But in fact, before the appearance of Castle Rackrent, the ignorance was such as scarcely to admit of, and not at all to require, increase,

About twelve years ago, I saw Johnson "enact," in London, what the Author and the Audience agreed to call the character of an Irish Servant. In a costume, far less Irish than Chinese,-with a vacant stare, and countenance distorted to the expression of Fatuity, the Performer made his first appearance in a thunder-storm of applause. The name of the Piece I have forgotten; nor is it worth remembering. But I recollect that one of the most facetious of its incidents is a portmanteau. From this, Paddy (soi-disant,) to the infinite comfort and amusement of John Bull, extracts several pieces of dry humour; to wit, (shall I say to wit?) a dozen or two of raw potatoes; which he is supposed to have packed up as necessaries, amongst his Master's clothes. Every potatoe, as it rolled successively along the stage, set the liberal and Attic spectators in a roar; so that I will venture` to doubt whether their jaws could have been more fatigued, if they had actually eaten the crude contents of this Valise. am informed that Johnson is now a highly correct and unexaggerating Representer of the Irish character; and that in this caution not to outstep Nature,* I dare not say "the modesty of Nature;" lest some sly Critick might remind me that it was of Irish Nature I was treating,

a considerable portion of his present excellence consists. What I have been recording-occurred many years ago; and even at that time I less condemned the Actor, than I blamed and scorned the prejudice,. to which he was compelled to sacrifice his Country, and the Truth.

Gare! my English Brethren: I beseech you, gare! Otherwise,

ha nuga seria ducent

In mala.

Paddy's sensibilities are quick his heart is generous and warm. If he should find himself derisum, exceptumque sinistré, he might grow angry; and become estranged.

Believe me, you do not know him. You consider the Irish People as semi-barbarous ;-when, without hesitation, I affirm that our lower Orders are far more instructed than your own. Nay, never stare! but rather investigate;—if your object be to ascertain the truth, or falsehood of this assertion.

I will close my paper with a well-known anecdote, of some antiquity; and a companion to it, of very modern date.

1. About forty years ago, an English Judge or Lawyer, being appointed Chancellor of Ireland, wrote to Dublin, to have a house taken for him in that City; at the same time entreating that if a slated house could be procured, his should not be a thatched

one. If the injunction had been reversed, he could not have been gratified: none of those Chaumieres, which he supposed to be so common, being to be found in our Irish Metropolis at the time.

What Paris was in the reign of Charlemagne, is described by Ariosto, in the following lines:

Le case eran, per quel che se n' intende
Quasi tutte di legno, in quelli tempi.

But he takes care to add,

E ben creder si può; ch' in Parigi ora,
De le dieci le sei son così ancora.

I imagine that no person who has seen Dublin, at any time within the last thirty years, could' (on Ariosto's grounds of inference,) be made to believe— that, even a century ago, the Chancellor of Ireland would be there in danger of residing under thatch.

2. In the year eighteen hundred and, a Lord Lieutenant's chief Secretary, after a residence of some months in Ireland, very seriously observed that "he "found the people justify, very fully, the character "for hospitality, which they had acquired. One thing only" (he added,) "much surprised him :that, at the various entertainments to which he had "been invited, by no chance had he ever met with "any Whiskey Punch!"

M.

NUMBER XLVII.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6th, 1808.

ABC's

MASQUERADE;

A NARRATIVE IN VERSE:

BY GIMEL BETHALEPH,

ASS.

"Si quid est in me ingenii-Judices, vel in primis hic A* fruc“tum ejus à me repetere, propé suo jure debet. Quæso itaque "à vobis ut me patiamini de studiis LITERARUM paulo loqui "liberius: quod si mihi tribui, concedique sentiam, perficiam ut "hunc A non modo non segregandum, cum sit civis, verùm "etiam, si non esset, putetis asciscendum fuisse. Pudeat, si

qui ita se literis abdiderunt, ut nihil possint EX HIS in aspec"tum lucemque proferre: me autem quid pudeat, si ex his "delectatio peteretur?-Res ornant; DELECTANT DOMI: PER"NOCTANT NOBISCUM."

CIC: ORAT: Pro Archia.

So in the original: an Initial only.

TO HER GRACE

THE DUCHESS OF RICHMOND,

&c. &c. &c.

MADAM,

There are two objections to my inscribing the following what-may-I-call-it? to your Grace: for first and certainly it is à trifle, wholely unworthy of your acceptance; and secondly, by being a Duchess, you lose-not indeed the reality, butthe style and title of XLNC; which would give fair and LITERAL pretensions to a dedication of this kind. But perhaps it is well for me that Excellency is merged in Grace;-as this latter quality may lead to your accepting with indulgence the following tribute, though it be but a toy-tribute, -of my respect. If however your Grace should reject—what it is indeed presumptuous to offer,I must in that case point my diverted—and I hope diverting-supplications to the Countess of SX; whose literary claims-to having such pages as mine laid humbly at her feet-can be overlooked by none, who consider her Ladyship's TITLE with attention.