The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-08 00:00:00

IRISH SOCIETY OF LONDON.

This Society held-their annual meeting yester-
day, at the Argyll-rooms. At one o'clock the Hon. and Right
Rev. the Lord Bishop of LICHFIELD and COVENTRY took
the Chair.
Iris Lo lIDSHIP addressed-the Meeting. He said•rhudi good
had already been effected by-the exertions of the Society ; and
that, in'proportion to the extent of the'kibscriptions, the public
calling
iitnhga that
upon they
them for assistance, andlor an additional supply of Bibles.
might expect much more.
The SECRETARY then read the Report, which 'stated that
since the last Meeting three persons bad been --sent-rai';---g the
natives, to teach theM in their own language; that there had been
la,
aconsiderable
received
a numberdeficiency subscriptions;
,
a
of in the
fletters
Lord GOSEORD rose to move, 'that the' Report be re-
ceived and printed.- His Lordship observed, that the great
want of the Irish was instruction,: and that the best way of giv-
ing, it was through the medium of their own language.-
The Rev. Dr. HAMILTON' seconded the Resolution. He
said that, in the name of 'his countrymen, he returned thanks
to their English Brethren, who had always treated Ireland as a
sister country, who had not withdrawn their assistance from her
in thetime of her necessity, and who saw-her in' need of that,
"Waterof Life-which they were resolved also-to give her. He
entreated them to persevere and accomplish • the end- they so
much desired.
Lord CALI-Rohr moved the thanks'of the Meeting to the
Honourable and Right Reverend President, and the Vice-Pre-
sidents of the Society. His •Loniship trusted that-the exertions
of. this country would never be relaxed, until' they had made
Ireland all that they desired she should be.- '
Lord ROCKSAVAGIE, in seconding the Resolution,- trusted
that the Society, in union with those-established in Ireland,
would prove most useful to that interesting country.
Sir GEORGE ROSE moved the thanks of t.he Meeting to the
TTCAStIren, SUb-TreasUreri 'Secretary,' -and • Committee; and
• that they be requested to continue their exertions during the
ensuing year.
The Rev. •Mr. M‘Nicit, in- seconding this resolution, corn..
mered:op the extreme want of instruction •in Ireland; 'and of
the important objects likely to be attained by theSoCiety. He
said that daily bread of-the Catholic Priests depended on
keeping-the Irish -people M total ignorance, and that they were
constquently•sunk into the lowest state of degradation.. fie
related a story of a•woman; who, on being questioned, said she
believed in three Gods; and that, as she only spoke lri-sl4 she
could-receive no instruction which was given by the clergy in
Latin or English alone. He hoped, therefore,!the Assembly
would make the Catholic Priests the objects of their prayers,
and assured them, that the conversion of, one Priest Would do
more towards emancipating the 'Catholics front their 'state of
barbarism than one hundred Protestant-teachers could possibly.
effect.
A GENTLEMAN among the auditors-wished to address the.
Chair. He was called to order by the 'Hon. and Rev.:Chair-
man ; but he afterwards observed, that his object was to con-
tradiet some .of the assertions which had been made, and to
prove that what had been, stated as facts were not so. Hisf name
we understood to be Macdonald. •
A GEN-et-tux:l,r, whose name we could not:learn, moved
the thanks of the Meeting -to -the'Rev. Eugh M'Neil, for 'the
eloquent sermon he had preached on Tuesday last for the benefit
of the Society. •
The Hoar. and Rev. Mr. Noel seconded the resolution: lie
said while Ireland continued -as it was •. at the mercy-of men
who placed transubstantiation in place.of atonement; this coun-
try would he guilty of a great dereliction from its duty if it
looked on with tameness. - -
Lord LiLroßn• moved the thanks of the meeting -to the
Hon. and Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Lichfield and Co-
ventry, for taking the'Chair, and for his conduct in it. '
The' Resolotion was seconded and- carried unanimotody.....
His Lordship briefly returned thanks, and the meeting sepa--
rated.

ANovtiti MARCII 31.—The reigning Duke of
BmixswiCK, and Prince WILLIAM his brother, have arrived
here on a visit to The Duka and Duchess of CA militii•
An. aged- Widow name() J ANE 1'1031AS; W:is
on .Saturday last burnt to death in her apartment, in Or.l-
she had been .seized 'by had .fallen
mance-court. It is supposed that, whilst sitting by. the -fire,
grate. She had been married twice--ber first husband was.
drowned, and her second killed in the dock-yard.—(Exeter
Al red. Ared.) a fit, and against the

FOR THE SUN.

ON IILELANQIJOLY.

Ma. Enrron.---,ThereCare,:pexhaps, few dispo:
Sitions -or- the 'mind 'that produCe more pleasing
sensations thin that _state of calm and pensive
melancholy which will ,not unfreqUently :steal
upon. the sensitive-mind.. Wholly abstracted- from
all surrounding objects, the heart then -eithek
dwells upon recolleCtion ()Utile past, or indulges
in anticipations. of the future. It summons-to-it-
self all those impressions-, from which it has, at
various times, derived considerable pleasure, and
which have proved an abundant source of :its.en:
joyments. When. the senses .are greatly:delight:
ed, a-simple exercise of the imagination uponithe
impressions we may receive•' s'uffiCes'to impart
the pleasure which grandeur and sublimity are
capable of affording. But -it is solely by-a remi:
niscence- of the once dear affections and emotions
of the heart that a sweet and pleasing melan,
choly can be produced. In the first of these

cases, it is the consciousness of a superior exer-
tion of the mind that imparts pleasure ; but in
the latter our pleasurable sensations have their
origin in the feelings of the heart, the most sure
and.abuodant source of mental gratification. This
it is that constitutes th.e superiority of the last of
these mental exertions.

When the heart is-attuned to melancholy,' every
impression of sensible.objects appears to the mines
eye tinged by the medium through Iyhich-wa
behold them. Then are all .our ideas, gentle,
and placid, and all our feelings
.virtuous and
benevolent. In this pleasing. state .we sympa-
thize with all our fellow-creatures, and even the
blameable conduct of the wicked is either pal-
liated or forgotten. No turbulent passions, no
spirit of rancour, dwell in the heart; indulgence,
love and charity are its only inmates. If we are
then indulgent, even for the faults of the wicked,
if the offences of our enemies then assume a less
reprehensible form, with what ‘varmat of senti-
ment do we sympathize in the happiness of the
good, how powerful is the voice Of' affection and
of friendship ? In this happy disposition of the
mind, so hideous is the appearance of vice, so
captivating is the image of 'virtue, that to aban-
don the latter for the. former seems an absolute
imposiibility. But, alas ! human nature is frail

indeed—
" He knows the best, and yet the worst pursues."

When the pleasing vision vanishes, when our
mind returns into its habitual. train of thought,
then are we again placed. under the influence of
the unruly passions which continually assail the
human breast, and too frequently overcome our
best and strongest resolutions. Man, in this
life, is indeed, placed in a state of continual
Warfare, and he .must be ever ready to com-
bat, not his fellow men, but himself. He
ht; own must dfi.;itierous enemy ; and the
awful contest in which he is engaged, 6wfur ibj
deed in its inevitable consequences, begins as
soon he comes into the world, and terminate.
Only in the tomb. He Must fight from the be-
ginning, he must fight to the last, else victory
will escape him, and tremendous indeed will be.
Ms. farl !

Reflections such as-these must frequently assail
us whenever we awake from the pleasing dream
'which melancholy had occasioned. 'They are
bitter, no 'doubt, but they are eminently useful;
and painful as they may be, they do not in the
least lessen the pleasurable emotions which me-
lancholy produces.. The delight, however, which
arises from this state of the Mind, and'which is sa
eminently conducive to our own individual hap-
piness,- as well as to that of our fellow creatures,
can be experienced only 'by tilOse whose hearts
are open to the finer and best feelings of which
human
,nature is susceptible. Hence, by many,
it,may be 'considered Only as a. weakness and a
.folly. • -But those, who form such an erroneous
conclusion, blame or ridicule "that which it is
impossible for *them to comprehend.'-

•When the soul is tranquil, when every --hirbu-
tent and unruly passion is lulled.to repose, then
is the mind open to the pleasing impressions
which are imparted by melancholy. This source
(4... pleasure is almost ulways placed •ivithin.our
reach. To command such a disposition, of the
mind; nothing more, is. requisite than to with-
draw Onrielves from the .objeCts which • may
divert it from the exercise of its higher powers,
and to: seek those spots where the imagination is
aroused, and the sentiments of the heart are call-
ed into action, Far from the busy haunts of
rld forgetting,
thepleasure
men, in somi secluded spot, where nature assumes
0 mild and placid aspect, where beauty and
grandeur are united to harmony, the feeling Mind
un
"the
find,o
obrya y
the
melancholy.s see' ,andorl
l will
forget,i l
Therel l)
man h.
may commune. Withe vf
his better self, acquire a. more correct idea of
.leis nature, feel more forcibly the :superiority of
mental enjoyments,and aspire more earnestly after
that promised state of future existence, 'where no
bitter drop will be added to the cup of bliss
which may be his for ever.
,Micihurst.

At Union.hall, on Mondity, a - Sgotchman,
named Henderson, vas committed 'for re-exa-
mioation, 9.. n a charge'of having itteniPted to ex-
,tort 5001.. from -Messrs. BARCLA-T anti Co.,
brewers, by a threat of acetising^th-ern "ptibticly
of using opium in the fermentation of their porter.