tain her great population, unassisted by any external relations whatever. This evident and unanswerable character of our country, is studiously kept out of view or denied by one party among us, and doubted by a well meaning number of another considerable proportion of our countrymen. Berkley, though a Protestant and an English Prelate, was an Irishman, in a very extensive meaning of the word, and was very well informed of the political and commercial eminence which his country, even in his days was capable of.

pulation is drawn off to enlarge a commercial intercource in which their country has little interest, or where its honour is not to be vindicated.

It was arrogantly and foolishly predicted that America could not exist as an independent State if she wanted the protection of England; time has given an answer to such feeble assertions. If protection against the exercise of industry and commerce, could serve America daring her bondage, she enjoyed it to the fullest extent for she was interdicted any communication wih the surrounding world, but through the medium of England, and even the provinces as they were then called, were restrained from exchanging such articles of manufacture as they attempted, with each other. This might be called a protection against opulence, in favour of indigence and vice. America required but little of political dis cernment to discover the inconvenience of such protection, and she exchanged it for the trade of the whole earth, has doubled her population, and covered her coasts with new and opulent cities.

That we possess those means of self existence which the patriot Prelate alludes to, may be seen at one view by any reflecting per son, who knows the kind of commerce which foreign jealousy connives at, and we may say encourages. We export beef alive and dead, Pork in the same state, live mutton, and butter in immense quantities. We feed the naval and military armies of the Empire, besides a great part of the labouring classes of the Engglish people, and in return we import tobacco. Our people are deprived of articles of the first necessity, and are allowed a poi- Ministers may flatter themsonous weed in exchange. Ourselves that the property they frecorn is removed to another coun- quently tell we enjoy, is advanc try, or distilled at home, and being with surprising rapidity, we tween both misfortunes arise listen with due deference, but we drunkeness and famine, immora- never can be persuaded that the lity and hunger, partial Insur- immense quantity of provisions rections, and disgusting ferocity we raise ought not to be detained are the consequences; crimes of at home, until we were supplied, a local and lasting nature exist by that a measure so different from constant irritation that want any commercial nations, that of exof the character of civilization, porting all we raise, instead of or even the melancholy dignity the redundancy of it, is calculat of rebellion. These vices called to produce riches, plenty of forth the hand of the law, or the security, or that tobacco is a suf summary sword of the soldier. ficient substitute for beef or but Punishment is substituted for instruction, or a "superabundant po

ter.

"THE ROAST BEEF OF OLD ENGLAND."

ASSUNG IN THE IRISH PORTER HOUSE, AND AT DONNY BROOK FAIR.

Tune, "When glorious Queen Bess to all Europe gave Law."

DEAR PAT do you know who thofe Englishmen be,

They are all HORNED, each rank and degree,

Dear Pat do you know who these Englishmen be,
They are all HORNED, each rank and degree,

For the Ox and the English are one family.

Sing, O the Roast Beef of Old England,
Sing, O the Old English Roast Beef.

II:

If garrisons were made of ft ong Butcher's ftalls,
And PORTER-POTS fit to batter down walls,

If garrisons were made of ftrong Butcher's ftalls,
And PORTER-Pors fit to batter down walls,

Zounds how we'd fight them if DUMPLINS were BALLS.

Sing, O! the Roast Beef of Old England,
Sing, O! the Old English Roaft Beef.

III.

In the midst of a battle, on a fine fummers day,
Mark what the men to their General say,

In the midst of a battle, on a fine fummers day,
Mark what the men to their General say,

If you don't give us BEEF we will all run away.

Sing, O the Roast Beef of Old England.
Sing, O! the Old English Roast Beef.

From CEA, the birth-place of Simonides. the Grecian Poet, principally ce

lebrated for his Tranflations and Elegies.

SIR,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE IRISH MAGAZINE,

SOON after the Publication of the Irish Grammar, upon which you have passed a merited eulogium, in your Magazine for Auguft, the following Lines, addressed to its Author, were received by Mr. O'Flanagan, Secretary to the Gaelic Society, Dublin:

As when of Old, we read in heroic ftrains,
Of errant knights long held in magic chains,
'Till rolling time produce the powerful chief,
Who breaks the fpell, and gives th' enflav'd relief.
Thus Japhet's forceful tongue too long revil'd,
And from its native manfion-Ah !-exil'd!
So intricate, obfcure,-fo gloomy grown,
By long difufe,-defpif'd because unknown,

You've now reveal'd, and all its hidden beauties fhewn.
Those fullen clouds that veal'd the face of day,
Before thy skill diffolve and pafs away,

And wond'ring we behold the th' unufual ray,

This mine of Learning unexplored before,
Shall now abundant yield its precious ore,
The path long fought in vain alone you've found.
And ftudious labour with fuccefs is crown'd;
Soon fhall we fee, by that effulgent light,
By thee reflected from the womb of night,
Th' obfcuring mifts of prejudice retire,
And ev'ry breaft the pow'r of truth infpire.

Vain Alba thought Hibernian fpirit flown,
And bafely try'd to rob us of our own;
O bow deceiv'd !-but now you give the blow-
The pow'rful ftroke that feals the overthrow;
Another Manlius fure in thee arofe,

To fave thy Country's fame, and put to flight her foes.
If candor now infpire the Albanian breast,

(Since the great parent Language ftands confefs'd,)

Let them no more their labours vainly join,

Nor for the true, attempt to pafs falfe coin,
But all their fpurious, groundless claims refign,
And own Hibernia, tuneful Ogian thine,

For now,

and only now they can attain

Th' original tongue without laborious pain:
To facred Truth we're now unerring led,--
Malicious Falfhood hides her haggard head :
We'll now fufpect no more tranflations cheats.
Ourfelves will read the venerable sheets.

Then Alba ceafe that facrilegious will,
Effay no more to cheat thy parent Ifle!
Now learn the Language of thy fires of yore,

Which Scotia with ber legions pour'd upon thy fhore;

When too, barbarian Europe! as to thee,
Laws fhe difpens'd, and Arts, and Policy:
When her brave Son's in Freedom's glorious cause,
Acquir'd immortal and deferv'd applause,

An oft in many a well-contested field,

Made ev'n the conquerors of the world yield.

Hibernians, rouze from your lethargic fleep,
Nor fuffer fair Ierne more to weep,
The noble Tongue of the Gadelian train,
Neglected thus !-O Learning's fouleft ftain!
A Tongue, where grace and harmony combine
Expreffion, fmoothness, energy divine!
To Britons be thy former prowess told,-
What they are now, were you yourfelves of old
Hafte, fnatch thy ancient fplendor from the gloom,
That long has been its overwhelming tomb,
Remove the cloud that fhades its facred head,
'Twill rife with greater glory from the dead.

And thou whofe learned labour, care, and art,
To Erin's Sons fo great a gift impart,
Shall live while mem'ry can the foul infpire,
And only with thy little book expire.

SIR ARTHUR THE BRAVE:

Or, THE PORTUGAL LAUREL.

IN the lift of all noftrums for healing a quarrel,
There's naught like the leaf of a Portugal Laurel.
This tree, by its juice, compofe all diffention,
And it bears a fair fruit, by John Bull called CONVENTION.
This fruit, when diftilled by chemical pains,

Yields a falt, like the lemon, which takes out all ftains:
But of far greater ufe, if I'm not much mistaken,

'As Johnny Bull's cure for "faving his bacon."

To this ufe 'twas applied, when the ODDS were not EVEN,

By Cumberland's Duke, at old Clofter-seven,*

And HIS BACON HE SAVED, where the French in a trice,
From his broad English ham, had cut a great flice.

So anothe Duke-Royal, (to follow his elder,)
Ufed the falt of Convention in the mud of the Helder,
Where his Bacon had ftuck, and could not get away.

For in FRONT it was FLANKED by the waves of the SAY.
And old Corny too, by this cure got renown

In faving his bacon at little York town.

At famed Saratoga, blufhing honour has feen,

Bacon faved by Convention, although it was GREEN.

* Clofter seven. In 1757, a Royal Highness of England, at the head of 38,000 men. laid down his arms, and made a Convention with a French General.

L

Licentia Poetica Hibernicæ.