ADVERTISEMENT. THE unconscionable delay of this Publication, now retarded more than twelve months fince it was put to Prefs, requires fome apology on the part of the Author, and much more on the part of the Printer. It has been owing to the Calamities of the Times, and the Avocations of the Prefs; to the ftrange and unexampled atrocities of the foregoing difaftrous year 1798, which have ftained the Annals of Ireland with Treafon, Rebellion and War, War, all banded and united together, to introduce a new and Infernal Order (or Disorder) of Things, and to blow up our MATCHLESS "MONARCHY-secure and irresistible indeed, if "one and indivifible," in the hearts and hands of BRITONS and IRISHMEN -into the fragments of three Democratic, petty Republics, to be swallowed. up piecemeal by the MONSTROUS REPUBLIC-that Scourge of France, and difturber of the whole World; in the hand of a chastising PROVIDENCE. At fuch an "inconvenient feafon," was this Work, originally compofed, and gradually enlarged. during its delays; while fupplanted and thrown afide by the Bulletins of 1798, and by a Hoft of Publications fpringing up out of the ferment of the public mind, in the year 1799, plunging into the depths of Political Debate, on the Grand, Imperial, and Momentous Queftion of Parliamentary Union, fo puzzled puzzled and perplexed by State Empirics, haftily deciding, without deliberating, on a question the moft profound and mysterious perhaps in the whole range of Political Difcuffion; hence, the groaning prefs was unable to keep pace with the avidity of the Public," feeking reft and finding none," in a Hoft of Ephemeral Pamphlets, fprouting up like dragons teeth, fown by the hand of Difcord, but whofe quick and rapid fale offered a readier profit to the luft of present gain: What Printer's heart can Gold defpife? What Cat's averse to Fish? What has been loft in Time, however, the Author humbly trufts, has been gained in "Value to be received" by a judicious and difcerning Public, who prefer folid and inftructive PURSUITS OF LITERATURE, be fore fore light fummer reading; in a work peculiarly calculated for the rifing Generation, and which perhaps, may furvive most of its more favoured competitors of the day, and be handed through the wreck of time to more unbiaffed and inftructed Pofterity :--May it induce and ftimulate Irish and even British Students, to improve on the plan thus chalked out, with a rapid pencil, yet from no flight research and rumination, on the multifarious. fubjects here fummarily, but it will be found on minuter infpection, not fuperficially difcuffed. The plan was originally fcanty, confined to The Tranflations, of the curious, entertaining and valuable Claffical Quotations, thickly ftrewed throughout "the many-languaged Notes" of that great moral and political Satire, THE PURSUITS OF LITERATURE, which has has attracted fo much notice in ENGLAND, and fo many fruitless conjectures hitherto to unkennel the fhrewd and prudently invisible Author, who, upon a more enlarged and liberal plan has embalmed, in his numerous Editions," the perishable infamy" of fo many noted characters, not fparing the rod, nor withholding the wreath :-Charmed at first fight, with the brilliancy and variety of his Quotation-the Author of this for his own amufement, attempted to tranflate some of the most striking, and was gradually led to complete the whole; when this was no more than a feu d'efprit, of Pamphlet fize and fhape-but the enfuing horrors of Rebellion and Warfare, foon relaxed its muscles into mourning and anguish, weeping over the victims of Rebellion, and fome, his dear friends and these were fucceeded by Humbert's and Bompart's Invafions-so provi dentially |