MITCHELSTOWN. 277 



During a year that I was employed in letting 

 his farms, I never omitted any opportunity of 

 confirming him in this fyftem, as far as was in 

 my power, from a conviction that he was 

 equally ferving himfelf and the public in it ; 

 he will never quit it without having reafon 

 afterwards for regret. 



In a country changing from licentious bar- 

 barity into civilized order, building is an object 

 of perhaps greater confequence than may at 

 firft be apparent. In a wild, or but half cul- 

 tivated tract, with no better edifice than a mud 

 cabbin, what are the objects that can imprefs a 

 love of order on the mind of man ? He muft 

 be wild as the roaming herds j favage as his 

 rocky mountains -, confufion, diforder, riot, 

 have nothing better than himfelf to damage or 

 deftroy : but when edifices of a different foli- 

 dity and character arife j when great fums are 

 expended, and numbers employed to rear more 

 expreflive monuments of induftry and order, 

 it is impoffible but new ideas muft arife, even, 

 in the uncultivated mind -, it muft feel fome- 

 thing, firft to refpect, and afterwards to love j 

 gradually feeing that in proportion as the 

 country becomes more decorated and valuable, 

 licentioufnefs will be lefs profitable, and more 

 odious. Mitchelftown, till his Lordfhip made 

 it the place of his refidence, was a den of vaga- 

 bonds, thieves, rioters, and whiteboys ; but I 

 can witnefs to its being now as orderly and 

 peaceable as any other Irifh town, much owing 

 to this circumftance of building, and thereby 



employing 



