that an old scholastick supporting the Ptolomian system against the Newtonian or Copernican, denied various evolutions of the terraqueous globe, and pronounced with an ergo, that it was fixed in the centre of the Sun's orbit, because he did not feel it move. I now ask what number of syllogisms would conclude an argument with this quack philosopher? at the same time, that by a simple narration of the other system, he would see all his own arguments fall to the ground, whilst the others established themselves; these truths in a little time would be made clear, and gain the place of error and sophistry; the truth of this is more obvious in metaphysical and theological arguments, which by formal dispute never can be terminated. In the next place I say, they are only the scholasticks, or those who have in some manner caught their infec tions, who fall off from the question proposed, because they are the only people who pervert the grand end of dispute, which is or can be no other than the investigation of truth; as to the religion, which cannot be defended without syllogisms, conclude that it is a bad one; and moral instructions are allowed to have never so much force as when announced with that simplicity which distinguishes Revelation from every thing human, and which is not debased by formed arguments. From this brief exposition of the disadvantages arising from the scholastick mode of teaching, I am inclined to think the abettors of it will be some what undeceived, and will either in vent a new and easy method of con veying science, or adopt one of those already established on the Continent, which seem to be unknown to those Gentlemen who have come from thence some years ago, and who now hold the foremost places in our ecclesiastical Seminaries. The next point in this limited dissertation which I

3 F 2

proposed to discuss was, the impropriety of delivering philosophical and theological lessons in a dead language, being thus obliged to neglect the cultivation of our (at present) mother tongue, or dedicate to it part of our college hours, which there should be more usefully employed; the consequence which I expect will be drawn from the arguments I am about to advance upon this point, seems to me at present so obvious, that it forces me to exclaim, why, countrymen, are you so lethargic? why not cope with the nations of the globe, and shew that Irishmen want not a spirit able and enterprizing, but the means of dissolving it, and that when the latter is restored them, the former will then appear? but leaving these reflexions, which seem connected with others of a more disagreeable nature, let us coolly examine the disadvantages at tending the use of Latin in schools, and the advantages connected with that of English, with any possible inconveniences that might follow, if we bartered a dead language for a living one.

Before the Republics of Greece were formed, before agriculture was apotheised, before the polite arts were cultivated with that unrivalled success which distinguished Athens from the more ancient or modern cities of the world, some of the inhabitants of those countries, who then lived vagabundi per orbem, passed over to Italy, whose fertile bosom had already afforded a retreat to fugitives from Asia Minor, as likewise to the emigrants from the coast of Africa; from the coalescence of those people in the south of Italy, there sprung several jargons, from one of which, though at a late period, there was hewn, as from a hideous rock, that mistress of lan guages, that pride of the human mind, the Latin tongue; this being the language of the Romans, with

their

their empire was perfected and expanded; with their empire was contracted and decayed: altho' choaked up with the most absurd corruptions it subsisted in the old Roman provinces until the 10th century, when all languages became barbarism in the greater part of Europe, and continued so until the taking of Constantinople by the Turks. From this we may date the revival almost of humanity in Europe, but particularly of letters and languages, the fugitives from the Levant at Rome and Milan brought forth the Italian; Spain and France soon after, had their languages; however, as none of these were universal, nor could be perfected unless by time, the study of the Greek and Latin became general amongst the learned of the day, and indeed with reason and advantage, for it was only by the cultivation of them they could discover the wisdom of past ages and dive into the recesses of antiquity; it was by a knowledge of them that men could arrive at the Temples of Fame and Fortune, whose gates were long shut against those who could not make their offerings in those tongues; but when the living lan, guages were improved, and science, which always goes hand in hand with purity of expression, became general, then did Latin give way on the Continent to French, Spanish, Italian and German, and in our empire to English; this revolution has been effected with so much success, that in the living languages are now found all those beauties which before we were obliged to search for amongst the ruins of Rome and Athens; this is an assertion so true as to be called in doubt only by those dull pedants who Let fall the living to raise up the dead.' I do not pretend Homer, Virgil, Cicero, or Demosthenes, should be neglected, no! these names are immortal, and should continue; but he, who, taken up solely with

these, and despises every thing mo dern, has never felt the beauties of a Pope, a Shakespeare, a Milton, a Tasso, or the fire of an Ariosto, a Camoens or a Voltaire. Why not, when having once acquired a sufficient knowledge of the dead languages, so as to be able to see their beauties, and reap advantages which are to be found no place else? why not dedicate our time to the living ones, but particularly to that of the country where we live? The prevailing language here with us is that of our sister country, it is prevalent amongst us for centuries, and some of our countrymen have cultivated it with astonishing success; notwithstanding this the Irish are remarked for a want of precision in their expression, with an incorect pronunciation, and this, in no department of life, tends so much to our disadvantage as in the clerical one, for being all supposed to be men of information, when they are found deficient in that language in which they were bred, and are to instruct their flocks, what must be the opinion with regard to the unlettered herd? but if, whilst in college, these students heard their lectures from the lips of a man powerful in his English strain, and he in his turn exacted precision and correctness from his pupils in the delivery of their lessons and course of their dis putes, how many real advantages would be derived to them? a per fect knowledge of their mother tongue. which otherwise the greater part of them will never acquire, a saving of that time which the most ingenious of them would employ in that useful acquisition, a facility of expressing themselves correctly, which will secure them against the annoyance of a learned man, whose presence so often makes them shudder.

But the last and great advan tage I shall mention, is the employ ment of this knowledge for the in

struction

struction of Irishmen, the preservation of correct morals, and the support of the purity of our faith, which should always be defended on the same ground it is calumniated, but it shall be said, if we adopt English in the room of Latin, then shall that fine language fall away, there will be no person who can speak or write it with facility, we shall lose all the advantages derived from it, and religion its proudest support. These objections, if of any weight, should vanish before the many real improvements which they would shut out, but their weight is only apparent, all students entering upon the

more severe studies should be found to possess a competent knowledge of Greek and Latin. In the sequel, they should write pieces of poetry and declamation, or an historical or philosophical theme should be discussed by them in these languages; this, besides the necessity of translating exactly Latin authors, would insure them a more certain and correct knowledge than a profusion of their barbarisms, fit only to excite laughter, pity or contempt; religion, when attacked in Latin, could still be defended by it, and when in the living languages, we would have on our side those advantages which our dreary antagonists have so long exulted in.

SALE OF

MAJOR S's LIBRARY.

Continued from page 361.

The great difficulty of raising money upon bible and dagger security, and the hazard of borrowing horses, silver cups, spoons, or golden guineas, a la 1798, render it imperative on the Major to continue the sale of his Library, which he means to do monthly, until all is sold. Due notice will be given in the Irish Magazine, by Mr. Cox.

Encyclopedia Legatis; or, the Loyalists Dictionary, 2 vols, folio. This work is also Biographical, and

with the exposition of all terms that may interest the Loyal, such as Dagger, Bible, Free Quarters, and Murder; as also the Lives of some of the firmest supporters of the Throne and the Altar: viz. Luttrell, Jemmy O'Brien, the Major, Hunter Gawan, Archy Jacob, the Walking Gallows, Claudius, the late Lord Enniskillen, and Woologhan the Murderer.

The Adventures of a Dagger, by Mrs. O'Brien, relict of the late Jemmy O'Brien, with a Dedication to the Major, in 2 vols. This is a very interesting work, and is thus spoken of by the Reviewers :-" The elegant authoress of the work before us has evinced, in her attempt, a cultivated loyal mind, and an intimate acquaintance with the characters who supported the constitution in 1798. The style is clear without being turgid-the narrative even-the description picturesque, and the sentiments religious and loyal; for terseness of description we shall instance the following: Poor Jem, God be good to him, was sitting at de fire with myself and Develin the Informer, the Major rapt at de door, and myself got up, where's Jem, says he, he's here, says poor Jemmy, making answer-bring out de dagger, says de Major, upon the same Jemmy took the thing up, and says he, be de Holy post, I'll butter this in some Bloody Croppy's tripes afore I come back, de both went out, and poor Jemmy, just for merely doing a fellow's job dat was half dead before, was left in lurch. by de Major and dem all, and here I am to day, bad luck to dem." We recommend the work, for the double purpose of instructing the rising generation, and to serve a poor woman who lost a valuable husband in the service of the state.

Elegant Extracts, in 2 vols. This work contains the Letters of Tom Reynolds, Judkin Fitzflog, Sir Duplicate Triangle's, and the celebrated Treatise on Man-traps, and Cat-gelding, by Jack Chancellor. It contains all the devotional Poetry of the big Beggarman, and his Lecture on the

duty

The History of the Trimajorate; or, The Reign of the Three Bloody Majors. This work is upon the plan of Hainault's History of France, and contains great information respecting a memorable epoch in Irish history; it is written by Sir Judkin Flogman, and dedicated to the celebrated Torturer, Colonel Picton. The Life of Major Rowdidow is peculiarly spiritedly penned, and his atchievements at the Riding-house are happily chronicled. The story of Hevy's mare is in the manner of Livy, and is interesting. The Death of Jemmy O'Brien, and the speech of the Major to his Spies and Informers, is not surpassed by any thing in Tacitus: no Loyal Library

should be without this work.

Loyal Gleanings, in 4 vols. This work tells in a lively pleasant style the murders of Orangemen in support of religion throughout the kingdom; the massacre of Carlow is agreeably related; the rapes, conflagrations, and necessary operations in Wicklow, Kildare and Wexford, are faithfully de tailed, and with some humour. Col. Wardle's character is admirably pour. trayed, and his firmness against the assaults of conscience and humanity in support of the laws, mark him strongly what he after turned out, a supporter of the Constitution in Church and State.-Carlow Printed, at the sign of the Gallows, opposite the Best-man's Whipping-school.

Poems on several Occasions, by the Major, in 3 vols. Vol. 1. His direction to faithful John Pack, his Limner, to paint Jemmy O'Brien in the manner of Tommy Moore's Anacreon, is as much in the style of Anacreon as even Tommy's best piece upon subject. The Bathyllus of Loyalty is wonderfully described by the Major's Muse-In one part he exclaims;

Faithful, holy, loyal Jack,
Blast
you do
you
hear me Pack,
Make him draw the dagger further,
Tip the eye the squint of murder:
Make him view me with reliance,
And look heaven and hell defiance,
Tip him now the loyal swagger,
Stick his bible on his dagger.

that

His Elegy on the Death of Jemmy is in the style of Tybullus, and contains much pathos, and the sweetness of Hammond, with the loyalty of Musgrave.

Weaver.

By

Memoirs of the Lower Castle-yard. By Hanlon, the Informer. This work is badly written, but accurate as to facts: the foggings are well described, and the characters of Jemmy and the Major strongly painted.--8vo.

His Version of the 100th Psalm, and his adapting it to the Air of Crop py Lie Down, is admirable, and truly poetic and loyal. The Edition is on fine wove paper, and the Major's Pic ture, by Solomon a Loyala, is affixed to the 1st Volume.

Letter