very remarkable circumftance attendant on that event, is, that the only place where it affumed a formidable appearance was in the county of Wexford, the very part of our island where the first British invaders landed, and where the firft British colony was established.

It is very poffible that the greater part of the inhabitants of Ireland may be "intoxicated with vifions of liberty," but the noble author errs extremely in fuppofing that they have been urged on to the purfuit of it "by foreign gold." However, as we are all very prone to form our opinions of others according to that which they have a right to form refpecting us; and as the noble author evinces a particular attachment to arguments by analogy, we must not be furprifed at the fuppofition*. The infinuations and affertions refpecting the Catholics thirsting for revenge, are groundless and flagitious. A race of people, fo peculiarly oppreffed as the peasantry of Ireland, cannot fail to be difcontented; but it is illiberal and malicious, indeed, to sub→ ftitute the word catholic for peasant, upon every occafion. The Catholics are not all poor, nor are the poor all Catholics. However ignorant in many respects the noble author may be, he must know that all perfons debarred the advantages of inftruc`tion, must be illiterate; and he cannot fuppofe that a proteftant mob in England can, without educa

A creature that lets out his genius to hire, may fometimes have a very good one; but he must have a vile and beggarly foul, and his performances are, at the best, but the bafeft way of petitioning for alms. Cato's Letters, 2d Vol. p. 198.

tion, acquire knowledge, liberality, and virtue more rapidly than a papift mob in Ireland. It is truly melancholy to fee religion fo conftantly made an excuse for the most mean, immoral, and atrocious deeds, and that Chriftianity in particular, which we have every reafon to confider the moft favourable to peace, virtue, and happiness, fhould be fo frequently rendered the tool of defigning per+ fons, devoid of any attachment to their neighbour, their country, or their God. I believe that, in material points, all reasonable and virtuous men muft think alike; but unfortunately it generally happens that those people who talk most fluently on the fubject of religion, are seldom poffeffed of enlarged minds, cultivated understandings, or pure intentions.

I do not imagine that the gilded bait of nominal emancipation, will now delude the Catholics, who have been too long learning in the school of adverfity, to truft the promises of interested oppreffors. But even if this were of fuch mighty importance, that the laft, remaining fupport of Irish independence was to be furrendered in exchange for it, what affurances fhall we have that it will be grant→ ed after this unnatural Union? Who will fupport

Even the Chriftian religion can do but little or no good in lands of tyranny, fince miracles have ceased; but is made to do infinite harm, by being corrupted and perverted into a deadly engine in the hands of a ty rant and his impoftors, to rivet his fubjects chains, and to confirm them wretches, flaves, and ignorants. I cannot indeed fay, that they have the Christian religion at all amongst them, but only use its amiable name to countenance abominable falfehoods, and nonfenfe, and heavy oppreffion. Cato's Letters, 2d Vol. p. 94. the

the Catholics in their claim to the fulfilment of these infidiously oblique promises? Who will compel the British Minifter to the performance of thefe unguaranteed arguments? The well-educated clafs of Catholics are far fuperior to being the dupes of priests, of foreigners, of political reformers, of parties, or promifes;" nor do they look for that revenge which is fuppofed to be fo delightful: and in regard to the uneducated portion of that fect, they cannot enjoy the high honour and fupreme fatisfaction of ftudying the noble author's tranfcendant productions. I fhould be glad to know who informed him of the antipathies fubfifting between, the inhabitants of Ireland defcended from English fettlers, and thofe defcended from colonies from other nations; and I fhould also wish to know by what means he difcovered, that the cattle houghed, the trees felled, the houfes at-tacked, were only thofe of Proteftants and the pofterity of Britons. Thefe falfehoods are too obvious to require contradiction; but I shall once more intreat the noble author to withhold his dreams. from the eye of the public, or to have them printed as fuch; and would therefore recommend, that instead of impofing on mankind by giving his vifions the fober title of "Confiderations," he fhould have a new edition of his pamphlet published with the more applicable name of Whims, Reveries, or Fancies.

"Divide et impera," has long been the maxim of British Ministers, with regard to this kingdom; but thofe jugglers have played this trick fo often,

that

that it ceases to produce its wonted effects, and confequently the noble author will find it difficult to revive under the novel appellations of " Colonists and Natives," the almoft obfolete parties of Orangemen and Papists, It is now tolerably evident to all parties, for what purpose they were irritated and opposed to each other; and I believe I may ventore to affirm that the Orangeman and the Papist are equally determined in their antipathy to the projected Union. It is not by oblique cenfures of the Orange party that the Catholics will be induced to fupport a measure replete with injuries to Ireland; nor is it by ftigmatizing the name of Catholic, that the Orangemen will be cajoled to favour a plan so injurious to their country. Indeed we now have reason to hope, that both perceive the real caufes of the efforts made to produce and promote diffenfions amongst them, and that it will not again be in the power of defigning villains with strong heads and cold hearts, to difunite men who must ever find it their true intereft to confider each other as friends and brethren.

As I am only defirous of giving a brief anfwer to what relates to my own country, and have not befides, the fame opportunities of acquiring accurate information respecting distant lands, I fhall fay very little on the fubject of America, on which the noble author has favoured us with fuch a tedious differtation; at the fame time, that I must remark the fame fpecies of falsehood and malice in the obfervations on American, as in thofe on Irish affairs, I do not perceive that the American colonists who « drove

drove the favages behind the frontiers," have. been in any degree more fubfervient than the Irish colonists who mixed with the people by whom the land was inhabited prior to their invafion; and I firmly believe that the only circumftance which has hitherto preferved the connexion between Great Britain and Ireland, is the nature of that connexion, and the degree of apparent and nominal independence poffeffed by the last mentioned country. America was loft by being confidered and treated as a dependant province, and Ireland may be loft by the fame means. The analogy between Scot+ land and Ireland, is very obfcure; and yet by what means has that part of the island of Great Britain been preserved to the crown of England, but by draining the country of its inhabitants and of its wealth? Whilft it poffeffed an appropriate portion of either, it was as prone to refiftance as this country; but I believe it is now well known that great part of Scotland has very little means of re belling, unless the mountains could be difciplined, and the rocks organized. The noble author in his copious difquifition on the affairs of Scotland, appears to have totally forgotten the two rebellions which have taken place in that country fince the Union; but thefe, as mere trifles, are entirely omitted in this brilliant and elaborate narration.

However frequently and fneeringly the noble author may use the term « English colonist," it will never have the effect he intends to produce: on the contrary, there are very few among the inhabitants of Ireland who will not fcorn the appella