— Saye em 
M‘Sweeny, on the Climate of Ireland. 207 
land. Rutty observes, that the great frost in 1739-1740, was attended with an 
unusual suspension of our trade winds of the west and south west. 
The frost at the siege was put to an end, most likely by a change of the wind to the 
south. ‘The enemy are stated to have sallied out on a dark, and rainy night ; soon 
after, we find by a quotation, the wind to be at south east. 
Campion, in his History of Ireland, says—‘ The soil is low and waterish, and in- 
eludeth divers little islands, surrounded with bogs and marshes—highest hills have 
standing pools on their top. Inhabitants, especially new come, are subject to distilla- 
tions, rhums, and flixes, for remedy whereof they use an ordinary drink of aqua vite, 
so qualified in the making, that it drieth more and inflameth less than other hot con- 
fections. The air is wholesome, not altogether so ciear and subtle as ours of Eng- 
land ; of bees, good store—no vineyards, contrary to the opinion of some writers, 
who both in this and other errors, touching the land, may be easily excused, as those 
that wrote of hearsay. Cambrensis, in his time, complaineth that Ireland had excess 
of wood, and very little champaign ground, but now the English pale is too naked.” 
This observation of Campion, respecting vineyards, may be considered as an an- 
swer to Bede’s statement of the vine being found in Ireland. Indeed the expression 
of Bede is not very strong; he says “nec vinearum expers.’? ‘The same may be 
said of Ireland now, where the vine is cultivated for ornament. 
Spencer describes the island adorned with woods, the heavens as most mild and tem- 
perate, though somewhat moist ; but in another passage, in discussing the origin of the 
Irish mantle, and in maintaining that it was introduced by invaders ; he says—‘* And 
coming lastly into Ireland, they found there more special use thereof, by reason of the 
raw cold climate.’”? On this passage it may be observed, that it is well known to philo- 
sophers, that our sensations from cold are not always in proportion to the degree indi- 
cated by the thermometer; a certain degree of cold, combined with moisture, will 
produce on our frames very chilling effects. There is nothing in those observations 
of Spencer, that ought to induce us to think that any great change has taken place in 
the seasons, since his time. Moisture, combined with a certain degree of cold, is a 
sufficient inducement to the use of warm clothing. In describing the various uses of 
the mantle, he adds— When it raineth it is his pent house, when it bloweth it is his 
tent, when it freezeth it is his tabernacle.” 
In Spencer’s account of his plan for putting an end to the disturbances in Ireland, 
we have some insight into the nature of the winters in his time ; he observes—“ It is 
not with Ireland as it is with other countries, where the wars flame most in summer, 
and the helmets glitter brightest in the fairest sunshine. But in Ireland the winter 
yieldeth the best services, for then the trees are bare and naked, which use both to 
clothe and house kern; the ground is cold and wet, which useth to be his bedding ; 
the air is sharp and bitter to blow through his naked sides and legs ; the kyne are 
barren and without milk, which useth to be his only food; neither if he kill them, 
Ry 3} 
