years, and to exclude him from his seat in the Privy Council. The earl's recall to England anticipated by a few weeks the reinstalment of Mr. Beresford at the board and in the council. The family influence remained unimpaired, and the commissioner continued to be reputed fortunate in his public career and happy in his private relations.*

Mr. Beresford had large ideas with regard to the improvement of Dublin, and was determined to carry out works calculated to add considerably to the public convenience, and greatly beautify the then very irregular city.

Gradually after the power of the Wicklow septs had been so completely crushed that the marauding descents of the Irish of the mountains were no longer to be dreaded, the city had begun to extend, though in a very straggling way, outside the fortified walls. The old town long remained compact on the high south bank of the river under shelter of the castle, and clustered round St. Patrick's and Christ Church. But streetways had, in course of time, been opened beyond the Parliament House and the College; St. Stephen's Green had been enclosed towards the end of the seventeenth century; and the erection of houses in Merrion-square had been commenced about ninety years later; while on the north bank a new quarter had recently sprung up: many of the nobility occupied houses in Rutlandsquare and Sackville-street, and a great number of aristocratic families resided in the adjacent streets.

At the time that Mr. Beresford began to form plans for the improvement of the city, direct communication between the Sackvillestreet quarter and the neighbourhood of the Parliament House was carried on by boats; gentle and simple wanting to cross the river at that point should alike be ferried over; the bridge nearest the sea was Essex Bridge, which had been rebuilt about the middle of the century. On the east side of the bridge stood the Custom House; and not far off the noble Exchange was fast approaching completion. The government and municipal offices were in the same locality, as well as the theatres, and the warehouses and residences of the merchants and traders. From Essex Bridge to the sea the river followed its course, for some distance confined by walls, and then casting up brackish waters on the irregular banks in places reduced to a swamp by long neglect and tidal inroads.

Mr. Beresford's design was to widen and extend the quays, and to open an uninterrupted line from the site of the old Friary of St. Saviour, near which it was already contemplated to raise a magnificent pile of buildings for the Law Courts, to the low-lying waste that

* Left a widower with eight young children by the death of his first wife, the daughter of General Count de Ligondes, Mr. Beresford obtained, two or three years later, the hand of Barbara, the second daughter of Sir William Montgomery, Bart. This lady was one of the three beautiful sisters who were the originals of Sir Joshua Reynolds's picture, "The Graces." Another of the lovely trio became Marchioness of Townshend; and the third married Mr. Gardiner, afterwards Lord Mountjoy, who was killed by the rebels in '98 at the battle of New Ross.

marriage Mr. Beresford had seven children.

By his second

stretched seawards beyond the point where Sackville-street was lost in lanes straggling down to the river-side. To throw a bridge across the water at this point and to lay out a handsome street between it and the Parliament House was a part of the design: as was also the erection of a new Custom House fully half an Irish mile nearer the sea than the edifice at Essex Bridge. Whatever the public may have thought of the improvement of the quays, the opening of new streets, and the building of another bridge, one part of the project provoked the most determined opposition, namely, the erection of a new Custom House in a swamp, and at so inconvenient a distance from the business centre.

All that the first commissioner wanted, however, was an order from the Treasury at Whitehall to build a Custom House, and an architect with genius to furnish him with a noble design, and with capacity to aid him in carrying on the works. Such a man he found in James Gandon, the grandson of a French Huguenot settled in London. Gandon, whose enthusiastic devotion to his profession had already brought him into considerable notice, gave a plan which met with the first commissioner's highest approval.

In January, 1781, Mr. Beresford wrote to him that he had at length obtained an order from government for the building of a new Custom House with all expedition, and had proceeded to take possession of a large lot in a low situation. The business must, he

said, be kept a profound secret; for the Corporation and a great number of the merchants, together with what was considered the most desperate of the mob were violently opposed to the undertaking, while certain persons of influence on the other side of the channel would make every exertion to prevent the design being carried out. It appeared that interested persons affected to regard the change as injurious to the commerce of the city; a clamour was raised that there would not be sufficient room for shipping; and it was considered folly to attempt the erection of such a structure on a morass.

According to the instructions received, Gandon hastened to Dublin, where, however, he did not find affairs in such a condition that the works could be commenced with the expedition Mr. Beresford had imagined possible. At the last moment great obstacles were placed in the way, and exorbitant demands were made for the lots of ground. The architect's position was anything but comfortable; he had to remain in a sort of imprisonment, unable to present his letters of introduction or to visit the friends he already knew, while he was tormented with the apprehension that his abrupt departure from London might injure his character, and his visit to Ireland prove after all unsuccessful. The only pleasant time he appears to have enjoyed was due to the kindness of the Right Hon. Burton Conyngham, who carried him to his princely residence at

* This district was in former times a part of the immediate demesne of the Cistercians of St. Mary's Abbey, and had been given to them with the Grange of Clonliffe by Strongbow. The abbots enjoyed rights of fishery and customs in this neighbourhood, and had hake nets on the North Strand. The people had been for genera tions in the habit of holding public_games, tilling, and archery meetings, &c., on these grounds. See Introduction to Dalton's "History of Drogheda."

Slane, where, though still in privacy, he enjoyed for several days the splendid hospitalities of his good-natured host. On returning to town, the architect ventured at very early hours in the morning to walk over the grounds procured for the site of the Custom House, not without alarm when considering the difficulties of having the foundation laid.

Finally, after three months' delay, the purchase was completed, and Gandon received orders to commence forthwith the opening of the grounds: for nothing but uncommon activity in the commencement would prevent the violent opposition of a formidable party making every effort to stimulate the mob, and procure petitions. He was, furthermore, desired to send to London for clerks and assistants. He greatly regretted this hurry; but having held a meeting of the principal Dublin artificers, he found he could rely on them, and he began the work with a better heart.

The Sunday after the trenches were dug many hundreds of the people assembled on the grounds, and it was apprehended that they would proceed to fill up the excavations. However, their inclinations took a less mischievous turn, and they amused themselves swimming in the trenches. The first stone was soon after laid by Mr. Beresford without any formality, lest a riot might be got up; and the Corporation ceased all opposition, thinking it impossible the structure could ever be raised.

When, however, it was seen that the foundations were going on, the High Sheriff and an influential member of the Corporation, followed by a rabble with shovels and saws, came in a body on the grounds and levelled a portion of the fence. This news was brought to Mr. Beresford on a Saturday, and he immediately wrote to Gandon to replace the enclosure instantly, to make the holes next day, and set his poles to put it up as fast as it was pulled down: "Prevent all opposition," he said, in conclusion, "and laugh at the extreme folly of the people."

Other vexatious interruptions occurred, the works proceeding nevertheless. The architect having now fully made up his mind to settle in Ireland, went to London to make the necessary arrangements, and on his return to Dublin took a house in Mecklenburghstreet, that he might be near Mr. Beresford's residence in Marlboroughstreet.*

His choice of Ireland was the more remarkable from the fact that about the same time he had received an invitation to settle at St. Petersburgh from no less a personage than the Princess Dashkoff, who promised him, in case he should emigrate to the Czarina's dominions, advancement in his profession and military rank. This lady had been for some time sojourning in London, and was a pupil of Gandon's friend, Sandby, the water-colour artist. She had judgment enough to recognise Gandon's genius, and appreciate his character. That she would have made good her words there can be

* For the above and other interesting details relating to the building of the Custom House, see Mulvany's "Life of Gandon."

no doubt, for, having shortly afterwards returned to Russia, she was appointed Director of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and Sciences, and President of the Russian Academy.

Gandon had no reason to regret his choice. He had a great admiration for the country of his adoption, found honourable employment in Ireland, and made many friends. The Dublin artificers, who as a body had pleased him so much on their first introduction to him, did not deceive his expectations; his praise of them remains on record.

While the Custom House was in course of erection, Edward Smith, a young man then occupying a very obscure position, happened to come under the notice of Gandon, who was not long in discovering in the stone carver a talent that needed only a favourable opportunity to distinguish its possessor. The sculptured ornaments of the Custom House, and the statue of Hope surmounting the cupola, were entrusted to the young man. So fully was Gandon satisfied with his protegé's work that he made it a condition on subsequent occasions that Edward Smith should be employed whenever there was room for the display of the sculptor's art on the public buildings which he was himself engaged to erect.*

In 1791, the new Custom House was opened for public business. and in the same year the foundations of Carlisle Bridge were laid by Mr. Beresford. In the following years the Commissioners of Wide Streets directed their attention to the opening of passages from Sackvillestreet and Carlisle Bridge, and the laying out of squares, streets, and places to the eastward. By Act of Parliament, a portion of St. Mary's parish was severed, and constituted the parish of St. Thomas. Before Mr. Beresford's death, in 1805, he had seen almost fully realised the city view which, when first presented to his mind's eye, was graced with all the "glory and the freshness of a dream." If the man who imagined and accomplished so much, is not, despite his political errors, remembered with sufficient gratitude by the city he thus adorned, it is owing in a great degree, perhaps, to the special odium the name incurred in the era of '98, through the cruel zeal in stamping out rebellion displayed by his son, John Claudius Beresford.

S. A.

* Smith's best works are, perhaps, the noble figures of Justice, Fortitude, and Liberty, surmounting the eastern front of the Bank of Ireland; and the colossal statues, so full of dignity and grace, of Moses, Justice, Mercy, Wisdom, and Eloquence, over the portico of the Four Courts. The portrait statue of Lucas, in the City Hall, is also by Smith.

M

THE SLEEPY CARTHUSIAN.

FROM THE FRENCH OF LOUIS VEUILLOT.*

ANY years ago there lived in the monastery of Gottestheil a monk who was strangely persecuted by an indomitable drowsiness. With the best possible intentions he could not contrive to rise at midnight to go and sing Matins in the choir. Now nature, that had made him so sleepy-headed, gave him also a mechanical turn. Without any training, without any notion of mathematics, by the mere force of reflection and labour he manufactured a wonderful clock. To the apparatus for striking the hours he added a 'rude chime of bells. This, however, was insufficient, and immediately at the corners and in the middle of the little capital which surmounted the dial, he placed a blackbird, a cock, and a little drummer with his drum. At the proper hour all this made a row. For some nights things went on well; but after a certain time, when midnight came, the chimes chimed, the blackbird whistled, the cock crew, the drummer drummed, and the monk-snored!

Another man would have been disheartened, but the Brother, invoking again his inventive genius, devised a serpent, which was placed under his pillow, and which, when midnight came, was sure remorselessly to hiss into his ear, "Get up, get up-it is the time!" This serpent was much more effective than the blackbird, the cock, the drum, and the chimes-all of which, besides, failed not still to come to its aid, with a little supplementary tantara-ra.

This succeeded admirably, and the Carthusian never missed awaking. Alas! in the middle of his joy at this success, he made a melancholy discovery. He had thought he was only drowsy, he sees now that he is lazy. Even when completely waked up, he hesitated about leaving his hard pallet. Many a minute he lost in relishing the pleasing consciousness of being in bed.

The matter called for an immediate reform. The Religious felt himself guilty, and the mechanician felt himself humiliated. Speedily a heavy board is placed over the bed, in such fashion as to fall rudely on the sluggard's feet, ten seconds after the charitable warning of the serpent. More than once the poor monk betook himself to choir, lamed and bruised.

Well, would you believe it ?--whether it was that the serpent had lost its shrillness, or that the board had become in course of time less weighty, or the old man more sleepy-headed-whether it was that his limbs had grown hardened, or that he had contracted the criminal habit of drawing them back before the chastisement

*We translate very literally one of the lighter pages of M. Veuillot's earliest work, his charming and edifying Pélerinage en Suisse.