Volume 1

The beauties of Ireland. Being original delineations, topographical, historical, and biographical, of each county / By J.N. Brewer. Illustrated with engravings, by J. & H.S. Storer, after original drawings, chiefly by Mr. Petrie.

  • Brewer, J. N. (James Norris)
Date:
1825-1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The beauties of Ireland. Being original delineations, topographical, historical, and biographical, of each county / By J.N. Brewer. Illustrated with engravings, by J. & H.S. Storer, after original drawings, chiefly by Mr. Petrie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    attributed to the Brehons are still existing, and will be noticed in future pages. | | . Under such a government and such laws, the people of Ireland were necessarily very far removed from that state of barbarism that has been attributed to the country by some rash and splenetic writers. But the existence of so many independent states, in an island of moderate population, unavoidably retarded the progress of those arts and: sciences, on which not only the real dignity, but the comfort of society depends. The rational calculation of the examiner is here supported by the pages of the annalist. We find, from credible documents, that states so naturally subject to rivalry were continually engaged in wars against each other, which had no aim but ambition or rapine, and no possible end but scenes of carnage, almost equally disgusting whether we view the sangui- nary triumph of the successful, or figure the distress of the van- quished. Faint, and of little avail, are the tints of melioration: imparted to so dreary a picture by occasional traits of generosity and heroism. That want of unanimity which prevented the natives from attaining a satisfactory proficiency in many of the arts of peace, exposed them, also, an easy prey, to the arms of neighbouring countries. The history of Ireland presents, through most of the early and middle ages, a succession of invasions, which the utmost chivalry of the nation, when not condensed under one great head of government, was quite unable to resist. The military character encouraged by the existence of many rival states, and employed, from the same cause, chiefly in do- mestic warfare, led to a neglect of commerce (the mother of the arts), if not to a disdain of so pacific an avocation. The custom of Gavelkind, although evidently calculated to prevent the durable investment of extensive property, even in the most successful families of warlike ages, still led to an habitual dependance on landed inheritance ; and was, therefore, unfavourable to the cul- tivation of traffic and the mechanical arts. It is uniformly allowed that the commerce of Ireland, throughout many of the centuries