f2: 
inclination or Opportunity to profit by 
antercourfe with them. 
We have, indeed, notices from un- 
doubted hiftory, of a fubfequent age, in 
which Ireland was celebrated for litera- 
ture and fa nétity. Learning, driven out 
oi the refl of Europe, by the incurfion of 
the northern nations, feemed fer a while . 
to take refuge there; and from thence 
letters and religion were propagated to 
the neighbouring countries. But this 
bright age was of no long continuance : 
the | light of it was foon obicurcd, and at 
Jatt utterly ee by repeated i in- 
vafions of ill more northern barbarians. 
And it muft alfo be obferved, that their 
learning, at beft, was fuch as could only 
have fine in a times ; ; and that their 
religion confifted chiefly in the extrava- 
gant aufterities of the monaftic life, un- 
favourable to improvement of every kind, 
as it encouraged and fanétified inaGtivity, 
and confidered the cultivation of the arts 
of civil life as profane, and even finful. 
Whatever their former attainments 
might have been, the Englith cer tainly 
found them relapfed ito a ftate of ex- 
treme barbarifm, in refpeét of {cience, 
manners, laws, and religion; without arts, 
manufactures, and almoft without agri- 
culture, that Arft mark and moft cfeutial 
part of civilization; in a country emi- 
nently fruitful, and abundantly fupplied 
with every thing proper for the accommo- 
dation of its inhabitants, in a manner 
deititute of the conveniences and even the 
-necefiaries of life. To this ftate they 
were reduced by a perpetual fucceflion of 
domeltic wars, between their feveral elec- 
tive kings, under whom they were can- 
toned; and oi foreign invafions, to which 
they lay entirely open and expoled ; and 
whatever fhort intervals there might be 
of either, public depredation only 2 gave 
place to private rapine ; and military Flaw 
Was only exch anged for tyranny or anar- 
chy. Nor was their condition mended 
when their diffentions had thrown them 
into the hands of the Englifh: the fame 
feries of contentions, either among them- 
felves, or with their invaders, fue ceeded. 
da defpite of many folemn a&ts of forced 
and infincere fubmiffion, they perpetually 
revolted againft an ill-eitablifhed and ill- 
fapported, a weak and unfteady govern- 
ment;. the effeft of which was little 
more ae to keep up their: refentment 
again{t their new governors ever frefh and 
keen, and to mature it at length into an 
mveterate hatred. 
Thus, for many centuries, this unfor- 
fimate nation laboured under all the dif- 
Bifhop Lowth on the Irifh. 
advantages of fubje&tion to a fuperior 
power, without partaking of any of the 
advantages, with which it is eiten ac- 
aie ae The conquerors even. re- 
fufed to impart the benefit and prote@tion 
of their laws to the conquered. Unable 
to reduce them to order by force, they 
would not condefcend to try the gentle 
but more powerful influence of benevo- 
lence ; and, inftead of reforming the na- 
tives, fuifered even their own people, fet- 
a Serene thein, to degenerate and be- 
ome barbarians. J The. conttitution of the 
times, the manners of the people, were 
unfaveurable to every, kind of civil im- 
provement. Thole, who are accuftomed 
to live by rapine and plunder, always” 
look upon manual labour, and the arts 
that depend on it, with contempt and 
averfion: and who, ina ftate of civil con- 
fuficn, will beftow his pains, the fruits 
of which he can have no reafonable ex- 
pectation of enjoying? ‘Their very laws 
were calculated to extinguifh every incli- 
nation to induftry, by affording no fecu- 
rity in the pofleffion of property, nor 
certainty of its defcending by inheritance. 
When the light of the gofpel was re- 
lumined by the Reformation,’ the fame 
‘pillar of fire which gave a guiding light 
to England, became a cloud ef darknefs 
to the Irifh; making a {till greater fepa- 
ration between both, fo that one came not 
near the other. It threw them more irre- 
coverably into the arms of Rome; and 
made them feek alliances with every 
popith nation that could flatter them with 
promiies of protection. Thefe conne&ions 
formed fo long ago, ftill iubfitt: hencé 
the conftant fupplies which they afford to 
foreign armies ; doubly defiructive. to 
their country, -as they diminifh its force, 
and at the fame time increafe the ftrength 
of its enemies. 
The next age was unhappily diftin- 
guithed by difcord and devaftation, more 
violent aad mere general; by rebellions 
and maflacres ; by civil wars inflamed — 
and heightened with religious fury; ren-_ 
dering ineffectual every approach, which 
had before been made, to order and go- 
verment; imbittcring and confirmmg ‘old 
animofities, aggravating ancient preju= 
dices, and rendering them invincible. © 
The great era ot Britith liberty, the 
revolution, marks the commencement. : 
peace and profperity to Ireland, after a 
leaft nine centuries of uninterrupted dit. 
cord, confufion, and defolation.” ‘The 
way to happinefs was then laid plainly 
open: but in fo long a courfe of time, as 
hath paiied fince, what-advances have 
; beer 
