and calamities of which it has hitherto proved fo baneful à fource. All the punishments inflicted by the ftatutes upon offenders against the lottery acts fall only on the ignorant and def titute, whilft the wealthy offenders hold them in utter contempt. The effects of the lottery, under its prefent reftrictions; idlenefs, diffipation, and poverty, have materially in creased; facred and confidential trufts are betrayed; domeftic comforts are deftroyed; madnefs is often created; crimes, fubjecting the perpetrators of them to the punishment of death, and even fuicide itself, are committed, as fully appear by evidence fubmitted to the committee. Such fatal attendants upon ftate lotteries this committee are afraid will always continue, fo long as late lotteries are permitted to exit. The committee conclude with their opinion, that the money paid to government by contractors is not equivalent to the diftrefs occafioned to many perfons, ultimately forced to apply for parochial relict. From the evidence before the committee, it appears that illegal infurance is effected by what are termed Morocco men, in the lowest thops, for which they are allowed two fhillings in the pound. Thefe men, if imprifoned under the vagrant act, are allowed two guineas a week. A police officer ftated a deplorable inftance of a family who were accuftomed to infure; the hufband cut his throat, the wife went to the workhoufe, and the daughter is in the utmost indigence from the like practices. Evidence was given of many fervants ftealing their employer's property, for the purpose of infuring and buying thares. The rev. mr. Gurney, of St. Clement Danes, flated that a refpectable lady, who had a clear income of 400l. a year, was fo reduced by the deftructive propentity to infine in the lottery, that the was compelled to feek refuge in the workhoute, where the died in the courfe of four months. The Literary Progrefs of Paul Plain tive: fhewing his Wars with Athors and Bookfellers. SIR, TO complain, however ineffectual or nugatory complaint may be, has ever been the privilege of the unfor. tunate: nor have they often neglect. ed to indulge themfelves in clamorous regrets and vain repentances, for that which no human prefcience could forefee, or prudence remedy. Asl therefore unfortunately belong to the numerous tribe of the Querimonifts, I intend to exert the privilege I poffefs, and to vell out my dolorous de clamations, in the form of an epiftie. You must know, fir, I am by profeffion an author, and have writ ten many admired pieces; at least fo my friends tell me. When I left the forming hand of my schoolmafter, ! ufed to compofe fonnets, elegies, and odes, all of which were exceedingly admired-by my friends. Thefe occafionally adorned the Parnaflian corner of fome periodical publication, and my heart was elate, when I beheld the offspring of my brain, in the form of printed letters, and Upda hot-preffed paper. I then afpired to the dignity and elegance of profe, and having juft fallen in love, I wrote an Effay on Marriage,' which was highly praifed-by my friends-and indeed, mr. Editor, I could not my feif help thinking it was excellent; for, having read Godwin, and im bibed his towering thoughts, I fear letsly afferted that it is an undoubt ed fact, that that man is wife tha: can act confonant to his own feel ings! But fuch is the fate of all fublunary things!--While I was e joying in created pride, the felf-com placencies of an author, lo! a me cilefs brother author attacked my c fay, ridiculed my opinions, and fu ly declared that my arguments were like two grains of wheat hid unde two bushels of chaff, for which w may fearch all day before we ca e not worth the fearch.'-Hower, fir, this mortification I foon #got; and never wrote for the fame ork any more, fince the editor was ungrateful. But I believe he was iqued, poor man. ad them, and when we do, they Here then I triumphed without an opponent for fome time; till, unluckily, I one day refolved to enter the field of controverfy; and therefore oppofed fomebody without differing from what he had faid. I thought nothing of that however, for I knew that I was not the only one who writes for bread, and not for truth; who takes up one fide of an argument, not because they think it right, but because it will make a pamphlet. But to proceed. . After this, I furnished a number of retty articles for the newfpapers, ut always incog; till at length a iend of mine, mr. METAPHOR, het me one day in Fleet-ftreet, clafpine by the hand, and with a fignicant fmile, told me my fortune was ade. Yes, yes, my friend! the in of profperity and fame begins to awn over the vale of obfcurity in hich thy genius has fo long been idden; an aperture appears, and ou may enter!' 'My dear mr. Metaphor,' I replied, tell me what is you mean.' Ah, my boy! ow for your effays, and your critiifms, and your poetry, and But,' I again interrupted, to what loes all this allude ?' Allude! look ere,' faid he, pulling a paper from is pocket, here it is-there, read.' Ifuatched the paper eagerly from is hand, and, with a palpitating heart, perufed it. It was the prof ectus of a new work; a new maazine: and it profeffed the moft iberal fentiments. I folded it up gain, returned it to my friend Me aphor, and fqueezing him by the hand, hade him adieu! I did not top to hear his flowery farewell, but After the death of this younger fon attening to my garret, compofed of the Monthlies, I continued to fupAn Effay on Luxury,' over fome port many of his elder brethren; but read and cheefe and porter. This I about this time another object called hought my mafter-piece, as did aifo my attention, and this was no lefs -my friends; for you must know, than the redoubted Porcupine. fir, that I had intermingled a great Here I wrote a flaming letter to a cedeal of metaphyfics; though to be lebrated fatefman, which was equal lure at that time (and I tell it you to Junius--as my friends faid—and I s a fecret) my metaphyfical learn- expected to have had a flaming reng was confined folely to Chapter ply; but I know not how it was, 1.1. of Locke; but n'importe; I the roarings of my pen was heard in nade ufe of metaphyfical words, filence. I have no doubt, however, and left my reader to make fenfe of had that paper continued, I fhould, from the inflamable nature of my conftitution As I faid before, I entered the field of controverfy, and wrote a marvellous long effay to prove that Kotzebue is a better dramatift than Shakspeare. But this did not pleafe, and I was horribly attacked the next month, not only by the author whom I had oppofed, but by another who was only a fpectator of the fray; and who, truth to fay, wrote moft viru lently confidering he was not a principal in the controverfy. However, I was not now to be scared by oppo. fition, and I boldly wrote in my own defence a long letter; but this did not pleafe the editor, and therefore was rejected. Enraged, I difdained his work, and I never furnished him with any more articles. Now, were / I inclined to be vain, I could tell you, mr. Editor, what my friends told me, that in confequence of my feceffion, the magazine lived only two months, and then expired. hem. September, 1808. 4 B conftitution, have caught fome of that political furor which animates the bofom of mr. Cobbett, and like him I fhould have abuted every character of eminence, from lord Hawkfbury, and H. Addington, to fir Jofeph Banks and mr. Ötto. Some ebon tears of condolence fell from my pen at the incongrous junction and fubfequent decease of this my much-esteemed friend, and now tired of writing only for fame, and that fometimes annonymous, I refolved to write a book, and publish it. But though the firft part of my refolve was easily performed, I found, alas! manifold obftructions in carrying the other into execution. New difficulties here arofe, and I had to cope with ignorance, avarice and fufpicion. But my wars with thefe formidable opponents fhall form the fubject of another letter; meanwhile I conclude by fubfcribing myfelf most affectionately, your brother and fincere friend, PAUL PLAINTIVE. Over the Water, For Walker's Hibernian Magazine. (Continued from Page 498.) MERCURY is pleafingly fituated near Collooney. The manfion is in an elevated fituation, commanding an extenfive profpect, and the grounds are laid out with tafte: the whole combined forms a large and beautiful demefue. On my paffing by this feat I met a vast number of cars la den with ftones, and was informed, that its munificent proprietor intended to add further buildings to this al ready much-improved and admired fpot. Mr. Cooper lives in a moft princely ftile: his retinue is in every refpect fuitable to a man of rank. From the very curforary obfervations I propofod to myself to recount the many beauties of Mercury, is qui impoffible; as I am confident mate rials would offer for defeription the would trefpafs on more than one day, in giving an outline of this enchan ing place. * I muft not, however, forbear no ticing the demefne of mr. Ormby, called Caftle Dargan, though on i fmall fcale; yet this feat is not wi out its attractive beauties. Tek houfe, though not fo lofty as m Cooper's, yet from its fituation, ce vated on a verdant hill, looks extreme ly well; and juft adjoining the road a fmall deer-park, well ftocked wha that fwift animal, which claims at once the attention of the fportiman, and indulges the appetite of the ep cure, renders this demefne more com plete than more extenfive ones. The new road in fome measure verted my obfervation from other de mefnes; however I just caught al, glimpse of the feat of Jofeph Mere dith, efq. called Cloonamahon: the ftranger it may be proper to ob ferve, that Cloonamahon has for ma ny years been the feat of hofpitality, its aged proprietor, whofe genera and convivial heart takes the utm pleasure in the fociety of his frien is much refpected and esteemed. Some fhort distance from Collo ney is the village of Tubbericanavi only remarkable for the fais l there. The furrounding country however, prefented the appearance fertility, and fome fnug farm-hou interfperfed here and there, diverfit the landscape. Τ I was now juft entering the agre ably fituated village of Ballafoda and the road paffing by the feather rendered my ride more pleafing. T water rolls in torrents, broken by ftupendous rocks, whofe hoife, ed at a great diftance, dwells upon ear; but when you approach t Falls of Collooney and Ballafoda the view is at once awful, giand, impreffive. Here are extenfive f nills; and between this village and Cullooney a large bleach-green. I was informed that a filver mine had been worked here for many years with fome effect; at prefent there are 10 works carrying on, and of courfe t lies neglected. Near this place is he feat of William H. Phipps, efq. of Lifconny; this is really a handome fpot, and its proprietor adds one o the many hofpitable gentlemen to be found in this country. I was now aft approaching towards Sligo by one of the best roads I have met with, which I understood was comleted by the exertion and manage nent of Owen Wynne, efq. whofe improvements in road-making, archi ecture and agriculture, are well nown to be moft beneficial to his ountry. Journeying ftill farther, he lofty hills of Benbulben and Knocknarea challenge attention. It vas now evening, and the thadows of the declining fun feemed to add ew charms to thofe vaft hills which verhang the fea at each fide of the hannel running into Sligo bay, whilft the ftillness of the evening, ombined with a view of thefe ftuendous objects, added to the folemity of the wild romantic fcene. Sligo, (like moft towns in this ountry, lies buried in a hollow, fo at you must be juft at its entrance efore you difcover it), is a large own and carries on a brisk import nd export trade; it is only inferior › Galway in extent, population, nd commerce, of any town in the rovince of Connaught: it lies about 03 miles weft of Dublin, and conins above 7000 inhabitants. I enred the town through a long lane of abins; but as I proceeded, obferved number of new houfes lately erect lin a much better ftile than former. The streets were crowded, and me little appearance of bufinefs as the city. The new streets are agged on each fide, which is a eat improvement; however, the old ones which comprise by far the greater part, are narrow, badly paved, and built very irregularly. This. town furnishes 4 or 500 yeomen well appointed, who make a very martial appearance. The quay wants improvement much, but I underftood it was to undergo great en largement, as was the harbour, at prefent very unfafe for thipping.Juft at the quay is the custom-house, a fmall ftone building of two ftories; a good trade is carried on here in provifions: here are alfo a linen-hall, a tolerably decent building, markethoufe, feffions-houfe, county gaol, fome breweries, and a very extenfive diftillery-there are alfo very large flour-mills. The proteftant charterfchool at one extremity of the town, formed rather an interefting building; and I was happy to hear that the boys and girls in that feminary are well educated and taken care of, which certainly is a national object. To educate the lower orders of the people by affording religious inftruction, fhould at all times engage the particular attention of government: much good arifes from forming the tender minds for the purfuit of virtue and induftry, thereby rendering useful and valuable members of fociety, thofe who would otherwife be unedu❤ cated, ignorant, and neglected. There are two bridges in Sligo, the new and the old one; alfo two barracks for horfe and foot. The old caftle has been long in ruins; but though the abbey ftill holds up veftiges of antiquity. Here are fome curious fragments of old monuments, cloisters, arches, and old towers ftill flanding, well worth the infpection of the curious: it is at prefent made ufe of as a burial ground, and walled in. 'The church is an handfome ftructure, with a lofty fteeple and if an elevated fpite was fuperadded, it would have a very good effect.The entire is well laid out, with a good organ. I was much pleafed with with the finging, and could not but tent myfelf without noticing acknowledge that the congregation though even curforily, mr. Wyn: numerous and refpectable There are alfo two Roman catholic chapels, one of which is a very extenfive and handfome place of worthip. There is alfo a methodist meeting-houfe: I however obferved no quaker's meeting-houfe in any part of Connaught through which I paffed. may boaft of being poffeffed of oz Sligo abounds in fish-I have feen falmon of most excellent quality, fo cheap as a thilling; their thell fith is july admired. Their meat market forms a fquare of nice brick buildings, and owes its origin to Owen Wynne, efq. to whom this town belongs. I was furprifed to hear that he erected thofe decent fhambles much against the wishes of the inhabitants, who preferred the flovenly way to neatnefs, cleanlinefs, and accommodation. This town is governed by a mayor and burgefs, is a very ancient corporation, and returns one member to the imperial parliament; a weekly newspaper is alfo publifhed bere. The inbabitants are in general hofpitable and attentive to ftrangers. The fea-fhore was interfperfed with a vast number of fmall bathinghoufes, fome in very fhewy fituations; and from being whitewashed, formed a very ftriking appearance. After having spent a day or two very agreeably in Sligo at Nelfon's hotel, where the traveller meets with very good accommodation in every repect, I took my departure by the demeine of Hazlewood, the feat of Owen Wynne, efq. The fun had jult rifen on a benighted world, and by its rays diffipated the dark vapours of the night, when this beautiful demeine prefented itfelf to my view. From the praite beflowed on Hazlewood, I was in fome degree prepared to expect a well in proved handfome demcine. Ind.ed, all travellers have been lavi in the praite of this beau tiful place; however, I cannot con (To be continued.) |