smile the pride of birth, the rivalry of riches, the enthusiasm of genius contended! Have we not feen them, when confidered by a fickle tafte, as no longer worthy of public applaufe or private pursuit, driven, by pecuniary diftrefs, to the very verge of fuicide! or languishing in penury, and dying, almoft of want, in distant obfcurity?

That perfonal error may have concurred in producing these melancholy catastrophes, I fhall not deny. But, if affistance and relief is held out only to those whose calamities have, at no one time, originated from themselves: if the opportunity shall not be offered to error to retrace with contrition, its wanderings, whilft the lash of fuffering is fufpended: if no friendly hand, urged by gratitude for entertainment and inftruction received, is held forth, to arreft the step of frailty, till it lapses into vice then is the genuine fpirit of phi lanthropy no more!

Among

Among the various benevolent inftitutions of thefe countries, I have often wondered that the theatrical fund, as it is termed, has been fuffered to dwindle into impotence and obfcurity! Its existence has been abandoned to the paltry fupport of a fingle benefit night, or the pittance wrung from the weekly fum that goes to the fole fupport of, perhaps, a helplefs family! That Garrick, at his death, though poffeffed of wealth that might have given scope to even the prodigality of benevolence, fhould have bequeathed this fund a trifling fum, infufficient to the purchase of one of the paintings that decorated his villa, is not to be wondered at. It is humiliating to human nature to think that the fire of genius fo often blazes but by the breath of avarice! He felt not for fufferings he had never known!

Did one or two benevolent characters, of fufficient confequence to add dignity and weight to the measure, bestow their countenance and protection on the thea

trical fund, the public might be spared, in future, the contemplation of calamities fuch as I have defcribed. Even detached corporate bodies, the provifion for whofe decayed members has ufually been looked upon as a duty preffing folely on those bodies themselves, have frequently received the general and cheerful aid of the public. And when we reflect, that the British Mufical Fund has received the condescending and scientific protection of a prince, in whofe character, amid the more exalted virtues, we trace the discriminating patron of genius and the arts; that, under this fupport of his prefent Majesty, the Mufical Fund has encreased to permanent magnitude and scientific respect; we may trust that benevolence and power will concur to make the evening of that life happy, whose morning and noon were spent in contributing to the happiness of the public.*

*It may be, perhaps, faid, that whilft the theatrical fund is poffeffed of a confiderable capital, and, therefore, admits of confiderable expenditure, fuch appeals

as

as I have above made, are unneceffary. As long, however, as it continues to afford relief only in proportion to the weekly fum contributed by the claimant as long as even a temporary intermiffion of this contribution deprives the individual of what he looked forward to, as his fole support in fickness or old age-fo long will the prefent theatrical fund, by holding out substantial relief only to those who will, probably, never want it, be unable to fulfil the original idea of its formation, and what should be its chief end, in comfortably providing for its poor and decayed members.

ON THE

1

PRESENT STATE OF IRELAND.

Nec Trojam Aufonios gremio excepiffe pigebit.

-Sat funera fufi

Vidimus, ingentis et defolavimus agros.

VIRGIL.

FEW fubjects naturally possess so strong

an influence on the feelings and understanding of man, as the confideration of the benefit or injury of his native country. The favage Indian and the polished Briton have, alike, felt its energy; and, whether fuffering or triumphant, whether extended on a bed of torture at Lima, or at Uri receiving the gratulations of emancipated fellow-citizens, the godlike principle of patriotifm

Alluding to Guatimozin, the Peruvian emperor,

and William Tell, the champion of the liberty of Switzerland.