1798.1 
One literary fociety exifts in Ireland, 
the Royal Irifh Academy, inftituted and 
incorporated in the year 1 786. his body 
is analogous to the Royal Society of 
London, except that they beflow mere 
attention upon polite literature, and leis 
upon the feverer philofophy. It confifts 
of all who are, or would be thought, 
literary men in the country ; but asa 
recommendation of three members gene- 
rally procures admiflion, without any 
proof of learning or talents on the part 
of the candidate, there are many members 
who have but little claim to literary dil- 
tin@tion. There are on the books up- 
wards of 250 names; but the number of 
attending members feldom amounts to 
thirty ; and the number of the members 
who by their labours contribute to the’ 
Memoirs is not more than ten. The place 
in which this learned body holds its 
meetings is contiguous to the college: 
the acting and attending members are 
principally fellows of the univerfity. The 
academy in March lait publithed its fixth 
volume of Memoirs. 
For fome years paft the tafte for lite- 
rature, or rather for reading, has been 
upon the increafe. In the metropolis an 
excellent inftitution was formed four years 
ago, called The Dublin Library, for the 
convenience of reading modern works. 
The books are purchafed by the perfons 
who contribute, and continue to be in- 
creafed every year by the addition of the 
new publications, toward the purchate 
of which, and the neceflary expences of 
the inftitution, each member fubfcribes 
one guinea per annum. Such an efta- 
blifhment had been greatly wanted; for 
although there are in Dublin. two very 
large libraries, the Univerfity, and St. 
Patrick’s, they are of little ufe to the 
majority of the citizens: in the college 
library none are permitted to ufe the books 
without taking the library oath; and the 
other, though open to all, confifts entirely 
of old books or works in the learned 
languages. 
The {tate of printing in Ireland, though 
it has certainly much improved within a 
fhort period, is ftill at a very low ebb. 
The elegant edition of Don Quixote, pub- 
lithed by CHamBers, of Dublin, fome 
months back, isa proof of the zeal with 
2 
the evening to his immediate pupils. For 
improvement no leifure is left, until a fenior 
fellowthip is acquired; but who is he that, 
with a falary of 7ool. per ann. in the decline 
of life, will fit down to abftrufe ftudies for 
the world or for fame ? 5 
Prefent State of Literature, Se. in Lreland. of 
which the Irifh are advancing toward ex- 
cellence in this ufeful art. From the 
Univerfity-prefs, alfo, there now and then 
iffues a good edition of fome claflic, and 
at prefent it is occupied in a new edition 
of Livy, with original notes by Mr. 
WALKER, a junior fellow, which it is 
expeéted will do honour as well to the 
prefs as to its truly learned editor. Ge- 
-nerally, however, the productions of the 
Dublin printing-houfes are coarfe and 
flovenly. 
The news-papers of Ireland ought not 
to be forgotten: thefe publications al- 
ways marking, as faithfully, perhaps, as 
any other criterion, the ftate of literature 
and public tafte in a country. There are 
but five of any confequence in this me- 
tropolis; the Dublin Evening-Poft, and 
the Hibernian Journal, are temperate fup- 
porters of the popular caufe; the Dublin 
Journal, and Freeman’s Journal, are 
warmly in the intereft, if not in the’pays 
of the Caftle. Saunders’s Daily Adver- 
tifer, which is as ably written as either of 
them, is nearly neutral in politics, and, 
appropriated principally to commercial 
communications. As a reporter of the 
parliamentary debates, which is new be- 
come a prime objeé to the readers of di- 
urnal publications, the Dublin Evening- 
Poft ftands far above its competitors. fi 
other refpeéts, they are all nearly on 2a 
par; but they are all of them neceffarily 
inferior to fome of the London prints in 
typographical execution, and variety of 
entertaining and inftru€tive matter. The 
Press, a paper of well-known character, 
did once outfhine all its contemporaries in 
energy and beldnets, and I may add, in 
every excellence of compofition; but the 
violence with which it was conduéted ac- 
celerated its ruin, and with it, probably, 
the ruin of all the independent Dublin 
prints; for as the new Pre/s-bull enables 
the fheriff, on the prefentment of a grand 
jury, to feize all the printing materials, 
and detain them till trial, it is not eafy to 
conceive that free difcuffion can -continue 
to exilt ! 2 
Dublin, Fuly 25, 1798. Ww. 


To the Editor of ihe Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE tecent publications of Profeffor 
Ropison and the Abbé BarRUEL 
have excited more curiofity refpecting 
Free-Mafonry, than was ever occafioned 
by the fubject fince its commencement. 
Thofe writers have certainly been mif- 
led by violent prejudices, otherwife they 
M 2 ngyer 
1 
