Accession of George I.-Zeal and loyalty of the catholics-Acknowledged by the government- Yet fresh penal statutes enacted-Case of Esther Sherlock and Maurice Annesley-Passing of the act 6th Geo. I.-Character of Swift-Proceedings of the Irish in consequence of Wood's patent- Popularity of Swift for his conduct on that occa- sion-Account from Lord Orrery-Proclamation offering a reward of 3001. for his discovery-Lord Carteret's elegant reply to Swift on the occasion- Character of Primate Boulter, and the means he Reign of George III.—Address to him by the catho- lics-Superciliously received by the Lord-lieuten- ant-Character of Primate Boulter-his splendour -and his political intrigues-Duke of Dorset viceroy-Tythe of agistment unfairly resisted by the Commons of Ireland-Observations on Irish tythes and proposed method of remedying the grievance-Lord Chesterfield appointed viceroy in 1745-His beneficial Administration-Character 6 Reign of George III.-Its length and eventful cha- racter-State and condition of Ireland, at the period of the American revolt-Paralyzing system adopted by England-Characters of the actors in Share which the ladies of Ireland had in laying the foundation of Irish independence-Appearance of the white-boys-Cause of that insurrection-Sus- picion of French intrigue-Hearts of oak-boys- Steel-boys-Administration of the Earl of Nor- thumberland-First symptoms, during it, in the house of commons, of a disposition to thwart the measures of government-Dr. Lucas and other Account of Lord Harcourt's administration-Ab- sentee tax-Opposed, and why-Influence of the American revolt upon the people of Ireland-Dawn- ing spirit of liberty-The catholics recognized as subjects-Distress of the manufactures-Proposed relief of Irish trade meets with opposition from the commercial towns of England and Scotland-Lord Harcourt recalled-Succeeded by the Earl of Buck- ingshire-Four thousand troops sent from Ireland HISTORY OF IRELAN D.. INTRODUCTION. Importance of Irish history-Causes of the slow progress of civilization in that Country-Description of the people in Queen Elizabeth's time-Kerns-Bards-The various uses of the mantle Obscurity of early Irish history General outline of the present work. AMID the great and astonishing events which have been and are still transacting around us, it may be doubted whether any of them can be justly said to have more forcible claims upon our attention and respect than those which connect themselves with the past and present state of Ireland. Her present state, indeed, may be supposed to have the most immediate reference to our feelings; but he who would satisfactorily investigate the causes of the condition in which she now is, must carry his enquiries into preceding ages, and trace with dili gence that long chain of circumstances which has been operating upon the destinies of her people for many centuries. The grievances of which Ireland complains have not been of modern origin; they have taken root in the past ages of darkness and bigotry, of ignorance and despotism, and they have been nourished and increased by successive sacrifices of justice, humanity and truth, to the temporising politics of a party, or the narrow policy of a minister. She has, during that period, made various efforts to acquire her freedom; I will not say to regain it, for it has been her melancholy fate never to have possessed it. The licentiousness of barbarism is not liberty, but the right of doing wrong with the ferocious freedom of savages. To acquire her liberty, however, has been her constant struggle; and as must ever be the case when weakness contends with power for strength, every new struggle has only tended to aggravate her calamities, and every new effort to shake off her chains, has only rivetted them the faster. Still, however, she has not borne her lot with the meekness, with the uncomplaining submission of a broken spirit; proud and fierce in the consciousness of her rights, she has fought and bled for them through every period of her history, with a hopelessness of despair, which has made every succeeding conflict more dreadful to herself and to her enemies. It has been the natural result of such a state, that the progress of civilization was greatly re |