Duckett's letter to Truguet, minister of marine, and the information of the Hamburg spy, help to throw light on this stirring episode. The mutiny is commonly ascribed to the harsh regulations of the Admiralty. A deeper design underlay it. Parker was at first committed to stand his trial before a civil court; but a court-martial was suddenly substituted. This deprived him of the forensic services of Erskine, whose powerful eloquence had successfully defended Horne Tooke against the Cabinet of Pitt. It was desirable that so dangerous a man should be got rid of without delay. His application for an adjournment was refused; and on June 30, 1797, he suffered death. These mutinies were largely the work of Duckett, acting under the instructions of La Croix, the French minister of war. Tone, as we have seen, hated Duckett, whom he constantly snubs and denounces. Had there been a co-operation, the event would doubtless have been different. However all moderate men rejoiced at the issue. The mutiny formed part of a scheme to sever England's right arm; but the chivalry of Tone recoiled from a manœuvre of which he finally saw the importance while hesitating to approve of it. Dutch and French fleets for the invasion of Great Britain and Ireland had been nearly ready to start at the time of the mutinies. Pitt used a powerful engine in subduing the mutiny. He despatched to the Nore a Roman Catholic priest, who impressively preached the doctrine of submission.[283] This was probably the same priest of whom Father O'Coigly complains as worrying him in the condemned cell in the hope of persuading him to inform. FOOTNOTES: [259] _Ante_, p. 72. [260] Many men recoil from affable persons who seem over-anxious to know them. Sir Gavan Duffy in _Young Ireland_ states that Davis had been prejudiced against the subsequently most distinguished Darcy Magee, because he had 'obviously determined to transact an acquaintance with him.' [261] Tone's _Journals_, ii. 141. (Washington, 1847.) [262] _United Irishmen, their Lives and Times_, 1st ed. i. 40-75. [263] _Ibid._ 2nd ed. ii. 37. [264] _Ibid._ iv. 603. [265] _La France et l'Irlande._ (Paris, 1888.) [266] _Castlereagh Papers_, i. 294-5. [267] The puzzle is increased by the noble editor's arrangement of the letters--made without regard to chronological order. [268] Stone is the man who had been tried in 1795 for high treason, and found guilty. But Duckett, though a staunch rebel, may have had good reason for denouncing Stone three years later. Madame de Genlis, in her _Mémoires_, upbraids Stone with having treacherously retained some money which had been entrusted to him for Pamela. See tome iv. 130-1.