tural amphitheatre of lake and mountain. We were yet two miles distant from it. Small flocks of sheep and goats were scattered over the intervening space of country. Some were quietly browsing near the doors of the cabins, as if they were constituted members of the owner's family. Others, more independent and intrepid, were scrambling along the ridges of the rocks, in search of a scanty but wholesome subsistence. These little guileless tribes of animated nature contributed their share in heightening the interest of this wild and novel landscape, and invested the approach to the little bathing-place with an air of pastoral simplicity verging upon patriarchal. At length we arrived at a small rivulet, whose rocky bed receives the mountain-streams, and after conveying them along a short but turbulent passage discharges them into the Swilly. We crossed the bridge, and entered the meagre street leading to the market-place of the town of Buncranna We did not find much to admire in its long unbroken line of smoky dirty cabins; its heavy-browed listless-looking men; its dingy unshod matrons; and a count less throng of less than half-clothed children, who were shouting and scrambling in every direction. Some of the latter fastened upon the rear of our car, to the dismay of Rosinante, who appeared to possess a perfect consciousness that an increase of ballast was superfluous. One party were jumping into a puddle, and looking upwards to ascertain the height they could make its contents fly. The foreman of another little crew was lustily stirring a sandpudding, while his colleagues aided the exploit by supplying him with ingredients for his notable compound. A thriving tribe are these poor children; and if they have health and opportunity to persevere in their present useful avocations, there is little doubt of their becoming, at a future period, valuable links in that great chain of worthies, which is not only extending to a fearful length in this country, but also in lands more favoured, and under skies more genial. "Alas! regardless of their doom, "The little victims play; "No sense have they of ills to come, "No care beyond to-day !"* * Gray. To crown the scene, sundry tabbies were basking in the sun, as if inviting and enjoying its beams; winking with one eye at the god of day, and blinking with the other at the host of unshod Philistines, lest in their perambulations they should, by an unluckly rencounter, interrupt the even tenor of their thrum, or disturb the solemn serenity of their repose. On entering the inn, we found the stairs and passage filled with the most squalid-looking people it is possible for the imagination to conceive and on enquiring the cause, we were told that the neighbouring priests were assembled upon business, and that this dingy group were waiting their leisure to make confession of their sins. Whilst repassing them, I took a more leisurely survey of these poor people. Under any other circumstances, this act of attention would have induced a scene of clamorous begging; but, no doubt, their respect for the occasion on which they were assembled, kept them silent. Yet I thought there was a piteous oppressed expression in their countenances, that spoke more eloquently than words. Perhaps a "still small voice" whispered in my ear; or, what is more than equally probable, fancy lent its aid to eke out the fluency of that appealing look, which seemed to say-'We know you- you are English: you come from a country that has no fellowship with us; that professes no interests in common with us, nor sympathy in our joys or sorrows; that denies us the privilege of that precious liberty so richly enjoyed by its own happier people, and which is rendered dearer to us in proportion as it appears unattainable.' On a subject, however, so complex and important, it is better rather to restrain than to encourage the flight of fancy, lest it take an erroneous direction. But who can travel through a district, and look upon a large portion of its suffering inhabitants, without commiseration? Their feelings should be respected; for they are human. Their persons should not be scorned; for, like their fellowmen, they were created in the image of Him who hath made nothing in vain. If we could imagine a poor catholic Irishman adopting the language of the sweet bard, whose head was ever encircled with a night сар "I was born of woman, and drew milk And exercise all functions of a man. "Pierce my vein; take of the crimson stream meandering there, "And catechise it well; apply thy glass; -whatever we might deny him in other respects, we should be constrained to admit the truth of his reasoning.* * The prostration of Ireland appears the more intolerable hardship, as, according to Dr. Hamilton, it was once a prosperous, enlightened, and independent kingdom; and that to England, as being the original and fruitful source of its misfortunes, it is indebted for much of its subsequent poverty and degradation. He observes, - "The numerous instruments of peace and war, the many curious and costly ornaments of dress, which are every day dug out of our fields, afford abundant proofs that the arts once flourished in Ireland, and that the precious metals were not unknown here. Of the latter, many are exquisitely wrought, many of such intrinsic value as to prove that gold and silver once abounded in Ireland in prodigious quantity; that there was a time when we had more than |