One arrives from Athy in Dublin, at 6 o'clock in the evening.

One arrives from Monafterevan, at the fame hour.

One from Sallins at 11 o'clock in the morning.

There are (befides a number of heavy boats for carrying merchandize) two luggage boats, which ply between Dublin and Athy three times a week.

From this I pursued my journey to Kildare, once the chief town of the county, but is now a place of fuch little confequence, that it is chiefly fupported by the concourfe of nobility and gentry, who attend the frequent meetings at the Curragh. It is a borough, market, fair, and poft town, fituated on an eminence, commanding a very extenfive profpect, and had in former ages a more extenfive collection of buildings, a great part of which lie buried in ruins. This is the fee of a bishop, fince the end of the 5th century. The cathedral is but fmall, but kept in good repair, as is alfo the parish church. The bishop has no place of refidence in his diocefe, though I am told he is very ftrict in obliging his clergy to refide in their refpective parishes. On the north fide of the cathedral ftands as perfect a round tower as any to be met with in Ireland; it is 130 feet high, 15 feet in diameter, and the door 14. feet from the ground. Near this is the great race ground, called the Curragh of Kildare, which is unquestionably the most beautiful plain in Great Britain, or Ireland, or perhaps in Europe. It contains about 3000 acres, forming one of the moft delightful lawns imaginable, and although this plain affords pafture to an immenfe number of fheep, there are but very few habitations scattered around its edges. Nothing can exceed the foftnefs of the fod, which is of fine verdure, fet off by the gentle fwells, and inequalities of its furface. There is a ranger and deputy ranger appointed by his majefty, who have ftated penfions on the Irith establishment; and meetings are held here annually in the months of April, June, and September, when kings plates are run for, by Irish bred horfes. At the extremity of this charming plain, is the remains of a cell,

N

T E.

*Saint Bridget was born in the county of Louth, and if the "writers of her life are to be credited, she was one of the greateft ornaments of the church and nation; and her memory and name are accordingly held in reverence among the old Irish to this day. She lived for the moft part at Kildare, in a nunnery of her own erection, of which the was the abbefs: but fo many pious virgins were excited by her example, and defired to live under her direction, that he was obliged to erect feveral other convents in different parts of Ireland for her difciples, fo that in a fhort time the kingdom was full of religious houfes of St. Bridget. She wrote a rule for the nuns of her order, an epiftle in rhyme to a friend to diffuade him from travel, a poem on the virtues of St. Patrick, a poem on the defires of the pious, and feveral other pieces. In order to do the greateft honour to her memory, the religious women of the times invented this perpetual fire, which was kept burning till the time herein mentioned.

the

the Grand Canal, and confifts of one large ftreet uniformly built on each fide. This undertaking was fet on foot by captain Brooke, who generoufly expended a very confiderable private property in this place, for the purpofe of furnishing many of the poor artizans with employment; who, at the factory here eftablithed, made up raw materials of filk, cotton, flax, &c. into vari ous fabrics, viz. Marfeilles, velvets, velverets, dimities, printed cottons, callico's, muflins, &c. Parliament to encourage Mr. Brooke's defign, voted him a confiderable fum on loan free of intereft; but the loffes incurred by this gentleman caused him to fail, which threw a temporary gloom over the works; but as it is now continued under the care of refpectable trustees, chofen by act of parliament, it may still attain perfection and importance.

From Profperous I rode on to Clain, paffing by Millecent, the beautiful feat of Richard Griffith, Efq. near which is the great Leinfter aqueduct bridge of feven arches, that conveys the Grand Canal over the river Liffey. Clain is a fmail village fituated on the river Liffey, with a neat church and the remains of an abbey. Leaving Clain, I rode to Kilcock, a fair and poft town, fituated on a ftream, called the Rye-water, which joins the Liffey near Leixlip.Next to Maynooth, a fair and poft town, regularly laid out, and confifts of good houfes built fome time ago by his grace the duke of Leinfter, who has, within a mile of this town, a fuperb feat, called Carton, with a very large and handfome park, and extenfive gardens, beautifully laid out in modern tafte.-Celbridge was the next place that I visited; this is a handfome well built town, pleasantly seated on the river Liffey, over which is a ftone bridge of five arches. The church is a very pretty flructure, but much out of repair; in the aifle is a very noble monument, erected to the memory of the Conolly family. The neighbourhood of Celbridge is ornamented with a vaft number of delightful villas, and fine improvements, among which the Liffey meanders in a manner highly pleafing. Within a mile of Celbridge, is Caftle

town, the superb and magnificent feat of the right hon. Thomas Conolly. The demefne and plantations are very extenfive, and beautiful; and the houfe &c. are open on every Sunday for the infpection of all genteel ftrangers.From Caftletown, I paffed on to Leixlip, a fair, and poft town, agreeably fituated on the river Liffey, whole banks being prettily tufted with wood, and enlivened by gentlemen's feats, afford a variety of landicapes beautiful beyond defcription. At Leixlip are fome beautiful waterfalls, called the Salmon-leap, the principal of which is nearly 20 feet high, with several leffer ones above it.

Leaving Leixlip, I rode to the beautiful village of Lucan, where I bid adieu to the county of Kildare, and entered into that of Dublin. In the fum mer season this village is much reforted to by genteel company from Dublin, and many parts of Ireland, to drink of a fulphurous fpa, that emerges clofe by the margin of the river Liffey. The well is fheltered in a deep niche, neatly executed in hewn ftone, with a rural thatched feat for the water-drinkers, and fpace allowed for walking about. The feat of George Vefey, Efq. at Lucan, is beautifully romantic. From this I rode to Palmerftown, a neat village, remarkable for its fair of horfes, held on the 21ft of Auguft. In the neighbourhood of this village are many charming feats. Chapelizod was the laft place I vifited 'till my arrival in the city of Dublin. This is a delightful village pleasantly fituated on the Liffey, over which is a good ftone bridge. It confifts of a number of good houses, a church, and a barrack for the royal Irish artillery, at the rere of which, is a beautiful walk, clofe by the river fide, where the artillery parade, called the King's Garden. Great quantities of ftrawberries are propagated in this neighbourhood; fo that the city of Dublin in the feafon is plentifully fupplied with that delicious fruit. On my way from this to Dublin, I traversed his majesty's Phoenix Park, a fine inclofure at the weft end of the city, diverfified with woodland, champaign, and rifing ground, and well flock

ference, and is adorned with many beautiful public and private buildings, among which are, the Hibernian school for the maintenance and education of the fons and daughters of foldiers. The children are admirably taken care of, and affiduoufly inftructed; and the expence is defrayed by an annual grant of parliament of 1000l. and by private fubfcriptions and benefactions. The houfe is of Portland ftone, and is finifhed in an elegant manner. Some years ago a chapel was erected near this fchool, of hewn ftone, with a steeple adorned with a hand fome cupola.— The king's Royal Military Infirmary, is alfo fituated in this park, it was erected in the year 1787, for the care of the fick and hurt foldiers on Dublin duty. A magazine of gun-powder; and a battery of 22 iron guns, are alfo fituated in this park. This battery commands the city and bay of Dublin, and on days of public rejoicings the guns are fired. The private buildings are all elegant and very numerous, fo much fo, that it is totally out of my power to enumerate them. The late cele brated earl of Chesterfield, when chief governor of Ireland, erected in the centre of this park, on the top of a large fluted pillar 40 feet high, the figure of a Phoenix burning in her neft. From the park, I rode into the city, having finished my little excurfion in three days, which I affure you was fo pleafant, that I fancy before the fummer is out, I fhall make it fo convenient, as to take a trip thro' another of the neighbouring counties, if fo, an account of it, fhall be the subject of a future letter.

I remain dear Sir,
Your's fincerely,
J. W.

Dublin,
July 30th, 1792.

Extraordinary Account of Don Balthaf ar Orobio, a celebrated Few of Spain.

DON Balthafar Orobio, was born at Seville, in Spain, about the beginning of the feventeenth century. was carefully educated in Judaifin

parents, who were Jews, though

Koman catholics; abftaining from the practice of their religion in every thing, except only the obfervation of the fait of the expiation, in the month Tifis or September. Orobio ftudied the scholaftic philofophy ufual in Spain, and became fo fkilled in it, that he was made profeffor of metaphyfics in the univerfity of Salamanca. Afterward, however, applying himself to the ftudy of phyfic, he practifed that art at Seville with fuccefs, till accufed of Judaifm, he was thrown into the inquifition, and fuffered the moft dreadful cruelties, in order to force a confeffion. He himfelf tells us, that he was put into a dark dungeon, fo ftraight that he could fcarce turn himself in it; and fuffered fo many hardihips, that, his brain began to be disturbed. He talked to himielf often in this way: Am I indeed that don Balthafar Orcbio who walked freely about in Seville, who was entirely at cafe, and had the bleffings of a wife and children? Sometimes, fuppofing that his pafi life was but a dream, and that the dungeon where he then lay was his true birth place, and which to all appearance would alfo prove the place of his death. At other times, as he had a very metaphyfical head, he firft formed arguments of that kind, and then refolved them; performing thus the three different parts of opponent, refpondent, and moderator, at the fame time. In this whimfical way he `amufed himfelf from time to time, and conftantly denied that he was a Jew. After having appeared twice or thrice before the inquifitors, he was ufed as follow at the bottom of a fubterraneous vault, lighted by two or three fmall torches, he appeared before two perfons, one of whom was judge of the inquifition, and the other fecretary; who, afking him whether he would confefs the truth? protefted, that in cafe of a criminal's denial, the holy office would not be deemed the cause of his death if he fhould expire under the torments, but that it must be imputed entirely to his own obftinacy. Then the executioner itript off his clothes, tied his feet and hands with a strong cord, and fet him upon a little tool, while he paffed the cord

through

to expence about me. I am but the poor remnant of ftuff, fit for neither ornament nor ufe, and now worn to a ragg. I write to you from a fick houfe. Poor Mrs. Dodington has a fitt of the gout in both feet, kindly enough, I think, and going off; but the pain has thrown her into a dejection of fpirits, that I know to be worfe than all bodily fufferings. This, I confefs, affects me in the moft fenfible manner. I have not philofophy enough to be fuperior to the fenfations of humanity, nor am I fine gentleman enough, to defpife the ties of duty, gratitude and affection, or to laugh at the impulfe and anxiety of focial paffion. But, I truft, all will foon be well. Poor as I am, there is one great overfeer, that will take care of me; and if he pleases to order mé home, through painfull roads, and a ftormy evening, yet I truft, he will, one day, wake me to a chearfull morning. When I reflect how much good I have received, and how little I have done, refignation can hardly be called a duty, and humiliation lofes its name.

Letters of recommendation to the king's minifters, in favour of gentlemen of known names, inferior to lord Baltimore, are totally useless. 'Tis the duty of a traveller, immediately, to wait on his mafter's minifters, and they are, all fond enough of fhewing their own importance, and concilia ting the good will of families at home at the expence of being bow'd to, and admir'd by young gentlemen, to whom every thing is new, and appears magnificent. I fhall take care of you, at Florence, and at Rome, which are the two places much most* worth your ftay in fuch a way, that I hope you will meet with no obftruction for want of language, or naturalization, but be received according to your merits, which is, or ought to be, the only ftandard, and univerfal language. You fhall have your letters, time enough, withNOT E.

out fail; 'tis probable, while you are at Paris, but certainly time enough. In truth, I am not always in a difpofition to write. Brother John groans about your expence: I faw him the other night, at council; he told me that with much ado, he got the chancellor to allow you 1500l. per annum, that you had already 1500l. remitted to you, and that you had spent 1500l. before you fett out-I told him, I thought he ought to rejoyce at fuch an inftance of a young gentleman's abilities, that could contrive to fpend 3000l. out of an allowance of 1500l. He ftar'd at me, and thinks me a very bad arithmetician.

fon *

I agree with you about poor ThomTerence, fpeaking of a family ingenious in working its own deftruction, has, fomewhere, an expreffion like this-Hanc familiam ipfa" non poteft fervare falus. I doubt whether any body could have fav'd him, but certainly, the lofs of you, at this critical period, has feal'd his doom. Providence, I fear, has not thought fitt to putt into all his friends hands, half the power, and activity to help, that are plac'd and exerted, in his, to hurt him. Brother † Jofhua has, indeed, undertaken his affairs, but has never lett me fee him, or fent me any account of any progrefs that is made in them: the Dr. will never tell me any thing that can be depended on : I fear, therefore, little progrefs is made: Bro. Jofhua, it would be highly indecent for me to importune, perfonally, as I am not acN OTES.

* Dr. Thomson was a phyfician, of fhort lived reputation. The earliest of his practice was among men of eminence, Pope and others. He vas a great politician, and of indolent, carelefs habits. He enjoyed the favour of lord Melcombe, and was protected from arrefts by living in his houfe. For a farther account of him, see Hawkins' Life of Johnfon, p. 337-8.9. Edit. 77, prefixed to the works.

. his time.

quainted