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METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER.
From December 25, 1814, to January 25, 1815.

Kept by C. Blunt, Philosophical Instrument-maker, No. 38, Tavistock-st. Covent-Garden.

THE

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

No. 14.]

MARCH 1, 1815.

[VOL. III.

MONTHLY MAGAZINES have opened a way for every kind of inquiry and information. The intelligence and discussion contained in them are very extensive and various; and they have been the means of diffusing a general habit of reading through the nation, which in a certain degree hath enlarged the public understanding. HERE, too, are preserved a multitude of useful hints, observations, and facts, which otherwise might have never appeared.-Dr. Kippis.

Every Art is improved by the emulation of Competitors.--Dr. Johnson.

MR. EDITOR,

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

IN the Review of Mr. Wakefield's work on Ireland, in the Monthly Review for May, 1813, p. 10, Mr. Wakefield says, or the reviewers say for him, that "Wheat is very little known in Ireland, and oats are NEVER used by the inhabitants as food; like barley, they are raised chiefly for distillation." I wish I had Mr. Wakefield's work before me (though not at its price) to see whether that position is only inferred by the Monthly Reviewers, or is hazarded by Mr. W. himself; but, in a matter of such importance and notoriety, whether he made the assertion, or whether he so expressed himself that it could be asserted upon his authority, he must be WELL QUALIFIED INDEED for the office he undertook of a statistical reporter or writer. Ireland not only raises a sufficient quantity of wheat for its own consumption, which is not small, but every year it exports, and largely too, to England, when the price makes exportation an object; as Mr. Wakefield might have seen, by consulting the returns kept at the different ports, which returns are regularly transmitted by the proper officers to government. It was by keeping our superfluous wheat at home, instead of exporting it to Eugland, in the year 1800, that Ireland was able to meet that calamitous period of famine with less hardship than almost any other country; for, though oats and potatoes failed in that year from want of moisture, the wheat crop was abundant, and of excellent quality. If wheat was little known in Ireland, will Mr. W. inform us of what use are the numerous four-mills in that kingdom? and how every little buckster's shop, in every little village, in every parish, could be supplied with wheaten bread of the finest quality, if wheat was little known? Can sou inform ine, Sir, whether this Mr. Wakefield, who maintains this position, or who is the cause of its being main MONTHLY MAG. - No. 14. ALW

tained, is the Mr. W. who was examined
concerning the Corn Laws? If he is the
person!!! allow me to give him some
information, in return for that which he
has given to us, "that oats are never
used by the inhabitants for food; like
barley, they are raised chiefly for distil
lation." Oats, manufactured into meal,
have from time immemorial formed one
of the chief articles of support, from
one extremity of the kingdom to the
other, for the working classes of the
community: for this purpose they are,
excess only that has been employed in
and have been, cultivated; it is the
tice. Short-sighted, and fond of whiskey,
distillation, and that is but a late prac-
as we poor Paddys are, we have still
acuteness enough to know, that if we
did not secure to ourselves a beilyful
of something solid, we could not long
Come, Mr. Editor, and let us turn,
enjoy a bellyful of our favourite liquor.
for variety, to the Monthly Review of
June, 1813, and let us see what is there
same gentleman, and whether he is bet-
said of the manners of Ireland by the
ter qualified on this subject than be is on
that we have just quitted. Speaking of
that medical men, in Ireland, are not
Dublin, Mr. W. says, "It is extraordinary
of the other liberal professions. Physi-
held in the same estimation as gentlemen
cians are treated WITH PARTICULAR CON-
TEMPT in this country; though there are
many professors of medicine as much dis-
as by humanity and attention to the com-
tinguished by their skill and learning,
fort and health of the poor." Now this
is a most extraordinary charge, and that
I never before could have formed an
more than half a century, and have seen
idea of, though I have lived in Ireland.
a great deal of society; for I always
thought hitherto (ignorant as I have
as Mr. W. describes, was always treated
been!) that a medical character, such
profession; that it
with at least as much respect as any
man of any station or

Voi, III.

P

102

Strictures on Wakefield's Account of Ireland.

was a passport into the most respectable society, either in the capital or in the country; where, especially, from their knowledge and other qualifications, they rather led than followed the tone of the company; that they were leading men in all the literary and scientific institutions, as well as in the humane and charitable foundations throughout the kingdom. A rash man would be apt to say, that Mr. Wakefield had been very unfortunate in the company he kept, to form such an opinion as he gives; but I rather attribute that opinion to another and more remote cause: he certainly must have had intercourse with Asmodeus, the celebrated Devil upon Two Sticks, who had given to him, as he did to Don Cleopas, the power of seeing what to the rest of mankind was invisible; which this assertion, and many other assertions he has made, most strongly tend to prove. In this conjecture I may be wrong;-if I am right, I wish the same demon had also gifted him with a few other qualities that seem to be wanting.

In his chapter or division on the National Character, as quoted in the Monthly Review last mentioned, (p. 151,) he is very severe on the practice of jobbing; and he says, "I did not myself escape the imputation; for many of the newspapers assured their readers that I was paid five guineas a day by government; and they added, who would waste his time without remuneration?" How current soever that imputation might have been according to Mr. Wakefield, before his book was published, since that took place, every person must be persuaded it could have no foundation in fact, unless government was so injudicious as to pay a mai for maligning and misrepresenting and distorting, according to the best of his very poor abilities, not only Ireland, but their own conduct and measures, whenever they came under the severity of his most able and most learned pen. But a propos of Mr. Wakefield's learning (since he has mentioned a report concerning himself, he cannot be offended at another person mentioning a report also concerning him): The Monthly Reviewers speak of Mr. W. possessing more scholarship than generally falls to the share of an agriculturist; but he is not exempt from the ambition of displaying it?" The report on this subject in Ireland is, that Mr. W. finding himself totally incompetent to arrange the immense pile of crude materials which he had collected, and to

[March 1,

reduce this chaotic mass to some reasonable shape, found it necessary to apply to a person more conversant in literary labours than he was, who put those materials committed to him into the shape they now appear, supplying the quotations into the bargain. If I have done Mr. W. wrong in relating this circumstance, he must excuse me, in consideration of his having wronged poor Ireland in so many and in such important matters. Probably, Mr. Editor, you may think that too much importance is attached to these matters, and that a national character cannot be hurt by the misrepresentations of an individual; as a proof that it may, however, be so injured, I can mention an instance. When some point respecting Irish affairs was under discussion in the Imperial Parliament, after the publication of Mr.Wakeficld's book, a member, whose name I do not recollect, said in his place, that on Irish affairs he had now no difficulty in making up his mind, as he had lately read a work which enabled him to form a true and correct judgment on that subject-and that work was Mr. Wakefield's. Though it was always of consequence that we should stand well with our English neighbours, (and to do so we only require the truth to be told,) it is particularly so at present when our representation is in the English Parliament; where every member ought to be as well informed on the interests of this country as he is, or ought to be, on the interests of each county of England. I shall not pretend to say that there are not many, very many circumstances, which are not as they should be, and which, by proper representations, backed by proper measures, might not be changed for the better; for we have laboured under disadvantages unknown to England; but this I will take upon me to assert, that most of those English tourists, and writers of other denominations, who have travelled through Ireland, have scarcely had any other necessary qualification for the undertaking than being able to speak the same language that is spoken here--Mr. Young always excepted; who, through all our disadvantages and incapacities, sw, with truth, what we were in his day, and what we were likely, with time and attention, to become; and what, from the progress already made, and from the awakened sense of government to its true interests, there is every hope of our soon becoming at no very distant period. You will, therefore, Mr. Editor, I trust, excuse me for taking up so much

1815.] Porson's Greek and Latin Versions of an English Ballad.

of your valuable publication, in endea-
vouring to set right your English readers
who may have been deceived by your
travelling countryman; and be assured,
that if you will allow me, I shall have
great pleasure in continuing my remarks
on the most prominently obnoxious parts
of Mr. Wakefield's publication, as time
and opportunity shall allow; and for
which purpose I shall provide myself
with his work as soon as I can; for
hitherto my observations have been con-
fined to such of its contents as I have
met with in the different reviews. As
for the partial review of Mr. W. given
in the Edinburgh Review, on that little
stress can be laid, it being only written
for party purpose; but the usual acute-
ness and knowledge of the Monthly Re-
viewers seem to have been overpowered
by the solemn garb, and ponderous and
laboured plausibility, of the Statistical
and Political Account of Ireland. Of
this garb, and of this plausibility, it shall
be my endeavour, as it is my duty, to
CLERICUS DROMORIENSIS.
strip him.
County of Down, Jan. 9, 1815.

MR. EDITOR,

I AM right happy in having it in my power to relieve your courteous correspondent's anxiety respecting the originality of the notable ballad of the Childrea on the Ice, which inay, as I opine, be safely adjudged to our vernacular British language

The Greek translation to which he alludeth, and eke a Latin version thereof, were among the numerous phantasies of the magnanimous hero Porson, who occasionally disported himself under the assumed name of S. ENGLAND, in a daily journal yclep'd The Morning Chronicle, and (for the benefit of the semblables of Logos) he answered, without any signature, or with a new one, his own epistles of the preceding day.

From my small store of scrappes, I am enabled to send you transcripts of the letters in question; and am, worthy Sir, yours to command,

WYLLYAMME A BEDFORDE.

103

As the writing is difficult, and the traces of the letters somewhat faded, he proceeds slowly in the task of decyphering. When he has finished, the entire tragedies will be given to the public. In the mean time, I send you the following fragment, which my friend communicated to me, and which all real critics will concur with me, I doubt not, in determining to be the genuine production of that ancient dramatist. His characteristics are simplicity and sententiousness. For instance, what can be more simple and sententious than the opening of the Trachinia?" It is an old saying that has appeared among mankind, that you cannot be certain of the life of mortals, before one dies, whether it be good or evil." These qualities, too, are conspicuous in the following iambics, which contain a seasonable caution to parents against rashly trusting children out of their sight.-Though your paper is chiefly occupied in plain English, you sometimes gratify your learned readers with a little Greek: you may, therefore, give them this, if you think that it will gratify them. For the benefit of those whose Greek is rather rusty with disuse, I have added a Latin version, which, I hope, is as pure and perspicuous as Latin versions of Greek tragedies commonly S. ENGLAND. are. I am, Sir, &c.

Κρυσταλλοπήκτους τρίπτυχοι κόροι ῥοὰς
"Ωρα θέρους ψάιροντες εὐτάρσοις ποσί,
Διναῖς "επιπτον οἷα δὴ πίπτειν φιλεῖ,
*Απαντες· εἶτ ̓ ἔφευγον οἱ λελειμμένοι.
*Αλλ' είπερ ἦσαν εγκεκλεισμένοι μοχλοίς,
Η ποσὶν ὀλισθάνοντες ἐν ξηρῶ πέδω,
Χρυσῶν ἂν ἠθέλησα περιδόσθαι σταθμών,
Εἰ μὴ μέρος τι τῶν νέων ἐσώζετο.
*Αλλ ̓, ὦ τοκεῖς, ὁσοις μὲν ὄντα τυγχάνει,
Οσοις δέ μὴ, βλαστήματ ̓ εὐτεκνου σπορᾶς
Ἦν εὐτυχεῖς εὐχησθε τὰς θυράζ ̓ ὁδοὺς
Τοῖς παισὶν, εὐ σφᾶς ἐν δόμοις φυλάσσετε.
Glacie-durata triplices pueri fluenta
Tempestate æstatis radentes pulchras-plantas
habentibus pedibus,

In vortices ceciderunt, ut sane accidere solet,
Omnes: deinde effugerunt reliqui.
Sin autem inclusi essent vectibus,
Aut pedibus labantes in arido campo,
Auri ponderis sponsione libenter contende-

104 Remark on Mr. Elmes's Letter to the Rev. Mr. Eustace. [March 1,