Entrance into Office. Lord Clare. Earl of Ormonde.

Chapter XVIII

Entrance into Office.

The Author first placed in office by Lord Westmoreland - Made King’s Counsel by Lord Clare - Jealousy of the Bar - Description of Kilkenny Castle - Trial of the Earl of Ormonde for outrage at Kilkenny - Acquitted - Author’s conduct - Distinguished and liberal present from the Earl of Ormonde to the Author, of a god box, and his subsequent letter.

In December, 1793, the secretary, Lord Buckinghamshire, wrote to say that he wished to see me at the Castle. I immediately attended, when he said, “Barrington, I am about to depart from Ireland, and,” continued he, after my sincere expressions of regret, “as you have heretofore had nothing from us but convivial intercourse, it is just you should now have fare somewhat more substantial; with the approbation of the Lord-Lieutenant, therefore, I have managed to secure for you a very handsome office - The ships’ entries of the Port of Dublin.”

At the name and nature of this office I rather demurred; whereupon Lord Buckinghamshire smiled and said, “You have no objection to a good sinecure, I suppose, the emoluments payable every Sunday morning by the deputy - the place was lately held by Mr. George Ponsonby, and is at this monmnt enjoyed by Serjeant Coppinger; but I have negotiated to give him, his son and his wife, an annuity of £8,000 a year, to resign it to you.”

This so far was agreeable, but still professional advancement being the object next my heart, I neither felt nor looked totally satisfied.

Lord B--- then said, “You are a grumbling fellow, but I anticipated your grumbling, and the Lord Chancellor, Lord Clare, has consented to your being at the same time appointed one of the King’s Counsel, thus at once giving you a step over the heads of all your circuit seniors, except Sir Frederick Flood, who is not, I fancy, very formidable.”

This arrangement altogether met my wishes. I hastened to Lords Westmoreland and Clare, to thank them most cordially; and the fifth year after becoming a barrister I found myself at the head of my circuit, and high up in the official rank of my profession. Practice generally follows the fortunate: I was immediately considered as on the highroad of preferment; the attorneys pursued me like a flock of rooks! and my business was quadrupled.

I purchased a fine house in Merrion Square from Mr. Robert Johnson, then counsel to the revenue, afterwards judge, who at that period felt himself going down hill; and here I launched into an absolute press of business, perhaps justly acquiring thereby the jealousy of in any of my seniors. This jealousy, however, gave rise to one of the most gratifying incidents of my life.

John Earl of Ormonde resided like a true Irish nobleman, in the utmost splendour and hospitality, in his fine ancient castle at Kilkenny. He scarcely ever went even to the Irish metropolis, his entire fortune being expended in his own city, whereby every shopkeeper and trader experienced the advantages of his lordship’s residence. His establishment was ample, his table profuse, his friendship warm and unbounded. The very appearance of his castle, though only a portion of the old Duke’s, was still such as to remind the spectator of its former magnificence. Proudly towering over the River Nore, from which it was separated only by the public walk, a high and grand rampart on that side conveyed the idea at once of a palace and a fortress; whilst towards the city an old princely portal, flanked by round towers, opened into a spacious court, within which were preserved two sides of the original edifice, and a third was, at the period I allude to, rebuilding in a style, however, far too modern and ordinary. The exterior mouldings of the castle exhibited the remains of the gilding which had formerly been laid on with a lavish hand.

The interior of this noble edifice, with the exception of one saloon and the picture-gallery, was not calculated to satisfy expectation; but both those were unique - the one with respect to its form, the other to its prospects. The grand saloon was not shaped like any other, I believe, existing - oval in its figure, and not large; but the wall, 12 feet thick, admitted of recesses on he sides, which had the appearance of small rooms, each being terminated by a large window, and the sides covered with mirrors which reflected the beautiful and varied prospects of the city, country, wood, river, and public promenade. When I was at the castle, in fact, everything appeared to me delightful.

Walter, the late Marquess of Ormonde, though my junior in years, had been my intimate friend and companion, as was also his cousin, Bryan Cavanagh. Lady Ormonde, mother of Walter, was the only child of Earl Winderford, and as lady of the castle was careful to keep up at least her due importance. It is not impossible for women or men either to mistake pomposity for dignity. True pride is accompanied by an amiable condescension; cold unbending ceremony is the result of false pride, and not of dignity. I thought, perhaps erroneously, that her ladyship made this mistake.

The Earl John, my friend’s father, was rather in the opposite extreme. He was well read and friendly—a *hard-goer, *as it was called, and an incessant talker. His lordship occasionally adjourned to a kind of tavern in the city, of which a certain widow Madden was the hostess, and where one Mr. Evans, surnamed “Hell-cat,” together with the best boozers and other gentlemen of Kilkenny, assembled to amuse his lordship by their jests and warm punch, and to emulate each other in the devouring of oysters and lobsters, the best which could possibly be procured. Hither, in fact, the company from the castle were habituated often to repair.

These boozing matches sometimes proceeded rather too far; and one night Mr. Duffy, a sharp, smart, independent-minded apothecary of Kilkenny, who had offended the Ormonde family on some very sensitive point, being alluded to, a member of the party, with more zeal than prudence, proposed as a toast, “A round of rascals!” taking care to designate Dr. Duffy as belonging to that *honourable *fraternity. On departing from the tavern, far more full of liquor than wit, some wild young man in company suggested the demolition of the doctor’s windows. No sooner said than done! - the piper played, the stones flew, and Duffy’s shivered panes bore ample testimony to the strength of the widow’s beverage. No personal injury, however, ensued, and the affair *appeared *to have terminated.

A glazier was sent early next morning by command of my lord, to repair the windows, but this the doctor refused to allow, and in due form applied for and obtained a criminal information in the King’s Bench for the outrage, against Lord Ormonde, his son Walter, James, the present Marquess, Lord Thurles, and others. The information was in due legal form sent down to be tried at the Spring Assizes very soon after I had been appointed King’s Counsel.

None felt more jealousy at my promotion than Mr. William Fletcher, since Judge of the Common Pleas, many years my senior at the Bar and on circuit. Lord Ormonde directed briefs to be sent to me and to Fletcher, with fees of 15 guineas each. I never loved money much in my life, and therefore thought it quite enough, or rather, I did not think about it

The defendant’s case fell, of course, to me as leading counsel. At this circumstance Fletcher felt sore and ran sulky, and the sulkier he got the more zealous became I. We had but a bad case of it: the cross examination of the irritated apothecaty, who grew after awhile quite ferocious, fell to my lot. I performed my duty, and it then devolved on Fletcher to speak to the evidence. This, however, he declined. I pressed him, but he peremptorily refused. I exclaimed, “Nay, Fletcher, you took a fee: why not speak?” - “Yes,” answered the angry barrister, “just enough to make me hold my tongue!” - “Do speak,” persisted I. - “I *won’t,” *replied he. - “Then I must do it for you,” was my rejoinder. My zeal was enkindled, my mind was on fire, and I felt myself in earnest and interested. I persevered till I saw the jury smile, for which purpose they only wanted a good pretence. I held on my course till I saw them pleased, and the result was an acquittal of Lord Ormonde and a conviction of all the others.

To his lordship this acquittal was invaluable. The conviction of the Earl of Ormonde for a nocturnal outrage in his own town, and his committal from his castle to a prison, to undergo the award of the law, would have been to him a source of the utmost dismay. I knew this, and acted accordingly. He had heard of the conversation between Fletclyer and me, but he thanked both without distinction, and made no partial remarks. I was hurt for a moment at this apparent neglect, but thought of it no longer, and his lordship never mentioned the circumstance.

On the ensuing summer assizes, Lord Ormonde invited the judges, barristers, several of the grand jury, and the principal gentlemen of the county, to a magnificent dinner at the castle. It was a long table, and everything in the grandest style. A judge sat en each side of Lady Ormonde at the head, and Fletcher and myself were their next neighbours. After the cloth had been removed, and Lady Ormonde was retired, his lordship stood up, and in a loud voice said, “I have waited with impatience for this public opportunity of expressing to Mr. Barrington the high sense I entertain of his important and disinterested services to me at the last assizes; I now beg his acceptance of a small testimonial of my gratitude and friendship.” And he immediately slid along the table a magnificent gold snuff-box, with his arms, &c., and the following inscription:-

“A Token of Friendship and Gratitude from the Earl of Ormonde and Ossory to Jonah Barrington, Esq., one of His Majesty’s Counsel at Law. August, 1794.”

I was utterly astonished by this distinguished and most unexpected favour conferred in so public and honourable a manner, and *involuntarily, *without a moment’s thought, but certainly with the appearance of ill-nature, I triumphantly handed round the box for the inspection of my brother barristers. Fletcher, confused as might be supposed, slightly shoved it back to me. His conduct on the trial having been known, a sensation became visible amongst the company, which I would almost have given up the box to have avoided exciting. His countenance, however, though not usually subject to be much impressed by kind feelings, clearly acquitted me *of *any intentional insult. In truth, I really felt as much as he did, when I perceived my error, and wished to pocket the prize without its creating further notice. But this was impossible: I was obliged to return thanks, which ceremony I went through very badly. Fletcher did not remain long, and I also adjourned at an early hour to the bar-room, where the incident had preceded me. I now tried my best to put all parties into good humour, and finished the night by a much deeper stoup of wine than I should have indulged in at Lord Ormonde’s.

Next morning I found a billet from the earl, enveloping a bank-note for £100, with these words-Dear Sir,

“My attorney did not do you justice; you will permit me to be my own attorney on this occasion.

“Your friend and humble servant,

“ORMONDE and OSSORY.

From that time to the day of his lordship’s death I experienced from him, oh every occasion within his reach, the utmost extent of kindness, civility, and friendship. His successor, with whom I had been so long and so very intimately acquainted, was whirled at an early age into the vortex of fashionable life and profligacy. Having lost his best guide and truest friend, his cousin Bryan Cavanagh, many of his naturally fine qualities were either blunted by dissipation or absorbed in the licentious influence of a fashionable connection. Thus he became lost to himself and to many of those friends who had most truly valued him.

I have mentioned Walter Marquess of Ormonde the more particularly because, extraordinary as it may appear, it certainly was to a fatal connection of his, where I am sure he had not been the seducer, that I owe several of the most painful and injurious events of my life. Of the existence of this connection I had irrefragable proof, and of its having operated as a bar to the chief objects of my life and ambition. I have equal reason to feel convinced.

His lordship married his own god-daughter, but too late to give a chance for reformation; and never have I remarked, through the course of a long observing life, any progress more complete from the natural levities of youth to the confirmed habits of dissipation - from the first order of early talent to the humblest state of premature imbecility - than that of the late Marquess of Ormonde! who had, at one period of our intimacy, as engaging a person, as many manly qualities, and to the full as much intellectual promise, as any young man of his country.

Barrington Index. Home.