It is a commonly received tradition, among the natives of Ireland, that St. Patrick banished all kinds of venomous creatures out of the country. But Solinus, who flourished some centuries before St. Patrick, mentions this exemption. The earliest writer of this legend is Joceline, of Furnes, who wrote the life of this Saint about the time of Henry II; for he says, he wrote it at the request of John de Courcy, Earl of Ulster, and others, whom he names. He says, That St. Patrick withdrew into an high mountain in West Conaught, called Cruan Aichle (now named Croagh Patrick, in the county of Mayo) where he gathered together the several tribes of serpents and venomous creatures, and drove them headlong into the Western Ocean; and thence hath proceeded that exemption, which Ireland enjoys, from all poisonous reptiles.' 2 Not only Solinus, above-mentioned, but other writers, very early relate this exemption; as Isidore, Bishop of Seville, in the seventh century, who copies Solinus. Bede, in the eighth age, mentions this quality, but is silent as to St. Patrick; and so is Donat, an Irishman, Bishop of Fesulæ, near Florence, who, in describing Ireland, has these lines: Ursorum rabies nulla est ibi; sæva lconum 4 Semina, nec unquam Scotia terra tulit. No savage bear with lawless fury roves, Creeps thro' the grass, nor frog annoys the lake. Giraldus Cambrensis, in his Topography, treats this story of St. Patrick as a fable; and even the credulous Colgan, and the writer of his and the lives of the Irish saints, gives it up: yet David Roth, titular Bishop of Ossory, has endeavoured, in his Elucidations on Joceline, printed in Messingham's Florilegia, to defend it; but all his authorities are drawn from authors who wrote later than Joceline. He raises indeed an objection to Solinus's testimony; who (says he) not only mentions this exemption of Ireland from venomous creatures, but says also, that in Ireland there are but few birds, and no bees; and therefore concludes, as he is mistaken in these latter particulars, so he is Jocel. Vit. St. Patr. cap. 170. 2 Origen. lib. xiv. cap. 6. 3 Hist. Eccles. Angl. lib. i, cap. 1. + Ireland was called Scotia in the age when these verses were written. not not to be believed in the former.' But this manner of reasoning strikes at the credit of all profane history; none being exempt from error. Besides, though we have plenty of birds and bees now, yet it may admit of some question, whether we had very many in the days of Solinus. The food of the ancient Irish was chiefly butter, milk, and herbs; whence Strabo (Geograph. lib. 4.) calls them Пonayo, i. e. herb-eaters; and the Britons in the inland countries, as Cæsar (in the fifth book of his Commentaries) tell us, had no corn. If, then, there was a scarcity of corn among the Irish in the days of Solinus, it may seem to follow, that there could be no very great plenty of birds; since there was not sufficient food to support several tribes of them, especially such as lived on corn; and it is observable, that at present, birds abound most in the corn-countries of the kingdom. We have several species of birds among us which were unknown to our ancestors; and particularly, the magpie first visited us in the memory of man. As to what Solinus mentions, that there were no bees in Ireland at the time he wrote, I shall not take upon me to defend the fact; but only observe, that Modomnoc, or Dominick, of Ossory, who flourished about the middle of the sixth century, is, by the writer of his life, published by Colgan (Act. Sanct. Hib. p. 326.) said to be the first who brought bees (or at least a particular kind of them) into Ireland, which Giraldus Cambrensis (Topog.), Peter Lombard, in his Comment. in Insul Omn. Sanct. ch. 4., the Calendar of Cashel (ad 13 Feb.), the author of the Life of St. David (cap. 10.), Bishop of Minevia, in Wales, St. Engus (in Festilog. ad 13 Feb.), and many others, confirm. I do not offer either of these arguments as conclusive, but will venture to pronounce, they carry as great a weight as any thing that David Roth has offered in defence of Joceline. Keating, for whose authority the Irish antiquaries have a great veneration, says, that Gadelas (from whom the Irish boast their descent) was cured when a child in Egypt, by Moses, of the bite of a serpent; who prophesied, that wherever this young person's posterity should inhabit, that country should not be infested with any venomous creature. This prediction, says he, is fulfilled here, and also in the island of Crete, now Candia, where some of the descendants of Gadelas settled. He adds, that as to St. Patrick's expelling them from Ireland, the expression ought to be understood in a figurative sense, of his expelling the devil, and old serpent, by his preaching and example, rather than of real serpents. He has taken this account of Gadelas, and Moses's prediction out of the records of Tarah, and a MS. called Psaltarnaran, both in Irish verse, and of great antiquity; and he says, none of the ancient writers mention these creatures being in 1 in Ireland, since the arrival of the Gadalians. Be this relation true or not, it is sufficient to prove, that the Old Irish, before the arrival of St. Patrick, attributed the absence of these creatures to another cause, though perhaps equally fabulous with the legend which attributes their expulsion to that saint. To conclude, Ireland's exemption from venomous reptiles is no vulgar error, but a truth, which all its inhabitants can testify. But this is owing to the quality of the air or soil, or to some other unknown cause, and not to any miracle worked by St. Patrick, as the common Irish believe. However such creatures do survive transportation to our shore, yet none of them have hitherto either throve, or propagated their species among us, though placed in the fields, as is before mentioned, for this purpose. Thus far, I have thought it my duty, for the sake of truth, to vindicate the honour of this country, which enjoys so noble an exemption, in common with so few others. Dublin, Dec. 2, 1811. I am, sir, your obedient servant, C. S. To the EDITOR of the GENERAL CHRONICLE. IR,-Since the last account which you published (p.252), the price of silver has risen 1d. an ounce, but gold remains as it then was. SIR, The present prices charged by the London refiners are, SIR, -7 IR,-The nominal price of gold has advanced twice this month it rose two shillings per ounce on the 1st instant, and two shillings more on the 11th. Silver has risen a halfpenny per ounce. The prices now charged by the London refiners are, above the Mint price. Silver is cheaper in proportion than gold; for, by the Mint regulation, an ounce of standard gold is equal to 15 oz. 1 dwt. 10 grs. grs. of sterling silver, but the present price of an ounce of gold will purchase 15 oz. 11 dwt. 6 grs. of silver. The Bank of England one pound note purports to represent 5 dwts. 3 grs. of standard gold; but at the present price will purchase only 3 dwts. 23 grs. Guineas are prohibited by law from being sold at a higher rate than the Mint price; if the restriction extended to bullion, the note could not become depreciated, nor would there be any profit either in melting or exporting coin. Nov. 8. SIR B. S. To the EDITOR of the GENERAL CHRONICLE. IR,-Being lately at the town of Stratford-on-Avon, I went to visit the monument of the immortal Shakspeare, whose bust has been so disfigured by one of his modern commentators, and was much pleased with the following lines, written in pencil on the stone:Stranger to whom this monument is shown, Invoke the Poet's curse upon Malone; Whose meddling zeal his barbarous taste displays, Sept. 24, 1811. Your's truly, GALLERY OF ANTIQUITIES IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. A fairer front, and looks another soul. (Continued from page 365.) THE PORTLAND VASE. F. B. THOMSON. DR. further down with her feet toward Pluto, but, R. Darwin further adds,-"This emblematic figure of Im turning back her face toward the timid ghost, she stretches forth her hand, and taking hold of his elbow, supports his tottering steps, as well as encourages him to advance: both which circumstances are thus with wonderful ingenuity brought to the eye. At the same time, the spirit loosely lays his hand upon her arm, as one walking in the dark would naturally do, for the greater certainty of following his conductress, while the general part of the symbol of IMMORTAL LIFE, being turned toward the figure of Pluto, shows that she is leading the phantom to his realms. In the Pamphili gardens at Rome, Perseus, in assisting Andromeda to descend from the rock, takes hold of her elbow to steady or support her step, and she lays her hand loosely on his arm, as in this figure. Admir. Roman. Antiq. The figure of PLUTO cannot be mistaken, as is agreed by most most of the writers who have mentioned this vase; his grisly beard, and his having one foot buried in the earth, denotes the infernal monarch. He is placed at the lowest part of the group, and resting his chin on his hand, and his arm upon his knee, receives the stranger spirit with inquisitive attention; it was before observed, that when people think attentively, they naturally rest their bodies in some easy attitude, that more animal power may be employed on the thinking faculty. In this group of figures there is great art shown in giving an idea of a descending plane, viz. from earth to Elysium, and yet all the figures are in reality on a horizon tal one. This wonderful deception is produced, first, by the descending step of the manes, or ghost; secondly, by the arm of the sitting figure of Immortal Life being raised up to receive him as he descends; and lastly, by Pluto having one foot sunk into the earth. 'There is yet another figure, which is concerned in conducting the manes or ghost to the realms of Pluto, and this is LovE. He precedes the descending spirit on expanded wings, lights him with his torch, and turning back his beautiful countenance, beckons him to advance. The ancient god of love was of much higher dignity than the modern Cupid. He was the first that came out of the great egg of night (Hesiod. Theog. v. cxx. Bryant's Mythology, vol. ii, p. 348), and is said to possess the keys of the sky, sea, and earth. As he therefore led the way into this life, he seems to constitute a proper emblem for leading the way to a future life. See Bacon's Works, vol i, p. 568, and vol. iii, p. 582, quarto edit. 'The introduction of Love into this part of the mysteries requires a little further explanation. The Psyche of the Egyptians was one of their most favourite emblems, and represented the soul, or a future life; it was originally no other than the aurelia, or butterfly, but in after times was represented by a lovely female child, with the beautiful wings of that insect. The aurelia, after its first stage as an eruca, or caterpillar, lies for a season in a manner dead, and is inclosed in a sort of coffin; in this state of dark ness it remains all the winter, but at the return of spring it bursts its bonds, and comes out with new life, and in the most beautiful attire. The Egyptians thought this a very proper picture of the soul of man, and of the immortality to which it aspired. But as this was all owing to Divine Love, of which EROS was an emblem, we find this person frequently introduced as a concomitant of the soul in general, or Psyche. (Bryant's Mythol. vol. ii, p.386.) EROS, or Divine Love, is for the same reason a proper attendant on the manes or soul after death, and much contributes to tell the story; that is, to show, that a soul or manes is designed by the descending figure. From this figure of Love, M. D'Hancarville imagines |