, >” nefs. 
1801.) 
; IRELAND. 
Confiderable progrefs has been already made 
in the line of military-road, which has been 
laid out in the county of Wicklow; and which 
is intended to interfeét the great chain of 
fouthern mountains, in their utmot length, 
in a direction Heatly from north to fouth. 
This great national work, which will doubt- 
lefs prove highly condacive to the improve- 
ment of that part of the kingdom, is likely 
to be very fpeedily completed. | 
There are now in the city of Dublin, about 
6000 merchants, traders and fhopkeepers, of 
different denominations ; of thefe there are 
git wholefale merchants, free of the 6 and 
£0 percents, in the cuftom-houfe, as regulated 
by act of parliament. ‘There are, likewife, 
267 principal grocers and 120 bankers. 
Married.] R. Lafcelles, efg. county of 
Downe, Ireland, to Mifs Hutchinfon, niece 
to lord Biankhirt, 
In Dublin, P. French, efg. aged 21, to 
_Mifs Dennis, aged 46.—-D. Reid, efg. of Can- 
ton, in China, to Mifs Bell. 
Blake, efg. eldeft fon of Sir Walter 
Blake, of Mentol Caftle, in Galway, to 
Mifs Brice, of Kilrout Houfe, in Antrim, 
grand-daughter to Lord Ventry. 
At Waterford, Edm. Cafhin, efq. to Mifs 
Moriffey, daughter of the late captain Mo- 
riffey. 
The Hon. H. Blackwood, to Mifs Finlay, 
of Griffith, county of Meath. 
At Limerick, S. S. ° Benwell, 
the 2rft regiment of light dragoons, to 
Mifs W. R.. Lewin, daughter of the late 
R. Lewin, efg. of Port Fergus, in the 
county of Clare. 
Died.] At Dublin, at his houfe in Kildare- 
freet, the Right Hon, Lord Roffmore. His 
lordfhip, the preceding day, had dined abroad 
in a feleét company of friends, where he was 
diftinguifhed by his accuftomed chearfulnefs, 
and kind manners. In the evening he was at 
the drawing-room, at the Caftle, and remained 
till halfafter rz, when he retired, and on go- 
ing to bed, was apparently in perfect heaith ; 
about two ‘etlock he rang for his cde, 
who, inftantly appearing, his lordthip fajd 
he was a little fick, and inftantly expired, 
Without a groan. 
in Dublin, i in his 69th year, Mr, Thomas 
Mercer. To an uncommonly ftrong, clear 
and comprehenfive underftanding, this gen- 
tleman added a re€titude of heart, and an ar- 
dour of fentiment and Beaton which im- 
parted a peculiar energy ta every thing he 
did or faid. He was the enlightened, warm 
and fteady friend, and affertor of the rights of 
man, onthe broadeft bafis, civil, political 
and religious. His ample fortune, acquired 
in the Eaft, with unfullied istegrity, by the 
laborious puriuits of commerce, was uni- 
formly devoted to a well-regulated holpita- 
lity, and aéts of noble and generous kind- 
Mr. Mercer was oorn at Newry, in 
the Province of Ulfter, and received iuch an 
Montury Mac. No 80. 
happen of Mr. Mercer. 
efq. of 
469 
education as fell to the general lot of mer- 
chant’s fons at that day, in {mall commer- 
cial towns. He wasfent toa grammar-fchool, 
where he learned but little of the Latin lan- 
guage, as might be expefled when it is 
known that he was fent toan uncle, a mer- 
chant in Dublin, at the early age of thirteen, 
in whofe counting-houfe he remained a fhort 
time, From this fituation he removed to the 
houfe of another friend in Liverpool, under 
whofe proteétion he had a better profpect of 
making his way in the world, and fecuring 
that independence, which was the early ob- 
ject of his honeft policy and ambition. In 
this enterprizing mart he entered into a fea- 
faring life, which he purfued-with fuch in- 
duftry, and every requifite quality of head 
and heart, that before the age of eighteen he 
was appointed Captain of a Weft Indian mer- 
chantman. In this flation he remained for 
feveral years, fometimes in the employment 
of others, and fometimes trading on his own 
account between Europe, the Weft Indies 
and America. But finding that the moft pre- 
cious part of his life was paffing away with- 
out any rational profpe& of the obje& which 
he was anxious to obtain, he turned his 
views in 1767 to the Eaft, where he flattered 
himfelf that perfeverance and integrity would. 
crown his withes with fuccefs: and from 
thence, after various viciffitudes, fome of 
which had nearly extinguifhed fis mo flat— 
tering hopes, he iveuntied in 1787 with a 
fortune of not lefs than fixty thousand pounds, 
Wo man could love money lefs on its own 
account, or from any view to improper ex- 
penditure than Mr. Mercer. No confidera- 
tion of this kind could engage him in the 
purfuit of it; becaufe, when obtained, it 
was the minifter of a truly generous fpirit. 
Ever ready to relieve the unfortunate, he had 
a peculiar pleafure in affifting thofe, efpe. 
cially young men, who pofleffed a difpofition 
congenial with his own, and aimed at inde- 
pendence by ‘kilful enterprize, but witly ° 
fcanty means. His. love of an independent. 
fortune arofe from an cadmegnegr ee of mind, 
which from an early period of life grew 
with his growth, and marked ‘his character 
in a very peculiar manner, So ftrongly was 
he imprefied by thefe principles, that, when 
in India, he had the Foleitiie beautiful paf- 
fage engraved ona folid plate of gold and hung 
up in the cabin of his fhip; and it filk 
continues to hang over the chimney of his 
parlour. 
Hail "Independence; hail! He:yen’s next 
cae beft gift, 
To that of lite, and an immortal foul : 
The life of life! that to the banquet high 
and fober meal, gives tafte. 
_ While in India, Mr. Mercer formed an ae 
timate friendthip with Lord Macariney, then 
Govertior of Madras, of whofe abilities. and 
integrity he had axvery high fenfe, and to 
whom he was enabled ta do effential fervice 
ae ¢ 
