very anxious to resume possession of power; and he
felt no irritation or ill-humour against those who pos-
sessed it, for they opposed no obstacle to the fulfilment
of his desires. During four years, from 1846 to 1850,
from his resignation to his death, he retained this deli-
cate and exceptional attitude, enjoying at once in-
dependence and influence, the patron of his former
adversaries, criticising them without bitterness, and
giving them his support without arrogance.

This was for him at first an easy virtue; as they
came to light, facts proved him to be right, and
justified his acts by confirming his previsions. The
famine developed itself in Ireland in terrible propor-
tions and with frightful consequences; in a few days,
and by formal proclamations, the Lord Lieutenant
declared fifty-eight districts to be in a state of distress;
and this distress was so great, that it is hard to
believe the most authentic testimonies regarding it.
In one alone of these districts, that of Skibbereen, out
of a population of 62,000 inhabitants, 5,060 died in
three months, and 15,000 rose in the morning not
knowing how they should find food for the day. At
Bantry, the magistrates who were appointed to inquire
into the causes of the deaths, brought in, after one
inquiry, forty verdicts of 'died of hunger.' 'I have
known instances, said a clergyman of the Church of
England, the Rev. Mr. Hazlewood, at a meeting in
Exeter Hall -- 'I have known instances where the
starving people sucked the blood of living cattle, in
order to allay the cravings of hunger.' Associations
were formed, meetings were held, subscriptions were

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