A. D. 1760. 319 



* menfs truely public and focial, munificently rewarding their country- 

 ' men, of vvhatloever denomination, without fiivour or diftintlion, for 

 ' meliorating their proper eftates or farms ; for excelling in any pro- 

 ' diidion of nature or art ; for any difcovery or invention ufeful to 

 ' mankind.' This Ibciety, which, for feme years before, was merely 

 a voluntary one, was incorporated in the year 1750*. 



Page 6oth, ' The trade of Ireland, however in former times miferably 

 retrained and limited, hath in this happy reign received confiderable 

 enlargements ; fuch as, the opening of feveral wool-ports : the bounty 

 on Irifh linens, now our ftaple commodity, imported into Great Bri- 

 tain, and the immunity lately granted of importing thitlier beef, but- 

 ter, tallow, candles, pork, hides, live cattle, &.c. a privilege that, in its 

 confequences, muft prove of fignal advantage to both nations ; to this 

 efpecially, as we (hall hereby be enabled, upon any occafional emer- 

 gency, to fupply our protecting friends, and proportionably flint the 

 hands of our enemies, who (by the profufion of wines and fpiritous 

 liquors, annually exported from France to Ireland, in exchange for 

 our beef, butter, &.c. to pafs over the glut of teas and fpirits, &c. 

 fmuggled thence by the weflern runners) have conftantly the balance 

 on their fide : our exports, with thofe already mentioned, confirt in a 

 few cheefes, falmon, and kelp ; but as our linens are, without quefiion, 

 become the vital fpring of Irilh commerce, it is matter of great con- 

 cern, and equal furpriie, that the other provinces do not more uni- 

 verfally and effeclually follow the lucrative example of the north, fince 

 it is evident that nothing but equal induftrvcan be wanting to render 

 them equally flourilTiing ; yet the over-growth of graziers and flock- 

 mafters, is the ftrongeft indication that can be of national wafte and 

 decay in refpedt of inhabitants. Would not a foreigner ftart, even at 

 our humanity, as well as at our want of national wifdoni and econo- 

 my, on feeing the beft arable grounds in the kingdom, in immenfe 

 tracis, wantonly enjoyed by the cattle of a few petulant individuals, 

 and at the fame jundure our liighways and ftreets crowded with (holes 

 of mendicant fellow-creatures, reduced, through want of proper fufte- 

 nance, to the utmoft diflrefs. Would not a Frenchman give a (hrag 

 extraordinary, at finding in every little inn^ Bourdeaux claret, and 

 Nantz brandy, though, in all likelihood, not a morlel cf Irilli bread. 

 It is much to be hoped, that when the Ipirit of tillage (hall become 

 more general, we may have a iufficient plenty of malt liquors ot our 

 own native produce. Gardening is of late years lb valtly improved 

 amongft us, that we now have many curious plants, fruits, and (lowers, 

 never heard of in former times. Vet many intelligent pertbns ot- 

 all ranks complain much of the want of fome eltiblilliment in the 



• Oiir auttior fecms to ha;c forgotten the fplendid, numerous, a>id increaCng. foviety of the fime. 

 nature, .cflabli/hci ia London ia the year 1754, and alfo another at Edinburgh. ^1, 



