ing done, they threw off all difguife;-no more appearing like foft maidens destined for the tyrant's feraglio, they stood confeffed young heroes, chosen to avenge their country.-A fign agreed on being given, to the utter aftonishment and confufion of Turgefius, Malachy broke into the castle, attended by those guards whom he had been permitted to keep for a mere fhew of dignity; who now became the minifters of vengeance on their haughty foes. The ufurper's foldiers were inftantly attacked, and unable to ftem the torrent which poured in upon them, were flaughtered without mercy. The darkness of the night, and the furprize, added to the horrors of the foreigners, who found all oppofition vain. Their king was loaded with fetters, and after having been sharply upbraided for his monftrous cruelties, was put to death by the order of Malachy.

The news of this tranfaction was no fooner heard by the Danes, than they loft all their spirit, and the Irish falling on them, before they had recovered from their confternation, in different parts of the island, fubdued them with a terrible flaughter. Their cities and fortreffes were overturned, they were purfued even to their retreats and fastneffes, and their cruelties retorted on themselves with an implacable feverity. In short, of the Danes, all who attempted oppofition perifhed by fire, fword, or famine, thofe few who remained or fubmitted themselves, after the first fury of the natives was appeased, were disarmed, and obliged to fubmit to become fervants to thofe over whom they had fo lately lorded it; and on fuch conditions alone they were delivered from ruin and from death.'

This relation has much of a romantic air: at this distance we can pronounce nothing with certainty concerning its truth; however the Irifh, it feems, enjoyed only a temporary relief. The Danes received fresh recruits from their own country, and speedily became again very formidable. They were also on fome occafions affifted even by the Irifh, whofe quarrels among themselves were greatly advantageous to their adverfaries.

The manner in which this inland was brought in fubjection to England is generally known by those who have any acquaintance with the hiftory of their own country. Henry the second, when he made his voyage to Ireland, found that fome of his fubjects, among whom one of the principal was Strongbow earl of Pembroke, had fo well prepared the way, that he became mafter of the country, without fhedding a drop of blood; which was partly owing to the extraordinary juncture of circumftances that militated for him, and partly to the invincible valour of Strongbow and his adherents. But however eafy the first conqueft might be, Henry and his fucceffors experienced that it was a matter of great difficulty to fecure it, and establish any thing like a permanent peace in that kingdom. K k

REV. June, 1773.

The

The Irish History now becomes involved in that of England, and though we have fometimes a relation of interesting particu. lars, yet frequently the narrative is fo barren of events, that the Writer has recourfe to an account of the English kings, and of occurrences in England; which, indeed, bear fome though little relation to the affairs of Ireland.

But while he introduces particulars which more directly constitute a part of the English hiftory, we apprehend, that in fome periods, he has neglected materials, of a nature more or less interefting, which the country itself may be fuppofed to furnish.

We have frequently heard of a very extraordinary occurrence, in the reign of Queen Mary, by which the intended perfecution of the proteftants in Ireland was prevented. Whether the ftory, though we think its truth has been pretty confidently afferted, was fupported by fufficient authority, we cannot at prefent determine; but fome notice of it, with proper remarks, might not have been unsuitable in this Hiftory, and would have lengthened and perhaps rendered more acceptable, the Hiftory here given of this queen's reign: which confits only of four or five pages.

We must obferve that, in fome inftances, these volumes bear pretty strong marks of hafte and inaccuracy in the compiler, and of negligence in the printer. The style is, in general, agreeable, and the relation is often intermixed with just and fenfible reficctions; though, in frequent inftances, there feems a deficiency in both thefe refpects. Mr. Wynne finishes the fecond volume by remarking, that he has proceeded with as much caution and im partiality as he was able, withing to fee the fame example followed, in that refpect, at all times by every professed writer of antient or modern hiftory. We are forry that we can by no means agree with this Author, as to the encomium he has paffed on himself for his impartiality, which, in regard to fomé part of his performance, we cannot think he has merited; nor can we with that future hiftorians fhould confider him in this refpect as their pattern. When he arrives at the reigns of the Stuarts, particularly that of Charles the first and fome which follow, he betrays confiderable prejudice and partiality. He fpeaks with a kind of inveteracy of perfons, who, however they erred, were entitled to fome degree of candour and refpect, while he is very favourable to the royal party, and fpeaks with feeming reluctance of their mistakes: the others are rebels and hypocrites, who were at laft overtaken by the vengeance of heaven, and have left behind a name that ever will be hateful to posterity. He is even weak enough to obferve, after Lord Clarendon, that Oliver Cromwell expired in a violent ftorm: as though a circumftance of that kind would enable us to determine any thing concerning his character: yet he has himself, in other parts of his Work, expreffed his difapprobation of fuch ridiculous conclufions.

Mr.

Mr. Wynne carries down his Hiftory to the end of the reign of George the fecond: as one inftance of his negligence, he tells us that George the first reigned thirty years: however, he is very curfory in his account both of that and the fucceeding reign. His fhort character of George the second we shall infert, and with it finish the prefent article.

"George the fecond, be fays, was a prince of a general good difpofition, but of a very hafty and paffionate temper. He was warlike and fond of military parade. In his fyftem of foreign politics he was too much attached to Hanover, and too much wedded to German connections; in his fcheme of parties at home, he was prejudiced in favour of the whigs. Though he did not feem at all to aim at arbitrary power, yet the oppofite party could never forget that an increafed ftanding army, a licenfer of the ftage, and fome other innovations, as they deemed them, of the conflitution, were introduced in his reign; nor could they ever forgive him, for what they called, his harfh treatment of his fon Frederic, Prince of Wales, who was one of the most patriotic princes that ever. did honour to this country.Nevertheless, in the general opinion, George the fecond was not a bad prince.--He was certainly a good man, and if there is fuch a thing as believing appearances, he died lamented by his fubjects, both of Great Britain and Ireland.'

Mr. Wynne (peaks in high terms of the Duke and Duchefs of Northumberland, and of the administration in Ireland during the duke's lieutenancy. He has affixed to his Work a geneolagical table, fhewing, he obferves, that the duke and dutchefs are each feparately defcended from the ancient kings of Ireland, as well as from the old Brith princes of Wales, and by the fame channel are alfo lineally fprung from the royal family of England, &c.'

We would particularly recommend it to this Writer, (who feems refolved to hold much intercourse with the prefs) to employ, in his future, publications, greater attention and diligence in arranging his materials than (in fome inftances) he appears to have done, in compiling the prefent performance,

ART. X. An Answer to Dr. Rotheram's Apology for the Athanafian Creed; in a Letter to a Friend. Svo. is. 6d. Cadell. 1773.

T

HE Author of this letter has thought proper to conceal his name; but it is eafy to fee that the work comes from a masterly hand. It is writ en with an uncommon spirit of libe

* The Author of this piece has all along applied the title of Dr. to Mr. Rotheram; but, is not this a mittake? If we are rightly informed, this gentleman has not yet rifen higher than the degree of Maßer of Arts.

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rality,

rality, candour and piety. The ftyle is easy and elegant; and the fentiments which it maintains and inculcates are important in the highest degree.

Mr. Rotheram finds, it feems, no difficulty in the Athanafian creed. It is calculated, he afferts, to remove difficulties, and cafts light all around it. So far is it from raifing fcruples and perplexing the mind with doubts, that it gives relief and fatisfaction. It meets us with an air of benevolence, and fhews an indulgence to reafon. It is big with arguments to inform the understanding; a chain of clear reasoning; a regular compofition, where principles, arguments, and conclufions are duly arranged; and has the ftyle, method, and ftructure of clofe argument throughout. The doctrine of the Trinity is not forced upon our aflent in it, but its truth is established by a demonftration. Other creeds are content to lay down their feveral articles in an affirmative manner, without fupporting them by argument, or inferring them from clearer principles.' But this creed, it seems, leads us by the hand, and initiates us by eafy steps into all the myfteries of the Trinity.'

The above are Mr. Ratheram's words; and they might lead fome hafty readers to fufpect, that if he does not mean burlesque, he muft certainly have loft his understanding. But this would not be a juft fufpicion. Mr. Ratheram is a worthy clergyman, and an able writer. Throughout the whole of the Apology to which this Pamphlet is an anfwer, he maintains, with ferioufnefs and zeal, the truth of that reprefentation of the Athanafian creed which has been now quoted from him. But let us, fays this Writer, compare it with the original.-The creed beginsWhoever will be faved, before all things it is necessary that he beld the catholick faith, which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlaflingly.—And again. Whofoever will be javed muft THUS think of the Trinity-And in the conclufion-This is the catholick faith: which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be faved-This is the benevolent afpect with which this creed falutes, and with which it leaves

us.

་

Here is no referve of hope in the goodness of God; no retreat left open to his uncovenanted mercies; no refource for him who is weak in the faith, however lincere in his inquiries after truth, and in his defire to pleafe God. Whofe falleth not down and worshippeth, fhall be caft into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.'

But Mr. Rotheram has urged, that the afpe&t of Christianity is the fame; that even the gofpel fmiles not indifcriminately on all, but extends its favours only to believers; and that the very language of our Lord when he gave his laft commiffion to his apoftles is, he that believeth and is baptized shall be faved; but he that believeth not shall be damned, Mark xvi, 16. This is the

text on which Mr. Rotheram chiefly grounds his Apology. His Anfwerer has, therefore, entered particularly into the explanation of it; and, in our opinion, he has fucceeded fo well as to do fervice to the caufe of Chriftianity; for, from this text has been derived one of the ftrongeft objections to it.

After several obfervations, in the fubfequent pages, on the uncharitablenefs and incomprehenfiblenefs of this creed, and on the nature and merit of religious faith, and other points connected with thefe, our Author goes on in the following words, page 36.

The importance of religious opinions is to be measured by the different degrees in which they ferve to the ufes of piety and virtue. These are the end, or rather the fabflance of religion. If any man finds in himself the love of God and goodness promoted by his believing thefe myfteries in the Athanahan form, it is of happy importance to him. Reverence his belief. But, if receiving thefe doctrines in the plaincft and moft general form, we find in the work of our redemption enough to excite the highest love of God and our Redemer, and to exhauft all our gratitude to the Divine goodnefs; every end of faith feems to be answered. Whatever beyond this may be added to our faith, nothing can be added to our piety: and therefore whatever more is believed feems of little importance in a religious view.

When I am taught that God is eternal and almighty, Being without beginning and that can never have an end, that he is the father of the creation and at the head of all worlds; my heart finks within me at the thought of a Being so tremendously great. When I am told that this gracious power interests himfelf in my happiness, and hath made me to contemplate his glory and to adore him for ever, if dilates with joy and hope at the thoughts of a bleffed immortality. When I learn farther that God hath fent his Son into the world to unfold these great truths in all their light, to redeem men when loft in fin and error, and to recall them to the knowlege of himself and their duty; to give them a law pure and perfect like himself, and adapted in every article to purify and exalt our nature, and armed with fuch fanctions as affect our well-being for ever; when I fee this law tempered with mercy and goodness in condefcenfion to the merits of our Redeemer, and reflect on his humiliation, the degradation to which he fubinitted by taking our nature upon him, and the fufferings he underwent for our fakes; I find every paffion of hope and fear and love directed to objects worthy of an. immortal fpirit, every thought fubdued and brought into obedience by a faith fo rational and interefting, fo important in its objects and in all its confequences, that nothing feems poffibleto be added which can give it more influence on the mind.-Is it neceflary to any ends of piety, that we should believe farKk3

ther