or cliff, the oak, birch and hazel appear shooting in abundance, and require only a little care to rise into valuable forests. Several bloomeries which were erected about a century ago, consumed much of the timber, and copsing was afterwards neglected. The sheltered vales, navigations, and abundant water-power, would form great advantages in the cultivation of timber.

On the whole, it appears to me that the improvement of this district, so far from being difficult or hopeless, is a thing highly feasible, and if vigorously but steadily pursued, is likely to meet with