ANTHOLOGIA HIBERNICA: O R, MONTHLY COLLECTIONS O F SCIENCE, BELLES LETTRES, AND HISTORY, FOR JANUARY 1794. An Account of Moyne Abbey, in the County Mayo;-with a fine Engraving by Clayton. view of the diftant mountains towards Sligo and Ballifadere, with all the intervening country; the church and castle of Innifcrone; the Bay of Killala, into which the Moy empties itfelf; and the great fand-hills at its mouth, which have been thrown up from time to time by the winds and currents. One fide of it is fhrouded with fome old ash and oak trees; a number of others which have been planted on the infide of the outer wall, though rather formal, adds fomewhat to its beauty. The Abbey itself is almoft perfect, except the roof and fome buildings on the north fide, which were taken down about forty or fifty years ago, by the proprietor, to furnish materials for a dwelling house which was erected nearly on the fite of the old walis and joined the great church. The grounds around it fall gently on every fide, till it forms a flat of about four or five acres, partly bounded by the river, but chiefly by a wall which is ftill entire, and furrounds the precincts of the Abbey on every fide till it meets the water, which is at this place very deep and its banks rocky and fhelving. Its fituation is very beautiful, though lonely and fequeftered, as monaftic buildings The facrilegious hand that had done ufually were; the lowness of its fite pre- this, I was told by the country people, cludes it from a view of the adjacent never came to any good after, nor any country on that fide of the river on which of thofe who had been concerned in it. it ftands, except from the battlements of Certain it is, the house was but a short But the eaft fide, fronting time inhabited, and is now compleatly in the water, which is here about two hun- ruins. One might fuppofe that time, dred yards wide, commands a delightful while, with an unrelenting hand, he VOL. III. January 1794. the tower. A committed committed fo many ravages on the house that was thus fo facrilegiously reared, had in pity fpared the remains of the adjoining edifice, that had once, with its peaceful and inoffenfive inhabitants, been devoted to the offices of religion and piety. This Abbey was founded in the year 1460, by M William Bourke, for the ftrict order of Francifcan friars, by the advice of Nehemiah O'Donoghue, who introduced into Ireland the laft reformation of the faid order, which, previous to the middle of the fifteenth century, had become much relaxed in their difcipline and morals. Some however, affirm that Thomas Bourke M William Oughter was the founder, and that father Nehemiah took poffeffion of the houfe agreeable to the license of pope Nicholas the fifth. Provincial chapters of the order were held here in the year 1464, 1498, 1512, 1541 and 1550. In the month of June, 37th of Eliz. a grant was made to Edmund Barrett, of this Friary and its poffeffions, confifting of an orchard and four acres of pafture, furrounded with a ftone wall, together with the tithes and other appurtenances, to hold the fame for ever, at the yearly rent of five fhillings. It has a remarkable fquare tower in high prefervation, which you afcend by a helix of one hundred and one fteps, on one fide of which there is a confeffionary of hewn stone for two priefts to fit in, with a hole on each fide for the perfons who are at confeffion to fpeak through. The cloiflers are ftill entire and of exquifite workmanship; moft of the beautiful ramified stone work of the windows is ftill preferved; the infide of the Ab bey has been long ufed as a burial place, and the chancel, with all the niches round the church, are filled with human bones and skulls. The only entrance is through a low arched door in the fouth fide. The Moy is navigable for floops and other small craft for about forty yards above the Abbey, where the river begins to grow very fhallow and rocky. The Salmon fishery on this river is one of the most confiderable in the kingdom; it belongs to Meffs. Jones and Lindfay of Ardnaree, and produces about one hundred and thirty tons of fish annually. The inclosed sketch was was taken the 29th June, 1792. J. C. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF EMINENT IRISH WRITERS, FROM THE YEAR 1745. (Continued from Vol. II. Page 412) ANTHONY KING, Esq. THIS gentleman, from a natural and innate wish to decline the reputation of an author, has purpofely eluded biographical enquiry; having permitted his name to be affixed to none of his literary performances, fave only his laft production recommending a " Syftem of National Education," which, on account of the public utility of the measure, being specially adapted to this country, is likely to establish his fame as a man of feeling and letters amongst the truly virtuous and learned. His firft effay, as we learn, was in poetry. His poem entitled the "Frequented Village," was firft published in London, in the year 1771, and dedicated to the late Dr. Oliver Goldsmith, with whom the author was on a strict footing of intimacy, which was afterwards reprinted in Dublin, with an elegant and finished vignette, executed by Barrelet. His poem called the "Moriad, or the overthrow of Folly," was printed in the year 1790, and is a pointed fatire against the reigning vices of the age; in which he takes care to lafh the avarice and inhumanity of men in power, intrufted with the confidence of government, who under the pretence of fecuring to his majesty his dominions in the East, have wantonly and treacherously committed the most shameful acts of barbarity and plunder to enrich themfelves at the expence of the dearest ties that can bind humanity: Allied to this, his "Satire on the Times," a distinct performance, is inferior to none in energy and ridicule; his is poem entitled "An Ode to Genius," the county of Kildare, appear to merit together with that "In Praise of the attention, they are at your fervice. original Volunteers Affociations," poffefs intrinfic merit.But the majority of the above pieces are to be fought amongst the number of fugitive pieces, which, for want of the author's name, are remembered but for the day. Not confined to that fpecies of mifcellaneous compofition before mentioned, this gentleman has been fuccefsful alfo in dramatic writing, having fome years fince compofed a tragedy founded on a celebrated Grecian ftory, which from the like diffident and private turn of mind, he has declined bringing forward on the stage. In all his compofitions we may trace much learning and morality; his poetry, though avoiding the affectation of brilliancy and excellence, is enriched with many lively fimiles and epifodes; and his profe writings are defervedly marked for their polifhed and correct fentiments and expreffions. On paffing a few days in the neighbourhood of Maryborough, I was induced to explore the adjacent country, especially that which lies between that town and the pleafant and flourishing village of Stradbalły. This gentleman's education has been extenfive and liberal. He ftudied for nine years fucceffively, in the University, and diftinguished himself in the undergraduate course in a manner feldom known, having acquired every premium and certificate for the four first years, that genius could obtain. He fat twice for fellowships, and but for his friends who prevented him, he would have been candidate a third time, when we have no doubt he would have fucceeded in at taining the object propofed; added to this he is a barrister of eminence in his profeffion, and confidered as conftitutionally grounded in the laws of his country. About two miles north of Maryborough commences a common, called in general the Great Heath or Ratheen Common, from a rath of that name situated thereon. It is nearly a plain interfperfed with gentle rifings and fmall vallies, being about two miles long, half a mile broad, and containing an area of 600 Irish acres. The foil is calcareous and appears deep and fertile, on a limeftone gravel. Though no appearance indicates trees to have been produced on this foil, yet the bodies of large ones have frequently been dug up in the vallies 4 or 5 feet beneath the furface; and what is very remarkable, on inclofing a part of this common where nothing had been produced for a number of ages except heath and grafs, without the leaft cultivation of any kind, the fecond fummer after the inclofing, an infinite num ber of young fcotch firs fprang up, though there never was known any of this fpecies in that part of the kingdom, except fuch bodies of them which have been difcovered from time to time at the bottom of the adjacent bogs. If this fpecies of pine was ever the produce of this diftrict, it must have been in very ancient periods, as the common has been for feveral centuries a fheep walk, and prior to that, appears to have been under agriculcure, as the furrows of the plough are every where visible. Being in former times part of the domain of the ancient manor of Dunnamaes, it was early brought under cultivation, and all wood that might have grown thereon must have been deftroyed foon after, if not prior to the arrival of the English. From whence therefore thofe fhoots of scotch fir could proceed, is not eafy to divine. But all this common is fubject to the fame, when protected from the browfing of the cattle; and being an elevated ground feems to be formed on a large limestone rock, A 2 under under which are immenfe fubterraneous of it, in particular the beautiful front of caverns full of water, fome of which communicate with the surface by means of gullies or ducts, which draw off the rain and other waters which occafionally fall on the diftrict. One of these was discovered fome years fince at the bottom of a bog in one of the vallies, taking a perpendicular direction above 50 fathoms deep, before it came to the wa ter. On the eastern confines of this common is a range of hills compofed of cal. careous rocks, in moft parts fertile and cultivated; that on the northern extremity called Killone hill, is conical, near the vertex of which has lately been discovered the mouth of a cavern, floping towards the centre of the hill. This cavern at the entrance is narrow, but after a defcent of fome fathoms, opens near the base into a large faloon, 20 or 30 feet high, and fomewhat more in diameter; on one fide is a dark and dreadful precipice, not lefs from the found of ftones thrown down into it, than between 50 and 60 fathom deep, having at the bottom a fubterraneous lake which most probably communicates with thofe under the great heath. The cavern, when lighted only by a few candles or torches, appears dark and difmal, ftudded with projecting and pendent rocks, which threaten the fpectator with inftant deftruction; but on being fully illuminated, thefe horrors vanish, and give place to the molt brilliant scene ever exhibited by nature, or defcribed in fairy tale; the fides, roof, and every pointed rock, are inftantly covered with feftoons and bouquets of pearls, diamonds, rubies, and every other precious tone, in full oriental fplendour, caused by the drops of water iffuing from the calcareous rocks; tho' there are no incruftations to be feen. In the neighbourhood of this hill, towards Stradbally, is a quarry and extenfive bed of an excellent calcareous ftone, of a fine light gray colour and delicate texture, furpaffing in beauty, and equal, if not fuperior, in every other quality, to the best Portland; and is admirably calculated for every purpose of building; and feveral have been erected the new house of Harristown, by Mr. Davis, Architect, and belonging to John Latouche, efq. As this quarry is within a mile of the grand canal from Monaftereven to Athy, Dublin and other parts of the kingdom might be supplied with it on reasonable terms, and great fums of money faved, which are now expended by the importation of Portland ftone. Between this and Monafterevan is a boggy country, the fcite of an ancient foreft, long fince no more, though fome remains are still visible. Some of this bog has been reclaimed, and the whole might eafily be fo, at a fmall expence. It is of various depths, from 10 to 25 feet, refts on limeftone gravel on a calcareous rock, which feems to form the bafis of all the neighbouring hills. On the western banks of the river Barrow, fouth of Monastereven; are, at several depths from 4 to 10 feet, large beds of excellent marle, proper for every fpecies of agriculture; and which could by means of the Barrow and Grand-Canal, be conducted to the adjacent farms, to the great encrease of their fertility, and at a very moderate expence. Yet, so unaccustomed are the present cultivators to every fpecies of improvement, though feveral are acquainted with it, none think it worth their labour and expence to procure it. Marle however, for calcareous foils, is the most durable and prolific manure that can be obtained. Monaftereven, formerly a fmall village dependent on a monaftery of that name, has been much improved fince the Grand Canal from Dublin has been completed to it, but nothing in proportion to what might be, if every circumftance was attended to. Mills for the manufacture of flour might be established here; and alfo a linen and hempen manufacture, the adjacent lands being well calculated for the production of both fpecies of plants; and even the quarry before fpoken of, might confiderably encrease the commerce of this place. To establish these things, great exertions would certainly be neceffary. But what will not industry and perfeverance accomplish? According to the |