accordingly rigged up in a cast-off white choker and swallow-tail (the latter being hardly big enough), and on his appearance in Court was indeed "the observed of all observers." T h e " Oyez, O y e z " exordium was got through by the new Tipstaff with a nasal solemnity, and after the disposal of one or two formalities, the Judge began his address. A quotation cropped up, but of this the Judge did not care, for, as hitherto, he would take it as a hunter does an ordinary jump, in tip-top style. It was a hackneyed passage from one of the Satires of Horace, and the orator stepped in amongst the hexameters with a graceful lisp, as if assured that what he was saying would be duly appreciated. In this manner he travelled safely over the fourth line, but in thefifthuttered a slight misquotation, when the new Crier was down upon his great superior, and figuratively shook him as a terrier would a rat. " I beg your Honor's pardon," said the irate O'Donovan, "you are murdering m y most favourite author, and this I cannot permit to be done by either Judge or Jury. If your Honor will kindly allow m e I shall set you right; in fact, permit or not I'll do it. So n o w your Honor and gentlemen of the Jury, listen to the only true and correct version." Here followed some dozen lines of Horace, including the corrected reading of where the Judge had floundered. It is no exaggeration to say that all in Court except the Judge and his " T i p " were convulsed with laughter. A s for Willis, he was flabbergasted at O'Donovan's gross but unconscious contempt of Court, and at length screamed to the Sheriff to place the transgressing scoundrel under lock and key until he could c o m m a n d time and patience to consider h o w to best summarily deal with him. All this time O'Donovan was unable to comprehend that he had acted with any impropriety. Equally at sea as to the reason for the Judge's fuming and the people's laughing, he seemed half bewildered. H e boldly declared his inability to understand what wrong he had done by setting the Judge right. H e thought he had only done his duty. M r . Raymond, the Deputy-Sheriff, kept him under durance until the time for adjournment. H e was then told to call next day for the wages due to him ; but he was prohibited from ever again showing his face at Heidelberg. It is strange I have been unable to find any report of this extraordinary episode in the newspapers; but it is next to impossible to have access to a complete copy of the early journals. O f the occurrence there can be no doubt whatever. W h e n " off his chump," Wellesley O'Donovan implicitly believed himself to be one of four heroes of Irish History—viz., two Pagans and two Christians; and it depended on the season of the year which of those personages he would imaginatively personate. In Winter, he was Dharra D h o u n ; in Spring, Dathi; in Summer, Brian Boru; and A u t u m n saw him O'Neil of the R e d Hand. H e remained in Melbourne for several years, and paid several compulsory visits to the Yarra Bend in its infant'le days. There was a reporter on the LLerald known by the ultra-Milesian name of Finn, who was a special favourite with O'Donovan. Whenever they met during the latter's sanity he invariably addressed the other as " M r . Finn;" but in his m a d moods O'D. was fully convinced that Finn was no other than O'Rourke, the Prince of Brefni, well known in Irish prose and verse. Whenever and wherever they met O'Donovan would uncover and make a profound obeisance to " the Prince." Once the following almost incredible Police Court scene occurred. O'Donovan was for about the dozenth time charged with alleged lunacy, and by all appearance he was what is in vulgar parlance denominated "as m a d as a hatter." T h e late M r . Sturt was the sole presiding Justice, and the Mr. Finn before mentioned the sole occupant of the reporters' stall. T h e accused on being placed in the dock turned towards the single reporter, and refused to acknowledge even by a glance the single Magistrate. O n being requested to face the Bench he replied in a stern tone that he would do nothing of the sort ; that he was Dharra Dhoun, the monarch of the world, and could never acknowledge the representative of any Foreign Power, more particularly England. There was in Court opposite to him the scion of one of the ancient kingly races in his old country, and to him he would render a cheerful allegiance. M r . Sturt (who knew him but too well) : " W h a t are you talking or rather dreaming about, O'Donovan?" T h e prisoner (with a wave of the hand): It is neither a dream of the day or night, but a reality. I n o w see before m e in h u m a n shape no less a personage than O'Rourke, the Prince of Brefni. A s for you, sir (to M r . Sturt), though you are a kind, good-hearted fellow, an English minion like you is not worthy to brush the coat of a
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THE CHRONICLES OF EARLY MELBOURNE.
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