floor of the cabin having served him in that capacity ever since he began to sleep in a separate bed. His pillow was his small-clothes, and his quilt his own coat, under which he slept snugly enough."

This is the last extract we are able to give from this most amusing and instructive book-instructive as it acquaints us with the manners and feelings of a people but imperfectly understood and unduly appreciated; and though we have frequent occasion to laugh at their foibles or ridicule their errors, yet we should never forget the circumstances which have mainly contributed to keep them permanently in this state of degradation; which it seems the policy of their present rulers to perpetuate, by affording additional facilities to their greatest enemies for keeping them under the dominion of error and fanaticism, instead of endeavouring to repress violence and encourage education; still we have hopes that the night of ignorance is drawing to a close, and that ere long the British Cabinet will see their real interests in legislating rather on principle than expediency. The story entitled "Tubber Derg," which we have been obliged to omit any notice of, also conveys a lesson to the landlord, as it clearly demonstrates, that something more than legal authority is required, to make this country what it ought to be, and proves that the interest of the owners of the soil is intimately connected with what we conceive to be their duty, namely, their personal attention to the necessities and wants of their tenantry. Whether any exertion on their part be not now too late is a question of a different nature, as we fear that the die is cast and the fate of Irish landlords almost decided; and unless some measures are had recourse to ere long, which will restore their legitimate powers to the landed proprietors in this country, we apprehend that the situation of keeper of their accounts, as far as the credit side of the book is concerned, will be a sinecure. But a truce to gloomy politics, and let us return to the author of "Traits and Stories," to whom we give our most sincere thanks, for the relief we obtained by his stories from the painfully exciting discussions of VOL. I.

public affairs. We are fully aware of our inability sufficiently to praise these volumes, but were we to express what we feel on the subject, our praise might appear extravagant to those who have not read them, while to those who have it would be superfluous, as we are convinced that no one possessing the slightest knowledge of our country can fail to consider them as the best traits and stories connected with our native land that have ever issued from the press. We sincerely hope that Mr. Carleton may continue to work this valuable mine, in which he has discovered and partially wrought, a new and rich vein. As literary co-patriots, we trust that he will receive such encouragement at home as will obviate the necessity of our advocating the repeal of that literary union, which unlike the legislative,' draws from our shores our brothers of the quill, without giving their equivalent or allowing us a drawback on the export.

We cannot conclude our review of these admirable volumes without expressing the gratification we feel at being able, in the first number of a new literary enterprize, to bring before our readers a book, not merely meriting notice as the work of a fellow-countryman, but worthy of taking a high place in the literature of any nation; and we trust that it is an augury of success for ourselves, to find publishers not unwilling to risk capital in promoting literary exertion in this country, and purchasers ready to sanction the risk. Time was, when such an undertaking would be looked upon as a speculation, only to be paralleled in absurdity by the" South Sea Stock," or " Peruvian Bonds"-and though we cannot say,

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nous avons change tout cela;" yet, that such a change has taken place is undeniable; and books are published and publishing in Dublin, which, in our youthful days, could only have found purchasers and publishers at the other side of the channel: so that we trust ere long we will be able to say, with truth, what was said many years since without foundation in fact, but we hope in a prophetic spirit: "Les Irlandois, ne le cèdent plus aux Anglois, ni en industrie, ni en lumières,"

G

The legal profession in this country has changed surprisingly, but so has the country itself, and it would be strange that a profession which exists upon the feelings, wrongs and passions of the people should remain unmoved, while the social and political system underwent rapid and fearful alterations. Whether the Irish Bar has changed for the better is another question, and which would be solved according to the different opinions, and perhaps politics, of each individual. But it must strike every person acquainted with the history of Ireland for the last forty years, that the political temper of the Irish Bar has been as wonderfully changed as the style and method of their transaction of professional business "What a glorious thing," exclaims a young and ambitious spirit, "must it not have been to have lived in the days of Yelverton and Burgh, in the brilliant times of Curran, or of those now sobered spirits, Burrowes, Bushe and Plunket, but who then moved with splendour in the political firmament shining brightly therein, and gathering triumphant laurels; what a soul-stirring spectacle to have witnessed the trial of Hamilton Rowan, or the Sheares', or Wolfe Tone, or the young Emmet," those were the fine times for the lawyers and for the fame of their profession, when the larger the subject the greater appeared to be the talents of the advocate, when the more desperate the case, the mightier the effort

to save, when life and death, liberty and honour were the fearful topics, handled with unmatched energies, with a courage that nothing could shake, and an eloquence at once sublime and terrible. The impassioned student may dwell with rapture over these imperishable records of Irish oratory, which owe their origin to the fearfully misdirected politics of the time, till his very soul is fired with emulation, and he thirsts to rush forward in defence of no person in particular, but of the rights of the whole human race. Yet when reason assumes her ascendancy, and the effervescence of youth has cooled and settled, he will read the history of the legal profession of the period alluded to with pride indeed, at the manifestation of the highest intellect and spirit, but also with mingled sensations of grief, pity and terror-grief for the deep wounds inflicted on his country by her impious sons, for the havoc of human life, perpetrated by furious bigotry and the wildest revenge-pity for the noblest talents misapplied, for genius perverted to the purposes of evil, for the ignominious fate of the young, the gallant and the brave, who died the death of rebels, but might have lived the lives of patriots-and with a well-founded terror lest the artifices of unprincipled and wicked men might bring down upon his country a recurrence of the frightful calamities with which at no remote time, she was scourged and afflicted.