No. 30.

INTERCEPTED LETTERS FROM CORK.

From D. O'C-LL, Esq. to Mrs. O'C—. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts. Paul, 2d Tim. c. iii. v. 6.

Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?-Paul, 1st Corinthians, c. xii. v. 29. My dear Kate, t'other day, those mad peripatetics, Who trouble our isle with their biblical ethics, Assembled, in swarms, at the Cork County Court, To hear their Society's lying Report; Socinians and Methodists, Jumpers and Shakers, Presbyterians and Quarryites, Walk rights and Quakers, And all that strange medley of creeds so prolific That sprung out of Luther, Fox, Calvin, and Wick. liffe,

Were met and oh, Kate! such a parcel of quizzes!
The sanctified cuts of their coats and their phizzes !
The length of their faces! which proves, after all,
The truth of the doctrine of Spurzheim and Gall;
For you know, my dear Kate, these philosophers
tell us

There are none so devout as your long-visaged fellows:
In the cranium, dear, the most eminent place
Is, as they say, possessed by the organ of grace,
And that will, per consequence, lengthen the face.
Well, dearest! when Bric and I heard the report
Of this motley assembly's sojourn at the court,
We girded our loins up, determined, once more,
To rake them, as Sheil did, the morning before:
For I hold it,' dear Kate, 'very stuff o' the con-

science'

To check this irruption of blasphemous nonsense,
Which rolls in such madness of biblic ebriety,
That it threatens to shake the whole island's pro-
priety.'

The meeting was called 'twas the Ladies' Society —
To hear two apostles of great notoriety,

Who came, as their own silver tongues told the story,'
At the call of the L-d, for his honour and glory,
To stir into brightness the fire of devotion
Which was slumbering in this little isle of the ocean.'
The one was an oily-tongued smooth little chap,

Who praised and abused us the very same minute; But, faith, he must get other bait for his trap

Than the Bible, or he'll catch no Irishmen in it. He seemed an enthusiast, but I've a strong notion He was prompted as much by his pride as devotion. I omit all the deep fascination that lies

In the blue beaming glance of an Irish girl's eyes, Whilst she gazes, and sighs out, from under her fan, 'How divinely he talks! What a charming young man!'

PRICE TWO PENCE.

But pride, as I said, as assuredly leads
As devotion to this setting up of strange creeds ;'
And Luther himself had remained an expounder
Had not some demon whispered,'-' Set up as a
founder.'

The other-a Scotchman-oh, Kate, need I tell you
A single word more in describing this fellow?
A Scotchman-sure every thing mean will be found-
All that's vicious and low-in that one single sound!
Take the tongue of the adder, the fox's dark wile,
The heart of the tiger, the crocodile's guile,
The miser's rapacity, peacock's conceit,
And man's ugliest form, you've a Scotchman complete.
This fellow-my blood boils to think such a thing,
So contemned, so contemptible, ever should fling
The flimsy conceits of his ignorant mirth
On the creed of my sires, on the land of my birth!
This Scot-this M'Sycophant, who, from the wave,
The daring sojourn of the honest, the brave,
Slunk back from the bold, who at danger ne'er trem-
bled,

To herd with the hypocrite crew he resembled ;
Who proved to a tittle the truth of Ned Burke's
Observation, that those who,from their properstation,
Retire, and presume to do other folks' works,

For the most part know nothing of either vocation.*
This Biblical rose-and, with vulgar abuse-
The matter all filched from his country's Reviews,
But the manner so wretched, 'twas obviously shown
To be simply, and purely, and truly his own-
Attacked us, and wanted to prove that our nation

Was sunk in the misery that now hems it round, Because, in the schools of our youth's education,

No Tracts or uncommented Bibles were found. That, soon as the people once took them in hand, Manufactures would spring, like mushrooms, through the land,

Trade and commerce would flourish, rich harvests would smile,

And Plenty and Peace come and dwell in the isle.
Like the lady who, having fallen in for some ground,
Imagined she had nought to do but build up
The hedges, and fence it completely around,

And, of course, she should reap a most excellent crop. Or as, in our school-book, we read of the jars 'Mid the mason and carpenter, during the wars; When the currier, wiser than both these together, Said, Try what you please, there is nothing like leather.' He dared them-but what will not impudence dare When a Scotchman's the actor?-he dared to compare Our spirited, noble, and high-minded race, Whom tyrants may conquer, but cannot debase,

French Revolution.

Whose talents and courage-blush, England!-are shown

In the annals of every land, save their own;
For the laws of the stranger have blasted them there,
Their courage is madness, their firmness despair;
And the hearts whose warm pulse throbbed with
kindness for all,

Stung deep by oppression, are turned into gall ;-
He dared to compare us-the sons of the land,
Of the sensitive heart, and the generous hand,
With those strangers to feeling, those aliens to worth,
The cold, selfish, narrow-souled things of the North!
Oh, Erin, how low art thou sunk in thy shame!
How faded thy glory! how fallen is thy name!
A synonyme once with the noble, the free-
If Scotland weighs heavy when balanced with thee!
No-sad one of nations! though sorrowing now,
Though quenched is the glory that played round thy
brow,

Though thy best and thy noblest lie dark in their

graves,

Though thy cities are troubled,' thy children are slaves

Though, like suffering Indians, they sleep at the

stake,

Soon, soon-but no longer to pain-shall they wake;
United, despite of the efforts of those

Whose godless divisions would render them foes,
Thy sons their own power shall discover at length;
Those who mocked their petitions shall yield to their
strength;

The banner of Discord at length shall be furled,
And Erin shall shine out the gem of the world!
Oh, vision of glory!—but hold-I forgot
To go on with my story-where was I?-the Scot?
Oh, ay-I'll go on-but it sickens my soul,

When we're suffering privations ne'er heard of be-
fore,

To hear these fellows telling a long rigmarole,
That the Bible's a plaster for every sore.

I believe, like the woman who skinned the live eel, They've oppressed us so long that they think we don't feel:

But if, whilst continuing to fleece us, they try
To annoy us besides, is it strange if we cry-
As the negro, whose back being brought to the lash,
And his massa was preaching 'twixt every slash-
Cried out Massa, hold!-hold your tongue, I be-
seech ye!

If you floggee, why flog!-if you preachee, pray preachee !

I'll muster up patience to bear one or either,
But, curse it, don't floggee and preachee together.'
-But the Scotchman-he went on foretelling the
fall

Of the Lady of Babylon-altars and all:
He promised that he and his fellows would never
Turn back, or relax in their earnest endeavour,

Till this country was freed from the darkness that bound it,

And the light of the Scriptures spread gloriously round

it:

That is, my dear Kate, with the first opportunity
They'd let slip our cable of concord and unity,
And send us adrift, to seek out any shore

We may choose, except that where we anchored before.

What other we steered for they cared not a feather ;
There were harbours enough we may go into either,
Presbyterian or Quarryite, Walk right or Quaker,
Socinian or Methodist, Jumper or Shaker.

You remember, my dear, how we read, t'other day,
Of those Indians who, in the hot summer time, run
For their quivers and bows, and keep firing away
Yet still he rolls on with his brilliancy round him—
With the modest intent to extinguish the sun :
Not one of their darts, that I know of, has found him;
Unless the dark spots which astronomers show
May, perhaps, be some arrows lodged there by the foe.
I could not help thinking, my dear, of the joke
Of these Indians, whilst this Scotch philosopher spoke;
And, so strong the resemblance, I'll never again
Gainst our country and creed, in their farcical strain,
But I'll think of the savages quenching the sun.
Yet dream not, my love, we let these fellows off
Without getting their change, for the jeer and the scoff,
Of hundreds, assembled to see the strange sight-
Which by-the-by lasted from morning to night-
Will you believe it? I thought, at one time, that a

Hear one of those same stupid Sawneys get on

streak

Of red, like a blush, crossed the Scotchman's pale cheek,

Whilst I on his crced (if he have one) descanted,
And showed in what rapine and bloodshed 'twas
planted.

But, however that be, I think I may say,
If ever again he should come in my way,
Pursued them, and told, well as tones could declare
The utterers' opinions, what ideots they were.
Adieu, my dear Kate-a few words tell the rest-
The Saints seemed to think they came off second best.
Though ages rolled by, he'll have cause to remember
The rating he got on the tenth of September.
Farewell, Kate, again-I need scarcely report

These proceedings at all, for you'll see, by the

papers,

That the mart of all news is the Cork County Court,
And nothing's the go but these biblical capers.
Give my love to all friends-every great O and Mac
In that kingdom of ours-by next week I'll be back.
I believe, Kate, you'll own that 'tis needless to write
How fondly I love you.-Good night, sweet-good
night!

Ten o'clock, Saturday Evening, Sept. 11, 1824.

ANDED PROPERTY IN IRELAND. (Continued from No. 28.)

'CORK,

'BEING a large county, contains great number of proprietors, and more variety is observed in the size of the estates. Lord Bandon has property here which produces 30,000l. per annum; Lord Car. berry possesses thirty-two miles of the sea-coast, and Lord Shannon's estates bring in an annual income of more than 20,000l. The Duke of Devonshire has as much; and Mr. Aldworth possesses the fee of an immense tract, but it is leased chiefly for ever. Lady Kingston's estate of 30,000l. per annum, lies partly in this county, and partly in Limerick and Tipperary. The heirs of the late Smith Barry, Esq. have 20,000l. per annum. Lord Longueville has the same. Sir John Keane, 14,000%. Mr. Freeman, 15,000. Mr. Anderson, 10,000l. Mr. Newenham, of Coolmore, 10,000l. Lord Ponsonby, 10,000. Mr. Hyde, 8,000l. Colonel Fitz. gerald, 8,000l. The Marquis of Thomond, 6,000l. Lord Riversdale, 10,000l. Mr. Jephson, 12,000l. Lord Cork, 20,000. Lord Middleton, 8,000. Lord Egmont, 14,000l. Lord Arden, 6,000l. Lord Kenmare, 20,000 acres. Mr.Townsend, Mr. Beacher, and many others, have property in this county; and the list might be much farther extended, by the names of inferior landholders; but the latter are not in that proportion which is to be wished, as in many districts there is no intermediate class between one of these territorial lords and his lessee.'

on

leases are for sixty-one years; but he constantly renews a fine, otherwise his rent would be enormous. Mr. Murray, a gentleman who resides in Scotland, has 10,000l. per annum, and the Marquis of Abercorn 9,000.

'The rents of this county are all exceedingly low, and therefore the produce of estates is very small in comparison with their extent. The mountains are let by the lump. The common leases, at present, are for twenty-one years and a life; but the greater part of those in existence, were granted for sixty-one years and three lives.

'Lord Leitrim has in this county 9,000l. per annum, and Lord Erne 3,500l.

'As is the case in the greater part of Ireland, there is much want here of those minor proprietors so frequently met with in England, who possess estates of from 2001. to 1,000l. per annum. Wherever such incomes are found, they belong only to leaseholders.'

This county can boast of having more gentlemen of great wealth resident within its boundaries than any other in Ireland. The largest absentee property is that belonging to the Marquis of Downshire, which is divided into very minute portions, and produces 30,000l. per annum. Mr. Ford has an estate of 16,000l. Lord Londonderry one of 15,000l.; and Lord Dufferin, and Mr. Kerr,

have each the same.

But in this county, besides these large estates, there are a great number of small ones, and leases at present are granted for twenty-one years and one life.'

6

DUBLIN.

'Mr. Luke White, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Talbot, the Lords Longford, De Vesci, and Mountjoy, are among the largest proprietors of land in this county; and its contiguity to the capital renders it a much more marketable commodity than in most of the other counties of Ireland. Leases vary in their terms, except that of generally in.

cluding a life for the purpose of conveying a vote; and the size of the estates and farms is exceedingly different; but it is to be remarked, that there are here no large territo rial domains, which can scarcely ever exist in the neighbourhood of a large commercial city.'

FERMANAGH.

'Lord Enniskillen has an estate in this county of 13,000l. per annum. And in the month of August, 1809, when I was at Florence Court, two of the leases were nearly expired; but his lordship found that the land had been divided and subdivided from father to son, down to the small compass of two or three

acres.

Colonel Archdale and Mr. Brook, of Brookboro, have estates of the like extent. The Marquis of Ely, Lord Belmore, and Sir James Caldwell, possess estates of from six to seven thousand pounds per annum. The leases run, in general, for three lives or thirty-one years; but of late the period commonly adopted is twenty-one years and one life.

There are here a few estates of from 1500l. to 2000l. per annum ; but the fee of the greater part of the county is in those large domains, between the proprietors of which and lease-holders there is no intermediate step.

In this county there is considerable church property, which belongs to the see of Clogher.

The leases granted by Lord Belmore, oblige his tenants to work with their horses and cars a certain number of days in the year, and particularly at the season for pro curing turf.'

GALWAY.

In this large county there is not, in my opinion, 50,000l. per an oum of absentee property. Mr. Martin, who possesses seventy miles of the sea-coast, has the largest territorial extent of any individual in the British islands; but it exhibits every mark of the most wretched cultivation; or rather, of no culti vation at all. The land is let with

out measurement, and miserably grazed by half-starved stock; and yet this gentleman is a constant resident on his estates. If this property be compared with the state of that of Earl Fitzwilliam, how shall we find out the truth of the incessant complaints made against absentees? The Earl of Clanricarde, Lord Clancarty, Mr. Eyre, and Mr. Ross Mahon, have all estates here of about 10,000l. per annum. Mr. Pendergrast Smith has one more considerable; and there are many, the yearly incomes of which amount to five, six, and even seven thou-terest it excited among all ranks, sand pounds. There is abundance that, so early as six o'clock, every of smaller incomes; and, I am in- avenue leading to the Court was clined to think, that a full third of thronged with people, eager to witthe land is let on partnership ness a trial, on the issue of which leases.' depended the honour and character of an individual, once the theme of every real Irishman's panegyric, and still a popular favourite with thousands of his countrymen.

'LONGFORD.

The Oxmantown estate in this county is very extensive. Sir Thomas Newcomen has 70001. per annum. Lord Longford's estate, which is let much under its value, brings 4000l. per annum. Mr. Edgeworth has 4500l. per annum, together with Edgeworthstown; and Lord Granard, 30007. The leases, in general,are for twenty-one year and a life; but the tenures for the most part are small.' (To be continued.)

THE TRIAL OF DANIEL O'CONNELL, ESQ. A PAMPHLET, bearing this title, has just been published; and, on perusing it, I find that the trial of the' Great Leader' took place in the High Court of Reason, where, I suppose, the decision is always just. Every one who wishes to know what has been said for and against O'Connell, should read this jeu d'esprit. The whole is done in a humorous light style; and the squibbery of the reporting department is full of wit and irony. Take the opening of the Court for example:

On Wednesday morning, for the first time, in Ireland, during the The Trial of Daniel O'Connell, Esq.' -J. Robins and Co. Ivy Lane, London; and J. Robins, jun. and Co. Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin. 1825.

All those who were connected with the case obtained admission through a private door; and, such was the gallantry of the High Sheriff, that he conducted the ladies to the gallery before the large doors were opened, though many questioned their right to be present in a Court of Reason.

About half-past seven Lord Norbury, accompanied by his groom, rode into the yard, but was told by an officer in attendance that a Judge of Common Place had no business in a Court of Reason. Talbot Glascock and Sir Harcourt Lees were also repulsed, but those gentlemen subsequently stole in with the crowd.

At ten minutes before eight Mr. O'Connell's splendid equipage approached; and his "Popish horses" were no sooner heard trampling on the "Protestant pavement," than a simultaneous cheer rent the air.'

We have then a description of judges, lawyers, witnesses, &c. The gentlemen of the English and Irish press are individually pointed out; and we are told that Messrs. Nort, Doherty, Bellew, Greene,

Counsellor North stated the ca in a speech that looks very like he own; and Mr. Sheil, in a powerf piece of oratory, replied for M. O'Connell. Among the witnesses are Barnes of the Times,' Black of the Chronicle,' Evans of the 'British Press,' Andrews of the Truthteller,' Conway of the There is also introduced Captain Rock, Captain Gordon, Baptat Noel, Blanco White, Tom Finn. and William Cobbett. The latter has his doom scaled for ever in Ireland. After the figure he cut on his crossexamination, it is impossible for Paddy to continue any longer his dupe. The hypocrite stands con fessed. Reader, peruse this trial, were it only to see what kind of fellow Cobbett is. Proofs positive are brought against him, and he is made to state facts which he canne: deny. He only wants one blow more, and that I will give him next week.

Mr. Talbot Glascock is made, i the trial, quite as ridiculous as he has ever made himself. Take a small sample.

'Mr. Sheil rose to reply, but was interrupted by Mr. Talbot Glas cock, who said

6 My Lords, my learned friend. Mr. Doherty, is, as you may see, of surprising altitude (a laugh); and, had he been studying the "Memoirs of Harriette Wilson," instead of Judge Blackstone, he would not have been so long in learning that the practice of this Court is as unlike the practice of ordinary Courts, as you, Baron Smith, are unlike Lord Norbury' (a laugh).

'Mr. North (rising to order)— My Lords, I am sorry to interrupt the learned lawyer in his comments but I believe he is not entitled to practise in this Court.

The Chief Justice-Certainly not, Mr. North; no one is allowed