If (as Pope says) "whatever is, is right," those trials may perhaps be intended for our greater benefit, as lessons to shew us, that our kingdom is not of this world, that we are not to expect any real happiness in this life, and that the greatest calamities and miseries here must have an end. This reflection, I own, has often relieved me on many distressing occurrences. But how I will be able to bear at this time of life, when nature is far advanced in its decline, and my constitution by constant exercise of mind very much impaired, the fatal necessity of quitting for ever, friends, relations, an ancient patrimony,....my natale solum, to retire perhaps to some dreary inauspicious clime, there to play the school-boy again, to learn the language, laws, and constitution of the country; to make new friends and acquaintances; in short, to begin the world anew; how this separation, I say, from every thing dear in this sublunary world, would afflict me, I cannot say, but with an agitated and throbbing heart. But when Religion dictates, and Prudence points out the only way to preserve posterity from temptation and perdition, I feel this consideration predominating over all others, I am resolved as soon as possible to sell out, and to expatriate; and I must content myself with the melancholy satisfaction of treasuring up in my memory the kindnesses and affections of my friends. Living or dying, I am, My dear O'Conor, LAWRENCE SAUL November 15, 1759, No. LXIV. LETTER OF MR. O'CONOR to DR. CURRY....PAGE 55. DEAR SIR, September 16th, 1759, NO circumstance attending the Memoirs gives mẹ more pain, than the prospect you have before you, that the storm of the times is to burst over the heads of the patronizers of such a work, that is, over the defenceless, the grieved, and hated part of the nation....If our masters are so far bent against us, as to be provoked at what we may now surely call innocent truths; let those truths be secreted for better days and better times, even though no great deference should be observed to the errors of men, who would rather continue ruinously mistaken, than be unpleasingly undeceived; my deference to such men would go but a short way; and were I author of the Historical Memoirs, I would apprehend but very little from the open avowal of them. But, perhaps the true author, whoever he is, has more measures to keep through the delicacy of his situation. For my part, I can see neither relief nor persecution from the complexion of the present times, they seem not purified enough for the one, nor implacable enough for the other; and when the scales of political wisdom are thus poised, let us conclude that wisdom and justice will take care one time or other to cast the balance on the right side. Your's affectionately, CHARLES O'CONOR. DEAR SIR, TO THE SAME. Belanagare, October 20th. ON my return two days since from Jamestown, I called in Elphin, at Mr. Stafford's. He informed me, that he put a book which lately came out, (on the fatal rebellion in 1641) into the Bishop's hands, who promised it an impartial reading. As you might probably have perused that work, you may be curious to know what so great a man's thoughts are relative to it; they are indeed pretty much what I foresaw they would be.... The author (said he) hath taken great pains to support his facts by authentic testimonies, but I cannot approve of the discretion of gentlemen, who in the present time revive such facts....Mr. Stafford made no reply; nor could it escape his lordship, that such facts are revived incessantly, in the anniversary sermons, pamphlets, and books of the most eminent men among us. But the charge of indiscretion is levelled particularly at any person, who now have the audacity to controvert any matters set forth in these periodical writings. For my own part I cannot but approve entirely of the equity of this judgment: nor can I see the reason, why a people, who contended in vain for civil justice in a former age, should have any historical justice done them in this! Who does not see that under all popular governments, popular contention must sometimes arise, and that every discomfited party, (which party must be surely always in the wrong) owe at least one duty to the public, which is either to applaud the justice done them, or leave the ho nour of the panegyric to others. In the present case you see, that nothing more than a respectful silence is required, and sorry I am that the author of the book I mention, did not follow the example set him by his own party for seventy years past. Had he done so, nothing more than the usual course would be served up, on the approaching anniversary of the 23d instant; but now I am not without my apprehensions, that the perusal of those memoirs may swell the bill of fare; and prove expensive to those, for whom such feasts are annually prepared. Here I drop my melancholy subject, having only to add, that his lordship suspects strongly, that the author of the book I mention, lives this side of the Shannon; he will doubtless confirm others in this idea. I lay four nights ago in Jamestown, nine miles off. It contains an area of four or five plantation acres, in an oblong square, surrounded by a strong wall six feet in thickness, about twenty feet high; the two great gates are broken down. It stretches along the Shannon, under a rising ground to the West; no fortification was ever worse situated for defence. I give you this description of the place, as it is almost as famous in history, for its council of bishops in the civil war, as Trent is for another council, which is equally the object of popular odium. I have tired you and myself. P. S. The great man set off for Dublin on Monday last. He thought that the not procuring him the Iphigenia, was owing rather to a design in secreting the work, than the real want of the book. I request you will do all you can to hunt down this historical fugitive, and let him be delivered bound up, or even loose, to one who is so eager to have him examined. THE ANSWER. DEAR SIR, I RETURN a thousand thanks for both your last favours. Your great neighbour's observation on the Memoirs is pleasant enough. After a very short, critical, inquisitive perusal of an unpleasing work, because a work, destructive of one of his principal topics of argumentation against an opposite party, whom he is in the habit not only of dissenting from, but detesting; for such a man to have no other fault to find, but indiscretion, in the publication of such truths at this juncture, nay, to allow that the author has supported his facts by authentic evidence....quod erat desideratum....amounts, consideratis considerandis....to approba tion and applause. From a judge so circumstanced as his lordship, no more could be expected; and his mentioning the fault of indiscretion, looks like affected criticism; because you have shewn it to be entirely groundless, and because it was, you know, absolutely necessary he should find some fault. I have been seeking in vain for Iphigenia: if I can get her at any price, she shall be at your service. Adieu, J. CURRY. No. LXV. THE HUMBLE ADDRESS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC GENTLEMEN, MERCHANTS, AND CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN, TO HIS GRACE, JOHN, DUKE OF BEDFORD, &c....PAGE 37. (From the Dublin Gazette, December 15, 1789.) MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE, WE, his majesty's dutiful and faithful subjects, the Roman Catholic gentlemen, merchants, and citizens of the city of Dublin, do, with the greatest respect, approach the illustrious representative of the best of kings, with our hearty congratulations on those glorious successes, by sea and land, which have attended his majesty's arms, in the prosecution of this just and necessary war. We gratefully acknowledge the lenity extended to us by his most sacred majesty, and by his royal father, of happy memory. Our allegiance, may it please your grace, is confirmed by affection and gratitude; our religion commands it; and it shall be our invariable rule firmly and inviolably to adhere to it. We are called to this duty, at the present time in particular, when a foreign enemy is meditating desperate attempts to interrupt the happiness and disturb the repose, which these kingdoms have so long enjoyed, under a monarch, who places his chief glory in approving himself the common father of all his people: and we sincerely assure your grace, that we are ready and willing, to the utmost of our abilities, to assist in supporting his majesty's government against all hostile attempts whatsoever, Whenever, my lord, it shall please the Almighty, that the legislative power of this realm, shall deem the peaceable conduct of his majesty's Catholic subjects of Ireland, for many years past an ob ject worthy of its favourable attention, we humbly hope means may 23 then be devised, to render so numerous a body more useful members to the community, and more strengthening friends to the state, than they could possibly have hitherto been, under the restraint of the many penal laws against them. We most humbly beseech your grace to represent to his majesty these sentiments and resolutions of his majesty's faithful subjects, the Roman Catholics of this metropolis, who sincerely wish, that a peace honourable to his majesty and advantageous to his kingdoms, may be the issue of the present war; and that the people of Ireland may be long governed by your grace, a viceroy, in whom wisdom, moderation, and justice, are so eminently conspicuous. Dated this first of December, 1759. (nine). HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEDFORD'S ANSWER TO THE AD SPEAKER OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS. (From the Dublin Gazette, December 15th, 1759.) SIR, Dublin Castle, 10th of December, 1759. I BEG the favour of you to return my most sincere thanks to the gentlemen, the Roman Catholics of Dublin, for the address which you brought me from them this morning, and for the good opinion which they have therein expressed of me. The zeal and attachment, which they profess for his majesty's person and government, can never be more seasonably manifested, than in the present conjuncture. It gives me the greatest pleasure to find, that they are so fully sensible of the lenity, which hath been extended to them, during the whole course of his majesty's reign; and they may be assured, that, so long as they conduct themselves with duty and affection to the king, they will not fail to receive his majesty's protection. I am with great truth and regard, sir, Your most obedient humble servant, BEDFORD. |