might possibly never have been raised to the rank which they at present sustain. Let them pause and reflect awhile on this: How are they certain that they would have been amongst the happy, but limited number, blest with access to literary collections, the most ready means of acquiring knowledge. While all the means of acquirement (more especially books) were accessible only to the learned; and confined for the most part within the libraries of the recluse, or the cloisters of the clergy; or into the still worse keeping of bigotted pedants! then, too, the best interests of society, the progressive advancements of true knowledge, were kept on a very precarious footing, and liable to be perverted, or overthrown by the cunning artifice, vicious propensities, fiery zeal, furious passion, or irritated revenge, of some mad monarch, or ambitious tyrant who, perhaps, is ever dreading the loss of his power; from his self-conviction of having done sufficient enormities to make the bulk of mankind hate his person, detest his rule, and at all times most studiously anxious to avail themselves of any opportunity of recovering the freedom and other blessings he had robbed them of. While such was the condition of society, most lamentable were the consequences! Instances are on record where whole libraries (the accumulated knowledge of ages) were burnt or destroyed by the command of jealous or infuriated despots! and, perhaps, the common people were told (as on many other occasions) that it was for their good that such destruction was made! That books, and all such modes of giving information, were not blessings, but absolute curses, circulated for the purpose of drawing men from their duties, and calculated to make them unhappy, poor, brutal, slavish, and miserable. Such things have been said, such things have been done, or, it is probable that the world would have arrived centuries ago at its present pitch of knowledge, liberal feeling, and philosophical research. But now it is to be hoped-thanks to Providence that by the means of the Press, knowledge has spread so far, and so extensively wide, that it is not in the power of any isolated despot (however vicious his inclinations) it is not in his power to effect the mischief that was formerly done; every successive year circumscribes the abuses of arbitrary rule, and in a certain degree attenuates the worst evils that can possibly arise from capricious or despotic governors. It is the circulation of general knowledge that can alone secure the wholesome enactment of good laws, and the pure and regular administration of them. Free and liberal Institutions would not suit a debased and ignorant people: and, on the other hand, in the present state of enlightened Europe, a ruler of any kind, or by whatever name he might choose to designate him self, would be obliged to "assume a virtue," even if he had it not; and to regulate his conduct according to the best opinions of those who had most knowledge, and held the most predominant situatious in society. Great events of any kind, great battles on land, great victories at sea, important debates and revolutions of cities, districts, countries and empires. These, as well as the natural convulsions of the earth, and changes that take place in different parts of the globe; these have all in their turn, great influence in effecting the state of society: but all these however great, are only secondary agents: the principal agency is the mind of man! or, as it has been expressed by another, tis the March of intellect" that determines the state in which men exist, as rational beings. In former times, when knowledge (as before observed) was confined to certain places, great and disastrous events arrested the regular advances of mind; nay threw it back sometimes, for centuries. This was lamentable! the human mind may be said to have retrograded. God only knows how often this may have happened; but there are occasionally discoveries made, enough to convince the most doubtful, that since the Mosaic account of the creation, great and evident changes have, at different times taken place, and that the intellect of mankind has often advanced, and as often retreated. retreat it is confidently to be hoped can never happen again; nothing less than a general deluge, or some kind of providental change of the face of the earth, can so retard the progress of information, for such long periods as it was retarded in former times. For now by the aid of the press all parts of the world are more on a level than they used to be, and the ocean of information spreads its influence round the whole globe. These tides have occasionally ebbed and flowed in Europe: they are at present at low-water mark, in Spain, Portugal, and several other countries; but on the other side of the Atlantic, they rise and are still rising much higher than ever they were known to do. forty or fifty years ago. C Such At one time great alarm took place in consequence of what occurred in France ;-then a fear of despotism followed; and next, after the great Battle of Waterloo, an apprehension of another kind prevailed: Some good, wise, and moderate men, entertained fears that were truly alarming: they dreaded a total re-action of principles and practices. Perhaps it might have been so, had it depended solely on the aristocratical opinions and practices of the Northern nations. But, thank heaven, true English feeling stopped the effusion of more blood; and it is confidently asserted that the furious victors-1 allude only to the lower orders of some, who with wild ideas and inflamed passions, had been inured to scenes of slaughter and desolation. I will not suppose for a moment that any of the commanders ever entertained thoughts of a revengeful nature; or ever meant to sanction the dreadful consequences that might have ensued, had not true valour, with that promptitude which, I trust, will always, and on all occasions, characterize Englishmen-Had not this honorable feeling been put into immediate exercise, the results might have been so very awful and distressing, as would have dimmed the glory-so valiantly, so magnanimously acquired. I allude here to some advanced parties of the infuriated soldiery, endeavouring to assail, burn and destroy, every object of importance that, lay in the line of their march. But Wellington, it is said, and I believe most truly reported: Wellington chimself stepped nobly forward to allay the progress of fury, and to prevent the unnecessary shedding of blood. Yes, this truly noble General, to the honor of himself and the glory of his country; rushed boldly forward to the Bridge of Jennape, and there, like the protecting Angel mentioned in Scripture, he stood "with a flaming sword" to guard the pass and passage of mortal rage, and furious enmity. This, of itself, did him as much credit as his actions at Waterloo; and to crown the whole, he has since been the prime agent of a liberal Monarch's beneficence; who has glorified his reign by giving perfect liberty of conscience to his brave, loyal, but long oppressed Irish subjects. That nation proved themselves good soldiers; they will now convince the world that they are as equally good citizens. At the different periods of the French Revolution, I was (like all the real friends of liberty) occasionally elevated, and as often depressed: I admired the General and Consul, Buonaparte, but feared the Emperor Napoleon. Now all is past, I am still inclined to hope and believe, that had he lived and prospered, he would have acted as Wellington is now acting. Though then mortal enemies, had he lived till now, they might have shook hands and have cordially joined head and heart for the welfare of mankind. . The truly brave, when once the Battle's o'er, We will now look homewards, and discourse a little on domestic matters. However we ramble in quest of adventure,-pause on subjects of amusement, or look forward to objects of importance of any other kind ; still the head, the heart, and all the other faculties of |