With his military studies he combined others, working even to elucidate
the Surrey remains of the Romans, whose glamour as rulers hit him.
IV SAXON AND CELT
Ireland, which has sent so many of her own sons across the sea, was to
exercise a real influence upon the going of Sir George Grey.
He was, perhaps, in a special degree, kindly of thought and act towards
Irishmen, fancying that as a race they had suffered, and liking their
humour, buoyant against all odds. Several Irish political prisoners were
released, after serving long sentences, and Sir George read an account,
given by one of them, of the gaol experiences. Herein, complaint was
made--of the distress caused by the flash-flash of the turn-key's
lantern, into the cells, all through the night. He went his rounds, and
as he came to a cell door he flared his lantern inward by its little
opening, making sure of the inmate. It was to the mind and nerves, what a
red-hot wire would have been, driven into the body.
Next morning Sir George said, 'I could not sleep for thinking of that
light, jab-jabbing the poor fellow in his cell. Nay, it appeared to be in
my own bedroom, searching for my face and challenging me, "Are you there?
Ha, ha, are you there?" What an eerie torture, to a slumbering soul, in
that recurrent flame from the prison darkness! The thing stings and
shocks me.
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