tokens of ardent attachment. The cities and villages of Ireland had in other days been desolated by the monarchs of England, schism had been fostered by her governors, blood had flowed in torrents down her streets, citizen had been armed against citizen, and brother against brother, and sorrow and misery seemed to have chosen the polluted soil as their favourite abode but within a few years, a better system had been unfolding itself, and a better mutual understanding was beginning to prevail. Sensible of this incipient amelioration, and animated with new and pleasing anticipations of the future from the condescending visit of their sovereign, this warm hearted and generous people burst the ordinary bounds of expression, to testify in every mode of public demonstration their almost boundless joy. On the 20th, a public levee was held at the castle of Dublin. Previous to the levee, his majesty held an investiture of the most illustrious order of St. Patrick, which was attended by his grace the lord primate, and several officers belonging to the order. The following noblemen were introduced, when each received the honour of knighthood, and were invested with the insignia of the order:-lord Greaves, as proxy for his royal highness the duke of Cumberland, who was introduced between the two senior knights, the marquis of Conyngham and earl O'Neil. The marquis of Donegal, his excellency earl Talbot, the earls of Ormonde, Meath, Roden, Courtown, and Fingal, were subsequently introduced between the two junior knights, sir William Betham, ulster king of arms, bearing the riband and badge on a blue velvet cushion. His majesty afterwards held an investiture of the most honourable order of the bath, when admiral the honourable Thomas Pakenham, K. C. B. received the honour of knighthood, and was invested with the riband and badge of that most honourable order: and sir John Elley, K. C. B. on his attaining the rank of major-general, received from his majesty the star of that degree of the most honourable order. Sir William Betham, ulster king of arms, officiated for sir G. Nayler on this occasion. The earls of Clanricarde, Bective, and Mount-Charles, are to have the honour of officiating as esquires to the sovereign at the approaching grand installation. His majesty, in making this selection of Irish noblemen, has paid another delicate compliment to the nation. Lords Ingestrie, Alexander, and Thurles, are to act as pages on the same occasion. The following appointments of noblemen and gentlemen to act as esquires have been made by the newly created knights : The marquis of Donegal.--Lord E. Chichester, sir S. May, and T. Verner, esq. Earl Talbot.-Lord A. Hill, the honourable G. Anson, and the honourable A. T. De Rouse. Earl of Ormonde.-R. Rothe, H. Butler, and W. Bayley, esqrs. Earl of Meath.-Honourable 0. Bridgeman, honourable W. Wingfield, and Charles Hamilton, esqrs. Earl of Roden.-R. Howard, Frederick Shaw, and W. Newton, esqrs. Earl of Courtown.-Honourable M. Stopford, captain Phillimore, R. N., and M. Grogan, esqrs. Earl Earl of Caledon.-Honourable Alexander, honourable H. Blaney, and Henry Lindsey, esqrs. Previous to the levee his majesty sent for the earl of Fingal, (the premier catholic peer of Ireland), to his closet, and informed him, that as a special mark of his regard and esteem, he had deter. mined to invest his lordship with the order of St. Patrick; and the king added, that he had every reason to feel the highest satisfaction at the loyalty and demeanour of the roman catholics. His own sentiments, his majesty added, were always those of confidence in that great body of his subjects, and he had uniformly felt that the government had every reason to be satisfied with their good demeanour as members of the community. The king further said, that having always entertained those opinions of them, he could not refrain on the present occasion from sending for lord Fingal, to express in person to his lordship, the high gratification he felt at now finding all his anticipations respecting that body fully realized. His majesty could not, he said, better express the high sense he entertained of the loyalty of the catholic body, than by taking this opportunity of declaring to his lordship that their loyalty and duty appeared to him to entitle them to his majesty's fullest confidence. The earl of Fingal expressed his gratitude to the king for this most gracious communication and mark of respect, and assured his majesty that there was no class in the community upon whose loyalty he could better rely than that of his roman catholic subjects. Shortly after the noble earl withdrew, the elders of the Dissenters and the Quakers were severally introduced to his majesty, who gave them a most gracious reception: the latter suffered their hats to be taken off before entering the presence. The attendance from the society of friends consisted of the most eminent persons of that sect; their plain attire and formal peculiarity of manner excited much observation among the brilliant cortege of a crowded court. The following was the address of the Quakers, which was presented by Mr. Simon Bewry, an eminent merchant of this city, attended by a large body of friends: "To George the fourth, king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the dominions thereunto belonging. "May it please the king;-Thy dutiful and loyal subjects, the society of friends in Ireland, commonly called Quakers, at their last yearly meeting held in this city, anticipating thy visit to this country, authorized us to address thee on their behalf on this memorable occasion. We should not do justice to our feelings did we not assure the king that our society participates in the general joy caused by his presence. Although religiously restrained. from demonstrating those feelings by public marks of rejoicing, nevertheless we respectfully offer to the king a sincere and cordial welcome, and congratulate him upon his safe arrival upon our shores. We desire that thy visit may not only tend to thy own satisfaction and the joy of thy people, but that an event so auspicious may promote promote the improvement of Ireland and her inhabitants, and thus render an important and lasting advantage to the empire. We wish to avail ourselves of the present occasion to renew the declaration of our love and our allegiance to thee our king under thy illustrious house. We, as a religious society, have received many privileges; we are therefore bound, both by duty and by gratitude, to fidelity to thy royal person and government. We are thankful to the sovereign ruler of the universe, that peace generally prevails; we pray that this blessing may continue, and spread wider and wider; and we desire for thee, O king, that thou mayest be enabled, under the influence of that grace which visits the hearts of all men, to rule in righteousness, and be an instrument in the divine hand to promote that state wherein all nations may join in the holy anthem, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all men," To which his majesty was graciously pleased to give the following answer: "It is highly satisfactory to me to receive your congratulations on my arrival in this part of my kingdom, and your assurances of attachment to my person and government. "The loyalty of your principles, and your regular and peaceable conduct, entitle you to my good opinion and esteem. You may rely upon my constant protection, and on the continuance of those privileges which you now so justly possess." Then the following roman ca tholic prelates were introduced into the closet by the earl of Donoughmore, with their address:the right reverend Drs. Murray, Curtis, Troy, Kelly, Plunkett, Archdeacon, Murphy, and Magowran. They were not dressed in their full canonicals, as was supposed, but wore small black silk cloaks, and their gold chains and crosses. Dr. Murray read their address which the king received in the most gracious and condescending manner-they all had the honour of kissing his majesty's hand. It is a remarkable circumstance, that on the back of his majesty's answer to the address of these prelates was endorsed "His majesty's most gracious answer to the address of the Roman Catholic bishops." This closet reception, and written indorsement upon an official instrument, is deemed by the catholics to be the first public recognition of their clergy bishops" which has yet occurred since the enactment of the penal restrictions affecting their body. as The following is the address from the roman catholic bishops : "To the king's most excellent majesty:-We, your majesty's loyal and dutiful subjects, the bishops professing the roman catholic religion in Ireland, presume to approach the throne with the offering of our zealous devotion to your majesty's sacred person and illustrious house, and joyfully to hail your majesty's august presence in this part of your United Kingdom. "In other times, with which the merciful disposer of all human events has given it to the present present generation to be acquainted through the page of history alone, our monarchs have approached the shores of Ireland in hostile array, driven to the necessity of conquering a litigated sceptre by their arms. For us has been reserved the happier lot, of welcoming for the first time a sovereign, who comes to his people with the olive-branch of peace in his hand, and with healing on his wing, to receive the willing and undivided allegiance of every individual within the wide range of his extended rule-the homage of the assumed confidence and zealous attachment of all his subjects of every class and description. "For ourselves, and for the clergy of our communion, the spiritual pastors of four-fifths of the population of this portion of your majesty's dominions, we have to acknowledge the weighty debt of gratitude by which we are bound to your majesty's august house, inasmuch as it is to the wise and beneficent provisions which distinguished the reign of your royal father and predecessor, and your majesty's own gracious condescension, we are indebted for the privilege of administering the rites of our holy religion under the protection of the law, and that we have now the high honour of being permitted to stand in your majesty's presence. "Under less propitious circum stances, and before the arms of the state had been opened at all to receive the king's roman catholic subjects, we never failed to inculcate upon all those of our communion whom it was our duty to instruct and to keep in the right way, the duty of respectful deference to those who were placed in authority over them, and implicit submission to the laws of the land. How many and how important are the additional inducements which must now stimulate our humble endeavours in the discharge of the same bounden duty, when, adopted as we are by the legislation of our country, we have now the happiness, impelled by the most zealous attachment to your majesty's royal person, earnestly to impress upon the consciences of the whole roman catholic community of this your majesty's realm, the holy commandment of our blessed Redeemer, of rendering untoCæsar the things which are Cæsar's, and unto God the things which are God's. "And may He, the all wise and To which his majesty returned congratulations on my arrival in this country, and by the sentiments of cordial and dutiful attachment which you have expressed to my person and throne. "It was my earnest wish, in visiting this part of my united kingdom, that an equal degree of satisfaction might be diffused amongst all descriptions of my faithful subjects in Ireland. That wish is happily and fully accomplished; and I am persuaded that no endeavours will be wanting on your part to cherish and preserve that spirit of loyal union which now pervades and animates the whole community, and which is not less conducive to individual and social happiness, than to the strength and prosperity of the state." The following was the answer to the address of the presbyterians :"The sentiments which you have expressed on my arrival in this part of my dominions, are highly gratifying to me, and are entitled to my warmest thanks. "I have the fullest confidence in your faithful and firm attachment to my person and throne; and you may be assured of my constant protection of those civil and religious liberties which are the birthright of my people." Immediately after the addresses had been received, his excellency the lord lieutenant introduced the officers of the order of St. Patrick, and his excellency's household, to his majesty, who had severally the honour of kissing hands. The above were the only closet addresses presented to his ma jesty. They occupied the king until two o'clock: at that hour his majesty entered the state rooms, which were crowded to excess; indeed, the pressure was great as to call forth the following order the previous night respecting the drawing-room : "Lord Chamberlain's Office, Monday evening, Aug. 20. "It is requested that those gentlemen who were at his majesty's levee to-day, and do not consider it absolutely necessary to be present with their families at the drawing-room to-morrow, will abstain from attending, for the purpose of preventing the extreme inconvenience which must inevitably take place from the insufficiency of the means of reception and accommodation." The following distinguished personages were presented: The primate, the archbishops of Dublin and Tuam, his grace the duke of Leinster, the lord mayor, the lord chancellor. Marquisses-Downshire, Donegal, Thormond, Londonderry. Earls - Howth, O'Neil, Belmore, Fingal, Westmeath (with the county address,) Wicklow, Bective, Farnham, Carrick, (with the Kilkenny address,) Kingston (on being created a British peer,) Mayo, Castlestuart, Longford, Clonmel, Mount Cashel, Caledon, Ormonde, Clanricarde, Mount Charles, Enniskillen, Llandaff, Glengall, and Gosford (with the Armagh address.) Viscounts-Gormanstown, Kilmorey (with the Newry address,) Hawarden, Doneraile, Northland (with the Dungannon address,) Killeine (with the catholic address,) Powerscourt, Frankfort De Montmorency, Oxmanstoun, Corry, |