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Mr. Dyer on Coins.

544 confequence, that the reverfe of a medal fhould often explain fome verfes of a poet, and that the verfes of a poet should unfold the defign or the infcription on a medal. One of our English artifts has availed himself of this parallelifm of defign, and given an elegant edition of one of the Latin poets: Elegant, I mean, in refer ence to engravings, accompanied with copper-plate coins, illuftrative of the poet 1.

On this fubject it would be very eafy to multiply quotations: but I fhould un avoidably exceed my limits, and be in danger of merely repeating obfervations already made fo well by Mr. Addifon, and therefore familiar to your readers. I fhall fatisfy myfelf from a furvey of the "Three Series of Medals," brought for ward by Mr. Addifon, to deduce one general obfervation, which is, that as the medallic art, and the art of poetry, as practifed by the ancients, reflect light on each other, fo modern poetry, by a comparative view of their qualities, may derive to itself confiderable embellishment, provided it indulge not in unnatural imitations, and incongruous imagery, and content itself with imitating the manner, rather than the matter of the ancients, otherwise it will lie expofed to the cen fure,

Humano capiti cervicem pictor equinam
Jungere fi velit, &c.

II. I proceed to the second object of this effay, which is to confider the medallic art in reference to modern times.

Among perfons acquainted with ancient and modern coins, I run no hazard of being contradicted, or charged with bigotry, when affirming, that the medals of antiquity are very fuperior to the modern. At prefent we feem rather ambitious of making new coins, than of collecting old ones. To give this propenfity then a useful direction, and with refpect to antiquity, to carry the imitative art fo far only as confifts with propriety, would deferve commendation. To keep alive the remembrance of important events, whether they regard the caufe of literature and humanity, of public liberty, and of public happiness, or to defcribe ufeful institutions, public buildings, or national customs, fome way or other connected with the intention of ftriking the medal, would be no lefs honourable to the present times, than ufeful to pofterity: and the parties concerned would not be neis Tabulis

Horatii Opera, Londini incidit Johannes Pine, 1733.

[Sup.

expofed to the imputation of useless ingenuity or of perfonal vanity.

Inftead of writing a differtation on the fubject, I fend a medal by way of illuftration, together with a fhort account of its origin and object.

June 3, 1796, was a memorable day to the freeholders of Herefordshire; feveral confider it as the era of their independence. The character of that county, beyond many other counties in England, naturally inclines to independence, in. confequence of the number of small freeholds, into which it is divided, and the productive quality of the land.

Notwithstanding this, through the intereit of great families, the county had been long reprefented in parliament by perfons who had not espoused the interefts of the people, and one (Sir G. Cornwall) had recently expofed himself to fufpicions detrimental to his popularity. Thefe circumftances, together with the critical fituation of public affairs, and the im patience of the people on account of the high price of corn, which they supposed to proceed from the war, agitated the minds of the yeomanry, and they determined to do themselves juftice.

Accordingly, a few days before the laft general election, the people of the county rofe, as it were, by one general impulfe. Till the Wednesday previous to the election, they had done nothing actively. The day of election, however, being fixed for Friday the 3d of June, a meeting of highly refpectable and patriotic freeholders affémbled, who finally determined to nominate candidates, to afford the people an opportunity of expreffing their fentiments to the old members. The perfons in contemplation were, Colonel JOHN SCUDAMORE, Capt. SYMMONDS, and ROBERT BIDDULPH, racter of friends to liberty, and only preEfq. all equally entitled to the cha ferable one to the other as accidental cirthe objects of public confidence. cumftances might render them more or less

Confiderations of long and acknowledged fervices rendered every preference

in favour of the name of SCUDAMORE

natural; and the recent injuftice heaped on Mr. BIDDULPH, at his late conteft for Leominster, excited a general indignation in the breasts of the people. It was, therefore, determined to put thefe fent exclufion of Capt. SYMMONDS, the two gentlemen in nomination, to the preobject of their equal attachment, and of their future hopes.

The yeomanry of Herefordshire confidering

Vol. V.]

Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin.

fidering the 3d of June, 1796, the era of their triumph over the powerful influence of great families, and of their afferting and obtaining their independence, had an appropriate medal ftruck, which I fend you.

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The figure of a buli has long been received as fymbolical of the dullness or tameness of the English character. On the FACE of the medal, therefore, appears a bull breaking its chain, and trampling them under its feet. The infcription on the edge, or, as it is called, the LEGEND, is fimply Herefordshire. The exergue,. June 3, 1796.

The reverfe is defcriptive of the

THE

545

agricultural character of Herefordshire,

which is well known to abound with the

racter.

apple tree, the pride of that county, and
with the oak tree.. A circle of oak leaves,
an apple tree, and plough, are, therefore,
devices properly illustrative of this cha-
The fimplicity and appropriate
nefs of this medal render it unneceffary
for me to offer any more cbfervations.
I fhall be happy, fir, if to the excellent
medal fent you from Edinburgh, you
fhall fee reafon to add this. I remain,
refpectfully, yours,
G. DYER,

[The prefent Effay was fent to the Editornearly a twelvemonth ago, but was misaid.]

TOUR IN THE VICINITY OF DUBLIN, PERFORMED IN THE AUTUMN OF 1797. [Continued from the Magazine for June.] HE next houfe which claims any attention as an architectural front, in Dublin, is Lord Powerfcourt's, in William ftreet; the architecture is found, and not devoid of tafte; it has a large ruftic gateway upon either fide, but its being fituated in one of the narrowest ftreets, together with one of the most crowded meat markets in that city, being within a few feet of the hall door, renders it almoft wholly unpleasant, and unworthy of notice.

The marquis of Waterford's houfe, in Marlborough-street, is a good, plain, ftone-fronted building, detached from the ftreet by a heavy wall, but it has a space of ground in the rife, forming a lawn and fhrubbery, and occupied by offices, &c. of not less than four acres in the whole. The former beauty of this fituation is almoft entirely deftroyed, by the number of houfes recently built in that vicinity, which, at prefent, nearly furround it.

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Lord Aldborough is now building, in a fituation the moft fwampy, and one of the lowest levels in Dublin (called the North Strand), a very handfome houfe, as to external appearance; the north or principal front is of Irish granite, or mountain stone, which is of a very durable texture, and of a very bright colour, being much whiter than Portland ftone, and of a grain which works perfectly neat and fharp, as far as is requifite for mouldings, cornices, &c. but not for ornamental carvings; the other three fronts are of a compofition of plaister laid upon brick walls, and are intended to refemble ftone afhlers; there is a neat balustrade furrounding the MONTHLY Mag. No. XXXIII.

roof, decorated with fome ornaments of
Code's artificial ftone-manufactory at
Weftminfter-bridge, from whence they
were carried thither, as likewife his lord-
fhip's arms in baffo-relievo, placed in a
pediment in the north front; but fuch a
houfe, in and upon fuch an ill- chofen spot,
is the astonishment of every person who
fees it, even of common taste: it is, be-
fides, befpattered upon all fronts with
mottos, which makes it appear extremely
vulgar: in a freize immediately below the
cornice, in the principal front, is engraved,
in capital letters, SIT, SITI, LÆTAN.
TUR.; and in the freize of a fmall por-
tico over the hall-door, in the fame front,
is alfo engraved, in large letters, OTIUM
CUM DIGNITATE. This is rendered
the more ludicrous, by a circumftance
which prefented juft at the time of this
motto being exhibited, namely, that of the
prefent Lord Chancellor of Ireland hav-
ing declared, in the Houfe of Peers, his
intention of moving for a cenfure upon
Lord Aldborough, for mal-practice; this
intention, however, the Chancellor waved,
but, neverthelels, ordered his Majesty's
Attorney-General in that kingdom, to
profecute Lord Aldborough for a libel
against the dignity of parliament, and his
ftation, which was accordingly done in
obedience to that order,and his lordship
was found guilty of the fame in the court
of King's-Bench, in laft Michaelmas
Term. There is erecting, close to the
principal front of this house, a building
which, from its frange appearance, in-
duced me to enquire for what it was in-
tended? when the workmen anfwered,
4 A
a Play-

66

546

Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin..

"a Play-boufe, please your bonour," meaning a theatre; it would, perhaps, be unfair to call all this either madnefs or folly, but fomething like one or the other, or both, it certainly moft ftrongly refembles.

The city of Dublin has been highly improved within the last two years, by the completion of a very great undertaking, namely, docks of great magnitude, now finished by the company of undertakers of the grand canal. The two, or rather one great floating-dock (there being no lock dividing them), the only divifion being a drawbridge of a peculiarly light, yet durable conftruction, is capable of containing Soo fail of merchant-fhips, and give fufficient fpace for each to carry on their trade with ample room; there are befides attached to this dock, three graving docks for building or repairing fhipping; the dimenfions of the largest is 180 feet long by fixty feet wide; and they appear to me to be built upon the fame improved conftruction as that of the great dock at Portfmouth, which I remember to have feen in the year 1795, a little after it was finished. The walls which inclofe, or, in other words, the embankments of thefe docks, are built in the moft perfect and durable manner, and reflect infinite honour upon the fpirit of the Grand Canal Company of Dublin. This inland navigation is now so far completed, as to form a perfect water carriage from St. George's Channel, or the Irish Sea, at the eaftern fide of Dublin, into the river Shannon, which empties itfelf into the Atlantic Ocean, at the western fide of Ireland, and thus completely interfects the whole kingdom through its centre.

Thefe docks were, upon the 23d of April, 1796 (being St. George's day), opened with much pomp and ceremony, in the prefence of his excellency Earl Camden, the prefent Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Countefs Camden, and a vaft concourfe of nobility, and others; his Majefty's yacht, the Dorfct, commanded by fir Alexander Scombergh, first entered, with all her colours flying, difplaying the royal ftandard, and firing a royal falure of twenty-one guns; all the revenue cutters then in Dublin doing the fame, as they followed in fucceffion according to rank. The Earl and Countefs of Camden, with their fuite, then went round the great floating dock, as well as into each of the locks (which were then, in form, named after Lord and Lady Camden), by which

[Sup.

it is joined to the fca, and alfo into each of the graving docks, in a very elegant barge; after which his excellency conferred the honour of knighthood upon the chairman of the Grand Canal Company, Mr. Macartney (now Sir John), an eminent attorney of Dublin.

The Pont ensemble' of the city of Dublin had been, for the last ten years. in a daily habit of improvement, but feems to have received a check within the laft two years, from the aweful hand of terrific folemnity, which feems to be elevated and fufpended for the purpose of ftriking fome decided blow, more wonderful, if poffible, than is daily occurring in the European world.

The general appearance of the city of Dublin (which is about two miles and a half long, and one and a half broad) is extremely beautiful, from the number of public buildings, &c., the principal treets are well paved and lighted, and the flagged way at either fide, with fome excep tions, broad and tolerably clean, which is a difficult matter to preferve, from the almoft continual wetness of the climate; but the inferior freets are equally filthy and diabolical. The places of that city which form fquares, are St. Stephen's Green, in the centre of which is an equeftrian ftatue of George the Second, finely executed in copper, and elevated upon a large pedeftal; the ground in this fquare, being one mile in circumference, is occupied by cattle grazing in the winter feafon, and laid down as meadow in the fummer, the produce of which belongs to the lord mayor of Dublin, for the time being. This fquare might be made much more beautiful, by being inclofed with iron railing, which is now only by an' ugly and uneven parapet wall.

Merrion-fquare, delightfully fituated, moft of the houfes having a view of Dublin Bay and Wicklow Mountains; the centre is inclofed by an iron palifado, erected upon a handfome cut-ftone plinth and bafe, and a neat fhrubbery running round the whole, immediately withinfide the railing; the houfes are all of a very large fize, much uniformity has been preferved in building them; and the appearance altogether is highly improved by the rear of Leinfter-houfe, and lawn, forming the weft fide of this fquare.

Rutland-fquare already defcribed, from its lofty trees and handfome walks, fituated upon the declivity of a hill, adds much to the beauty of Dublin; and Mountjoyfquare, not yet finished, but began upon

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Vol. V.]

Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin.

piece of ground fo eminently and beautifully fituated, as to command various de lightful profpecs.

Hofpitality reigns throughout the city with as much profufion as in the reft of the kingdom; the people of fashion can no where be found more refined and fplendid; the middle order too much (I fear) imitate their fuperiors, as to luxury of the table, cards, balls, and routs; the wives and children of perfons in bufinefs, fhop-keepers, &c. affume and affect all the airs of the beau monde; and, when a man in bufinefs has accumulated a very few thousand pounds, he is induced by the influence of this baneful example, and the additional entreaties of his wife and children, to fet up his carriage, take a more expensive houfe in town, a country lodge and demefne, and become a private gentleman retired from bufincfs, just at a time when wifdom would fay, begin, and with your prefent ftock arrive at wealth.

The working people, and all the lower order, are ruined by an unceasing habit of devouring a liquid poifon, called whiskey; this fpirit, which is diftilled from grain, is of fuch strength, that nine pennyworth is fufficient to produce intoxication, fo prevalent, that to find a fober workman, or labourer, upon a Sunday, or Monday, is a rarity, nay almoft a curiofity; and thus is this useful clafs of fociety likely to continue in this truly wretched and deplorable ftate, until the humanity of the Irish legiflature fhall condefcend to abandon a part of the revenue arifing from the diftilleries, for the prefervation of the peoples morals, and fubftitute a more whol, fome beverage. England was almost as bad in this refpect, previous to the palling of what is called the Gin Act.

The only public entertainment in Dublin is a badly-attended theatre, open about eight months in the year; and Aftley's troop of equeftrians for three months in the winter season.

Vice has not arrived at that pitch of audacity in Dublin, as in London; a woman of eafy virtue would not be fuffered to mix with the company in the lower boxes of the theatre, they must go aloft; nor is the Cyprian tribe there either proportionably numerous, or alluring; the Irish women are characteristically virtuous; and should a woman in that country deviate from that path, fhe is fure to have the unremitting affiftance of many goodnatured friends to obtain full credit.

Genius in Ireland lays dorinant; there is no encouragement for the fine arts and fciences; and whenever fuch dawn there,

547 they must emigrate for exiftence. A foreigner is always preferred by the Irish nobility.

The Phoenix Park, belonging to the crown (and which takes its name from a lofty pillar in white marble, of the Corin. thian order, with a phoenix on the top), is fituated at the western extremity of Dublin, extending weftward upwards of three miles, and about two from north to fouth; in this park is the phoenix lodge, which was purchafed by government about the year 1782, for the fummer retidence of the lord lieutenants; it is nothing more than a neat, plain, brick building, but the rooms are conveniently difpofed, one of which is a very fpacious faloon; the offices projecting on either fide are joined to the houfe on the north front by femicircular fweeps, and the fouth front commands a fine view of the adjacent country, and the Wicklow Mountains. There is annexed to this lodge about ioo acres of this park, inclofed and laid out in a demefne, gardens, &c; adjacent to this there are alfo two other houfes, purchafed by government at the fame time, one for the fummer refidence of the lord lieutenant's chief fecretary, the other for the fecretary of the civil department; to both of thefe is alfo annexed an inclofed part of this park laid out with great taste and as all expences in thefe places are de-frayed by the public, it is not to be wondered that the improvements are unceafing.

In this park is the Salute Battery, on which is erected twenty-two pieces of cannon, which are fired upon all occafions of public rejoicing; and a little more to the weftward is the magazine for containing ammunition, &c. for his majesty's forces, a ftrong fortification, always occupied by an officer's guard of the Royal Irish artillery, and latterly confiderably augmented. In the eastern part of this park there has been, a few years fince, erected a fimple, but beautiful building, an infirmary for the foldiery, which is moft pleafingly fituated upon an elevated piece of ground, and adds much to the

tout enfemble" of this charming Spot, from which you have a view of the city and bay of Dublin. This extensive place being open to the public, is much frequented by equeftrians, as well as pedef trians; and here are performed all military reviews.

In the fummer of 1788, a camp was formed in this park, by direction of the prefent Marquis of Buckingham, who was then lord lieutenant of Ireland, as is

4 A 2

likewife,

548

Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin.

likewife, at this time (September, 1797), another camp formed by direction, and under the immediate infpection of Earl Camden, the prefent chief governor of Ireland. The principal part of the woods in this place, which are now very confi derable, were planted by direction of the Earl of Chesterfield, when lord lieutenant of Ireland, about the year 1745; it is well stocked with deer, and the whole is inclofed by a ftone wall.

From the western gate of this park, the approach to which commands a view of a most beautiful valley, taking in the villages of Chapel-izod and Palmerstown, through which the river Liffey grandly glides, forming different cafcades, and the whole terminated by the finelv-fituated house of Lord Donoughmore. You enter upon the top of Knockmaroon Hill, a village about three miles diftant from Dub lin, commanding a moft delightful profpect; and, defcending more to the weftward, you enter one of the most beautifully-fituated roads perhaps in the world, called the low road to Lucan, being about four miles in length; it is through a winding valley on the right hand, of which is, for the most part, a very high hill, richly cultivated, and from its fouthern afpect is extenfively planted with ftrawberries, which fruit it produces in great abundance, and in conftant fucceffion, from May until September, both months inclufive.

The road is fhadowed by plantations of oak, elm, and afh trees; and all along the left hand, from Knockmaroon, is the river Liffey filently flowing its courfe, the grandeur of which is fometimes interrupted by mill-weirs croffing the river, but which amply compenfate the feaft of the eye, by the cafcades which they form; and hence it is, that the navigation of the river Liffey is, in this part, impeded. Farther to the left hand, and to the end of this road, beyond the river, the ground rifes in a gradual afcent; in fome parts next the water are mills, in others bleachgreens for linens, but, for the most part, the fide of the hill prefents the highly decorated improvements of Lord Leitrim, Lord Carhampton, and Lord Pery, which terminating by a bridge, you arrive at the village of Lucan, fituated between fix and feven miles weft from Dublin. Here is the celebrated Lucan Spa, much reforted to, and deemed extremely efficacious in fcorbutic and nervous complaints; the fpa has lately been decorated, and is now heltered by a building, forming a ninegon neatly executed; and upon the top of the

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pump is placed a handfome urn. There is a rural thatched feat for the water drinkers, erected in a space which has been allowed to be taken off the demefne of the late Rt. Hon. Agmondifham Vefey,now inhabited by Major Vefey, and is a beautiful villa on the banks of the river Liffey; the houfe, which, in general, is called Lucan Houfe, was finished in the year 1780, it has an elegant, but fimple, Ionic front, four columns of that order fupporting the entabliture and pediment; the hall is adorned with pillars, and a frieze of the fame order, enriched with medallions from the defigns of Angelica Kauffman. The late Agmondifham Vefey, who was well known among the profeffors of the fine arts in his time, as a patron and a man of fcience, having always been extremely partial to the works of Mrs. Angelica, that charming artift, has, in teftimony for that compliment, dedicated fome of her finest pro.. ductions to him, as a mark of her refpect and esteem. The apartments are in a fuitable ftyle of fimple elegance, the gardens are laid out with great tafte, the fituation is low, fhady, and fequeftered, but extremely pleafant, being, in fome degree, a continuation of that delightful valley I have before described; the river Liffey runs on one fide of the grounds for near two miles, the high-road confines them on the other, and though this makes them narrow, they do not want fufficient variety.

On the oppofite bank of the river is St. Catherines, the feat of David La Pouche, jun. q. formerly occupied by the Earl of Lanefborougli, a beautiful villa; it had been fuffered, for many years, to fall into decay, but, in the year 1792, was purchased by Mr. La Touche, jun. the prefent proprietor, who repaired and beautified the house and grounds, the houfe is plain, but roomy and convenient, and contains a great variety of fine paintings and original drawings, brought by that young gentleman from Italy, and other parts of the continent, a few years fince, when upon his travels; alfo fome fculpture, among which is an incomparable parian marble statue of a Cupid, four feet fix inches high; this chef d'ouvre of fculpture is placed upon pedeftal, brought from Florence, of moft curious workmanship. The grounds are fituated upon the fide of a hill, having a fouthern afpect, and exhibiting as much variety as the extent will permit; thefe, and the oppofite grounds of Mr. Vefey, being connected and divided by a rural

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