St. Patrick's Hospital, for the Reception of Lunaticks and Ideots, a lasting Monument of the late Dean Swift's Charity, as are his various [pg 052] Writings, of his great Genius and Wit: Mercer's charitable Hospitable in Stephen-street: The noble Hospital for the Relief of poor Lying-inn-Women, of the Projection of our late excellent Countryman, Dr. Bartholomew Mosse; by which a great Number of Women and Children are preserved from miserable and untimely Ends: The Charitable Infirmary on the Inns-Quay: The New Hospital for Incurables, on Lazer's-Hill: St. Nicholas's Hospital, in Francis-street: The Meath Hospital, in Skinner's Alley: The Lock Hospital, in George's-Lane, for hapless Women and Children, tainted with the Venereal Infection: And the Charitable Hospital in King-street, Oxmantown, are all the humane and pious Growth of this transcendent Reign.
Those Hospitals are duly and regularly attended, by the most eminent Physicians, and skilful Surgeons, without Fee or Reward: So that, from this obvious Consideration, the frequent and large Collections in our Churches, for the comfortable Support, and Christian Education, of indigent Boys; the stated Distributions of our Chief Magistrates, to the Helpless and Needy; and, in Truth, from the general Disposition of its worthy Inhabitants; we may, without any Risque of incurring the least Censure of Adulation, or Vanity, pronounce Dublin as charitable a Metropolis as any in the known World. In the beautiful new Garden, plann'd by Dr. Mosse, breathing in all the natural Fragrance of the Spring, adorned with all the Elegancies of Art, all the Splendor of Illumination, and inspired with the most soothing Charms of delightful Harmony; to behold Crowds of young Ladies, in the full Glow of Beauty, and Bloom of Youth, finely habited, [pg 053] and elegantly decorated in the Manufactures of our own Country, (and finished in the most exquisite Taste, by our own Artizans); to behold them, I say, converting their very Amusements and Recreations to the heavenly Purposes of relieving the Distressed, must, to every thinking Irish Spectator, afford a Prospect of the utmost rational Joy!
As all Men, who render their Country distinguished Honour, or singular Service, deserve, therefore, lasting Monuments of public grateful Acknowledgment to their Memories; it is hoped that, in this Respect, Dr. Mosse will not be forgotten by those who are evidently fond of encouraging and rewarding public Zeal:
Eternal Joys to Mosse kind Heaven give,
By whom, on Earth, so many Thousands live!
The Marine Society, of recent Institution also, disposeth many poor young Men into a Condition of acquiring an honest, and praise-worthy Livelihood, and of becoming useful Members of the Community; by serving on Board of his Majesty's Fleets in War-time, and serving our Merchants in Times of Peace; and, in this double Capacity, of contributing to the general Welfare of their Mother-Country, to which they may otherwise prove a Burden.
Our publick Entertainments of various Kinds are, for the most Part, conducted with strict Propriety, and real Politeness; those especially of the Theatre, which should, by no Means, pass for Matter of slight or casual Consideration; seeing the Romans, the greatest of all People, esteemed the Theatre worthy the Attention of particular Laws, Roscia Lex Theatralis, &c. Mr. [pg 054] Sheridan's general Merit as a Player stands confessed; but as a Manager, that Gentleman's falling frequently under the heavy Displeasure of the Public, (whether from an haughty Distaste to his Profession, or indulged Arrogance of Temper) with his violent Introduction of anti-dramatick Rope and Wire-dancing, Tumbling, and Fire-eating, to the visible Degradation of a liberal Stage, whereon nothing mean, shocking, or monstrous, should ever appear; he hath not succeeded so well: Then, his Scheme of uniting an Academy, for the sober regular Education of Youth, with a publick Theatre, seemed rather the feverish Delusion of a distempered Brain, and heated Imagination, than the cool deliberate Result of rational Judgment; from which fermented Source, also seem'd directly to flow his avowed Concern for the long lost Art of Oratory among us: Had Mr. Sheridan attended to the Debates of our High Court of Parliament; been frequent in our different Churches, and at the Bars of our Courts of Judicature; and had, in this Case, formed a comparative Judgment, from the Writings of Demosthenes, Plato, Isocrates, Cicero, and Pliny the Younger; from the Rules and Precepts of Aristotle, Longinus, Horace, Quinctilian, Scaliger, Rapin, Porée, and Rollin; he had been then convinced how little Occasion there was for his lamenting the Loss of an Art in this Kingdom, which breathes there in full Maturity of all it's persuasive Charms. This his dogmatical Assertion of the long-lost Art of Oratory, his wild Academical Projects, with the foregoing theatrical Inconsistencies, too much subject that Gentleman to the Character given, by the Roman Satirist, of an assuming sharp-set Greekling:
Gramaticus, Rhetor, Geometres, Pictor, Aliptes, Augur, Scœnobates, Medicus, Magus, omnia novit.
Upon the Whole, I will readily grant Mr. Sheridan a Roscius, if the Name can sooth him; a Critic; nay, an Orator; but I shall be bold to assert, that we have many, very many, in this Kingdom, of far greater Powers than that Gentleman, whereof some of his Orations, so called, are incontrovertible Testimonies.
This Kingdom hath of late Years exhibited as justly celebrated Male and Female Players, as any other; evinced in the Characters of Messieurs Quin, Ryan, Delane, Sheridan, Barry, Mossop, Dexter, Sparks, Mrs. Woffington, the inimitable Mrs. Fitz-Henry, and several others, of either Sex.