“He’s the Lord Chancellor!—the bloody English Chancellor, ould Bowes! Swear him, boys, swear him! Out with ye, and take the oath.”
The disgusted Chancellor had no option but to comply, and having done so, was passing on towards the House.
“Don’t let him go,” cried out one who appeared to possess some authority with the crowd; “hold on to him. Here’s the Chief Justice, and we’ll make ould Bowes take oath before him.”
This proposition delighted the crowd, and they hauled “ould” Bowes back and confronted him with the Chief Justice.
“Swear before the Chief Justice, ye ould English naygur, that you won’t take our Parliament over to England,” and again the luckless Chancellor was compelled to swear.
“Here’s ould Anthiny Malone, boys. Oh! ould Tony, are you there? Tony the great “Patriot” that was agin the Government till they stopped your mouth with a pension. Oh, ye’re there, Tony! Swear him, boys; swear him!”
“Hould on till I shake hands with ye, Tony,” cried out another of the ringleaders, as he dipped his hand in the kennel and then thrust it into that of the “Patriot.”
“Ye might call it dirty, Tony, I suppose, but it’s not half as dirty as yer own since ye handled the Government goold.”
This sally was received with shouts of delight.
“Be the holy! who’s that? It’s ould Prendergast!”