to it by candle-light, without shirts or cloaths on; naked, excepting that we had our breeches and fhoes and ftockings on; and

Now from this antique piece verbally tranflated, I think it is evident, that the kings of the four provinces of Ireland were not fuch poor and ignorant chiefs as they are generally imagined to be; and of confequence, that one of the four, to whom the other three did homage, and who was therefore called the king of Ireland, was always a potent prince, and could do great matters when they were all united. This confideration, I fancy, (and the addrefs let me add of Anfelm, archbishop of Canterbury, and of Lanfranc, archbishop of the fame fee, to Mortogh O Brien, king of Ireland, and Terlah O Brien, king of Ireland, Moriardacho Gloriofo and Terdeluncho Magnifico, To the most magnificent Terlagh O Brien, king of Ireland, our benediction, &c. as you may read them at large in Uber's Primordia) ought to give fome credit to O Fluherty's Ogygia, Keating's Hiftory, and Mac Curtius' Annals; which those writers really took from very ancient records, and principally from the very valuable manufcripts, called the Pfalters of Cashel and Tarah.

What the Pfalter of Cafhel was I have told you, reader; and as to the Pfalter of Tarah, the hiftory of it is this.On a tract of land called Tarah, that was taken from the province of Leinster, and added to the county of Meath, ftood the largest of the four vast palaces of the kings of Ireland, and at that grand fabric there was a triennial mecting

* Thefe letters were written by the English archbishops to the Irish kings, Turlogh and Murtogh, in the years 1098 and 1110.

U 2

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1725.

June 11. The jour

ney con

tinued.

and I drank so much burgundy in that time, that the sweat ran of a red colour down my body; and my fenfes were fo disordered, that when we agreed to ride out for a couple of hours to take a little air, I leaped my horfe into a dreadful quarry, and in the descent was thrown into a large deep water that was in a part of the frightful bottom, and by that means faved my life. When I came above water, I fwam very eafily out of the pit, and walked up the low fide of the quarry as fober as if I had not drank a glass. This is a fact, whatever the critics may fay of the thing. All I can fay to it is, my hour was not

come.

49. Having dined, and fhot a buftard that weighed forty pounds, I went on again, the course north-weft for half a mile, and then, to my astonishment, it trended to the fouth for more than an hour; which was going back again but at laft it turned about, and for half an hour we went to the northweft again, and then due east for a long time, till we came to hills upon hills that were

meeting of the ftates of the kingdom, called the royal affembly of Tarah. There they enacted laws, examined the ancient chronicles and records, and purged them from all falfe and fpurious relations, fettled genealogies, and confidered noble exploits. All the things that received the affembly's approbation were registered, and tranfcribed into the royal records, and they called this journal the Pfalter of Tarah.

very difficult to pafs. We were obliged to alight at many of them, and walk them up and down, which was a delay of many hours but we did it at laft, and came into a large fandy opening, that had a number of rapid streams, breaking over it, that fell from the mountains, and with the foreft on the furrounding hills, formed a very wild and pleafing scene. Over this we went for half a mile, and then came to a long glin, fo very deep and narrow, that it was quite night when we got to the bottom of it, tho' the fun was not yet down; and it brought to my remembrance Anchifes's fon, the wandering prince of Troy, when he defcended to the fhades below. It had the appearance indeed of some such pass, and was a frightful way, as hills, like Caucafus and Atlas, were close on either hand of us, and a river roared thro' the bottom of the steep descent; which we were obliged to walk down on foot. This could not be the right road, I was certain. Azora and Antonia could never pass this deep and rapid flood. It was too much for any man to venture into, without knowing where the torrent went, or how the channel of the river was formed.

Up then I came again to the day, and refolved to pass the night at the foot of one of the woody hills, on the margin of the ftreams that founded fweetly over the shores:

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but how to proceed the next morning I knew not. As my paper of directions did not mention the dark steep defcent we had been down, but a little valley that lay due eaft, through which we were to go: no fuch vale could we fee, and of confequence, in fome turning of the road, we had gone wrong.

When I came among the trees, on the fide of one of the mountains, I began to look for fome convenient refting place, while my two boys were picking the buftard, and preparing a fire to roaft it for fupper; and wandered a good way till I faw a pretty hermitage in an open plain like a ring, and going up to it found the skeleton of a man. He lay on a couch in an inward room without any covering, and the bones were as clean and white as if they had come from the furgeons hands, The pifmires to be fure had eaten off the flesh. Who the man was, a paper lying on the table in a strong box, informed me. It was called the case of John Orton.

The CASE of JOHN ORTON.

50. I was twenty years old when Charles the Second was restored, and being master of large fortunes, and educated in an averfion to puritans and republican principles, went into all the licentioufnefs and impieties, which oyerspread and corrupted this nation, when

that

that profligate prince afcended the throne. I drank up to the excess of the times: I debauched every woman I could get within my power, by gold, treachery, or force; maid, wife, and widow: I murdered several men in duels; and blafphemed the God of Heaven continually. The devil was my first and last toast; and, in a club I belonged to, I proceeded to fuch fcarce-credible wickedness, as to perform the part of the priest in our infernal fodality, and after ufing the words of confecration over the elements, gave the prophane bread and wine in the most horrible manner. I was the most abominable of mortals. Contrary to all the dictates and principles of wisdom, virtue, and honour I acted; bound myself in bondage to Satan; and lived the moft execrable flave to the vileft inclinations, and moft heinous habits. Scratch was the name I had for the evil one, and upon all occafions I invoked him. The laft words I faid every night, after lying down, were,-Scratch, tuck me in.

In this diabolical manner did I pass my life away till I was forty, and in twenty years time committed every evil that can dishonour human manners, and infeft fociety. I was a difgrace to my fpecies, and unworthy of the name of man.