We are first of all told that the monarch "meets" the dart of death; this fuits the character of the warrior: but this boldness is of fhort duration, we find him afterwards, groaning, crying, calling for help, and making a most un-heroic exit indeed. The repetition of "in vain," and he dies" was perhaps thought to be an improvement on the "fall'n, fall'n, &c. of Dryden; as a certain tragic author, from the fuccefs which attended the introducing a mother and child upon the ftage, conceived he should double the pathos by the introduction of two children. Perhaps it was thought unneceffary to notice from whence the last line of the extract is taken, as the line itself is fo well known.

ART. 29. Poetical Trifles. Written on various fubjects ferious and comic. By Edward Trapp Pilgrim, Efq. 1s. 6d. Debrett, 1785.

Mr. Pilgrim does not " afpire to folid fame." He gives his productions as bagatelles, and means that they fhould be confidered only in that light. The two fhort poems on the death of Dr. Johnfon, the one ferious, and the other comic, will be no unfavourable fpecimen of the author's talents.

On the Death of Dr. Sam. Johnfon.

"When borne to heav'n, the mufe's arms between,
Had I, great Johnson, thine Elifha been,

Eager thy mantle I had caught, and then,

Infcrib'd a Johnfon's fame with Johnson's pen!

But now, I dare not, impious, touch thy fhrine,
With diction rude, or with unhallow'd line;
Yet though to filence aw'd, with grief fincere,
The infant mufe fhall think, and drop a tear!

On the numerous Epitaphs, &c. written on the Death of Dr. Samuel
Johnfon, a Man in his life Time critically nice in point of Lite

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rature.

• When Gulliver lay prone on ground,

The Lilliputians throng'd around;
Unnumber'd was the hoft that ran,
All o'er the great gigantic man!

So Johnson, now to earth laid down,
A fecond Gulliver is known;
The Lilliputian poets pour,
Around his corpfe in numbers more
Than e'er on paper fcrawl'd before!

See one, Parnaffus's flax entwines,
And binds him ftrongly down with lines;
Others their bells poetic jingle,
And ftrive the Doctor's ears to tingle:
But O! take head, ye fons of Thumb,
Nor come fo near to meet your doom;
For fhould your noife be fomewhat louder,
He'll wake, and grind you all to powder!"

Elevation, polish and correctness are, for the most part, wanting in the ferious pieces of this collection, and the point of Mr. Pilgrim's epigrams depends upon a pun. Upon the whole, however, our bard appears to be more favoured by Thalia than Melpomene. NATIONAL

NATIONAL AFFAIRS,

For AUGUST, 1785.

IRELAND.

AS avarice is not the only paffion which governs individuals, fo neither is it the only paffion which governs nations. Revenge, ambition, the love of glory, a fatiety of tranquillity and eafe, a restless eagerness for intrigue, bustle, and action: thefe, though not fo fteady principles as the love of gain, are often more powerful. Were a regard to what is commonly called intereft the fole motive of human conduct, the determinations of men, in any given circumstances might be reduced, pretty nearly to arithmetical calculation. But the principles and paffions which govern our actions are various, and, like the letters of the alphabet, may be mixed and combined in an infinity of forms. The human foul is too fubtle and and elastic to be confined within the bounds of reafoning. It is a perfect Proteus. It affumes a thousand shapes, and mocks the politician's addrefs, and eludes his grafp.

But, if there be a nation under heaven that is lefs governed by the views of intereft than another, and concerning whofe conduct it is more difficult to form any certain prefage, it is Ireland. Commerce with luxury, effeminacy, and artifice in her train, has not yet reduced the Irish nation to the habits and ideas of mere manufacturers and fhop-keepers. The impreffions of national character among that people are yet ftrong and prominent. They are remarkable for a gaiety of difpofition, a liveliness of fancy, which far outstripping the flow pace of understanding, is apt to mistake a fudden and tranfient glance, for the whole of an object: a plentiful fource of merriment to others and to themfelves. It is thought that the original fettlers in Ireland came from Spain, and that they imported with them, and still retain the chearfulness the vivacity, the love of idlenefs, and of arms, which characterize the inhabitants of that delicious country. Be this as it may, the Irish people do certainly, at the prefent moment retain a confiderable portion of both the dignity and the barbarifm which diflinguifh the earlier periods of fociety. Amongst them we find the jovial excefs of the ancient hofpitality. Amongst them the character of a gentleman, though oppreffed with poverty, is ftill refpectable: and, on the whole, it is deemed better to bear arms, even in foreign fervice, than to amafs a fortune behind a counter. As the Irish gentlemen are ambitious of military reputation, and acquire it; fo the common people have their fights and encounters at fairs and funerals and other public meetings. This turbulency of difpofition in the lower ranks is, in fact, a kind of imitation of that point of honour which is fudden and quick in quarrel, and which, among the higher orders, finds no expiation for injury or

In Spain there are different nations, of whom the Caftilians only affect ftatelinefs and referve. The other nations, as might be expected in a warm and genial climate are lively even to extravagance.

affront

affront but in blood. Among the qualities that diftinguish the earlier periods of fociety we may rank that quick tranfition from one paflion to another, that fudden change of refolution, that refilefineis and impetuofity of temper, which equally avoids the reftraints of induftry, and the languor of inoccupation; and which acts not fo much from plan as from impule.

This brave but turbulent and volatile people had for ages groaned, and often hideoufly howled under the oppreflions of the Englifh. A fit opportunity was prefented: they quickly began gradually to affert their independence: hope of redrefs inflamed a fpirit of refentment: one conceffion, by inviting demands, led to another the elafticity of the Irifh fpirit was in proportion to its former compreffion.

It was when the Irish nation, was in this temper, when they found a more delicious gratification in humbling the pride, than they would have done by fharing the wealth of England, that the Britifh Administration thought proper to appeal to their venality from their ambition, and to make an attempt to flip a fhadow of fovereignty over a people proudly walking and glorying in newly acquired liberty. It was abundantly evident that no conceffion that England could make, would fatisfy Ireland, if it fhould be fhort of abfolute independence. The commercial advantages offered, were undoubtedly fufficient to have allured them to concord, if commercial advantage had been all they contended for. Even the famous fourth propofition, which feemed to threaten a refumption of the legiflative rights of Ireland, was foftened and explained away by Mr. Orde, who, plainly told the Irish Parliament that they would not be bound by that, nor by any other of the propofitions any longer than they pleafed. This was an infinuation that the whole proceedings refpecting a commercial eftablifliment were nothing elfe than a farce intended to amufe the people, for the prefent, with an appearance of bufinefs, and of a tendency towards harmony and good agreement. But the point which it is our object at prefent, to ilTuftrate, is, that it was impolitic to keep alive and irritate the animosity of Ireland, by any commercial or other treaty at the present

moment.

Counfels ought not, indeed, fuch is the intricacy of human affairs! to be judged of always by the event: nor do we judge of the Minifter's conduct, in the prefent queftion, by this standard. A flight infpection of the preceding numbers of this monthly fpeculation will fatisfy every perfon that we uniformly maintained the opinion, that there was fomething in the prefent fpirit of the Irith nation that was not to be managed by courtship: and that there was no medium between force and leaving them to themselves.

The propofitions are now withdrawn: but the manner in which they were brought forth and preffed on the acceptance of the Irish nation, amounts to a ftrong and formal recognition of their independence. However, the wifeft ftep in the whole proceedings now under review was the withdrawing of a propofal that was encountered with fuch hoftile oppofition. And, in general, the prudence and policy of Mr. Pitt have hitherto been more apparent when he abandoned

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abandoned than when he urged his projects; when he followed, than when he led; when he ceafed to act, than when he acted.

It now remains for England to endeavour to profit, it the can, by the experience of her follies. Let her not pretend to move more than the can weild, or grafp at more than the can hold, on the one hand: nor be fo much depreffed by her dilappointment in undertakings that are impracticable, as to defpair of accomplishing what plainly lies within the fphere of her power. The fpirit of Ireland io powerfully roufed will not fuddenly fubfide, and the 'turn it fhall take, the object to which it fhall be directed is a matter of equal curiofity and uncertainty. It is not impoffible but that, the affections of the Irish, may foon return in a ftrong current towards England. If they fhould not, and that a fpirit of animolity fhould continue, it is evident that the most fagacious politician can do no other than one or other of thefe three things: either to leave it wholly to the coolling operation of time; of, 2. to divert it, if poffible, to other objects; or, 3. to refit it.

If the ardour of Ireland fhould continue, without being mifchievous, it would be wifdom to fuffer it to evaporate in foaiting the volunteers and the kingdom of Ireland. If it thould threaten mifchief, an enlightened and matterly politician, armed with the legi flative authority and power of Great Britain, and a very powerful intereft in Ireland, might, perhaps, find means of diverting it to other objects either of peace or war. As it is calier to give a new direction to a body in motion than to move it; fo it is alfo calier to give it a new direction than to reflore and fix it in a state of rett. In ancient as well as in modern times we read of political přiaces managing and turning the fpirit of affemblies and whole nations of men. In England we find little in our politics of either philofophy or common fenfe: but a great deal of cunning and corruption. Thefe, with fluency of fpeech feem the only ingredients neceflary, in thefe times, in the compofition of an English Statesman..

But, if animofity fhould break forth into violence, and discontents into open hoftilities, then it is to be hoped that this nation is not yet fo funk either in fpirit, or in power, as longer to fit ftill in a ftate of stupid inaction. By violence and hostility we do not understand war and bloodshed only: but treaties of commerce or of alliance with powers hoftile to Great-Britain; non-importation agreements, and laws prohibitory of English manufactures; a repulfe of our tations fitteft for the file ies, &c. &c.

fishermen frome French King prohibiting the importation of

The Arret of

English goods into France, coinciding in time with the propofitions for a commercial fyftem between the British Ifles, cannot fail to fix the attention of all Europe as well as of the British Cabinet. Let Ireland maintain her right to a free trade with all the world, and let France exclude British goods with the one hand, while the receives the manufactures of Ireland with the other, and the fevereft blow is ftruck that was ever aimed against the profperity and the pover of England. For with fuch inviting markets before their eyes as the dominions and dependencies of all the branches of the Houfe of Bourbon, over and above other markets, manufactures would doubt,

lefs

y migrate from England to Ireland. And this no doubr ery object that the Court of Verfailles has in view. nould Ireland throw herfelf into the protection of France, one of che moft fingular fcenes would be difplayed that was ever exhibited amidst all the viciffitudes of contending nations. The Irish proteftants, who owe all their wealth, power, and confequence, as well as their laws and civil conftitution to England, defying their patrons on the one hand, and ftill maintaining their ufurpations on a nation on the other, whom their patrons enabled them to bring under their fubjection and fupported, too, by a power which, at the end of the last century appeared in arms on the fide of the oppreffed nation united to themfelves by the band of religion. Will the French fupport the Irish proteftants in oppofition to the great body of the nation, the Roman Catholics? or, is it poffible that the Catholics of Ireland, who for centuries have perfifted in their claims, will abandon them on an occafion which invites them to enforce them? With regard to the matter of right, the pretenfions of the Irish Proteftants are abfurd and a mockery of all morality. If they may justly maintain authority over the Irish Catholics whom they ftripped of their poffeffions, another nation may exist that may claim authority over them. Can they fay to the antient Irifh with any act of justice, we will keep faft hold of our ufurpations on you, we will retain all the authority of government; but we will fhake off all dependency on that government which gave us power to opprefs you?” If fuch a whimsical fituation fhould ever be realized, the world might fee the English colonists in Ireland ranged under the ftandard of France, and the Roman Catholics reclaiming their loft patrimony under the aufpices and banners of England.

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While the politicianis led to contemplate this confufed and fermenting fcene from curiofity, or from intereft, there is many a stupid foul in England, that knows not how to pafs time away, that promifes himself no little amusement from bloody battles both at sea and land, and these too, at no great distance.

GERMANY.

The restlesness of the Emperor, who is conftantly armed but who never fights has, as yet, reaped no other fruit of all his mighty preparations than a few immaterial conceffions from the Dutch: while he has provoked a confederacy against him of German Princes connected in defenfive and offenfive alliance by the King of Pruffia. This confederacy the aged monarch will leave after his death, as a bulwark of that liberty which he protected in his life.

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