An unscientific monograph uses published accounts and Hardwicke manuscripts to recount the life, family background, and failed uprising of Robert Emmet. It situates his political convictions within a detailed genealogy, tracing Temple family influences on temperament and republican ideas, and sketches parents, siblings, and close associates. The author analyzes contemporary portraits and a selection of letters to illuminate character, motivation, and the mingling of civic passion with personal tragedy, combining historical narrative, genealogical detail, and literary reflection on the romantic allure and consequences of a short-lived rebellion.