To the Editor of the Irish Magazine. this clergyman to have preached an SIR, In reading over your last number, the letter figned LAICUS, on the preaching of the Rev. Dr. Clarke, particularly attracted my attentior. appeared to me that the writer of that letter muft have written his Atrictures on the information of fome perfon not qualified to judge on matters of fuch importance. Certainly the writer muft not have seen Mr. Clarke, else he never could have advanced fuch an infertion as that his appearance was against him.' I have been a conftant hearer and admirer of Mr. Clarke. I have studied his genius, his manner and all his oratorical qualifications. In my mind the paffions are difplayed with impreffive firmness, and with an astonishing variety of aspect both in his countenance and gesture. But this is of a minor confideration when compared to the folidity of argument and depth of research, manifefted fo ftrongly by the fermons of Dr. Clarke. I have heard him on Holy Thurfday and Eafter day, on the eucharift, and the refurrection. And I retired from his fermon with a conviction of the truth of my religion on my mind and content that I was a catholic, not from the prepoffeffions of my educatiI think that LAICUS has not done juftice to Dr. Clarke, and I offer you this little tribute to his talents and his learning. It is fomewhat aftonishing alfo, that this lay critic who has affumed the power of difpenfing praise and difpraife to whom he pleaf es, has never mentioned many other preachers who do not deferve his fi ence. I particularly allude to the Rev. E. French, a young clergyman, remarkable for his rifing reputation in the pulpit, and who has already earned the well-deferved applaufe of the difcerning & the judicious. I know on. extembore fermon, on an hour's notice, and to have acquited himself with ability; fuch an unftudied effort difplays more the powers of the mind than any poffible elucubration the production of a month, or the offspring oftoil and mental labour. I now leave the fubject to Laicus, who has a kind of presciptive right to this cle rical criticism. I am, Sir, Yours, &c. Sermonicus. The developement of the confpiracy againit the Catholic Church of Ire land. In reading the debates on the catholic petition, we find the proof, the damning proof of what we have folely announced, through the medium of the Irish Magazine, namely, that a dark and dangerous confpiracy was organized and exifted in Dublin, for the purpofe of felling the hierarchy of the catholic church of Ireland to the king. Such was the apoftacy of this intended measure, that numbers of well-meaning men and religious catholics, who had not the fame certain information which we poffeffed, would not believe our statement and the very article entitled the ANTIPOPERY CLUB AT FITZPATRICK'S taifed our Magazine not a few enemies. Irifhmen, whofe ancestor's fhed their blood, and loft their propeity fooner than defert the rights and privileges of their faith, could not easily be brought to believe at this period of the world, when the face of Europe, has become catholic, when their caufe outlafting the horrors of perfecutions was triumphing almoft at at the gaol, that a party of men could be found fo abandoned, and fo bafe, as to give up treacherously thofe very rights and privileges, which our Countryman always held mot dear. Indignant at the mean place-hunting policy of these mominal catholics, we denounced them to the public as the wordt enemies of our country; we knew that it was actually in agitation to give the nomination of Bilhops to the king, we knew the men who were affociated for this infamous purpofe, and who it appears had affumed the infolent right of notifying to the mover and fupporter of the catholic bill, that the whole catholic people were ready to renounce the integrity and unity of their church. Mr. Grattan is reported to have faid that he had a propofition to fug-end men who govern our church, geft which indeed he was inftructed could fo far enter into little tempoto make, namely that his Majesty tal views, fo far forget the caule for may interfere upon any fuch occafi- which arch-bifhop Plunket laid down on (the nomination of catholic bith his life on the gibbet, and for which ops) with his negative. That this arch-bishop Talbot perished in a would have the effe&t of preventing loathfonie dungeon, as to mifrepreany catholic ecclefiaftic, being ad- fent the feelings of their people as to vanced to the government of that defert their unfortunate fuffering church in Ireland (the catholic flock. Forbid it, heaven! Forbid it church) who was not politically ap- virtue! Forbid it, fhame. No, tho proved of by the government of that Dr. Troy may have committed many country. Mr. Ponfonby is flated to and great political fins, yet furely he bave faid, that the catholics with would not fuffer his grey hairs to be the confent of their clergy, & to reftained with infamy, he would not move the grand & only obftacle for- fuffer his bones to fink into the grave merly oppofed to their claims, on the loaded with the curfes of his counground of their fubmiffion to the ex- trymen; he would not leave the clufive ecclefiaftical jurifdiction of a poor Irifh man to point at his tomb, foreign Potentate, had agreed to ac- and exclaim, there reits the betrayknowledge his Majefty TO ALL INer of the catholic church-there lies TENTS AND PURPOSES, HEAD OF an apoftate.' THE CHURCH.' Mr. Pontonby is allo reported to have said upon a queftion of Mr. York, that his authority was Dr. Milner, who was appointed by the Catholic Bishops to make this offer of nomination to the government. It is abfolutely impoffe that this can be true. newspapers must contain fallehood What! even our very bishops betray us the paftors to whom we are committed! must we even by them be turned over to the wolf. It is monftrous. we will not believe it, we call on Dr. Troy to come forward for himself and his fellow-bifhops, and deny the foul calumny. They could not, they dare not make fuch an affertion, as that it was the with of the people and clergy of Ireland, to yield to the king the nomination of their bishops.' Lord Fingal and his crew, the OLD SECEDER and his battalion of apoftates might and probably did inform Mr. Grat tan and Mr. Ponfonby, that fuch was the ftate of the catholic public mind. But fhall we be told that the rever The We address ourselves to our fellow-country men and fellow catholics. We exclaim to them that nothing fo flagrant, nothing fo nefarious has ever been attempted against the unity and existence of their church, as this very propofition of the antipopery faction; we call on then to a waken waken to the defigns of thefe bad men and the danger of their fociety, to embrace each other before that cross, and on that altar which comforted their fathers thro' ages of difficulties and affliction. Would not they indignantly purn with abhorrence the paftor bought and fold, temporizing, tinid, and corrupt who should come fromthe hands of our new most Holy head of the Catholic Church; would they not refute to commune with that paftor, whofe claim to a mitre was perhaps his wealth or his meannefs, who fhould be pleafing to fuch men as compofe the Irifh government, to Dr. Duignan, to Lord Norbury, to the Berresfords. Let not even the illufive plea of emancipation be used in favour of fo infamous a measure. The English parliament will give us no emancipation. Parliament is now merely the national ARENA where the place hunters, and the place-holders contend with each other, for the difpofal of influence and legal fpoil, and amongst the weapons which the Ours ufe against the INs, Catholic emancipation is wielded with un. common dexterity. It is a mifile which the unpensioned fling against the pensioned. It is not for love of us, nor our caufe, that we hear fo many fine ufelels fpeeches; that we fee fo much sweetness wafted on the defert air of the treasury benches. Emancipation is a mere cant of annoyance which has been conveniently fung in the deaf ear of the minifter, without any hopes of making an impreffion, but folely to throw an unpopularity on him. We have always feen it decked out in all the frippery of patriotic eloquence, and we have leen the filly catholic becoming the dupe of the fame eloquence, and miftaking a place fecking advocate for a friend. He loiters away his years in anxious indolence and ftupid gratification, and vainly expects that when his parliamentary friends come into pow er, he will be granted the full enjoy. ment of thofe envied rights fo long the object of his folicitude. This delufion is fo pleafing that the most evident experience will not operate on his fancy to teach him an unerring fact that there never were five of his advocates either in the British or Irish legiflature, who advocated catholic emancipation in the hope or the defire of its completion, of the catholic ariftocracy, and many of our rich tradesmen or merchants who offered the church for fale, have in defiance of common fenfe ignorant. ly conceived it a measure thought by any English minifter compatible with the integrity of the prefent Britifh empire. Part No British minifter will ever agree to filence their proteftant corporations the colonial affemblies of British inte rest, by difpiriting and by overwhelming their factions and inveterate paífions, by the introduction of a popish majority, for were the corporations wielded by catholics, the British minifter who incautiously extinguished and abandoned proteftant corporate, real and political irritation, would find it a difficult. cafe, to le animate it, once neglected by the foftering hand of power. It would flently melt into the mats of the people, it would conciliate with its neighbours, as it ceafed to be important in generating domeftic agitation, and in a few years, the people would think it more convenient and honourable to be even denoted degenerate English, than duped Irish. Civil war would ceafe, but British influence won'd gradually difappear. Ireland is too populous and too important for her fize and fituation, to be exposed to the errors of independence, by any minifter attempting to break up fo fertile fertile and ancient an inftrument of the feelings of the men, who are Canada & Corfica, have been quoted frequently as catholic countries where it was not deemed inconfiftent with the Royal pledges to the church and ftate, to eftablifn the catholic faith. Were Ireland fo infignificant in men and national fpirit as the two countries of Canada and Corfica, where a couple of battalions, could be fufficient 10 filence any claims to independence. British piety would not be lo intermingled with British policy, as to refule the harmle's boon of emancipation. Several gentlemen on the late debate, among others, fuch of the minifters who refifted the claims exprefled in the catholic petition, deprecated the measure, as it would tend to inflame the public mind, the people of England being decidedly hoftle to the idea of allowing catholics to participate in the higher branches of the ftate, or to get admiffion into the houses of parliament. This imprudent explanation tends to commit the people of the two Countries against each other, it plainly fays to the Irish, the people of this country are your enemies, while it compliments the British, that their bigotry and intolerance are too valuable articles, to be facrificed to do juftice to a great and high spirited na lion. We would willingly have an anf wer from this religious nation of woollen drapers, and hardware-men, to the following queries, who are thefe people of England. Who are to be indulged in fuch an outrage upon Character of the Irish, from a late ment. A Sir Samuel Romilly, brought in a bill for compenfating fuch unfortu nate perfons, as fuffered imprifonment on charges of felony, and were afterwards acquitted, who if the judge certified as not of vicious habits, fhould have remuneration to indemnify them for the injuries fuftained by themfelves and fa milies. This law dictated by found and genuine philanthropy, was oppofed by a Mr. Herbert, particularly if it was intended to extend its operation to Ireland, the learned gentleman obferved, it would be an evident abfurdity, and a waste of the public money, to apply it to the innocent Irish,acquitted felons,' a people, who are fo ignorant, poor, idle and profligate, that it would be the greateft enjoyment they could be gratified in, to be in prifon, where their natural propenfity to vice and idle nefs 1 nefs being gratified, would be premium enough, without having the additional advantage of receiving pecuniary rewards, not for abfolute in jury fuftained, but for real benefits conferred. Anecdote of Charles XIIth of This hero is well known to have been 10 admirer of the fair fex: but few perfons are acquainted with the chief caufe of his averfion. Soon after his acceflion to the crown, while he was breathing nothing but war, and continually revolving the readielt and most expeditious means of waging it, an artist of Stockholm thewed him one day the defign of a piece of artillery of a new invention, The king was charmed with it, and ordered it to be carried it into execution without delay. But as his natural impatience made him think that the work went on but flowly, he one morning, having, as ufual, rifen before day break, walked alone to the arti's who had, from the preceeding day by a fever, been confined to his bed. Charles knocked fo hard and fo often as to gain admittance, and having converfed with the artist on the fubject of his vifit, retired, and was lighted to the door by a handfome housemaid. Here a fancy came into the king's head that proved him to be not infenfible nor averfe to the tex; he attempted to take fome liberties with the girl, who being, perhaps, a native of Delecarlia, repaid his careffes with smart and vigorous refentment. This is faid to have made to deep an impreffion on him, that in Poland, he abfolutely reluied to fee the countefs of Koenigf mark, and for ever banifhed the ladies from his parties of pleasure and his prefence. Algarotti's Obfervations. The money which we spend on fnuff-boxes, &c. was by the ancients expended on busts and statues; and inftead of a firework, by which we celebrate a victory, they erected a triumphal arch. It has been faid that a nation of fages would be the moft foolish nat on in the world; as an army entire ly confifting of captains would be a very indifferent army. Whoever knows not how to live by himself, fhall die in a crowd. Foreigners are more juft to a man's talents than his own countrymen; he lives not under their eyes, they, have no perfonal concern with him,, exempt of envy, they referve him for pofterity. Cimon loved, and love made him ingenious. Sometimes a man b.comes polite as foon as he meets a woman, who prompts him to reveal the fecrets of his heart. A proud and rich man is certainly an ideot; a proud and poor man is generally a man of fenfe. The northern ladies are like their aurora boreales, they fhine without heating. Many honeft people are like the inhabitants of Hindofton, who are fo tender hearted as to fcruple to make capons; and every day they make eunuchs, Alexander was unwilling to confefs, that he owed the conqueft of Afia to the foldiers formed by Philip his father. Plato fays not a word of Xenophon, who has been the ornament of the school of Socrates Xenophon himself makes Not the leaft mention of Plato, Arittotle, as it has been remarked by queen Chriftina, never names either his mafter or his difciple. Julus Czar gives to the younger Craffus almost all the honour of the victory, which he gained over Ariovistus. |