depreffion and weakness. Religious hatreds are appeased, and this country has recovered her liberty. Irish no longer yield to the English, either in industry or in information*.” The laft fentence of this note might, if it had reached the eyes or ears of the incenfed irifh hif torian, Mr. O'Halloran, have affuaged his wrath against Voltaire for the unguarded expreffion in the text; unless the amor patriæ of the historian, like the amour prorpe of fome individuals, inftead of being gratified by congratulations on: their improvement, should be intent upon demonftrating, that there never was any thing to improve. As we were neither born nor bredin Ireland, we cannot be fuppofed to poffefs this: *"On lifait dans les premières editions, la superiorite que les blancs ont sur les negres. M. de Voltaire effaça cette expreffion injurieufe.. L'état prefque fauvage ou était l'Irlande lorf qu'elle fut conquife, la fuperftition, l'oppreffion exerçée par les Anglois, le fanatisme religieux qui divife les Irlandois en deux nations ennemies, telles font les caufes qui ont retenues ce peuple dans l'abaiffement et dans la foibleffe. Les haines. religieufes fe font affoupies, et elle a repris fa liberté, Les Irlandois ne le cedent plus aux Am glois ni en industrie ni en lumières." amor patriæ in it's full force; we profefs to be attached to the country, only for it's merits; we acknowledge, that it is a matter of indiffer. ence to us whether the Irish derive their origin from the Spaniards, or the Milefians, or the Welsh: we are not so violently anxious as we ought to be to determine, whether or not the language fpoken by the phoenician flave, in Terence's play, was irifh; nay, we should not break our hearts, if it could never be fatisfacto rily proved, that Albion is only another name for Ireland*. We moreover candidly confefs, that we are more interefted in the fate of the. prefent race of it's inhabitants, than in the hif torian of St. Patrick, St. Facharis, St. Cormuc, the renowned Brien Boru; Tireldach, king of Connaught; M Murrough, king of Leinfter; Diarmod; Righ-Damnha; Labra-Loingfeach; Tighermas; Ollamh-Foldha; the M'GiollaPhadraigs; or even the great William of Ogham; and by this declaration we have no fear of giving offence to any but rufty antiquaries. We think it fomewhat more to the honour of Ireland to enumerate the names of fome of the men of *See O'Halloran's Hiftory of Ireland. IRISH BULLS. 239 genius whom fhe has produced; Milton and Shakspeare stands unrivalled; but Ireland can boast of Usher; Boyle; Denham; Congreve; Molyneux; Farquhar; fir Richard Steele; fir Hans Sloane; Berkeley; Orrery; Parnel; Swift; T. Sheridan; Helfham; Bryan Robinfon; Goldfmith; Sterne; Johnfon*; Tickel; Brooke; Leland; Hales; Stock; three Hamil. tons; Young; Charlemont; Kirwan; Bickerstaffe; Macklin; Malone; Canning; Mrs. Sheridant; F. Sheridan; Griffiths; Courtnay; Barrè; Huffey; Sheridan; Burgh, and Burke ! We enter into no invidious comparisons; it is our fincere with to conciliate both countries; and if in this flight effay we fhould fucceed in diffusing a more just and enlarged idea of the Irish than has been generally entertained, we hope the English will deem it not an unaccepta ble fervice. Whatever might have been the policy of the english nation towards Ireland, whilst she was a feparate kingdom, fince the uni *Author of Chryfal, or Adventures of a Guinea. † Author of that beautiful tale Nourjahad. 240 ESSAY ON on it can no longer be her wish to depreciate the talents, or ridicule the language of Hibernians. One of the Czars of Ruffia ufed to take the cap and bells from his fool, and place it on the head of any of his fubjects whom he wished to difgrace. The idea of extending fuch a pu nifhment to a whole nation was ingenious, and magnanimous; but England cannot now put it into execution towards Ireland. Would it not be a practical bull to place the cap and bells upon her own imperial head? |