faid, we never condemned but murderers and perpetrators of unnatural erimes to the fagot.

*

By a ftatute of Henry the fixth, every Englifhman of the Pale was bound to have his upper lip, or clip his whiskers, in order to diftinguish himself from an Irifhman. By this mark of diftinction, it feems that what Campion calls in his old English, glib, and what we call the beard, as well as the complexion and fize of both people, were much the fame. In my opinion it had tended more to their mutual intereft, and the glory of that monarch's reign, not to go to the nicety of Splitting a hair, but encourage the growth of their fleeces, and infpire them with fuch mutual love for each other, as to induce them to kiss one another's beards, as brothers falute each other at Conftantinople, after a few days abfence. I am likewife of opinion, that Mr. Wefley, who prefaces his letter with, "The interest of the "Proteftant religion," would reflect more honour on his miniftrý, in promoting the happiness of the people, by preaching love and union, than in widening the breach, and increasing their calamities by divifion. The English and Irish were at that time of the fame religion; but, divided in their affections, were miferable. Though

P 2

See the ftatutes of that king, and lament the effects

of divifions fomented by fovereigns.

Though divided in fpeculative opinions, if united in fentiment, we would be happy. The English fettlers breathed the vital air in England, before they inhaled the foft breezes of our temperate climate. The present generation can fay" Our fathers and grandfathers "have been born, bred, and buried here: we

are Irishmen, as the defcendants of the Normans, who have been born in England, are Englishmen."

Thus, born in an island in which the ancients might have placed their Hefperian gardens and golden apples, the temperature of the climate, and quality of the foil, inimical to poifonous infects, have cleansed our veins from the four and acid blood of the Scythians and Saxons. We begin to open our eyes, and to learn wifdom from the experience of ages: we are tender-hearted we are good-natured: we have feelings we fhed tears on the urns of the dead; deplore the lofs of hecatombs of victims flaughtered on the gloomy altars of religious bigotry, cry in feeing the ruins of cities over which fanaticism has difplayed the funeral torch, and fincerely pity the blind zeal of our Scotch and English neighbours, whofe conftant character is to pity none, for erecting the banners of perfecution, at a time when the inquifition is abolished in Spain and Milan, and the Proteftant

gentry

gentry are careffed at Rome, and live unmolef ted in the luxuriant plains of France and Italy

The statute of Henry the fixth is now grown obfolete, The razor of calamity has shaved our lower and upper lips, and given us smooth faces. Our land is uncultivated, our country a defart. Our natives are forced into the fervice of foreign kings, ftorming towns, and in the very heat of flaughter, tempering Irish courage with Irifh mercy. All our misfortunes flow from long-reigning intolerance, and the ftorms which, gathering first in the Scotch and English. atmosphere, never failed to burft over our heads.

We are too wife to quarrel about religion. The Roman Catholics fing their pfalms in. Latin with a few inflections of the voice. Our Proteftant neighbours fing the fame pfalms in English on a larger fcale of mufical notes. We never quarrel with our honeft and worthy neighbours, the Quakers, for not finging at all; nor fhall we ever quarrel with Mr. Wesley for raifing his voice to Heaven, and warbling forth his canticles on whatever tune he pleases, whether it be to the tune of Guardian Angels, or Langolee. We like focial harmony, and in civil mufic hate difcordance. Thus, when we go to the shambles

t

we

*Count Dillion and the Irish Brigade could not be prevailed on by D'Eftaing to put the English garrifon to the fword. "We will not kill our Countrymen," faid they. Would it not be wifer to let these gallant men go to mafs, and ferve their own king?

we never enquire into the butcher's religion, but into the quality of his meat: we care not whether the ox was fed in the pope's territories, or on the mountains of Scotland, provided the joint be good for though there be many herefies in old books, we discover neither heresy nor Superftition in beef and claret. We divide them cheerfully with one another, and though of different religions, we fit over the bowl with as much cordiality as if we were at a love-feaft.

The Proteftant Affociations of Scotland and England may pity us; but we feel more comfort than if we were fcorching one another with fire and fagot. Inftead of finging "peace to "men of good will on earth," does Mr. Wefley intend to found the fury Alecto's horn, or the war-shell of the Mexicans? The Irish, who have no refource but in their union, does he mean to arm them against each other? One maffacre, to which the fanaticifm of the Scotch and English regicides gave rife, is more than enough; Mr. Wefley fhould not fow the feeds. of a fecond. When he felt the firft-fruits and illapfes of the fpirit,-when his zeal, too extenfive to be confined within the majestic temples of the church of England, or the edifying meeting-houses of the other Chriftains, prompted him to travel moft parts of Europe and America, and to establish a religion and houfes of worship of his own, what opposi

tion has he not met with from the civil magiftrates! with what infults from the rabble! broken benches, dead cats, and pools of water bear witnefs! Was he then the trumpeter of perfecution? Was his pulpit changed into Hudibrafs's "drum ecclefiaftic?" Did he abet banishment and profcription on the score of confcience? Now that his tabernacle is established in peace, after the clouds have borne teftimony to his miflion *, he complains in his fecond letter, wherein he promises to continue the fire which he has already kindled in England, that people of exalted ranks in church and ftate have refufed entering into a mean confederacy against the laws of nature, and the rights of mankind. In his first letter, he difclaims perfecution on the fcore of religion, and, in the fame breath, ftrikes out a creed of his own for the Roman Catholics, and fays, 46 they should not be tolerated even amongst the "Turks." Thus, the fatyr in the fable breathes hot and cold in the fame blaft, and a lamb of peace is turned inquifitor. "But is not that "creed mentioned by Mr. Wefley, the creed "of the Roman Catholics?" By right it should be theirs, as it is fo often beftowed on them, and that, according to the civil law, a free gift becomes

that

See an abridgment of Wefley's Journal, wherein he fays, that in preaching one day at Kinfale, a cloud pitched over him.