ON SEVERAL SUBJECT S.; BY THE REV. JOHN ANKETELL, A. B. CURATE OF DONAGHENDRY PARISH, COUNTY OF TO WHICH ARE ADDED, THE EPISTLE OF TARICO TO INKLE; AND THE ENGLISH AND LATIN SONGS OF CHEVY CHASE. DUBLIN: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY WILLIAM PORTER, SKINNER-ROW. 57 + 21, +333.p. JAMES STEWART, ESQ. OF KILLYMOON, COUNTY OF TYRONE. As SIR, I owe you infinitely greater obligations than to any other individual now alive, gratitude and inclination immediately point out the unrivalled patron to whom I should dedicate my book; this duty, therefore, I now endeavour to dif charge with the utmost alacrity; but can. not avoid lamenting that I am unable to lay before you materials more deferving of your notice, though I trust that, even in their imperfect ftate, they will experience a portion of your kind indulgence: I muft, however, intreat your pardon for the li berty I have taken in addreffing my work to you, without first confulting you on that occafion; and which I would not by any means have ventured to affume, but that I feared your well known modesty would have deprived me of an opportunity of thus publicly gratifying my feelings, had I previously applied to you on this head. THE very friendly and polite letter with which you, Sir, were pleased to furnish me when I commenced the taking in of fubfcriptions for my Poems, not only ferved to infure confiderable fuccefs to my undertaking; but effectually fuppreffed every fufpicion of literary fwindling, a scandalous fpecies of fraud and meanness which I am inexpreffibly concerned to find fome of my clerical brethren are accused of hav ing fallen into; as your name is venerated and esteemed in every part of this kingdom which I happened to vifit. I thank GOD I have never been in the habit of fawning adulation; and yet, fuppofing me to be addicted to flattery; who will be daring enough to infinuate that any eulogium expreffed by me, could convey am idea of your real deferts? To you, Sir, my brother curates of the eftablished church of Ireland look up with con confidence for reprefenting, in the enfuing feffion of Parliament, the many difficulties under which they have long and pati ently labored; and for endeavouring to procure a decent relief of their hardships from the justice and humanity of the Legislature. For my own part, fhould PROVIDENCE graciously vouchsafe to preferve my life for a few months longer, my continuing to exercise the office of a clergyman, or of refiding in Europe, entirely depends upon a fpeedy augmentation of the curates' falaries; for I neither expect, nor anxioufly wifh for, ecclefiaftical preferment. I FONDLY hope your conflituents in the county of Tyrone are duly fenfible of the honor they conferred upon themselves, by appointing you to that important station in the Irish fenate, which you have filled with confpicuous dignity, and unfullied integrity, during a period of twenty-five years; that they will never act fo bafe and unmanly a part as, by deferting you, to deprive themselves of the happiness of returning a 2 |