the ship ahoy!' resounded alongside. The captain took his station on the quarter-deck, surrounded by the of ficers; the band were ranged along the break of the poop; the men crowded along the gangway, and filled the booms; while the first lieutenant answered the hail, and invited Neptune to come on board. Then was heard a noise like thunder, intermingled with the dashing of waters, and the sounding of sea-shells. In about ten minutes more the screen was briced up, the cavalcade were put in motion, and the band struck up. First came the chief constable, with two assistants, to clear the way; then followed, in a gorgeously painted car resembling a shell, drawn by eight sea-horses, Neptune and Amphitrite, sitting side by side, with their son at their feet. Neptune, a fine venerablelooking figure, with his white beard flowing down his bare breast, grasped his glittering trident, while a bright crown surmounted his hoary brow. Amphitrite, a neat and good-looking goddess, handsomely arrayed, but who sadly wanted shaving, smiled upon all around her with the most affable condescension. The coachman, a sturdy old blade, snacked his whip, and drove on. Behind the car came those terrific beings, the barber and his mates, six in number, each carrying an immense razor, about four feet long, with teeth like a saw; two others bore straps, and buckets with the lather. Then came the clerk and judge-advocate, with the list of novices, preceded by the high-sheriff; and, lastly, his satanic majesty closed the procession: the whole was surrounded by Tritons and sea-nymphs; while Neptune's bottle-holder, with a well-replenished flask, kept close to his master's elbow, and occasionally supplied him with nectar. Arrived upon the quarter-deck, Neptune alighted from his car, and explained the nature of his visit; then, gallantly taking Amphitrite by the hand, he presented her to the captain; but the goddess, struck with the gay dress of the officer, and feeling a degree of awe in his presence, actually threw out her leg behind, and, putting her hand to her cap, made a low and reverential bow. This ceremony concluded, the whole party proceeded to the jolly-boat, and prepared for operations. In the mean time the greenhorns were driven below. Proper accommodations had been made for the sitting of the court. The loftiest place was assigned to the sovereigns of the ocean, and at their back stood the bottle-holder. Immediately below them Davy Jones took his station, with the judge-advocate on his right, and the high-sheriff on his left, according to precedent. Before them stood the clerk with the list, while the barber and his mates entered their shop (the boat), and rubbed up their instruments. Call Jemmy Chopsticks,' cried the clerk. In a few minutes Jemmy made his appearance blindfolded between two constables, and was placed at the bar. What countryman are you?' Jeminy was silent. The question was repeated Tell them you're are an Italian,' whispered the constable. Awm an Etalion,' said Jemmy. What part of Italy do you come from?'* ‹ I dinnae just noow recollect.' 'An Italian, eh?' replied old Davey. Geminen of this here court, the lubber before you arn't half so much of an Italian as I am, seeing as how I know him well: why, gemmen, his very tongue betrays him; but the truth on't is, that this very old woodspoiler was born in Glasgow, where his mother kept a whisky shop, and his father was transported for stealing a pair of breecks;-nay, gemmen, this man himself was compelled to quit his native place, after being twice set in the stocks, for knocking down little children, and running away with their bread and butter.' Ma conscience! bawled Jemmy, ye lee! you blatheered-face monkey, ye lee! But what's to be expected from a carl like yoursel', who is the very feyther of leears?' Hush!' whispered the constable, you mustn't speak irreverently in court.' Nae matter, I'll tell truth, and shame the deil, at any rate. My auld mither was an honest sonsy bodie, a descendant of the Camerons; and my puir feyther carried a pack round the coontry as a marchant, but what became of them I dinnae ken, for, like a graceless loon, I ran away.' Ay, ay, we know all that; and you set up for a carpenter, because somebody hove a chisel at you. A rank impostor, gemmen-put him to the torture." In vain Jemmy implored, abused, or complained; he was placed on the loose thwart in the boat, nearly up to his middle in water, and an immense wet swab hung round his neck for a towel. 'What is your name?' said the barber. Jam · But, ere he had time to finish the word, the shaving-brush, well charged with lather, was thrust into his mouth, and nearly suffocated him. His face then underwent the same operation, and the razor was used to scrape it off. When the barber had finished, the bandage round the eyes was loosed, the seat knocked away, and poor Jemmy floundered at full length, half dead with fright. He made a shift, however, to scramble out of the boat, and, shaking his fist at Davy Jones, uttered, in the most desperate rage-You're a leear-you're the feyther of lees, you fause loon!' But the buckets of water came flowing upon him so rapidly, that Jeminy was glad to make his retreat, muttering all the way, It's a lee, it's a lee! Many others were successively called up, but nothing particular was elicited from their examination, worthy of being repeated, till the clerk shouted in a terrible voice-'Send Peter Legings, the marine, up.' 'So, Peter, you're a Liverpool man?' said the sooty monarch. Yes, your reverence,' replied Peter. And what brought you here? come, speak the truth. I was born a gentleman, but unfortunately got pressed from a privateer upon the coast of Africa; and then, desirous of ac quiring glory in the service of my country, I entered for a marine.' Do you hear him, gemmen? Now I'll just give you a bit of Peter's history. This innocent-looking gentleman, this picture of Mars, was born in a garret at Wapping. His father was an old Jew clothesman, and his mother was a cinder-sifter; so, d'ye see, they brought up young hopeful to the honourable profession of a dustman.' Indeed, your holiness is mistaken.' Come, sir, no quibblycations here; remember you're under the strong arm of the law, as my friends the lawyers have it. Don't you owe a long score for small beer and bacca at the chandler's shop upon Point Beach? Wasn't you once a Methodist parson, and preached on a tub? There, gemmen, he carn't deny it.' I own,' replied Peter, that I've a small account for rum at the Rodney's Head at Sallyport; and that I once had hopes of preferment in the church.' 'In the steeple, you mean, for a weathercock; but have you forgotten the time you kept a huckster's shop, and sold pickled sprats for anchovies, and chopped yarns for the best pound pigtail? A worthy subject, gemmen; one to my heart's delight! Why, gemmen, as I'm a sinner, he run away, and left three children chargeable to the parish, all which I got blamed for. Hand him over to the barber.' Thus the sport continued for several hours, till all the newcomes had undergone the operation, and the day was closed in jollity and grog. CATHOLIC ORATORS. MR. EDITOR-Although, in an article of your last number, (the substance and tone of which are highly creditable,*) you have announced the New Catholic Association,' and given its Report, I do not conceive myself thence released from my implied promise of noticing its birth. You have chosen the spirit-be it mine to seize the forms: and, though less important in the abstract, the material part of nature, while combined with the immaterial, will always pos sess considerable power to interest the human mind. The New Association has put itself forth. Like the offspring of the phoenix, it is arising from the ashes of the dead. It is well, if in the interval between the dissolution of the one and the springing up of the other, false winds have not scattered some of the particles which contributed to the parent's bulk, and if its fated degeneration be not increased by causes less necessitous than that which has * You are right in disavowing all partyism. There is none which is not beneath the dignity of a literary work, but that of-justice and truth. limited, almost to ittleness, the volume of its wings. Though it may never soar to the regions which its predecessor gained, yet, if the body be of weight-if it be healthy and bold, it may stand firm -a bulwark, and a beacon-a sign, that, though the species is injured, the race is not extinct; proving, by the use which it makes of those powers still possessed, that it is worthy of obtaining that object for which alone it pines on earth! And when gained? Why, the self-sacrifice will be made! it will devote itself to death! but it will be succeeded by a veritable rara avis. Then, indeed, will float o'er Ireland the stranger-phoenix of Con I have watched in vain for that array on the members of the Association, which appeared to me so emblematic of the sentiments they should adopt. Hope,' indeed, with its deep blue, may envelop many breasts; but the golden ray' of courage shines not yet from its bright sky. To be brief, and direct. Was the New Catholic Association' uniform a mere childish fancy, founded in whim, without reasonable object or design? If so, let it not be adopted: if possible, let the proposition of it be forgotten: for to pause even for a moment over a silly object, while engaged in great pursuits, would be to incur the charge of lightness of purpose, or levity of mind. But, if it was intended to have a moral connexionif it was meant to be a reminiscence to the wearer, to prevent coldness and indifference from stealing on existing warmth, and thus transforming him into an ally with the opponents of the cause-I do not perceive any strong reason for relinquishing the project. Were the Association to be composed exclusively of Catholics, that alone would form a very sufficient objection to such a purpose: but, on the plan which the Catholics have been wise enough to adopt, the badge of the Association would be but a public pledge of honourable sentiments; what the Protestant loyalist might most conscientiously exhibit, since it would bear evidence, alone, to that liberality of mind which is superior to party meanness; and that philosophy of feeling, that esteems liberty to be a good, which the religious tenets of a people form no just reason to deprive them of. Perhaps the Associates think it better to preserve only the enthusiasm which suggested the idea, and disregard the visible proof as unnecessary or absurd. But the spirit is often so closely connected with the form, that if you seek to decompose them in order to discard the one, the other, disengaged, will evaporate unobserved. Napoleon wore the dress of Frederic, that he might not forget what he wished to imitate; and read constantly the Poems of Ossian,' to preserve the fire of heroism alive. · I think too it might be urged in favour of this design, that every degree of boldness within the limits of legality must prove beneficial to the cause: but the novel is, to many minds, the impossible; and, at the entrance of every untrodden path, the multitude will still require some new impetus to urge them on its course. In premising thus much of the Association, I must not forget that I intend to present you with a few more sketches of the Associates; however, I have been but colouring the ground on which the figures are to stand. To your London readers whatever relates exclusively to Ireland, I imagine, will be made the more interesting by particularizing objects, and giving to the forms of things unknown' A local habitation and a name.' Therefore, I shall take the liberty of introducing them to the lastAggregate Meeting, held in Clarendon Street Chapel-a building neatly handsome on the inside, but having no preten sions to beauty of exterior. It is an oblong parallelogram; has large well-formed windows; and is sufficiently lofty for its size. Above the arched ceiling of the chapel are numerous chambers, long passages, corridors, &c. (how romantic this sounds!) whose plain square windows, formed by common brick-work, rising above the solid stone walls of the lower building, look as if Boreas, in a humorous mood, had blown the upper stories from the houses of the adjacent street, and safely set them down round the roof of the chapel of Decor Carmeli. At this meeting I missed the sculptured heads of patriarchs and saints, who looked so gravely on me with their black eyes from every windowcornice in North Anne Street Chapel: yet, in the contemplation of the animated faces around me, I had not much leisure to consider whether the absence of such appendages was cause for pleasure or regret. I would advise the painter, who wished to study the human countenance under the excitement of every variety of feeling vividly expressed, to attend an aggregate meeting of the Catholics of Ireland. From the dignified representation of heroism, intellect, or beauty, to the broad humour of Cruikshank's caricatures, subjects will be here found that would deserve to be correctly copied. The Irish possess a flexibility of feature, which, when acted upon by ardent character, makes the face just that index which pleases most in art. But, while this observation will be found generally applicable to the audience part of these assemblies, amongst the speakers may be observed many striking exceptions to it as a rule. These are generally of the aristocratic class, and are quite as dull and uninteresting as if they had been Aye' and 'No' parliamentarians for years. They express feelings and sentiments, which we may conceive to be their own, with the monotonous tone and unchanging countenance with which a school-boy would repeat by rote a lesson that he did not understand. From their rank it may be inferred that they are descendants of the lords of the pale, and not mere Irish: and, as state often confers extraneous grace on action, it is no doubt from remarking the English manners of this class that the people of this country had fallen into the error of believing every thing Irish to be vulgar, and every thing that was English genteel-a mistake from which it is evident they are recovering very fast. The first person who usually presents himself to notice, from the na ture of the office generally assigned him, is the worthy long-time Secretary of the Old Association, MR. O'GORMAN. In the heavy outline of O'Gorman's head and figure there is sufficient to impress both eye and ear rather unpleasantly at first; yet, in the expression of the features which lie grouped in the centre of his large face, there is something that will gradually awaken your esteem; there is evidence of talents, and of that quality termed good nature; but, were the countenance on canvass rather than in the full relief of life, I should blame the artist for giving the traits of both in a slovenly ungraceful style. O'Gorman's words indicate sound sense and spirited thought; his manner of delivery is careless, unpolished, and indolent. He is so much less brilliant and useful, that there would be some hazard of his Catholic countrymen forgetting his services, were it not for the direct remembrances of his immediate compeers: thus votes of thanks frequently procure for him hearty recognitions of his worth. It would be well if some more dazzling members would imitate O'Gorman's unaffected modesty in speaking of himself: it would not, I think, cause their labours to be appreciated the less. O'Gorman has a strong voice, which enables him to be heard without raising it beyond the ordinary speaking tone; and the dryness of his manner frequently gives comic point to his wit. The report which you have given in your last number was next presented by LORD KILLEEN. The mild and gentlemanlike air of Lord Killeen is calculated to excite attention and respect; and a sombre seriousness of air gives somewhat of the effect of dignity to his words: a too methodical style of expression, and a coldness of delivery, however, permit the attention and interest of his auditors gradually to abate, and render him liable to be placed among those speakers whose lifeless manner I have before remarked. Lord Killeen, I believe, possesses the warm esteem of his associates. He appears sensible and very unas suming. One of the most constant and persevering upholders of this cause, he is still a moderator rather than an inciter of the enthusiastic spirit; and, if his advice is followed, his countrymen will never be guilty of rashness in the most minute degree. To be active in seeking for redress of Catholic grievances cannot be deemed in a Catholic any very high degree of merit, since it is a duty which self-interest alone would urge him to perform: yet as general good must result from every individual effort, and as self-love, under various modifications of refinement, is in truth the first spring of human action, they would be wrong who would quarrel with a good effect, of which it was the cause. Besides, whoever comprehends his own good truly will rarely sin against the social weal, for 'Self and social interest are the same.' It is not, if we analyze our ideas, to self-love, simply, we object, when we decry it as a source of action; but to that mean and contemptible view of things which causes the mind to cling to base and worthless objects. Alle bell' opre Vi stimoli la gloria Non la mercè," Is a sentence which might be given as a motto of that Roman virtue we so much praise. It is only great, however, as it makes fame alone the reward worthy of being desired; and in this degree of refinement I think the majority of the Catholics might claim, since there are many to whom the name of slavery is the most galling link in the chain. Of apathy of manner, or monotony of voice, at least, we shall not have to complain while listening to MR. BRIC. He is a young man of large person, and considerable talents: and there does seem to be a farther analogy between the material and immaterial in the form of his countenance and the form of his mind, as it appears in the dress of manner, language, and air, both bold, flexible, and imposingclumsy, unfashioned, and inelegant. Shakspeare speaks of sawing the air; but Mr. Bric batters it. And then his brogue! If the brogue be a beauty in the language to which it belongs, it certainly is not so in unison with the English tongue; and, since the Irish have condescended to adopt the latter, they should, out of love to congruity, lay the former too aside. The Italian spoken with an English accent could only be as ridiculous as the English with an Irish brogue. I do not, however, object to the brogue' of the Irish peasantry, spoken as the English is by them with such peculiar phrases-such Irish idioms-and intermixed so frequently with words, nay sentences, of their mother tongue: in this way it has the pleasing charm which things very national or very characteristic always possess. But, when any language is intended to be spoken grammatically and pure, the peculiar tones and accent which suit it best, and the pronunciation which the best usage has established, should not surely be neglected, forming, as they do, a constituent part of the tongue. Mr. Bric is warm and forcible in his style, and might claim some character as a speaker, were it not for the defects which I have just described; and it is quite too absurd to suppose that an educated man, possessed of any portion of taste, should not be able to divest himself of what so much masks the powers of his mind. SIR JOHN BURKE There is something in the manner and countenance of Sir J. Burke, if not prepossessing, certainly impressive. He has been a soldier; you would almost divine it: at least, when so informed, the mind adopts the idea as readily as if it had previously conceived it-so consonant is that character with his aspect and air. He is comparatively a young man, younger that O'Connell-older, I think, than Sheil: yet he has the rugged brow of war, and much of that asperity of expression in his face so naturally acquired by a soldier's life: there is, however, a species of warmth in his manner and in his words, which would seem to indicate that, though the gleams of human sympathy play not strongly on his face, yet the milk of human kindness flows free around his heart. He is degagé and unpretending; and, were |