The 'Life of Thomas Reynolds,' by his son, was issued in 1839, with a view to whitewash a sullied memory; the biographer--not supposing that the Cope papers existed--states that, as compensation for heavy losses, a bulk sum of but 500_l._ was paid to Reynolds, 'with an annuity of 1,000_l._ Irish, with reversion to my mother, my brother and myself.'[685] The accounts of Secret Service Money have also turned up to bear out Cope's statement and confront Reynolds junior. It appears, under date of March 4, 1799, that Reynolds received on that day not 500_l._, but the completion of a sum of 5,000_l._ As regards the pension, it continued to be paid for near forty years, and it has been computed that he drew altogether 45,740_l._ The information which had been dropping from Reynolds, sometimes not as freely as had been hoped, received a stimulus by his arrest at Athy on May 5, 1798. He writes to Mr. Cope that he has been thrown into a dungeon, and demands from the Government, what they well know he merits, instant enlargement. He refers to the great and essential services he had rendered to Government, and adds that by his confinement he is totally prevented from obtaining and giving further knowledge. Then it was that Cope settled the terms with Cooke. Cope's powerful influence over Reynolds was due to the fact that the latter had gradually become his slave as a creditor to a large extent. Sir William Cope[686] has sent me a letter from Reynolds's wife to show the falsity of the biographer's assertion that he had made no terms with the Crown for his information. It appears from a letter of Reynolds that the wife was empowered to act for him, and among the terms required were, 'that he might settle in any part of England he liked, receive from the Government letters of introduction, recommending him and family to the particular attention of the gentry of the place;' the pension to commence on June 25, 1798, with 5,000_l._ in hand; in conclusion she begs Cope to advance on loan 1,000_l._[687] These and other references to monetary transactions led me to search the Registry of Deeds Office, and the following result appears: '1794--Thos. Reynolds of West Park Street Dublin to Wm. Cope. Consideration 5041_l._ 14_s._ 5_d._ Lands of Corbetstown, King's Co.'