(Continued from Page 379 of our Magazine for August.) Nor has Ireland been free from the contagion of astrological imposition; among the first publications from the press, after its introduction into the country, was "William Farmer's Almanack for Ireland," Dublin printed in 1587. This, like similar productions in Great Britain and on the Continent, dealt out its Py thian prognostics, foretelling the religious convulsions then at hand. Of Farmer's successors we read but little until after the abdication of King James, and the battle of the Loyne; "we find Dr. Whalley who translated the work of Ptolemy on judicial astrology into English, imposing on Irish credulity by his planetary predictions. Compstey too, as we are in formed, with Eallard the author, perhaps, of the treatise on guaging, set up an Almanack. Compstey was a French refugee or perhaps a Flemish soldier in William's army, who, with Laboissiere settled in Dubn. Laboissiere, who at first was in a subordinate situation to the other, continued the "starry interpreter" till a few years previously to the conclusion of the preceding century, when it fell to Robert Jackson of Meath-street. To Dr. Whalley it scems Isaac Butler succeeded; for John Smyth of Elbowlane Meath-street, in "his advice from the stars" of 1759, informs us, that he himself was successor to Dr. Whalley by the appointment of Isaac Butler, stúdent in Astronomy and Botany. Smith also says, that he studied the knowledge of plants and planetary bodies under lutler for many years; that he was beadle to the Corporation of Apothecaries, who in 1758 resolved they should for the future take none but such as come recommended from Smyth as JOURNEY MEN-Quere, what are we to understand by this appellation? are they the gentlemen, now ycleped foremen, and gentlemen by statute law? That the students in astrology and their master-midwives the printers, found it their interest to publish these annual productions, is evinced by attempts at similar works in other parts of the nation. In Cork a clock-cobler and watch-mender edited the "Lady's almanack. The first publication of Knapp's Lady was in 1737; after his demise the work was taken up in Dublin, and continued under the title of Knapp Redivivus. In the frontispiece to the lady's of 1757, cv at that enlightened period, we find the editors S. S. and T. W. which may denote Smyth and Whalley, sons to the forementioned almanack makers, emphatically stiling themselves ASTROLOGERS. About the middle of the last century also, Nicholas Grant of Newry, schoolmaster and shop-keeper compiled his al manack; this was printed and published by Jackson of Meath-street, as were also the " Lady's, or Knapp Redivivus and the " Advice from the Stars," latterly compiled by P. A. Smyth, who boasted himself to be successor to John Smyth, Butler, and Whalley. Of the the whole of these almanacks, Jackson and his son and successors ultimately became sole proprie tors by death, purchase, relinquishment, or resignation from the authors or their assignees. Besides "dealing in destinies, dark counsels," and shewing "when the moon is in the fittest mood for setting corn or let ting blood-most of those annual publi. cations have in imitation of the English diaries a few pages set apart for mathematical questions and their solutions, with some light compositions of the poetical kind, by way of enigmas, rebuses, and short riddles, an appropriation which has diffused a taste for sciences and knowledge among the lower orders of the peopic. For superintending this department, Jackson for many years employed a Mr. Wade; the frequent sacrifices of this improvident son of the shuttle to the all-cheering god hastened his dissolution, whereby the ma nagement fell to Mark Morton, or rather Moran, as a numerous tribe of laborious, honest, and unassuming agriculturists about the great heath in the Queens County, who claims the honour of being Mark's relatives, still designate themselves. After Jackson's death about seventeen years ago, the copy right and printing materials of these almanacks were purchased from his executors by Mr. P. Wogan of Ormond-Quay, scarcely however, was he in possession of these, when one Jones a book-seller of Thomas-street, regardless of all moral influence published a piratical edition of those almanacks, to the great detriment of the fair purchaser. The calendar of these is compiled by Mor ton, while the mathematical and poetic departments are conducted by Mr. Sally, a gentleman esteemed for his candor and honesty, while his former correspondence in the Irish diaries evince his abilities as a mathematician and an intelligent scholar. In consequence of this piratical edition, as also of the stamp duty and the annual establishment of siquilar productions in Belfast Belfast and Cork, the sale of Mr. Wogan's diaries has not been of late years so extensive as formerly. To these causes of depreciation may be added another, which arose from the compilers mismanagement i conducting the mathematical and poetic parts of these productions. Since the first insertion of arithmetical and mathematical questions in those almanacks, a little after the commencement of the last century, it is scarcely conceiveable what an instantaneous influence they had in diffusing a taste for those useful sciences over the nation at large. By these annual publications a laudable spirit of enquiry and emulation was excited even among the country farmers and mechanics, wea vers, taylors, shoemakers, soldiers, flaxdressers, and tradesmen of all descriptions became able mathematicians, nay, eminent professors of the science. How impolitic then was it in a legislature, commiserating the national ignorance, and repeatedly professing its promptitude to establish a system of Education for the Irish people, could but a feasible plan be devised, to lay the prohibitory tax of nine-pence stamp duty on a sheet of paper originally sold for from 3 to 6 pence, and thus prevent the expansion of knowledge by means of that annual vehicle through out the nation. As it is by the nature, number, and ingenuity of the solutions annually sent to the questions of pure and applicative mathematics inserted in those almanacks, that a country school-masters abilities are appreciated, his pupils proportionably augmented, and his family's vital interests uitimately promoted; the most conscientious circumspection therefore is absolutely necessary in the Editor, by no par tiality or personal favour should he be influenced, so far as to admit any persons name to be inserted for the solution of any, but such only as would send answers. The promiscuous insertion of his pupils and other unlearned friends names by the last schoolmaster who conducted Laiboissier's almanack, annihilated that publication: a similar ostenstatious display of infantine and ignorant persons names by Moran depreciated the estimation of Wogan's in like manner. In a learned correspondents letter on this subject it is remarked, that he did not consider it sufficient for Moran to grace the catalogue of mathematical conturbters with the name of his Father William Morton, Esq. these many years past, but he must also to the solution of an abstruse mathematicaphysical quea few in the nation were able to answer, he was so devoid of all moral in. fluence or shame in this respect, as to enroll in his catalogue the renowned names of his infant son, Sir Isaac Newton Morton, Esq. Roger Larkin, Mary Courtney, and such other illiterate characters. This farcical treatment of the learned mathematicians, with the additional complaint, whether well founded or not, of the editors expectancy of an annual doceur either in malt or money for giving priort of place, proved with other causes before hinted at, so detrimental to Mr. Wogan's interests, that he employed me for compiling this years almanacks. In order to guard against all partialities arising from favor or private attachment, I transcribed the mathematical cor respondence, and subinitted the copy without the authors signatures to the pe rusal and careful examination of three gentlemen unconnected with the correspondence, but distinguished for their inci mate acquaintaince with the various branches of the mathematics, and made the selection for this years' diaries according to their uninfluenced determination. Next to the days of the month, the suns rising and setting, and the various phases of the moon on the days of her conjunc tion, opposition, and quadratures, &c.' I considered it my duty to pay the greatest attention to the tide table; this affects the commercial interests and lives of our citizens and sea faring men. More ambitious of affording useful information, than of gratifying self vanity by substituting any computation of my own respecting the tide tables in Dublin-bay, I adopted tide tables, calculated and obligingly communicated to me by the Rev. Dr. Bernard McMahon. These tables being formed on principles deducted from a system of experimental observations made by the Doc. tor in the harbour these many years past, with an apparatus ingenious in its inven tion, simple in its contrivance, and ex tremely accurate in determining the local phenomena of the tide in this bay, must be ever considered as preferable to any calculation derived from the general, and still imperfect theory of the oceanic tides. And here it is to be observed, that the tide tables hitherto compiled by Mortoa for Wogan's almanacks, and those which he ostentatiously boasts of being most accurately calculated" by him for Jones's pirated edition, have so materially differed from those founded on actual observation by Mr. B. MMahon, that I considered myself obliged to have recourse to that gentleman s assistance, lest I, by any miscalculation 302 calculation of my own be the means of endangering other people's lives. Whoever takes the trouble of comparing the tide-table for January alone, on the first page of Jones's edition, with that of Wogan's or Stewart's calculated by Dr. McMahon, will find the enormous difference of from one quarter to three quarters of an hour each tide, from the 7th to the 31st of that month; serious are the consequences of which this may be productive, to all concerned in the navigation of the Dublin Bay. The other tables of the calander are all inserted with little variation from the nautical almanack, excepting that for the rising and setting of the moon, for which we see easy rules given in p. 351 July of this Magazine. Instead of the foolish observations on the weather, which it is to be lamented that vulgar prejudices render it necessary for the almanack venders still to retain, I collected a system of rational prognostics of the weather, from the writings of the most eminent philosophers of the present age, composed them in familiar verses, and inserted in Mr. Wogan's diaries. (To be Continued.) On a letter from Portugal, copied from a London Paper, the MONITEUR of this day makes the following remarks: LETTER. "We have for the first time excellent information, and it is believed it comes to us from Officers of rank in the French army." MONITEUR, 27TH AUG. "If you are so well informed, why then expose the division of General Craufurd, which the Duc d'Elchingen had nearly taken, and which he partly destroyed? Really we should not be much surprised if you were to tell us that your General Wellington has come supernatural power of defending himself! The anxiety of the people of England for the fate of their army must be somewhat considerable, when the Ministerial party diverts their attention, and inspires them with confidance by such extraordinary tales! At one time they say that a superior Officer of the Etat Major of Prince d' Essling has deserted: that he has arrived in London with all the secrets of his army; and at another time they announce that a Colonel, and three superior Officers, also deserted into Cadiz: thus they make the French army to desert en masse. This would be a very convenient mode of de feating the French, and, indeed, nothing less than a miracle like this can give the conduct of the English Minister any chance of success, or shelter the English army from disgrace. A great number of deserters, natives of England and of Scot. land, enter the French service in the auxiliary corps; but if the French desert so fast, how does it happen that of the twenty or thirty thousand unfortunate men whom you coop up in your prison ships, you cannot prevail on any to desert even when you offer them handfulls of gold? If the French are inclined to desertion, how happened it that the unfor tunate men confined in the hulks at Cadiz, and tempted daily by your offers, uniformly reject them, and, by cutting their cables, run a thousand dangers in the hope of obtaining their liberty as a reward for their courage. Few Frenchmen are to be seen in the auxiliary corps of the English army. The Irish regiments at present in the French service have no fewer than 3000 Englishmen or Scotchmen, which they recruited from the different depots of prisoners, in this number we do not include the Irish prisoners who have entered the service of France. They are Catholics and a just indignation animates them against the intolerant Government which oppresses their country. The animosity which subsists between the English and Irish is such, that it was found necessary to remove 1800 English or Scotchmen who had been enlisted into Irish regiments, from the different depots of prisoners of war, because they were daily fighting with each other. It will be pretty difficult for the English to shew such a number of Frenchmen carrying arms against France having a number of battalions, their country; we say Frenchmen, because composed of many thousand deserters, Germans, Prussians, &c. it is not extra ordinary that from such battalions, there should be some desertions. But Europe knows that Frenchmen do not desert; neither forced marches, nor the most se danger, ever made French soldiers desert. vere privations, nor the most trying With regard to the information, that there might be some French Officers belonging to the French Etat Major, who corresponded with the enemy, its falsity is proved by the very movements of the enemy; and we can only reject the asser tion with pity. All that the English have printed upon Walcheren, Antwerp, upon the campaign of General Moore, upon Talavera-in short their actual, conduct shews that they have known nothing and that they know nothing." ORIGINAL POETRY. FOR THE IRISH MAGAZINE. LITTLE CON. A New Song-Tune Molly Mog. Go scamper o'er Asia and Europe, And after the Journey you've gone, Rake Hell, and you will not conjure up, An animal like little Con. The Tyger, the Cat, and the Spaniel, With him are all centered in one, And Jemmy O'Brien with his Manil, Is a chicken to vile little Con. This ferrity slanderous mouser, Lives character-garbage upon, And he hopes that no man would espouse her, Whose fame is once randled by Con. His features are cruel and crabbed, Tho' he's sleek as the down of a Swan, But the temper's vindictive and rabid, Of blood-sucking venemous Con. If a Shew-man could only expose him, His shew shop would soon be the Ton, For each one who knows not, or knows him, Would run to view vile little Con. Watty Cox now this creature exhibits, Specimens of Daniel Hickey's Translation and Imitation of Anacreon. ODE XIII. TRANSLATED BY D. HICKEY. Wild Atys once, as legends say, you, dear maid, beside me lie, THE SAME ODE They tell how Atys, wild with love, IMITATED BY D. HICKEY. While love the unmanly Atys burns, And all his flame to madness turns, Infuriate o'er the mount he flies, The rocks rebellow to his cries.The seers of wild prophetic song To Claros' hallow'd fountain throng, And, drinking deep in frenzied rhyme, Breathe th' enraptur'd strains sublime, But, God of Love, and God of Wine, Frenzied joys alone are mine-While with the Vineyards rosy dews, The weeping vines my bowl infuse; And o'er my braided locks of snow The balmiest sighs of perfume flow, And, dearest girl, I soft recline On that vibrating heav'n of thine, I will the sweetest madness prove; That of wine, and that of love! BY MR. MOORE. But frenzied dreams are not for me, Full of Mirth and full of him, While waves of perfumes round me swim; An An Irish Artists' Complaint, on the degradation of his Country. Το you, an Epistle I sit down to write, From bush to bush, from branch to branch along; If so confined, you'll doubtless ask me why, And all your imbecility betray. Thus will friend speak when first he'll see Those lines before him, and those lines from me, An obscure Joiner, who with cutting sticks, The Poets labour whimsically mix, And view with friendly or sarcastic smile, The medley, which depressive toil beguile, With Planes and Chissels, Odes and Essays lie, With Chips and Shavings written fragments fly, With Plans of Houses, scribbling plans design, 'Tis Joiner's work to various things.combine, Who, while he frames a Door may frame a Verse, To lighten labour, and dull thought disperse; Mere manual labour lassitude excite, But mental mingled, makes the manual light, Divides the toil, and meliorates the pain Which comfort gives and weds him to the soil, And thro' his hands the honest means Who for the drudging service of the day, Meet compensation in a lock of hay, "Tis all he wants, kind nature gives the rest, Lies down content, and feels supremely blest; Not so the drudge who deem'd Creation's Lord, Whose scanty morsel is his sole reward, All other wants no labours can supply, Oppression keen those sacred rights deny, To barely live, calls forth its utmost care, All future hopes but vanish in despair, And happy could he quit the fatal shore, And distant climes with better hopes explore, Ere age and want o'ertake the hapless slave, And bring him down in sorrow to the |