Star.
London, England, 1829-09-10 00:00:00

THE ANCIENT BRITONS.

The following account of the Britons in the cat.,
Tacitus cannot fail to prove interesting to every Englishman wh,•
feels a pride in contemplating the high pitch of social and political
improvement which his country has attained, as compared with th.•
present state of that land from which came its first invaders, many
centuries ago.—The Roman historian represents the Britons as
being of the same common origin as the Gauls; and thus proceed.
on the subject of their identity;—
" You may discover their sacred rites in the sintilariry c the
superstirions. Their language does not differ very much In seek
inn dangers they show the same bravery, and the .•ore terror it.
escaping from them when they have occurred. The Britons. huts •
ever, evince more hardihood, as being a people whom a lung peace
bee not yet rendered effeminate. The Gauls, as we have been Iti•
formed, distinguish themselves in war ; but indoleuce wa, the at-
tendant of peace ; And they lost, at the same moment, tbe.r val. u:
and their fredom. The same has happened to such of the B:ito:.•
as were formerly conquered; the others still remain what the
Gauls have been . . . . They formerly obeve..l
Kings—they were under Chiefs—espoused various factions and in-
ft-result—and, in opposing this very powerful people, we find no-
thing of more advantage to us than that they do not consult the
common interest. The co-operation of two or three States in op-
posing the common danger is a rare occurrence; so that, while they
fight singly, all are conquered. . . • • . The
atmosphere is foul, with constant rain and fogs; but the cold :s
never intense. The soil, besides the olive and the vine, brings
forth other productions which are the growth of warmer regm:
and is also fruitful in corn. They ripen slowly, but come torrh
soon—two circumstances originating in one and the sante cause—
the great moisture of the climate. Britain also produces gold and
silver, and other metals, which are a sufficient reward for victors•.
The adjoining ocean yields pearls, but of a dark and livid colour.
It is supposed that those who gather them are deficient in a certain
art; for, in the Red Sea, pearls are torn from the rocks alive Lnd
breathing, whereas, in Britain, they ate collected just as they hap-
pen to be cut upon the shore. I can readily believe, however, that
nature is wanting to these pearls rather than that avarice is want-
ing to us. The Britons themselves readily furnish levies and con-
tributions, and discharge the duties commanded by the Govern-
ment, if no injuries are inflicted. These they cannot bear They
are at once subdued to obedience—never to slavery.—Tiicn. nt.
Aerie'

IRISH OUTRAGES.

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LIMERICK, SIFT. 2.

Mr. William Ahern, of Hensbrook, and Mr. Mi.:haul
Goold, of the county Cork, were fired at by an a.sassiti near Cas:le-
town Conyers, in this county, on Monday evening. One of thr
horses was slightly wounded, but fortunately the riders escape.!
unhurt.

William Walsh, a labourer, was fired at, and severely wounded,
at Anglesboro', in this county, on Friday last, by a man unknown.
who rested his gun on the hedge while he aimed at Isis object. The
ball entered his right breast, and passed out under ch.. shoulder.
Little hopes are entertained of his recovery.
On the evening of Sunday last an armed party of about 40 men,
most of whom were mounted, entered the premises of a farmer at
Liscarrell, In the county of Cork, on the borders of ibis couu:y,
and forcibly carried away his sister, Margaret O'Brien. Miss
O'Brien and her brother resisted, hut were assaulted and over-
powered by the banditti. On their departure they left three men
as a guard to prevent pursuit; her brother nevertheless, escaped,
and followed the party into this county, near Ballingarry, when
Gen. Massy, Req. iratuediately set the police in pursuit of the
offenders, who, it is said, remain in that neighbourhood in arms.
A few nights back four cows, the property of Mr. liobeit Cus-
ses, of the Cuertenay Arms, Newcastle, were. Snapped by cut-
ting the top joint off each cow's taiL Mr. Cusses, had lately get
posscssion of the lauds they were grazing on.
A pattern was held at Attie', in this county, on Monday,
when a boy of 17 years was struck with a large stone on the bead;
it fractured the skull extensively, and 11 pieces 01 bone were re.
moved by a medical gentleman from Listowell. Notwithstardong
the boy is still alive, hie friends will not prosecute, is the person
who lung the stone is understood to be a relation.
Ccowasst., Seer. 2.—lietween nine and ten o'clock on the Hight
of Thursday, the 27th ult. the dwelling-house of John bloroney,
of Langinstown, was set on fire and ewirely consumed, together
with his furniture, clo'hes, a mike. and were it not that the bre
was noticed through a window in Morooey's father's house, which
was near it, by a workman, John Murroney would have been burnt
to deatb,as be was asleep in bed, and had only time to jump out iu
the lames. The only, reason that can be assigned for this outrage
is, that he took a farm a few days before, at Clongbileigh, contrary
to the Rockite law, when a tenant was lately diupoisessod. Toe
Rev. Mr. Herbert, on hearing of the outrage, hastened with the
New Inn Police to the house, and examined into the atlair ; he
found all was consumed. A shot was fired at Mr. Herbert, and
the Police passed on to Langinstown, but nu discovery was made,
though they patroled toe country toe several miles.
The house of a collier. of the name of Cahill, who lives at
Loughma, near Templemore. was. on the night of the 45th ultimo,
attacked by an armed gang, who fired three shots into the house.
one of which bad nearly proved fatal to Cahill, as it entered the
dour close to where he was kneeling. This outrage was perpetrated
for the purpose of deterring the unfortunate man trout ful,owinz up
the prosecution of nose fellows, against whom be swore inforrna,
Lions fur breaking his windows.—Ltererick Citroisecic

The New York Gazette of the Bth ultimo bL•ttem that
the people of fampico expected a wait from the Spain. tspsdi-
tion, as letters from Haysonah led to the belief that he wou'd dis-
embark on the coast between Tampico and Campeachy. 'Mc
Spaniards bad been ordered into the interior, and the toiling wen:
called out. and every preparation made for defence; there were
about 1000 regular troops at Tampico, which, it was beliored,
would be sufflciest, will the aid it the m Brix, to repulse the roe •
my. Another account says, that at Vera Cruz the expects ion
was, that the landing would be at Canipeachy, and that 400 men
bad been sent to defend it. , There were oat) 900 soldiers at litre
Crish (fifty in the Castle) and not more than two tar three weeks
s, and all were in a miserable condi:tow, particulatly the
al Officers, who were so much reduced, as to he wider the •
necessity of offering their nautical hastrumente fur sale, even at
one-twentieth of their cow. The Mexican men-of-war, aj Vera
Cruz, were all stripped, and each had a guard of two situ Die boa-

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