with his reproofs; but which were crowded with patient and grateful sufferers, with the infected, the

should be left, the punishment of severe want '!" The absentees follow this advice, and most exactly do as they "should" in so leaving him. Poor Ellen and her children were so "left." "All parish assistance should be rigidly denied, and if the hand of private charity be stretched forth in relief, the interests of humanity require that it should be administered very sparingly. She should be taught to know that the laws of nature, which are those of GoD, had doomed her and her family (but these' infants, what have they done?') to starve for disobeying their repeated admonitions-she has no claim of right on society for the smallest portion of food!" I refer the reader to the entire passage. I have quoted far enough, and only changed it agreeably to "the rubric," by substituting she for he. As to the most helpless and friendless of human beings, deserted children, the same system says, "The infant is, comparatively speaking, of no value to society, as others will immediately supply its place." Jesus Christ, however, was no political economist, and has, therefore, fairly warned those who are for giving such "fair notice" to others, that it were better for us that a millstone were hanged about our necks, and that we were cast into the depths of the sea, than we should act upon any such principle3. Scripture, nevertheless, is quoted upon the occasion, and the second commandment has a gloss put upon it, which, were it true, would make revealed religion "a reproach and a hissing," a reproach and a hissing," even in the estimation of heathenism. But God himself expressly clears his word and providence of such an unrighteous interpretation, by an oath ! 5 and sound criticism, as well as divinity, utterly reject it.-(See Bishop Jeremy Taylor on the second commandment, Works, vol. ix. p. 36, and vol. iii. p. 66; and Dr. Paley's sermon on the same passage.) The comment of Mr. Malthus differs from these totally, and most critically coincides with that of the amiable Captain Blifil in Tom Jones, as does the charity of his system with that of Parson Thwackum". Strange is it, that what the great novelist invented as the keenest satire upon the most despicable of human characters, should be now taken up as true divinity and sound policy! Something, however, this system says about charity, and prides itself in so doing, as if it had made some important concession; but we reject its notion of duty quite as much as we do its doctrines, and deny that the rag with which it tries to cover its naked deformities, is of a piece with that luminous robe with which Christianity is invested. Where is it that we are exhorted to shut up our bowels of compassion, and steel our hearts against

dying, and the dead: from scenes like these, I say, there came a voice as audible as if it had been pealed forth in thunder: "I-I, whose labour has supplied all your wants, and supported your grandeur; contenting myself with the refuse, in order to satisfy

those whose sufferings have been occasioned or aggravated by a numerous family? Nay, though we admit that the circumstances of the case and the character of the sufferer may be properly enough considered, still, show us the precept that authorises us in making merit the passport to our mercy. We defy such commentators to show us one passage to this effect, in the entire volume whose burden seems to be this divine virtue. On the contrary, hundreds might be instantly adduced in which so prudent and politic a maxim is expressly reprobated; christian charity, if Christ may be allowed to expound it, is founded not in the perfections, but on the imperfections of our nature; and appeals to the perfections of the Deity alone, whose mercies are represented to us for our imitation, as promiscuous and universal. We are not authorised to spurn the prodigal, nor to desert even the "unthankful or the unholy." We are not allowed to hesitate in assisting the necessities of our fellow-beings constantly and systematically; nor to pause, in order to first ascertain how the misery which it is our duty to relieve was occasioned; but, on the contrary, if we be touched with this divine principle, our minds will be directed to our own unworthiness; and instead of uncharitably inquiring respecting the unhappy object, "Did this man sin, or his father?" the language of our heart will be-" Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers!" Above all, instead of daring to strew doubts and difficulties in the way of this divine virtue, we shall further all endeavours to console the sufferings and relieve the afflictions of humanity, whether national or individual, public or private, with all our mind, and soul, and strength. Utterly regardless of the sarcasms and the sophisms of the modern school, we shall, as far as in us lies, maintain the ancient glory of our country in this respect, and still further extend it, if it be in our power, even to unhappy Ireland: in doing this, we know we have nothing to fear, and least of all, doing too much. In the words of the godlike Bacon, being certain that "charity, and charity only, admitteth of no excess. By aspiring to a similitude of GOD in goodness and love, neither man, nor angel, ever transgressed or shall transgress." All this, however, I fear, is sufficiently absurd in the opinion of the economists, whose chief dogma has been forestalled long ago by our immortal bard, where he satirically exclaims,

your exactions, till even that failed me, and I sankI was sick and ye― DESERTED ME!" It is over! Their victims have given up the ghost, unheeded and even unheard; and how should it be otherwise? Pursue the absentee into the scenes in which he is expending, in a single night, what would have delivered one of his dependent families from destruction, and which another description of absentees are receiving. Can it be expected that the last sigh with which the famished wretch takes leave of life should be allowed to untune, for a moment, the "Italian trills" which ravish his refined ears? or that he should withdraw for an instant the eager gaze with which he pursues the gesturous dance," to bestow it, or a thought with it, on the convulsive death-throes he has occasioned? or that the stake should be withdrawn from the hazard-table, to throw it into the scale, trembling with the fate of numbers, which it would cause to mount up to life and happiness? The very idea is laughable!

(8.) Such, then, is the last wrong absenteeism inflicts, because it is the last it has in its power to inflict; the connexion is thus terminated, and it will be happy for those who have had in their life-time their good things, thus obtained and thus employed, if the absenteeism is not eternal. I wish not to speak as an enthusiast in religion, which I am not; but let it be recollected, that the sufferings so occasioned, and thus unrelieved, are not the phantasma flitting in the glooms of a distempered imagination. None can assert this. The nearer they are viewed, the more they seem to multiply and enlarge, till they heighten

into awful realities; and whether regarded or not, those shadows are weaving the web of fate, and giving its eternal colour. If there be one jot of truth in Christianity, on this point it is perfectly clear, it absolves no one from the duties of humanity, and least of all, the wealthy. Whether it be, as is so warmly contested, a system of faith or of works, here there can be no controversy. Whatever difference of opinion there may be, as to some of its mysteries, on this point it is awfully plain. And those who admit it to be an excellent sort of thing for the poor, rejecting its authority as it respects themselves, will do well to recollect that, in this particular, its dictates are plainly those of reason, humanity, and policy. They may laugh at its denunciations touching another world, but if these things are suffered to proceed unredressed, the vengeance of outraged humanity will again have to be braved in this, as it has too often been already.

But to return; for a full proof of the misery absenteeism inflicts, by occasioning and heightening the sufferings sustained by the population of Ireland in these too frequently recurring periods of general sickness and distress, I refer to Drs. Baker and Cheyne's valuable work, from which I have made but few extracts, not wishing to obviate the necessity of the reader's consulting it for himself. To this authority may be added, that of the several voluminous official reports more recently put forth, on the state of Ireland; in which almost all the witnesses describe the various evils absenteeism inflicts, with, however, one exception, to which allusion will be

made hereafter, as forming a species of evidence perfectly original and unique-"none but itself can be its parallel."

(9.) I would not be meant to intimate, în any of the preceding remarks, that absenteeism is universal, or that it is always criminal. There are some who have larger interests to protect, or duties to perform in other parts of the empire, as well as many resident landlords, who spend their revenues amongst those from whom they are derived; and were it not for these latter, it would not be possible that the absentees could abstract from that country the sums they at present do. The conduct of these real friends of their country is most conscientious, and their charity, on the afflicting occasion just alluded to, was beyond all praise. But those who are thus fulfilling the important duties of their station, have their residence rendered far more undesirable by the unnatural desertion of those who act otherwise. The total neglect of their duty by the latter, so far from being excused by the due discharge of it on the part of the former, is thereby rendered still more flagrant. It would require the entire natural resources of Ireland to be devoted to her by those from whom they are imperiously demanded, to effect her permanent advancement; every individual, therefore, who continues to subtract any part of these, so far injures the country, and destroys its prospect of advancement; and let such recollect, that if absenteeism is not universal, it is not owing to their conduct or their example1.

1

Perhaps, however, I have gone too far in saying that no relief,