46i Kirwanian Society of Dublin. 



mote them in others ; it opens the avenues of charity, ancl 

 in being blessed it seeks to bless others. Without social ^ 

 convivial, and rational intercourse, no liberal mind would 

 court existence : but in these unaffected enjoyments, let us 

 guard our best passions, and overlook the ebullitions of joy 

 in our friends, and the human imbecilities sometimes flow- 

 in';, from innocence, mirth, and confidence, and which 

 should never transpire or extend beyond the convivial and 

 enlivening table. 



When you smooth 



The brow of care, indulge your fostive vein 

 In cups by well inform'd experier.cc found 

 The least your bane; and only wiih your friends; 

 These are sweet follies ; frailties to be seen 

 By friends alone, and men of generous minds." 



KIRWANIAN SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



The Society having concluded the session of the present 

 year we shall lay before our readers an abstract of an ad- 

 dress delivered by M. le Chevalier MacCarthy *' On the 

 Eise and Progress of Learning, and the beneficial Influence 

 of Literary and Scientific Societies." 



The address beins: of considerable length, and composed 

 of a number of particulars, we shall select only the leading 

 topics, and endeavour as much as possible to maintain the 

 concatenation ; although, from the nature of the matter, 

 an air of hurry or even of confusion is nearly unavoidable. 



Towards the commencement of the session " An Histo- 

 rical Review of the Scientific Literary and Philosophical 

 Works of the late Richard Kirwan, Esq., LL.D. F.R.S,, 

 ^c." was read by .1. O'Reardon, Esq., M.D. Of this 

 also we would have given an abstract ; but that it was im- 

 possible to condense the subject matter, with the commen- 

 taries of the author, into a compass sufliciently smaH for 

 this place, without rendering the whole uninteresting and 

 spiritless. 



The Right Honourable the President having left the chair, 

 M. le Chevalier MacCarthy took his seat, and delivered 

 his address, of which the following is an abstract : 



During aserlesof ages which were to the natural sciences 

 what tlie seventh, tweil'th, and thirteenth ceniuries were to 

 literature, we are compelled to wade through the impene- 

 trable shades of a long tedious night. In vain do a few 

 feeble stars occasionally diffuse a transient illumination on 

 our way ; every step is delusion, error, uncertainty, or con- 

 jecture. 



