OBSERVATIONS

ON

THE STATE OF IRELAND,

Principally dirtcttd to iti

AGRICULTURE

AND

RURAL POPULATION;

A SERIES OF LETTERS,

tTRITTKN ON A TOUR THROUGH THAT COUNTRY.

BY J. C. CtffcUXEs<>. M.P.

VOL. II.

ILmtton:

PRINTED FOR BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY,
4-7, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1818.

C. B»Uwm, Printtr,
N«w Bridge-it i cct, London.

CONTENTS OF VOL. II.

LETTER XXXV.

Pajc

Soil and cultivation improved — Peculiar fertility— Bally
Colleck — Ordnance Depot — Lime works — Funeral
procession-— Cork — Institution — Slaughtering trade —
Opulence of Environs — Irish diet — Nunnery — Party
animosities — Unalienable interests — Disunion ....... 1

LETTER XXXVI.

River Lee— Fermoy — Its improvements — Mr. Anderson
—Mail coaches— Barrack — Lancastrian School —
Election of Irish members . , 15

LETTER XXXVII.

River Black Water — Lord Riversdale — Lismore — Fuel
expensive— Duke of Devonshire — Castle of Lismore
— Agriculture — Absence of profitable labor 23

LETTER XXXVIII.

Dungarvon — Orchards near Cappoquin — Beautiful val-
ley of Cappoquin — Captain Barnes — Good farming-
Ferry at Dungarvon — Small Farms — Irish tenantry-
Subdivision of farms induces competition — Fertility of

surface— Tithes a grievous tax 34-

a 2

IV CONTENTS.

LETTER XXXIX.

Page

Waterford — River Sqir — Commodious quay — Exchange
and coffee-room — Trade — Irish pigs — Bad state of
, pavement — Sir John Newport 44

LETTER XL.

Wooden bridge at Waterford — Sir Henry Langrishe —
Knocktopher — Sir John Flood's noble seat — Lime
abundantly used — Kilkenny — Fields well enclosed —
Kilkenny coal very offensive — Earl of Ormond — Peo-
ple ill-dressed 49

LETTER XLI.

Royal oak — Catholic emancipation discussed — Priests
duly educated and compensated — Want of moral re-
straint too general — Ireland the vulnerable part of the
Empire — Traffic in church livings — Increased value of
church preferment ~~>

LETTER XLII.

Inclosures — Agriculture — Cabins — Egyptian wheat —
Portable threshing machine — Leighlin Bridge — Spa —
The trusty — Beautiful scenery — Early harvest — Castle
Dermot — Tithe proctor— Real characters of tithe
proctors unknown 70

LETTER XLIII.

Dublin— Optimist an enviable character — Want of order
in Irish peasantry accounted for — Their political and
domestic condition — Relief of oppressions — Ruinous
practices in agriculture — Ballytore — Mr. Burke — His
impetuosity of temper — Politics of Mr. Pitt — Kilcullen

CONTENT*.

—Cottier'* family at breakfast — Redundant population
— Its melancholy effects— Privations endured by Irish
cottiers — Duke of Leinster — Affluence and poverty —
Phoenix Park— Kilraaiuham — Barriers — Excellent ac-
commodations 84-

LETTER XLIV.

Coal trade in Dublin — New Harbour — Custom House —
Increased importation of coals — Bay of Dublin — Bank
— Lords' House of Parliament — .University — Indig-
nity offered the picture of Mr. Grattan — Institute —
Curiosities — Style and beauty of Dublin — Public In-
stitution* on a great scale 106

LETTER XLV.

Dublin — Farming Society of Ireland — State of Irish
peasantry — Potatoes capable of operating great evils
— Agriculture unaided by manufactories — Allowance
from Government— .Establishment at Summer Hill —
Rt. Hon. J. Foster, president — Extensive coach ma-
nufactory— Dublin Castle— Linen Board — Disposition
to extend the linen manufacture — Foundling Hos-
pital and others — Population — Lower Irish fond of re-
partee 119

LETTER XL VI.

Dublin — Men of character as agents to noblemen-
Letting farms by private auction — Ely Place — Mr.
Roper — Rent of land near Dublin — Large families of
children — Beneficial effects of the Union — Mr. Rad-
cliffe — Mr. Sayer — His farming management— Devon
cattle — South-down sheep — Castle of Malahide —
Colonel Talbot — Interior of the Castle — Improve-

VI CONTENT*.

merits at Howth— -Pier and Harbour— Marquis of
Lansdowne — Merino — Late Lord Charlemont ..... 134

LETTER XLVII.

Dublin — Few beggars — Labor of husbandry — Few un-
married servants employed — Evil of encouraging set-
tlers — Happy consequences of a place of worship-
Experiment at Workington ...................... 150

LETTER XLVHI.

Ardbracken- — Phoenix Park— Triumphal arch — Lord
Nelson's pillar — Mr. White's seat at Woodlands —
View of Dublin — Donsery — Oxen at plough — Cum-
bersome dress of ploughmen — Limestone gravel —
County of Meath — Scarcity of fuel — Means for pro-
curing it — Cottier's family at dinner — Their hope-
lessness — Increasing population — Relief difficult .... 157

LETTER XLIX.

Ardbracken a modern edifice — Con acres — Bishop of
Meath a zealous friend to agriculture — His Lord-
ship's great attention to the cpmforts of the cottiers —
Dr. Coventry — His opinion as to ragwort — River
Boyne — Beau Park — Mr. Lambert — Navan — Canal
to Drogheda — Corn trade promoted by the spirited
exertions of Mr. M. Codd . ..................... 165

LETTER L.

Bishop of Meath's laudable exertions — Residence of
clergy strictly enforced — Charter Schools — Schools
on Dr. Bell's and Mr. Lancaster's plans of great im-
portance to the rising generation .................. 171

fONTF.NTS. Vll

LETTER LI.

Pije

.Ardbracken — Seat of Sir Marcus Somerville — Benevo-
lence of Bishop of Meath— Introduction to Mr. Edge-
worth — Miss Edgeworth's traits of Irish character —
Reflections on the late rebellion — General disposition
of the people— Carders at Mullingar 175

LETTER LII.

Kells — Its handsome approach — Lord Headfort — Crops
still uncut — Virginia — Lough Vernes — Scotch cart —
Methodiat preacher — Cavan — Dispensary — Rent —
Tithes — Little hope of commutation 184-

LETTER LIII.

Farnham— Comfort of cottiers— Mansion — Magnificent
oaks and beech — White thorns — Lake scenery — Al-
pine mountains — Lord Farnham's exhibition of taste
— Two romantic islands — Lady Farnham's cottage —
Keeper's house attacked during the rebellion 191

LETTER LIV.

Jl,ord Farnham's stock and husbandry — Devons — Leices-
ter and South-down stocks — Great attention to the
lower classes — Lord Farnham's cottages — Instance of
great conjugal affection — Dispensary — Unostentatious
benevolence— Order, method, and regularity 198

LETTER LV.

Bishop of Kilmore's Devons— Bog reclaimed — Dilapida-
tions of Ardagh — Neglect of church-yards — Granard

5

Vlii

— Irish Harp — Bank Notes — Steeple at Edgeworth's
Town 206

LETTER LVI.

Hospitality of the Irish — Miss Edgeworth— Mr. Edge-
worth and family — Farming establishments — Longford
— Mr^Edgeworth's respectable tenantry — Cavan Agri-
cultural Society— Edgeworth's Town — Catholic cha-
pel 212

LETTER LVII.

Reclamation of bog — Increased crops of potatoes — Su-
perabundant population — Congregation of the catho-
lic chapel — Want of education — Singular instance of
female courage — Insurgents — Effects of kind treat-
ment— Birth-place of Goldsmith — Ballymona — Irish
funeral impressive and affecting — Lough Rea — Athlone
— Grand Canal— Military station 221

'LETTER LVIII.

Ballinasloe — Annual fair — Prize Cattle — Establishment
of Farming Society— Lord Clancarty's park— Great
exhibition of sheep — Ability of shepherds — Irish sheep
— Exhibition of cattle — Lord Farnham— Bishop of
Kilmorc — Mr. M'Gill — Regulated premiums for bulls
— Oath as to the age of cattle — Numerous assemblage
of gentlemen graziers — Farmers — Number of sheep
andcattle 228

LETTER LIX.

Mr. Garnett— Exhibition of horses — Ability in leaping
— Late Bishop of Killala— Battle of Aghrim — Major
Kirwan's remarkable herd of oxen — Price refused —
Great respect to strangers — Lord Clonbrock — No con-
veyance from Ballinasloe — Hack horse— Footpad re-
sisted and taken— Road crowded with stock — Athlone 235

C0VTMNTS. IK

IKTTKR LX.

P«g«

Lord Sunderlin — Con acres — Springles— <J«nera1 bad
fanning management — Fertility — Iriali stocks— Work-
ing classes— Ballamona— -Lord Sunderlin's park —
His Lordship a warm advocate for education — His
Lordship's school establishment — Lancastrian plan —
Baron's Court — Laurel under the shade of lofty timber
trees 243

LETTER LXI.

Baron's Court — Remarkable larch — Lord Sunderlin, a
judicious planter — Church — Mausoleum— Parsonage
house— Great order and benevolent consideration—
His Lordship's farm— Cattlo— Great profit— Wages —
Fuel— English spade — Potatoes tithe free — Sufferings
during a recent scarcity — Family pride— Estate of an
absentee — Improvement of roads 24-9

LETTER LXII.

Baron's Court — Wilson's hospital— Lord de Blacquiere —
Hospital well conducted — Mr. Garnett— New church
Charter School — Lazy beds — Ballycock — Its bridge —
Cattle sheds first noticed 257

LETTER LXIII.

Mullingar — Lough O'Whel — Lough Ennel — Mr. Roch-
fort's, at Belvidere — Grand Canal — Passage Boats—-
Banditti— Carders — Reynellu — Kilburn — Mrs. Rey-
nell — Female intrepidity — Extensive fanning building
and offices — Hereford oxen — Woburn bulls — Leices-
ter flock — IVrmaiK'nt improvements— Swedish turnips
compared with hay — Late Mr. Reynolds' decease, a
great public loss — Athboy — Wretched cabins — Ex-
tensive farming establishment — Husbandry — Wood

—Shrubs — Their rapid and luxuriant growth 264-

2

X CONTENTS.

LETTER LXIV.

Page

Ardhracken house — Poor laws — County assessments
—Distributive justice — Irish courts of law — Want of
decorum — Solemnity of English courts — Unfounded
reports — Libel on the Irish character 273

LETTER LXV.

Black Castle — Mr. Ruxton — Power of vegetation — Mr.
Ruxton's farm plantations — River Boyne — Disposi-
tion of people — Tranquillity not to be ensured by co-
ercion— Navan — Church — Round tower covered with

\ 279

LETTER LXVI.

Drogheda — Slane Castle — Mr. Lambert's wopds at
Beau Park — Ford, where King William passed the
Boyne — Rock — Pillar — Port of Drogheda, difficult
of access — Proposition for a canal — Distilleries —
Duty — Inebriation — Direful effects of— Mr. Codd's
distillery — Irish steam engine — Mr. Tandy's farm —
Corn market at Drogheda 284-

., LETTER LXVII.

Collon — The Right Hon. John Foster — Neat village—-
Tidy cabins — Handsome church — Gothic tower — Cot-
ton manufactory — Dispensary — Nursery grounds —
Great variety of plants— Old English oak — Pavilion —
Colonel Foster— Large rhododendron — Weeping oak
and larch — Extensive plantations — Weekly sale of
timber and brush-wood — Larch bark, useful in tanning
— Reflections on planting — Its peculiar value in Ire-
land— Dublin Institution— Premiums for planting —
Hedge rows — Laws in Ireland judicious — Value of
Mr. Foster's plantations — Bogs in Ireland — Estimated
extent of — Mr. Foster's farm a secondary object. ... 291

CONTENTS.

LETTER LXVI1I.

Collon — Farm yards — Buildings, fee. complete — Plough*
ing with oxen — Extremely bad soil — Scotch plough
— Cart — English spade — Long horned cattle — Gigan-
tic animals — Judicious leases — Emigration — Popula-
tion— Absenteeship— Wretchedness of lower orders—
Dr. Beaufort — Good farming — Incongruities — Ex-
penditure on roads— Mr. Foster's merit great SOU

LETTER LXIX.

Mr. Ruxton — His seat near Ardee — Farming establish-
ment considerable — Stone fences good — Much tim-
ber—Clyde farm — Colonel Filgate — Watchman for
turnip crops — Lord Louth's farm — Mr. Fortescue —
His farm well managed — Comfortable cottages — Man-
sion well kept — Commodious farm buildings — Iron
plough — Turnips — Drilling — Norfolk husbandry—
Potatoes — Comparative culture of— Land supplied to
cottiers — Excellent specimen of well conducted rural
affiiirs 309

LETTER LXX.

Clonfickle — Colville— Miserable town — Country thinly-
inhabited — Poorly cultivated — Wretched cabins —
Castle Blancy — Plantations — Church — Lough — Lord
Blaney's seat — Armagh — Lough Neagh — Arch-
bishop's palace — Dr. Richardson — Fiorin grass — Great
zeal, perseverance, and philanthropy of Dr. Richardson S17

LETTER LXXI.

Slow progress of improvements— Mr. Coke — Drill hus-
bandry— Bleaching grounds — City of Armagh — Arch-
bishop's palace — Ncwry — River Black Water— Canal
—Church nearly completed — Catholic meeting — Dr.

XII CONTENTS.

Page

Bell's system of education — Objections made to it in
Ireland — Road to Rosstrevor 325

LETTER LXXIP.

Newry water — Indications of employment — Mr. Harri-
son's seat — Warren's water ferry — Ruias — Carlingjbrd
bay — Rosstrcvor — Neat village — Montpeliw of United
Empire — Enchanting landscape — Isle of Man — Lord
Kilmony's place — Extensive woods — Village of Kil-
keel — Magnificent mountains — SUeve Donald — Lord
Kilmony's extensive improvements — Apparent devas-
tated country — Bay of Strangford-~ Tullaraope park —
Lord Annesley's new pier — Slieve. Donald — Forest of
great extent — Cairns 331

LETTER LXXIII.

Tullamore park — Mansion only one story high — Terrace
road from Rosstrevor — Diamond mountain — Size of
larch and silver firs — Thinnings of woods sold twice a
week — Taste and liberality of the earl of Roden —
Church — Inn — Laborers' habitations — Interior of
mansion — Library — Pictures — Lord Roden's constant
residence highly beneficial — Pregnancy and child-
birth little regarded 340

LETTER LXXIV.

Ballilady — Dundrum castle — Bay — Mr. Morris — Want
of wood — Ballynahinch — Mr. Carr — Earl Moira— -
Saintfield — Newtownards — Lord Dafferin — Entitled
to great praise as a farmer — Magnificent modern house
Importance of Ireland to Great Britain — Observations
on the laboring classes — On superabundant popula-
tion— Earnest desire for bettering their condition —
Agreeable reflections on conclusion of tour through
Ireland 3*6

LETTERS

IRELAND.

LETTER XXXV.

Cork, Sept. 14, 1813.

J. HE appointed hour for the march of the
military terminated the slumbers of the good
folks at Macroom. We started very soon after
three.

The country presented a delightful change
both in soil and cultivation — a great inequality
of surface — the fences good, and the enclosures
large. The very summits of the hills were under
the dominion of the plough ; a trifling quantity
of grain remained uncut, and corroborated
the abundance of this year's crop, which was
further evinced by the appearance of the
stubbles.

The wild and barren scenery of Kerry is
agreeably contrasted by the enclosures — the
VOL. n. B

2 Different Estimation of the Acre.

cultivation and improvements in the county of
Cork. As the distance between Macroom and
Cork is twenty miles, and the intercourse very
considerable, it is singular there should be no
intermediate place where a feed of oats could
be obtained. In passing the military (the Queen's
County Militia) it seemed to be doubtful, whe-
ther the women and children did not form a
corps as numerous as the regiment.

The perplexity arising from the use of dif-
ferent measures is not unknown, or uncom-
plained of, in this country. The land is let
under three distinct estimations of the acre : in
the north it is governed by the Cunningham —
in the midland, the plantation — and in this part
of the south of Ireland, by the statute acre. Near
Macroom the rents are from twenty to sixty shil-
lings the acre. The predilection for the plough
is universal, and white crops succeed each other
as long as the land will produce them : when these
fail, they have recourse to grass, which rises lux-
uriantly without cultivation ; and what is unac-
countable, exhausted as the soil by this conduct
must be considered, the grass is not less nutri-
tious than abundant. As far as I was enabled
to judge, in spite of this barbarous treatment,
deterioration from repeated cropping does not
follow as a consequence here, except on strong

Peculiar Fertility of Soil: 3

clays. The adhesiveness of the soil, which ge-
nerally succeeds constant ploughing, and im-
pedes vegetation, by preventing absorption and
evaporation, does not seem to occur in Ireland.
This circumstance has been a frequent subject
of speculation and conjecture. I do not think
the causes assigned by Sir Humphry Davy for
the superior fertility of Ireland are at all satis-
factory. Those demi-tints which in England
distinguish lands that are exhausted are* here
almost unknown — the verdure is everlasting and
luxuriant, arising, 1 should suppose, from some
inherent quality in the soil, which keeps it in a
proper state to admit the operation of the salu-
tary influences of the atmosphere.

The valley in which we travelled from Ma-
croom is of a fertile description, but very nar-
row j in some parts it is ornamented with a num-
ber of gentlemen's seats, and appeared to be ro-
mantic. A considerable improvement in point
of comfort appeared in the cottiers' cabins, which
gave us infinite pleasure. We observed the re-
mains of several castles, resembling those on our
own borders, most of which were built in the
concluding part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, a
period of great national distress to Ireland.
Many parts of her general policy are entitled to
respect, but all that related to Ireland was op-

B2

4 Beautiful Banks of the Lee.

pressive, and calculated to produce and per-
petuate the very evils her measures were in-
tended to remove.

Bally Colleck, six miles from Cork, is a great
ordnance depot, where immense sums have been
expended in erections possessing much show
and extent. Considerable lime-works are car-
ried on in this neighbourhood. We had a de-
lightful drive from Bally Colleck : the banks of
the Lee are highly beautiful — embellished with
numerous residences ; and the opposite side pre-
sented a great diversity of charming objects.
Two miles from Cork, we stopped at a farm for
the purpose of inspecting as foul a piece of stub-
ble as I ever beheld, which the farmer was then
sowing down with hay seeds ; and being ex-
tremely proud of his own performance, was not
a little astonished at my want of perception in
not complimenting his husbandry. In the vici-
nity of Cork lands let so extravagantly, I was
led to expect better practices j for, in its imme-
diate neighbourhood, no less than ten pounds an
acre are paid ; but at a little distance the same
quality of land may be had at less than half that
money.

The last mile of the road, through the Irish
Town, is so execrably bad as to render it dan-

9

Irish funeral Procession. 5

gerous for a carriage : it is a disgrace to this
noble city that such a nuisance should be
suffered.

Nearly opposite to the old barracks we were
met by a prodigious crowd, occupying the whole
breadth of the street, advancing with a hasty
step and a most hideous howl. The door ways
and windows were filled with the inhabitants of
both sexes, and of all ages ; who appeared to
be much interested and entertained at what
was going on. To us this was a profound secret,
until we discovered it to be nothing less than a
funeral. Cork, we understand, is greatly cele-
brated for its woeful performances on these solemn
occasions, which are requited according to the
affluence or abilities of the parties. The body
was placed on a two-wheel hearse, with a cover
over it, which did not permit a full view of
the coffin. The corpse was followed by the yell-
ing performers, after whom came the friends
and attendants of the deceased. The howl sur-
passed, in its combination of discords, all de-
scription— the funeral dirge was recited with so
much rapidity and violence, as to convey the
idea of anger and fury, rather than lamentation.
The cry so frightened our horses as to make
them ungovernable ; and had not the civility or
prudence of the performers induced a rest, we

6 Irish funeral Procession.

could hardly have escaped from accident. The
pause afforded an opportunity to observe the
vocal assistants as they passed. The band was
principally composed of women, to whose per-
sonal qualifications time had done irreparable
injury, of whom the first in vociferation was,
apparently, more indebted to her habits than
natural complexion for the ruddiness which
marked her countenance. Her associates had
also evidently fortified their hearts with whisky
against all compunctions of sorrow, beyond
those external tokens for which they are usually
recompensed. In short, the solemnity of the
occasion was so totally lost sight of, as not to
preclude the coarsest jokes. The performers
and the spectators seemed equally amused,
and equally indifferent ; and if, during this
" mockery of woe," there were any individuals
present who entertained affection, or even a
friendly regard, for the deceased, they were
greatly entitled to pity. I could not have cre-
dited the continuance of so barbarous a custom,
had I not been a witness of the mummery, which,
to have made it completely ludicrous, wanted
nothing but the fool's cap and bells. Spincer in
his " View of Ireland," says, " There are other
sorts of cries also used by the Irish, which savour
greatly of Scythian barbarisme, as their lamenta-
tions on their buryals, with despairful outcrys

Extract from Spincer. 7

and immoderate wailings. The whole, Martin
Stanihurst might also have used for an argu-
ment to prove them Egyptians ; for so in Scrip-
ture, it is mentioned that the Egyptians lamented
for the death of Joseph. Others think this cus-
tom to have come from the Spaniards, for they
doe imminsorably likewise bewayle their dead.
But the same is not proper Spanish, but hea-
thenish, brought thither first, either by the Scy-
thians or the Mores, that are Africans, and long
possessed the country. For it is the manner of
all pagans and infidels to be intemperate in their
bewaylings of their dead, for that they had no
further hope of salvation. And this ill custome
also is specially noted by Diodorus Siculus to
have been in the Scythians, as is yet amongst
the northern Scots at this day, as you may read
in their chronicles."

The situation of Cork is particularly striking.
The old town, being built on the side of a hill,
forms an amphitheatre, at the foot of which the
river Lee formerly ran. In the process of time
the course of the river changed, and its breadth
has been confined, by which means a consider-
able space of fiat ground has been gained, and
on which the more modern part of the town is
built. Some of the principal streets were inter-
sected with canals capable of admitting vessels

6

8 Description of Cork.

of a small draft of water; these within a few years
have been filled up, and quays made below. The
esplanade, and street adjoining to it, are spacious,
well-built, and very handsome ; all the other
streets are narrow, and the houses high. The
old town occupies the southern bank ; the new
is built on the northern. The steepness of the
streets is attended with great inconvenience,
which is scarcely compensated by the beautiful
prospect the houses command. The barracks
are on the summit of the hill, and capable of ac-
commodating a great number of troops. Few
towns within limits so circumscribed contain so
great a population. Formerly the ground floors
of the best houses in the principal streets were
let for shops: instances of this may still be found,
but the practice has ceased to be general. The
market houses are very spacious — well regulated,
and kept extremely clean. These arrangements
do great credit to the internal police of the city.
A magnificent coffee-room, for the general as-
semblage of the merchants, is just completed,
and does honour to their taste and public
spirit.

The Institution here, which comprises all
branches of science, promises to be of great
public utility. Government allows two thou-
sand five hundred pounds per annum : and

The Institution and Manufactories.

above one thousand pounds are raised by sub-
scription towards defraying the expenses of
the establishment; which the secretary, Mr.
Hicks, has already put on a highly respectable
footing, and where most particular attention is
paid to agriculture, botany, and mineralogy.

Among the objects of the greatest interest in
this place is the brewery of Messrs. Crawford
and Bemishe. The quantity brewed by these
gentlemen is little inferior to that of the first
London houses ; in one respect this house is
superior — that of preparing and manufacturing
their own malt. This establishment produces
porter of high repute, and gives employment
to nearly five hundred persons.

The quays do not correspond with the opu-
lence and importance of the place ; nor did I
see those improvements carrying on which in
other places we have noticed with so much
pleasure. The slaughtering trade is a principal
branch of the commerce of this place ; above
one hundred thousand beasts, besides pigs innu-
merable, are here annually slaughtered. Water,
ford, however, has materially interfered with
Cork in the killing of swine. I was greatly
pleased with the display of opulence in the
environs of Cork : the residences of all the first

10 Magnificent Style of Living.

merchants are out of the city, where their
establishments are on a scale of great magni-
ficence. We had the pleasure of dining at Mr.
Crawford's seat, about four miles from Cork, on
the south side of the Lee, whence the prospects
are delightful !

Agriculture, it seems, has made greater pro-
gress in this county than in any other in Ire-
iand. I wish it had been possible for us to have
visited some of the most spirited improvers.
There are very large dairy farms in this neigh-
bourhood ; milk in the city is sold at three-
pence the quart.

Morrison, speaking of Cork, says *' Touching
the Irish diet, some lords and knights, and
gentlemen of the English-Irish, and all the
English there abiding having competent means,
use the English diet, but some more, some less
cleanly, few or none curiously, and no doubt
they have as great, and for their part greater
plenty, than the English, of flesh, fowle,fish, and
all things for food, if they will use like art of
cookery — always I except fruits, venison, and
some dainties proper to England, and some in
Ireland ; because they neither so generally af-
fect dainty food, nor so diligently search it as
the English do. Many of the English-Irish

Extract from Morrison on Irish Die/. 1 1

have little and little been infected with Irish
tilthincss, and that in the very cities, excepting
Dublin, and some of the better sort in Water-
ford, where the English continually lodging in
their houses use the English diet. The Eng-
lish-Irish, after our manner, serve to their
dinners joints of flesh cut to our fashion, with
geese, pullets, pigs, and the like roasted meats.
But their ordinary food for the common sort is
of white meats ; and they eat cakes of oates for
bread, and drinke beer made of malt and hops."

There is a nunnery here of some extent, and
of consequence sufficient to entitle it to the
notice of strangers. The river Lee to the Cove
of Cork is highly interesting— the scenery rich
and picturesque. We lamented the unfavour-
able state of the weather, as it prevented us
from any further survey of its banks.

Party animosities here are carried to a great
height — private comfort and public prosperity
are always sacrificed to these unfortunate local
misunderstandings, which are greatly promoted
by the mutual desire that each party fosters to
avoid personal conferences with each other,
and to prefer the insinuations and misrepresen-
tations of interested, invidious characters.

1 2 Unalienable Interests of bath Countries

I could not suppress the indignation I felt
as an Englishman, at the triumphant air with
which some of the daily prints of the city sought
to extol an advantage supposed to have been
gained over the allies by Buonaparte. I can
truly: feel, and dispassionately allow, great lati-
tude to the Irish for their past sufferings and
present complaints ; but insanity alone can jus-
tify the conduct of any one in looking to France
for a redress of wrongs. Fatal indeed has proved
her alliance to every state which has sought to
better its condition through her influence or
mediation.

The interests of Great Britain and Ireland,
however misapprehended, have been — are —
and, under honest administrations, must always
be — the same. Their contiguity renders their
union as necessary as a mutual friendship is
requisite for their protection and prosperity.
Every wound which false policy has inflicted on
Ireland has proved a gangrene in the side of
Great Britain. On reference to Leland's His-
tory of Ireland, the manner in which the minis-
ters of Queen Elizabeth thought proper to ex-
press themselves, with respect to this devoted
country, is not less entitled to the contempt
than the execration of minds governed, in the

very capable of being preserved. 1 S

present day, by a sound and liberal policy.
" Should we exert ourselves in reducing Ireland
to order and civility, it soon must acquire power,
consequence, and riches — the inhabitants will
thus be alienated from England — they will cast
themselves into the arms of some foreign power,
or perhaps erect themselves into a separate and
independent state. Let us rather connive at
their disorders ; for a weak and disordered
people never can detach themselves from the
crown of England."

Happy am I to perceive a more correct esti-
mate is now formed of our relative and mutual
interests, and thence to indulge in the hope
that nothing can operate to defeat a redress of
all national vexations but that which is so ca-
pable of being corrected — a want of temper and
prudence on the part of the political leaders.

Much as I wish success to every measure of
liberal concession and toleration, I should be
most hostile to the disjunction of the two coun-
tries. A combination of minds and interests on
the homely principle of" fair dealing" is indis-
pensable for the peace, happiness, and pros-
perity of both ; and I have no hesitation to pro-
nounce, that those who would deny to Ireland
a complete redress of her grievances, and a

14 Deprecation of a Disunion.

full participation in every national advantage,
are as much mistaken in the true and real in-
terests of the empire, as those who would injudi-
ciously become the promoters of inconsiderate
measures with a view to any infraction of the
union. I have only time to lament that we have
so little to spare where so much is demanded,
and to say I am ever yours,

J. C. C.

15

LETTER XXXVI.

Fermoy, Sept. H, 18 IS.

fV E quitted Cork with great regret, as the
view which we had taken of the many interest-
ing objects, both within the city and its imme-
diate neighbourhood, was too superficial to be
satisfactory.

Our road hither for five miles was by the side
of the Lee, which forms, at high water, a noble
river. The ground rises beautifully from each
side of its banks, and displays to great advantage
the crowded villas with which it is ornamented ;
while the numerous shipping, passing and re-
passing, adds greatly to the interest of the
scene.

Since the union, the shipping of Ireland has
been greatly augmented, but is not yet in pro-
portion to its commerce. As capital may be
acquired, ship-building may become an object
of greater attention. It may indeed be ob-
jected, that Ireland is almost destitute of ship

1 6 Fermoy, and its Improvements.

timber ; its vicinity to Wales may, however, to
a certain extent, supply this deficiency.

The distance from Cork to Fermoy is fifteen
miles. After quitting the banks of the Lee, we
found the country hilly, and the soil of a strong
adhesive nature. We observed with pleasure
some few attempts at raising green crops ; and
near the residence of several gentlemen were
specimens of tolerable husbandry. The use of
lime as a manure seemed to be very general.
From the grain still uncut, we did not think
very favourably of the fertility of the soil, which,
on our arrival within a few miles of this place,
changed, and had a light, dry appearance.

Fermoy is an object of no common interest,
as it affords an instance of what improvements
may be accomplished, even by the spirit, intel-
ligence, and perseverance, of a single individual.
Previous to the sale of the estate by Lord Bar-
rymore, Fermoy was a poor contemptible place ;
and so it might have continued, had it not for-
tunately changed hands j for though it has no
local advantages for trade, its situation on the
banks of the Black Water is very inviting and
beautiful.

The exorbitant demand for ground on which

Description of Fermoy. 17

to build barracks at Cork, suspended the plans
proposed there by government, and afforded
Mr. Anderson an opportunity to make offer of
a situation at Fermoy for this purpose ; and in
the mean time, to erect temporary barracks at
his own expense. These propositions were ac-
cepted, and the event has fully answered Mr.
Anderson's expectations. A town has arisen as
if by magic — the streets spacious, the plan re-
gular— houses neat, and the whole being white-
washed gives it an air of great cleanliness and
life. The barracks arc erected on an eminence,
on the north side of the Black Water, and are
calculated to contain a great force. Here are
also an extensive brewery — a manufactory for
carriages and agricultural implements — woollen
and paper mills. Nor is Fermoy without its
bank. Mr. Anderson, in becoming a party in
all undertakings, gives such support, animation,
and confidence to the whole, that it is impossi-
ble to remain indifferent to whatever relates in-
dividually to a gentleman who has been so emi-
nently useful to his country. Mr. Anderson is
a native of Dumfries ; about forty years ago, he
settled at Cork with a small fortune, which his
ability and industry greatly improved. His ac-
tivity and punctuality recommended him on all
occasions, while his integrity procured him the
confidence of all with whom he had any traiu-

VOL. II. C

18 Establishment oj Mail Coaches.

actions. When government decided on the es-
tablishment of mail coaches, many difficulties
and obstacles arose, and it was apprehended no
one would be found bold enough to embark, in
what was then considered a dangerous enter-
prize. Mr. Anderson proffered his services ; his
established character inspired confidence ; every
difficulty was overcome ; and the most import-
ant benefits have resulted from his labors, by th«
facility with which communication is now ex-
tended to every part of Ireland. The accom-
plishment of such valuable undertakings by one
individual is an important practical lesson to
the country. Contrast the situation and the
means of an Anderson, with the magnificent
stations and opulence of the land-owners, and
then say, what might not a few such characters
effect for the general prosperity of Ireland?
Was but a small portion of that spirit, which
some great proprietors display in the extension
of their parliamentary influence, directed to ob-
jects for the substantial and permanent improve-
ment of their estates, and the melioration of the
present wretched condition of the tenantry on
them ; the sum of individual happiness and na-
tional prosperity, resulting from so happy a re*
volution, would be incalculable.

Mr. Anderson's residence is on the north

Fermoyi 19

bank of the Black Water; his house Is a hand-
some modern building, but too much exposed
for the comfort of the proprietor.

Among the public buildings at Fermoy is a
very beautiful church. The ground rents in
the town are higher than in almost any in Eng-
land. Six pence the square yard, or at the rate
of one hundred and twenty-one pounds per sta-
tute acre. At Leith indeed, a small site near
the docks was sold at a rate exceeding forty
thousand pound per acre ! A ground rent of
five pounds a year is paid on a very moderate
house, letting at about forty pounds per annum.
A summer's grazing for a cow costs four pounds.
Coals are two shillings a barrel dearer here than
at Cork, which must give a decided preference
to the establishment of manufactories at that
place. A question may arise how such rents
are to be paid in future, when there may be less
occasion for the present military establishments,
on which the greater portion of the business
here depends.

Fermoy is a forcible example of what may be
accomplished by the genius, resolution, and per-
severance of one man. Whether the establish-
ment may be able to support itself on a future

c 2

2o Lancastrian School.

day, when deprived of the abilities of the
ginal projector — time alone can determine.

One of the last, but not least interesting ob-
jects at Fermoy, is the Lancastrian school. The
number of children taught is very considerable.
We were unfortunate in making our visit while
the scholars were at their breakfast, which de-
prived us of the pleasure of ascertaining their
proficiency.

It is impossible to contemplate the means
every where resorted to for the expansion of
the infant mind, and not anticipate great ex-
tension of human happiness ; no longer need
the ploughman " whistle for want of thought,'*
or fly to excess as a relief from the irksomeness
of leisure.

You will be surprised to learn that something
not unlike universal suffrage prevails in very
many parts of this country. The power of
creating freeholders is almost umlimited. It is
done by deed — for qualification there is none :
so that the right to vote is unconnected with
property further than the individual's cabin re-
sidence, which is all that is required. But so far
are these wretched individuals from receiving;

Election of Irish Members. 21

benefit from their inapposite distinction of free-
holders, or consideration for their votes, that it
operates a contrary way, and puts them to ex-
pense ami loss of time, without the privilege of
having any choice : ruin would inevitably over-
take him, who should dare to presume to have
any opinion but that dictated to him by his
landlord ; and the candidate who should solicit,
or accept without solicitation, the vote of a
tenant against the will of his landlord, must
answer the irregularity with his life, and incur
the general odium of his own class in society.
Popular opinion has little or no influence in the
election of the one hundred Irish members.
Election contests with us procure, for a time,
some consideration for the lower ranks — what
dignifies the English character, debases the Irish.
The magnitude of the evil is greater than can
be conceived by those who have not had an op-
portunity of witnessing its effects. In the most
venal places in England, besides the bribe, some
condescension is expected ; here the poor voter
is only degraded by an additional link to the
chain of his dependency. The representation of
the town rests mostly in each body corporate,
which seldom exceeds twelve members. The
selecting for representation by the extent of
the population was a farce, in which the peo-
ple had no assigned part to act. The demo-

22 Election of Irish Member*.

cratic part of the British constitution, quoad the
Irish, had better not exist. What a contrast
does the election of the twenty-eight peers
returned to parliament for Scotland exhibit ?
These may truly boast of being chosen by two
hundred and seven of the most enlightened and
independent electors that ever exercised the
function of voters ! Adieu.

«!• (-/. \s»

LETTER XXXVII.

Lismore, Sept. 15, 1813.

JL HE happiness or misery of any community
can never be viewed with indifference. The
most superficial observer rejoices or sympa-
thizes in the exterior appearances which are
presented to his consideration. Happily pos-
sessed is that wealth, which has been obtained
by promoting and extending the felicity of our
fellow creatures — if it create envy in the bosoms
of a few, it is secure of the respect and ap-
probation which good men are ever ready to
concede.

The activity and bustle that pervade Fer-
moy indicate its inhabitants to be in possession
of at least a fair share of the comforts of life.
Their personal appearance, and the respectabi-
lity of their habitations, confirm the persuasion.
The town is well situated ; and when it is con-
sidered, as it really is, the creation of a single
individual, in the short space of a few years, it
produces not less admiration, than a desire that
it should be attentively regarded by the great
.5

24 Beautiful Banks oj the Black Water.

landed proprietors in Ireland, as an example
worthy of imitation, and of what is capable of
being done towards an augmentation of national
consequence, and the comforts to which the
lower orders of the people are so justly entitled.
Contrasting the state of their idle, wretched te-
nantry, with that of the industrious and respect-
able inhabitants of Fermoy, could not fail of
awakening their attention, not only to their own
individual interest, but to the general welfare of
the community.

Mr. M'Cassel, whose residence is near Fer-
moy, has the reputation of being a good farmer.
Lord Riversdale has made great improvements
at Ilathcormack, and has extensively adopted
the system of green crops. We did not ob-
serve a single field of clover in the course of
the fifteen miles between Cork and Fermoy —
the cultivation of the potatoes was all in lazy
beds.

The banks of the Black Water are very beau-
tiful : the southern side, on which we travelled
from Fermoy, is flat, the northern bold; both
crowded with cottages. The hedges are formed
principally of white-thorn, and thickly planted
with timber. We were gratified with the ap-
pearance of much wood in various parts of our

Cumberland Carts recommended. 75

drive to Lismore. In the husbandry, there
was nothing worthy of notice — the crops ap-
peared to be light, and the harvest Jate. We
observed some lands under the preparation of
fallowing for wheat; a practice which had not
occurred to us for a length of time. Jn this
neighbourhood were seen many gentlemen's
seats, and the cabins had the appearance of
some interior comfort. The manner in whicli
farming is conducted may generally be as-
certained by the implements employed; the
Scotch carts, made at Fermoy, are too large
and heavy for the common horses of the coun-
try ; a smaller kind of cart, adopted in Cum-
berland, would answer better here, and be
more likely to come into general use with the
small farmers : I prevailed on the Secretary of
the Cork Institution to permit my ordering one
to be sent to the Society, under an impression
that, if the cost be admissible, it may remove the
principal objection, as to the weight of the
Scotch cart. The price of labor, when in-
dividuals are so fortunate as to have constant
employment, is under a shilling a day. The
want of inland navigation makes fuel dear.
This must operate greatly, as I before observed,
against the successful result of manufactories at
Fermoy.

26 Wretchedness of Lismore.

As we approached Lismore, we found the
fields well laid out, and the hedges particularly
fine. The pleasure thus called forth was not
of long continuance : on our arrival here the
town presented a scene of wretchedness and
misery, which was distressing to behold — even
in Ireland, where such appearances of poverty
too often occur. What a contrast did this
place present to that which we had just left ?

It was impossible to survey the dirty and
dilapidated buildings, without sympathizing in
the general suffering. Fuel is scarce and dear ;
the turf is brought from a considerable distance,
and appears to be of an inferior quality.

To behold a large community bowed down in
hopeless indigence, cannot fail to inspire feel-
ings of a most painful nature, in those who are
but transitory visitors ! What must be the ef-
fect of such a depression of character, on the
proprietor of the soil? especially one in the
possession of extensive estates in England, ac-
customed to survey the comforts there, so
widely diffused among his dependants. Report
says, the Duke of Devonshire purposes to re-
build the Castle of Lismore, and restore it to
its ancient grandeur. Situated on a lofty rock

Castle of Lismore. 27

overhanging the Black Water, whose opposite
bank is bold and well clothed with wood, with
'cautifiil and rich valley beneath, extending
to Coppoquin, it possesses in its locale, all that
i> necessary to form a princely residence : to
make it really so, a revolution must be effected
in the condition of the surrounding inhabitants ;
or joyless will be the abode, where the eye may
not venture to look beyond the limits of the
palace, lest it encounter the misery of the sur-
rounding people. A castle, as at present, in
ruins, comports with a town in a state of decay.
Restore the palace only, and the wretchedness
of the place will be increased by the contrast.
I sincerely wish the noble personage may con-
tinue his predilection for this spot, as the probable
consequences would be the adoption of mea-
sures that would stimulate to industrious pur-
suits all classes in its neighbourhood. The
proudest distinction of nobility is the inclina-
tion and ability to augment the sum of human
happiness — in the case before us, a prospective
return of increased revenue, as well as the pre-
sent indulgence of our finest feelings, proclaim
the wisdom and humanity of the undertaking.
The castle and its immense appendent domains
are not the objects here most to be envied —
the power of converting idleness and indigei
into activity and independence, cannot be sug-

28 Expiration of Leases at Lismore.

gested to the mind without enviable expect-
ations. Although the progress of improve-
ments, generally speaking, is slow, yet means
of accomplishing, at once, what under ordinary
circumstances would require the duration of a
long life to effect, sometimes occur. All the
leases on this part of the Duke of Devonshire's
property are now about to expire. When this
circumstance is taken into consideration, with
the time of life at which his Grace has suc-
ceeded to the honours and patrimonial estates
of his family, what an opportunity offers it-
self for patriotic improvement, and giving an
example for the imitation of others. Here
might practices easily be established, which
would have the effect of a school for teaching a
better system of husbandry, and the management
of all rural affairs. Hence might conviction be
so forced on the incredulous, and diffused
among the laborious orders, that no doubt would
remain of their comfort becoming increased in
the ratio of their exertions, and their happiness
secured in proportion to the confidence they
reposed in their employers, and their obedience
and respect for the laws of the land. The
Irish car, and the long handled shovel, would
soon give place to the Cumberland cart, and
garden spade, whilst every other approved im-
plement, and species of management, by being
1

Anticipation of Improvements. 29

there successfully brought into use, would ra-
pidly hi* adopted throughout the country. To
put the liberality of the project out of all doubt,
a manufactory for such purposes on the spot
would be a national benefit ; where the indus-
trious but indigent laborer might be supplied,
at half-price, with the best adapted tool for the
work on which he might be employed. The
sacrifice of one thousand pounds by the land-
lord would soon save such a sum to each farmer
as would repay any advance of rent, with which
the lands in the neighbourhood of such dis-
tinguished and valuable improvements might
be fairly charged. The labor of a horse would
thus soon be saved on a moderate sized farm,
the expense of which cannot be stated at less
than fifteen pounds per annum — the substitution
of the spade for the shovel would double the
work of each individual, and lead the way to an
advance of wrages, and augmentation of comfort
to the lower classes^ Should it be objected,
that, in a country' where work is scarce, this
improved mode would have the effect of throw-
ing more individuals than at present out of
employ — I beg leave to reply, that the in-
creased demand of manual labor, consequent
on the introduction of every species of im-
provement, would be greater than could be
met by the facilities afforded in the use of the

3O Celebrity of rural Improvements.

most appropriate tools. The importance of
these objects is great, whether considered in a
national or individual point of light, and not
unworthy the serious attention of those in the
most exalted stations. Would it not be a
prouder distinction to have introduced the
Scottish cart, and English spade, to the indus-
trious husbandmen of an extensive district,
than, by the ingenuity and agency of others, to
have erected the finest Gothic structure in the
empire? Deserved praise for the introduc-
tion of implements, to facilitate manual labor,
would exclusively belong to the proprietor;
while the merits of the edifice would rest with
the architect, and the admiration it creates
lead on all occasions to the common inquiry —
" Who gave the plan ? " Objects of substantial
utility are those which are most entitled to the
commendations of mankind. Little minds are
captivated by exhibitions — great ones by those
actions which deserve the approbation of the
wise, and the applause of the virtuous.

Although agriculture is entitled to a pre-
cedence in the employment of man, and ought
to be the first consideration in every well-re-
gulated state ; yet I am now convinced, that it
cannot be carried to its utmost profitable extent,
without the support of manufactories and com-

Agriculture sustained by Manufacture.

inerce ; of the importance of which to the hus-
bandry of every country, I was not so fully aware
until I visited Ireland. The inhabitants of rich
countries can alone afford to bring into cul-
tivation poor ground. It is here the profits of
the manufacturer would not only create a new
market, and a further demand, but enable him to
pay a higher price for the produce of the soil,
than the cultivator can afford : and as the
labor of a man has been found, on all ordinary
occasions, equal to provide for his own wants,
and those of his family ; after every allowance
which can possibly be made, there would re-
main in society, were it exclusively confined to
agriculture, a great surplus population, the
members of which would become a dead weight
on the productive labor of the community, if
manufactories in its neighbourhood did not
afford them employment.

The present unfortunate situation of Ireland
has proved to me, that cheap food is not the
blessing which, by many, may be imagined :
the greatest political alteration that could take
place in this distressed country would be a dis-
like to potatoes, and a general preference in the
rising generation to bread and animal food. I
have formerly been an advocate for an extended
growth and use of the potatoe, but have iv-

32 Excessively cheap Food not desirable.

cently had cause to alter my opinion ; and
must now earnestly deprecate their becoming
the staple article of food for the lower classes in
Great Britain, lest similar results to those which
I witness in this country should follow. As a
security against famine, the potatoe is invalu-
able ; but as a mean for supporting the existence
of man, without that exertion he ought daily to
make for the preservation of his health and fa-
culties, it is certainly not desirable.

Pood having been demonstrated by Mr. Mal-
thus to be the only limit to population ; a
country where the inhabitants would be content
to live wholly on this root might support num-
bers of people beyond any calculation : e. g.
Fifteen Irish are maintained by the produce of
the same extent of land required for the sup-
port of one English manufacturer; and, were the
most improved modes of cultivating this ve-
getable resorted to by the cottiers, the dispro-
portion would still be greater. A population
thus produced seems to exceed all capital, and
means of occupation at home.

As the happiness of those individuals who are
not compelled to labor for their subsistence
depends on pursuit — so with those who are ob-
liged to labor in order that they may live, it

No profitable Labor for the People, 33

depends on employment. This is the first oc-
casion which I have had of witnessing the ab-
sence of profitable employment among a re-
dundant population, and I have rto hesitation
in declaring it, as my humble opinion, to be one
of the great sources whence spring the miseries
of Ireland.

Unquestionably, much relief may be afforded;
but while the population proceeds as it does at
present, unsupported by profitable labor, there
seems no possibility of any remedy short of a
radical reform, and that beginning in the higher
orders, and gradually descending to the most
subordinate classes.

The desirable alteration, if it could be effect-
ed, is that which would call the people into con-
stant active employment, and make them sharers
in those reasonable comforts of life, to which, as
rational beings, they are so justly entitled. Adieu.

J> C. C.

VOL. II.

LETTER XXXVIII.

Dungarvon, Sept. 15, 1813.

you imagine a more piteous case than
that of a poor exhausted traveller, who, after
passing a whole day without refreshment, ar-
rives at a town with a fine sounding name,
which sent two members to the Irish parlia-
ment, and yet actually affording nothing on
which the demands of hunger and thirst could be
satisfied j but indifferent bread and worse tea —
nor was this all : Sancho Panga observes,
" Blessed be the man who first invented sleep!"
The filthy appearance of the beds precluded
even this comfort. It seems strange that the
political contests which have taken place in this
borough should not have produced a better
inn and accommodations.

I shall endeavour to banish the recollection
of these momentary vexations, by making you,
as far as I am able, a partaker of the pleasure,
which the enchanting country through which
we passed from Lismore afforded us. We were
tempted to walk as far as Cappoquin, that we
might at more leisure enjoy the scenery, which

Orchards near Cappoquin. 35

the beauty of the banks of the Black Water
presented.

From the bridge at Lismore, which is a noble
edifice, a very fine view of the castle is ob-
tained ; exhibiting the whole base of the ma-
jestic rock on which it is erected. The valley
on the south side of the river, though confined,
is extremely luxuriant. The hills rise boldly
on the northern bank, and are covered with
wood to Cappoquin, a distance of four miles.
About a mile from the town, the orchards com-
mence, and it is here the best Irish cider is
made. There are several handsome seats of
gentlemen, ornamented with timber, on the
way to Cappoquin, the scenery of which is very
picturesque.

Cappoquin is a heat small town, situated
also on the Black Water, where the current of
the river alters its course from the west to the
south. It is navigable for small craft from
Youghall, and hence by means of a canal to
Lismore. The Black Water at Youghall is re-
ported to be a very beautiful stream, to which
we can easily give credit from its appearance,
on our drive from Fermoy.

On quitting Cappoquin by the Duagarvon

D 2

36 Beautiful Valley from Cappoquin.

road, we were highly pleased with the good
order and neatness of a few fields, which could
not have been better managed. We understood
they belonged to Captain Barnes, whose credit
as a farmer would be deservedly great in any
country.

Nothing can exceed the beauty and richness
of the vale from Cappoquin to Dungarvon ; the
soil is admirable, and the crops of grain very
weighty. The breadth of the valley is from
three to four miles, bounded on both sides by
ranges of hills which are well enclosed, and
cultivated to their summits ; indeed the whole
of this part of the country is well wooded. From
Cappoquin, through the vale, is nine miles, and
it is difficult to imagine any thing more de-
lightful than the whole of this distance. As
the sun set, his golden tints spread over the
fields of harvest, and diffused a richness on
every feature of the landscape. It was with
much regret we perceived the night drawing on,
as we could willingly have employed a few ad-
ditional hours in contemplating the luxuriance
of the scene.

There appeared to be much lime used in this
district ; we saw lime-kilns in all directions, and
the lime-stone rock, frequently bursting out

Ferry over to Dungarvon. 87

from the surface. Nature has here done much —
man little — towards rendering this valley one of
the most charming districts in Ireland. The
cabins however are very wretched, very few
acres under fallow, and no appearance of green
crops. It was quite dark before we reached
Dungarvon, when, to our dismay, we found the
flowing tide very high, the bridge broken
down, and the ferry-boat so ill calculated for
the conveyance of horses, that, miserable as was
the hovel on that side of the water, we preferred
leaving them, to the risk of their being lamed
in the dark. We ferried over to Dungarvon,
under no doubt of finding tolerable accommoda-
tions.— 13tit — we do not complain without rea-
son— nor claim pity for trifles which happily a
few hours will terminate !

Thirty thousand pounds are said to have been
expended by the late Duke of Devonshire in
attempting to rebuild the bridge, and when on
the eve of completion, the foundation gave way.
The work is still proceeding, and, if ever finish-
ed, it will be a great benefit to the place. The
contests in the borough have been very ex-
pensive ; the interest at present is not in the
Devonshire family.

The Nymph bank, lying off the shore, renders

38 Description of Dungarvon.

the situation of Dungarvon elegible for fishing ;
a number of small craft are employed in the
transport of fish and potatoes to Dublin. The
harbour is said to be difficult of approach ; but
when vessels are in it, the bason appears safe
and commodious.

The town is small, and the streets narrow. —
It is likely I may not have a better opportunity
of giving you the result of my observations on
the general state of the tenantry of the country.

The size of farms from fifteen to thirty acres
would give an average of about twenty-two or
twenty-three acres to each. Portions of these
are again sublet to cottiers, whose rents are
paid by labor done for the tenants ; from whom
they sometimes receive milk and some other
necessaries. These running accounts are an
endless source of dissatisfaction, of dispute, and
of contention at the quarter sessions. In some
of the most populous parts of Ireland, there is
supposed to be an inhabitant for every acre,
while the cultivation of the soil, as now prac-
tised, does not afford employment for a third of
that population. In the north, where the linen
trade has been established, the lower classes are
weavers, which gives them a great superiority
over the southern districts. The labor on the

State of Irish Tenantry. sy

highways and great roads, for which such large
assessments are made on the counties, afford, for a
portion of the year, a great source of employment.

If the Irish have not the laborious habits of
the English, it ought rather to be considered
a misfortune, than to be imputed to them
as blame. Industry is an acquirement of early
life, and becomes strengthened and habitual by
years. In a country where there is liMe de-
mand and no encouragement for industrious
exertions, it cannot be surprising that this habit
is not acquired. The women also, having no
vocation but that of attending to their families,
are equally indolent, and thus the offspring of
such parents are nursed in sloth and nurtured
in idleness.

The minute subdivision of lands among the
occupants is attended with many serious evils.
The rents of these small sublet parcels become
so high to the actual cultivators, as to preclude
all profitable returns from their labour. It
affords " too great a facility to marriage." The
population becomes increased beyond the
capital of the country employed in husbandry,
and the supernumerary individuals are compelled
to subsist on the produce of others' labor, to

4O Subdivision of Farms.

which they have no power of contributing. The
aggregate number of horses is greater than
would be required, if the estates were distri-
buted into moderately-sized farms ; whilst the
want of farming buildings, beside other disad-
vantages, prevents the accumulation of manure.

The laborers, with few exceptions, are all
married. The farmers have no hired servants,
of either sex, residing in their dwellings ; this
is another serious evil arising out of small farms.
Ireland, which in extent is nearly equal to one-
half of Great Britain, does not probably em-
ploy one-tenth of the agricultural servants.

The buildings on every farm, being erected at
the expense of the tenant, are necessarily on
the most limited scale, seldom more than a
cabin, and this insufficient for the shelter of
the family beyond their earliest days. As the
children grow up, they are compelled to seek
another establishment for themselves, and to
hazard every consequence that may ensue.
Alternative they have none. Such is the ruin-
ous effects of small tenements, as far as they
regard the individual occupiers. The interests
of all parties suffer, and it would be for the
advantage of the whole community to promote

Great Rents induced by Competition. 41

a radical reform of the present disreputable
system. Hut how this is to be effected, as I
have before observed, is the question ?

To the proprietors of lands under long leases
no temptation for any change can be offered.
An increased rent could not be had on the
consolidation of several small farms, while the
expenditure in buildings, even if that could be
insured, would be inconveniently borne, and
would be fatal to any idea of such an alteration.

• ' •**

The superior freshness and fertility of the
soil enables the husbandmen in Ireland to ob-
tain crops, with perhaps one-third of the manure
which is required in Great Britain ; were this
not the case, the country must long ago have
been excessively deteriorated. The richness
of the surface resists all the efforts of man to
sterilize it ; for, however just may be the cen-
sure of want of exertion on other occasions, I
must give the Irish credit for being very per-
severing in their endeavours for this purpose.

When a farm becomes vacant, the smallness
of the capital required lor its occupation con-
tributes to the competition for it, and enhances
the rent beyond all prudent calculation. The
high prices of grain, with the privations to

42 Inexhaustible Fertility of Soil.

which the farming community restrict them-
selves, have enabled them, though not without
difficulty, to pay their extravagant rents ; but I
cannot, without the most painful sensations,
anticipate the consequences which must attend
these poor creatures on corn falling to a fair
level price ; and, as this may reasonably be ex-
pected, the distress in every part of Ireland
will then be inconceivable.

Happy would it be if the landed proprietors
could be persuaded of the numerous evils which
arise out of this minute subdivision of land.
A view of the present misery, and the sad assur-
ance of its daily increase, damps the pleasur-
able prospects, which otherwise would be
afforded from a survey of the inexhaustible
fertility of this glorious country. The spirit of
agricultural improvement which, in converting
barren wastes to fruitful districts, has so largely
benefited the empire, can operate but partially
in favor of Ireland. The whole system is
radically wrong ; the hope of its change for the
better, remote. A failure in the potatoe crop,
which Heaven avert ! would nearly absorb the
whole resources of the country to subsist its
population 5 which, at the best of times, is
burthensome, but by such a casualty may be-
come destructive.
5

Tithes a grievous Tax. 43

Tithes also are a grievous tax on the small
farmer, two-thirds of whose lands are generally
under grain. In a farm of four hundred acres,
about one hundred and fifty may be supposed
liable to corn tithes ; in small farms, the aggre-
gate number of acres of which being the same,
two hundred and sixty, or probably more,
would be found subject to the like claim.

It is quite melancholy to dilate on such a
system, but more so to witness its operations,
without being able to suggest any practical
means for alleviating the misery of so many
millions of our fellow creatures. Adieu.

J. C. C.

...

44

LETTER XXXIX.

Waterford, Sept. 16, 1813.

'

?VE were ready with the first dawn of day
to quit Dungarvon, where neither rest nor
refreshment was to be obtained. Though not
much disposed to be in humour with the town,
the harbour had claims on our attention.
It is very spacious, and apparently very con-
venient for trade. Land near the borough lets
for five pounds, that in the vale for three pounds
per acre. The tithes of some of the parishes
through which we passed were divided between
ecclesiastic and lay impropriators.

At the distance of about five miles from
Dungarvon we left the vale, and ascended a
ridge of hills of considerable height, which we
crossed. The whole country, through which
our road lay for above twenty miles, was hilly ;
the soil but indifferent, and the cultivation of
it worse. The population is not so redundant,
yet the cottages are as poor as in most parts of
Ireland. We stopped to breakfast at a half-way

Approach to Waterford. 4-S

house, a small inn, where the landlord was
considered a great farmer, occupying above
one hundred acres, at a rent of forty shillings
per acre ; twelve shillings per acre is the tithe
composition for wheat and potatoes ; nine for
barley and meadow, and six for oats. No
fences, except with mounds, are here to be
icen, and scarcely a tree. When within a mile
of \Vaterford the land improves ; near the city
are a number of good houses, bespeaking the
wealth and consequence of the place we were
approaching. King William is reported to have
said, when he first got sight of Waterford, that
it was a country well worth fighting for. Water-
ford is built along the west bank of the Suir, —
a most noble stream. Close to its banks, the
ground rises on both sides, leaving but a small
space of flat ground along the river. In the
old part of the town, the streets are steep and
narrow ; the quay is very spacious, and exceeds a
mile in length ; — the houses are good, and at
its extremity is a very handsome modern street,
in which are situated the Bishop's palace and the
cathedral. The quay called to my recollection
the Garonne at Bourdeaux, though undoubtedly
less magnificent ; yet is it highly sufficient, and
so commodious that ships of considerable
burden lie afloat at all times within a short
distance of it. An extensive range of ware-

6

46 Trade and Opulence of Waterford.

houses has recently been built on land, which
sold for this purpose after the rate of eight
hundred pounds an acre ; the ground rent for a
tolerably good house on the quay, amounts
yearly to forty pounds, and lands near the town
let for eight pounds an acre. The merchants
have lately erected a very handsome exchange
and coffee room, where strangers are admitted
and received in the most liberal manner. The
cathedral is a large building, but its exterior
has a mean appearance ; the palace, however, is
a handsome and commodious edifice.

Waterford, as a commercial place, has an ap-
pearance of opulence, superior to any of the
sea-ports we have visited. The breweries and
distilleries are extensively employed ; the
slaughtering trade has greatly increased of late
years ; seventy-five thousand pigs have been
exported to England in one year, to be there
cured and dried. The agricultural produce
alone, exported from Waterford, yearly amounts
to three millions sterling; in 1776, Mr. A.
Young states that fifty thousand casks of butter,
containing a hundred weight each, were then
sent from this port; at present that number is
nearly doubled. The American and Newfound-
land trades have been also considerable, and,
in the event of peace, would probably revive.

Bad State of the Pavement. 4?

I was suprised to hear of the distance whence
the Irish pigs are driven to Waterford ; their
length of leg in this case is advantageous ; and
it is possible, that, on this account, they may
answer better than those breeds with shorter
legs, and a greater disposition to become fat ;
but which would, probably, be incapable of
performing such journeys. The Suir is navi-
gable to Carrick. Through a great part of the
town, the pavement is extremely bad, owing,
as we understood, to an existing dispute with
the coporation ; but as that has now terminated
in an allowance of twelve hundred pounds per
annum from the corporate body, it is presumed
that, with the addition of eight hundred a year
which the sweepings of the streets are estimated
to yield, the pavement, in the course of a few
years, may be completed.

Our plan was to have gone through Wexford
and Wicklow ; but the very unfavorable reports
of the roads deterred us ; and we were deprived
of the gratification of seeing a most romantic and
picturesque country, as well as some of the best
tanning in Ireland.

Hitherto we have travelled along the sea
coast; we shall now take our leave of the
shore, and have an opportunity of seeing some-

48 Anxiety to reach Dublin.

thing of the interior, where I am apprehensive
every thing will be found in a worse state. We
breakfasted with Mr. Peat: the coal trade
makes a constant intercourse between this place
and Cumberland.

Sir John Newport was from home ; his ab-
sence I much regretted, as no man has a more
extensive knowledge of the political situation
of Ireland, or is more zealously attached to its
interests ; and few have rendered the country
such important services. The beneficial mea-
sure, which allowed a free intercourse of grain,
he very ably promoted.

We are most anxious to reach Dublin, where
we fondly anticipate receiving tidings from
England. In the last six weeks, we have been
so fortunate as to have had but one thorough
day of rain ; and we have now travelled eight
hundred and thirty miles j the narrative of
which may not perhaps have been much less
fatiguing to you, than the journey has been to
yours, ever, &c. Adieu.

J. C. C.

LETTER XL.

Kilkenny, Sept. 18, 1813.

1 HE beauty of its situation, together with
the bustle and active exertions diplayed at
Waterford, impressed us highly in its favor. The
national union has proved very beneficial to its
commerce, which has greatly increased of late
years. Unquestionably a participation in the
general trade of England, must eventually
contribute greatly to the prosperity of Ireland.

•

The difficulty and delay of ferrying over*
deterred us from crossing the Suir, though, by
so doing, we should have saved six miles in our
journey to the Royal Oak. The wooden bridge
of Waterford is little inferior to that at Derry.
Much of the country to Knocktopher is very
poor, and but thinly inhabited. At a small
village, about a mile from Knocktopher, we
observed, in the church-yard, a rookery, which
was the first we had seen in Ireland ; elsewhere
it might have proved a nuisance j here, most
probably, it little interfered with the devotions
of the parishioner*.

VOL. II. F.

5O Cloth Manufactories.

Sir Henry Langrishe has a fine seat at Knock-
topher ; among his farming improvements I had
the pleasure to see a small irrigated meadow of
florin. We had now come twenty miles, and it
was with difficulty we could procure a bait for
our horses, which was a serious consideration,
as we had yet ten miles to Kilkenny.

Sir John Flood's noble and extensive place is
within two miles of Knocktopher. The farming,
as far as we could judge from the quantity of
land under green crops, seemed to be well
conducted ; and as the general soil of the
country is of good staple, a farmer possessing
capital makes such ground productive. The
contrast between the farm under the direction
of Sir John Flood and those which surround it,
is conclusive evidence of the necessity of a due
application of capital. Lime here seems to be
abundantly used, and is burnt with Kilkenny
coal.

We observed several mills on the different
streams of water. The fabrication of cloth is
pretty extensive, and the people had the ap-
pearance of being well employed. The coal
of the country, though emitting an offensive
smell, is drawn to a great distance, and much
of it is consumed in the lime-kilns.
l

Kilkenny. 3 1

About seven miles before we reached Kil-
kenny we had a prodigious fine view of the
extensive plain in which it is situated ; the
country is rich, tolerably well wooded, and
abounds \\ith gentlemen's seats. As we ap-
proached the town, we found the land well
inclosed, and the fences admirable. We had to
regret the day so soon closed in. I should,
however, do injustice to the exertions of one
gentleman, were I to pass unnoticed his castel-
lated mansion. When the appearance of a
country suffers no deformity by the operations
of individuals, every One is pririleged to exercise
his own taste for its decoration.

The Irish town, or suburbs, as we should call
them, are large, dirty, and comfortless, and, like
most other approaches to the larger towns in Ire-
kind, exhibited much wretchedness. We found
great bustle in the street, and every other in-
dication of a populous place. The inn is not
to be complained of; but the noxious fumes
from the fires are intoleraby offensive. Kil-
kenny coal has long been celebrated as forming
one of the wonders of Ireland, in its producing
fire without smoke ; which "has long ceased to
be a wonder in South Wales, whence the stone
coal for drying malt w procured ; it is a coal of
very similar quality to that found at Kilkenny,

£ 2

52 Noxious Fumes of Kilkenny Coal.

and is applied in the same manner, and to the
like purposes. Smoke from all matters in com-
bustion is more or less offensive j but it is not to
be compared to the oppressive influence of the
sulphureous odor which poisons the air of this
neighbourhood, and communicates its effluvia
to all food with which it is dressed.

When once ignited, it burns bright and in-
tensely for a number of hours without any
perceptible smoke ; but, like the stone coal, it
requires wood or charcoal, and is troublesome
to light. The large coal alone is in use for
domestic purposes; the small, like that in Wales,
is applied to the purpose of burning lime. The
price is fifty shillings the ton : I wished to have
seen the mines, but finding they were five miles
out of our road, and that a survey of them
would cost us a dozen hours, I did not think
them worth that sacrifice.

This has been a very fatiguing day. I shall
conclude before we start to morrow.

September 19.

The atmosphere of every part of the house
was so saturated with the fumes from the coal,
that I felt greatly oppressed, nor could much
relief be obtained by opening the windows,

People ill dressed and noisy. SB

as the external air was equally offensive ; on
this account a residence in Kilkenny can by no
means be desirable.

On a cursory inspection of the town, this
morning, we saw two or three good streets ; at
the extremity of one the Earl of Ormond has
a noble palace. The cathedral stands on an
eminence, and is in a tolerably good style of
architecture. The part of it which claims
most attention is the round tower, which is a
very lofty and imposing feature. A consider-
able manufactory of coarse woollens is esta-
blished here, and blankets are also manu-
factured of extraordinary lightness, and fine-
ness of quality.

It being Sunday, the crowds of all ranks
seen in the streets on their way to mass afforded
a sample of the population, which is estimated
at twenty thousand souls. The common people
were observed to be ill dressed, very noisy,
and many of them inebriated. We had not
seen so much disorder any where but at Galway.

The situation of the inhabitants on the coast,
I have no doubt, is superior to that of the in-
terior ; for though the general state of trade is
not flourishing, still it creates some degree of'acti-

4

54 Departure for Royal Oak.

vity, and furnishes employment to many who
would otherwise be idle. We are now setting
out for the Royal Oak, where we purpose to
breakfast, and I mean there to employ my
Sunday morning in discussing a question of
vital importance ; namely, tjje state of religious
parties in Ireland. Adieu.

J. C. C.

.

LETTER XLI.

Royal Oak, Sept. 19, 1813.

AN compliance with the promise I made in my
last from Kilkenny, I sit down to a task of not
less difficulty than delicacy.

Truth is the primary object in all investiga-
tions, but pre-eminently so in matters relative to
different religious persuasions. To arrive at the
truth, every precaution should be taken, that
the passions do not influence the understanding,
or warp the judgment: in the ordinary con-
cerns of life, this on all occasions is deemed in-
dispensable, and admitted to be just : how
greatly then is it to be deplored that in the
discussion of a subject, where a more than usual
share of temper, moderation, and forbearance,
is required, we find these virtuous qualities least
in practice, even by those eminently distin-
guished for liberality, wisdom, and piety. We
are always disinclined to avow our private sen-
timents in the examination of controverted
points, lest out opinions should prove to be ge-

56 Catholic Emancipation.

nerally unesteeraed, or unacceptable to those
whom we respect.

Conciliation and mutual concession, in ages
past, would have spared mankind torrents of
tears, and oceans of blood ; independently of
their having in the mean time been deprived of
the full benefit of the Christian dispensation.

The least alteration of the telescope from its
true focus, destroys all its powers ; distant ob-
jects, instead of becoming more perceptible, are
rendered obscure — frequently diminished, and
often perverted. If the principle of human in-
telligence be likened to this instrument, shall
the focus of its perceptions be treated with less
respect ? or, shall the natural or acquired pre-
dispositions and biases of the human heart be
considered as less entitled to the care and at-
tention of those skilled in the optics of religion,
and in the best practices of morality ?

.
On the greatquestion of catholic emancipation,

J should glory ill conferring with a mind compe-
tent to its full investigation, dispassionate, and
free from all polemical prejudices and political
predeterminations. To such a person I should
not feel ashamed to acknowledge, that it is the

Influence of Religious Persuasions. 57

apprehension of these influences on my intellect,
which have hitherto deterred me from entering
on the subject. This concession I would gladly
make in the hope of imbibing the opinions of
one so liberally and effectually endowed. But
as I know not where this prodigy is to be found,
I must continue to doubt the impressions on
my own mind, and distrust the competence and
candour of others.

*

The influence of religion on national cha-
racter is so powerful, that a very slight ac-
quaintance with the History of Ireland is suf-
ficient to show, how great a proportion of the
miseries, which have afflicted this country for
the last two hundred years, have had their
origin in the religious persuasions of the peo-
ple ; whose utter ignorance has been practised
on by unworthy members of their church, till
persecution and oppression have engendered
the most direful passions, and given birth to
crimes and enormities without number. Cha-
rity, which ought to be the rule of conduct in
both parties, is exercised very feebly by either —
hence the protestant and catholic are equally
prone to credit all those existing calumnies
against each other, which wickedness or folly may
be disposed to invent and propagate. The es-
tablished church, supported as it is by govern-

58 Catholics Seven to One to Protestants.

ment, trembles for her existence, while the
catholics are kept under a constant dread of
extirpation. The smallest spark, at ail times,
may be apprehended as sufficient to produce
an explosion. The nation, says Mr. Burke,
" is at present divided into two almost distinct
bodies, -with little common interest, sympathy,
or connexion — one of these possesses all the
franchises — all the property — 'all the education.
The other is composed of drawers of water and
cutters of turf for them. Ought we to be as-
tonished that when they are reduced to a mob,
if they happen to act at all, they will act
exactly like a mob j without temper, measure,
or foresight?" This description, than which
nothing could be more correct at the time,
would have suited any period equally well, in
the one hundred and fifty preceding years.

Can it be matter of surprise that the ca-
tholics, who are perhaps nearly seven to one
when compared with the members of the es-
tablished church, should consider themselves
unjustly and hardly treated, whilst a vestige of
their former state of bondage is remaining?
Every concession which they have received is in
their estimation a recognition of wrong, and a
ground for their demand of perfect emancipa-
tion. Every measure yielded by government

Their Ignorance, a Reproach to Britain. 59

is by them declared to have been extorted and
granted piece-meal ; while every legislative step
has evinced a want of wisdom, and compelled the
admission of others — a conduct that, it is fond-
ly hoped, must ultimately procure for them that
relief, which substantial justice and sound policy
ought to have secured to the country long ago.

In some instances the very favours granted
the catholics are considered as sources of ag-
gravation, if not of insult — emblazoned badges
of slavery ! In conferring the elective franchise
they have been denied the exercise of a free
choice, the proudest prerogative of English-
men ; and compelled to feel, in the discharge
of the granted privilege, their own inferiority.
What a reproach to Great Britain, that one of
her most valuable provinces, and in her im-
mediate vicinity, should have remained for such
a number of years in so perfect a state of ignor-
ance, wretchedness, and misery !

As a sample of the extreme bigotry and
ignorance of the times, Leland informs us, that
an Irish Bishop was celebrated for the com-
position of a hymn, in barbarous Latin rhyme, in
praise of St. Macartin, whilst his brethren in
other countries were engaged in discussions on
the most important points of religion. When

60 The Reformation.

Rome herself had confessed with shame the
follies and enormities which had disgraced her
communion, her votaries in Ireland depended,
in their dying hour, on being wrapped in the
cowl of St. Francis for their salvation.

A knowledge of the Gospel had opened the
eyes of the people in England to the excesses
and abuses of the church of Rome, and pre-
pared their minds for a reform in their religious
tenets and observances. Foul as was the ele-
vated source whence the reformation sprung,
the current became purified as it descended
among the people, and was soon received and
accepted by the nation, as a stream that would
fertilize the human mind, and, in the King's
assumption of supremacy, extinguish the ful-
minating bulls of papal tyranny. At this time,
it was by no means difficult to persuade a sub-
missive parliament, that whatever laws might be
required of them it was their implicit duty to
enact : yet did the papal power in Ireland con-
tinue unimpeached, the laws considered as little
more than a dead letter, and the whole con-
tumaciously rejected, notwithstanding the de-
clared supremacy of Henry the Eighth.

Ignorance in Ireland, at this period, seems to
nave been regarded in England as a physical

Church Stroke to be rendered into Irish. 61

disability, impossible to be overcome, or as an
indigenous weed incapable of extermination ;
for neither attention nor solicitude appears to
have actuated the rulers in taking measures for
the people's instruction. In the year 1552 there
is a remonstrance made with great feeling by
an Irish Chancellor to the Lords justices of
Ireland. " Hard is it," says he, " that men
should know their duties to God and the King,
when they shall not have teaching or preaching
through the year. Teaching we have none,
which is our ill luck — without which the ignor-
ant can have no knowledge." What a repul-
sive picture is here presented of the then state
of the country. — And how far is it dissimilar
from the truth, in the present day ?

Elizabeth was strongly urged by that virtuous
and able statesman Sir Henry Sidney, to con-
sent to the church service being rendered into
Irish, and qualified persons sent to preach in a
language which the people could comprehend.
Deeply is it to be lamented, that measures
fraught equally with wisdom and humanity
should have been so totally disregarded. The
principles on which government acted are not
left to conjecture ; yet, if they were not on
record, it would scarce be credible that an en-
lightened nation could have been so influenced

62 Mistaken Policy oj Queen Elizabeth.

by the barbarous policy of those days, and con-
tinued with little exception, as a rule of con-
duct towards Ireland, until modern times.

To impoverish and stultify a nation for the
express purpose of securing their allegiance,
might be consistent with the political doctrines
of a Dey of Algiers, but are highly at variance
and repugnant to British feelings.

The true source of all the vexations ex.
perieneed by Queen Elizabeth from Ireland,
was in her mistaken policy. Had she adopted
a contrary conduct, and promoted the civiliza-
tion of the people, and the general interests of
the country, it would have saved the blood and
treasure of her English subjects, rescued Ireland
from infinite misery, and her reign from per-
petual reproach.

The perfection of the system of disabilities
was, however, reserved for the reign of Queen
Anne. Mr. Burke, in his letter to Sir H. Lan-
grishe, to which I have before referred, gives an
admirable description of them. " You abhorred
it, as I did, for its vicious perfection ; for I must
do it justice, it was a complete system — full of
coherence and consistency — well digested, and
well composed in all its parts — it was a machine

Disabilities to tohick the Irish were subject. 63

of wise and elaborate Contrivance, and as well
fitted for the oppression, impoverishment,and de-
gradation of a people, and debasement of them,
and of human nature itself, a.s ever proceeded
from the perverted ingenuity of man." Such
is the strong and faithful rq)i*esentation given
by this great statesman, of the severities and
the effect of them, as exercised under the spe-
cious pretence of a regard for religion. A
recital of some few disabilities, to which the
catholics were made subject, will prove this
picture was not too highly drawn. It was en-
acted in this code, that, the elder son of a ca-
tholic remaining a catholic, the younger pro-
fessing himself a protestant in his father's life-
time should inherit the estate. Thus at one
blow was the domestic security and confidence
of two parts out of three of the whole nation
destroyed. — The catholics were prohibited from
residing in towns, and the distrust of them
proclaimed, by withholding from them the right
of possessing arms.

Though persecution should appear to be
sanctioned by the most specious pretences or
imposing authority, nothing can be more odi-
ous ; and in no shape can it assail mankind so
cruelly, as when it proceeds to restrain edu-
cation, and condemn the people to ignorance,

6* Priests duly educated and compensated.

as was the case in Ireland, without furthering
the cause of protestantism.

If emancipation be a question of political
influence only, connected with the ambition of
a few individuals, and unimportant to the great
bulk of the people, it is truly insignificant — but,
can any measures be considered as of trivial
consequence to the happiness of a people, which,
in its concession, would allay the heart burn-
ings, and feverish disgusts of a whole nation —
that would restore unanimity and order, where
enmity and turbulence destroy private security
and public confidence? Can a restoration of
the full enjoyment of civil rights to seven
tenths of the people, be a matter of no serious
moment ? Is a participation in the employ-
ments and protection of the government of no
consequence ? Jealousy, distrust, and hatred,
are the necessary consequences of religious per-
secutions. Intolerance has to answer for the
bigotry and ignorance, which so long has in-
flicted misery on Ireland. Were the priests
well educated themselves, and liberally com-
pensated for instructing the people, over whose
minds they possess so much influence, most of
the objections which at present apply to their
religious ceremonials would cease to exist. The
miserable pittance of their pastors, mean as it

Bettfr Provision for Catholic Priests. 65

is, depends on the abject thraldom in which
these shepherds are enabled to keep their re-
spective flocks : hence a desire on their parts to
enlighten those on whose ignorance they rely
for their daily subsistence, would be expecting
a degree of disinterestedness beyond what is
usually met with in human nature.

A more suitable provision for the catholic
priest would be attended with the most be-
neficial consequences; it would soon render
this sacred office an object to persons of edu-
cation, instead of its being, as at present, con-
fined to those of the lower orders, whose edu-
cation is limited, and whose opportunities of
acquiring that information and knowledge, so
requisite to correct their own prejudices, are
equally contracted.

Doubts have been entertained whether it
would not have been fortunate for Ireland, and
in the end conducive to its happiness and
prosperity, tis well as beneficial to Great Bri-
tain, had Catholicism been permitted to remain
the established persuasion of that country,
where, at present, this community may be con-
sidered as forming so great a majority of the
population ; while the presbyterians amount to
one-tenth, and the other two-tenths persons

VOL. ir. T

66 Want of Moral Restraint too general.

neither papists nor catholics, and who are
therefore reckoned churchmen ; or, on a sup-
position of the aggregate population being six
millions, four of the number would be catholics,
three quarters of a million presbyterians, and a
million and a quarter protestants, methodists,
and other sectaries. Acceding, as I am in-
clined to do, to this opinion, I can hardly think
it possible, had such been the case, that the
country could have been in the extreme state of
ignorance, and consequent misery, under which
it is suffering at this day. Man in a state of
society must b.e made sensible of his indispen-
sable duty to God, before it can be hoped he
will have respect for the institutions of man.
From the want of moral restraint arises a great
portion of the crimes so disgraceful to Ireland.
The complaint made in the year 1 552, " that
there were no preachments to the people,"
might, I believe, be now very faithfully urged ;
for if the towns be excepted, I fear there is but
little time bestowed by the village clergy in the
instruction of their congregations, f

The well-founded complaints of the Irish
afford but too favourable an opportunity of
engrafting on their minds the political opinions
which have so long agitated Europe. The ad-
vantage to be taken of this was too apparent to

Ireland, tke vulnerable Part of the Empire. 67

he overlooked by the tyrant of France; and
had the whole of his powerful efforts been
directed to the shores of this country, it is
doubtful how the contest might have termi-
nated. The weak side of England is on the
Irish coast, and so it must inevitably continue,
until the many causes of complaint, which are
now generally admitted, are taken most se-
riously into the consideration of the British
parliament. These being admitted, however, is
no small acquisition, as it is the previous step
to their redress — God grant that a wise, en-
lightened,and undcviating policy, may heal those
wounds that have been, and are still, so griev-
ously felt by Ireland, and so injurious to the
prosperity and tranquillity of England. Mr.
Burke says, and I think truly, " Our constitution
is not made for great general prescriptive ex-
clusions ; for sooner or later it will destroy them,
or they will destroy it."

Dispersed as the established church is, in
small communities, it is not possible, in our
transient view of the country, to form any ac-
curate judgment: we saw several churches
building, others repairing, and parsonage houses
erecting, in many parishes. The residence of
the . which cannot fail of being attended

with important advantages, is now insisted on

68 Scandalous Traffic in Church Livings.

by the bishops. This will not only stimulate
the protestant to a discharge of his religious
duties, but will remove from the divines of the
established church the reproach of attending to
nothing but their temporal concerns. The
commutation for their tithes will be assessed by
themselves, and much of the oppression, which
is at present exercised, by those to whom this
power is delegated, will be avoided. The placing
of the parochial clergy on a respectable footing,
and the requiring of their residence among their
parishioners, have given general satisfaction, and
reflect great credit on the minister, who was
the proposer of measures so fraught with ad-
vantages to the lower orders of the people.

If common report is to be credited, the most
scandalous traffic in church preferment has
been carried on in this country, not less degrad-
ing to the church, and injurious to the cause of
religion, than it is derogatory to the assumed
pretensions of individuals of the Irish govern-
ment, from which it is to be lamented this
patronage was not wrested at the time of the
union. In England, the selection of fit persons
to fill the first situations in the church, and
execute the first offices of the law, has in few
instances been subjected to animadversion. It
would be a most happy circumstance for Ire-

Increased Value of Church Preferments. 69

land, if occasions for exceptions against such
appointments did not so frequently occur.

I had so little opportunity of noticing the
presbyterians, as a community, that I could
form no opinion of their influence in Ireland; but
from my acquaintance with individuals holding
their tenets elsewhere, I should be disposed to
entertain a favourable opinion of their general
conduct. Methodism has yet made but little
progress among the Irish j and wishing well, as
I sincerely do, to so brave, so generous, and
affectionate a people, I cannot but rejoice that
this sect has had so little of success. The
value of church livings is greatly increased since
the year 18O6, when a free trade in grain was
permitted. Whether, after the demise of the pre-
sent incumbents, the parishes in which the
livings are most lucrative might not be divided,
or their incomes applied to other purposes con-
ducive to the general interests of religion, is a
question well deserving the serious consideration
of Government. Pardon this long discussion —
and believe me ever yours. Adieu.

J. C. C.

70

LETTER XLIL

Castle Dermont, Sept. 19, 1813.

ON quitting Kilkenny, we were much pleased
with the general aspect of the country, the soil
of which is fertile, and the cultivation of it very
tolerable. The town stands partly on an emi-
nence, the shore is a grand river, and its banks
are rich. Ground near the town lets at the ex-
travagant rate of from four to six pounds per acre.
New milk is sold in summer at two-pence, in.
winter at three-pence a quart j which is as high
as in most towns in England. Laborers' wages,
during the time of harvest, are twenty -pence a
day -9 at other times, wider a shilling.

At Kilkenny we experienced, for the first
time, incivility. On inquiring our way to the
cathedral, we were directed to an opposite
quarter of the town ; and, though the reply to
our question was made in the hearing of num-
bers of bystanders, not one of them had either
the good humour or good manners to correct

Inclosurei, Agriculture, and Cabins. 7 1

the false informatiou. I record it, not as matter
that gave us umbrage, but as the reverse of
conduct we had every where else received.

In the course of our drive to the Royal Oak,
which is ten miles from Kilkenny, we passed
numbers of people on their road to mass, and
were much pleased to observe that the demean-
our and dress of these parties were greatly su-
perior to those we had seen in the morning.
The iuclosures are large ; and, from the ap-
pearance of the buildings, I should be led to
infer the size of the farms was in proportion
to that of die fields. Fallowing seems to be car-
ried to a considerable extent on the soil which
is clay. The pernicious custom of cropping
incessantly with grain, and of forcing with lime,
was, however, apparent. We noticed a field of
Egyptian wheat : it had been sown too late, and
was still greeu. To give this wheat a fair chance
of success, it should be raised on a sharp gravelly
soil, and in a warm and sheltered situation.
Potatoes were almost all set in lazy beds ; we
scarcely saw an instance of their being drilled ;
a pretty strong proof that little attention is paid
to the agriculture of the district The cabins
appeared to be less comfortless, which always
afforded us pleasure. Place man in that state
in which, as a rational creature, he ought to be,

72 Exuberant Fertility of Ireland.

and Ireland would be the delight of all be-
holders.

For two or three miles before we reached the
Royal Oak, we had on our right a great range
of meadows extending to the river. We were
surprised to see the grass on some of them un-
cut— the want of fodder had compelled the oc-
cupiers to depasture the meadows so late that
they had not yet been able to mow. If an
argument in favour of cultivating green crops
could by possibility be wanting, this fact would
furnish one that must be admitted as conclusive.
To succeed in the growth of green crops, the
farmer here must be able to create a supply of
manure beyond what is required for his po-
tatoes. The knowledge, that, by the ashes ob-
tained from burning the surface, turnips may be
produced, does not appear to have reached this
quarter ; or if it be arrived, it is unpractised.
The exuberant fertility of the soil in Ireland
enables the husbandman to proceed in a man-
ner, which, if pursued in England, would long
ago have made that garden a desert. A cen-
tury ago Swift complained of the ruinous cus-
tom of over cropping ; in later times, it has
been carried to an extent far exceeding the
practice of his days ; and, though still persisted
in, there is no deficiency of produce.

Portable Threshing Machine. Mail Coach. 7S

The Koval Oak is a small village, not ge-
nc'iully appearing in the maps, with a very
clean neat inn, the master of which has a farm
of some extent. In his farm-shed was a port-
able threshing machine, by means of which
much of his crops had already been threshed
out j but the straw was so neglected as to prove
of how little value it was in his estimation. In
those parts where the worth of manure is ac-
curately understood, even the loss of straw re-
quisite for thatching is a consideration of in-
finite regret.

Ploughing is better performed in this district
than in most we have seen ; and though I can-
not compliment, I must acknowledge to have
seen a considerable improvement in the hus-
bandry of this part of the country ; but not an
acre of green crop have we beheld since those
we noticed of Sir H. Flood's. We passed several
gentlemen's seats ; land lets from three to five
pounds the customary acre, about forty-five shil-
lings the statute acre, exclusive of the tithes.
How few districts are there in England where
the rents are so high !

Whilst at breakfast, a mail-coach stopped to
change horses : the apparent neatness and good
style of these vehicles are most creditable;

74 Large Catholic Congregations.

equal, if not superior, to the English mails, and
forming a most excellent pattern for the cor-
rection of the Irish posting business.

Two miles from the Royal Oak, we crossed
the river Barrow at Leighlin bridge. The town
contains one very long street, with two catholic
chapels, nearly adjoining each other. The con-
gregations were dispersing as we arrived : the
street and road were filled for above a mile, and
their numbers we could not estimate at less
than three thousand persons. From the various
directions the people took, we supposed they
had assembled from the neighbouring villages :
their dress and manners were extremely decent.
Contrary to the usual custom, the women wore
beaver hats. The general usage of exposing
the face, besides destroying the complexion,
compels a contraction of the brow, which gives
an unpleasant expression to the female coun-
tenance. It is certainly extraordinary, but it
is not less true, that beauty in the sex is as much
prized, and as little taken care of, in Ireland, as
in any country in the civilized world.

Near the bridge at Leighlin is a spa of some
celebrity : the spot is shaded, and greatly or-
namented by some very fine ash trees. We
found here a market holding for laborers: it

Drets of the Laborers. 75

iruences as soon ts the service in the chapel
is over. The men had with them their lays.

appear to be an ill-adapted implement
lor taking up potatoes.

It is difficult to conjecture where the Irish
have borrowed their present dress : the pride of
manhood, and the liope of youth, is the trusty —
resembling a box-coat. This is the first object
of their ambition ; and though cumbersome,
unwieldly, and an impediment to every exertion,
it is with difliculty they are persuaded to lay it
aside; for with their own inclination the men
would always work in it, regardless of its weight
and incumbrance ; this covers a waistcoat or
jacket with sleeves ; and be the wearer ever so
stout or athletic, he is lost in the size of his
trusty.

The present style of dress is so different from
that which Spencer is at so much pains to re-
probate, that it excites a desire to trace how
such a preposterous habit should have become
so generally adopted.

Moryson observes, " I cannot deny that (the

mantle) was anciently common in north coun-

tries, and got disused and laid away. But in

the latter ages of the world, since the decay of

6

76 Beautiful Scenery near Carlow.

the Roman empire, it was renewed and brought
again by those northern nations, when, breaking
out of their cold caves and frozen habitations
into the sweet soyle of Europe, they brought
with them their usual weedes for to shield the
cold of that country at first, in which they had
at home been inured, the which they left not
off, by reason they were in perpetual warres ;
coming lastly into Ireland, they found the more
special use thereof, by reason of the cold snowe
climate, from whence it is now grown into
general use in which that people now have it ;
after whom the Guals succeeding, yet finding
the like necessity of that garment, continued the
like use thereof."

From Leighlin bridge to Carlow is six miles :
beautiful as the vale of Dungarvon confessedly
is, the enchantments of this scenery far exceed
it. The prospect is not only more extensive,
but the country is richer, the objects more pic-
turesque, and the features more sublime. The
valley is about six miles broad, bounded on each
side by a chain of mountains finely wooded, well
enclosed, and cultivated to their summits. We
saw a number of villages and gentlemen's seats ;
and, what were still more pleasurable objects,
the cottages were white-washed, and mostly shel-
tered by trees, which imparted to them an air of

Remarkably early Harvest in Ireland. 77

rural comfort and neighbourhood seldom to be
met with in Ireland. Carlow is a neat town, of
considerable extent, and charmingly situated,
forming a conspicuous feature in the landscape.

In the course of our drive, we met a number
of people returning from harvest work in the
Queen's County and Kildare. So early a har-
vest is scarcely to be remembered. In the Lo-
thians last year I saw barley uncut on the 14th
October, and at Long Town several days later.
Close to Carlow, on either side of the turnpike
road, are two spacious gentlemen's seats oppo-
site to each other. Here the country assumes a
perfectly new character, and becomes a flat unin-
teresting plain of considerable extent, with a soil
that justifies the inference of its being reclaimed
bog. The loveliness of the country from Leighlin
bridge to Carlow is a complete contrast to the
dreary surface which continues for five miles to
Castle Dermot ; a place that in former times
was a station of great importance, and the
residence of the Dermot family, who held a
rank among the petty sovereigns of Ireland.
The ruins of monasteries, and of other religious
edifices, indicate its former population and con-
sequence ; besides which, it was considered as a
place of considerable military strength ; but, in

7S Comfortless Fare at Castle Dcrmof.

the mutability of human affairs, Castle Permot
has lost all pretensions to the name of town, and
can now only be described as a poor village.

The agreeable appearance of two post-chaises
at the inn door, as we approached it, encouraged
the hope of at least comfortable accommoda-
tions j but our disappointments in these parti-
culars have been so frequent, that we have
learned to laugh, and bear them patiently. It
was fortuna/te, on the present occasion, that we
were in possession of this disposition of mind ;
we had no alternative, and no hope, but that
of reaching Dublin in good time the next
day, to reconcile us to our comfortless fare.

The rooms in the lower part of the house
were engaged by parties in attendance on the
Proctor to agree for his tithes ; a few of the
most substantial farmers were permitted to
associate with the great man ; from whom, as
we afterwards learned, no Turkish Bashaw
could have exacted greater deference.

The inferior occupiers leisurely waited
until it suited the pleasure or convenience of
this important person to grant them an audi-
ence. We understood the parties had been

Rest disturbed by Tithe Proctor. 79

assembled, and lor the second time, some hours
lu'iore our arrival. On the preceding Sunday
they had been convened for the like purpose, but
had parted without coining to any arrangement.

The larder, as might be expected, from such
a concourse of people, was quite exhausted ;
but where good bread, butter, and fresh eggs,
not easily spoiled in cooking, can be procured,
I have no pity for those who should be disposed
to quarrel with such viands.

Want of comfort on retiring to rest has all
along been the most unbearable privation. I
do not murmur at linen being coarse ; but habit,
and the prejudice of education, have taught me,
I confess, to like it clean. I am also not par-
ticularly scrupulous in having a bed-room that
should, in point of size, contain not less than
a certain number of square feet ; but I acknow-
ledge my regret, when such an apartment
happens to be destitute of a chimney, or haa
a window that will not open! The luxury of
ventilation we have constantly found in Ireland
to be an unknown gratification.

Our intention being to start at five, we were
disposed to retire early ; but our heads had
scarcely reached their pillows before we di*-

80 Tyranny and Rapacity of Tithe Proctors.

covered we had little chance for sleep. The
Proctor and his party were in a large room
beneath those in which were our beds. As the
liquor began to elevate the spirits of the tenantry,
their obsequiousness appeared to subside. An
overbearing conduct, exceeding all bounds, on
the part of the Proctor, was too loudly pro-
claimed to be mistaken, or pass without our
disgust and anger at being thus interrupted, and
compelled to be unwilling auditors of their
noisy vociferations.

I had often heard of the tyranny of tithe
proctors, but had never before had any demon-
stration of it. The protracted silence of the
Proctor on the immediate object of the meet-
ing had seemed at length to exhaust the
patience of the company. One of them civilly
inquired on what terms he and his neighbours
might expect to have their tithes ? After great
hesitation, at last, the Proctor, on naming his
price, was informed that the demands were
greater than would be required by the neigh-
bouring gentlemen. This observation wounded
his pride ; and on his observing that such per-
sons were only nominally proprietors, and that
the proctors were the real holders of the land,
his opponent made a reply, which so enraged
him, that he changed his ground from the
1

Conclusion of the Proctor's Meeting. 81

collection of tithes, to charges of rebellion,
and a reference to manual arguments, which
might have been attended with serious effects
to the combatants, had not the females of the
house interfered and hurried the poor fellow
away. Peace was no sooner restored, than the
champion of their rights was forgotten by his
neigbours, in their adulatory complaisance to
the Proctor ; who now became " determined
not to treat for the tithes," and proudly called
for the bill, which " after such usage he would
pay himself j" but after much abject submission
and entreaty, the parties- at length were not
only indulged with the discharge of it, but with
an appointment for a third congress, on the
following Sunday. The inferior holders, in the
other parts of the house, who had been waiting
all the afternoon, were now ushered into the
presence of the Proctor ; but on his discovering
it to be nearly two o'clock in the morning,
there was no alternative but to adjourn, in the
hope of the next being a more fortunate
meeting.

Much as we had heard of the tyranny of
proctors and middle men in Ireland, the unfeel-
ing domination at this meeting exceeded in
violence what 1 could have imagined. Admitting
the circumstances to form an extreme case,

VOL. n. o

82 Real Characters of Proctors not known.

which is greatly to be doubted, it is time such
oppressive conduct should be corrected : neces-
sarily it must create general aversion and dis-
content. The sacrifice of time and money was
a grievous hardship on the small farmers, who,
after all, would have to pay exorbitantly and to
the utmost farthing !

I could not help wishing that my place, by
some fortunate event, had been occupied by
the Duke of Leinster, or some other great Irish
proprietor ; that an opportunity might have
been afforded, to such an elevated character,
of learning in how little estimation the land-
holders are held, by these very men, to whom
they delegate their power and their property :
and also of witnessing the very improper man-
ner in which their humble tenantry are treated
by these overbearing despots, who truckle in
the presence of their superiors, and under the
semblance of humility and moderation conceal
their real characters.

The loss of a night's sleep I do not regret, in
becoming personally certified of the cruelty thus
practised on the poor occupiers by tithe proctors,
which I could not otherwise have credited.
They had now been expensively detained nearly
two days from home, and were to sacrifice a
1

Anticipation of Arrival in Dublin. sr;

third, for the purpose of coming to an agree-
ment which might have been concluded in half
an hour.

Having a short time at my command before
the horses could be ready, I determined to
commit in the abstract, to paper, what I had
heard ; lest in recording the enormities we had
witnessed, I might hereafter suspect my feelings
had misled my recollection ; being well aware
how much reflection would be likely to augment
my indignation and detestation of such tyran-
nical behaviour.

"We have now thirty-eight, little short of fifty
English miles to Dublin j which will be a severe
day's work for our poor horses, after the services
they have already performed. I am prepared
to expect in Dublin such gratifications for the
eye, as may probably be equal, if not superior
to any thing I have ever beheld in any part of
Europe. While we approach the spot where
we fondly expect tidings from home, the an-
xiety for the possession of our letters increases,
as the distance from them becomes reduced.
Ever yours.

J. C. G

G 2

84

LETTER XLIII.

Dublin, Sept. 20, 1813.

CjrREATNESS, whether appearing in the pro-
ductions of nature, or works of art, rarely fails
to excite in the mind sentiments of admiration
proportionate to the magnitude, magnificence,
or extensiveness of the object contemplated.
Who can behold a continuous mass of lofty
mountains hiding their towering heads among
the clouds, or the expansive interminable ocean,
without feelings of the sublimest reverence and
awe ? the former inspiring a just sense of our
own inferiority in the scale of creation; the
latter furnishing the mind with ideas of eternity.
The diversity and combination of interests
mutually and successfully operating on each
other, in the aggregate of a large city, are in-
contestable proofs of the splendid endowments
of man; who can, out of such discordant
materials, produce so much order and harmony.

Dublin unites interior splendor, with many

-facilities for commerce. Sackville street, in

'~>Khihh we were placed, is a very handsome one :

The Optimist an enviable Character. 85

here we found a most comfortable hotel, and,
what was infinitely more gratifying to us, letters
without number. For above a month I had
been without any tidings from Cumberland,
and such was now the luxurious feast, in which 1
became instantaneously absorbed, that no other
idea obtruded until I had perused the whole,
and learned with inexpressible delight that all
at home were well. In the midst of the ex-
tremely diversified objects with which this
enchanting country abounds, I could not so
rivet my thoughts on new and pleasing objects,
as to avoid a frequent recurrence to those of
superior interest I had left behind. Though
ardent in my pursuits, and anxious for their suc-
cessful result, my mind is, unfortunately, so
constructed, that I am more disposed to regard
the dark than the bright side of all human trans-
actions ; and to anticipate ills rather than in-
dulge in hope. The optimist is greatly to be
envied so far as respects his individual happiness,
though I am led to believe he occasionally pays
severely for the felicity produced by his unwise
credulity. The want of regular communica-
tion by letter had been a sad abstraction from
the pleasure of our journey : another time I
shall endeavour to provide against the recur-
ence of a mortification, which has been endured
as a merited punishment for our want of

86 Want of Order in Irish Peasantry.

local knowledge of the country through which
we meditated to travel.

Having answered such letters as required
immediate attention, I recur to my promissed
diary.

Great as has been the gratification of this
tour, a daily review of the various objects for
your amusement has not been that part of it,
which to me is and has been the least pleasur-
able.

Our situation last night was by no means
desirable. By the sacrifice of a night's sleep,
however, I procured some insight, which other-
wise I could not have attained, into the conduct
of a class of men, in which I must include,
with the tithe proctors, the middle men, or
tenants, standing between the owners and cul-
tivators of the soil. Had I not thus accidentally
become a witness to their misconduct, I should
hardly have credited that such unfeeling tyranny
could have been exercised. If such be the
general practice with both these descriptions of
persons, and much I fear it is, it accounts for
much of that want of order in the Irish pea-
santry, which is incomprehensible to those on
your side of the Channel. Can it be matter of

Thar Political and Domettic Condition. 87

wonder that the honest, though irritated, feel-
ings of a laborious people, perpetually smarting
under so coarse a lash of insolent authority,
\\ithout appeal or redress, should cause them
to lose sight of that obedience which is due to
the laws of their country.

I would fain hope that the present desire of
becoming more intimately acquainted with the
general state of Ireland, so prevalent in Eng-
land, will be productive of effects superior to
those confined to the mere gratification of
curiosity. Not only the government of Ireland,
but the nobleman, the gentleman, the rector,
and all who have local interests in its prosperity,
will, through so desirable an investigation, ob-
tain an impartial and correct view of the poli-
tical situation and domestic condition of their
suffering neighbours, and become actively
alive to their hopelessness and despondency ;
for I cannot help repeating, how strongly I am
urged to believe, that a very large portion of the
ills endured in this country have sprung from
a complete ignorance in these parties of the real
causes from which the miseries of their depend-
ants have arisen. The whole arrangement,
from the opulent proprietor of myriads of acres,
down to the cultivating cottier of a few lazy beds,
demands immediate attention and correction ;

88 Relief of Oppressions on the Lower Classes.

it is at present a complete system of delegated
exaction and tyranny, exercised with such an
impunity, as is unknown in any other community
of the British empire, as destructive of public
prosperity and repose, as it is injurious to pri-
vate interests and happiness. What a blessing
would a redress of these oppressions be to the
industrious classes, and how grateful and bene-
ficial would such a reform be to the upper ranks
of society ? Heaven grant it may speedily be
undertaken and effectually concluded.

In starting this morning, we anticipated day-
light, and were joined by a gentleman on horse-
back, going to Dublin ; who had spent the
night in another part of the inn, and had been
an equal sufferer with ourselves.

The country improved as we left Castle
Dermot : the stubbles bespoke very fine crops ;
the surface is much diversified ; and the hedges,
which greatly increase the beauty of the fields
were mostly composed of luxuriant white-thorn.
The road had formerly proceeded in a right
line over the top of every hill that intercepted
its path ; but by judiciously varying the line
these ascents are avoided. In this fifteen mile
stage to Killcullen, an hour and a half will be
saved when the new road is completed.

Ruinous Practices in Ariculture.

From a hill which the road crosses, about
half way to Killcullen, we had a most exten-
sive view of the plain and curragh of Kildare,
and were approached on our right, by the
Wicklow mountains. The soil of this district
is excellent, but little can be offered in favour
of its management ; yet the produce appeared
to be abundant, when the labor and manure
bestowed on it are taken into consideration.
According to our English ideas of farming,
such treatment as lands here receive would
with us soon prove ruinous to the soil, the land-
lord, and the tenant. Many gentlemen's seats
were distinguishable, some of which were
agreeably surrounded with plantations. A
little beyond Timolin is the pleasantly situated
village of Ballytore, celebrated as the spot
where the illustrious Mr. Burke received his
education, under the care of Mr. Shackleton,
an amiable and enlightened quaker.

The admiration, nay, astonishment, with
which I have so often listened to Mr. Burke, gave
an interest to every spot connected with his
memory, and forcibly brought to my recollec-
tion the profundity and extent of his know-
ledge, while the energy, warmth, and beauty
of his imagery, captured the heart, and made
judgment tributary to his will. As an orator,

yo Mr. Burke.

Mr. Burke surpassed all his contemporaries,
and was, perhaps, never exceeded. As a poli-
tician and debater, it is much to be lamented
that his want of temper destroyed the effect of
his brilliant talents ; of which, though splendid
and captivating, this unfortunate influence was
the bane. The redundance of his imagination
led him, by frequently digressing, so wide from
his subject, as to be imperfectly understood,
though he was never otherwise than interesting
and impressive. I had not the pleasure of his
acquaintance until his decline in life ; when,
according to the opinion of those most intimate
with him, his temper had become so very irrita-
ble, that he could bear no sort of opposition on
subjects in which he was interested. I believe
him to have been perfectly sincere in his fears
of all the consequences which he anticipated as
likely to attend the speculative opinions then
pervading various part of Europe ; and that
these apprehensions had arisen in his capacious
mind, previous to the French revolution. Aver-
sion to all popular sway rendered him blind to
every abuse in the various monarchical govern-
ments on the Continent, which had alienated
the affections of their subjects.

Political connexions had early made him the
champion of liberty, and the friend to American

Mr. Bur! 0,1

independence ; but these perhaps were not his
real unbiassed opinions, as I have ever regarded
him to be a whig from interest, though a tory
in principle. In the religious as well as political
tenets, by which his conduct was governed, he
was equally intolerant. This opinion is con-
firmed by circumstances which fell under my
observation in the spring of 179O, when the
Duke of Athol's claims on the Isle of Man
were under examination. I then frequently
saw Mr. Burke, and being asked to breakfast
with him, to meet a professor from the Univer-
sity of Leipsic at his house in Gerard-street,
the conversation principally turned on the state
of the German Empire, and the views and con-
duct of the lllurninati. Mr. Burke considered
their influence to be of a very extensive and
dangerous nature, and that the Emperor Joseph
had been made their dupe ; that the changes in
Bohemia, emancipating the people from feudal
oppression, had been at the instigation of the
flluminati, and to them were attributable the
subsequent disturbances.

Though completely ignorant, at that perjod,
of every matter relative to farming, I had been
much pleased with the appearance of Bohemia,
where the industry and energy of -the people
seemed to be greater ; and, as iar as superficial

Q2 Mr. Burke.

observations enabled me to form a judgment,
the cultivation of its soil seemed to surpass
that of the neighbouring states. This informa-
tion, as I had so recently passed through the
country, I thought might be acceptable, and
have some weight in our discussions — but I was
mistaken ; Mr. Burke burst out into a paroxysm
of rage, and, in the most unqualified language,
positively denied the facts I had stated. I was
not less astonished than hurt at this departure
from good breeding ; but there was no alter-
native, between a silent suppression of the
indignity I received, and a positive quarrel.

I continued on friendly terms with Mr. Burke
until after his unprovoked and cold-blooded
attack on Mr. Fox, the cruelty of which ad-
mits of no extenuation : had it occurred in
the heat of debate, some excuse might have
been pleaded. It was known that he differed
from Mr. Fox on the topic of the revolution
in France, and it had been intimated for some
days that Mr. Burke intended to pronounce a
bitter invective against the party : there was
no question before the house, nor did he pre-
mise that he had any to propose ; but, contrary
to order, he entered on the subject of the
French revolution. The matter and the manner
of Mr. Fox's reply interested the feelings of

3

Mr. Burke. 93

every individual in the house, whose heart was
not ossified by the corrupt lust of power. Mr.
Pitt, in my opinion, never lost himself more
than at the moment he was cheering and seem-
ing to approve this unjustifiable attack. To
abet the dereliction of friends, for the purpose
strengthening his own situation, and securing
to himself a further acquisition of power and
support, might be consonant to the views of
base and of sordid minds ; but it was wholly
unworthy of Mr. Pitt.

The most powerful feelings were manifested
on the adjournment of the house ; — Mr. Burke's
violence had completely destroyed the effect,
which the wisdom of his political maxims, under
other circumstances, was calculated to inspire.
If they, whose views he meant to further, had
spoken candidly, they must have avowed, that
he had injured the cause it was his intention to
benefit.

Whilst I was waiting for my carriage, Mr.
Burke came up to me and requested, as the
night was wet, I would set him down — I could
not refuse — though I confess I felt a reluctance
in complying. As soon as the carriage door
was shut, he complimented me on my being no
friend to the revolutionary doctrines of the
French j on which he spoke with great warmth

g4 Mr. Burke.

for a few minutes ; when he paused, to afford
me an opprortunity of approving the view he
had taken of those measures in the House. For-
mer experience had taught me the consequences
of dissenting from his opinions, yet, at the mo-
ment, I could not help feeling disinclined to
disguise or stifle my sentiments. In a few
words, I declared that I differed most com-
pletely from him — that I sincerely wished to
every nation a constitution as free as our own,
and that the cause of liberty might triumph all
over the world ! — Mr. Burke, catching hold of
the check-string, furiously exclaimed, " You are
one of these people ! set me down ! " With some
difficulty I restrained him ; — we had then reach-
ed Charing-Cross — a silence ensued, which was
preserved till we reached his house in Gerard-
street, when he hurried out of the carriage
without speaking, and thus our intercourse
ended.

Though I often, afterwards, found myself ac-
cidentally seated next Mr. Burke in the House
of Commons, every interchange of civility be-
tween us was suspended.

On the first question of the Regency, I dif-
fered, as you will recollect, from Mr. Fox :
when the division was proceeding, Mr. Burke
espied me remaining in my seat ; he turned

Politics of Air. Pitt. p5

about, and repeatedly called on me ; but as I
obeyed not his summons, a laugh at his ex-
pense ensued : though he was evidently dis-
pleased, I must do him the justice to say, he
did not resent it.

The miseries which have resulted from the
system of politics adopted by Mr. Pitt, we and
most part of the civilized world have been
doomed to feel. How this immensity of evil
might have been avoided, or what might have
been our situation, had a different policy been
pursued, is mere speculation. Those who have
taken a part either in supporting or opposing
these measures are, in my humble opinion, in-
competent judges — the decision must rest with
posterity. It is more than probable that nei-
ther party will be found entirely blameless.
The majority can never always be right, nor
the minority always wrong ! Time, however,
has happily softened down the asperities which
contention too often provoked.

In retaining a faithful recollection of my
former opinions, I candidly acknowledge they
were often injudiciously supported. The at-
tachment to friends, and the ardent feelings of
the moment, excited by temporary circum-
stances, have extorted submissions to the one

g6 Disaffection of the People of Kilcullen.

side, and furnished oppositions to the other, on
matters, to which, at the time, I probably at-
tached an unmerited interest, but which I have
long since thought fit to consign to oblivion.

We were fortunate in our companion on
horseback, who was intimately acquainted with
the country ; he had served in a local corps dur-
ing the rebellion, and was extremely interesting
in his recital of the resulting calamities. As
we approached Kilcullen bridge, he gave us a
most frightful account of its inhabitants, de-
scribing them as amongst the most disaffected
people in Ireland : I was by no means disposed
to doubt the fact, though it operated on my
mind very differently from what he expected j
as I was more inclined to commiserate and pity,
than join in reproaches.

There must, I thought, be some grievous evil
at their doors, to banish men from their thresh-
olds, and induce them to incur such imminent
danger for a chance only of being relieved from
its daily insupportable afflictions. I became in
an instant resolved to satisfy myself of the real
condition of these people j and, as our new
friend had undertaken to order breakfast, the
carriage proceeded to the inn, and I walked to
the nearest cabins.

View of a Cottier9 s Family at Breakfast. 97

Hospitality throws widely open every door in
Ireland ! An apology is scarcely necessary on
entering any abode — the stranger is received
with kindness, and made heartily welcome to
the best fare that can be afforded. In the first
cabin I reached, which was constructed of mi-
serable clay daubing, I found the family ga-
thered round a stool at breakfast ; some of the
party were seated, others on their knees ; all
applying to a wooden bowl placed on the stool
filled with potatoes in their skins; but neither
salt nor butter-milk attended the repast ! The
family consisted of a mother, three small chil-
dren, and a girl about fifteen years of age.
Their dress, and the interior of the cabin, be-
spoke the extreme of poverty. The poor wo-
man informed me her husband was a laborer ;
that during the busy season of the year, whilst
work was to be had, they fared tolerably well ;
and when they could afford butter-milk with
their potatoes, they were quite content. Bread
they seldom partook of; and as to meat, some
of them had never tasted it ; even salt, they had
not always the means to procure. These me-
lancholy facts were recited with a simplicity so
natural, that it was evident not the least con-
sciousness existed of the effect they were cal-
culated to produce. Habit had reconciled the

VOL. II. H

98 Melancholy Effects of a redundant Population.

poor mother to her condition, and its con-
sequent privations ; but the daughter, who held
down her head, seemed ashamed that their
wretched state should thus be exposed to a
stranger. My heart sympathized in their suf-
ferings—their miseries, poor creatures, were too
legibly written on the characters of all, to admit
the reality being questioned, or to furnish a sus-
picion of their having arisen out of any fault or
crime imputable to themselves ; but, that they
were the general lot of their community, arising
out of the unfortunate situation of the country.
I hastened to the next cabin with no hope,
though with a sincere wish, of finding less to
deplore. The good woman was at the door,
encouraging a fine little naked boy of five years
old to persevere in chasing a pig ; whether
from the cold, or some mixture of shame, I
know not, but it required both persuasion and
authority, to induce the little one's obedience.
The woman, I presume, observed by my coun-
tenance that I was surprised at her admonitions,
and apologized by saying, " This, Sir, is the way
we take to harden our children against winter,
for fuel here is a scarce article.**

I had seen enough to be convinced of the
melancholy consequences attendant on a re-

Privations endured by Irish Cottiert* 99

dundant population, and an insufficient capital
to provide the individuals of it, with employ,
ment.

Sufficiently agonized with these scenes of dis-
tress, I made the best of my way to Killcullen,
where our fellow-traveller became affected by
the relation of what I had seen. Use blunts
the feelings of humanity, when daily accustomed
to sights of misery, and renders the great bulk of
mankind insensible and regardless of what may
be passing around them ; while ignorance, in-
terest, or prejudice, too frequently mislead the
well disposed. I could not help exclaiming in
the emphatical words of our acquaintance at
Castlebar, " Are not the people rung by the
nose, &c. ? " The gentleman had the candour
to acknowledge, he believed their case to be
grievous and distressing.

To expect from the laborious orders the duty
of loyalty, or an attachment to government
under such circumstances, seems to be quite
unreasonable! Prudence alone can justify to
the mind of man a patient acquiescence under
such a state of existence. Force may restrain
the will, but cannot command the respect of the
subject, and thus a state of mutual distrust and
hatred must prevail.

H V.

loo Duke of Leinster's laudable Conduct.

As we approached the capital it appeared
somewhat singular, that the condition of the
working classes did not appear to be benefited
by their proximity to its wealth ; but, on the
contrary, they seemed to be suffering, if pos-
sible, an increase of wretchedness. Part of the
Duke of Leinster's noble estate is in this neigh-
bourhood. Few men have the power of be-
ing so eminently useful to his fellow creatures,
or of promoting, on such an extensive scale,
the public welfare, and at the same time, ad-
vancing his own deserved popularity, and in-
dividual interest. The opening career of this
young nobleman is highly promising. Instead
of dissipating his time and fortune on frivolous
and fashionable pursuits, he has entered with
great energy into the promotion of the agricul-
tural improvement of the country. The hap-
piness and comfort which cannot fail thus to
diffuse itself among the laborious classes, and
spread widely through a large portion of the
community, will amply repay such a devotion of
time and fortune. What the late Duke of Bed-
ford did for England, the Duke of Leinster may
in a much higher degree accomplish for Ireland ;
because the range in the general melioration of
the husbandry of the country is so much more
extensive. Here abundance would soon em-
bellish the soil, comfort would lighten the

Association of Affluence and Poverty. 1 0 1

heart, and joy brighten the eye of a depressed,
desponding peasantry ; with whom dissatisfac-
tion and wretchedness would soon give place
to loyalty and contentment. What glorious
objects of ambition ! Their present reward,
affection and respect ; in prospect, the gratitude
aud admiration of posterity.

At Killcullcn bridge, the LifFy is an incon-
siderable stream j the remains of monastic
buildings, and of a round tower of considerable
size, bespeak the former importance of this
place. The old town is at the distance of half
a mile from the bridge; the village consists but
of a few scattered houses ; the soil is rich ; and
though little can be said in favor of the hus-
bandry, the crops were apparently heavy. Green
crops there were none, and the clover and sown
grasses were very foul. Shallow ploughing, and
want of due cleaning, prevent good crops of
clover, which, even without manure, would be
procured, if attention were paid to deep plough-
ing and weeding.

The contrast between affluence and poverty
in this country is matter of perpetual unpleasant
observation. A noble mansion is approached
by a dilapidated lodge, tenanted by poverty —
it is wonderful that such incongruities can be

102 View of Dublin, Phoenix Park, fyc.

suffered, and not felt by those who could so
easily correct them ; especially when it is con-
sidered that no people on earth have a more
lively sense of the misery of others, when their
humanity is properly directed.

After passing three miles beyond John's
Town, the whole way to Dublin is on a noble
terrace ; commanding a most extensive view of
the county of Dublin to the right, bounded by
the Wicklow mountains. The extensive build-
ings in Dublin, and the Phrcnix Park, which is
well wooded, present a prospect enriched by
variety and beauty; yet our immediate ap-
proach to the metropolis was not announced
either by a display of opulence in the erection
of numerous villas, or a better appearance in
the cabins. The lot of the lower classes in its
neighbourhood does not appear by any means
to be improved — the expense of fuel curtailing
them of one of their most important neces-
saries.

i

The suburbs present a motley mixture of
riches and poverty — the handsomest villas in
the midst of the poorest dwellings ; and, what
is most singular, opulence must have here
sought for situations among dirt and wretched-
ness. The first and most striking objects on

/// Effect f of perpetuating the Rebellion. lot

entering Dublin, after being gratified with the
sight of the noble rows of elms which ornament
the banks of the grand canal, are the barracks
to the right, and the military hospital of KiU
mainham on the left. These, however, failed to
inspire us with more pleasing sensations than
were communicated by the barriers, erected
at the time of the rebellion, which were still
remaining ! Whence can this arise ? Can it
be for the interest or the honor of any mortal
to perpetuate the horror of those dreadful times,
or bring to recollection events disgraceful to
all parties? Lord Cornwallis's administration
ought to have endeared his memory to every
friend of Ireland : he suspended the reign of
terror by his moderation, and restored con-
fidence by his kindness. Happy indeed would
it have been had his enlightened policy been
followed up» and acted on. Time, however,
has now been afforded for healing the wounds
inflicted when the barriers were raised, and
bringing back the people to a reliance on go-
vernment. This disposition it would not be
less politic than humane to foster and en-
courage ; and lest the continuance of them
should be considered as a tacit acknowledgment
of a contrary belief, their removal now would
surely be acceptable to the people, by whom
they cannqt be seen without regret, nor es-

104 Entrance into Dublin.

teemed otherwise than as precautionary defences,
in the event of any refusal, on the part of those
by whom they were erected, of a redress of
popular grievances.

The circular road which skirts the city, and
precludes the necessity of passing through the
old part of the town, is a great convenience,
and must greatly facilitate the intercourse with
the metropolis ; the road, however, is too nar-
row, and by no means corresponds with the
magnificence to which it leads. On leaving the
circular road, we passed through St. Stephen's
Green, which is capable of being made a noble
square ; in its present state it may be much ob-
jected to, but we understood a plan is in agi-
tation that will make this a very beautiful ap-
proach. The bank, formerly the House of Par-
liament, is a very fine piece of architecture: op-
posite to this is the college.

The space between the latter and Carlisle
bridge is to be cleared, so as to lay open the quay,
and present a view of the custom-house and
shipping. Beyond this is Sackville Street, in
the centre of which is raised a pillar in com-
memoration of our naval hero Lord Nelson.
The street is one hundred and twenty feet wide,
divided into pavement and gravelled roads, and

Excellent Accommodation at the Hotel. 105

may be compared to Portland Place. This ap-
proach is most imposing, and is not surpassed
by any tiling in Europe, unless it be the Strada
di Toledo of Naples, or the Place de Louis XV.
and Tuilleries in the opinion of some judges.

We are lodged here most comfortably, and
with every accommodation. Privations, like long
fasting, certainly give a relish and value to the
comforts of life far beyond what those who are
in the constant enjoyment of them can imagine.
In elegances, Dublin may vie with most placet
in Europe. Adieu.

J. C. C.

106

LETTER XLIV.

Dublin, Sept. 22, 1813.

M.UCH as I have on many occasions lamented
that my time was so circumscribed, I feel the
mortification infinitely more in a spot where we
shall not be able to pass more than four days,
and in which, as many weeks would be requisite
to pay due attention to all that is worthy of ob-
servation.

My first object of inquiry this morning was
one in which I have a personal interest. The
shipping and coal trade are as important to
Cumberland as to Dublin. The public stores
for coals are very incommodious, both as to their
approach, and being nearly without any cover-
ing; than which a greater mistake cannot be
made, as all inflammable substances suffer much
deterioration by exposure ; beside which these
stores are wholly inadequate to the supply of so
extensive a city as Dublin.

The trading in coals, an article on which the

Irish Coal Trade. 1O7

comforts of so many depend, is here, as in most
other places, subject to great fraud and im-
position ; enhancing the price to the consumer
without profiting the fair trader. An act of
parliament requires that the selling price should
be exposed on the mast of each vessel, as also
the place from which the coals were brought.
The porters, to whom the buyers send their
orders, lay the masters ofHhe vessels under con-
tribution ; for while they charge the consumer
with thirty shillings for a ton, equal to a London
chaldron, the masters of the colliers do not,
probably, receive more than twenty-eight shil-
lings. Many attempts, on the part of the own-
ers of the vessels, have been made to correct
this abuse, but hitherto without effect : this ap-
pears extraordinary, as it should seem that the
coal sellers have as direct an interest as the
consumers in its removal. Great preference is
given in various parts of Ireland to different
coals, some choosing one sort, some another,
without any known specific reason for the se-
lection of either.

The quays, when the opening is completed
from Carlisle bridge, will be above a mile in
Irngth, and as eminently remarkable as any
thing of the sort in the British empire. The
wet docks will be extensive, but these seem to

108 New Harbour in Contemplation.

proceed slowly towards completion. A want
of water over the bar, at the entrance of Dublin
Bay, presents a formidable obstacle to its be-
coming a port of great trade ; it is not safe for
any ships of considerable draft of water to
attempt passing over the bar, even on the high-
est of the spring tides.

As a remedy for that which is so decidedly
an impediment to the mercantile greatness of
the city, an attempt has been made to create a
harbour on the north side of the hill of Howth.
The intention is to unite the main land with a
rock at some distance from the shore j when
this shall be accomplished, it is said there will
be sufficient depth of water, shelter, and other
accommodations at all times, for the largest
description of trading vessels. The packets,
during the summer months, have been removed
to Howth, by which arrangement four hours are
saved in the passage. Should this project, as it
is probable, be crowned with success, the trade
will undergo very material changes ; and as all
cannot be benefited in such extensive alter-
ations, it is reasonable to expect that many will
oppose them. On the commencement of the
new harbour, the attempt was represented as
chimerical, and a useless expenditure of money;
but the progress it has already made affords

Increased Importation of Coals since \ 7 72. 109

reasonable ground to hope for its complete suc-
cess, which, when accomplished, a canal may
not unlikely be projected to communicate from
Howth to Dublin.

The custom-house, which is on the north side
of the river, is a prodigious pile of building, suf-
ficiently capacious to transact the business of all
Ireland. An increase, both in luxury and po-
pulation, may be inferred from the augmented
importation of coals during the last forty years.
In the year 1772, the coals imported amounted
to two hundred and eleven thousand four hun-
dred and thirty-three tons, at a supposed cost of
forty-eight thousand pounds; in the year 1812,
there were imported five hundred and fifty thou-
sand one hundred and sixty-three tons, costing
above four hundred and twenty thousand pounds;
still this is not one half the quantity received
into the port of London. Ten years of peace
would probably double the consumption of coal.
A few years ago, there was scarcely a steam-
engine in Ireland ; recently a manufactory for
their construction has been established in
Dublin ; the extension of trade, after a time,
when once the civilized world shall be blessed
with peace, must produce surprising effects in
a country, so calculated as this is, for all com-
mercial enterprises j the extent and convenience

HO Bay of Dublin unrivalled in Beauty.

of the port of Dublin alone are so interesting
as to justify this remark, even to those who are
not men of business.

The admirers of beautiful scenery will here
find much to indulge in ; for, excepting the bay
of Naples, there is probably no prospect of the
kind to compare as a rival to the bay of Dublin.
The hill of Howth, forming its northern ex-
tremity, is of considerable magnitude; and rising
as it does from the flat shore, which connects it
with the land, renders it more conspicuous. All
the way from Dublin to Howth, a distance of
six miles, is very beautiful ; and the whole pe-
ninsula is crowded with magnificent villas and
ornamented cottages. The breadth of the bay
does not exceed four miles, contracting till it
terminates in the river Liffy. The Wicklow
shore has quite a different character, being as
bold as the other is tame : the mountains here
rise to a considerable height, and terminate in a
great diversity of summit, which, with the co-
nical hills in advance from their main body,
produce a singularly beautiful effect. As the
whole is cultivated and crowded down to the
water's edge with cabins, most of which are
white-washed, the interest of the scene is
greatly promoted by the general gaiety and
cheerfulness thus exhibited.

Bay surpassing E.rpeefatiofi. Ill

The city of Dublin occupies the entire ex-
tremity, or bottom of the bay. So numerous
and varied are the natural productions and
works of art, which are assembled in this small
compass, that the attention becomes distracted*
There is in this view one very agreeable pe-
culiarity— every feature of the landscape is dis-
tinctly seen — one character pervades the whole,
and no space is left for fancy to fill up— all is
complete and beautiful — busy and alive! while
the general bustle of commercial business pro-
nounces it not less the residence of opulence
than the happy seat where industry and pro-
ductive labor love to dwell.

Prepared as I was from every account I had
received of this celebrated spot, it has not only
answered, but exceeded my expectations. I
could have passed the whole day in contemplat-
ing the different parts of this glorious landscape,
where every object successfully combines to
promote a general harmony, and produce one
grand exquisite effect.

I had been so fascinated with the various
views of the bay, that I had lost the count of
time, and did not arrive at the bank until after
the time of its closing. Through the obliging
attention of a namesake, Mr. Henry Curwen,

7

1 12 Bank and Lords9 House of Parliament.

the cashier, whose meritorious conduct has
raised him to an office of great trust and re-
spectability, I had the good fortune to obtain
access to every part of this noble edifice, which
gave us the satisfaction of seeing and knowing
that every part of its internal arrangement cor-
responded with what might have been expected
from its outward magnificence.

The Lords' House of Parliament remains in
its primitive state ; the room is small, ill pro-
portioned, and has nothing of dignity or con-
sequence to recommend it. It is at present a
receptacle for lumber : there may be those who
would dare to question if it had usually been
more usefully employed. I, for one, felt no
regret at its metamorphose ! Nor shall I ever,
until the disgraceful accusation of its members
having sold " their birthrights for a mess of
pottage," be completely and successfully re-
butted. Had I been an Irishman, I think I
should have loathed the roof under which the
sacrifice had been made, though, as a national
benefit, I might have approved the measure : as
an Englishman, my feelings impelled me from
the spot with contempt and detestation !

We passed from the bank to Trinity College,
which, though on a smaller scale, has some re-

Visit the University. 113

semblance to its namesake at Cambridge. Our
next object was the University. This establish-
ment was projected nearly three hundred years
before it was founded, during the mayoralty of
Thomas Smith, in the year 1593. Its revenues,
which are most ample, arise from munificent
grants in the reign of Elizabeth, James, and
Charles the First. The library is a splendid ap-
pendage, and is said to contain upwards of
seventy thousand volumes; among which are
many scarce and valuable books. The Dean,
with some reluctance, was prevailed on to afford
us the pleasure of inspecting it ; he had taken
great displeasure at some published accounts in
England, and was disposed to resent the offence
by excluding English visitors. A peace offer-
ing, however, was politely accepted, by my
assuring him that since I had been in Ireland,
my admiration might faithfully be esteemed as
not inferior to his own, or the most enthusiastic
lover of his country ; and that should I ever be
tempted to describe to the public the gra-
tifications I had received, no discredit, by any
possibility, could attach to Ireland from my ob-
servations. This assurance produced us polite
attention, and we were shown whatever was
considered as rare, and the most curious.

The manuscript New Testament, containing

VOL. II. I

Cruel Order of James II.

the three disputed verses in St. John, the
authority of which gave rise to so long and so-
obstinate a controversy, is one of the most
interesting objects. Some maps of Ireland,
from surveys made in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, represent the country as well
wooded. This is very credible, notwithstanding
its present denuded appearance ; for, in spite of
the western blasts, we observed a very rapid
growth of the trees.

Amongst other relics, we were shown the
letter of James the Second to his General at
Deny, and to which 1 have before had occasion
to advert, blaming him for allowing some of the
half starved, famished inhabitants of that place
to escape, and ordering him in future to pre-
vent any one from quitting the town. It is very
unfortunate for the memory of this monarch, that
such a wanton proof of his inhumanity should
by the care of his contemporaries have been so
preserved. The chapel is spacious, and highly
ornamented ; the hall is capacious, lofty, and
magnificent ; but as a refectory, its splendid
construction must ill repay the sufferings of
those from cold, who are constrained to dine in
it nine months in the year. Mr. Burke's portrait
now occupies the place which was formerly
allotted to that of Mr. Grattan. The whole

Indignity to the Picture of Mr. G rat tan. 1 1 o

transaction relative to the destruction of the
latter gentleman's picture, has fixed a stain on
the University, that in our memory cannot be
effaced. Such an instance of time-serving
spirit would be contemptible in any body of
men ; but within these walls, where learning,
liberality, and an elevation of the human mind,
ought to reside, the very reverse of a conduct
which after ages will not less reprobate than
the present, might have been expected. These
will fix the dishonor where it ought to rest, and
do full justice to the political character and
conduct of Mr. Grattan.

We made a hasty visit to the Institute. Had
time permitted, it would have afforded us ample
field for indulging our curiosity in the various
branches of science. Lectures are delivered
here on the various branches of natural philo-
sophy ; and a school for design also has recently
been established. The mineralogical collection
is extensive, and promises aid in elucidating
the stratification of Ireland. It gave me much
pleasure to see collected numerous specimens
of its marbles. It does no credit to the good
sense of a nation to prefer, on all occasions,
the productions of other countries to their own,
when the utility and real intrinsic value of each
is nearly equal. Even admitting in point of

i «

116 Inspection of Curiosities at the Institute.

beauty, the foreign marbles to have a superiority;
yet those at home being Irish, and equally use-
ful, ought to secure them a preference.

Here we were also shown a most singular
model of a circular building, not long ago dis-
covered in the county of Kerry ; and I think
I understood that a second had also been found
in another quarter. Though somewhat differ-
ently constructed, it has much the appearance
of a theatre. The seats, instead of being car-
ried entirely round the building, are placed
singly in diagonal lines, appearing like so many
separate staircases, internally surrounding the
whole building. There is but one entrance into
the circus, which is at the bottom or ground
floor of the model. This door-way by some has
been offered as an argument against the design
being intended for a theatre ; and the com-
paratively few who could have had the accomo-
dation of seats seems to corroborate this opi-
nion : the model, however, does not enable us
to form any reasonable conjecture, whether the
entrance to the audience might not have been
from the top. From its recent discovery, I
should presume it must have been found at
some depth hidden in the earth.

The Institute has an allowance of eight thou-

Public Institutions ott a magnificent Scale. 117

sand a year from government : this appropriate
expenditure advances a general knowledge and
taste for the arts ; it also contributes to pro-
mote many useful improvements in every branch
of science. Previous to the establishment of
the Farming Society in Ireland, the attention of
the Institute was in a particular manner directed
to objects of agriculture. All the public in-
stitutions in Ireland are on a great scale, and
do credit to the national spirit and taste. As
far as so cursory an inspection would enable
me to form any judgment, I was much pleased
with the general arrangements, and the mode
of conducting, the several departments of the
Institute.

The style and beauty of Dublin have greatly
surpassed my expectations. Many of the streets
are handsome and commodious, while the ap-
pearance of the shops is inferior to those only
in London. The bridges over the Liffey are
so numerous that the passage of the river
through the centre of the town is attended with
little inconvenience. St. Stephen's Green ex-
ceeds in size any of the squares in London ; the
others are of an inferior character. There are
numbers of capital houses, which are occupied
at high rents. The Union for some years had
the effect of reducing the value of the best re-

J 18 Unfavorable Season for visiting Dublin.

sidences considerably; many of the .principal
inhabitants having quitted Dublin. Some of
these have returned ; a great number of new
buildings are erecting, and the place, we were
told, is as much resorted to as formerly.

Unfortunately we could not have visited
Dublin at a more unfavourable season, as the
courts were not sitting j the theatres not open ;
& great proportion of the first families absent at
their country seats ; and the town wearing a
forlorn desolate appearance, by wanting the
bustle of a great commercial city, and the dis-
play of fashion, equipage, and other indications
of opulence. Adieu.

J. C. C.

119

LETTER XLV.

Dublin, Sept. 23, 1815.

OUR first engagement this morning was to
visit the establishment of the Fanning Society
of Ireland at Summer-hill ; the high reputation
and celebrity of which are the best evidence
of the benefits derived to the country from its
labors.

•

As a point of union connecting the landed
gentry with men of science and practical know-
ledge, it cannot fail of producing important
results, and extensively diffusing a spirit for im-
provement. From the parent society have
sprung several provincial establishments ; and,
in every part of the country, efforts are making
to inspire a taste for agriculture and improve-
ment. The augmented estimation in which
these are now held has advanced the character
of the practical farmer, and opened to him a
road not only to respectability but to public
favor and celebrity : nor are these resulting ad-
vantages confined to him, but extended to all
classes of meritorious laborers on the soil, not

12O On the State of the Irish Peasantry,

one of whom is excluded from becoming a par-
taker of the honors and premiums bestowed by
the institution.

Were the impediments to good husbandry in
Ireland of the ordinary kind only, I should not
entertain the smallest doubt that a short time
would be sufficient to remove them, and place
the cultivation of the country on an equality
with that of England. Unfortunately, however,
some are in existence of a nature not easily to
be surmounted.

Want of constant employment is the primary
source of all the evils. If an opportunity of
being employed were daily presented to the
laborious orders, some degree of industry would
be excited : this would daily increase, and tend
to remove much of their present apathy and dis-
content. Could any means be devised to give
profitable activity to the rural population of
Ireland, the country would soon become one
of the most abundantly fertile spots on the face
of the globe.*

* " No nation ever yet became industrious till the pro-
spect of reward had sweetened the exercise of the spade, the
hammer, or the hatchet. The feelings of present ill, for
such is toil, must be overbalanced by the hope of future
good, else no man will work."

Campbell's Strictures on Irish History*

to whom other Employment should be given. 121

To effect so desirable an alteration a total
change must be induced in the habits and pre-
judices of the laboring people, whose pride,
it is much to be feared, would greatly militate
against any reform that should dispossess them,
as the wretched occupants, of their miserable
holdings, and give them the happiness and inde-
pendency of comfortable laborers; it would,
in their estimation, be a depression in the scale
of society that no future prospects or anticipa-
tions of good would be capable of reconciling
to them. The multitudes now spreading over
the face of the country should, by manu-
factories and trade, be seduced, as it were, into
towns ; where new habits would be acquired,
and the increase of wages would create a desire
for better food and its natural accompaniments.
The potatoe, which, in some points of view,
may justly be regarded as one of the greatest
blessings to our species, is capable of operating
the greatest calamities, when it exclusively
furnishes the food on which a community is
content to exist; for as the cultivation of a
single statute acre may successfully and easily
be attended to by one individual, and as its
produce on an average would give food for at
least ten persons the year round, at seven
pounds each per day, which may be considered
as an abundant allowance ; what chance is

7

12-2 Agriculture not a sufficient Employment.

there for manual exertions in such a society r
among whom a patrimonial aversion to labor,
and an habitual attachment to idleness, are para-
mount to every other consideration.

Although I have no means of ascertaining
the fact with accuracy, I am inclined to believe,
that an acre of potatoes will furnish a greater
supply of food than one of rice.

Admitting the agriculture of the country
should be so far improved as to require six
persons for the cultivation of every hundred
acres ; in this case, one fifth of the people only
could thus find employment, if even the whole
surface were under the plough ; but, in all pro-
bability, one third of it would be found to be
bog, turf, mountain, and waste.

The wonderful fertility of the soil, para-
doxical as it may appear, has a contrary effect
in Ireland to that of stimulating the husband-
man, either to labor on it, or support it with
manure. The extreme love of ease and plea-
surable modes of passing away time, renders
the farmer disinclined to do either ; for, with-
out any pains on his part, he is sure of an
abundant crop ; and, as his indulging in the
habits of his forefathers is of more consequence

Competition oflndividualsfor sniali Holdings. \ 23

to him than providing for his children, he be-
comes careless as to both. The numerous com-
petitors for small portions of land produce the
present exorbitant rents, and consequently in-
duce the subdivision of estates ad injinitum ; and
as the object of a young Irish couple is not to
live, but ejcitt only, the country is become over-
loaded with a useless population, possessing so
little capital as seldom to exceed the half year's
rent which usually is in arrear. The pro-
digious high price of grain for the last few
years has with difficulty enabled the occupiers
to pay these heavy demands to their landlords.
Privations and potatoes only could have
furnished the means.

The Fanning Society have an allowance from
the state of five thousand pounds a year, and
an annual subscription is paid by the members
in aid of the funds. The establishment at
Summer-hill is on an extensive plan for all kinds
of improvements ; among which is a manu-
factory for the most approved species of farming
implements, which are here sold at reduced
prices to practical persons. The society has
an experimental farm about five miles from
Dublin at Ballynasloe, where they have a hand-
some house, with a most commodious yard for
the reception of prize cattle. The meetings in

124 National Farming Society.

the spring are held in Dublin, in the autumu,
at Bally nasloe.

The premiums, annually distributed by the
society are very numerous ; and aid from their
funds is also extended to the different provincial
societies ; by which means, though much dis-
tributed, each becomes identified with the
agriculture of the whole country, while the
parent establishment is enabled to direct their
attention to those practices which are of the
most important consideration.

These valuable exertions have already been
rewarded by great improvement in the breed
and appearance of the cattle. In most similar
establishments, agriculture takes the lead of
live stock ; here it is wisely reversed. Great
attention is paid to a proper selection in breed-
ing, the beneficial consequences of which must
soon be felt in every quarter. Instead of con-
fining, by means of high prices, the prime
stock to a few graziers, the best bulls are
here open to the use of every one on a trifling
payment.

The Right Hon. John Foster is the president;
Mr. Wynne, and many other experienced and
spirited agriculturists, form the committee;

Excellent Arrangement of the Establishment. 125

Mr. Dix and the Rev. Radcliffe are secre-
taries, and both gentlemen are highly qualified
for the discharge of the office which each has
undertaken.

I was much gratified and pleased with the
general arrangements, and all that 1 saw ; but
particularly with the good sense and spirit with
which the whole business is conducted.

^Vithin a few doors of the society's house is
the extensive coach manufactory belonging to
Mr. Hutton, who gives employment to more
than five hundred people. The premises are very
extensive, and every branch of the business is
conducted under Mr. Hutton's own personal
inspection. I was particularly struck with the
care and attention paid here to the seasoning
of the wood made use of. In point of execu-
tion, the work is no where exceeded in London:
the order and regularity with which so large
a concern is conducted I beheld with great
pleasure. The best constructed jaunting car is
a commodious vehicle ; I have often, however,
lamented the sufferings of the poor horse,
when dragging one of them at a great pace
with five or six persons.

We next made a circuit through the principal

J 26 Dublin appears like a Garrison Town.

squares and streets, and arrived before the castle
at the moment of relieving guard, which is here
done at five in the afternoon. The general re-
mark of foreigners " that our palaces are
hospitals, and our hospitals palaces," applies
with all its significance to Dublin Castle, the
architecture of which is mean ; and from every
thing indicated by its exterior, I should be led
to imagine the apartments within are by no
means suitable to the rank and station of a Lord
Lieutenant. The chapel, which is a modetn
building, seems to be a highly finished piece of
Gothic architecture.

The unceasing display of military parade
gives Dublin the air of a garrison town. As
the means of national defence I honor the
profession of arms ; but when soldiers become
the conservators of civil authority, and the
executors of the law, I deplore the wretched
policy that renders their aid permanently re-
quisite; and, as a British subject, view them
as bayoneted constables with a constitutional
jealousy.

Most ardently do I wish the civil power in
Ireland may be rendered competent to the
general administration of justice, the laws, and
the preservation of order ; and that our gallant

Linen Board and Mumftctur 12?

array may be exonerated from a service as re-
pugnant to their martial characters as to their
domestic feelings.

We were not able to reach the establishment
of the Linen Hoard. This society yearly dis-
tributes among the working classes a number
of spinning wheels and looms ; and the society
also charges itself with the importation of
foreign flax or linseed, that which is raised m
Ireland being supposed to produce inferior
plants. The linen trade has decreased of late
years more than a million and half in value.
This in some measure has been attributed to a
defective manufacture. Great complaints are
made of the interference of German cloth with
the Irish market, arising, most probably, from
some superiority in those fabrics ; but as the
linen business from the growth of the flax plant,
through all its stages, to the perfect manu-
facture of the linen, has been so long pursued
in Ireland as to become the principal occupa-
tion of the people, it would be extremely im-
politic indeed, in a country where employment
is so scarce and so desirable, to suffer a rivalry
in its staple commodity by the introduction of
foreign productions. If the German linens be
entitled to a preference, the cause of such pre-
ference ought to be ascertained, and no pains
1

128 Linen Manufacture extending.

should be spared to correct the defect in the
Irish manufacture. The application of che-
mical aids in bleaching, principally for the pur-
pose of discharging a stain acquired by the
fibres in the process of water steeping, may
possibly be injurious to its strength. Could a
cheap and expeditious mode be discovered for
obtaining the flax from the plant without its
undergoing the present tedious and wasteful
process of steeping, it would be an incalculable
benefit to Ireland.

We perceived a great disposition in every
part of the country to extend this business.
Formerly the linen trade was almost exclusively
confined to the northen counties ; but you may
perhaps recollect that I remarked with pleasure
an expansion of its growth as far south as the
county of Kerry.

The foundling hospital here for the reception
of children is on a great scale, though the
policy and even propriety of the institution are
highly questionable. The view with which it
was founded, unquestionably, was the preserva-
tion of helpless human beings ; but it admits of
very great doubt, whether this benevolent end
has been promoted. Much discussion has taken
place on the state and general conduct of the

7 fie Foundling Hospital. 1 29

charity, which I regret it was not in my power
to examine. If little or no positive good has
ii rn, much national injury, in a moral point
of light, may have been sustained. Children
are brought from all quarters of the country to
the hospital, and no inquiries are made. There
is a box on the outside of a window to receive
them, and a bell above it ; this is rung, and a
person in attendance receives the infant. A
register is kept for the purpose of answering
subsequent inquiries, in which the time of re-
ceiving the child, and any permanent marks it
may happen to have about it, are entered j and
there are always a number of wet nurses in
attendance. The practice of those who wish
to send a child from the country, is to apply to
the clergyman, with whom a certain sum is
deposited by the person who undertakes to de-
liver the child to the institution ; and on a re-
ceipt being produced of the faithful discharge of
this duty, the clergyman returns the money to
the depositing party. Old women are found
who undertake this employment ; but as the little
innocents are conveyed to Dublin in all seasons,
numbers, I should apprehend, must perish on
their journey. At a certain age the foundlings
are placed out with poor families about Dublin;
and on annually exhibiting the child, the under-
taking parties become entitled to the stipend

TOL. II. K

130 Hospitals for the Reception of the Sick.

for its maintenance. The representation of the
mortality within the walls of the institution, and
afterwards, displays a shocking picture of the
waste of human life ; pains have been taken by
those who are responsible to rebut the ac-
cusation ; and, as I speak from hearsay only, I
sincerely hope the account may be exag-
gerated.

There are several hospitals for the reception
of the sick, said to be well conducted, and to
afford essential relief to those, otherwise in-
capable of obtaining medical assistance.

The hour was so late before we concluded
our peregrinations in the new part of the
town, that we had not time to reach the city.
A description of the scenes of misery to be
met with in some part of it, exceed any
thing that can be imagined. Poverty, dis-
ease, and wretchedness, exist in every great
town ; but in Dublin the misery is indescrib-
able. An opinion, however, formed of the
morals of a great people, from even numer-
ous specimens of such vitiated conduct and
mendicity, would be highly erroneous. Would
it be just that the virtue, happiness, and mo-
rality of Great Britain, should be ascertained by
the manners of Billingsgate, St. Giles's, or

Population of Dublin. 1 3 1

similar resorts of the unworthy, in any of our
great manufacturing towns ?

The Phoenix Park is not less a delightful out-
let to the inhabitants than a superb appendage
to the city. The plantations and embellish-
ments were principally executed in Lord Ches-
terfield's administration, whose memory is de-
servedly held in high estimation. Were we to
judge from the manner in which several Lords
Lieutenants of the last century have been ad*
dressed on their departure, we should be jus-
tified in believing that no people were ever so
fortunate in the wisdom, intelligence, patriot-
ism, and virtue, of their chief magistrates. A
collection of their farewell addresses would fur-
nish a lamentable specimen of the sacrifices
into which men may be betrayed by self-in-
terest. Historians in after times will find but
slender materials of excellence on which such
gross and unfounded adulation can be war-
ranted.

•

By Dr. Whitelaw's enumeration of the in-
habitants in the year 1798, it appears that
Dublin at that time contained one hundred
and thirty-four thousand eight hundred and
forty -four souls ; but by a more recent census
the population amounted to one hundred

K 2

1 3 2 Lower Irish -witty and fond of Repartee.

and fifty thousand seven hundred and fifty-
one.

The public vehicles that ply in the streets are
hackney coaches, jingles, and jaunting cars.
The two latter, not long ago, afforded a subject
of some pleasantry. — The honour of knight-
hood was conferred by a former Lord Lieu-
tenant on two individuals renowned for merit
in different pursuits — the one celebrated for
his musical talents — the other as the author of
numerous travels. — Pat distinguished the for-
mer by the name of jingle, the latter by that of
jaunting car. — The Irish, even in the lower
rank, on giving expression to first impressions
are frequently witty ; but as judgment is a
second operation of the mind, and as they never
think twice, they become intoxicated with their
joke, and abide by the immediate impulse of the
moment, though the exercise of a second thought
would frequently teach them their error : this is
never resorted to, and we had frequent oppor-
tunities of noticing the point, and sometimes
the severity of a repartee, but always found the
receiving party more inclined to laugh the mat-
ter off, than to make a vindictive, or even an ill-
humored reply.

The removal of the Parliament was, in the

Removal of Parliament at first a great Lots. 1 33

first instance, a great loss to Dublin ; but those
most adverse to the measure, at the time, now
admit that the consequences have proved less
injurious than were expected — trade is reviving,
and has increased ; and it is an agreed opinion,
that in a short time it will more than compensate
a loss which was considered as ruinous to its
prosperity.

Generally speaking, the society of Dublin is
excellent: the seat of Government, the univer-
sity, the courts of law, and a large military
establishment, induce great numbers to make it
their constant residence.

You cannot expect, from the slight view I have
been able to take of Dublin, more than a very
imperfect sketch of the many interesting objects
which this city presents ; many have been only
partially seen, while others have been entirely
overlooked ; but the length of this letter ma-
nifests that, amid all its claims on my attention,
you cannot be forgotten. Adieu.

J. C. C.

134

LETTER XLVI.

Dublin, Sept. 24, IBIS.

THE kind attention of the Bishop of Meath
procured us the acquaintance of a gentleman
extensively engaged in the management of
some of the first estates in Ireland. Latterly
the agency business of landed property has
been undertaken by men of talent and cha-
racter ; the consequences of which, as might be
expected, are beneficial to all parties ; for while
fair dealing is observed towards the tenant, the
strictest justice is done to the proprietor.

Such, however, is the competition for small
farms and holdings, and so completely do the
applicants lose sight of their true value, in their
extreme solicitude for the occupation of them,
that the greatest difficulty is frequently imposed
on a conscientious agent in his election of a
tenant. His own opinion — his suspicions — nay,
his individual conviction of the highest bidder,
being the most ineligible occupier, will scarcely

Men of Character, c.v to Noblemen. \

justify his rejection of him, not only as it re-
cts the immediate apparent interest of his
employer, but the imputation which he may
incur of being charged with bribery, on accept-
ing an inferior rent. The disappointed surmises
of the candidate soon reach the proprietor ; and
unless he happen to entertain just confidence in
the rectitude of his agent, or be a man of bu-
siness, it would be a difficult task on the part of
theagent to convince him, that the moreconsider-
able offer was not most to his advantage. Hence
the refusal of the wildest proposal is hazarding
a suspicion of sinister motives, and is the great
evil attending the management, by men of cha-
racter, of estates belonging to proprietors who
are either above, or below, paying attention to
their own interests themselves.

The real substantial interests of the tenant
and the landlord, among honest men, are the
same. Moderate rents, under appropriate terms,
and fair covenants, are secured in their payment
from the tenant, and in the progressive im-
provement to the estate of the landlord. Un-
reasonable rents are destructive of the tenant's
prosperity ! — ruinous to his capital, and entail
a double loss on the landlord ; first, by a de-
falcation of rent ; and, secondly, in the de-
terioration of his property.

136 Letting of Farms by private Auction

For the purpose of securing to the proprietor
his rent, in many instances the agent guaran-
tees the amount, on an allowance of a certain
poundage. Under this condition, rents too
high subject them undoubtedly to some risk of
loss.

The practice of letting estates by tickets, or
sealed tender, has prevailed to a considerable
extent in many parts of England, but it has
been highly injurious to various properties.
Adventurers, as destitute of sufficient capital as
of experience, have thus been enabled to dis-
possess old tenants ; and most commonly, after
a very short occupation, the farms have been
to be re-let ; on which occasions they have
frequently been hired under their true annual
value.

This system exhibits great want of liberality,
and must have originated in ignorance, and
been adopted by idleness. Great commercial
companies — opulent merchants, and others as
wholly unacquainted with the relative value of
their estates to an occupier, as are their con-
fidential professional friends sitting in chambers
of the inns of court, were easily induced, be-
cause it saved them trouble, to subscribe to this
summary mode of proceeding.

highly injurious to Estates. 137

The latter parties would no doubt gladly
avail themselves of this acquiescence, in their
new projected species of auction, it being the
best covering for the absence of that knowledge
of rural affairs, in which it cannot be expected pro-
fessional men should be so accurately educated
as to decide justly between parties of such op-
posite interests; and whilst a private auction
relieved them from all responsibility, it had the
further recommendation of passing matters of
great concern through their offices without per-
plexity, to completion, and without risking any
impeachment of their judgment. Should my
suggestions, as to the origin of these auctions
in obscurity, serve as a check to this ungenerous
mode of proceeding, the public, by possibility,
may be benefited.

Mr. Roper, from whom we obtained much
important information respecting the value of
Irish estates, occupies the beautiful mansion of
Ely Place, three miles from Dublin, at the foot
of the Wicklow mountains. From the park we
commanded many charming views of the city
and bay of Dublin.

The opinion I had formed, of land letting con-
siderably higher in Ireland than in England,
receives daily confirmation ; even after every

138 High Rent of Land near Dublin.

allowance is made for the exemption of the
former from poor's rates and taxes. The county
rates and repairs, however, must be acknow-
ledged as weighty charges on the Irish tenant,
whose account with his landlord is a running
one, and the balance against him forms, in
general, the principal part of his capital. The
regularity in payment of rents to the English
landlord has a decided advantage, and is no
small argument in favor of a substantial te-
nantry.

On our return to Dublin this morning, we
saw a fine pasture field completely overrun with
docks and seeded ragwort ; on expressing our
astonishment to Mr. Roper, he asked what we
might suppose to be the rent. Accustomed
to hear of six, eight, and ten pounds per acre,
in spite of its extremely neglected state, I men-
tioned the latter sum. Erroneous conjecture !
it was let at the rate of seventeen pounds per
acre! How is it possible,under any circumstances
of luxuriant produce, that such rents can be
paid ? The cow keepers in London do not pay
more than about twelve pounds, or the Bat-
tersea gardeners more than about fifteen pounds
the acre : at least I never heard of higher rents
near our metropolis. Hard by this was a field
of clover standing for seed, which also bore so

6

Large I'ami/ics among the Irish Gentlemen. 1 39

complete a crop of docks that woe to the un-
fortunate purchasers of the produce.

Mr. Commissioner Wynne, brother to the
proprietor of Haslewood, has a charming villa
at Ilathmines. He corroborated Mr. Roper's
account of land letting even for twenty pounds
an acre in that neighbourhood. This gentle-
man has paid particular attention to the short
horned breed of cattle, some specimens of which,
that came under our observation, claimed kin-
dred with the best Durham breed.

In passing through Mr. Wynne's grounds, we
had the pleasure of meeting the younger bran-
ches of the family, their lovely healthy ap-
pearance made it impossible silently and in-
differently to pass them by. On our inquiring
of one of the female attendants the number of
the family, she replied with great naivete*,
" There are only eight, Sir." — In many other
instances we have noticed it as a prevailing
opinion, that any number of children in a family
under ten, or a dozen, is below the scale of ex-
pectancy.

The most adverse sensations are in this coun-
try exerted at the same instant, so closely are
opposites associated ! Whilst the eye is invited

14O Apparent beneficial Effects of the Union.

to splendor and magnificence, the heart recoils
from the most repulsive poverty. The seats of
opulence, and the cabins of indigence, are so
mixed and huddled together, that they force
on the mind a perpetual combat of feeling!
London and Dublin differ materially in this
respect. In the former, the different gradations
in society have each an appropriate station —
here, the meanest mechanic is found existing in
streets, where the highest ranks luxuriantly live.
Dublin perhaps equals London in objects of
splendor ; but it cannot compete with it in
point of comfort ; nor can, I believe, any other
place in the habitable world.

We had been put to such inconvenience for
change, that I resolved to avail myself of Mr.
Henry Curwen's polite offer of a quantity of
silver. Those who visit this country should be
provided with Bank of Ireland paper, as the
local notes have a limited circulation, and those
of the Bank of England are distrusted, in the
apprehension of their being forged.

The beneficial affects arising out of the Union
are now beginning to appear; the exchange
with England, till within these few months, has
been constantly against this country ; at this
moment it is five per cent in its favor. The
5

Excursion from Dublin to Howth. 141

superior rate of interest in Ireland, in con-
sequence of a deficiency of capital, is a great
check to all commercial pursuits.

Mr. Radcliffe obligingly offered to take me to
Howth ; and it was agreed we should breakfast
with Mr. Hutton, at whose manufactory we had
been so highly gratified, and who, on a small
scale, is an excellent farmer. From Mr. Hut-
ton's we paid a visit to Mr. Sayer, of Green
Road, who has a considerable farm, and soils to
a great extent. Twenty head of cattle, of dif-
ferent ages, were here soiled from the 3d of
May to the 8th of September on the produce of
seventeen acres of clover and meadow land.
Mr. Sayer's green crops, for Ireland, were mag-
nificent : he had nearly twenty acres of turnips,
of which half the quantity were Swedes, thirty
acres of potatoes, as many of beans, ten acres
of rape, and three of mangel wurzel, which,
with the clover, amounted to seventy-six acres
of green crops, and comprehended nearly one
third of the farm ; beside which, there were
forty-two acres of wheat, and twenty- two acres
of oats. The land had been greatly exhausted
at the time Mr. Sayer commenced his able
operations. The attention now bestowed to
the cleaning of the land will soon bring it

1 42 Inspect ionqf Mr.b 'ayersFarm at G reenRoad.

into the highest order, when it must become an
object of great interest to the agriculturist.
This is infinitely the best specimen of farming
I had yet seen in Ireland. We had here a
further evidence of the fertility of the soil.
The preparation for the bean crop, which, con-
sidering it was raised without manure, was a
very fair one, had been, twice ploughing, once
harrowing, and a little picking or weeding.
These operations were considered as sufficient,
not only to obtain an average crop of beans,
which the result justified, but ample to ensure
afterwards a good crop of wheat. Hoeing of
turnips is little understood; the earth is neither
cleansed from the roots of the plant, nor are
they set out at a sufficient distance from each
other. I could not resist borrowing a hoe from
one of the people at work, and giving them an
example of the manner in which turnip hoeing
should be executed : my attempt created much
surprise^ and satisfied the laborers as to one
point only, that it was a wanton waste of the
crop. I pressed the bailiff to proceed in the
same way with one stich only, that he might
hereafter be enabled to judge which was the
best method. I did not measure the blade or
edge of the hoe in use ; but as a width of ten
inches is not considered too much in the best

// 'hence Dublin might be supplied with Milk. 1 43

cultivated parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, I am
persuaded they could not be of this descrip-
tion, tod nd'

Mr. Sayer has a very good stock of Devon-
shire cattle and South Down sheep: his at-
tention was directed to the crossing of the lat-
ter with the Merino ; but as the experiment has
been made so fully and accurately, and lias so
completely failed, at Holkham, I was concerned
to see him engaged in an inexpedient measure.

A dairy, on the soiling system, might be
made highly profitable. The distance of Mr.
Sayer's farm is within reach for supplying Dub-
lin, where new milk sells at four-pence the
quart.

The rents paid for land are incredible ! Mr.
Talbot has ground let, for the purpose of
grazing, at the enormous sum of twenty pounds
an acre.

The obliging attention of Mr. Radclifte pro-
cured me the pleasure of inspecting the ancient
and celebrated castle of Malahidc, the seat of
Colonel Talbot, built in the reign of Henry the
Second. It is placed nearly in the centre of an
isthmus of about three miles in breadth, which

1 44 Cast'lc of Malahide.

unites the promontory of Howth to the main
land. The site of the castle is most happily
chosen both for beauty and defence ; the edifice
is a square building of three stories ; to the
west and south, it commands Howth — Dublin
Bay and the Wicklow mountains in the back
ground. To the north St. George's Channel,
the lands of Lamboy, and Ireland's Eye. The
castle, which is surrounded by some very fine
timber, has a basement story which is entirely
arched, and appropriated to offices, whence a
spacious stone stair-case leads to the upper
rooms. The first of which, a principal apart-
ment, remains in the ancient state ; it is wain-
scoted with oak, ornamented with much carv-
ing tolerably well executed ; one compartment
over the chimney-piece is of admirable work-
manship, and must, I should conceive, be of
more modern date than the rest.

There is something in objects of acknow-
ledged and manifest antiquity that never fails
to inspire respect. The lapse of years contrasts
eternity with our transient abode upon earth !
What we admire to day, millions, have done
homage to before us, and probably millions will
continue so to do when we are gone and for-
gotten ! The mock antique on the contrary,
stamped with the architect's impression of yesr

Great Improi-i th.

lay, has a direct opposite effect ; provoking
smiles by no means complimentary to the pro-
fundity of such Gothic fabricators.

The saloon adjoining to this tine specimen of
ancient magnificence, is a noble spacious apart-
ment fitted up in a handsome plain style, and
adorned with a number of good paintings,
among the most remarkable of which are some
portraits by Sir Peter Lely, in his best style.
The gloom of the former apartment, contrasted
with the gaiety of this, produced a pleasing
effect ; our view from the upper story we con-
sidered to be unrivalled.

An accident befalling one of our horses un-
fortunately detained us some time, and ren-
dered it wholly impossible to reach Howth —
this, on many accounts, was a great mortifi-
cation. Personally I feel to have great interest
in the improvements carrying on there, as likely
to be of importance to the prosperity of Cum-
berland. In all public works the Irish legis-
lature has displayed great magnificence ; the
operations both of nature and of art appear at
Howth to be on a great scale. Admitting the
pier to be completed, ships of any draught of
water will, at all times of tide, find security.
In gales of wind from the southward, our coal

VOL. II. L

1 4-6 Completion of Harbour and Pier.

ships are compelled at all hazards to cross the
bar, for the purpose of avoiding a lee-shore,
there being no place to which they can run for
safety. Numerous accidents have consequently
happened, and many lives been lost, with much
property. The most sanguine hopes are en-
tertained by many, of the successful completion
of the plan ; but as the general opinion is fre-
quently directed by the artifices of interested
persons, it is not surprising that the popular
opinion should not be in its favor. Many in-
dividuals cannot — still more will not, be at the
fatigue of judging for themselves. I recollect
an instance where the enlargement of a harbour
was opposed by all the seafaring people ; for-
tunately their opposition was unavailing, and in
a few years afterwards there was not a nautical
or other person conversant with the port, who
did not acknowledge it to be the greatest im-
provement that could have been effected.

Mr. Foster, to whom the greatest praise is
due for his laborious exertions in promoting
this undertaking, will, I sincely hope, long live
to receive the tribute of public gratitude to
which he is so justly entitled.

An attempt even to notice all the splendid
residences, and highly ornamented villas, which

Public Admiration regulated by Co*/. 147

we have seen in the course of this day's circuit
of thirty miles, would fill a volume. Many of the
gentlemen's seats and villas appeared to me
elegant, and extremely well kept : good and
bad taste, however, are found blended so often
together, that those who, depending on others,
venture on an extensive scale of decoration
must always hazard much ; in exemplification
of which, I might refer to the late Marquis of
Lansdowne's house in Berkeley-Square. The
lower suite of apartments were finished by Mr.
Adam, and adorned with all the riches of Her-
culaneum — the expense prodigious. Public ad-
miration, as is not unfrequently the case, was
in the exact proportion to the cost. A few
years afterwards, the Marquis fitted up the
upper suite of rooms in a style as remarkable
for simplicity, as the other was the reverse of it,
— the effect left no doubt to which the palm of
good taste belonged. Simplicity rarely offends,
whilst cumbrous ornament oppresses and fa-
tigues.

Merino, the seat of the late Lord Charlemont,
is very beautifully situated, commanding a most
interesting view of Dublin, of its bay, and of the
mountains of Wicklow. The drive by the side
of the bay presents a landscape of perpetual
change and enchantment.

L 2

148 Artifice in loading Hay and Straw.

On passing through the streets early this
morning, we met a number of Irish cars bring-
ing in hay, but loaded in so extraordinary a man-
ner, that I should have thought it a contest for
superiority in slovenliness. My companion was
much amused with my surprise, and explained
that it was mere trick which produced this
'apparent disorder. The cars were compelled
to bring in forty stone— this strange mode of
dressing up the load was intended to give an
appearance of increased bulk, and induce the
buyer to believe it exceeded the stipulated
weight. The same artifice was practised with
straw. It is alleged that this is one reason
for the farmer's decided preference of the Irish
car ; and if the fact be capable of proof, the
grounds of the partiality are as defective as the
merit of the vehicle. The hay which comes
into Dublin, like that which we have hitherto
met with, is soft, owing, as I have before ob-
served, to the manner in which it is treated after
the grass is mown ; we have seen very few
samples of good hay in the whole circuit we
have yet made.

Amongst the regrets which I shall never cease
to feel is the omission of seeing the cathedral
of St. Patrick, and the edifice perpetuating
the memory of its patriotic Dean, which is said

Cathedral of St. Patrick. 1 <19

to possess considerable merit as a piece of sculp-
ture. As the zealous — the sincere friend to his
country, I should have been most happy to
have contemplated his monument, had it been
ever so homely ! Adieu.

j« \^» \^*

15O

LETTER XLVII.

.

Dublin, Sept. 24-, 1813.

OUR setting out having been delayed some
hours by an accident affords me an opportunity
of again addressing you from the metropolis.

From every account I had heard of Dublin,
I was prepared to expect much inconvenience
from the common beggars in the streets : how
it has happened I cannot tell, but we certainly
have had but little to complain of in this re-
spect. Possibly these itinerants imitate their
superiors, and migrate during summer, or that
the facility of obtaining work during the time of
harvest, renders the precarious mode of pro-
curing a subsistence by begging unnecessary.

Most of the writers on the state of Ireland
agree in representing the protestant inhabitants
as more industrious than the catholic. I admit
the fact, but I must deny the inferences at-
tempted to be drawn from it. Religious pre-
judices having shut the catholic out of divers

Difficulties attendant on Catholicism. 151

sources of employment, he has become chained
as it were to the spot where first he drew his
breath, and is compelled there to lead a ve-
getative life; the difficulties which surround
him exclude all hope of bettering his con-
dition, which he daily observes animating his
protestant brethren. At an early age the pa-
ternal roof ceases to afford the wonted shelter
and support : narrowed in his present views,
and cut off from all prospective expectation, the
immediate object of his senses is a wife — his fu-
ture happiness a cabin. Here an additional tie
is contracted to bind him to the sod at his
door ; he becomes content to exist, and be idle.
Justly to charge the laborious orders with idle-
ness generally, as their characteristic, it would
first be necessary to show that industry is an
innate principle of action — on the contrary
it is created by capital — nursed by example, and
matured by habit. The activity of the most
busy scene is not imputable to any superior
energy in the minds of the respective indivi-
duals, but may be referred to the existing cause
of genius combined with enterprise and capital,
diffusing a stimulus, that, not unlike the glorious
presence of the sun, spreads widely round, and
from a puny beginning soon becomes no less re-
spectable in its influence, than in its extended
blessings to the human race. It would also be

1 52 Labor of Agriculture done by married Men.

necessary to show that when the Irish have it in
their power to labor, they idly refuse to work.
To be able to perform a fair day's work, men
must have been in the habit of labor : many of
the Irish, during their lives, have had no op-
portunity of being constantly employed, and
from the want of muscular powers produced
by use, they are at first unequal to the con-
tinued exertion of a complete day's labor. Prac-
tice, and not inclination, is alone wanting to
make such parties equal as workmen to their
associates. The numerous instances, which for
years have fallen under my own observation,
justify me in stating, that on their first arrival
from their own country, they cannot easily for-
get the long-handled shovel, and the lay, in
the application of which they retain an erect
posture ; yet a short time is sufficient to make
most of them expert laborers on the surface, as
well as good miners under ground, with the tools
of the country.

Agricultural labor, which is the great source
of occupation in Ireland, is, as I have men-
tioned in a former letter, almost exclusively
performed by the married men, because it be-
comes a sort of barter between them and their
employers ; and the value of it, instead of being-
paid in money, is set against rent and somp

Few unmarried Servants employed. 1 5S

little produce. Supposing that in England
tlivrc be required two and an half persons fur
the cultivation of every hundred acres — that
,:t\ millions are there under tillage, and
that four-fifths of the servants are unmarried
persons of both sexes ; it would follow that
there are two millions of situations open to the
rising population. Ireland, containing eighteen
millions of acres, with probably ten in cultiva-
tion, does not employ, of unmarried servants,
more than two to five hundred acres, or about
four thousand single persons. This is a most
serious evil, and has its origin in the subdivision
of the land. The minute distribution of pro-
perty among tenants without capital, cannot
contribute either to general prosperity or hap-
piness. To be enabled to pay the enormous
rents, which competition in the laborious orders
from time to time occasions, they are perpetually
struggling with difficulties, and submitting to
privations, far greater than are endured by the
working classes in any other part of the empire,
and to which, as rational beings, they ought
not to be subjected.

Adverting to the few sources of employment,
and the little excitement in the catholics to in-
dustry, it must be recollected, that the nobility,
clergy, army, and all official persons, com*

6

154 Evil of encouraging Settlers on Estates.

prehend, as a part of the aggregate, a large por-
tion of the wealth of the country. I think it
probable that the number of servants in these
classes are in a ra*tio directly opposite to that
of the number employed by persons of the
catholic persuasion. All power and patronage,
all the subordinate offices of the state, are
filled by protestants, whilst the army and navy,
in a high degree, contribute to relieve that
community from all surplus in its population —
not only by the bright, though sometimes de-
lusive colourings of hope, which encourage the
son to challenge the path his father has suc-
cessfully trodden ; but to break through a spell,
which otherwise, like their catholic neighbours,
would rivet them to home.

The landed proprietors in various parts of
Ireland have also contributed to augment the
evil by encouraging settlers on their estates,
with a view to advance their annual rental, or
with a desire to obtain influence at the elec-
tions.

Population is unquestionably riches when duly
restricted, and when proportionate to the abi-
lity possessed of giving employment. But
when these essentials are wanting, the greater
part of its members become drones in the hive ;

1

Happy Consequences of a Place of Won* hip. 1 55

consuming the honey which they can con-
tribute nothing in acquiring. Satisfied as I am,
that Catholicism does not preclude, nor is any
impediment to industry, where exertion pre-
vails, I have often lamented the extreme ignor-
ance and bigotry of many of the lower Irish
with whom I have met. Few indeed of the
parties who have come under my notice could
either read or write ; and though great num-
bers became resident at Workington, such was
their poverty, that, until assistance was afforded
by the liberality of the town, they had no place
of worship. Since the catholic chapel has been
built, the happy consequences resulting from
it have been truly gratifying : as order and
good behaviour speedily distinguished the cha-
racters of those, whose former conduct had
been notoriously the reverse.

In the contemplation of so important a pub-
lic question, as by what means can the sad con-
dition of the lower Irish be improved, we
may be assured that neither from any defect in
the corporeal powers of the people, nor from
their religious persuasions, can any impediment
arise.

The experiment made at Workington, and,
doubtless, were they sought for, many others

1 56 Capital and productive Employments.

equally satisfactory would appear, serves to
show, that after all that has been said and
written on this most interesting subject, there
is but one mean by which so large a proportion
of our fellow subjects can be rescued from a
state of wretchedness, as disgraceful to the
policy of Ireland, as it is derogatory to the
government of the British empire. The pre-
sent moment is certainly not a propitious one
for entering on any direct plan to effect this
most desirable end ; but in the event of a
happy termination of the present universal con-
test, when the capital which is now engaged in
objects of national warfare shall cease to be
demanded, and shall wait the enterprise of
agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and the
peaceful arts of the country — then will the
happy period arrive, when the miseries of the
Irish peasantry may all be forgotten in their
constant employment.

Blind indeed must be that prejudiced in-
dividual, who for a moment could doubt the
unlimited felicity which such a change would
confer on myriads of our fellow creatures, and
pn the national honor and prosperity ! Adieu.

J. C. C.

157

LETTER XLVIII.

Ardbrackcn, Sept. 25, 1813.

(/UK road to Woodlands, the seat of Mr.
White, took us through the Phoenix Park. A
question has arisen as to the most appropriate
spot for the erection of a triumphal arch to
commemorate the victories of Lord Wellington.
Such objects have a double effect ; first, to dis-
charge a debt of gratitude due from the present
generation — secondly, to inspire future times
with admiration of superior military talents,
and thus to generate a spirit of heroism. With
this view and these hopes, a site ought to be
chosen where it may bring the edifice as much
as possible within the constant observation of
those engaged in warlike pursuits. The rising
ground in the Phoenix Park appears to be well
adapted for the purpose. Handsome as Lord
Nelson's pillar certainly is, it is not in its pro-
per situation in Sackville-street. The hill of
Howth would have been more in character ;
every vessel visiting the port would then have

158 View of Dublin from Phccnix Park.

had an opportunity of paying the tribute of ad-
miration to the memory of that gallant hero.

From the Phoenix Park is obtained a grand
and extensive view of Dublin ; and, taking it
altogether, it has few if any rivals in point of
prospect.

The road to Lucan possesses little beauty —
the town still less. Here we crossed the Liffey.
A handsome bridge of one arch, over it, is just
completed. The banks of the river are beau-
tiful, and finely wooded.

We had the good fortune to overtake a gen-
tleman who conducted us through Mr. White's
improvements ; the grounds are very pictur-
esque, and are adorned with a profusion of fine
timber. The house is Gothic, and when com-
pleted will be a most splendid residence. The
proprietor of this estate affords further proof of
what may be accomplished in this country by
industry and ability — by his own efforts and
merits he has acquired a very large landed pro-
perty. On leaving Woodland this morning we
saw a number of handsome villas, and the grand
canal which passes within a mile of Mr. White's
domain.

nbasomc Dress of Ploughmen, ^c. 1.59

To Donsn v, nine miles, the country is very
flat, and the soil of a strong quality. Great
numbers of persons were busily employed in
getting their wheat crops into the ground.
Early sowing on cold lands is assuredly an ad-
vantageous practice. Great pains appeared to
be bestowed in cleaning and keeping the fur-
rows open ; the long-handled shovel answers
well for this purpose, as it enables the workman
to spread what is taken out equally over the
ridge. In some instances we observed the
space intended for the furrow left unploughed,
in order to give the lands on each side a greater
covering.

Several yokes of oxen were working four in a
plough ; each pair had a driver, who, loaded
with a trusty, and armed with a ponderous
shelala, made a grotesque appearance. How
the extreme absurdity of such an equipment
should fail of provoking the derision of a peo-
ple so alive to ridicule is my astonishment ! If
the poor beasts groaned under the heavy weight
they had to drag, well might their conductors
under their cumbrous appointments. Although
the practice on reflection occasioned very dif-
ferent feelings, yet at the moment it was im-
possible to repress a laugh. How comes it

160 Meath and West Meath.

about, that no one corrects such evident ab-
surdities, and sets a better example ? All suffer
by it. General ignorance is the only apology
for its continuance. I know from experience
the difficulty of dissuading an Irishman — yet
laughing at him has never failed to carry the
point of laying aside his trusty.

I was led to hope we were now approaching
a country where we should be gratified with
the sight of some good farming. Meath and
West Meath are considered to be among the
best cultivated counties in Ireland. Limestone
gravel pervades the greater part of both, and is
a valuable application to the soil, which is of a
strong nature. Clayey soils are capable of being
made very productive by capital, but suit not
the little farmer in needy circumstances.

I have found much difficulty in comprehend-
ing what I hear of the produce per acre. It is
stated by the barrel of one hundred weight, and is
certainly the most accurate mode of ascertain-
ing the value of a crop of grain. The pro-
duce of the land is here generally below what it
ought to be under a good system of manage-
ment; but when insufficient labor and manure
bestowed upon it are taken into consideration,

Grtut Sufferings from Want of Fuel. 161

it is considerable. Very little grain remains
uncut ; so early a harvest has not occurred for
many years.

The farms are said to be larger here than in

most districts. All the farming operations,

however, appeared to be executed in a slovenly

manner, especially those of stacking and sowing

the crops, which must subject the tenants to

very serious loss. The rent of the land is from

two to three pounds per acre. The fences,

which are mostly naked banks without thorns

or furze, are very insufficient. The Irish car

seems to be almost the only vehicle in use ; and

while the cabins composed of clay have a most

miserable appearance, the high price of fuel

contributes greatly to the hardships of their

wretched occupiers. Women and children

were observed to be employed in pulling up

weeds, and drying them for firing ; they

are glad to collect stubble, or any thing else

that may create a momentary warmth. Let

the luxuriance of the soil be ever so great, it

affords no counterpoise in favor of the cottier,

against the benumbing effects of cold. Here

population is not entirely in the ratio of food

only — but in that of food and fuel.

We visited a cabin in the neighbourhood of

VOL. II. M

162 Description of a Cottiers Family at Dinner.

Navan, about four o'clock, and found the family
at dinner. The party consisted of a man, his
wife, and seven children. Potatoes, their only
fare, were served in a wooden bowl on a stool ;
the elder children ate with their parents, the
younger feasted out of an iron pot on the floor.
Appetite seemed to give a relish to the food,
while a small jug of butter-milk was -reserved
to crown and complete the repast. In reply
to some inquiries I made as to his wages, the
poor fellow observed, " Our fare is well enough,
and satisfies us all ; my only concern is, that )
cannot earn sufficient to cover the nakedness oi
these poor children ; could I clothe them, I
should be happy !" The whole family, it is true,
was indeed in a most ragged condition — pity it
should be so ! It is not in appearance only they
suffer, but real misery must be endured by
each individual, from the severity of cold. By
the aid of his pig, and what manure the chil-
dren could collect from the road, he was an-
nually enabled to plant about a rood of po-
tatoes, for which he paid after the rate of five
pounds an acre for the land j but when ma-
nure is furnished by the landlord, the rent is
doubled.

The hopeless despondency which seemed to
pervade the hearts of this poor family, spoke in

Their apparent hopeless Despondency. 168

most emphatic, though painful language, to our
feelings — deeply is their lot to be lamented,
and the more- as it arises out of circumstances
they have neither ability to correct, nor power
to control, and which there is little reason to
hope can be easily remedied.

It has been the fashion to impute all evil to
the state, and to look for all good from that
source. Doubtless there is much to condemn
in the mistaken policy by which this country
has been so long governed ; yet, a great part
of the evils so justly complained of, spring from
the encouragement given by the proprietors to
the increase of an excessive population, in par-
celling out their estates into such small allot-
ments. The facility of procuring food does not,
ultimately, here prove to be a blessing ; if any
means could be devised for checking this ex-
traordinary advance of the population in Ire-
land, it would be highly beneficial ; but how
and when this check is to be made to operate
seems a difficult problem. In almost every dis-
trict, the cabins seem to be multiplying; the
necessary consequence of increasing inhabit-
ants ; the evil is thus hourly becoming greater,
and daily less remediable. Any hasty innova-
tion would involve in so much misery a great
part of the laborious orders, and bring so much

M 2

1 6* Substantial Relief difficult.

embarrassment on their superiors, that J almost
despair of seeing any general substantial me-
lioration afforded to the former, because I can-
not perceive any advantage likely to be derived
by the latter ; few of whom could command
capital sufficient to consolidate their estatei
into such farms as would tempt parties with
competent means to become their tenants, were
there no other difficulty to be surmounted.

It is truly grievous to contemplate ages of
suffering to the richest and most productive
part of the empire. Adieu.

J. \*>t V/«

LETTER XLIX.

Ardbracken, Sept. 25, 1813.

A LEISURE moment this evening affords me
a second opportunity of addressing you to-day.
The pleasure 1 experienced on the renewal of
my acquaintance with the amiable and estimable
residents iu this mansion, was heightened by
the kind reception and welcome we received —
and I could not but gratefully feel and ex-
press how much I had become their debtor for
being the primary cause of my pleasurable visit
to Ireland ; from which I had derived such
gratification as called forth my warmest ac-
knowledgments. Admirers of Ireland them-
selves, they cordially partook of the sentiments
felt and expressed by my friend and myself.

Ardbracken is a modern edifice, erected by
the former Bishop on a plan of the late Dr.
Beaufort ; which unites much internal comfort
with great external beauty and simple ele-
gance, well designed and appropriated for the
residence of so considerable a dignitary of the

J 66 Land let in Con-acres.

church. The grounds are laid out with great
taste, and the luxuriant growth of the trees and
shrubs affords incontestable evidence of the
fertility of the soil. The after-math was equal
to any production of the kind I ever beheld :
the meadow in the front of the house, which I
particularly admired, had been for a succession
of years annually cut for hay.

It is a practice in many parts of Ireland to
let land in con-acre* ; when held under this de-
nomination, the tenants, as I observed in a for-
mer letter, are under no control as to the mode
of cropping or treatment of their farms. In
these cases the rents are always high, extending
from eight to ten pounds the acre. Reasoning
from the experience acquired in England, one
might fearlessly pronounce that such practices
as this system not only permits, but encourages,
must be destructive to the land. This, how-
ever, is not here the case ; for a little rest re-
stores it to its pristine fertility and friability, and
enables it to receive all the meliorating influ-
ences of the atmosphere. In this circumstance
appears an essential difference between the soils
of England and Ireland.

These contractors for con-acres naturally avail
themselves of the greatest possible benefit they

Bishop of Meath a Friend to Agriculture. 167

can derive from the land, wholly regardless of
all future consequences.

I had great difficulty in believing that so ex-
traordinary a tenure could be practically ad-
mitted ; but I have heard so many instances
of it, that I cannot doubt the fact, though it
militates against all experience.

The Bishop of Meath has been a warm and
zealous friend to agriculture : some years ago
he was a great tillage farmer, as well as an ex-
tensive breeder of the long horned cattle. The
disturbed state of the country, and his sub-
sequent absence, induced his Lordship to re-
linquish his farm : his return may, I hope, re-
novate the Agricultural Society which formerly
existed, and again encourage a spirit for fann-
ing and rural improvements.

The attention paid by his Lordihip to the
comforts of the cottiers is highly pleasing j to
each cabin is attached an acre of meadow, half
an acre for the growth of potatoes, and an
acre for grazing a cow, equal to three English
acres : the rent of the whole, including the
cabin, is no more than four pounds fifteen
shillings. The wages in the six summer months
is one shilling, in the winter months ten pence

168 Criterion of luxuriant Soils.

a day. The earnings of a laborer for the twelve
months amount to about sixteen guineas, which,
with his profit from the land in his occupation,
worth about four pounds, give him an income
of about twenty guineas a year ; and few Irish
laborers are so comfortably situated. At task
work, the earnings are after the rate of ten
shillings and sixpence for cutting an acre
of oats, and five shillings for mowing an acre
of meadow. Those who are so fortunate as to
occupy such tenements, and have constant
work, consider themselves as being highly blessed
and successful. The attention paid in collecting
what soil may be obtained from the public
roads, shows the value set on manure for
the potatoe crop. The fences, generally
speaking, are very bad ; care alone is necessary
to make them excellent, as the white thorn
may be produced in the highest perfection.

Some persons who are pleased to amuse
themselves, repeat an observation, that has been,
attributed to Dr. Coventry, of whom it may
justly be said that there is no one better, if there
be any one equally skilled, in all matters apper-
taining to husbandry; that he judged of the
fertility, luxuriance, and value of a soil, by the
size and strength of the ragwort. If this be
admitted as a fair criterion, the soil of the

Beau-park. 1 69

county of Mcatli is entitled to rank high
indeed in point of excellence.

We drove this morning to Beau-park, ten
miles on the southern bank of the Boyne, to
visit Mr. Lambert. The situation is beautiful ;
the rocks and wood on the banks of the river
highly romantic, with a termination of the pro-
spect by a full view of Slane's Castle. Mr.
Lambert is a very spirited farmer ; from his in-
timate acquaintance with Holkham, he has had
opportunities of becoming fully convinced of
the benefits resulting from good management.
The soil on which he has to operate is in
general good, and well adapted to the turnip
husbandry ; though the quantity of land under
green crops, when compared with the stock on
the farm, appeared to me insufficient. The
farming offices are commodious ; the stack*
yard did great credit to the husbandmen. In
no situation can an example of good farming
be more required ; as much of this rich district
is most miserably cultivated and overrun with
weeds.

Navan is a neat little town, and, within these
few years, has become a considerable market
for grain, in consequence of the facility given
to the transportation of it, by the canal to
Progheda. To the spirited exertions of one

1 70 Spirited Exertions of Mr. Codd.

individual, Mr. Matthew Codd, the country is
highly indebted ; this gentleman is largely
concerned in the distilleries of Drogheda, and
has not only greatly contributed towards pro-
moting the corn trade at Navan, but has set
the neighbourhood a good example in the
management of a farm he occupies, and the
use of the Scotch cart, which he has the merit
of introducing.
•

I am not disposed to quarrel with the farmer
lor being slow in adopting the practices of
gentlemen agriculturists. They, no doubt, apply
to others, what has often been said to myself
that I " might do what I liked," meaning, I
suppose, that I might play the fool without
incurring the penalty attached to my folly ;
as the expense which would not be seriously
felt in my case, might be ruinous to others.
This is fair reasoning ; it is indispensably
necessary that farmers should have convincing
proof of the value of experiments by gentle-
men, before they embark in. them ; but the
success of intelligent persons in their own line
will naturally have due weight on their minds,
and tend to remove their inveterate prejudices
against every new species of improvement, how-

ever advantageous. Adieu,

.1. C. C.

171

LETTER L.

Ardbracken, SepU 26, 1813.

J. HE episcopal chapel is at a short distance
from the palace ; the church, though small, is
neat, the congregation by no means numerous.
The duty on Sundays does not commence till
twelve o'clock, which precludes an evening
service in winter. A disposition to late hours
seems to pervade all ranks in Ireland : the
value of time is known only to those who are
fully occupied.

The disorders which had so long prevailed in
the established church had been a source of
regret to its friends ; — the obstacles to a correc-
tion of them, many and powerful. Notwith-
standing the odium and unpopularity attending
the attempt, the Bishop of Meath has, in his
diocese, done much towards a reform. Above
thirty churches and parsonage houses have been
built and repaired. The strict regularity with
which residence has been enforced, lias ob-
tained his Lordship the approbation of every
1

172 Residence of Clergy strictly enforced.

candid individual. Whether it may have the
effect of promoting the cause of protestantism
is doubtful ; but that it will remove a stigma
from the establishment cannot be questioned.

After service we visited a charter school.
These institutions were established by an act
of the Irish Parliament, in 1733, for the in-
struction of the children of popish and other
poor persons, in the English language, and, for
a time, were employed as a political instrument
for the conversion of the catholics. In 1775,
the board, under whose direction they were
regulated, resolved to admit none but catholic
children : experience soon proved the inefficacy
of this determination, and in 1803 it was re-
scinded. The board became ashamed of the
means resorted to for making proselytes ; and
the execrations attending their efforts excited
a general aversion and dislike to these charter
schools, which are not considered as seminaries
for instruction, but as traps for making pro-
testants, by practising on the poverty of
parents, who, tempted by the maintenance of
their children, connive at their being brought up
in an adverse religious persuasion. According
to the principle on which these establishments
were founded, poor persons' children were to
be educated without being required to sub*
6

Charter Schools. 173

scribe to the doctrines of the established
church ; for, supported as they are out of the
public funds, they ought to be open to all
classes, instead of being monopolized by a
seventh part of the community.

The children are comfortably loged, well
taken care of, and considerable attention is
bestowed on their instruction. The neighbour-
ing gentlemen act as visitors ; and every Sunday
a minute is made of the condition of the school
and improvement of the scholars for the in-
spection of the board. On some occasions,
the official inspector and the visitors have dis-
agreed ; and on the board supporting the party
of its own appointment, the visitors have
seceded, and abandoned the school to the
direction of the inspector. The boys read
tolerably well under the old method of teaching;
in favor of which the inspector is so pre-
possessed, that he assured me lie did not
believe that the old system is capable of
improvement. It is scarcely to be credited
that any individual, holding such a station in
life, could be so totally unacquainted with
what is passing in the world, and which has
excited so much inquiry in his own particular
vocation.

The revenue of these charter schools, arising

1 74 Schools on the Plan of Bell and Lancaster

from public grants and private legacies, amouir. >
to above thirty thousand pounds per annum :
great abuses are suspected to have taken place
in the administration of these funds, which
have not in all cases, perhaps, been corrected.
The number of children educated is calculated
at two thousand, at an expense of fourteen
pounds each.

Schools in most of the great towns are esta-
blishing on the systems of Dr. Bell or Mr.
Lancaster; and as the gospel is now put into
the hands of so large a portion of the rising
generation, this diffusion of knowledge must
be attended with the happiest effects. The
•universal principles of charity and forbearance,
so conspicuous in the doctrines of the Redeemer
of mankind, cannot fail to make an impression,
and to soften down those asperities so repugnant
to the professions of the Christian religion.
Should the catholic be happily induced to wave
his disinclination to the instruction of his
children in the English Old and New Testament,
it would, in my opinion, remove one of the most
formidable of the objections to Catholicism —
that of keeping the people of that pursuasiou
in a state of utter darkness and lamentable
ignorance. The advantages of education not
long ago were forcibly impressed on my con-
sideration by a poor Irishman, whom I was

vj Importance to the rising Generation. 175

admonishing, in consequence of his getting
into a riot from intoxication. " Very true, Sir,
I am much to blame, but perhaps more to be
pitied; education has given you, Sir, the
power of controlling your passions ; the want of
it makes me a slave to mine."

Within the last twenty years, more extra-
ordinary events have been crowded together
than the civilized world ever before witnessed.
Great as have been the political revolutions
of states, they bear no comparison to the
changes reasonably to be anticipated in the
moral condition of society in consequence of
the diffusion of knowledge, now so rapidly
extending over the face of the habitable part
of the universe. Man will no longer remain
ignorant of the unerring principles of truth
and natural religion ; these will teach him his
indispensable duty to his God ; while by the
Gospel and Sacred Writings, he will become
well-educated in his.social duty and obligations
to his fellow creatures. The distinguished
lead which Britain has taken in this glorious
k will immortalize her name, when all her
victories shall be forgotten.

I purpose writing again before we leave
hospitable roof; till when, adieu. . :

J. C. C.

176

LETTER Li.

Ardbracken, Sept. 27, 1813.

??E paid a visit this morning to Somerville,
the seat of Sir Marcus Somerville, about nine
miles from this place. Some very fine old
timber adds greatly to the respectability and
consequence of the house; the situation of
which is high and commanding, and the soil
well calculated for the turnip husbandry.

The farming offices in this neighbourhood
are more extensive than any we had before
observed. The farmers were busily employed
in stacking their grain, and in wheat sowing on
their fallows. It is not uncommon here to have
seven crops of oats in succession ; instances
are reported of lands being thus employed for
twenty years without interruption ; and what
renders this fact still more remarkable, the
latter crops are said to have been productive,
and profitable. Old grass lands are considered
equal to the growth of potatoes without manure,
and to the production of four or five crops of

Benevolence of the Bishop of Meath. 1 77

oats afterwards. A gentleman, who occupies
a considerable farm in the neighbourhood,
amused me by stating that he had already taken
from his land five or six white crops ; — that he
thought of doing something by way of me-
lioration to the soil, and was disposed to sow
the next crop of oats with clover as preparative
to manuring it ; which, I afterwards under-
stood, was to be effected by a dressing of hot
lime. Fortunate indeed are the proprietors
and occupiers of soils capable of sustaining
a system of such exhaustion. The common
rotation of cropping is wheat, oats, fallow,
potatoes, clover, all without the application of

any manure !

-

The Bishop of Heath's domain contains
some excellent land ; the farms are small, and
principally let in con-acres by the year, at a
rent of eight pounds per annum. The atten-
tion paid to the comforts of the lower orders
surrounding the palace does great credit to
the feelings and humanity of his Lordship.
Greatly is the possessor of wealth to be pitied
whose pursuits are exclusively directed to the
search after gratifications of a sensual descrip-
tion. To confer and promote the happiness of
others, is to a benevolent mind the most en-
vfable prerogative of riches. The warmth

VOL. II. N

178 Urbanity of the Bishop of Meat h.

which emanates from the sun gives an anima-
tion to all created beings, in which every eye
luxuriates ! Gratitude for kindnesses received
conveys to the heart of him who bestows a
substantial self gratulation which the sensualist
has no power to conceive or means to pro-
cure 1

It would be difficult to place a princely re-
venue under the administration of a philan-
thropist who, in its judicious disposal, would
display greater benevolence and urbanity than
the Bishop of Meath ! In this tribute to the
amiable qualities of my friend, I make no
sacrifice of my sincerity to his excellence and
worth ! yet there are points on which I have
the misfortune; to dissent most decidedly from
him j but in doing so I am willing to do full justice
tp his conscientious notions ; and am ready to
admit, that such wonderful circumstances have
taken place in modern times, as should induce
the most confident to entertain great doubts on
any national speculative question.

The practice of this house is highly becoming
the sacred office executed under its roof.
Prayers are read by his Lordship morning and
evening so entirely without affectation, and
with so proper a regard to what is fit and

Introduction to far. Etfgcworth. 179

right to be done, that the service cannot be
attended without inspiring an earnest desire
that the custom prevailed in every family.
The time occupied is not of such duration as
to interfere either with the pleasure or business
of the heads of the house, or the duty of their
dependants and servants.

We were so fortunate as to meet with Mrs.
Ruxton, sister to Mr. Edgeworth, who, learning
our route, and justly anticipating the wish we
must naturally have for an opportunity of pay-
ing our compliments to a family so highly re-
spected, kindly favored us with an introduc-
tion.

However strange it may appear, there are
persons in Ireland much disposed to find fault
with Miss Edgeworth for exposing the foibles
of her countrymen. They affect to consider this
as a want of due partiality to her native land.
Ridicule in general is the most powerful and
successful rod for the correction of folly : some-
times it succeeds where the soundest reasoning
and most persuasive admonition would be treat-
ed with indifference. The judgment must be
greatly perverted indeed which is not alive to
the warm and generous sympathy that dictates
all the effusions of Miss Edgeworth' s pen.

N 2

1 80 Affinity of the Irish to their Soil.

The public in modern times has been power-
fully influenced and acted on by a low species
of humor — political caricatures j which have
had an operation beyond what the most per-
suasive representation of the same subject
could have produced. As far as I may be per-
mitted to judge, I should vouch for the traits
of Irish character to be no less correctly, than
ably, and without exaggeration, drawn by the
hand of Miss Edge worth.

I cannot help considering the Irish and their
soil as bearing a great affinity to each other.
The natural luxuriance of each is productive
of much unprofitable exuberance, which due
cultivation would restrain, and render useful
and excellent to both.

I have hitherto studiously avoided noticing
any of the occurrences connected with the
Rebellion. All parties have so much reason for
regret that every reference to so painful a sub-
ject must occasion the most distressing recol-
lections. When the passions of men become
heated, and power exempted from respon-
sibility is placed in their hands, too often they
act without regard to humanity. The instant
the protection .of the law was withdrawn, the
character of the nation suffered an important

Reflections on the late Rebellion. 181

change. Ferocity on one side soon produced
revenge on the other. Though every thing at
present has a tranquil appearance, the calm
is not, I fear, accompanied with any con-
fidence in its permanence. Every idle rumor
spreads widely, and indicates an apprehension
that revolt may again produce its devastating
effects. We were perpetually questioned as to
the state and disposition in which we had found
the country. Can a state be said to be assured
of its security, where the inhabitants generally,
are discontented and miserable ? With a mo-
derate distribution of the necessaries of life,
the aggregate of mankind, who do not reason
deeply, would be disposed to be content. This
assumption is particularly applicable to Ireland,
where the bulk of the people look little beyond
the present moment ; for, until their sufferings
become insupportable, their eyes are shut
against them ; but where real grievances exist,
which are supposed to be remediable by the
government only, there will naturally be created
a disposition to receive, right or wrong, every
injurious impression, and to impute the cause
and origin of all the ills endured, to the ad-
ministration of state affairs. The mutual pre-
judices of both persuasions sanction the idle
and malicious tales of each ; and while the
Orangeman accuses the catholic of a design to

4

182 General Disposition to Peacefulness,

destroy him and the whole race of protestants,
the catholic dreads fire and extermination from
the orangeman. The blame imputable to such
conduct ought not to be equally divided. The
ignorance of the catholic affords some excuse
for his implicit reliance on preposterous ca-
lumnies ; but the same apology cannot be
offered for the orangeman, in whose com-
munity are to be found education, liberality,
rank, and fortune, competent to the inculcation
of very different sentiments, and to the dis-
suasion from all uncharitable acts or opinions.
Proofs in abundance are not wanting that kind
and considerate treatment, alone, insured se-
curity to Ireland, in the midst of all the horrors
of the late civil war ; yet are there those who
reprobate the conduct of Lord Cornwallis, and
tax his administration with imbecility and folly,
for having saved their country by his humanity
and forbearance.

As far as we were enabled to form any judg-
ment, the people generally appeared disposed
to be quiet. A new confederacy, however, has
unhappily arisen in West Meath ; the misguided
associates of which are distinguished by the
denomination of carders, from an instrument
used in flax dressing, called a card ; with which
individuals who may be so unfortunate as to

in the Neighbourhood of Mullingar. 183

fall under their displeasure are punished.
This association originated in the neighbour-
hood of Mullingar, in consequence of the priests
raising their fees for confessions, masses, &c.
Whatever at the commencement might be the
ostensible cause for complaint, it soon became
the means of gratifying private malice. Those
who complied hazarded the resentment of the
carders, and much cruelty has in various in-
stances been inflicted. The assigned cause fot
these outrages demonstrates the declining in-
fluence of the priests ; who, I really believe,
have weight only as they conform to the ge-
neral predominant feeling of the people, and
that their voice becomes very unimportant when
they oppose such disposition.

Adieu : we start to-morrow for Lord Farn-
ham's ; and the Bishop sets out at the same
time on a visit of confirmation to the southern
part of his diocese.

J. C. Cj

181

LETTER LII.

Cavan, Sept. 28, 1813.

J ULLY impressed with the truth of the maxim
that " he who gains time gains every thing," we
have constantly set out early ; and this morning
we were in the carriage before five.

This practice not only facilitates a long jour-
ney, but, where a remote point is to be reached,
the traveller is enabled to avoid those accidents
which frequently occur in journeys by night.

The five miles to Kells took us through a
rich country, almost entirely devoted to the pro-
duction of corn. We passed Lord Headfort's
place, which is most legibly marked with the
ruinous effects of absenteeship : — it was not
necessary to be told that the estate was deserted
by its owner. The plantations are extensive^
and in a thriving condition.

Kells is a neat little town ; the approach to it
very handsome. At the southern extremity of
the church-yard is a fine round tower. The

Crops of Grain still uncut. 185

cabins bear painful testimony of the poverty of
the inhabitants, which is here increased by the
scarcity and consequent price of fuel. The
Archdeacon's residence, at a short distance from
the town, appears to be a charming spot.

In the ten miles to Virginia a material change
takes place in the soil, from a deep loam to a
sharp gravel, on which the crops of grain ap-
pear to have been but indifferent. Lough
Vernes is a large piece of water, in which there
are a few scattered islands ; the southern shore
is bold, but it has no decided beauty. Virginia,
in itself, is but a poor place ; and its surround-
ing neighbourhood indicates the same wretched,
ness. Some grain still remained uncut, whilst
that which was stacked was so ill secured that
great loss must be unavoidable.

When it is understood that the rent of the
land is from twenty shillings to forty shillings
an acre, it is difficult to account for such un-
pardonable neglect. The public carriers have
mostly adopted the Scotch cart, but the farmers
continue the use of the Irish car. In several
instances we, observed the wheat sown on the
surface, and turned in with the plough ; in
others, a portion of the land was left unploughcd,
and this was thrown over the sown stitch witU

1 86 Overtake a Methodist Preacher,

the shovel. This practice may be valuable
where the soil is shallow, as it affords the seed a
better covering ; but I understood it was done
at the costly expense of twenty shillings an acre.

As we left Virginia we met the catholic
Bishop of Meath coming into the town ; and
notwithstanding the road was extremely wet and
dirty, every catholic, of either sex, bent the
knee* and implored his blessing. He was going
to consecrate a chapel in the neighbourhood,
and was to confirm afterwards the numbers \\ e
met in the road to attend him.

We had thirteen miles to Cavan : the first
part of the road was mountainous, the soil poor,
and very ill cultivated. Lord Farnham has
here a park, containing some hundred acres, in
the wildest part of the country: it does not
possess a tree or any other shelter for the deer.
Were this country well planted, it would have
a very different appearance. The fences are
miserable, and every object proclaims the po-
verty of the inhabitants.

We overtook a Methodist preacher who is
settled at Bolen, a small village about mid-way
to Cavan. Mr. Cummins, the landlord, has re-
built a considerable part of the place, and the

who compla(ne4 i>f lllUwge front heCatholics. \ 87

inhabitants are in debt to this gentleman for the
erection of a Methodist chapel. The officiating
minister complained of the indocility of the ca-
tholics, ami the violence used by their priests
towards such as attempted to attend his meeting.
He stated several instances in which the priests
had recourse to blows, for the purpose of dis-
persing the catholics from his chapel. I know
from experience how ready persons of this de-
scription are to avail themselves of the cry of
persecution against them : yet every honest at-
tempt to improve the morals, and otherwise
benefit mankind, is certainly highly commend-
able.

Whether more evil or good has arisen to the
community from the introduction of Methodism
admits of doubt. From what I have seen of
these sectaries, I am not prepossessed in their
favor, and candidly acknowledge I wish any
acceptable means could be devised to lessen
their influence, and bring back the people to a
due respect for the established church. In
many instances a want of room prevents the
common people from attending public worship.
In modern towns, it would be highly beneficial
to the cause of religion, could government
afford aid in procuring sittings for the lower
orders, by appropriating for their accommoda-

188 Improved Appearance about Cavan.

tion a part of what is given in augmentation of
small livings.

Every proprietor seems ambitious to have a
town on his estate. I cannot but question the
policy as well as propriety of collecting numbers
of people together, in places which afford no
present employment, and offer no facilities for
the establishment of manufactories on a future
occasion. A very few individuals are sufficient
for all the present purposes of agriculture ; and
where there is no trade, every supernumerary
must become a dead weight on the industry of
those who are occupied. Such improvements
can alone be valuable, which increase the em-
ployment of the working classes, and will be
immediately or prospectively beneficial to those
who thus spiritedly embark their time and ca-
pital.

As we approached Cavan the country im-
proved : those delightful undulations which
contribute so much to the beauty of Irish
landscape were here very prominent features.

Cavan is a small, neat town ; and from the
number of new buildings, seems to be in a state
of progressive improvement. The church is
repairing, and a large and convenient gaol has

Description of the Town. 189

lately been built, the internal regulations of
which do great credit to the magistrates. The
prisoners (who are not numerous) have their
cells both heated and ventilated, with every
comfort consistent with their security. The
Dispensary is on an admirable plan, and affords
extensive relief: as the expenditure is annually
published, it would not be much additional
trouble to state also the different maladies
under which the patients are admitted. Such
records afford data for tracing the rise and pro-
gress of disorders, and facilitate the means of
prevention.

The rent of land round Cavan is high — from
four to seven pounds per acre ; and the tithes
are in proportion. Agistment tithe being extin-
guished, the great proprietor and substantial
farmer, whose principal returns are from graz-
ing, do not feel the pressure of tithes like the
small needy occupier, whose lands are chiefly
under the plough, and on whom the tithes fall
particularly heavy. It is however contended,
that the land is hired with reference to this
burden, and the rent is in proportion. In great
farms this is unavoidably the case ; but not so
in small holdings, where the competition for
them is so great as to outweigh all prudential
considerations.

19O Little Hope of a Commutation of Tithes.

The proprietor of extensive estates has little
interest in effecting a commutation of tithes :
the value of his land would not be much im-
proved, or at least in no proportion to the com-
pensation which would be demanded by the
church; besides which, as the church is the*
only remaining source of patronage, th« higher
ranks look up to it as a provision for one or
more of their descendants, and are silently by
no- means displeased at the growing increase of
its revenues. Much as the people may be de-
sirous of an abolition or commutation of tithes,
and greatly as such a measure would contribute
to tranquillise the country, there does not ap-
pear any reason to hope that so desirable an
improvement will speedily be adopted.

The approach to Farnham is delightful : in
my next I shall endeavor to bring you acquaint-
ed with some of its various beauties. Adieu.

J. C. C.

LETTER LIII.

Farnham, Sept. 29, 1813.

JT ROM Cavan we proceeded two miles through
a delightful country, the surface of which was
studded by an endless variety of small hills.
The pencil of Mr. Gilpin could scarcely im-
prove the beautiful rotundity of their forms,
accompanied by extensive, noble woods. The
fences were extremely good, and well furnished
with timber trees. The soil appeared to be
very rich, as it was clothed with most luxuriant
verdure ; and such were the charms of the sur-
rounding country as to leave little for the eye
to desire.

The domain at Farnham is richly ornamented
with a profusion of fine timber, and possesses
greater diversity of character than is commonly
met with. The neatness and apparent comfort
of the cottages, at the entrance of the grounds,
correspond with the magnificence of the place,
and proclaim that its dependants share in the
blessings of its affluence. Nothing is more

192 Approach to Lord Farnham's.

prepossessing than the appearance of happiness
widely diffused around the seat of opulence
and grandeur ; it predisposes the mind to
regard every thing in the most favorable point
of view, and to pay homage, by anticipation,
to those perfections of our nature that command
respect and ensure esteem.

The house is a large modern building, in
which comfort and utility have been studied
more than external magnificence ; it stands
high, and commands at a distance an interesting
view of the varied line of summit, which is
singularly beautiful. The rich though soft
features of the landscape immediately sur-
rounding the house, are of a completely op-
posite character to the distant prospect from
the higher grounds ; where a bold Alpine chain
terminates the view, in which beauty and
grandeur conspire to make it impressive. Two
most picturesque sheets of water, with bold,
wooded banks, contribute their ornamental
effect to this romantic combination of scenery.
In the midst of the profuse variety of character
of which Farnham has to boast, it is extremely
pleasing at every step to observe, that art is
every were judiciously made subservient to
nature. The various roads through this domain
are kept in perfect order, and afford a plcasur-

Size of Timber-Trees at Farnham. 198

able access to every part of it. Nature has
done too much to leave any thing for human
ability to add in point of decoration, unless it
be in those few spots which possess no decisive
character.

From the lakes which form a part of Lough
Erne, the banks rise very boldly, and are
clothed with magnificent oak and beech ; the
latter are particularly large, several of the trees
containing upwards of a hundred feet of timber.
Over the whole of the luxuriant pastures is
dispersed a profusion of white thorns, standing
singly, and of great size.

It is difficult to decide to which of the
characters of this delightful place a just pre-
ference is due j whether to the lake scenery,
diversified by the boldness of its banks, and
the beautiful indentation of its shores; or to
the combination and variety of outline, from
the gentle swell in the fore ground to a termi-
nation in the lofty chain of distant Alpine
mountains. I was so charmed with both, that
I could scarce determine which most to admire.
In the grounds above the house, there is a
fascinating prospect of the hills and mountain
boundary to the eastward, which is particularly
v.-orthy of notice j the effect of this view is like

VOL. II. O

194 Description of Farnham.

that of fore-shortening on canvas, the most diffi-
cult part in painting, which, when well ex-
ecuted, never fails to ensure due admiration.
The gradation of interest is, from this point, so
happily preserved, and the beauty and grandeur
so admirably blended, as mutually to assist each
other without a predominance in either, that,
I think, I should select this spot as being the

most singular and picturesque.

•

Where there is so much to commend, one
receives perhaps a sort of pleasure in discerning
some petty fault which may give proof of sin-
cerity, and that praise so justly elicited is
not dictated by flattery. There are a few
formal clumps covering the summits of some
of the most beautiful hills, which disfigure and
destroy the effect of their terminations ; these
I could not help wishing to see either partially
broken, or wholly removed.

Great as are the attractions of nature at Farn-
ham, they do not constitute the whole of what
is here entitled to admiration. At the distance
of three miles is the head waters of Lough
Erne. Here Lord Farnham has a most delight-
ful retreat, consisting of two romantic islands ;
the largest containing upwards of two hundred
acres, the other about half that number. The

Rtgrtt on passing Lougk Erne. 19$

surface of both is greatly diversified, their
shores bold and amply covered with wood.
The character of this part of the Lough bears
a resemblance to magnificent river scenery.
From an eminence on one of the lakes, we had
a full view of the majestic mountains forming
the boundary of Lough Erne, which we had
before seen on our road to Sligo. The imme-
diate prospect around us was very rich and
romantic ; our former regret, on passing Lough
Erne without examination, was greatly in-
creased by the beautiful specimens now pre-
sented of its multifarious attractions.

On the island which we visited dwells *
cottager, apparently enjoying good health and
happiness, derived from the liberality and kind-
ness of his noble benefactor. From Lady
Farnham's cottage at Killeshandra, the view is
very delightful. The building is a pleasing ob-
ject, and constructed with great taste and sim-
plicity. This part of the country boasts a
prodigious variety of interesting landscape,
and would afford ample field for the pencil of
an artist. We went to view the house of one
of the keepers, which, during the rebellion, had
been attacked with a view of obtaining arms.
The old man and his family were much re-
spected, and it was not the intention of

o 2

196 Attack on Keeper's House

misguided assailants to offer any violence, had
their demand been complied with. On en-
trance being refused, the infatuated beings
fired into the house, and killed the poor man's
daughter : she had been the first alarmed, and
had approached the door. The keeper and his
son, undismayed, defended his dwelling, and it
is believed that several of the infuriated party
were killed.

r

Whilst we cannot but condemn, it is impossi-
ble not to have some feeling of pity for these
misguided people, whose lawless conduct aug-
mented, in a high degree, the calamities from
which they vainly thus sought alleviation. The
friends to Ireland, those of humanity, and
every individual interested in the safety and
prosperity of the empire, are imperiously called
on to inquire, whence arise the cause or causes
creating this fatal propensity to outrage ? If
permanent tranquillity be the object of govern-
ment, the sufferings from which these dis-
orders spring ought to be ascertained and re-
moved : that sufferings exist, and to a degree
incompatible with the existence of rational
beings in a free country, I verily believe, and
am firmly of opinion the redress to which these
miserable creatures are entitled, would soon
restore to their superiors the affection ^of a

during the Rebellion. 197

community, who have yet to learn the value of
social order, and the benefits derivable from the
protection of the law. No people are more
sensible of kindnesses bestowed, none more
warm-hearted, brave, and generous, or more
alive to neighbourly or domestic feeling ! Are
not such people an honor to the state ? do they
not claim its commiseration ? and are they not
entitled to the exertion of the best efforts, in
some way or other, to relieve their present de-
plorable condition ? Enlighten by instruction,
admonish with consideration and temper, and
they may be led by gratitude and affection ; but
force and oppression, though persevered in for
centuries, have not been able either to subdue
their spirit, or control their conduct. Adieu.

J. C. C.

198

LETTER LIV.

Farnham, Sept 30, 1813.

IN my last I attempted to give a faint sketch
of the great and diversified beauties of this
charming place, but the powers of description
are limited — the meanest efforts of the pencil
surpass the most eloquent details of the pen in
conveying any thing like a correct idea of the
beauty of a country. Most highly indeed have
we been gratified with the immediate and re-
mote scenery of this extensive domain ; in quit-
ting the consideration of it I shall proceed to
describe other sources whence we have derived
great pleasure, and which are more within the
compass of my abilities to detail.

Lord Farnhara has peculiar merit as a gra.
zier and breeder of stock. The local beauty
of this country principally consists in the un-
dulation of its surface, which renders it more
applicable to the rearing of cattle than to the
production of corn. The proportion of land
under tillage, compared with the size of this

Lord Farnham's Stock and Husbandry. 199

farm, is trifling; the green crops of consequence
are insignificant. The quantity of meadow re-
served for hay is prodigious. Upwards of three
hundred acres are here annually mown, the
produce of which is made into hay in the man-
ner practised in Suffolk, and is of 03 good qua-
lity as any produced in the south of England,
both in color and odor. Oxen arc mostly em-
ployed in the lands under tillage. Mr. Webb,
the bailiff, is a native of Suffolk, and well versed
in the best practices of that county. The soil
of the farm is strong, the pasture excellent, and
the whole extends over one thousand six hun-
dred acres, divided into suitable enclosures ;
where a little more attention to cleaning would
give the fields a more sightly appearance. A
grazing farm, however, on such a scale, cannot
be expected to be kept so clean and free from
weeds as a more limited one, under the constant
operation of the plough, and a regular course
of cropping. The Farnham breed of long-
horned cattle is in high estimation in every
part of Ireland. Though not an admirer, nor an
advocate for this breed, I must do his Lordship
the justice to say, I never saw together so
many good specimens. The Devons also are
particularly neat : a cross between them and the
cows of the country has produced a great im-
provement. Several of the oxen from this

200 Lord Farnhairis Cattle and Horses,

cross were complete in point of form — appeared
to have a great disposition to fatten, and, as far
as I could judge, were likely to be very bene-
ficial to the grazier. A cross between the De-
von and Kerry cow had produced a remarkable
animal : the breadth of its back, and the strength
and firmness of its legs, make it resemble a
giant's stool : I never saw greater value in less
compass. His Lordship possesses several good
bulls of the Devon breed, and the long-horned.
Though I do not pretend to much critical
knowledge in cattle, yet it was impossible not
to be gratified by the sight of numerous fine
animals of the different sorts. The Leicester
flock was good ; and a trial is making of South-
downs, of which a part had been furnished by
Mr. Wynne: from the nature and quality of
the pasture here, I think the South-down likely
to merit a preference to the Leicester.

,

The breed of draft-horses is excellent, ori-
nally crossed from that of Flanders : they have
great bone and strength, with remarkably good
action,

To succeed in any pursuit, a certain portion
of enthusiasm is requisite. Lord Farnham is
himself an excellent judge of stock, and spares
no expense or labor in rearing or attending to

and good Management. 201

them. The regularity and order conspicuous
in the general arrangements of the farm are
highly pleasing, and reflect great credit on the
judgment which directs and conducts the bu-
siness : this is well worthy of attention, as this
species of care and diligence are too frequently
failing points in Ireland. The woods alone
afford constant work to about eighty persons.
Daily returns are made of the mode in which
each laborer is employed in his Lordship's ser-
vice.

Nothing can be more delighful than to ob-
serve the attention which is paid to the numer-
ous individuals attached to this princely esta-
blishment. Too frequently in Ireland have we
seen the proximity to wealth rather augment
than diminish the surrounding wretchedness.
Where a perfect indifference to the miserable
lot of the indigent prevails, their sufferings be-
come increased by the contrast perpetually
presented to their view. A permission to be-
hold the glorious presence of the sun, and yet
be denied a participation in his genial warmth,
would add grievously to the privation. Those
of reflective minds who are led to compare
their own condition with the lot of too many
who surround them, must be convinced of the
blessings conferred on a neighbourhood in

202 Description of Lord Farnham's Cottages.

which a noble fortune is expended in promoting
objects of unquestionable utility. From the
individuals at Farnhatn with whom I conversed,
I had no doubt they considered the advantages
they possessed in a proper point of view, and
were gratefully disposed towards their noble em-
ployer. We visited many of the cottages, and
were gratified in finding so much attention to
good order, and, in general, to cleanliness.
Laborers' wages are one shilling a day in sum-
mer, in winter ten pence ; in addition they
have a cottage with a rood of garden, at a rent
of twenty shillings — for the grazing of a cow,
they pay thirty shillings — for half an acre of
meadow thirty shillings — half an acre for pota-
toes thirty shillings. — Total five pounds ten
shillings a year, with the privilege of digging
turf gratis. There are fourteen cottages to-
gether on one spot, beside others distributed
over the estate ; and more are erecting. The
usual wages of the country are ten pence a
day in summer and eight pence in \vinter ; but
the earnings on his Lordship's farm may be
calculated to average a shilling a day the year
round. Premiums are given to those cottagers
who keep their ground and garden in the best
state ; it was most grateful to see them all well
cultivated, and not only producing what was
most useful, but also that which was somewhat

Instance of great Conjugal Affection. 2O3

ornamental. The propagation and care of a
flower in a laborer's garden indicate an exemp-
tion irom the perpetual oppression of poverty.

In one of the cottages I met such an instance
of pure, disinterested conjugal attachment, that
I cannot omit reciting it. A young woman,
whose husband had enlisted, and left her with
two children, was permitted, from motives of
humanity, to remain in her house, and partake
of all its appendant advantages. The husband
repenting the rash step of leaving his family,
wished them to join him. Such was the in-
fluence of affection over her mind, that the
poor woman resolved, at all hazards, to brave
every difficulty, and follow the fortune of the
partner of her heart ! Whilst prudence could
not but blame, I could not avoid exclaiming,
" What a noble minded creature ! who, ex-
clusively impelled by connubial affection, sa-
crifices present ease and every comfort, to share
and lessen the sufferings of her husband."

The dispensary extends its beneficial offices
to all the workmen in the employ of his Lord-
ship. The unostentatious benevolence which
characterizes this establishment, and pervades
every part, is as gratifying to the heart as the
exterior of the property is fascinating to the

204 The Survey of Farnham most gratifying.

eye. Lady Farnham's kindness and humane
attention extends to every rank. Clothes are
distributed by her Ladyship to the females ; and
\vhile she mitigates the afflictions and sorrows of
the aged, the youth become duly and indiscri-
minately instructed, without any reference to
the religious persuasion of their parents.

The survey of Farnham has afforded a grati-
fication., and made an impression, not easily to be
obliterated from my recollection. Were such
conduct the general practice, discontent would
soon have no existence in the country, and Ire-
land would become as distinguished for the
happiness of her people as for the fertility of her
soil.

The same order and method which regulate
the domestic establishment, by extension to all
other concerns, however distant, bring the whole
of his Lordship's affairs under his immediate re-
view. The farming buildings — their repairs —
the woods — the fences and permanent improve-
ments, are all conducted with the like uni-
formity and precision ; and where punctuality
is thus made indispensable, every department of
agency must be duly executed.

As good farmers have commonly the best
seasons, so good masters have usually the best

Proceed to Edgeworth's Town. 205

servants. A perpetual outcry against servants
generally implies as great a want of order and
consistency in the employer as remissness in
the laborer ; for when the working classes know
they will be compelled to do their duty, they
either cheerfully subscribe, or do not engage
in the service.

My admiration of the exterior, inherent cha*
racter, and interior arrangements of this splendid
domain and impressive establishment- — with the
profound respect I must ever entertain for its
noble possessors, made me seriously regret I
could no longer avail myself of their kindness
and hospitality. To-morrow we bend our way
towards Edgeworth's Town, whence I shall
again have the pleasure of addressing you.
For the present— Adieu.

J. C. C.

206

LETTER LV.

Edgeworth's Town, Oct 1, 1818.

our road hither this morning, I stopped to
take a second view of the Bishop of Kilmore's
Devons : many of them were very handsome,
and in point of size they exceeded Lord Farn-
ham's. Two such stocks of beautiful cattle are
scarcely to be met with.

The Bishop of Kilmore's bailiff is a Scotch-
man, and seems to be well acquainted with the
most approved practices of his country. The
green crops do him great credit : I have not
yet in Ireland seen any to compare with them.
There were fourteen acres of turnips in one
piece, which I estimated at thirty-six tons the
English acre : it was truly delightful to inspect
such a specimen of good farming. The drain-
ing and reclaiming of bog are on a great scale :
such an example of improvement is calculated
to render essential service to the country, and
does great honor to the spirit and patriotism of
my Lord Bishop.

Dilapidations of Ardagh. 207

I he pleasure I received from an inspection of
this valuable introduction of good husbandry
made me the more regret I could not escape
without a glance at the environs of the episcopal
palace and cathedral church-yard. The de-
scription of this diocese which a Bishop of
Kilmore, in 163O, gives in a letter to the Bishop
of London, might, with some little alteration,
be too appropriate on the present occasion.
" I have been'1 says he, " about my diocese,
and can set down out of my own knowledge
and view, what I shall relate and shortly speak :
much ill matter in a few words. It is very
miserable every way : the cathedral of Ardagh,
one of the most ancient in Ireland, and said to
have been built by St. Patrick, together with
the Bishop's house, are now down to the
ground," &c. Could the good old prelate
raise his head and take a view of the church-
yard, &c. he would perceive that, after the
lapse of nearly two centuries, the dilapidations
still remain.

It is impossible to notice such inattention
without concern : with whom the fault rests I
know not, but it would be well the responsible
party should be made ashamed of his neglect,
as such an outrage against decency affords a
fair pretence to the opponents of the church
7

208 Neglect of Church-Yards in Ireland.

for ascribing indifference to essentials in its
professors.

The church-yards, as I before have observed,
are much neglected in many other parts of Ire-
land : ia England they are not always property
attended to, but here the neglect is very repre-
hensible.

Great part of our road to Granard was hilly,
the soil light, and the cultivation but indifferent.
We met a number of people on their way to a
fair, which was to be held the following day at a
small village through which we had passed. Nu-
merous as were the parties, the value of the few
stock they had with them would scarcely amount
to the expense they must incur. The domesti-
cation of the pig in this country makes him
ready to attend the family on any excursion,
and on these occasions facilitates the labor of
driving. It appeared extraordinary to us, that
as a great number of those on their road to the
fafr must have passed through Granard, where
it was market-day, that they did not there dis-
pose of their pigs. Perhaps this would have
spoiled a frolic, the object of the greater part of
the attendants.

We obtained a distant view of a considerable

Description of Granard. 209

Water, Lough Shelon, which is said to be seven
miles in length, and four in breadth. Granard
is a neat town, consisting of one handsome
street about half a mile long, at the head of
which stands the Castle, built on a singular hill
rising to a considerable height: as the sur-
rounding country is perfectly flat, the hill has
the appearance of being a work of art.

Prizes are annually given at Granard to the
best performers on the Irish harp, an instru-
ment which is falling into disuse ; and, as far as
we were enabled to judge, from its want of
either melody or harmony, this circumstance is
not much to be regretted. A few years ago,
an establishment was formed at Belfast for the
purpose of teaching blind persons to play on this
instrument : as a mean of subsistence to those
whose resources are so limited, the design was
highly commendable. At Faun, we attended a
poor boy who had been thus instructed : his
misfortune, and not his proficiency, was his re-
commendation.

The principal street at Granard was over-
flowing : possibly four thousand people were
crowded into it. To force our way through
such a multitude was no easy task ; the good
humour, however, so conspicuous at Ballymo-

VOL. 21. F

21O Difficulties attending Bank Notes.

ney, was here observable : it was wholly out of
our power to avoid coming in contact with
some of them, yet all gave way without any
Symptom of dissatisfaction. They were, on the
whole, remarkably decently dressed, and sober.

As we entered the town, we were much amus-
ed by a countryman requesting our opinion on
the goodness of a note which he had taken in
payment for his pig. The number of forged
notes reported to be in circulation here is a
most serious calamity on the lower orders, and
calls loudly for redress. Our utter inability to
reply satisfactorily did not discourage him from
asking, " What shall I do if you cannot decide
whether or not the note be good?'* Here for-
tunately we were better qualified to advise. We
pronounced, that in fair dealing, the note should
be changed, or the pig returned: the crowd
*hich had gathered about us approved our
award, and we afterwards learned that the
buyer of the pig had acceded to the proffered
terms of the seller.

On this and various other occasions, I have
remarked the forward disposition of the lower
Irish to submit to the decision of their supe-
riors : surely where such great deference is paid
to rank, kindness well directed would effect

Approach Edgcworth's Town. 211

much towards influencing and disposing the
people to what is fit and right to be done !

From Granard we had four miles to Edge-
worth's town ; the country was quite flat, and to
the southward there appeared a great extent of
bog. The steeple at Edgeworth's town attracts
notice at a great distance : the general want of
these indications of places of worship is, to an
eye habituated to their presence, a great draw-
back from the beauty of the country ; it may be
prejudice, but the spire or tower of the parish
church give* great interest, in my opinion, to
every landscape.

The immediate neighbourhood of Edge-
worth's town has little beauty to attract atten-
tion ; but the respect which talent inspires
communicates a charm to the spot, which com-
pensates for other disadvantages. Adieu.

J« Vy» l^«

LETTER LVI.

Edgeworth's Town, Oct. 2; 1811

THE hospitality with which travellers are
uniformly made welcome by all ranks in Ire-
land is not less a general than an admirable
trait in the national character. We have grate-
fully to acknowledge many civilities which con-
tributed in a high degree to the pleasure of our
tour, and have deeply to regret, that we have it
so little in our power to make any return for
such kind attentions.

Under all circumstances talent must inspire
respect, but peculiarly in its zealous appli-
cation to the benefit and improvement of man-
kind. It then calls forth the warmest feelings
of the heart, uniting esteem with great regard.
On approaching this mansion I felt that respect
which is due to the friend of the friendless!
The impressive and elegant pen of Miss Edge-
worth has depicted vice and folly in such
forcible colors, and given such salutary warn-
ings against their consequences, that I can

Jlfiss Edgaiortli. 213

have no doubt, but that by her writings the
best interests of her country have been long,
and will continue to be, very materially pro-
moted. In these the Irish character appears
to be most justly and most happily repre-
sented, and that melange of wit, generosity,
feeling, and folly, fairly exhibited, which are
constantly producing so much to admire and to
condemn at the same instant. The exposure
of corruption and oppression has not been
quite palatable in all instances ; a cry has been
attempted to be raised against her, as being
deficient in patriotism : such efforts, however,
will prove as ineffectual in depreciating the
well deserved celebrity of this lady, as the
passing cloud, which, if it succeed in obscuring
the sun for a moment, serves only to give ad-
ditional splendor to his re-appearance. We
were pressed to extend our visit to another
day, which being too great a temptation to be
resisted, you will reasonably expect to receive
some account of Miss Edge worth, whose works
you so highly admire.

She is at once so modest and so natural, that
those unapprised of her talents would not be-
lieve it possible she could appear so uncon-
scious of the high reputation she possesses.
The admiration of the world has affected nei-

214 Miss Edgeworth.

ther her head nor her heart; for whilst she
seems wholly unconscious of her own merit,
she is feelingly alive to the desert of every
other individual. What was said by Maria
Theresa of General Loudon may be very ap-
propriately applied to this lady. The General
being wanted at a levee by the Empress, and
not being found, she observed, that " in peace
you must seek him behind the door, in the day
of battle you are certain of finding him in the
front of danger."

•o:

Miss Edgeworth, in the common intercourse of
life, is free from every assumption of superiority;
it is with her pen alone she exercises it, in vin-
dicating the cause of virtue and suffering hu-
manity. The family is composed of children,
of different marriages ; yet nothing can be more
delightful than the harmony which prevails.
The ardent sentiment of benevolence, that
prompts and animates their general labors, has
the effect to modify or extinguish every in-
dividual selfish feeling ; while the most strenu-
ous endeavors of every member of this pleasant
community are called into action, to promote the
comfort and happiness of the whole. The first
care of each seems to be that of forwarding
such objects as meet the general wish of the
whole party.

Mr. Edgeworth and Family. 215

The present Mrs. Edgeworth is a daughter
of Dr. Beaufort, and is not less distinguished
for accomplishments, than for good sense in
the conduct and arrangement of her domestic
toncerns.

The extraordinary endowments of every
branch of this family make their acquaintance
not less sought with avidity than valued when
attained.

Mr. Edgeworth has long been eminent as a
scholar, and man of genius. His studies have
principally been directed to mechanics, in
which science he has been very successful:
to his suggestions and hints are the public
indebted for some of the most valuable modern
improvements. Mr. Edge worth's vivacity ren-
ders him a most pleasing companion ; time
seems to have been sensible of this, and to have
kept no record against him.

Such is the general outline of this charming
family, who are all equally emulous to make
their abilities useful in promoting the substan-
tial interests of virtue and morality. Did I
consider myself at liberty to descend to par-
ticulars, there is not a member of this little
community, of whom an interesting portrait

216 Mr. Edgeworth's Family,

might not be drawn ; I cannot, however, avoid
remarking, that if I have any pretension to
prognostication, I shall not be disappointed in
seeing a younger branch (Miss H.) on a future
day, emulate her elder sister.

The smiles and flattering commendations of
the world have corrupted many a heart, and
diminished the estimation due to splendid ta-
lents, by creating unbounded expectations in
their possessors, and obliterating the just claims
of others. SNot a particle of this disposition is
discoverable here ; the kind assiduity and at-
tention shown to all around justly endear them
to every rank, and make their residence a real
blessing to the neighbourhood.

It is not the want of interesting matter, or of
a disinclination to detail it, that induces me to
refrain from proceeding on a subject, which
•would be as gratifying to you as to myself; but
conformity to a rule to which I strictly adhere,
that whatever I hear or see under any hospitable
roof is to be considered as sacred. Indiscri-
minate censure would be highly ungrateful in
the partakers of hospitalities : praise of the like
description might subject such parties to the
odium of adulation. Could 1 have felt autho-
rized to have availed myself of the sentiments

and Farming Establishments. 1 1 7

and opinions of others, I could have detailed
numerous anecdotes which would greatly have
diversified my observations, and rendered them
more entertaining to you; but the objections I
stated to this species of registry at the com-
mencement of my tour have not since been
violated.

In the course of the morning, we drove ta
several farms on Mr. Edgeworth's estate. The
occupations were larger, and the farming build-
ings more extensive, than we had hitherto gene-
rally met with. Considerable attention Is paid
to the fences, but the husbandry was far from
perfection. The tenants are to be considered
rather as grazing than tillage farmers. The
soil, when not incumbent on bog, is a strong
clay. The average size of the farms is about
one hundred acres, let at about thirty shillings
an acre. This seems comparatively a moderate
rent.

Longford, from the flatness of its surface,
ought to be an early county ; late sowing how-
ever, and other bad management, accounted
for our seeing much of the corn still uncut.
Winter ploughing is here held to be injurious,
and is supposed to make the land work badly —
so little do modern practices seem to have made
their way in this country.

218 Tenantry at Edgeworth's Town.

A farm well conducted would be of great
service in this district. It cannot be expected
that any practical farmer, who has his rent to
pay and bring up his family, should embrace
new modes of husbandry merely on the repu-
tation of any theory, however strongly recom-
mended : nothing short of ocular demonstration
that a new practice is more beneficial than his
own, can prudently justify the practical man
in its adoption.

Two of Mr. Edgeworth's tenants were in-
vited to dinner : I rejoiced in an opportunity of
meeting a class of men so respectable in our
own country, and who I heartily wish were
more frequently to be met with in Ireland.
The parties were presbyterians, of Scotch de-
scent, and in their manner and appearance re-
tained very perceptible traits of their origin.
Much as they were prepossessed in favor of
their present practices, yet as they had both
good sense and candor, I am persuaded they
would soon become converts to the prudence
of adopting a better system of husbandry.

As far as I was enabled to form a judgment,
Mr. Edgeworth has much reason to be proud of
his tenantry, who appear substantial and re-
spectable men : every thing about their farms
seemed to exhibit sufficiency and comfort ; and

Cavan Agricultural Society. 21 9

the subsisting friendliness towards them, on
their landlord's part, was highly creditable to
both.

The spirit of enterprise now so rapidly ex-
tending over Ireland, cannot be long in pro*
ducing improvement. Agricultural societies
are forming in every quarter ; I had the plea^
sure of being present at the establishment of
one of these at Cavan. The expense too fre-
quently attending such associations becomes
fatal to their continuance ; and, as I could not
but suspect at the time, will be destructive in
the present instance. Lord Farnham signified
his intention of giving premiums among his
tenantry for superior management — a measure
which in my opinion cannot fail in having the
desired effect. Experience has convinced me
such rewards ought to be restricted to practical
farmers, and that the exclusion of gentlemen
as competitors is indispensable to maintain 4
general good intelligence.

Edgeworth's Town has in a great measure been
rebuilt. The church is modern ; and the spire,
constructed of cast iron, was raised to its present
eminence by machinery. Although there are a
it number of presbyterians in the neighbour^
hood, the catholic chapel is a large building.

7

220 Gratifying Visit to Edgeworth's Town.

Our visit has been highly gratifying, and in-
spires a hope that it may lead to a further in-
timacy with this amiable family, which I feel
warranted in pronouncing would be highly
agreeable to you. Adieu.

«/» V*'. 1^.

LETTER LV1I.

Athlone, Oct. S, 1813.

J.N the county of Longford a husbandman's
wages are, for the summer months, twelve
pence ; in winter, ten pence, per day. Fuel,
one of the prime necessaries among the lower
orders, is easily procured. The general ap-
pearance of the country induces me to believe,
whenever a correct return of the population
may be obtained, that the numbers will exceed
every estimate hitherto produced : should this
opinion prove correct, a very serious question
may arise, whether the population may not be
doubled in the next five-and-twenty years.

It is some consolation that the culture of the
potatoe may be improved — its produce per-
haps doubled : the haulm, instead of being
suffered to remain and wither on the ground, if
the potatoes be planted in proper time, may be
cut off, and will afford food for milch cows.
The reclaiming of bog, and the cultivation of
mountain districts, comprehending nearly a third
of the country, are resources capable also of

222 Pursuit the Fountain of Happiness.

being made subservient to a further production
of food. Cheering as this prospect may appear,
and happy as it would be under some circum-
stances, it is not so here! All hope of
augmenting the store of human happiness is
vain, where the means of employing a super-
abundance of rational beings are wanting!
Man to be happy must be engaged in some
pursuit : that of the subordinate classes is re-
stricted to bodily labor; among the next in
rank, intellectual researches are added to bodily
exertion — yet does occupation in both form the
basis of substantial human felicity. Great as
the labor may appear of procuring subsistence,
it will employ but a small portion of a civilized
population! How then is subsistence to be
ibund for the remainder ?

The church at Edgeworth's Town being under
repair, there was no service. We were induced to
protract our departure, for the purpose of seeing
the numbers who attended the service of the ca-
tholic chapel : the congregation was numerous ;
not only the large building, but all the avenues
leading to it, were crowded. The ringing of a
bell warned the congregation to kneel and rise:
several were prostrated on the ground — devotion
was so unaffectedly displayed in the conduct
of the majority, as to increase the regret we

Catholic Congregation. 22S

felt that they were not better informed. It is
seldom they obtain any material instruction ;
and what knowledge they possess of right and
wrong is perhaps more to be ascribed to the
efforts of well-disposed minds, than any cultiva-
tion of them by education. They were all
decently dressed, and their behaviour was
highly becoming. From their great numbers
I should conclude that they must have come
from some distance.

A singular instance of courage and humanity
occurred during the rebellion in Mr. Edgeworth's
family : compelled as they were to quit their
residence on a very short notice, a difficulty
arose as to what could be done with a female
servant who was too ill to be removed. The
housekeeper, who was an elderly woman, volun-
teered to remain and take care of the invalid ;
and the house was accordingly left in her charge.
A few days after the family had removed, the in-
surgents arrived, and, surrounding the house,
demanded arms. The housekeeper refused to
open the door — a consultation was held, and it
was resolved the door should be forced. At
this moment, one who had some influence
with the party came forward and remonstrated
with the rest, observing, the Edgeworth family
had always acted with kindness and attention
towards their poor neighbours, and that he

224 Effect of kind Trcament.

would defend their property at the risk of hU
life. His courage and generosity had the de-
sired effect — the whole of them departed with-
out offering the least violence or injury to any
thing about the premises. When the rebellion
had subsided, this grateful fellow returned to
his home near Edgeworth's Town. On some
dispute with a neighbour, he was threatened
with an information for having held a commis-
sion in the rebel army, on which Mr. Edgeworth
offered him his interest to procure him a pardon.
The man thanked him, but declined it, saying,
he had no fears, as he had a Corny in his pocket,
meaning, a card of protection, with Lord Corn-
wallis's seal and the initial letter C., of which
it appears a distribution had been made to the
peasants who returned quietly to their habita-
tions— an instance that in the worst of times,
kind treatment in Ireland would not fail of its
influence even with those actually enrolled
under the banners of rebellion.

We at length took our leave, highly indebted
for the kindness and attention we had received,
and fully impressed with no less respect than
admiration of the party to whom we reluctantly
bade adieu.

It was ten miles to Ballymona : in this dis-
tance we saw several handsome residences.

An Irish Funeral.

The surface of the country is flat, and the soil
worthy of better treatment than it received.
A few miles before we reached Ballymona, we
passed the birth-place of Goldsmith, to which
he is said to have alluded ; and though the
place in itself possesses little beauty or interest,
the Muses have rendered it immortal.

Ballymona is a poor little town in the midst
of a fine country. Our next stage was ten miles
to Athlone, which we were anxious to reach in
good time, being fearful we might not obtain
accommodations, on account of the approach-
ing fair at Ballinasloe. The soil appeared light,
and its cultivation wretched. We passed many
gentlemen's seats, some of which were of consi-
derable magnitude.

At a small village, about half way, we en-
countered a funeral. The dirge, which had
sounded so harsh and discordant at Cork, was
conducted here in a manner and with an effect
totally different. The performers were young
females. The corpse, we were told, was that of
a female under twenty, who appeared to be
greatly lamented, as we observed many a tear-
ful eye. The tones and cadence of the mourn-
ers partook so much of real grief, as to give a
character of feeling to the whole, and created a

VOL. U. Q

226 Dancing Party in the Road.

deep and painful interest. I did not suspect
the Irish funeral ceremony could have been
rendered so truly impressive and affecting.

1 low variously chequered are the scenes of
life! We had scarcely recovered from the
melancholy sensations the last spectacle had
produced, when we became arrested by a large
party, assembled at the entrance of a village,
and engaged in dancing reels in the road.
Their performance, which by no means dis-
graced them as dancers, exhibited so much life
and spirit, that we became interested specta-
tors of their rural festivity. Such was the
buoyancy of youth, animated by the presence
of beauty, that the discordant notes of a mise-
rable fiddle called forth a joy and light-
heartedness truly enviable.

We obtained an extensive view of Lough Rea,
with its numerous islands. Its margin is flat ;
and the Shannon, which passes through it, may
be considered as forming the lake.

Athlone is a considerable town, and rendered
important as commanding the passage of the
Shannon. The surrounding country is still flat,
and has few beauties to recommend it. Athlone
is the station of a large military force and a

Great Numbers pacing to the Fair. 227

numerous staff. Lines have been cast up on
the south side of the Shannon, to protect the
place against any sudden commotion, but they
could oppose no effectual barrier against a re-
gular force.

The G rand Canal passes through A thlone ; and
as it is also on the great road from Dublin, we
found difficulty in getting ourselves aud horses
accommodated. The number of people who
had passed in the last twenty-four hours had
been immense. We considered ourselves for-
tunate in obtaining any kind of quarters.

The accommodations for horses at Ballinasloe
were reported to be so bad, that I resolved, if
possible, to avoid taking mine thither; and as all
the post horses and carriages were engaged,
we mean to take our chance of seats in one of
the public carriages which pass through the
town : if we can get conveyed thither, I take
it for granted we shall find no difficulty in re-
turning. Adieu.

J. C. C.

Q a

228

LETTER LVI1I.

Ballinasloe, Oct. 4, 1815.

'

XN the mafty hundred miles we have travelled
through this country, we have never, except in
one instance, had the least article pilfered at
any of the inns. At Athlone, the preceding
night, the chambermaid purloined a night rib-
band : though in itself of little or no value, the
want of it induced me to inquire after it. As
soon as the girl was called, she said it must be
hidden by the bed clothes, and set about to
find it ; but the mode of her examination con-
vinced me she had taken it, and on my im-
parting my suspicions, she became highly of-
fended, and communicated the circumstance to
her mistress. The character given of the
young woman induced me to acquiesce in her
.acquittal, though my servant had not laid
down the ribband ten minutes before it was
missed. I mention this insignificant occur-
rence only as a proof of the general honesty of
the servants at the inns, and as being contrary
to the opinion and representation of many

Proceed in the Mall to Ballinasloe. 229

travellers. Had the servants been disposed to
pilfer, many opportunities were afforded them
of taking articles infinitely more valuable.

The concourse of people passing all the even-
ing, and through the night, prepared us for the
bustle we had to encounter. We were for-
tunate in muling room in the mail from Atli-
lone carrying four inside passengers : the
driving was steady, and the horses were good,
as was evinced by their performing the twelve
miles in less than two hours. We observed a
great extent of bog to the southward, con-
nected with the bog of Allen; the soil in general
appeared to be light, and the cultivation of it
very indifferent.

Ballinasloe is a considerable town ; at its
autumnal fair, it is calculated to receive ten
thousand visitors, the price of whose beds varies
from sixpence to a guinea per night.

The farming society of Ireland have a very
good house here, with admirable accommoda-
tions for the company, and ample convenience
for the reception and exhibition of stock. The
arrangement of the prize cattle is perfectly
well conducted. The order and regularity of

230 Exhibition of Sheep at the Fair.

the meeting is extremely suitable, not only to
the purpose of business, but that of conviviab'ty
also.

We lost no time in finding out Mr. Dix, and
our kind friend Mr. Radcliffe, who had secured
us beds at the house of the catholic priest. The
display of the first day consisted of sheep assem-
bled in Lord Clancarty's park. The whole
were driven in before ten o'clock the pre-
ceding night, and the sale is considered to be
over by ten the following morning, when
driving them out commences. From sixty to
eighty thousand sheep, worth from forty shil-
lings to four guineas and upwards each, were
here collected on a space not exceeding one
hundred acres ; but the beautiful inequalities of
the ground on which the flocks were shown,
exposed the whole to great advantage. The
noise and uproar was excessive, yet amidst all
this apparent hurry and confusion great order
prevailed. Not a dog is permitted to be pre-
sent—the whole business is ably performed by
the shepherds, who are surprisingly dexterous.
As we entered the park two flocks had met, of
very unequal strength : the most powerful one
forced a passage directly through the other
flock, breaking the line, and threatening the

Ability and Care of the Shepherds. 231

weaker animals with total destruction ; this,
however, was prevented by the activity of the
shepherds, for before they had reached the
turnpike, at the distance of little more than a
mile, the inferior flock was again perfectly
collected

The line of drift is principally by the Ath-
lone road, and, considering the numbers
which pass, the losses sustained are trifling ;
and these arise chiefly from their being kid-
napped in towns, or driven over by carriages.
The shepherds are entitled to great praise for
their alacrity, care, and vigilance. If a sheep
separate from any of the flocks, it is imme-
diately caught and brought back in an instant.
Independently of an opportunity being afforded
to us of seeing and examining every flock dis-
tinctly, the appearance of the whole so beau-
tifully disposed was a grand spectacle.

The Irish sheep, though possessing more
spirit and action than the Leicester, much re-
semble that breed ; the form of the Irish is
supposed to have been much improved by
crossing with the best rams of the Leicester : the
flavor of their mutton is good, and they attain
a great size. There were several lots of
wethers sold for above four guineas each.

232 Inspection of Stock in Society's Yard.

though the average price did not much exceed
three pounds.

After spending two hours in this animating
field, we returned to inspect the stock in the
Society's yard ; of which the specimens of
various breeds were numerous, and all well
arranged. Lord Farnham and the Bishop of
Kilmore's Devons could hardly be surpassed
in any county in England. We observed also
some very good Herefords : Mr. M'Gill's at-
tracted particular attention, and among the
long-horned cattle were as fine samples of the
breed as I had ever before seen.

The regulations of the society in the pre-
mium given for bulls are calculated to be
highly beneficial to the country, by disseminat-
ing the best breeds among the farmers of small,
as well as of large, occupations. The premium
bulls cover gratis, and must serve a certain
number of cows to be entitled to the rewards,
which are very liberal. In consequence of
this excellent rule, no one is precluded from
improving his stock, and within the two last
years the cattle of the country have received
great improvements. Of the Leicester, South-
down, and Merino sheep, there were also many
good specimens.

Oath as to the Age of Cattle. 233

To one of the society's regulations t think
a material objection may be taken. The cer-
tificates of the ages of the stock are delivered
on oath by the bailiffs ! There is something in
the exaction of a sacred affirmation on this
occasion which does not comport with my feel-
ings : if the protestation of the servant, sanc-
tioned by the principal, whose honor is pledged,
be not sufficient to prevent improper claims,.
I should have little reliance on an extra-judicial
oath, punishable only by contempt ; which
would equally attach to an unattested decla-
ration. The practice any where would be
highly objectionable ; but in Ireland, where the
word of honour is held in such high respect,
it seems extraordinary that an oath should be
required.

The company assembled were very numer-
ous ; one hundred and sixty gentlemen sat down
to dinner, the expenses of which were mo-
derate. At a fixed hour the party broke up ;
and a supper, for those who were inclined to
partake of it, was prepared in a room below.
I never was present at a better conducted
assembly — where more spirit seemed to pre-
vail, or more solicitude was manifested to pro-
mote the great object for which they had met,
that of furthering the patriotic labors of the
institution, from which the most important

234 Number of Sheep and Cattle at the Fair.

advantages to Ireland may reasonably be ex-
pected to result. Adieu.

J. C. C.

P. S. I have recently procured an account
of sheep and horned cattle brought to this fair
from the year 1 790, which I have the pleasure
to enclose : —

Return of the Number of Sheep and Horned Cattle Sold
and Un-sold, at the Great October Fairs of Dunlo, or
Ballinasloe, for twenty-four years, from 1790 to 1813,
inclusive.

SHEEP.

HORNED CATTLK.

Yean.

Sold.

Un-sold.

Total .

Sold.

Un-sold.

Total.

1790

59,231

2,700

61,931

7,782

850

8,632

1791

64,227

3,000

67,227

6,862

1,300

8,162

1792

61,120

6,911

68,031

6,858

671

7,529

1793

62,272

6,112

68,384

6,695

1,121

7,816

1794

64,580

2,895

67,475

7,106

231

7,337

1795

65,755

2,492

68,247

6,565

1,431

7,996

3796

68,095

2,456

70,551

5,989

300

6,289

1797

66,948

4,300

71,248

5,804

396

6,200

1798

64,700

9,451

74,151

6,931

700 | 7,631

1799

74,175

3,762

77,937

5,100

4,057

9,157

1800

67,007

3,379

70,386

5,275

2,474

' 7,749

1801

57,634

21,618

79,252

5,532

4,211

9,743

1802

75,927

8,571

84,498

6,232 3,512

9,74-t

1803

53,900

33,782

87,682

6,125 539

6,664

1804

78,843

8,621

87,464

5,339

3,462

8,801

1805

79,988

4,366

84,354

7,101

3,003

10,104

1806

64,222

23,171

87,393

5,158

7,032 12,190

1807

76,154

4,808

80,962

6,172

2,396

8,568

1808

80,483

2,316

82,799

7,951

1,376

9,327

1809

75,338

1,610

76,948

7,622

835

8,457

181Q

69,481

21,520

91,001

5,331

1,727

7,2.38

1811

73,420

23,069

96,489

6,592

870

7,462

1812

81,394

2,135

83,529

7,348

2,635

9,983

1813

76,218

870

77,088

• iii •

8,715

553

9,268

233

Athlone, Oct. 5, 1313,

AMONG the pleasures of yesterday, I must
not overlook that of my being introduced to
Mr. Garnett, a very respectable gentleman in
his eighty-fourth year. In the course of the
last sixty-four years he had attended Ballinasloc
fair sixty-three times. The opportunity of re-
sorting to such a living chronicle, promised a
ricli treat to an agricultural amateur, as, in
that period, the changes which he had wit-
nessed must have been very striking. Though
much of this gentleman's attention had been
devoted to stock, yet the alterations had been
so gradual and progressive, as not to have
made such impression on his mind as I had
been led to expect. He admitted that the
augmentation in point of value, with other
causes, had increased the price of cattle nearly
four-fold ; but he was not prepared to allow
that so much had been gained in size and sym-
metry of the several breeds as 1 had supposed,
and indeed it is probable that this improve-

236 Exhibition of Horses in leaping.

ment is only of recent date. The general face
and state of the country, he observed, was en-
tirely altered, and bore no resemblance to what
it was in his early youth, when the lands were
unenclosed, and little grain of any description
was produced. The noise and bustle of the
place precluded my obtaining that extent of
valuable information, which this venerable gen-
tleman was so competent and obligingly ready
to afford ; I became, however, perfectly sa-
tisfied, that little attention was formerly paid to
the objects connected with the husbandry of the
country.

This day and the succeeding are the horse
fairs. The ability of the Irish horses in leaping
is surprisingly great. The custom here is to
leap the horses shown for sale into the pound,
which is surrounded by a stone wall, five feet
high on the upper, and six on the lower side.
Many went over the lower part, and in some
instances over both. Were I to communicate
the feats I saw performed, I might hazard a
similar reproof to that of the late Bishop of
Killala, Dr. Law, to Lord D , who in speak-
ing of his alert regiment of volunteer cavalry,
asserted that he had brought them to such per-
fection, that in charging and clearing a six foot
wall, the line would not be put into the least

Major Kintan's Oxen. 237

disorder ! " That, my Lord," exclaimed the
Bishop, " is indeed a wonderful bounce ! "

We spent some time in a further inspection
of the stock, which greatly surpassed my ex-
pectation, as I must confess, that I never saw,
at any show, better specimens of the most va-
luable breeds of cattle.

In the course of the morning we rode to the
ground on which the battle of Aghrim was
fought ; the conflict which finally extinguished
the hopes of the Stuarts. James was in himself
so devoid of every trait which could create at-
tachment or respect, that his fall calls forth
not one sentiment of commiseration.

Near this spot we had an opportunity of
seeing two hundred oxen, the property of Ma-
jor Kirwan. In point of size they were re-
markably equal, and very neat cattle in ap-
pearance ; short in the leg, well formed in the
carcase, and of a description not commonly
driven to market. Two twousand pounds were
offered for one hundred of them, by Sir A.
Bryan ; and refused, guineas being the price
demanded ; which I have little doubt would be
obtained. Major Kirwan occupies some hun-
dreds of acres of grazing land, worth four pounds
per acre.

238 Visit Lord Clonbrock.

I was much concerned at quitting Balli-
nasloe before the conclusion of the meeting;
as I should have been pleased to have seen the
prizes awarded. The business of the insti-
tution is ably conducted, and has, and \vill
continue to produce the most important public
benefits. The decision of the judges, however
impartial and correct, it i* impossible to ex-
pect should be agreeable to all parties ; it is
on this point dissatifaction and disunion gene-
rally has arisen, and, however to be lamented,
it is I fear unavoidable.

Great and respectful regard is paid to
strangers ; no occasion of polite attention to-
wards us was neglected ; nor can I, in terms
adequate to my feelings, express how sensibly
I was gratified by the distinguished compliment
I received on being elected an honorary mem-
ber of the institution.

•

We dined at Lord Clonbrock's, whose re-
sidence is about five miles from Ballinasloe ;
the mansion is new, and the grounds laid out in
the modern style. The country is too flat to
be beautiful ; the mode of husbandry stands in
great need of improvement. The grazing land
lets from three to five pounds, the arable from
forty to fifty shillings the acre. An excessive
repetition of corn crops prevails, and though

Difficulty of returning Jrom Baliinasloe. 239

the stock on the farms is abundant and valuable,
no winter provision of green crops is attempted.

Difficult as we had found it to reach Balli-
nasloe, never had it occurred that any trouble
could attend our departure ; but this con-
fidence was misplaced : not a carriage, nor
even post-horse, could be procured ; every pos-
sible exertion proved ineffectual, till at length
my catholic host obligingly undertook the task,
and after some time reported that he had pro-
cured me a man and horse to be ready at four
o'clock the next morning. The engagement
was punctually observed. I was prepared not
to expect an inimitable nag, but any thing like
the poor beast produced, I confess, had not
entered into my contemplation. The miserable
animal was the picture of famine, and laboring
under a complication of maladies. I could not
help expressing my apprehension that the hal£
starved creature would die on the road — " Ne-
ver fear, your honor, he is better than he looks,"
replied the owner ; and having no alternative I
mounted. The distressing efforts to accomplish
two miles reconciled me to the determination
of dismounting, and proceeding on foot ; when,
most fortunately, a carriage with the coachman
alone on the barouche seat, came in sight ; I at

7

24O Mr. Garnctt's Resistance of a Footpad.

once decided to make my case known, and
take the chance of being permitted to mount
•with the driver. I rode up to the window, and,
addressing myself to the gentleman, stated,
that I had never in my life been a candidate for
a place till this moment, when, from a com-
bination of disappointments, I was nearly re-
duced to the necessity of walking, and as this*
ill suited with my engagements, I should feel
highly obliged to obtain a place on the ba-
rouche seat. As I suspected, the parties be-
came amused with the style of my application,
and the manner in which I was appointed. I
doubt not I should have succeeded with any
Irish gentleman, but I became perfectly secure
of my object on being recognized by Mr. Gar-
nett. In the course of our drive, I learned an
interesting anecdote of the spirit with which
the old gentleman, to whom 1 had become so
much obliged, had conducted himself. On re-
turning the preceding year from Ballinasloe, he
was attacked by a footpad ; the man stopped
the carriage, and presented a pistol ; Mr. Gar-
nett refused to deliver his money, though he
had only a stick with which to defend himself.
The villain fired and wounded him in the face,
which, however, did not prevent a continuance
of his resistance, until some persons fortunately

Rtt urn from Ballinasloe Fair. 841

came up and seized the man, who was af tor-
Is tried and executed for the crime.

The whole of our path was so crowded with
sbbep, that I do not think there were a
hundred yards clear, at any time, during the
whole way ; and as the road is narrow, it re-
quired the greatest care to avoid doing them
injury.

I forgot to state that, after getting through
the turnpike, I was stopped by a poor fellow
who appeared in great agitation. The inno-
cence and earnestness with which he made
inquiries after his brindled cow, of one, who
by no possibility could afford him the least
information, marks the extreme simplicity
which characterizes the peasantry of this coun-
try, while his apparent distress interested me
much, in spite of the vexation I was at the
moment enduring. My only surprise was, (hat
in so prodigious a bustle and throng, greater
losses did not occur.

Our journey was very pleasant ; after mak-
ing my best acknowledgments for the accom-
modation so kindly afforded me, I proceeded
to the inn where our horses were left.

VOL. ii. a

242 Depart for Baron's Court.

This visit to Ballinasloe afforded us great
entertainment ; and we should gladly have pro-
tracted it, had not an engagement to Baron's
Court compelled us to leave the fair sooner
than we could have wished. Having break-
fasted, we arc about to set off. Ever yours,
adieu.

J. C. C*

243

LETTER LX.

Huron's Court, Oct. 6, 181:5.

OUR first stage often miles was to Ballamona:
the road is nearly parallel to that which we had
travelled from Edgeworth's Town, but leads
through a country more undulated and diversi-
fied. From the rising grounds the views were
often extensive. The soil is light, and the fences
good ; but the husbandry in general was very
indifferently conducted. In two instances only
small patches of turnips were observed, though
the surface is particularly well adapted to their
growth ; while the luxuriance of some parts
through which we passed appeared to be so
great, as to require the incontrovertible evidence
of seeing to become satisfied of the fact.

A portion of Lord Sunderlin*s estate, at
Springles, has been let for the last eight years
in con-acres, at eight pounds each; during
which period these lands had produced three
crops of potatoes in succession without manure,
and were afterwards succeeded by five crops of
oats, the last of which was the most productive.

H *>

24* Extraordinary Fertility of the Soil.

How much longer this land is capable of en-
during such treatment remains to be proved :
so long, however, as the rent can be procured,
the land will have no rest, but continue to be
let in the present mode. Parts of other estates
in this district are let in the same way. My
information was derived from Mr. Bertie, the
land agent to Lord Sunderlin, on whose correct-
ness I can rely. I was by no means surprised
at this information, as I have frequently met
with instances of the same extraordinary fertil-
ity ; and have much regretted that I have not
had an opportunity of examining the nature
of the land so occupied. The soil of Sprin-
gles is a deep loam ; the substratum, a lime-
stone gravel. I was much struck with the
strength of the stubbles on the lands adjoining
this property. To the limekilns in the neigh-
bourhood may possibly be attributed a great
portion of the luxuriance of the crops, the ge-
neral management being incompetent to the
effect, and deserving great reprobation.

A considerable number of gentlemen's seats
appeared in this line, with extensive plantations
about some of them. We were greatly per-
plexed by the sheep on the road, an inconve-
nience which attended us for more than thirty
miles, but which, however, afforded us an ample

Irish Flocks crossed with the Leicester. 245

opportunity of inspecting the flocks. The cross
with the Leicester is very observable, and has
evidently improved the form of the Irish sheep :
their average weight is now about thirty pounds
a quarter. Many of the flocks must have tra-
velled a great distance in the last few days ;
and though the road was wet, they had not suf-
fered so much as I should have expected from
such rapid driving, which may be owing to their
native activity and spirit

Whilst we were stopping to refresh our horses,
Mr. Garnett arrived. He said he remembered
almost the whole of this country without hedges,
very thinly inhabited, and that the state of the
working classes was now more comfortable than
in ancient times he had known them. The
changes in eighty years have undoubtedly been
great, and have infinitely augmented the luxuries
among the higher ranks ; but unless it be that the
introduction of the potatoe has prevented the
lower orders from starving, I cannot, from
what I have observed, see how it is possible
their condition should be improved, when it is
not easy to conceive rational beings to exist
under greater privations than they at present
endure.

"\Ve had fifteen miles from Ballamona to Ba-

7

24C Lord Sunderlin's Park,

ron's Court, over a soil of sharp gravel. We
passed an estate on which we observed several
new farm-houses, with the necessary appendant
buildings for enabling the occupiers to conduct
their business with profit and regularity. Till
the fanner is duly supplied with barns and sheds
for his cattle, his attempting the growth of
green crops, or to increase the quantity of his
manure, would be unavailing.

Lord Sunderlin's park, two miles from Baron's
Court, is a very pretty piece of ground, its sur-
face being very agreeably unequal, and orna-
mented with some fine timber and beautiful
thorns. The Grand Canal from Dublin passes
by the park walls. The inland traffic in most
parts of Ireland is insufficient at present to ren-
der canals a lucrative investment ; large sums
have, however, been voted in aid of such under-
takings in various parts of Ireland ; and I trust
the time is not very remote when these patriotic
designs will answer the promised object of the
original projectors. Many people were em-
ployed in extending the cut with the lay, at
which I was somewhatsurprised ; but on inquiry,
found their spades had not arrived, and that
the lay was used only to mark out the line : the
laborers were unanimous in allowing the Eng-
lish spade to be the superior implement.

and School Establishment. 247

Lord Sunderlin is a warm advocate for the
education of the subordinate classes : he has
built a neat school for the use of his tenantry,
which we found very well conducted. Over
the door is this inscription — " Opened Decem-
ber, 1 807, for the cheap and easy instruction of
children of all religious denominations." One
hundred boys and eighty girls arc the present
complement under tuition.

The Lancastrian plan was attempted, and
failed. The order and method introduced
among the children alarmed the parents : they
thought it partook of military discipline, and
was a scheme to entice or entrap them into the
army : they objected also to their children
being made monitors, erroneously conceiving
that their own time and learning were sacri-
ficed to the teaching of others. Preposterous
as such notions may appear to the casual and
better informed observer, the feelings of the
parties should first be entertained before a fair
judgment can be formed of their objection :
this would only lead to a review of the calami-
ties of the past, and be unavailing : let us hope
a happier period may soon arrive, when the
present sorrows and resentments shall be
forgotten. Catholic parents ought to have
every assurance that no interference will be

248 Arrive at Baron's Court.

attempted in the religious persuasion of their
children. The design ought to be clearly ex«
plained — that of qualifying the rising genera-
tion to understand with precision, and discharge
•with fidelity, their several duties. This would
generally answer every purpose, as many others,
as well as myself, have found, who have taken
the trouble to place this point beyond the
reach of suspicion. When and wherever the
narrow principle of exclusion has been adopted,
the system has failed ; while the promiscuous
education of all religious sects is a powerful
auxiliary in weakening prejudice, and approxi-
mating Christians of all denominations.

' . A UV

A mile beyond the school brought us to
Baron's Court. The house is a very large,
handsome, modern building ; the domain spa-
cious, and adorned with much fine timber,
planted by his Lordship's grand-father, about
eighty years ago, under the shade of which the
laurel grows here luxuriantly. At the entrance
of the park is a beautiful church, erected at
the charge of the present noble possessor : its
architecture is particularly deserving attention.
Adieu.

J. C. C

"

• ' ' :

>ihaae* y\uft*
LETTER LXI.

.

Baron's Court, Oct. 7, 1813.

A HE principal part of this morning was occu-
pied in driving round the grounds, and ex-
amining the plantations. The larches here are
remarkably fine trees j I have seldom seen any
larger, though the person who planted them
has been dead only a few years. A larch of
thirty-six years' growth only was sixty feet in
height ; at four and a half feet from the ground,
it measured six feet in circumference. I under-
stood that the evergreen shrubs had been ori-
ginally planted with the forest trees ; by which
means they become so established as to bear
cutting, and form a most beautiful underwood.

At the extremity of the grounds is a small
lake, the boundary of which has been so well
managed by judicious planting, as to hide the
low boggy margin, and to exhibit the opposite
shore, which, being handsome and bold, with
the presence of the water, adds great beauty to
the place.

250 Lord Sundcrlitfs Improvements

Lord Sunderlin himself has been a great
planter. An avenue of trees, leading to the
church, is happily contrived, by planting shrubs
and low trees within the rows, to form a bank,
which gradually rises on each side from the
humble rose to the majestic lofty beech. The
inside of the church at once displays both
elegance and simplicity. By the side of the
communion table the reading desk is placed,
which brings the whole congregation within
the view of the minister. The windows are
glazed with ground glass, which creates a dead
and sombre light, very appropriate to the cha-
racter of the edifice. A mausoleum adjoining
the church is erecting for the family ; and at a
short distance is the parsonage house, exhibit-
ing every appearance of comfort.

In the whole of these arrangements, as well
as in every other part of the establishment,
appear indications of order and benevolent
consideration, as pleasing to the eye as gratify-
ing to the heart.

Mr. Bertie, the land agent, has made great
improvements in the farm ; potatoes are set by
the plough, and with its assistance kept per-
fectly clean. Two sorts are cultivated — white,
for culinary purposes, and black, for feeding

in kit Lordship's Farm ami A'/, •<•'..

cattle; the latter must be very prolific, as their
produce is estimated at three thousand stones
the Cunningham acre; the common mode of
planting potatoes in lazy beds does not pro-
duce one half the crop which is obtained by
the plough : this at length has become so ap-
parent, that many of the neighbouring small oc-
cupiers have been prevailed on to abandon their
customary practice. On his Lordship's farm
are raised very abundant crops of turnips by
drilling in the seed on a peat soil after claying;
I could perceive nothing to disapprove in the
culture, but insufficient hoeing, which has
been a general defect in every turnip crop \ve
have inspected. The soil is so productive and
profitable here under grass, that there is little
inducement to pay particular attention to the
arable parts of it : hence a natural con-
sequence, the former is well understood, the
latter conducted with perfect ignorance, and
as if unentitled to consideration ; which to us
has always appeared extraordinary, where lands
let, as in this district, from three to four pounds
per acre. Vast numbers of cattle are fattened
in this neighbourhood : twenty pounds a head
vcrc paid for his Lordship's cattle to fatten, in
October, which afterwards sold for forty pounds
each in April. This profit, however, is double
what is commonly obtained ; the gain in

'252 The English Spade preferred by the Irish.

general on each not exceeding ten pounds.
Mr. Bertie has introduced the valuable practice
of letting out work by the task, or job, to the
laborers, who always, in such cases, petition for
an English spade ; but when they work by the
day, they cannot be induced to abandon the
lay or shovel. The wages paid here by his
Lordship are twelve pence a day for nine
months, and nine pence for the other three ;
much above the general rate of the country,
which may be estimated at seven pence and
eight pence : half a guinea is paid for cutting
an acre of grain, and four shillings for mowing
the same surface of hay. The cartage of turf
in the spring interferes very much with all the
arable operations of a farm, as a large portion
of that valuable season which ought to be de-
voted to preparing for the green crops is thus
unavoidably lost. The enormous turf stacks
bear testimony of the labor in digging, drying,
and transporting this species of fuel from the
bogs j the subsequent delivery of which to dif-
ferent parts of the house in winter, occupies
the time of several persons : when the canal is
completed, it is the general opinion that coal
will be found a more economical fuel. Rents
have doubled in the last thirty years; and
tithes have, probably, been proportionably in-
creased. The composition for wheat and barley

The Husbandry as described by Dean Swift. 253

is twelve shillings, oats eight shillings, hay six
shillings (near towns ten shillings), and flax
sixteen shillings the acre. In some instances
the tithes on wheat and flax have reached
twenty shillings the acre. In Leinster, potatoes
do not pay tithe. The composition on all other
produce must, however, be considered as ex-
orbitant ; and while it has a prohibitory opera-
tion on the production of corn by large farmers,
it becomes oppressive, in the highest degree,
on small occupiers, who can employ the prin-
cipal part of their land in no other way. The
annual value of ecclesiastical property in Ire-
land would suffer great reduction, were the
number of small occupations consolidated into
proper farms, of one or two hundred acres each,
which would enable tenants with capital to re-
store the present lands under the plough to
grass, and by this means avoid the increasing
demands of the clergy, and the tyrannous ex-
actions of the proctors.

It is curious to refer to the state of opinions
respecting the husbandry of Ireland a hundred
years ago. About this period Dean Swift, in
his Drapier's Letters, complains of the advance
of rents, and the depopulation, as likely to be
continent on converting so much arable land
into grazing farm". Little was it conjectured

254 Sufferings of the People during a Scarcity.

at that time that the great source of injury to
the country, so evident at this day, and so
feelingly and justly deplored, should arise out
of the opposite system, which, at that period,
was so much reprobated,
i?

From Mr. Bertie I received a very afflicting
account of the sufferings endured by the work-
ing classes, two years ago, during a scarcity,
produced by a failure of the potatoe crop. The
nobility and gentry of the country contributed
most liberally towards obtaining from other dis-
tricts a supply of food, and the people were highly
sensible of this kindness. He knew of but
one laborer who declined receiving relief; the
singularity of the exception caused some
curiosity, as the party had many children and
no visible means of supplying their wants. It
was at length discovered, that this good man
had refused to receive any relief, from an idea
of degrading himself and his family ! esteeming
the sufferings of hunger more supportable, by
the descendants of one of the ancient princes
of Ireland, than the dishonor of pauperism !

An honorable feeling sufficiently powerful to
endure the privation of food, not only in-
dividually, but extending to his offspring, how-
ever mistaken, and to be lamented, must call

A singular Instance of Family Pride.

forth respect and admiration of sentiments so
noble and praise-worthy ! Birth would indeed
be enviable, did it inspire corresponding notions
and produce like effects, in all who had its dis-
tinguished advantages to boast!

Solitary instances are now and then to be met
with, but I have no reason to believe that the
dissatisfaction of the people, generally speaking,
arises from the recollection of ancient claims j
nor do I believe this sentiment has the weight
of a feather in the scale of their happiness.

Near Baron's Court is the estate of an
absentee : if I had needed an instance of the
ruinous consequences arising from this cause, I
had now one before me !

About a mile from Baron's Court, on the
road to Ballymona, there is a circle planted
with very fine elms ; its novelty produced an
inquiry as to the use for which it had been
intended ? and I found in reply, it was to mark
the termination of the daily family drive in the
ponderous coach and six, for the benefit of the
air !

The accommodation and other numerous
advantages derived in modern times from the

256 . Great Improvement in the lloads.

improvement of roads, is not among the least
of the conveniences, 1 might say blessings, of
the present day. Though Dublin is not sixty
miles distant from Baron's Court, his Lordship's
grand-father was three days on the road, and to
accomplish the journey even within that time,
was then considered as a very great exertion.

The library is extensive and valuable,
containing, among other curious books, the
entire collection of the late Mr. Edmund Ma-
lone — his Lordship's brother. The gardens
are very large, and under admirable manage-
ment. Of the various luxuries of which Ire-
land has to boast, fruit cannot generally be
included. I shall most probably have an op-
portunity of addressing you again from this
place, till when, adieu.

J. C. C.

257

LETTER LXII.

Baron's Court, Oct. 8, 1813.

drove this morning to Wilson's hos-
pital, most, delightfully situated between Lough
O'Whel, and Lough Deneveragh. As we
ascended the hill on which the hospital is
erected, we had a charming view of Lough
O'Whel, and Lord De Blacquire's seat ; the
scenery of this part of the lake is very beau-
tiful.

The prospect from the hospital extends into
five counties, and over Lough Deverish — this
spot is considered to be the centre of Ireland.
The revenues of the hospital are upwards of
four thousand pounds a year, applicable to the
support of one hundred and fifty boys, and
twenty old men ; the building is large, com-
modious, and well adapted to the objects of the

institution. The Rev. Radcliffe presides

over the establishment ; throughout every de-
partment of which, we were highly gratified in

VOL. II. S

258 Wilsoris Hospital

observing the greatest order and neatness to pre-
vail ; not less commendable than creditable to
those intrusted with its superintendence. Doctor
Bell's system of education is here pursued.
The children are admitted from ten to twelve
years of age, and they remain for three years ;
when they are apprenticed to some handicraft
trade : the apprentice fee, which the governors
have now in contemplation to increase, is at
present but five pounds : the children acquitted
themselves very well, both in reading and ac-
counts. Coercion is rarely resorted to; for
where a sense of shame fails to produce the
desired effect in young minds, little amendment
can be expected from any other kind of punish-
ment. Few instances have occurred of any of
the children conducting themselves so ill as to
compel their expulsion. Steady uniformity,
and well established order, soon procure that
implicit obedience which is one of the most
valuable principles of the new system ; the
happy and salutary effects of which appear in
the cheerful compliance and content of the
pupils. The garden j which is extensive, is in a
great measure cultivated and managed by the
children, engrafting, by this more active ap-
propriation of their time, a certain degree of la-
bor and industry, on recreation and amusement.

a well regulated Establishment. 259

I should imagine it might be further advan-
tageous to teach the boys, as is the practice
at the military academy, to make their own
clothes, which would employ those hours in
which the weather may preclude work in the
garden.

The establishment is so well conducted, and
so calculated to be eminently useful, that it is
not possible to inspect it without feelings of
the highest admiration of the philanthropy that
dictated the bequest ; yet it is not possible but
to lament the want of liberality which restrict-
ed its benefits to one religious persuasion — that
of the protestants— by which regulation six out
of seven of Mr. Wilson's countrymen are ex-
cluded the benefit of his munificence.

That every individual possessing property
has an undoubted right to dispose of it agree-
ably to his will and inclination, conformably to
the laws cannot be questioned ; nor do I mean
to pass the least uncandid or disrespectful re-
flection on the memory of the benevolent foun-
der; but to express my strong disapprobation
of the narrow, merciless bigotry, which not
only fostered and promoted the most uncha-
ritable prejudices of Christians against each

s 2

26O Meet Mr. Garnet t again at the Hospital.

other, but which has been reproachfully en-
couraged and supported by the legislature ot
the country. What misery has not this wretch-
ed policy inflicted on four millions of our fellow
subjects, and how severely at this moment do
they feel its unjust operation ! A total ob-
liviation of all invidious distinctions should be
a self-imposed task on every well-wisher to the
country ; the practice of this virtuous senti-
ment would by degrees have its due in-
fluence, and highly contribute to the general
happiness of every rank and denomination of the
people.

We again met Mr. Garnett at the hospital: he
was engaged at backgammon, and I was much
pleased at the spirit and activity with which, at
the age of eighty-four, he contested the game.
In another route we pursued, on our return to
Baron's Court, we saw, about a mile from the
hospital, a new church recently finished, and
near it was another charter school.

The surface of the country over which we
passed was much broken, and the soil, as usual,
greatly superior to its cultivation. That there
should still be advocates for the old practice of
planting potatoes in lazy beds, which here pre-

Potatoes raised in Lu~y Btih. 201

vailed, is only to be reconciled by recollecting
tliat all errors have their champions; yet the
manifest advantages attending the use of the
plough in this culture, not only in planting,
gathering, and in producing a greater return,
but in their superior flavor, by being freed
from wet, which in most seasons occasions
great loss and injury; would, it might reason-
ably be expected, have been sufficient induce-
ments, long ago, to have produced more con-
verts, to a practice so evidently beneficial.
Where the plough, however, is injudiciously
used, there is a danger in cleaning the rows, if
delayed too long ; as without care the lateral
shoots may receive some injury ; in which case
the plants shoot downward, and the produce is
always reduced in size. In one instance, I
remember to have incurred great loss from a
late operation of this kind, and was not aware
of the cause until it was discovered by sub-
sequent experience. An open channel for the
escape of the water being constantly preserved,
is another material recommendation to the use
of the plough ; as it not only preserves the
manure, but benefits the present and future
crops in a high degree. A mistaken notion
generally prevails, that potatoes ought not to
be taken up until the haiun begins to decay.
As soon as the skin is sufficiently hard and

262 New Communication with Granard.

fixed to bear the friction of gathering and
removing to the pit without injury, the crop
may be safely harvested. I am perpetually
obliged to store potatoes in large quantities,
though wet and dirty ; but as care is always
taken to have a strong current of air passing
over the heap, the effect of fermentation is
carried off, and the moisture, which otherwise
would remain and cause decay, is dissipated.
The earth adhering to the potatoes is of ser-
vice ; for when it becomes dry, it contributes to
their keeping.

We passed over the bridge at Ballycock, for
which the country, in a great measure, is in-
debted to Lord Sunderlin : a communication is»
thus opened with Granard, and the inhabitants
of a large extent of country, no longer under
the necessity of carrying their produce five or
six miles round the head of the lake. Such
appropriation of fortune, and exertions of in-
fluence to promote public convenience, are
highly honorable, and in the end often prove
as beneficial to the patriotic designer and pro-
moter as to the community.

Near the bridge is a farm of his Lordship's,
where we first saw cattle sheds, in the oc-
cupation of a farmer. We quit this delightful

Leave Baron's Court. 263

place to-morrow, highly gratified with all we
have seen, and all we have heard. A few such
resident proprietors would soon give to Ireland
a very different aspect. Adieu.

J. C. C.

•

264

LETTER LXIII.

Ardbracken House, Oct. 10, 1813.

W E reached this kind, hospitable roof yes-
terday to a late dinner. The journey was long
and fatiguing for our horses, as a part of the
road was hilly, and the distance from Baron's
Court little short of fifty English miles. Our
first point was Mullingar, eight miles — the
land immediately surrounding the town is
equal in fertility to the best we have seen in
Ireland : the remaining stubbles bore incon-
testable evidence of weighty crops, and the
management of some of the farms seemed to be
tolerably good.

From an eminence too miles short of Mullin-
gar, we had a most extensive and beautiful view
of both Lough O'Whel and Lough Eunel, and
could distinguish the woods at Mr. Rochfort's
at Belvidere, which has the celebrity of being
one of the most enchanting spots in Ireland ;
we were, however, at too great a distance to

Mullingar. 265

form any judgment of the beauty for which it
is so extolled.

Mullingar is a town of some extent j the prin-
cipal street is above a mile in length, and the
houses are generally good ; but the quantity of
dirt and filth before the doors did not pre-
possess us in favor of the place ; possibly we
saw it, in this respect, to a disadvantage, owing
to recent rain and great passage of sheep from
Ballinasloe. As the grand canal to Dublin
passes the town, we had an opportunity of
seeing one of the passage boats; the accom-
modations were good, and we understood its
progress to be about six miles an hour.

This neighbourhood has recently been dis-
graced by the banditti mentioned in a former
letter, who style themselves carders ; and al-
though punishment has overtaken several of the
offenders, these outrages still continue.

At Mullingar, we quitted the direct road to
Dublin, and pursued that leading to Athboy :
we breakfasted at Reynella, the seat of Mrs.
Ueynell, iive miles from Mullingar. At Kil-
burn, two miles before we reached Reynella,
we were agreeably surprised by the sight of

266 Description of Reynella.

some fine Herefordshire oxen, and a few acres
of turnips, which had been indifferently hoed,
and were greatly injured by being left too thick
on the ground.

Reynella, the seat of Mrs. Reynell, has not
been built more than twenty years — great taste
has been exhibited in the plantations, and in
forming a piece of water. Mr. Reynell, in his
day, was esteemed one of the most spirited
improvers in Ireland, and his example had an
extensive effect. The premature death of a
gentleman possessing so high a character was
justly considered a public loss. He increased
the demand for labor, and thus created a spirit
of industry highly beneficial to the lower orders
who entertained a due sense of their obliga-
tions, and acknowledged them with gratitude.
This gentleman was always respected by them
as their adviser, friend, and benefactor. After
his death, Mrs. Reynell pursued the same system
of improvement ; and at the time when the
rebellion first made its appearance, she was
actively and anxiously employed in completing
a sheet of water which had given employment
to a great number of people. Conscious that
the interests and happiness of the laboring
classes in her neighbourhood had never been

Great Intrepidity exhibited by a Lady. 267

neglected, but always kindly attended to, she
confided in the gratitude of some, and the
common sense of others, that they would not
destroy what it was so much their interest to
preserve.

This Lady had the intrepidity to remain in
her mansion, and putting arms into the hands
of her servants, and being otherwise prepared
in case of emergency to protect her property,
was resolved to wait the event. The venera-
tion and attachment of the people proved her
complete protection and defence, as she sus-
tained not the slighest loss or injury of any
description.

This circumstance furnishes another instance
of Irishmen, who, though feeling no respect for
the laws of the country, and thoroughly dis-
regarding every personal consequence that
might attach to the violation of them, were
yet gratefully alive to the remembrance of
obligations, and revolted at the idea of repay-
ing their benefactors by lawless and incon-
siderate violence. A people, on whom con-
sideration and kindness have such influence,
are more to be pitied than condemned, when
acting wrong. Where many and real griev-
2

268 The farming Establishment, and

ances exist, in any community, it cannot be
surprising that they should be exaggerated,
which, when fomented by mischievous parties,
lead to the fatal adoption of measures for re-
dress, that in the end do but augment the suf-
ferings previously endured.

The farming buildings and offices at Reynella
are judicious and extensive, and the management
of the land is superior to most specimens of
husbandry we have had an opportunity of ex-
amining. A certain portion of the farm is
devoted to the growth of green crops, which
were well managed, and great pains bestowed in
cleaning the ground — the clovers grown with
ray grass were luxuriant — the stock well se-
lected, and excellent — the Hereford oxen were
equal to the best I have usually seen. An ox,
a descendant of one of the Woburn bulls, much
resembled the far-famed bull, bred by the late
Duke of Bedford, and was a very fine specimen
of the breed. The Leicester flock was a choice
collection of the breed of sheep from that
county. Ten pounds of clover, and twenty-
seven pounds of ray grass, are sown per Irish
acre : had a less quantity of ray grass been
used, the crops of clover would have been
better. Potatoes were principally cultivated

permanent Improvements at Reynella. 269

in lazy beds. Is it not wonderful that the
production of a crop, which may be considered
4Kthe staff of life in Ireland, should at this day
be so little understood ?

Mr. Reynell, about twenty years since con-
stnicted a water meadow of fourteen acres:
the work was judiciously performed, but it
is at present a little out of repair. Early in
May the grass is cut for hay, by which prac-
tice the depasturage for at least a month or
five weeks, up to the time cf cutting, is
lost — an important consideration where there
is so much stock, and an inadequate supply of
green food. The produce of an acre of Swe-
dish turnips preserved till May in Cumberland,
may be valued at forty or fifty pounds, on a
comparison with hay. The young stock bred
on the farm are very promising, and do great
credit to the bailiff, who has lived very many
years in the family, and appears to unite great
practical knowledge as a farmer, with much
zeal and an ardent attachment to the persons
and interests of his employers.

The survey of this establishment afforded
me much pleasure : great indeed was the loss
of the proprietor who originally projected the
system which has been persevered in, during a

27O Condition of the Laborer

long minority, with so much ability and spirit.
J cannot but feel a peculiar desire that the
young gentleman, "who is now nearly of age,
may be inspired with the same motives, and
influenced by the same philanthropy, that di-
rected the conduct of his patriotic father j and
that the regret for his loss, and the respect for
tbe memory of such a parent, may stimulate
him with an ambitious emulation of worthily
supplying his place.

.

To Athboy, eleven miles, the country is well
enclosed. Two instances were presented to us
of the turnip husbandry. The crops of grain
appeared to have been good, and the tillage
of the land tolerably well conducted. An
abundance of limestone gravel was observed in
all parts of our drive.

Notwithstanding the fertility of the soil, and
its great returns to the occupiers, the condition
of the laborers upon it seemed to bear no re-
lation or affinity to either: extreme privation
and poverty were the evident indelible cha-
racters of their pitiable situation. I attempted
to enter one of their wretched cabins, but the
smoke was so dense and offensive, I could not
remain in it so long as to distinguish one ob-
ject from another, and yet a sufficient time

not improved by the fertility of the Soil.

to awaken every compassionate reflection — thai
human and rational beings, possessing intellect
and feelings, perhaps that would not disgrace
the higher ranks of society, should be com*
polled to exist under circumstances from which
humanity revolts, and proclaims a cruelty not
to rescue a dog ! Fuel being dear and scarce,
and cold being less bearable than smoke, the
door was kept closed ; habit may — nay, does
reconcile the latter, whilst the former could
not be endured.

From Athboy to Ardbracken is computed
eight miles ; but I should suppose it to be much
more: the soil appeared to be very good, on
which there were several extensive farming
establishments ; and as far as a hasty judgment
could be formed, I should select this district
as the best specimen of husbandry, speaking
generally, that we bad seen in Ireland.

The road by Kells is esteemed to be more
beautiful ; but being somewhat further about,
we preferred the shortest line. Wood alone
is wanting to make this a most lovely country ;
and as its growth is prodigious and rapid,
the encouragement to plant can nowhere be
exceeded. The luxuriant growth of the shrubs
was a matter of no less surprise than ad-

272 Arrive at Ardbracken House.

miration: I do not know any spot more fa-
vorable to every species of vegetation. This
has been a very fatiguing, though delightful
day ; but let me hope that the detail of it may
not have proved tiresome to you. Adieu.

J • \s» V •

275

LETTER LXIV.

Ardbrackcn House, Oct. 11, 1813.

A HOUGH Ireland is not subject to poor
laws, the county assessments applicable to the
repair of the roads and various other purposes
form a heavy charge, which is said to be little
short of a million yearly. This tax is imposed
by the grand jury — the chief constables first
obtaining their sanction, which is confirmed by
the fiat of the judge.

Great complaints have been made of sinister
views pervading the grand juries ; and as the
prevalence of corruption in the public concerns
of Ireland is notorious, the suspicion, whether
founded in justice or otherwise, is easily dif-
fused. The administration of distributive jus-
tice is loudly arraigned, owing to this important
office devolving on insufficient parties, from the
number of qualified and unexceptionable cha-
racters who as absentees are lost to the country.
Latterly, barrristers have been appointed to
preside at the Quarter Sessions of each county,

TOL. u. T

274 Want of Decorum in Irish Courts of Law.

and much benefit is likely to attend this wise
regulation. The proceedings and discussions
in the several districts will thus be more analo-
gous, and a more impartial distribution of jus-
tice promoted.

The want of solemnity and decorum at the
assizes is to be deeply regretted : neither judges
nor council appear in their appropriate dress.
The dignity and order which is preserved in
our courts of law, serve most materially to
create veneration and inspire respect in the
several orders of the people, and are highly
worthy the attention and imitation of the Irish
bar. The people in Ireland have long con-
sidered a want of interest among the higher
ranks as tantamount to criminality : its in-
fluence in their opinion can control the opera-
tions of the law — can obtain pardon for the
commission of the greatest crime ; and no
offender suffers condign punishment but the
person who is destitute of powerful friends to
intercede for him.

A thorough conviction of strict impartiality
in the enforcement of the penal statutes, is in-
dispensably requisite to give energy and effect
to all civil institutions j and resoit should be

Effects of Solemnity in those oj England. 275

had to every measure which by possibility can
tend to establish this confidence in the minds
of the people, and raise it in the public estima-
tion.

As an example of the effect which circum-
stances apparently trivial produce on the mind,
may be cited the preparative ceremony of an
English judge to his passing sentence of death.
He takes from his bag a small black cap, which
he deliberately unfolds and places on his head ;
this signal announces the impending fate of the
criminal. Those who have never witnessed it
might suppose that this formality is calculated
rather to destroy than promote the awfulness of
the occasion ; but the reverse of this conjecture
is the fact : the solemn silence which precedes
the lew minutes in which the judge is thus
occupied has a powerful operation on the
audience. A general sympathy of feeling is
created by the anticipation of the dreadful
denunciation a fellow-creature is doomed to
receive. The ear and the heart are attuned to
the melancholy occasion, and every word which
falls from the judge becomes doubly impressive
from a union of sentiment.

Hie humanity with which the criminal Jaw is
executed is a bright part of our constitution :

T a

276 Uneducated Man the Creature of Passt<

barbarous as is the penal code, the mildness
with which it is administered greatly disarms it
of its horrors.

To dilate on the morals of the people of Ire-
land, would require a more intimate knowledge
of their character, and a much longer residence
in the country than has been permitted us on
the present occasion. Their conduct is fre-
quently marked by the most incredible absurdity
and opposite extremes ; one hour dignifies the
man with every kind and noble sentiment — the
next degrades his nature by acts of the most
brutal malevolence. Man, uneducated, is the.
creature of passion ; and in his contempt of
legal restraint, he feels he has a right to become
the avenger of his own wrongs. The instances
of savage ferocity, which occasionally occur,
operate to the general discredit of the Irish
character.

Mr. Arthur Young has furnished a deplorable
picture of their moral state in some parts of
Ireland, exhibiting the lower orders as so lost
to all sense of decency, as to consent to the
prostitution of their wives and daughters to
their landlords and superiors ! This accusation
has recently been repeated. In conversations
with the well-informed, in various parts of Ire-

Unfounded Reports of extreme Profligacy. 277

land, and particularly a few days since at Bal-
linasloe, with gentlemen from different pro-
vinces, I have been uniformly assured that
these charges are unfounded, and that the
parties who have stated them were grossly im-
posed on. Examples of profligacy, in this, as
in every other large community, undoubtedly
may be found ; but as a general characteristic
of the people I am persuaded the atrocity has
no existence. The truth of these stories has
been so frequently and so solemnly denied, and
disproved by so many corroborating circum-
stances, that I cannot but reject them as utterly
unfounded. All the individuals with whom I
have conversed on this subject consider it a
gross libel on the Irish character.

In no country are conjugal and parental
affections exceeded, more warmly or powerfully
felt, or more sincerely and unaffectedly exhibit-
ed, than in Ireland : it is these, and these alone,
which communicate to the wretched cabin an
interest and a charm which recompense the
cottier's toil, and compensate all other priva-
tions. Is it then possible to credit the existence
of such unnatural baseness and dereliction of
every virtuous sentiment in characters where
the affections of husband and father so con-
spicuously predominate ? And among those

278 A Libel on the Irish Character.

too, with whom a sense, or rather a pride of
family honor exists, not less incorruptible than
incompatible with so revolting and degrading
an acquiescence.

To-morrow we shall bid our valued friends
under this hospitable roof farewell, and proceed
for Black Castle, whence most probably you will
hear from me again. Adieu.

J. C. C.

279

LETTER LXV.

Block Castle Oct. 12, ISIS.

THE pleasure our last visit derived from the
unremitting kindness and attention of our
friends, and the few chances that so retired a
life as mine affords of any future meeting,
made our parting yesterday truly painful.
Neither time nor distance can ever obliterate
the esteem and regard now impressed on my
mind ; and in the pleasurable review of the
various incidents which have contributed to
the happiness of this tour, the friendship and
urbanity of the amiable residents in Ardbracken
House will always occupy a pre-eminent place
in my recollection.

Mr. Ruxton's cottage is delightfully situated
on the banks of the Boyne, a mile from Navaii,
where the soil is highly fertile. Mr. Ruxton,
though well versed in the best theories of agri-
culture, yields his better judgment to the erro-
neous practices of the country, and white crops
are grown after each other successively. As an
instance of the power of vegetation on tin* farm,

28O Mr. RuMon's Farm and Plantations.

a field which had borne an admirable crop of
wheat, and which was cut in August, was im-
mediately ploughed for another crop of the
same grain. The prodigious quantity of grass
which it immediately produced caused a delay
in sowing the wheat, that the abundant herbage
might be fed off with cattle ; and it is now re-
ploughing for the seed : had 1 not had an
opportunity of seeing it, I should have deemed
such a statement apocryphal.

The Swedish turnips were good — the white
ones tolerable, though imperfectly hoed and
cleaned. Mr. Ruxton stated that it was his
intention to put his farm into a regular rotation
of cropping, and to give it a proper cleaning.
By carrying this wise resolution steadily into
effect, he will, by such an example, not only
render an essential service to his neighbourhood,
but materially benefit himself.

The thriving plantations on Mr. Ruxton's
estate are all of his own rearing, and were
planted about thirty years ago.

By means of locks in various parts of the
river, the Boyne is made navigable from Navan
to Drogheda, where the distilleries and a con-
siderable trade in grain have recently made the

General Disposition of the People. 281

former place a respectable corn-market. The
high price which wheat has lately borne has
induced the growth of it on all kinds of land ;
and as moderate crops only have indemnified
the farmer, such practices may ultimately prove
injurious to his interest.

We have been continually subjected to in-
quiries as to the general disposition of the peo-
ple to turbulence or tranquillity. Although,
as I observed in a former letter, we had no
reason to suspect any meditated disturbance of
the present repose, yet we were unqualified to
pass a general opinion on the real state of the
public feeling. Privations to the extent en-
dured in Ireland must produce discontent, the
parent of disloyalty and disaffection ; and how-
ever the great, the glorious work of reform in
this most beautiful island may be deferred, it
must be seriously undertaken to prevent those
fatal consequences which await procrastination.
The experience of every hour persuades me
that there are no other means of accomplishing
this arduous task, and of establishing an unequi-
vocal and perfect satisfaction in the country,
than by improving the condition of the working
classes. Of the manner in which to a certain
extent this blessing may be conferred, I have
already offered an opinion, which subsequent
3

'182 Tranquillity not to be ensured by Coercion.

information and reflection have furnished no
reason to retract. The inefficacy of force has
been manifested by the experience of centuries.
Coercion, sustained by an overwhelming mili-
tary power, by depopulating the country,
might produce a temporary calm ; but it is the
last expedient which ought to be resorted to
for the attainment of permanent order, and
obedience to the laws and civil authorities.

The violence which appears from time to
time in resolutions of catholic meetings, is re-
presented as the artifice of a few designing in-
dividuals, who, though so loud in demanding
catholic emancipation, dread nothing so much
as its being conceded. By concession, their
consequence would be extinguished, and their
powers would cease with the means possessed
of inflaming and influencing the untaught minds
of the lower orders. The abrogation of what
remains of the penal statutes would demolish the
existing barrier which divides the people, and
be the happy occasion of removing those mutual
jealousies and prejudices which have now so
pernicious an effect on the minds of men of
both persuasions, and are not less degrading to
the nation than injurious to its peace and pros-
perity.

Some good Fanning near Navan. 283

To Slane's Castle, five miles, some very good
farming appeared between that place and
Navan. Mr. Ruxton's brother has a fine
estate adjoining Black Castle, which is under
a good system of husbandry : the thorn hedges
are flourishing, and the fields regularly laid
down for grazing. About three miles from
this property we observed a church, and near
to it was a very fine round tower, the top of
which was covered with flags.

Highly gratified with the day we have here
passed, we purpose starting early in the mom-
ing for Drogheda. Ever yours — Adieu.

J. C. C.

284

LETTER LXVI.

Drogheda, Oct. 13, 1813.

\VlTH the first five miles of this morning's
journey we were previously acquainted, the
farming of which is certainly better than in
most districts of Ireland.

'

Slane's Castle is placed in a romantic situa-
tion, surrounded by a great extent of wood j
and while it commands a beautiful view of the
Boyne and its rocky margin, Mr. Lambert's
woods at Beau Park contribute greatly to its
embellishment. The village of Slane is neatly
built, and entirely new. The quality of the
soil between Slane's Castle and Drogheda is
of promising appearance : it is a liver-coloured
loam, of very superior staple and value, proba-
bly alluvial — its cultivation by no means such
as it deserved.

Two miles short of Drogheda is the ford
where King William passed the Boyne : a rock
at the identical spot forms an appropriate base
for the pillar erected upon it, to perpetuate the
memory of that great event. The homage

Description of Drogheda. 285

paid to King William by a portion of the Irish
nation rests not on that foundation which in
my opinion principally entitles him to the
esteem and respect of posterity. His enlight-
ened policy and liberal views with regard to
religion, are the most luminous parts of his
character; and greatly is it to be lamented
that the bigotry and revengeful prejudices of
the times should have defeated his good inten-
tions ; for in the succeeding reign intolerance
and persecution reached the acme of barbarism.

Drogheda is a handsome commercial town,
built on the banks of the Boyne, which rapidly
rise from the river. The approach to it is
through a street of great length, consisting for
the most part of miserable hovels. The princi-
pal street, as well as the new houses on the quay.
are substantial and handsome. The improve-
ments in the town have been rapid during the
last few years. Difficulty attends the access to
the port, owing to the winding course of the
river down do its fall into the sea and the shal-
lowness of water over the bar, formed by the
discharge of its waters. The Corporation pos-
sesses a considerable revenue, and large sums
have been expended on embanking the river,
with a view of deepening the channel : some
benefit has been derived from this measure, but

286 Trade of Drogheda.

still it requires two tides for vessels, after passing
the bar, to reach the quay. To remedy this
inconvenience, it has been proposed to make a
canal in a straight line to the sea, and by the
assistance of sluices a greater depth of water is
expected to be obtained. At present, vessels
of a small draft of water only can reach the
quay at Drogheda.

In consequence of the distilleries having been
at work a few days, barley in great quantities
was arriving from all quarters. The roads were
crowded in all directions with Irish cars, laden
with this material for the supply of the manu-
factories, the importance of which to the state
will appear from the following statement.* It

* " The following stills are all at work in this kingdom : —
Thirty-three, producing every twenty-eight days, 893,873
gallons, at 5s. lie?, per gallon, duty 266,299/. 13*. 3±d. —
per day, 9,510/. 14-5. 0±d.— per 'hour. 396/. 5s. Id.— yielding
a revenue to Government of (supposing them to work eight
months in the year) 2,130,397/. 6s. Id. Grain required, at
the rate of six gallons of spirits for every barrel, amounts to
148,979 barrels, one-third of which must be malt, yielding a
revenue of 34-,968/. every month, and

On the eight working months in the year £¥19,145 14 0

Which added to the whiskey duty 2,130,397 6 4

Make* a total of .£2,410,143 0 4

" The benefits of such a stimulus to agriculture are evident,
and would be still more valuable if they were not purchased at
the expense of the morals and industry of the lower classes."
5

Manufacture of Spirituous Liquors. 287

may indeed be urged that if the use of ardent
spirits were totally prohibited, such is the na-
tural propensity of man to intoxication, that he
would become so by beer or some other fer-
mented liquor. Drunkenness, however, so pro-
moted, might possibly be unattended with the
like evil consequences to the community which
attend inebriation by spiritous liquors, as the
exhilaration produced by the former is speedily
resolved into a senseless stupor, while that of
the latter inspires the inebriated with a danger-
ous frenzy.

Greatly as agriculture is promoted by the
home distillation of grain, the sacrifice of human
happiness, health, and morals, is paying too
dearly for the benefit derived to husbandry.
The yearly advantages accruing to the revenue
from the manufacture of legalized poison, leaves
little reason to hope for the adoption of such
egulations and restrictions on the sale of spiritu-
ous liquors, as would place the inordinate use
of them out of the reach of the laboring classes.
Intemperate gratification in ardent spirits ought,
if possible, to be restrained, instead of the law
against drunkenness being allowed to sleep, as
drinking to excess is the great bane to all the
little comforts of the lower orders ; and though
a perfect conviction of the direful effect! too
often attendant on inebriety be admitted among

r

288 Visit Mr. Tandy's Farm.

them, yet the indulgence has too many tempta-
tions to be resolutely abandoned.

We inspected the distillery of Mr. Codd,
which is very extensive. Here we saw the first
steam-engine wholly constructed in Ireland, it
appeared to work extremely well, and does
great credit to the Dublin foundery : the rest
of the machinery seemed well adapted to their
various offices. The exertions of Mr. Codd in
a variety of undertakings have greatly benefitted
and materially contributed both to the agricul-
tural and mercantile interests of this district.

We visited Mr. Tandy's farm, four miles from
Drogheda on the southern bank, and near the
mouth of the Boyne, whence we had a complete
view of the exit of the river and the proposed
line of the canal, which appeared to be a feasi-
ble project, and likely, at no considerable exr
pense, to answer a valuable purpose. Should
a communication be formed by means of another
canal with Lough Neagh and Lough Erne,
Drogheda would become a place of great trade,
not only in the transportation and exportation
of grain, but in other domestic and foreign
produce.

Mr. Tandy's farm at Morthington offers
much for the gratification of an agricultural

Mr. Tandy's Farm. 289

Visitor. The clovers were remarkably clean, and
sown on land in high condition. Eight pounds
of seed are found sufficient, when drilled in, for
the Irish acre : if a proof had been required of
the rapid and luxuriant growth of clover in Ire-
land, here were ample demonstrations of the
fact. Ten acres of cabbages had been planted,
but the season had proved unfavorable to their
growth : beside which, there were five acres of
Swedish, and five acres of white turnips drilled,
well hoed, and very clean. In all, there were
twenty acres of green crop — an unusual number
on so small a farm. The care and attention
bestowed on the crops, and particularly so in
their being kept clean, cannot be exceeded,
and would entitle Mr. Tandy to the reputation
of a good farmer in any country.

Much of this farm had been ploughed until
it was exhausted and overrun with weeds : the
exertions of the present occupier may be esti-
mated by the presence of some few remains of
what at first he had to encounter.

There is infinite pleasure in the survey of a
farm under a good system of management in
any situation ; but particularly so in a neigh-
bourhood where it is the misconceived practice
to do every thing which by possibility can conn-

VOL. ii. r

29O Corn Market at Drogheda.

teract the bounty of Providence, and render the
most fertile soil unproductive.

The corn-market at Drogheda is a spacious
handsome building. Considerable quantities of
all sorts of grain are exported to Liverpool, and
some oats are sent by the return of coal ships to
Whitehaven. The number of opulent people
in Drogheda is considerable, and the society on
a good footing.

We had the pleasure of meeting several of
the mercantile gentlemen as guests of Mr. Codd.
It was extremely pleasing to be a witness of the
spirit and confidence with which an augmenta-
tion of the commerce of the place was by these
gentlemen anticipated. I sincerely hope that
their expectations may be realized. Adieu.

J. C. C.

LETTER LXVII.

Collon, Oct. 14, 1813.

? V E arrived here this morning to breakfast ;
and though our distance from Drogheda is but
six miles, yet as we have been ascending during
the greater part of the way, we perceive our
elevation to be considerably above the level of
the sea.

The soil has altered greatly for the worse :
nothing can be more ungenial to tillage
than the ground occupied by Mr. Foster,
whose farm is the only one I ever saw that
could put me in good humour with my own :
the surface of it is a meagre white clay, suf-
fering equally from wet or dry weather. A
propitious season for the cultivation of such
land but seldom occurs.

It is very unfortunate that Mr. Foster should
have had so unimprovable a subject on which
to operate, as, with his knowledge and inde-
fatigable exertions, he could not Jbave failed

u 2

292 Description of Collon.

in exhibiting the advantages of a good system
of cultivation on any spot, where it had been
practicable. As a planter, he is eminently dis-
tinguished j for, in spite of the sterility of the
soil, the elevated situation of Collon, and its
uninterrupted exposure to the winds from the
sea, his plantations grow v^ry luxuriantly.

Collon, a remarkably neat village, was en-
tirely built by Mr. Foster ; the cabins are very
tidy, the walls white-washed, and the roofs co-
vered with Welsh slate. The church is an ex-
tremely handsome building, with a tower of very
chaste Gothic. Dr. Beaufort, who was the ar-
chitect, is now engaged in fitting up the in-
terior, which will be no less elegant than appro-
priate. At a short distance from the church is
a very good parsonage house. A cotton ma-
nufactory furnishes employment to many of the
inhabitants within its w^alls, and to others who
weave in their own houses ; besides which, a
Lancastrian school and a dispensary are also
established in the village.

Our first object of attention before we rode
through the plantations and over the farm,
this morning, was the nursery ; which was
formerly a greater curiosity than at present, as
it was one of the first in Ireland. Mr. Foster

Mr. Foster's Nursery (Ground. 29S

himself compelled either to raise his own
seedlings, or to import them from England or
Scotland. The nursery contains several acres,
and is well arranged and managed. In this
seminary I beheld the greatest variety of
shrubs, evergreen and deciduous forest trees
I have ever seen. Here, with great pains, had
been collected every known species of the oak
(quercus), several of which had been ingrafted
with scions from other trees.

In Wales the old English oak is yet to be
met with, but very seldom elsewhere : the
original sovereign of our groves having been
banished by the Norman and Flemish oak, in
consequence of their more rapid growth. The
acorns of the old English oak have no foot-stalks;
and the timber is specifically heavier, when in
water, than that of the continental oaks which
usurp its place. I should hence infer, that the
oak now grown in Ireland is of foreign origin,
as it is said to be equally valuable with the Eng-
lish, and to grow much faster; a recommenda-
tion arising probably from the same cause which
produces such luxuriance and rapidity in the
growth of all the trees, with the exception of the
beech, which seems to make the least progress.
The American tribe of bog plants have been
happily introduced with great success ; as im-

294 A most extraordinary Rhododendron.

mediately beneath the surface of inert white
clay is a deep substratum of peat, which is
peculiarly suitable to their growth. Through-
out the plantations the laurel is interspersed ;
it thrives well under the forest trees, and make*
a most beautiful underwood.

The pavilion, Mr. Foster's former residence,
is now occupied by Colonel Foster, who is
making very material additions to the place.
The peat, here lying very near the surface,
gives to all species of plants, that delight in a
boggy soil, a most astonishing luxuriance. I
measured round the spreading branches of a
rhododendron about ten feet high, and found
their circumference to be eighty feet. Surprised
as I was at the appearance of the plant, I took
the dimensions myself that I might speak with
confidence as to the fact. I think this shrub,
though less lofty, covered more ground than
the largest Portugal laurel I ever saw.

Near the pavilion is also a winter garden,
containing a greater number of the different
species and varieties of shrubs, than, perhaps,
are to be found in any collection throughout
the empire. Specimens also of the indigenous
grasses of Ireland, amounting to the number of
eighty-four, have been here collected ; the

Vast Number of Trees, Shrubs, and Plants. 295

total number of grasses growing in Ireland is
stated at one hundred and sixty-four.

Among the curious forest trees were a weep-
ing larch, and an oak, peculiar to Ireland, that
has the same drooping propensity. In short,
the prodigious number of trees, shrubs, and
plants, which I had never seen before, were
infinitely beyond my powers of recollection.

Mr. Foster's botanical knowledge, indefa-
tigable exertions, and skill in all his operations,
have rendered him not less a successful than an
extensive planter. Above six hundred Irish
acres have been covered with wood under this
gentleman's superintendance and direction ;
giving to each acre about three thousand
plants. As the forest trees require thinning,
their nurses, the pine tribe, are weeded out to
allow to the former room to grow and spread.

The most desirable qualifications in a planter
are care to protect, and courage to thin ! How
few do we meet with in whom are combined
these requisites ! Mr. Foster not only pos-
sesses the knowledge of their indispensability,
but acts up to the conviction thence arising,
and is also in every other respect the best
gentleman-manager of nursery grounds, plan-

296 Weekly Sale of Timber and Brushwood.

tations, and woods, of any one with whose labon
I have had acquaintance.

A sale of timber and brush-wood takes place
two days in each week during the greater part
of the year. Fir trees of thirty years* growth,
sell for two shillings a foot. Brush-wood or
faggots, at half a guinea the cart load, or two
pence a stone — full as dear as coals at Dro-
gheda. With the value of the bark from the
larch, for the purpose of tanning, I had the
pleasure of bringing Mr. Foster acquainted.

Mr. White, of Busfield plantation, in the
county of Durham, has great merit in his at-
tention to this subject. In cases where larch
is felled for the proprietor's use, this appro-
priation of its bark must add greatly to the
value of the trees ; but where the timber is
sold after it is stripped, the loss of admeasure-
ment in the girt must be taken into consider-
ation; as in most cases it would exceed the
general allowance.

The ground which is planted will, I con-
ceive, on an average of years, afford a greater
return than had it been under a system of con-
vertible husbandry ; as it is calculated that at
the expiration of sixty years, the timber on
3

Planting a most profitable Investment. 197

each acre will be worth at least four hundred
pounds, while the thinnings of the plantations,
after thirty years' growth, will produce ten shil-
lings an acre.

Planting, as an investment for capital, exceeds
all other speculations in its profitable and cer-
tain return ; as it is a sinking fund of fifteen per
cent, from thirty to sixty years' growth of the
trees. No country exhibits greater temptations
for indulging in this beneficial and ornamental
application of such parts of the surface, as
would best be employed in this valuable prac-
tice, than Ireland ; where wood thrives in all
situations — where water carriage, at least for
rafts, would easily be obtained, and where
every twig, in some way or other, would add a
comfort to the cottier's cabin. Thousands of
acres, now waste and unprofitable, might at an
easy expense be rendered more productive than
land of the same average quality in England.
Fencing is the principal expense. The plants,
and the labor of planting them in Ireland, may
by contract be obtained for three pounds, and I
should calculate the fencing at about two
pounds per acre. Admitting the fee simple of
the ground to be worth ten pounds, these, to-
gether with compound interest in sixty years,
would amount to one hundred and sixty pounds.

298 Premiums for Planting.

The value of the land per acre, covered with
timber trees, at the expiration of this term,
would be equal to four hundred pounds ; which
would leave a considerable balance in favor of
the plantations, even on a supposition that the
expense of planting and fencing are here un-
derrated.

The Dublin Institution, in the year 1784, gave
a premium of from two to four shillings a thou-
sand, according to the size and age of the trees ;
also, for all planting which should be certified
as being properly and sufficiently protected by
fencing. The sum paid in eight years amounted
to one thousand four hundred and ninety-four
pounds, on somewhat less than twelve millions
of trees, which is less than a million and a half
per annum : a proof of the inconsiderable pro-
gress which planting at that time had made in
this country; for on a supposition that three
thousand five hundred trees had been planted
per acre, the whole extent of ground planted
would not have much exceeded the same num-
ber of acres. The premiums, however, had the
good effect of inspiring a taste for planting, and
of promoting the establishment of nurseries.

The hedge rows on this extensive estate are
the particular care of its attentive owner, who

( 'tire of Trees in Hedge-rows. 299

furnishes to the tenants the requisite white-
thorn plants and trees : these are planted at
prescribed distances in every fence by the oc-
cupiers, who are bound by their leases to pro-
tect them. Nothing can be more beautiful
than timbers interspersed in hedge rows, which
contribute to beautify the country, though it
must be acknowledged they do not promote the
interests of agriculture.

The laws in Ireland respecting planting are
highly judicious. If a tenant be disposed to
plant, he may register the trees he plants ; and
if, on the expiration of his lease, the landlord
and tenant cannot agree as to their value, a
jury fixes the consideration for the trees then
standing on the farm so planted; which must
be paid by the landlord, or the tenant is at
liberty to convert them to his own use.

The expense of planting in England has de-
creased two thirds within the last twenty years ;
the facility with which all kinds of plants are
propagated, and obtained from the nurseries,
have greatly reduced their price. Trees of less
size, and fewer in number, are now considered
to be the best practice in planting, while the
tedium and expense of cleaning the land is
generally avoided. Pitting the young trees,

30O Value of Mr. Foster's Plantations.

in my opinion, is the best mode, as the losses
are less, and I conceive the progress of the
plants greater. Had I had any indecision of
opinion as to the manifest advantages of plant-
ing, the survey of this morning would have
convinced me. In sixty years, Mr. Foster's
plantations will be worth a greater sum than
the sale of his whole estate at present would
produce. Every other part of his property is
under judicious management. Timber is fur-
nished to the tenants for the buildings they
may wish to erect ; but they are bound to cover
them with slate, no straw being permitted to
be thus applied. Agriculture suffers great in-
jury from the general practice of thatching
with straw in Ireland : probably the produce
of one hundred thousand acres is annually thus
disposed of, which, if judiciously converted into
manure, would be sufficient to supply twenty-
five thousand acres of arable land.

The bogs in Ireland are, by Dr. Beaufort,
estimated at two millions of acres, or nearly a
ninth-part of the island — mountains, water, and
wastes at about three millions ; hence it follows
that, if Ireland contain eighteen and a half mil-
lions of acres, thirteen and a half only can be
applicable to the purposes of husbandry, which
would allow but two acres and a quarter for the

Hit Farm a secondary Object. SOI

subsistence of each individual of the present
population ; yet from the general use of po-
tatoes, Ireland is enabled to export produce to
the amount of eight millions sterling.

The farm here is only a secondary object ; I
shall have the pleasure of communicating my
observations on its management and appearance
to-morrow — till when, adieu.

J. C. C.

302

.

.
•

LETTER LXVIII.

Collon, Oct. 13, 1818.

THIS morning was devoted to the inspection
of the farm, the intersection of which by
numerous roads renders its occupation very
commodious. The yards and buildings are
complete, combining every object of utility
with great convenience, in the attainment of
which no expense has been spared. A number
of ploughs were at work, drawn by oxen ; and
though the soil appeared untractable, the
ploughing was well done. I could not, how-
ever, but entertain an opinion that deeper
ploughing would have had a good effect in
rendering the surface less retentive of water ;
to effect which, great expense has been incurred
in draining and leading off the springs. The
till, or sterile clay, lies so near the surface, that
as soon as the roots of the grain reach it, they
become yellow, sickly, and cease to thrive:
to remedy this evil the ridges are gathered by
the plough to a considerable height, which,
though supplying a greater portion of earth to

Inspection of Mr. Foster's Farm. 30$

the plants above the till, is attended with the
inconvenience of the crop ripening unequally,
and when lodged in the furrows, its having no
chance of rising. We saw a field extremely
well fallowed and ready for sowing, which might
then have been accomplished had not the rain
of the preceding night precluded the attempt;
and when the advanced period of the season is
taken into consideration, it is not improbable
that the sowing of it may be retarded till the
succeeding spring.

The production of profitable green crops on
such a soil, if not impracticable, must be pre-
carious. I was somewhat surprised at the great
number of acres dedicated to potatoes, which
long since have appeared to me an exhausting
crop, and injurious to good husbandry in all
situations, as it requires so large a portion of
manure without making any return ; but on a
poor soil baneful to the cultivator. The artificial
sown grasses had not a promising appearance.

Beside the difficulties inseparable from the
management of so ungenial a soil, Mr. Foster
has to supply manure to a very extensive
kitchen garden, from the quantity he is able to
collect from the farm ; this necessarily deprives
it of much of the dung to which it is fairly

304 Scotch Plough, Cart, and English Spade,

entitled ; a loss to which probably it would
not be subjected, were it not, as I before
stated, an object of secondary importance.
Ashes, however, might be resorted to, and I
should suppose successfully, in which case
they would afford great relief to the dung
heap.

A considerable head of stock appeared on
the farm ; the long-horned cattle had been well
selected : a cross from an Indian breed had
produced most gigantic animals, which seemed
to be particularly well adapted to the plough or
cart.

The price of labor I understood to be some-
thing less on an average than a shilling a day.
I was glad to find in Mr. Foster a decided
enemy to the trusty: he has completely
banished this incumbrance from among his
working laborers. The Scotch plough, cart,
and English spade, are in constant use on the
farm j the rent of its arable land is forty shillings
an acre, and that of the meadow still higher.
The usual term of leases, under similar rents, is
twenty-one years, which are renewed two years
before the expiration of the term. These
contain several judicious clauses. The tenants
are bound to keep the buildings, fences, &c. in

in constant Use on Mr. Foster's Farm. 305

good repair ; in case of neglect, the landlord,

uch neglect be not rectified, after notice of

intention, is authorized to enter and repair

himself, with power to distrain and levy to the

full amount of the expense incurred.

Mr. Foster has not only no objection to, but
encourages, the sub-letting of his farms, to the
inhabitants of Collon, who are enabled by the
shuttle and not the plough, to pay their rents.
In particular situations this mode, to a certain
extent, may be beneficial to the holder as well
as to the proprietor ; but it decides nothing as
to the general policy of the measure. The
pernicious effects, so evidently discernible from
the general practice of sub-dividing and sub-
setting estates, is not discoverable here ; a dis-
position in the people of Collon to emigrate,
and seek their fortunes remote from home, has
prevented any material addition to the number
of inhabitants for nearly the last century ; and
until within a few years, when the population,
with the produce, have both been augmented in
consequence of great enclosures in the neigh-
bourhood.

The principal evil in Ireland is the absentee-
ship, and neglect of the means in too many ofthf
ii. x

306 Visit Dr. Beaufort.

upper classes for the employment of the super-
abundant population ; and the reprehensible love
of ease, and the apathy, which prevail among the
lower orders. These, augmented by the want of
appropriate services for single persons, and the
numerous obstacles to their search for occupa-
tions from home, unceasingly augment the
population, and render the condition of all more
desperate. Westmoreland, where the landed
property is more divided than in any county in
England, and where the respectability and
comfort of the inhabitants are unequalled,
would long ago have been in the same situation
with Ireland, had not her hardy and industrious
sons sought independency, far from their native
soil, by their own virtuous exertions.

We visited Dr. Beaufort, who, on a small
scale, is an excellent farmer. His mode of
cultivating potatoes on wide stitches, and by
frequently earthing them up, corresponds in a
great measure with the practice on my own
farm ; the produce, by these means, is greatly
increased, and the quality of the potatoe much
improved by being kept dry, which is seldom
the case in the old-fashioned culture in lazy
beds. Dr. Beaufort had recently reaped fifty
stooks of wheat, ten sheaves to the stook, from

Incongruities in Ireland. 3O7

a statute acre ; lie professes himself friendly to
soiling, and the appearance of his clovers did
credit to his husbandry.

The account given of the numerous regula-
tions and improvements made in Ireland, within
the last thirty years, furnishes by implication a
very repulsive picture of its state and condition
previous to that time. The county of Clare
has always been represented as one of the
poorest and most neglected in Ireland. Old
stories have been preserved of customs formerly
prevailing there, which would have been in-
credible, had they not received some sanction
from the more modern details of other circum-
stances, equal in absurdity, by Mr. A. Young.
The incongruities observable at the present
moment predisposes the most unprejudiced
individual, on visiting this country, to a belief,
that the invincible distaste to order, fitness,
and consistency, with which he is hourly
amused, is inherent, and not a disposition ex-
clusively appertaining to the present genera-
tion : as, for instance, what would excite more
risibility in England, than a carriage drawn by
sumptuous horses of great value, without glass
in the windows, or even blinds to protect the
parties within from the weather ?

x 2

508 Considerable Expenditure on the Roads.

The expense incurred on the roads is an-
nually very great ; above a thousand pounds
are expending to reduce an acclivity of fifteen
feet in the road near this place ; in this work,
the farmers appear to have no objection to
engage, as it may possibly be some advantage
to them, by their being allowed to make this
labor subservient to the work on their farms.
The capital of an arable farmer is reputed in all
parts of the country to be small ; the rent in
arrear to the landlord, as I became informed
on the other side of the island, forming the
principal part of his capital : but this is not
the case with grazing farmers, whose occupa-
tions are extensive, and whose capital must be
equal, at least, to the stock which they de-
pasture.

Fame has not done justice to Mr. Foster's
merit as a scientific and extensive planter : and
such is the nature of the agricultural subject on
which he has to work, as to preclude the possi-
bility of his being distinguished as a good
practical farmer. On only tolerably good soil,
such an exhibition of labor, perseverance, and
talent would have produced very different re-
sults. Adieu.

«/• ^~f* V •

LETTER LXIX.

Clyde Farm, Oct. 14-, 1813.

wV E left Collon this morning soon after six :
the night had been rainy, but, consistently with
our usual good fortune, though contrary to all
expectation, the weather cleared up, and afford-
ed us an opportunity of enjoying the beauty of
the country. In the first part of the five miles
to Ardee, the land was poor, and we had to
contend with a sharp ascent ; but on surmount-
ing that difficulty, the stubbles indicated that
the soil had much changed for the better, and
the management of the fields, as we approached
the town, did their occupiers credit.

Mr. Ruxton's seat adjoins the town of Ardee,
which is a neat little place, with a handsome
church nearly completed. This gentleman's
farming establishment is considerable : the
little we could see of it from the road disposed
us to think favorably of its husbandry ; it is
Avcll timbered, and the stone fences were in
good repair.

310 Colonel Filgate a spirited Improver.

To Clyde Farm from this spot, is six miles :
the whole of the way presented an interesting
country. Colonel Filgate is a spirited improver,
and an extensive cultivator of green crops.
His loss by not hoeing his turnips is, however,
very apparent. It was the duty of a man who
had the shelter of a hut, to watch the turnips
and prevent depredations : it is extremely
vexatious to a farmer, though his loss may be
more imaginary than real, to see his turnips
pulled up and scattered about ; a far greater
loss is frequently sustained by his fences being
broken down, his field-gates left open, and
crops of all descriptions subjected to the en-
croachment of his own and his neighbours'
cattle.

We passed the extensive domain of Lord
Louth : on the state of his Lordship's pastures,
or on the stock which we saw feeding upon them,
it is impossible to observe favorably. Great
pains have been taken to dot every field, by
transplanting trees of considerable size, with
such precision and regularity, that their ranks
appeared at first sight to be in imitation of a
light infantry manoeuvre : at present they add
no beauty to the appearance of the place.

Two miles short of Mr. Fortescue's we crossed

Visit Mr. For tf sew. 511

the Clyde, and on its northern side observed
some excellent pastures. On entering Mr. For-
tescue's estate, the order and appearance of the
fences, the correctness of the ploughing, and
cleanness of the surface, presented a gratifying
and novel picture. A farm having been recently
let to Mr. Fortescue's bailiff, at five pounds an
acre, a new farm-house with appropriate build-
ings were erecting for his occupation. The
wheat stubbles bore incontestable evidence of
the goodness of the last crops : on a part of
these clover had been sown in drills, and a
more luxuriant plant I have seldom seen. The
quality of the soil is excellent — much superior
to that occupied by Mr. Tandy ; both gentlemen
have the merit not only of understanding, but
of practically pursuing, a good system of hus-
bandry ; the superiority of soil, however, gives
a decided advantage to the exertions of Mr.
Fortescue.

The cottages at the entrance of Clyde Farm
are particularly neat, and had the effect of pre-
^(fcsessing me in favor of the proprietor before
I had the pleasure of his acquaintance ; for in
my humble estimation of the marks of distinc-
tion, the proudest that can attach to any opulent
residence is the apparent • comfort and happi-

312 Mr. Fortescuet Farm Yard Buildings ,

ness of the subordinate individuals by whom it
is surrounded. The house is a very comfortable
mansion, and uncommonly well kept : some fine
old timber about it contributes to its embellish-
ment.

The farm-yard and buildings are very com-
modious. Here we saw a threshing-machine
on a simple construction, costing only thirty
pounds, which, we understood, performed its
work in a satisfactory manner ; as also a well-
contrived weighing-machine. On an experi-
mental farm this latter assistant is necessary, to
ascertain not only the weight of crops, but the
weight of green food daily supplied to the cattle,
with their weight and progressive improvement
when fattening.

Mr. Fortescue soils his horses, which were in
excellent condition. There were some acres
of green crops, which in point of culture and
cleanliness were not inferior to those of the
Lothians. A crop of the white globe turnip
was so luxuriant, that I wished to have its
weight ascertained : I rated the produce at
forty tons the statute acre — by the weighing-
machine it was found somewhat to exceed my
estimation. We found the iron plough at work,

and wptrior Mode of Husbandry. SIS

and much approved : deep ploughing is prac-
tised with much success, and executed in a
masterly manner. The drilling is correctly
performed, and the intervals kept perfectly
clean : on this depends the whole merit of the
system ; for where the hoeing is neglected, the
practice becomes injurious. In the sedulous
attention to the performance of this duty con-
sists the chief excellence of the Norfolk hus-
bandry. Nothing can detract from the pre-
eminence to which that county and the adjoin-
ing one of Suffolk are entitled, in respect to the
system of drilling.

Particular attention is paid to the culture of
potatoes : the drills in which they are planted,
by means of the plough, are wide, for the pur-
pose of cleaning and earthing up the crop. As
the cottiers were busily employed in taking up
theirs from the lazy beds, it afforded an excel-
lent opportunity of ascertaining the weight
produced by the different modes of cultivation.
Those drilled yielded at the rate of three thou-
sand one hundred and sixty-eight stone, or one
hundred and fifty barrels the Irish acre ; the
best of those planted on the lazy beds, one hun-
dred barrels, or two thousand and sixty stone ;
but the produce most commonly obtained does

314 Comfort of the Cottiers.

not exceed eighty barrels, or one thousand six
hundred and fifty stone.

"

The fields are square and well fenced — the
hedges in completely good order : the Clyde
occasionally inundates and injures a large por-
tion of the meadows, an evil which probably
might be remedied at no heavy expense.
The order and regularity which pervades every
department of this establishment is highly
pleasing. Wages to the cottier are a shilling
a-day, and from six pence to eight pence is paid
to the women.

To each of Mr. Fortescue's cottiers ground
is let sufficient to graze a cow, and, when requir-
ed, for providing it also with hay, beside what
may be necessary for their potatoe crop : these
several advantages are allowed on reasonable
terms, not exceeding a rent of five or six pounds
per family. I have not yet seen any cottiers
who were so comfortable, or whose dwellings
were so clean. All that surrounds them is
stamped with an air of contentment, proclaim-
ing the possessors satisfied and happy. This
can never fail to excite a corresponding feeling
in the bosom of a considerate spectator. The
tithes, as usual, are here a subject of great
2

Good Farming Management. 315

complaint, and, on a reduction in the price of
grain, must be injurious to agriculture.

Mr. Fortescue's farm affords to his country-
men an opportunity of seeing and examining
good farming management, combined with the
best system of husbandry extant, without their
being under the necessity of leaving their own
island in search for conviction on the beneficial
results of the one, or the information necessary
for their own practical adoption of the other.
It has, as might reasonably be expected, already
created in the neighbourhood a spirit for im-
provement, and awakened a desire to imitate
the like valuable practices. Mr. Norman,
whose residence is near Mr. Fortescue, has
commenced a great undertaking; his green
crops are on an extensive scale, and, for a first
•nay, are well conducted.

The stone fences are excellent, but costly,
being formed of flat stones a foot in thickness :
a bank of earth is thrown up behind them, and
on this is planted the white thorn, which grows
through the wall on the opposite side, and makes
a very permanent and ornamental fence.

I shall take my leave of this hospitable roof

316 Leave Clyde Farm. .

with much regret, and not less solicitude for
the successful result of this specimen of good
farming, which I have had the great satisfaction
of inspecting. Happy indeed would it be for
Ireland were more such laudable examples to
be found in the country. Adieu.

J. C. C.

817

LETTER LXX.

Clonfeckle, Oct. 15, ISIS.

X HE impressions produced on my mind from
our survey of Clyde Farm created at the mo-
ment much satisfaction, and will furnish many
pleasing reflections hereafter. It is not possible
that the spirit of industry which that example
has excited should not extend and become as
highly beneficial to individuals, as conducive to
the general happiness of the community.

Two miles from Clyde Farm we again crossed
the river, and proceeded for some miles by iu
side. On approaching Colville, though in itself
a poor miserable town, we perceived some im-
provements carrying on. The soil in this neigh-
bourhood is light, and the crops appeared to
have been thin.

From Colville to Castle Blaney the fifteen
miles are hilly — the cabins miserable — the coun-
try thinly inhabited, and poorly cultivated. The
direction of the road, which formerly was in •

318 Castle Blaney.

straight line over the hills, is now undergoing
an alteration, by which many of the acclivities
will be avoided.

Five miles from Castle Blaney is a neat cot-
tage farm : on the grounds about it a consi-
derable expenditure has taken place, which
shows what might be expected from good ma-
nagement. About Castle Blaney the planta-
tions and inclosures have a most pleasing effect
on succeeding to the poor naked country
through which we had passed. The church,
which stands on an eminence above the town
is a fine object; an adjoining lake is also a
great addition to the beauty of the place.

Lord Blaney's seat is at a short distance from
the town, which is of considerable extent. It
rained so violently for two hours that we were
unable to leave the inn. Our engagement at
Clonfeckle was paramount to all personal in-
convenience, and we determined on setting out,
though the rain was very heavy and with a pro-
spect of its continuance. We escaped, however,
better than at first we had reason to expect.
•

We had yet thirteen miles to Armagh, and
six further to Dr. Richardson's. For the first
eight miles we were perpetually climbing, until

Arrive at Clonfeckle. 319

we arrived in the wild regions of elevated bar-
renness. From the summit of the hill we had
been ascending, the view of the country was
very grand, extending to the neighbourhood of
Lough Neagh. The city of Armagh being
built on the side of a hill, whose top is occupied
by the cathedral, was at a distance a very fine
object : it ,is a considerable place ; the new
streets are handsome, as is the Archbishop's
palace adjoining the town.

The country to Clonfeckle is well inclosed,
and tolerably well cultivated. We crossed the
Black Water two miles short of this hospitable
mansion. The kindness with which we were
received at Clonfeckle instantly obliterated the
unpleasantness of a wet drive ; we have, how-
ever, been so particularly favored by the wea-
ther, that it would be highly unreasonable to
complain. Ireland is reputed to be a wet
country, and doubtless it is so ; but we have
had the good fortune to pass through it in a
season of remarkably dry weather.

The enthusiasm of my friend Dr. Richardson
is interesting in the highest degree. All the
energies of his mind at this time are directed to
the propagation of the florin grass : in spirit
and philanthropy he has few equals; the proud

320 Dr. Richardson's Zeal in

distinction of being respected as the friend of
his country outweighs every other considera-
tion, and renders him insensible to the labor,
trouble, and vexation which he daily encounters.
Calculating on the zeal of others by his own, his
expectations meet continual disappointment in
the want of ardor or exertion on the part of his
pupils and converts j yet in defiance of all hit
discouragements, he entertains not the least
doubt that fiorin will, in time, be brought into
general use and cultivation.

From the experience of its value, which I
have had as a farmer, I am persuaded it has its
limits : in its proper places it is highly beneficial,
but these are exclusively confined to the bog,
the swamp and the water meadow, where it
will make a large return ; but there, and there
only, should it be encouraged and cultivated.

The deluge of rain which fell in the pre-
ceding four and twenty hours is by no means
propitious to hay-making : and in the moment
for the exhibition of his crop and his process, Dr.
Richardson was unfortunate. The wind, how-
ever, this morning had become brisk from the
north, with a bright sun : one hour after turn-
ing the lap-cocks, which had been cut a fort-
night, prepared them for the stack.

promoting the Growth of Florin. 311

XV c had an opportunity of seeing the florin
here on various soils. The first specimen was
of four years standing, planted in a clay — this
poor, and seemed to be suffering from
the want of water, and the intrusion of other
grasses. The second was a plot on a lighter
soil, having the advantage of irrigation — this was
luxuriant, and it was observable, that where
it had received the greatest accession of water,
there it was the most plentiful. The hay which
had been made from it, with the exception of
about two acres, still in lap-cocks, had been
stacked in the field. Such parts of the florin
as had not been exposed were of very fine color.
I carried some of it to the horses ; at first they
were not disposed to eat it, but after tasting it,
they seemed to prefer it to clover hay. The
next crop was on a peat, from which the
surface had been cut down within a few inches
of the level of the water : here the fiorin, being
in its most appropriate situation, was exuber-
antly abundant.

Under circumstances similar to the last ex-
periment, the planting of fiorin must be a
wise measure ; as it brings surfaces, which be-
fore were wholly unproductive, on a par wijth
soils of infinitely superior quality in their neigh-
bourhood \ and when the immense number of

VOL. II. Y

322 Disadvantages in cultivating Fiorin.

such boggy acres in Ireland are taken into
consideration, the benefit which may be de-
rived by the cultivation of florin on them be-
comes a most important object, and entitles Dr.
Richardson to the thanks of his country.

The weight of a crop of florin hay is great ;
probably, not less than six tons the acre. It
requires to be well weeded and kept clean : it
should seem that my friend's directions on this
point had not even here been duly obeyed;
the best specimen of florin was full of weeds.
I am disposed to believe the difficulty of keep-
ing these crops free from the intrusion of other
grasses is greater than has been generally sup-
posed, and that many experiments may have
failed from this cause alone. Fiorin does not
vegetate till late in the spring ; the early grasses
have from this cause a great advantage, and it
becomes more difficult to be kept clean. Where
water cannot be led over it, a weighty top
dressing is requisite to ensure an abundant crop.
Though the florin crops here were not equal to
some of those of the Bishop of Deny, the dif-
ference is perfectly accounted for, by the
superiority of his Lordship's soil, and the sullage
of.the town, with which some of his Lordship's
crops were irrigated. The little solicitude shown
by Dr. Richardson in the exhibition of his crop*

Fior'm beneficial in proper Situations. 32S

to the best advantage, and which a little more
attention to their weeding would have effected,
c vidently marks the conviction and confidence
of his own mind, as to the value of his adopted
herbage. Fiorin may be made conducive to
the cultivation of extensive tracts of land,
hitherto considered as of little or no value. As
an aquatic, I should not be disposed to intro-
duce it on any ground not capable of being
irrigated, and where it was not to be considered
as permanent meadow. It cannot be esteemed
as the rival of our best grasses, but as one which
thrives prodigiously where other grasses would
only exist. It will grow luxuriantly, as stated
by Mr. Millar of Dalswinton in Dumfriesshire,
nine hundred feet above the level of the sea.
When cut a fortnight, a few days are sufficient
to prepare it for stacking. It is so tenacious of
life, that I should have some apprehension
such parts as must unavoidably be scattered in
leading and stacking, might again vegetate in
the dung heap, and become a troublesome in-
truder on the arable part of a farm. Should I
be asked whether I conceive that fiorin will be-
come generally adopted, my reply would be,
that I think and hope it will, on such soils as
are proper for it ; but to the exclusion of clover
and other grasses, on all other lands, certainly
not ; for I can get as great a weight of clover

T 9

Great Perseverance of Dr. Richardson.

in three cuttings, as from the best florin
meadow.

Dr. Richardson, is, perhaps, one of the few
men in existence, who would have persevered in
defiance of all the opposition and ridicule which
have been raised against him ; and he must be
esteemed as having succeeded beyond expecta-
tion, when it is considered how slowly new
practices are introduced, and how reluctantly
they are adopted. Turnips have been cultivated
in Norfolk and Suffolk for nearly a century,
and have rendered those counties more produc-
tive than most others in the kingdom ; yet
their general and proper mode of cultivation
is, at this day, confined to a small portion of
England.

Mangel-wurzel thrives prodigiously on a
peat soil ; Dr. Richardson had many acres which
appeared to produce heavy crops. Adieu.

*

J. C. C.

325

LETTER LXXI.

Armagh, Oct. 16, 1818.

J. HIS morning we found the people engaged
in cutting the florin : they accomplished the
mowing of it with short scythes more expedi-
tiously than I could have expected. The me-
thod pursued in making this grass into hay, is
to roll it up into what is called lap-cocks,
leaving a space for the air to pass through
them ; this is done about two days after it is
mown. These cocks are occasionally turned,
and after remaining about a fortnight in that
state the hay is fit for stacking. With the ex-
ception of the parts exposed to rain, which
turn black, the hay is of good color. Four
and twenty hours' rain did not preclude its
being stacked on the succeeding day ; that
which we saw in the morning would be quite
ready and fit for stacking in the afternoon. As
peat ashes answer for top dressings, the soil
most appropriate for its growth happily fur-
nishes the means for its abundant production.

326 Slow Progress of Improvements.

It has been considered a matter of some
surprise, that, in the myriads of acres so exclu-
sively fit for florin in every province of Ireland,
so few examples should occur of its adop-
tion. In the immediate neighbourhood of Dr.
Richardson there is ground to a great extent
well adapted to it, but we did not observe any
sign of its cultivation.

It took Mr. Coke eleven years to make a
single convert to the drill husbandry, though
in the midst of his own noble domain, where
his popularity as a farmer was justly great, and
where his tenants were opulent and could afford
to speculate on any experiment of a limited
nature. In this country, even with the in-
clination, the farmers, generally speaking,
would want the means to avail themselves of
any advantages of which they might become
assured, from the adoption of this or any other
beneficial practice.

The inequality of the surface gives particular
beauty to this country, in which the general
state of husbandry is bad ; even the potatoe crop
is much neglected, and very ill managed. We
saw numerous small bleaching grounds, con-
sequent on the weaving of linen, which is here
carried on to some extent.

City of Armagh. 387

Armagh has so commanding an elevation,
that it is seen to advantage from every quarter,
and at a great distance. There are a number
of good buildings in the new part of the city.
The barracks are extensive, where a staff of
officers and a large military force are always in
garrison. Six thousand pounds have been ob-
tained for the erection of a new church, which
is in great forwardness. Great as may be the
body of soldiers, and numerous as may be the
charity children, it might have been supposed
the interior of the cathedral was equal to their
reception ; but it seems to have been thought
otherwise by those, who possessed sufficient in-
fluence to obtain the means for building a new
church. The grounds attached to the Arch-
bishop's palace, as I mentioned in my last let-
ter, join the town. The palace was built by
Primate Robinson, whose liberality was con-
spicuous on all occasions. The view of the
city from the palace is very fine, and the park-
is well wooded.

Out of the fifteen miles to Newry, we had an
ascent for the first twelve. On the summit of
the hill there is a noble prospect of the great
mass of Mourne Mountains, and a vast plain
extending to Lough Neagh ; the view altogether
is prodigiously grand. Cultivation has travelled

328 Approach to Newry.

up the hills to a great height ; the population
appeared to be considerable, and alb the cabins
were white-washed ; this gives them a sightly
appearance, and to the whole scene an interest-
ing and animating character.

The approach to Newry is very fine ; part of
it is built on the side of a hill, and part on the
banks of the Black Water. A lock two miles
below the town assists the navigation, and
forms a connection with the canal communicat-
ing with Lough Neagh. Vessels of consider-
able size are obliged to discharge a part, or
the whole of their cargoes at Warren's Point,
four miles below the entrance into the canal.

Within a few years the improvements in
Newry have been considerable : the town has
the appearance of opulence, and in the pursuit
of trade and business many appeared to be
earnestly engaged. The entrance to most of
the considerable towns is through a painful
accumulation of poverty — here it is otherwise.
The new buildings are numerous ; a handsome
church is nearly completed. By the canal are
brought down great quantities of grain, much
of which is exported to England ; and it has
latterly formed a considerable branch of the
commerce of the place.

Curious Subject of a Catholic Meeting. 329

A catholic meeting was sitting when we ar-
rived. We, like many others, had a desire to
see what was passing; the parties were by no
means numerous, and the greater part of these
seemed to have little more concern in the bu-
siness than what was dictated by curiosity.
Much warmth was exhibited by the orators,
though there seemed to be no difference of
opinion. As wishing well to catholic eman-
cipation, 1 could not but regret that subjects
should be agitated that were totally irrelative
and irregular ; as an instance, thanks were
voted to Mr. M'Gre, the printer of a newspaper,
now suffering the penalty of the law for a libel.
The injudicious conduct of the friends to the
question has furnished their opponents with
more powerful arguments than otherwise they
would have possessed.

The Scotch cart appeared to be here in
general use, and we were pleased to see num.
bers of the people taking up potatoes with the
English spade. The cabins seemed less de-
plorable than most we had seen, and their in-
habitants less destitute of necessaries.

Dr. Bell's system of education was attempted
at Armagh, and failed, on the same ground on
which it was defeated at Baron's Court. The

330 Objections to Dr. BelCs Mode of Education.

parents objected to their children becoming
monitors, nor could they be persuaded that in
the teaching of others they materially fowarded
their own acquirements. The emulation this
post of superiority inspires is found to be highly
beneficial among the pupils. An erroneous
opinion is entertained as to the scarcity of
schools in Ireland. I know not what formerly
might be the case, but at present we have observed
a very general desire to afford instruction to
the rising generation in all classes of the com-
munity : neither a want of schools nor a dis-
position to profit by them has been found by
us in the most remote situations ; the happy
effects of which, we may reasonably hope, will
appear in the course of a few years.

To-morrow we expect a very gratifying day —
the road to Rosstrevor has the reputation of
having scarcely an equal in beauty. Adieu.

J. C. C.

S31

LETTER LXXII.

Tullamore Park, Oct. 17, 1818.

travelled by the side of Newry Water,
which is made navigable for vessels of two hun-
dred tons burden, by means of the lock, to
which I before alluded, that opens into the bay
from which they are received. We have seen
no town in Ireland which for its size appeared
in a more thriving state than Newry. The
Black Water River approaches within a few
miles of Armagh.

The boundary of Newry Water, on the
southern side, is bold, and the mountains,
which are cultivated to a great height, add not
less to the beauty of the country than to the
satisfaction of the spectator j for wherever the
indications of employment and industry are
discoverable, an inference may be drawn that
the inhabitants are not destitute of some com-
forts : in all other parts of the British empire,
on this inference might the benevolent observer
securely rely.

332 Jl'arreris Water Ferry.

The rich meadows that lie between Newry
and the Lough are about two miles in length,
and a mile in breadth. The hill on the north-
ern side is covered with thriving plantations.
Mr. Harrison, whose seat is on the margin of
the Black Water, has been an extensive planter,
and in a few years his woods will be of con-
siderable value. As we proceeded, the south
shore became very steep, and quite uncul-
tivated ; the wildness of one side contrasted
with the richness of the woods covering the
other, produced an agreeable effect. In point
of profit the whole perhaps might be advan-
tageously planted, but I doubt if it would add
to the beauty of the scene, which is greatly
assisted by the number of cottage residences
near the edge of the water, some of which were
highly ornamented.

At Warren's Water Ferry are the remains
of an old castle ; this pass, in days of yore,
was considered as a military station of great
strength. If at this point an iron bridge were
thrown over the river, which I understand has
been in contemplation, the distance to Dublin
would be greatly reduced. The water, which
is much contracted above the ferry, becomes
greatly extended immediately below it, and is
of considerable breadth before it reaches War-

Approach Rosstrc\ 833

ren's Point, a distance of about two miles ;
\vhcrc a small pier is constructed on which
ships of burden partly unload, and their dis-
charged cargoes are thence carried by lighters
to Newry.

Carlingford Bay here commences — the
southern shore keeps its course, while the
northern recedes, and forms a bay resembling
an amphitheatre, in the bosom of which stands
the village Rosstrevor ; and a mile beyond it,
the Mourne Mountains approach majestically
to the sea. The circuit of the bay, which is
not more than a mile, is covered with orna-
mented cottages. The convenience of sea-
bathing, and the beauty of the situation, at-
tract a great number of visitors. The hills,
which are finely wooded and form the northern
and eastern boundary, shut out the chilling
blasts from those ungenial quarters ; while the
Carlingford Hills protect the bay from the
west, and leave it open to the south only.
Rosstrevor stands on an eminence, and com-
mands the whole prospect.

My expectations were excited by having
heard so much of the charms of this place, but
it far exceeded all I had conceived. As a
winter residence for invalids requiring sea air,

334- Description of Rosstrevor.

I know of no spot in which are united so many
advantages : the soil, which is light and dry,
admits of walking exercise at all times ; and the
almost surrounding mountains afford such shel-
ter, that the frigidity of the season is little felt ;
for whenever it is fair it must be pleasant.

Rosstrevor is a neat village, with some stately
old wood about it. The opposite shore, though
bold, appears to be thickly inhabited, and cul-
tivated to the summit of the mountains ; about
Carlingford, which is situated at the opening of
the bay, the distance across which does not ex-
ceed eight miles, the country becomes much
flatter.

I regretted very much that we could not
devote another day to this charming place,
which may justly be esteemed the Montpelier
of the united empire, and infinitely exceeding
that celebrated residence abroad, in every
point, excepting that of climate. The influx
of company has had the effect of dressing up
and ornamenting every cabin ; all are said to
be fully occupied in the bathing season, in
consequence of the numerous attractions con-
centrated in Rosstrevor : this in my opinion can
be no more questioned, than it can be con-
sidered a matter of wonder. Within a mile of

3

Distinct I'iew of the Isle of Man. 335

llosstrevor is a small creek, which affords
>ln>lter to boats, from which place is a steep
ascent for a mile through a fine oak wood : on
gaining the summit, an extensive view is ob-
tained, commanding the Carlingford coast, the
bay, the mountains beyond Newry, and the
enchanting landscape of Rosstrevor. The
ground here, which lets from four to five
pounds an acre, becomes quite flat, and so con-
tinues for the distance of about two miles to the
entrance of the bay.

We travelled for a considerable distance at
the foot of the Mourne Mountains, between
whose base and the sea is a plain of two or
three miles ; their endless variety, and fre-
quently contrasted shapes, afforded fresh objects
for perpetual admiration. We had a distinct
view of the Isle of Man, presenting an ap-
pearance very different from that which we
have of it in Cumberland. The soil is light,
and produces good barley, but in general it is
wretchedly cultivated : the cabins are poor,
and the fences completely out of repair. The
land is said to be let at about twenty shillings
the acre, which exceeds its worth in its present
state, though it is capable of great improve-
ment

336 Tops of Mountains covered with Snow.

We passed Lord Kilmony's place, which is
sheltered by extensive woods ; a little beyond
which is the village of Kilkeel, where the dis-
tance from the shore is increased by the ex-
tension of a headland into the sea: the land is
of better quality, and under better manage-
ment, yet there were several parties threshing
out their barley on the high road.

The mountains appeared here in great ma-
jesty : some of their eminences, which are
among the highest in Ireland, were already
covered with snow. A little. further appeared
Slieve Donald, on the most elevated part of
which are two cairns. The sublimity of the
whole of this alpine barrier cannot well be ex-
ceeded.

We passed a newly erected farming establish-
ment, with considerable buildings and offices ;
and much expense seemed to be incurred on
improving the land. The want of wood and
hedges give an appearance of great poverty to
the country in general.

Lord Kilmony's property extends to the base
of Invoick, where he has a large tract of wild
uncultivated land. This he is now leasing on
1

Lord Kilmony's Improvements. SS7

the advantageous terms of three lives, and a
period of forty years beyond that of the sur-
vivor. The tenants are at the whole expense
of enclosing and erecting of buildings. It is
supposed it will all be speedily engaged.

On leaving these improvements we entered
a district which had all the appearance of hav-
ing been laid waste by an invading army. The
remains of walls alone indicated where habi-
tations once stood. Curious to learn the cause
of such extraordinary dilapidations, we under-
stood that the landlord had finally disagreed
with the tenants as to the quantum of rent on
his granting a new term ; and that on evacu-
ating they had carried off roof, timber, doors,
and windows. A chancery suit for the lands of
Ballycanary was at length decided against the
tenantry ; but we saw no efforts to restore the
condition of the estate.

The base of Slieve Donald, a little beyond
this spot, advances to the sea, and forms the
southern extent of Newcastle Bay : having pass-
ed round the point we had a tine view of the
bay of Strougtbrd.

The highly cultivated ground which stretches
from the shore to Tuilamore Park — the sump-
VOL. n. z

S3 8 Slieve Donald.

tuous wood and imposing aspect of Slieve Do-
nald present a most enchanting picture.

A pier is now constructing by Lord Annesley
for the protection of small craft, and the coal
vessels which supply the extensive lime-works
in the neighbourhood. If it answer the in-
tended purpose, it may frequently afford shelter
to such coal vessels as cannot fetch Carlingford
Bay.

The ground rises with dignity from New-
castle to Tullamore Park. The house has con-
siderable elevation above the sea ; and the
hanging woods which separate the domain from
Slieve Donald, whose base is thus covered to a
considerable height, and to an horizontal extent
of nearly three miles, are very picturesque: for
whilst the rich autumnal tints deepened the me-
lancholy of its departing beauties on the base of
Slieve Donald, its summit increased the interest
by exhibiting the chill of winter. This moun-
tain may be said to unite three distinct regions
and characters. The first is luxuriantly covered
with stately wood ; the humble heath, which
clothes the second, heightens by contrast the
beauty of the first; while the light reflected
from the snowy mantle that envelopes the third,
gives relief to the sombre appearance of the

Forest of great Extent. 339

other regions ; blending, with the happiest
effect, the beautiful with the grand and the
sublime. I question if there exists a more
surprising view, or one more affecting the sen-
sibilities of the mind, than that which is thus
suddenly presented to the spectator from the
terrace. Beyond Slieve Donald are other
mountains, which would command attention
remote from such a neighbour.

Here are no less than one thousand one hun-
dred acres of wood : I was so fascinated with
the sight of such a forest, that the rocks and
waterfalls in the river were passed with little
attention ; so much was my mind engrossed by
this novel and impressive object. I had nearly
forgotten to mention, that the cairns on the top
of Slieve Donald are of great dimensions ; in
one of them it is said there are apartments for
the service of mass, by the priests ; in another,
in Slangallion, the room is said to be three hun-
dred feet in circumference.

I must wait till to-morrow, to speak of many
other interesting objects. Adieu.

J. C. C.

Z 2

340

LETTER LXXIII.

Tullamore Park, Oct. 18, 1813.

X HE situation of Tullaraore Park is very
commanding : some inconveniences arising from
its exposure decided the house to be built one
story high only, with the exception of the
tower in the centre : it forms a quadrangle, and
contains a great number of good apartments ;
and though from the character of its elevation
it is not entitled to be called a splendid man-
sion, it is certainly a very comfortable and ha-
bitable one.

The wind blew afresh gale, which afforded us
an opportunity of forming some judgment of the
violence with which it must be assailed.

The extreme point of Slieve Donald is washed
by the sea : the first line of mountain forms a
beautiful curve, as if bent in homage of Slieve
Donald. The rocks and cascades are objects
generally admired : these may be seen else-
where ; but Slieve Donald has few if any equals.

Noble Terrace-road from Rosstrevor. 341

The mountains seen beyond Slieve Donald in
the back ground have also a very fine aspect.

Good taste and simplicity are always in unison,
but there is a grandeur in the scenery of this
place to which art can add little, and every at-
tempt to embellish would rather detract from,
than add to its magnificence.

The approach from Rosstrevor is by a noble
terrace, commanding a glorious sea view — the
Alpine boundary rich in sublimity and variety
of outline, ending in the towering Slieve Donald,
which forms an appropriate termination to the
prospect. I know of no equal distance of coun-
try that possesses so much to fascinate an ob-
server, as the line of road from Newry to Tulla-
more Park.

Diamond Mountain, which adjoins Slieve Do-
nald, is certainly a^fine object, but greatly in-
ferior to its majestic neighbour, whose height is
two thousand eight hundred and nine feet from
the level of the sea, from whose dashing waters
to the elevation of nearly seven hundred feet, it
is sumptuously covered with wood.

The uninterrupted winds from the Channel
do not seem to have been inimical to the plan-

342 The Earl of Roderis Attention

tations, which are of about forty years growth.
Some of the larch, of thirty-six years standing,
girted seven feet, at four and a-half from the
ground; and silver firs, a few years older,
thirteen. The thinnings of the woods have a
ready market, and are regularly sold twice a-
week during the greater part of the year.

I could not help regretting that a road had
not been cut through the plantation, to a knoll
which is almost at the extremity of the hill
towards the sea, from which an extensive view
of the Channel and the coast would have been
obtained. The effect of this would have been
wonderful, as the prospect might have been
completely hid until the moment when the
whole burst on the sight. The church is a neat
building, and does credit to the taste and libe-
rality of the Earl of Roden. The attention
shown to comfort in the habitations of the many
laborers employed is gratifying, and exhibits a
benevolent consideration which ever dignifies
the mansions of the great. A handsome and
commodious inn has been built for the accom-
modation of the numerous parties who visit this
enchanting spot.

Here is some little farming attempted ; and
had it been better conducted, I was ill qualified

to the Habitations of his Laborers. 343

to have appreciated its merits from the complete
occupation of my mind in contemplating the
local beauties of the place. Wages are a shilling
a-day for nine months ; and for the other three,
ten pence.

The library contains many scarce and curious
books, and the pictures present much that is
worthy of inspection. The portrait of Anne
Bullen, by Holbein, is an exquisite painting ;
those by Fuller, representing the escape of
Charles the Second, are highly interesting.

The residence of Lord Roden diffuses com-
fort and happiness widely around. When a
nobleman condescends to act as a magistrate,
he has the power of being eminently useful to
his neighbourhood : the law so administered
becomes duly elevated and respected, and the
people find it their interest to obey its directions
and support its execution — rendering the too
common resort to military assistance totally
unnecessary ; as there can be no doubt it is the
distrust of impartial justice that induces man to
despise the law, and become the avenger of his
own injuries.

The danger and inconvenience of child-birth
appear here to be little felt and less regarded

34-4 Leave Tullamore Park.

by the lower class of females. We met a poor
woman, the wife of one of the woodmen, who,
though in daily expectation of her confine-
ment, was employed in laborious work, and ex-
posed to the weather bare-footed and bare-
headed, without suffering any apparent difficulty
from her condition ; and if report may be
credited, her expected indisposition will not
preclude her drudgery above two or three days !
This speedy and happy recovery, we were
given to understand, was not confined to the
working classes, but extended to the middle
ranks of society, rendering an inevitable event,
and one that occurs so frequently, less alarming
in female consideration.

We purpose leaving this spot to-morrow,
highly delighted with its beauties, and the civi-
lities conferred on us by its noble and hospitable
proprietor. Adieu.

J. C. C.

345

LETTER LXXIV.

Ballilady, Oct. 19, 1813.

J. HE preceding night afforded us ample con-
viction of the exposure of Tullamore Park : a
winter's gale in the night must under this roof
be terrific. Contrary to all expectation the
storm ceased with day-light. We had a long
journey to this place, which demanded early
moving ; this was far from agreeable, as the
season was too far advanced for an open car-
nage to be a pleasant mode of travelling. A
tour through Ireland should commence in June,
and conclude in September.

Our first point was Dundrum. We had a
gratifying view, on leaving Tullamore Park, of
Lord Annesley's place : there have been few
greater improvers than his Lordship. Dundrum
Castle forms a conspicuous object from Tulla-
more : it has been a place of some importance.
The town is small; but the bay is extensive and
forms a secure retreat for shipping. I had the

346 A Want of Wood greatly deplored.

satisfaction of seeing here one of our coal ves-
sels : this brought home so pleasantly to my
recollection, that, notwithstanding all the delight
I had experienced, my long absence appeared
to be a great sacrifice.

Near Dundrum is the residence of Mr. Morris,
who is an extensive farmer, and has some good
green crops. A want of wood is a defect which
always gives an appearance of the want of neigh-
bourhood and poverty to a country ; and in one
in which it thrives so luxuriantly, the regret
felt at its absence becomes greatly augmented.
The cabins here are miserable dwellings. In
districts where nature has been niggardly in the
dispensation of her bounties, poverty is endured
as an evil of necessity; but in one teeming with
abundance, the indigence of the people excites
a degree of uneasiness in the mind bordering on
indignation ; and the spectator is led to infer
that something must be wrong in the constitu-
tion of their social obligations.

The Antrim mountains began to appear, and
the surface of the country was become greatly
diversified.

Ballynahinch is finely situated. Mr. Carr,

Lord Dafferiift Seat. 347

who was the purchaser from Earl Moira, does
not appear to have expended much on its
improvement. Every thing seemed to be
hastening to ruin ; even for Ireland the town
was remarkably dirty. It was market-day,
this brought a great concourse of people to-
gether, whose general appearance was highly
creditable. From Ballynahinch to Saintfield is
six miles, through a poor country and a great
extent of bog.

Saintfield is a neat town : the streets are well
laid out, and contain some good houses. We
observed several gentlemen's residences in the
neighbourhood. It is six miles hence to New-
townards, which is only a little distance from
the sea shore : it is a considerable town, and
the market place is a handsome square.

To Lord Dafferin's, about four miles, the
road rises the greater part of the way. The
soil is naturally bad, but great improvements
have been made round Ballilady : the house is
modern and magnificent. The planting and
embellishments in the grounds have made that
a very fine place, which in itself possessed few
natural advantages. Lord Datferin is entitled
to considerable praise as a farmer ; the green
crops were good, and cultivated to some extent.

348 Regret not visiting Wicklcw and Wtxford.

From various parts of the grounds a fine view of
the bay of Belfast is obtained.

Here our tour may be said to terminate, after
having nearly completed the circuit of Ireland.

We have much to regret that we did not visit
Wicklow and Wexford, as it is reported these
counties possess much beauty, as well as some of
the best cultivation in Ireland. Had we not
unfortunately taken the road to Castle Isle, in-
stead of that to Dingle, and so to Kinsale and
Killarney ; and if, from Waterford, we had pur-
sued our route by the coast, we should have em-
braced the most interesting parts of the island.
In addition to our circuit, we have crossed
through a considerable portion of the interior
in our expedition to Baliinasloe.

I know not how far I may have had the good
fortune to make you a participator in the sensa-
tions and feelings which have been induced by
the various extraordinary scenes I have sur-
veyed. Great has been my pleasure, though,
like all human gratifications, it has not been
unaccompanied with some alloy.

The latent richness of the land, and inexausti-
ble fertility of the soil, far exceeded my expecta-

Importance of Ireland to Great Britain. 349

tions : the extent and opulence of the sea-ports
and some of the other towns, with the resources
and facilities for agriculture and commerce,
greatly surpassed any previous estimate that
had occurred to my mind. The picturesque
beauty which may be said to pervade the coun-
try is every where grand — often sublime —
always imposing : the unceasing variety of sur-
face is peculiarly attractive of attention ; and
while the verdure is delightful to the eye, the
luxuriance of vegetation supplies, and in some
degree compensates, for the deficiency of culture.

The importance of Ireland to Great Britain
far exceeds the value of which I had entertained
any conception. Eight million pounds sterling
of agricultural produce is at present exported,
and six millions of people subsisted ! The ex-
change with England is, for the first time, now
favorable to Ireland — an incontestable proof of
her prosperity, though it may be hazarding too
much to pronounce it as the exclusive conse-
quence of the Union.

The hospitality, urbanity, and frankness we
uniformly received from the higher ranks, en-
titled them to our warmest thanks at the mo-
ment, and will ever be acknowledged by a
2

350 Reflections on the superabundant

grateful recollection. The innate civility and
intelligence of the lower orders have frequently
made me ashamed of the prejudices I had so
incautiously imbibed to their disadvantage.

I have contemplated with astonishment how
the existence of so many rational beings could
be preserved, and have wondered how their
lives should be endured, under circumstances of
such cruel privation ; and have not less lament-
ed the sufferings which bigotry and ignorance
have inflicted, than the misery and crimes
which thus have been engendered and perpe-
tuated.

The superabundant population I have regard-
ed with surprise : the application of every hand
to agriculture has been destructive of its in-
terests, and has impaired the general happiness
of the people. So great is the competition for
land, that its rent has advanced beyond what the
occupier with a living profit can afford to pay :
the necessary consequence is, that the landlord's
due furnishes the tenant's capital; and as no ex-
pense is incurred by the proprietor in respect of
buildings, so there are noconveniences,generally
speaking, on small farms, to encourage the least
effort towards better management.

Population of Ireland. 351

Such is the general diffusion of this ruinous
practice, that to correct it seems, if not wholly
impossible, at present impracticable, as it will
not be considered incumbent on those in pos-
session to attempt a remedy which would de-
mand inconvenient sacrifices, for the sole pro-
spective benefit of successors. The general in-
terest and happiness of a country placed in so
irretrievable a predicament, and which is daily
becoming worse, cannot fail to excite the most
lively apprehension for the continuance of its
tranquillity. The spirits of six millions of peo-
ple sustained by hope alone, while exercising
the most virtuous patience under the severest
privations, without the means of employing
themselves or of obtaining employment from
others, have ample leisure to brood over the
misery they endure, and, if it were requisite,
to magnify every grievance they are compelled
to suffer. It is not surely in human nature to
to be ever content under such circumstances,
aggravated as they are by the want of those es-
sentials ordained to secure the public peace in
the fair and impartial distribution of justice.
The benefits to which the laborer is entitled
from the protection of the law, come not within
tlu- \kw of his pretensions : the daily execution
of it by the military is familiar to his observation,

S52 Earnest Desire that the

and in his community is denounced the result
of tyranny ; while the religious persuasion of
the great bulk of the people condems them to
ignorance, and increases and foments their
prejudices.

Is it possible to contemplate such a state of
human existence, in such a country, imme-
diately under the eye of the legislature, and
the administration of a free constitution, with-
out sincerely hoping, and fervently supplicating,
that the effectual protection of the former,
and the benevolent dispensation of the latter,
may be speedily directed to the relief of this
unfortunate, mismanaged, and neglected people?

The interference of government in their be-
half, if it were only by the enforcement of such
rules and regulations as might be suggested for
their comfort, according to the local necessities
of each province or district, would not only
have the popular effect of exhibiting a disposi-
tion in the state to regard their wants and
meliorate their condition ; but it would be an
irresistible stimulus to the individual proprietor
of the soil, and the opulent capitalist, to unite
in so benevolent and patriotic a work, and, by
the powers which each might possess, to devise

Condition of the People should be ameliorated. 353

means for the employment of the overflowing
population.

The introduction of manufactories and
fisheries, of trade and commerce, could not
but produce a prodigious increase of manual
labor, which, on being rewarded according to
exertion, would soon produce industry and
emulation ; these would speedily create artifi-
cial wants, the indulgence in which, after a time,
would disincline the people, if not to impro-
vident, to early marriages ; and thus the pre-
sent increasing population might receive a
check, and to a certain extent be restrained
within the limits prescribed by the needed em-
ployraent of the country.

Although the manner in which the Irish pea-
santry exists is revolting to the feelings of those
unaccustomed to the inspection of their wretch-
edness and poverty, yet are they rich in the
contentment which springs from a patient sub-
mission to their lot, from their conjugal attach-
ment and af faction to their offspring, and from
a natural buoyancy of spirits, that makes the
heaviest evils sit lightly on their hearts, with
the exception of their being unable to earn a
sufficiency to ensure the continuance of the

VOL. xi. 2 A

354 Agreeable Conclusioti of

cabin roof over the heads of their families — a
source of the greatest affliction and misery,
from one end of Ireland to the other.

On having reference to so extensive a field,
it would not be less possible, than wanting in
gratitude, were I to omit, on this occasion, to
state, that we found a general frankness and
hospitality to prevail every where ; and that it
is a most unjust censure to charge the Irish,
with a prejudice against the English. The
higher ranks are too enlightened and generous
a people, to attribute any of their inconveni-
ences from political arrangements, to the in-
dividuals of the mother country. The gener-
ality of the lower orders entertain no idea on
the subject ; it must consequently be greatly
the fault of the English visitor or traveller, and
for which he would be undeserving any com-
miseration, if he met with any thing in Ireland
which should detract from the laws of hospi-
tality.

As far as relates to myself, I have seldom
passed such a portion of my time so agreeably,
or indeed so much to my gratification ; and it
is not among the least of the satisfactions I
have derived, that my visit to Ireland has

5

the Tour through Ireland. 355

served to correct many private, as well as public
erroneous opinions, and to inspire a most ardent
wish, that the real state of the country, and the
condition of the people, may be more generally
iclt and understood.

Truly grateful for all the kindnesses we have
experienced, we quit the Island to morrow.
Adieu.

J« Vs« v/»

THE END.

1V7014

, J

The state of Ireland
Volume II

625
.C