"less palatable to the people of that part "of the united kingdom. He discovered " from enquiries, that so far from its uniting "and consolidating the affections of the "Irish with those of the British, a general "discontent and disgust at the measure "seemed to pervade all ranks of people throughout that country." 66 The uniform conduct of the British Government and the Imperial Parliament towards Ireland, since her incorporate union with Great Britain, has tended rather to disappoint and irritate than to soothe and conciliate her affections for Great Britain, Not one of those flattering objects have been realized, which the Irish before the Union had been taught to expect from the liberality of an Imperial Parliament, uninfluenced by the local prejudices of their own senate. As every effort to improve the condition of Ireland, attempted in the Imperial Parliament, has failed, the Irish naturally consider the redress of their grievances more remote and desperate, than whilst they had a Parliament of their own. To the Imperial Parliament they send not one-sixth of the representatives, and can therefore claim no controul over the present House of Commons. Although the representation of the Irish House of Commons were heretofore imperfect and corrupt; yet reflection and repentance now produce conviction, that the reform of the representation rested with the electors. The extinction of the Irish Parliament has rendered their reasoning fruitless, and their repentance unavailing. Great Britain has thus assumed the ungracious system of rejection, by which she must necessarily loosen the attachment, forfeit the confidence, and extinguish the respect, which the Irish have ever been disposed to entertain for her. The Irish are nationally and individually grateful. The Author, from the high estimation, in which he holds their innate spirit, talents, and powers, has exerted his humble efforts to render them an act of national justice, by a true historical representation of what they were, and what they are. CONTENTS ΤΟ Irish history generally misrepresented-Use of history-Preten sions of high antiquity-Indifference to past events-Parties for and against the authenticity of Irish history-Intent of the dissertation-Diversity of national characters-Partiality and incompetency of British writers in Irish affairs-British writers treat the antient history of Ireland as wholly fabulous-Gene- ral nature of the dissertation-General substance of the antient history of Ireland-No improbability or impossibility in the substance of the account-History rests upon moral certainty- Mere denial insufficient to overset history-Nothing com- mands credit without some external evidence-Facility of tra dition-Tradition not confined to one line of the patriarchs- Division of the earth amongst Noah's progeny-Abbreviation of the days of man-Confusion of the human tongue at Babel- Longevity no patriarchal privilege-Links of tradition between Adam and Moses-Prejudices in favour of Greece and Rome -Consequence of the Mosaic era to the authority of the Irish annals-Noah probably knew the state of the whole ante- diluvian population-Original perfection of Adam in mind and body-How knowledge transmitted from Adam-Allot- ment of the earth amongst the descendants of Noah's three 1300 years A. C.-Coincidence of the antemilesian annals |