198 On the Minor Poets of Ireland, 



The source of power, the organ of the laws, 

 The mark at once for envy and applause ; 

 Who, that hath view'd him in his past 



career 

 Of hard-earn'd fame, could recognize him 



here, 

 Chang'd as lie is in len;;then'd life's descent 

 To a low instrument's mere instrument; 

 Begirt with bigots, and beset by fools, 

 Crippled by Canning's fears, or Ehlou's 



rules; 

 Sent out to govern in his sovereign's name, 

 Yet clogg'd with those tiiat thwart each 



liberal aim ; 

 A mournful mark of talent misapplied, 

 A handcnff'd leader, and a hoodwink'd 



guide ; 

 The lone opposer of a lawless band, 

 Thefetter'd chieftain of a fetter'd land. 



MR. PLUNKETT. 



Speak not of Plunkett! though that name's 



allied 

 To each high thought of genius and of 



pride; 

 Speak not of Plunkett ! what avails that 



skill 

 Which sways the wavering multitude at 



will ? 

 What the bold action, and the bolder tone, 

 Hie look, the word, that makes each heart 



his own ? 

 What the high purpose, and the expansive 



mind, 

 Vcrs'd in the varying ways of all mankind, 

 Drawing its aids from all the realms of 



thought, 

 From all that art hath plann'd, or nature 



taught? 

 What are these gifts ? — they work, they 



move, nn more : 

 Is he not bound like Wellesley at the oar ? 

 Laud the man's feeling — piaise his legal 



skill, 

 Talk of his worth, his wisdom, — what you 



will ; 

 All these, that mark the leader of the day, 

 Are lavish'd cheaply, wretchedly, away. 

 What is his feeling? — heed nut what he 



feels 

 Who comes to office tied up neck and 



heels. 

 What is his wisdom? where shall this 



have play. 

 While dulness marks, or fraud obstructs 



his way. 

 What is his worth ? how can bis worth be 



found. 

 While Manners, Joy, and Gouldburn,hem 



him round. 

 What is hisskill? say, does that skill avail, 

 When Forbes walks even fiearless of a 



jail; 

 M hile Handwich goeS unpiiuisli'ti for the 



past, 

 Waiting the rope that must be his at last; 

 While Barry comes, his brother-knaves to 



shade, 

 And quibbling Cauning almoist gives Lim 



aid? 



[April 1, 

 No ! if he seeks as once he «oivglit t,o be, 

 Lov'd by the good, and lauded by the 



free ; 

 If still he thinks from future times to 



claim 

 The statesman's highest hope, an honest 



fame, [call, 



Let him for once neglect the preinier's 

 Drop prosecutions, office-fees, and all; 

 Let him even spurn the ministerial chain, 

 And be his couniry's chosen hope again ; 

 Let him snatch Canning from a course of 



shame. 

 And shield from gathering darkness Wel- 



lesley's name, [blind. 



Remove calm Huskisson from 'midst the 

 And give to Robinson his freeborn mind. 

 Strip of their props the Eldons and the 



Peels, [wheels ; 



And gently leave them to their wigs and 

 Then to its gloom again shall dulness 



creep, [to weep; 



And worth may thrive, and freedom cease 

 Fraud may be sham'd, and craft and catit 



may fly, [eye. 



And truth stand fair before the public 



Orangemen, ribbonmen, biblemcn, 

 bigots, and demagogues, are marked 

 out by the poet as the principal 

 "plagues" of the country; and, unfor- 

 tunately, their intldcnce is not likely to 

 be speedily diiiiinished. J. K. 



Wexfvrd, January 26. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazinel 



SIR, 



JN your Magazine for January last, 

 you have given the Royal Society a 

 very [jropcr and just rebuke. I request 

 your readers to look at the preface to 

 Air. Daniels's Meteorological Essays, 

 just published. This is tlie second in- 

 stance in which we have been taunted 

 by foreigners w ilh a want of accuracy in 

 important matters, which a little ordi- 

 nary attention would have prevcnied. 

 The errors of Air. Pond's observations 

 at Greenwich were first detected by 

 others from his own published observa- 

 tions, before they were ever suspecfed 

 by Iiimself. This, coupled with Mr. 

 Arago's attack, (as menlioned by Mr. 

 Daniel,) gives us but a poor idea of the 

 talents of this boasted scientific body. 

 No wonder that new societies are 

 formed, where greater and more minute 

 attention is given to tlie respective ob- 

 jects of enquiry. The present stale of 

 science demands it. But the truth is, 

 that one or two persons interpose in all 

 questions olrcform ; and tlic other mem- 

 bers are weak <'nongii to commit their 

 judgment to that absurd test, and thus 

 compromise tlie credit of the Society. 

 Philaster. 

 For 



