But he amply compenfates for the want of thefe brilliant qualifications, by a feries of study, that enables him to difcern what it is that will be ufeful to his country, and what are the remedies that her misfortunes demand. Zohor is perhaps the laft defender of that philofophy, fprung up in England, and received for a moment in France, the primeval caufe of the revolution which is now taking place; that philofophy, which would produce the happiness of the world; if, reitrained within proper limits, its advantages had never been exaggerated by enthufiaftic advocates, and never profcribed by the apprehenfive and the timid. If Zohor does not unfurl its ftandard like Voltaire, if he does not deify it like Diderot, it is however impoffible to mistake his real fentiments; and we may fay of him, "He feeks the fhade, but firft he would be seen." He has invented nothing, and yet is infinitely fuperior to ordinary writers. Why? Because he has advanced and improved the art of thinking. If his imagination be parfimonious and fcanty, his judgment is luminous and found; and he will prove of more real ufe to mankind, than twenty-writers, that afpire with juftice to the praife of genius. A woman, who had formerly fome reputation, attacked him with virulence* without being able to draw from him a word of reply. This philofophic moderation has been much praifed, but little imitated. Zohor enjoys a name, that his labours have made illuftrious; all Europe does him this juftice. Let it be obferved, that extenfive celebrity, is no trifling poffeffion, at a time, when the world appears to have confpired for the deftruction of mediocrity, and is agreed to repulfe with contempt the ambitious pretenders, that befiege on all fides the temple of re nown. N O T E, The author probably alludes to the Marchionefs de Sillery, in her treatife entitled Religion the fource of true Felicity. One merit that belongs to Zohor, "is, to have extended the limits of geometry, not only through all the regions of natural fcience, but alfo into queftions of moral confideration, which are in their own nature complicated, fortuitous and variable. This obfervation is perhaps matter enough for a long winded panegyric; but we content ourselves with dropping a hint upon the fubjects, without undertaking a finished delineati on. A man foon becomes diffatisfied with what he already poffeffes, and the fuffrage, we had almoft faid of the human fpecies, does not content Zohor. He burns to feek for fame in a new career; already he regrets fo many nights paffed in the patience of calculation; he haftens to plunge himfelf in the ocean of politics, and feeks in the tempeft of debate for a new fource of glory. Zohor is altogether averfe to those numerous circles, where the female fex prefides; where they ftamp with their anathema thofe works, whofe merit they are unable to difpute; where they loudly applaud mediocrity, when united with a rank that may patronife or may perfecute; where their ftupid lovers are encouraged for no other purpose than to make of them echoes, which may spread far and wide the defpotic dercces of this abfolute fenate. He is a member of that academy, which Richelieu, who had a fpice of the pedant, and not a grain of the philofopher, intended to compofe of grammatical critics. But Zohor knows better than any man living, how puerile it is to be bufied about words when natural science prefents us every year with a new phenomenon; when nature, hunted to the quick, continually fuffers one and another of her fecrets to escape her: and when commerce is at length become in object of ratiocination and science. Zohor ftrictly conforms himself to the advice of his mafter and friend, the late M. d'Alembert, who ufed to fay, that "the genuine fage was beneficent and kind towards every human being, familiar in the fociety of a few, intimate with only one." Anecdotes Patrick's Purgatory, a cave in an ifland Anecdotes of Carolan the celebrated Irish in Lough Dearg, in the county Done CARO Bard. AROLAN was born in Ireland, in JAN the year 1670, in the village of Nobber, in the county of Wellmeath, on the lands of Carolan's town, which were wrefted from his ancestors by the family of the Nugents, on their arrival in this kingdom with Henry the Second. His father was a poor farmer, the humble proprietor of a few acres, which yielded him a fcanty fubfiftence; his mother, the blooming daughter of a neighbouring peafant; in chufing whom his father was directed rather by nature than by prudence. .. gal of which more wonders are told than even the cave of Trophonius. On his return to fhore, he found feveral pilgrims waiting the arrival of the boat which had conveyed him to the object of his devotion. In affifting fome of thefe devout travellers to get on board, he chanced to take a lady's hand, and inftantly exclaimed "Dar lamha mo chardais chroift, (that is, by the hand of my goffip) this is the hand of Bridget Cruife!" His fenfe of feeling did not deceive him; it was the hand of her whom he once adored. Our bard folaced himself for the lofs of Mifs Cruife in the arms of Mary Mac Guire, a young lady of a good family in the county of Fermanagh." Mifs Mac Guire proved a proud and an extravagant dame; but he was the wife of his choice; he loved her tenderly, and lived harmonioufly with her. On his marriage he fixed his refidence on a small farm near Mofhill, in the county of Leitrim. Here he built a neat little house, in which he gave his friends The bard muft have been deprived of fight at a very early period of his life: for he remembered no impreffion of colours. Thus was "knowledge at one entrance fhut out," before he had taken even a curfory view of the creation. From this misfortune he felt no uneafinefs. My eyes," he ufed merrily to fay, are tranfplanted into my ears.' His musical genius was foon difcovered, and his friends determined to cultivate it. About the age of twelve, a mafler was engaged to inftruct him in "If not a fumptuous welcome, yet a the practice of the harp; but though fond of that inftrument, he never ftruck it with a mafter-hand. Genius and diligence are feldom united; and it is practice alone can perfect us in any art. Yet his harp was rarely unftrung; but in general he only used it to affift him in compofition: his fingers wandered among the ftrings in quest of the fweets of melody. Carolan became enamoured of Mifs Bridget Cruife (of Cruife town in the county of Longford) feveral years after he had loft his fight. His harp now, like the lute of Anacreon, would only found of love. Though this lady did not give him her hand, it is imagined the did not deny him her heart. But, like Apollo, when he caught at the nymph," he filled his arms with bays." The fong which bears her name is his chef d'auure: it came warm from his heart while his genius was in full vi kind.' Hofpitality confumed the produce of his little farm: he ate, drank, and was merry, and improvidently left to-mor row to provide for itfelf. This fometimes occafioned embarraffments in his domeftic affairs; but he had no, friend to remind him, "that nothing will fupply the want of prudence, and that negligence and irregularity, long continued, will make knowledge ufclefs, wit ridi culous, and genius contemptible.” At what period of his life Carolan commenced an itinerant mufician is not known. Nor is it confidently told whether, like Arnauld Daniel, he n'eut abord d'autre Apollon que le befoin: or whether his fondness for mufic induced him to betake himself to that profeffion; Dr. Campbell indeed feems to attribute his choice of it to an early difappointment in love. It was during his peregrinations that Carolan compofed all thofe airs which જેસ are ftill the delight of his country. He thought the tribute of a fong due to every houfe in which he was entertained, and he never failed to pay it; chufing for his fubject either the head of the family, or the lovelieft of its branches. At an early period of his life he contracted a fondnefs for fpirituous liquors, which he retained even to the laft ftage of it. But inordinate gratifications carry their punishment along with them; nor was Carolan exempt from thrs general imposition. His phyficians affured him, that unless he corrected this vicious habit, a fcurvy, which was the confequence of his intemperance' would foon put an end to his mortal career. He obeyed with reluctance, and ferioufly refolved upon never tafting that forbidden, though (to him) delicious cup. The town of Boyle, in the county of Rofcommon, was at that time his principal place of refidence; there, while under fo fevere a regimen, he walked, or rather wandered about like a Reveur; his ufual gaiety forfook him-no fallies of a lively imagination efcaped him-every moment was marked with a dejection of fpirits, approaching to the deepeft melancholy; and his harp, his favourite harp, lay in fome obfcure corner of his habitation, neglected and unftrung. Paffing one day by a grocer's fhop, our Irith Orpheus, after a fix weeks quarantine, was tempted to ftep in, undetermined whether he should abide by his late refolution, or whether he fhould yield to the impulfe felt at the moment. "Well, my dear friend," cried he to the young man who ftood behind the counter, you fee I am a man of conftancy; for fix long weeks I have refrained from whifkey; was there ever fo great an inftance of felf-denial? But a thought ftrikes me, and furely you will not be cruel enough to refufe one gratification which I fhall earneftly folicit; bring hither a meaíure of my favourite liquor, which I fhall finell to, but indeed will not tafte." The lad indulged him on that condition; and no fooner did the fumes afcend to his brain, when every latent fpark within him was rekindled; his countenance glowed with an unusual brightness; and the foliloquy which he repeated over the cup, was the effufion of a heart newly animated, and the ramblings of a genius, which a Sterne would have purfued with raptures of delight. At length, to the great peril of his health, and contrary to the advice of his medical friends, he once more quaffed the forbidden draught, and renewed the brimmer, until his fpirits were fufficiently exhilarated, and until his mind had fully refumed its former tone. He immediately fet about compofing thet much admired fong, which goes by the name of Carolan's (and fometimes Stafford's) Receipt. For fprightlinefs of fentiment, and harmony of numbers, it ftands unrivalled in the lift of our beft modern drinking fongs, as our niceft critics will readily allow. He commenced the words, and began to modulate the air, in the evening at Boyle, and before the following morning, he fung and played this noble offspring of his imagination in Mr. Stafford's parlour at Elphin. Carolan's inordinate fondness for Irifh wine (as Pierre le Grand used to call whiskey,) will not admit of an excufe: it was a vice of habit, and might therefore have been corrected. But fomething may be faid in extenuation. He feldom drank to excefs; befides, he feemedo think, nay, was convinced from experience, that the fpirit of whifkey was grateful to his mufe, and for that reafon generally of fered it when he intended to invoke her. "They tell me, fays Dr. Campbell, that in his (Carolan's) later days, he never compofed without the infpiration of whiskey, of which at that critical hour, he always took care to have a bottle befide him." Nor was Carolan the only bard who drew infpiration from the bottle: there have been feveral planets in the poetical hemifphere that feldom fhone but when illuminated by the rayof rofy wine. Cunningham wrote his beft paftorals after he had made a moderate facrifice to Bacchus. It is faid that the amiable Addifon's wit fparkled moft when the pulfe beat quick. And the goblet always flows with wine unmixt' for Demodocus (in whoic perfon Homer reprefents himfelt) always drinks hard before he tunes his vocal lay.' Mufie was in fome measure identified wit with Carolan. It was an active princi- ftranger to Italian mufic, yet he would ple interwoven in his nature, which gave follow him in any piece he played, and fuch life and energy to all his own pro- that he himself would afterwards play ductions; and which enabled him to a voluntary, in which the Italian difcover the merit of others in the fame fhould not follow him. The propoline, with fuch wonderful accuracy of fal was acceded to: and Carolan was judgment. It was from a full conviction victorious. of his great powers, that the Italians It is well known, and feveral refpechave dignified him with the name of table perfons have vouched for the truth Carolonius. And it is a fact well afcer- of the fact, that he often heard the tained, that the fame of Carolan, having Eneid of Virgil read with uncommon reached the ears of the celebrated Ge- delight, though he did not understand a miniani when he was in Dublin, he put word of Latin-fo true it is, that one his abilities to a fevere teft, and the genius will catch the fire from another iffue of the trial convinced him, how by a fort of fympathy! nay, his admirawell founded every thing had been, tion for the Roman poet induced him to which has been advanced in favour of the imitate Latin words, which though mere Irish bard. The method he made ufe of founds, he fhaped into lofty hexameters, was as follows: he fingled out an ex- according to the ftrict rules of profody. cellent piece of mufic, and highly in the file of the country which gave him birth; here and there he either altered or mutilated the piece, but in fuch a manner, as that no one but a real judge could make a difcovery. Carolan betowed the deepeft attention upon the performer while he played it, not knowing however that it was intended as a trial of his fkill; and that the critical moment was at hand, which was to determine his reputation for ever. He declared it was an admirable piece of mufic; but to the aftonifhment of all prefent, faid, very humouroufly, in his own language, "ta fe air chois air baccaigh;" that is," here and there it limps and ftumbles." He was prayed to rectify the errors, which he accordingly did. In this ftate the piece was fent from Connaught to Dublin; and the Italian no fooner faw the amendments, than he pronounced Carolan to be a true mufical genius. Carolan's mufe was not always employed in deifying him ployed in deifying the great, in praifing beauty, or in heightening the mirth of the convival hour; fometimes it was devoted to the fervice of his God. He frequently affitted with his voice and his harp at the elevation of the hoft; and compofed feveral pieces of church mufic, which are deemed excellent. Mr. O'Connor, in a letter to a friend, makes honourable mention of a piece of his facred mufic. "On Eafter Monday," fays the amiable old man, "I heard him play at Mafs. He called the piece Gloria in Excelfis Deo, and he fung that hymn in Irish verfes as he played. At the Lord's prayer he stopped and after the pricft ended it, he fang again, and played a piece which he denominated the refurrection. His enthusiasm of devotion affected the whole congregation." In the beginning of the prefent century, the then lord Mayo brought from Dublin a celebrated Italian performer, to fpend fome time with him at his feat in the country. Carolan, who was at that time on a vifit at his lordfhip's, found himfelf greatly neglected, and complained of it one day in the prefence of the foreigner. "When you play in as mafterly a manner as he does, replied his lordship, you fhall not be overlooked." Carolan wagered with the mufi n, that though he was almoft a total But the period was now approaching, at which Carolan's feelings were to receive a violent thock. In the year 1753, the wife of his bofom was torn from him by the hand of death. This melancholy event threw a gloom over his mind, which was never atter entirely diffipated. As foon as the tranfports of his grief were a little fubfided, he compofed a beautiful monody to her memory. Carolan did not continue long in this vale of forrow after the departure of his beloved wife. While ona vifit at the houfe of Mr. Mac Dermot, of Aldesford in the county of Rofcommon, he died in the the month of March, 1738, in the 68th year of his age. He was interred in the "parifh church of Killronan, in the diocefe of Ardah; but " not a ftone tells where he lies." Some Account of the Trial of Mr. Thomas Paine for a Libel, on Tuesday, December 18, 1792, at Guildhall, London. HIS trial lafted fix hours, and it is lafted fix impoffible for us to do juftice to the admirable fpeeches of Mr. Attorney General and Mr. Erfkine, but by giving them at full length, which would occupy too much room in our magazine, and therefore we muft content ourselves with the general outlines of them. Mr. Percival opened the pleadings on this information, which ftated, "That Thomas Paine, being a wicked, feditious, and ill-difpofed perfon, and being greatly difaffected to our fovereign lord the king, and to the happy government and conftitution of this kingdom, as eftablished at the revolution, publifhed a falfe and fcandalous libel of and concerning the faid government and conftitution, &c. which libel. fhall be afterwards ftated." To this the defendant had pleadednot guilty. Mr. Attorney General laid before the jury what appeared to him a plain, clear, and indifputable cafe. Had it not been that certain circumftances had rendered it of more expectation than ordinary, he fhould have literally contented himfelf with reading the different libellous paffages from the fecond part of the publication called "the rights of man," and left them to the judgment of the jury, without faying one word upon them; but the accumulated mifchief which had arifen from this libel, had rendered it neceffary that he fhould fay a few words. In the first place, a report had been propagated, that the prefent profecution did not accord with his private fentiments. He wished to refute that report, and declared, if it had been true, that he fhould no longer have been worthy to hold his prefent fituation, but to be expelled from the fervice of his fovereign, and of the public. He certainly Hib. Mag. Jan. 1'792. thought it his indifpenfable duty to bring this enormous offender before a jury of his country. He obferved, the publication in queftion was not the first of the kind which this defendant had fent forth into the world. He had published what is called "the first part of the rights of man,' which, though it was extremely reprehenfible, he had overlooked, on this principle, that he did not wish to prevent any kind of fpeculative difcuffion from coming under the public eye. But another was ushered into the world ftill more reprehenfible, which had been fpread over every part of the kingdom with incredible induftry, and thrust into the hands of all defcriptions of perfons in this country. Even children's fweetmeats were wrapped up with parts of it. The moft inconceivable industry had been exerted to obtrude this book on the minds of the public, who were not converfant with fuch fubjects, and of which they could form no proper judgment. He had therefore thought it his duty to put a charge on the record against the author of this work. He fhould ftate what he conceived the intention of this writer to be, and they would afterwards confider whether they were not fatisfied that it deferved that defcription which his duty obliged him to give it. In the firft place he imputed to it a deliberate intention to vilify and difgrace, and thereby to bring into abhorrence and contempt, the whole conftitution of the government of this country as explained at the revolution-that fyftem of government under which we had the happinets to live at this day. By thefe means the fubjects of this country might be impofed upon to their own deftruction, and be diffident of that which was their falvation, and upon which every thing that was dear to them depended. He imputed to this book a deliberate defign to bring calamity on this country, by deftroying that love which we had hitherto had for our conftitution. He imputed to the defendant, that he had reprefented the regal part of the government of this country, bounded and limited as it was, as oppreffive and abominable tyranny; and he farther imputed to the F defendant, |