devotion, toward the great author of my existence, whose plastic hand moulded this terrestrial ball. "These are thy glorious works, parent of good, Almighty! Thine this universal frame, Thus wond'rous fair! Thyself how wond'rous then, Unspeakable!". We next proceeded to the southern extremity of the mountain, and being among the last who arrived there, we found the young men, and even the girls, throwing stones down a stupendous cliff, into the valley beneath. The sound of echo and re-echo, reverberated from rock to rock, had a very fine effect. Under our feet lay the romantic country of Mourne, diversified with neat white cottages, and plantations. As my childhood was pas sed there, memory recalled to my mind a thousand pleasures formerly enjoyed, and added an interest to the prospect, which an unconcerned spectator could not feel. I contemplated the scene with a peculiar and exquisite delight. Beyond Mourne appeared the channel, and had the day been clear, the Isle of Man, a part of Scotland, Wales, Wicklow mountains, the hill of Howth, and Dublin bay, could have been easily seen. We had a fine view, however, of the charming bay of Carlingford, and of the town, with its old turrets and fortifications. The block-house, Green-castle and Green-island, were also under our eye. The We tern prospect was soon closed by a range of the mountains 10ward Rosstrevor; to the North, we had a view of the county of Down, as far as the eye could reach. We had not long contemplated this sublime prospect, till we suddenly found ourselves actually above the clouds. The sky was clear above our heads, but on all sides the prospect was shut out by immense volumes of clouds, rolling beneath our feet. These clouds however shift with great rapidity -for after the lapse of a few minutes, the clouds that we observed below us, began to ascend, and we presently found ourselves involved in a sort of darkness entirely new. It was so thick, that we could not see those who were removed from us to no greater distance than that of a few yards. Those who were not accustomed to the scene, became alarmed, and fled with precipitation in all directions. was it possible for them to ascertain which was the right wayand one young man wandered several miles from the proper path. Nor The cloud which had been hovering about the summit for some time, suddenly shot upwards into the sky, and left again the prospect clear. We now viewed each other with great pleasure, and the day being very fine, we began to descend. I and my companion sat down on a little grassy hillock, to enjoy the pleasure of looking into the valley below; and seeing the party dispersed over the whole side of the mountain; nothing could be more picturesque, than to see them skipping alongsome, as it were, hanging in the middle region, others farther below, and some still near the top; others straying here and there, gathering wild heath, and tain myrtle, and such other things worth notice, as grew in this great wilderness. In descending the mountain, we came to the source of the river Baun. It rises a con. siderable distance from its base, and gushes in no considerable strea from among the rocks. We followed its course for several hundred yards, and coming to a spot moun saw a a covered with a beautiful verdure, we dined. It was three o'clock, and the day was extremely fine. We spread two table-cloths on the grass, and a variety of meat, now rendered more delicious by the exercise, of which we had partaken so liberally in the course of the morning: then placed ourselves all around. I never dinner so truly enjoyed. A smile sat on every countenance, and laugh was at every one's service. We drank Our wine out of tin porringers, and our meat off wooden trenchers. After dinner the girls began to sing, with a very pleasing effect; and afterwards danced on the green. We perceived a neighbouring gentleman approaching with three servants; he asked leave to join us, which being readily granted, he added much to the glee and good humour of the party. About two hours after another gentleman with four servants, joined us. He said he saw the dance from the top of the mountain, dancing by moon-light. All sorts of care. Our sepa ration, however, was cheered by a hope that we might meet again to enjoy the company of one another, in some such pleasing scenes. We once more followed the course of the Bann, and ob served in passing along a stream falling into it, that ran beautifully over rocks of fine mountain jasper. We reached our horses in safety. and got home at nine o'clock. To the Proprietors of the Belfast Magazine. HE following letter was written THE in the year 1777, by Hugh M'Aulay Boyd, a gentleman of considerable talents, whom the impu dence of London printers has lately attempted to palm upon a public, equally inquisitive and credulous, as the real owner of the name of 66 Junius, the substantial author of those letters, to which, as a caveat to vain curiosity, has been prefixed the sublime and mysterious motto, STAT NOMINIS UMBRA." A pert proficient in the printing trade, reing curiosity, and to keep the dif solved to stimulate without satisfyferent parts of his manufactory always at work, takes up some name, (such as this one of Mr. Boyd), not generally known, but where known, well thought of, then sets one of his literary mechanics to the task, who, by the help of a few anecdotes, a few letters, a few trifling coincideuces, works up a theory of six shillings value, ascertaining beyond contradiction, the author of Junius; and surely he will not ascend from the grave to smile contemptuously at the falsehood.* The majesty of darkness covers him round, and will, I believe, for ever mock the It is a common practice on the Continent to frame or forge, with ingenious verisimilitude, "Letters," "Memoirs," &c. and send them forth, under names of ascribed to Pope Ganganelli, and of late, celebrity. Such formerly were the Letters the Letters constructed for Madame Du Deffand, Madame Espinasse, &c. The Memoirs of Prince Eugene seem to issue from the same mint of mind, and it is most sedulous and sagacious of political or literary inquisitors. In the solution of this literary problem, the guess is best directed to Gerard Hamilton, a man of powers but partially discovered, (like a rich mine found, and then lost); rarely appearing in public, but when appearing, exquisitely elaborate; now dazzling all eyes with the splendid effulgence, then, for long periods, retiring into dark and frigid solitude; a man who was well and deeply initiated in his knowledge of courtiers, and in the personalities of cabinets; a man who made a rapid rise, and as rapid a decline in political distinction; who was supplanted by the versatile and omnifarious Burke; and who, although he had determined to give utterance to the discontent, "alta mente repostum," yet from personal reasons, might have been induced to put on an impenetrable masque, least his character might be blasted by his former associations, and perhaps from his insight into human nature, that his real name would lessen the dignity of his assumed one, and his literary shameful to see what praise such a miserable picture of humanity, (whether true or false), has extracted from philosophic and philanthropic reviewers. One specimen is enough. Nothing," says this hero, "could be more brilliant or more sanguinary. How strangely one may find amusement amidst scenes of the greatest horror! I shall never forget the appear ance and grimaces of the Jews, who were compelled to throw into the Danube, the bodies of twelve thousand men, killed on both sides, to spare the trouble and ex pense of burying them." If these memoirs be authentic, it will appear, that many of the great exploits, and famous battles of those days were decided by the help of gold, rather than by steel. Brave armies fought and fell at the mercy of spies and courtczans. "I made presents," says Eugene. "There is scarcely any thing but what may be bought in England." fame would dwindle with the developement of the mystery. There appears then a coincidence between the text of Junius' Letters, and the context of this man's life and cha racter. Were any intrinsic evidence wanting, to prove that Mr. Boyd was not the author of Junius, the following letter would supply it, and his extravagant admiration of Burke expressed in a part of it, would strengthen the conclusion. Yet this was the era of Burke's life to be admired and respected. As for Boyd, he was not remarkable so much for any original genius, as for having what may be called a tasteful memory, He was imbued with the light of itberty from the luminaries of the metropolis, and this light he gave out again in the dark corners of the country. He repeated the orations of Burke, and of Fox, and of Lord Chatham, and the audience were willingly astonished with the mimetic thunder and lightning. This letter of his contains an anecdote or two, and some reflected flashes of eloquence, which appear worth preserving in a repository of literary scraps. We may perhaps he led, by the perusal, to look back to the situation, at that time, both of this county, and of this country; and then draw either the comparison or the contrast with our present inertness, or indifference, both as electors, and as members of the empire. At that time, a representative was returned, (in spite of those junctions of personal interests, whose object it is to convert a sound county into a rotten borough), free of expeuse, and (still more) was supported in pariiament by the voluntary contributions of his constituents. Mr. Boyd was at that time the lawyer employe, and served the public cause weil, both with his tongue, and with his pen, in a series of well-written lei 66 with change and revolution, and the United States are about to command its destinies, "by an enlarged philanthropy, and an enlightened forecast," a ministry of existing circumstances," without views, either retrospective, or prospective, are continuing the very same system of provocation which was pursued in the year 1777, and pertinaciously repeating the same process in alienating IRELAND, which once before dissevered the empire, and lost AMEA. P. ters, subscribed, "A Freeholder." His superiority on every occasion to the counsellor on the opposite side, was manifest. Mr. Dunkin appeared a knowing attorney, rather than an intelligent lawyer; yet, when these antagonists sought for fortune and fame in India, this same Mr. Dunkin worked his way to the second seat on the bench, and the honour of knight-hood; while Boyd, a man of great endowments, and attended with large expectations, whether by not having furnished himself with an East Indian conscience, or from want of patronage, London, Norfolk-St. Feb. 28th, 1777. or from private imprudencies, dwindled at length into the publisher of a periodical paper, and died in the midst of increasing embarrassments. Such is the Phantasmagoria of human life, nor do I wish to draw any resemblance that may have taken place between the downward fame of the county, and the declining character of the individual. With respect to the country at large, and particularly its relation to America, the following letter was penned just before one great crisis, and this empire seems now to be on the eve of another, and both occasioned principally by the interference of France. Much is it to be feared, that the same systematic perverseness which drove America to the necessity of constitutional, may force her, less unwillingly, to the practical display of commercial independence, that is, a self-dependence founded on the product of her own agriculture, and the increasing activity and supply, of her own manufactures. I well know that analogies between the individual and the nation are often more fanciful than philosophical; yet America, in its adolescence when the letter was written, is advancing fast to the maturity of manhood. While the whole Western world is labouring RICA DEAR SIR, I am much obliged to you for your very friendly letter, which I received the beginning of this month: and which I should certainly sooner have acknowledged, if I had time or matter to send you a letter, such as you pay me the compliment of expecting. But my time has been very little my own, lately at least; among other reasons from the hurry of removing from the country to our present residence in London, an operation which even in small families is attended with not a little trouble. As to materials for writing, the political world, instead of its usual fruitfulness of events in this busy season of the year, has been almost barren. At best, the few matters that are brought forth, are of such uncertain nature and appearance, that they may rather be called false conceptions, than any thing to decide or depend on. When a ship arrives.. from America, pregnant as the public expect with intelligence, the ministerial midwives contrive at least to maim it, if not stifle it in its birth; or if they cannot effect that, they swathe and swaddle it so in their gazette,--cradle of state, that it is impossible to discover it clearly or satisfactorily. And this unfairness, not confining it to the enemy, they practice, more criminally perhaps, even against their own arms, and their own generals. A remarkable instance of this occurs in the misrepresentation of General Clinton, by a mutilated publication of his own Jetter on the attack of Charlestown, when he and Parker were repulsed by Lee. Probably you remember the circumstance: if not, it is worth referring to in the Gazettes of that time. I mention it now, because Clinton is every day expect ed from Rhode Island in the Asia; and will probably hint to some of our state-publishers his displeasure at being so injuriously treated. You'll see that only two paragraphs of his letter are stated in the Gazette, expressing some mistake or misinformation of the depth of the water he was to cross. The universal inference on reading this candid Gazette, was a severe censure on General Clinton, for this criminal ignorance, which was supposed to have ruined and disappointed the whole measure of the attack. How provoking this unjust censure must have been to Clinton and his friends, you will judge when you know that the insinuation was totally false; and that Clinton, instead of remain ing in an ignorance which would have been criminal, lost not a moment in informing himself of the situation, and actually tried it himself, walking in up to the chin, till he found it impassable. The officer whom he at first sent to sound it, had made a mistake, and sent word it was only 17 inches deep in crossing; thinking he had got ten on the island, when in fact he was only on a bank of sand: but Clinton guessed the account to be erroneous, and instantly satisfied himself. The failure was owing not to any ignorance or inactivity of his, for the contrary were remarkable, but to the miscarriage of some bat teaux, which Clinton had applied for to Parker, for the purpose of carrying over the troops. Not a syllable of these explanatory, and indeed praise-worthy particulars, appeared in the Gazette; but one or two naked paragraphs, cut out of a long letter, throwing by this "suppressio veri," a false and calumnious suggestion on a brave officer. But I have involved you in a longer detail than I expected. To atone for its tediousness, let me wind it up with Charles Fox's sarcasm on the subject. He asserted, "that the minister who authorized the publication of that scandalous Gazette, was himself either criminally igno rant, or wickedly malicious-that it was the coward's characteristic to traduce the brave, and that none could do so, who were not insensible to the merits of character, and careless of military honour." (You know that Ld. G. Germaine is Secretary for the Colony-department.) This session has been less adorned with eloquence than any I remember for some years. Mr. Burke has spoken but once, I need not add, that he spoke incomparably well. Besides the superior brilliancy of his style and sentiment, he is so much more comprehensive, so much wider in his range, both of fact and argument, in short, so much more niaster of his subject, and of all the possible methods in which it may be treated, than any other speaker, that, in my mind at least, comparison is totally out of the question. The debate was an unexpected one, and therefore perhaps the more anima. ted; on a motion from the minority, for Parliament to adopt a lenient proclamation of the Howes; which promised to the Americans, “a revisal of certain instructions to the governors, on the part of the King, and his concurrence in revising the grievous Acts of Parliament." The |