Retrofpec? of Domeftic Liferature,—Theahzy, Morals, fe. GAL 
whom they had applied to for relief, 
_ Which was hardly ever refufed to them. 
Tn this latter circumftance they were dif- 
tinguifhed from all other mendicants, as 
well as in the compaflionate attention they 
. experienced from moit people. | They 
called themfelves poor fcholars; and that 
name was always a fufficient paffport for 
a terbporary |. dging and entertainment in 
the houfe of every peafant, whofe hofpi- 
table fpirit the cold hand of want had not 
extinguifhed. . They were hardly ever re- 
fuled admittance into any {chool, where 
- they were inffraded gratuitouly, and of 
which the mafter took care they fhould 
not be reproached for their poverty. In 
return for this kindnefs, after they had 
made (ome progrefs, they aflifted in teach- 
ing the younger boys. The part of Ire- 
Jand to which poor f{cholars chiefly re- 
forted was Muniter; becaufe in that pro- 
vince the claflical {chools were always the 
beft, and the moft numerous. The ulti- 
mate objeét which they had in view, was 
that of being admitted into the Romith 
priefthood. If they were diligent in their 
{tudies, and correét in their condua, they 
feldom failed of having their ambition 
gratified. Among the Roman Catholic 
Clergy, were many men of learning and 
exemplary lives, who had acquired their 
education in the manner. juft defcribed. 
“There were even inftances of fome poor 
scholars having been admitted into the 
Univerfity of Dublin, and there diftin- 
guifhed themfelves by their progrefs in. 
claffical and {cientific knowledge.” 
A, few pamphlets on Irith affairs might 
be enumerated, but they are comparatively 
unimportant, and we feel it time to pro- 
ceed to the fubject of 
THEOLOGY, MORALS, AND ECCLE- 
SIASTICAL AFFAIRS. 
The Society for the Suppreffion of 
Vice has publifhed the firft part of ** Az 
Addrefs to the Public.” 
If this over-righteous affociation had 
been inftituted rather for the encourage- 
ment of virtue than the fuppreffion of 
vice, it would have worn a more benevo- 
lent appearance. It is true, indeed, that 
his Majetty declares, in the Royal Pro- 
clamation prefixed to this addrefs ‘* that 
for the encouragement of religion and 
morality he will, upon all occafions, dif- 
tinguith perfons of piety and virtue by 
maiks of his royal favour; but the So- 
ciety, although during the iaft eight years 
it has brought to conviftion above fix 
hundred perfons for profaning the fab- 
bath, and has profecuted others whom 
they have not been able to-convist ; not a 
“MontTuiy Mas. No 131, 
fingle individual do we hear of, whom 
the Society has been able to difcover, of 
fuficient virtue and piety to merit the 
high honour of being recommended to the 
royal favour! Whether the interefts of 
virtue and morality would not have been 
better confulted had the money expended 
in thefe profecutions been employed in re- 
warding laborious induftry, patient fuffer. 
ing, and poverty honeft in the midi of . 
temptation, we leave to the confideration 
of any man who is competent to compare 
the effects produced in moral condué by 
reward and by punifhment, by hope and 
by fear. It is not unworthy of remark, 
that befides two hundred and eighty-two 
publicans who have been found guilty of 
fuffering tippling during divine fervice, 
three hundred and forty-one fhopkeepers — 
have been convigted of profecuring their 
ordinary calling oa the Lord’s Day— 
petty chapmen, dealers in tea, fugar, 
butter, bread, cheefe, and other necefla- 
ries! As if thefe poor profecuted wretches, 
to wnom, alas! the Sabbath is no day of 
reft, would by choice have foregone the 
relaxation and innocent amufements which 
the higher clafs of fhopkeepers enjoy on 
the Sunday. No, the faét, the plain and 
well-known fact is, that on a Sunday 
many of thele huckfers have more cul. 
tomers than on any other day in the week, 
becaufe their cuftomers are of that clafs 
who are at work all the reft of the week ; 
who receive their wages on a Saturday- 
night, and have no other time to fpend 
them. With refpect to tippling on San- 
days, gaming, &c. thefe are vices at all 
times and in all places; but how does it 
happen that thefe fpiritual Quixottes only. 
attack vice when it is expofed in the de- 
fencelefs garb of poverty—wealth throws 
an impervious panoply over immorality,. 
and they think it idie, perhaps, to hurla 
javelin which may fall pointlefs! The 
writer of this pharifaical Addrefs has un- 
wittingly taken ciedit to the Society for 
its activity ‘in tracing vice througn all 
its tortuous windings, of fathoming. its 
moft covert haunts, and of deriving infor- 
mation from all quarters.’? The iact is, 
that this Society keeps in employ, as the 
agents of its godly zeal, fome of the moft 
defpicable members of fociety, fpies, fe- 
ducers, and informers. In fhort, how- 
ever praifeworthy the object in view might 
be, the means adopted for the attainment 
of it are difgraceful. ‘ 
Another volume is publifhed of the 
“* Tranfactions of the Mufionary Society.” 
However the labours of this Society may 
terminate, their yolumes will he confulted 
4.0 . for 
