round of dinners and parties; and balls and
suppers every night in the week, some of which are very elegant; but you
almost everywhere meet a company much too numerous for the size of the
apartments. They have two assemblies on the plan of those of London, in
Fishamble Street, and at the Rotunda; and two gentlemen's clubs, Anthry's
and Daly's, very well regulated: I heard some anecdotes of deep play at
the latter, though never to the excess common at London. An ill-judged
and unsuccessful attempt was made to establish the Italian Opera, which
existed but with scarcely any life for this one winter; of course they
could rise no higher than a comic one. _La Buona Figliuola_, _La
Frascatana_, and _Il Geloso in Cimento_, were repeatedly performed, or
rather murdered, except the parts of Sestini. The house was generally
empty, and miserably cold. So much knowledge of the state of a country
is gained by hearing the debates of a Parliament, that I often frequented
the gallery of the House of Commons. Since Mr. Flood has been silenced
with the Vice-Treasurership of Ireland, Mr. Daly, Mr. Grattan, Sir
William Osborn, and the prime serjeant Burgh, are reckoned high among the
Irish orators. I heard many very eloquent speeches, but I cannot say
they struck me like the exertion of the abilities of Irishmen in the
English House of Commons, owing perhaps to the reflection both on the
speaker and auditor, that the Attorney-General of England, with a dash of
his pen, can reverse, alter, or entirely do away the matured result of
all the eloquence, and all the abilities of this whole assembly. Before
I conclude with Dublin I shall only remark, that walking in the streets
there, from the narrowness and populousness of the principal
thoroughfares, as well as from the dirt and wretchedness of the canaille,
is a most uneasy and disgusting exercise.

June 24. Left Dublin, and passed through the Phoenix Park, a very
pleasing ground, at the bottom of which, to the left, the Liffey forms a
variety of landscapes: this is the most beautiful environ of Dublin.
Take the road to Luttrel's Town, through a various scenery on the banks
of the river. That domain is a considerable one in extent, being above
four hundred acres within the wall, Irish measure; in the front of the
house is a fine lawn bounded by rich woods, through which are many
ridings, four miles in extent. From the road towards the house they lead
through a very fine glen, by the