The Sun.
London, England, 1809-10-20 00:00:00

THE MARQUIS OF DOW4.VSIIIRE.

In a former paper, we had, occasion to notice the
flattering, reception Which this young Nobletnsa ex-
perienced, upon his arrival in Ireland, last July,
when he left Oxford, and proceeded ttslnake a tour..
to visit the estates in that country, which have de- •
scended to him from • his ancestors. His previous
eharaticr, during a continuance among his tenanvy,
and the friends. of his family, has lost nothing of the-,
ex.peaations which were entertained of it, upon his
first introduction to them. His sensible, well-in,
formed mind, engaging manners, loyal and patriotic
disposition, and unatfeCted attention to the public
and private duties of his station (the result of a vir-
tuous and a sound education,) have -endeared him •
to 'all who set. a proper value upon qualities like
these; Which are so necessary to enable a, person of
his rank, property, and consequent influence, to
execute all those duties with propriety. Such an
example, in tilt_ higher Orders, cannot fail to, pro-
duce the most b,-aieficial public effea ; 'and the pri-
vate good which inust proceed from it is incal.
cub ble.
In times likelhe present, of fashionable folly and
• dissipation, .what can so powerfully restrain and cur-
rea Ili& torrent of evil, that flows from them, as,
the exemplary corido.l 61 Pei-setts iii elevated situa-
tions sincere and regular observance of reli-
gious, and moral 'principles, accompanying such a
one, diffused in 'his extensive intercourse with every.
rank' of society, and the encouragement Attcl pro.'
te6tion afforded by the powerful' and affluent- to-
wards all that is good, 'must tend more effeCtnally
t'o repress every propensity of a contrary tendency,
than all, the eloquence:Of the, pulpit. 'We hail,
therefore, with the highest satisfaCtion, the import-
ant acquisiqon to the country, and to society in ge-
neral, of examples as have marked the
auspicious beginning of this young Nobleman's pub-
lic life. .

• On Sunday, the sth instant; his Lordship'attain=
ed his :dist year. .After -diVine service, theindtis-'
trions'poor, of every Sea and fiersuasion,
minately, upon all his estates, and thnie of , ins ito-'
hie mother, the Marchioness of .I.).)wtisitire, in
England and Ireland; received bountiful donations
by the hands of the resident Clergymen. •.."Aild We
cannot conceive a more heartfelt gratification than to
learn that-many thousands -of their distresd fellow
cr•_!atures were relieved and made happy on that day,
by their-gentrons benevolence. Such kindness add
reeling towards the indigent,- cannot fail to-berepaid
by their blesinas and their affeCtions, which are
the sweetest of all rewards.
On Monday, the nth, his Lordship's birth-aay
was observed at all the principal towns upon his
extensive estates in Ireland, with every testimony
ot joy ape reined, and we subjoin an account,
given in the Irish Paper, of the truly noble and
pitable manner in which it was kept at his principal
residence

GRAND FETE AT HILLSBOROUGH. .
The bit th-day of the Marquis of Dowushire, upon
the completing of his '2, ist year, was celebrated. at
Hillsborough, on the .gth inst. and never,have we
witnessed a more imposing spectacle than was there
exhibited to us on that day.
Long, and too, justly,.has it been-the complaint
of Ireland, that her Nobilityand great lauded Pro-
prietors, indolently reposing on the lap of
.pleasure,
in the sister kingdom, have been cold and. inatten-
tive to that country from whence their wealth and
honours were derived. - To perceive, in the heir of
one of our most illustrious and opulent- families,
handed down with his honours and estates from his
ancestors, a mode of thinking and of acing so dif-
ferent from what we have alluded to, is'gratitYing
in the highest degree—and we dwell with delight
upon a scene in which this young and powerful
Nobleman has assumed, his s ation amongst us,
with a display of sentiment so proMising and,so
aUspicious.
At sun=rise, upon Ihe-morning of Monday, the
gth inst. the approaching fete was announced by a
discharge of artillery from the Fort 'ot Hillsborough,
accompanied by a merry peal \from the bells of its
magnificent church, and the band of the Westmeath
regiment of militia followed with some loyal and
patriotiC tunes.
Towards noon, the tenantry of Lord Dovvnshire's
Kilwarlin estate began to assemble in the Market-
square, an entertainment having been
.provided for
them, worthy of the host and the occasion, which,
in description, however, must lose much of its
etfe6t.

. .
About one o'clock; the great gate, leading to the I
western passage to the Fort, having been._ thrown
open by the Warders, the tenantry, with their wives
and families, proceeded in the most Jegular and
orderly manner to the western glacis, and having
admired, as they passed, the unusual sight of an
immense ox and some sheep roasting entire, were
admitted into the area of the Fort, in which tables
had been laid to accommodate upwards of 4500
persons. The tables and seats were formed of old
pines, felled in the adjoining park, and extended in
lourteen rows, from the Castle to the eastern ram-
part, leaving an intermediate space between the
rows, for the attendants. The tables were most
prenatally supplied with large joints of roast and
boiled beef and mutton, bread, vegetables, pies., -
and plumb-pudding, all of the most excellent kixid,
and arranged in the neatest and mast comfortable
style. We were astonished at the ease and promp-
thode with which the whole was concluded.. From
the firing of the gun, the signal for throwing open
the great gate of the Castle, a very short time
elapsed until the tables were filled, and the stations
.assigned to the tenantry of the various town-lands
were occupied, with less of conflation and bustle
than we could have believed possible, without- hay-
' ing witnessed it: ,
.-
Upwards of 4,500 persons, composed of the.te,
mantry of the Kilwarlin estate, were sitting at dinner
at - the same instant, and were copiously supplied
with excellent ale,- by the domestics of_ the house,
the bailiffs of the estate, and their assistants : flags
were flying -on the angles of the different bastions ;
and the Westmeath band, - placed on the turret over
,the northern gate, delighted Ihe people with martial
and national airs. Soon after the tenantry were
seated, the young INfarqUis took his station at the
head of one of the tables, at which he was joined
i by a .numerous company of Nobility and Gentry
~