ders of Tipperary. It is the largest town in the county and hath a good market. In this town is a castle belonging to the family of Sir William Parfons, who has an elegant feat here, and a ftatue of the late Duke of Cumberland on an elegant column. The poft goes to Dublin 4 times a week.

Tullamore. A small town which gives the title of baron to the Earl of Charleville. Distant from Dublin 43 miles weft, and the market is tolerable. The poft goes 4 times a week to Dublin.

Geafhill. This neat market town is fituated from Philipftown 6 miles, and gives the title of baron to the family of Digby.

Ballyboy. A post town, which goes four times a week, diftant from Dublin 50 miles, weft. The market is very confiderable, and the town is in a flourishing condition, being peculiarly fituated for trade in the centre of this county.

Edenderry. A fmall inconfiderable town, with respect to its trade. In its neighbourhood there are many linen weavers, who generally weave linen no more than 12 to 16 inches wide; but from the encouragement of the linen board, there is great reafon to expect the manufacturers to improve in this useful branch very confiderably. The inhabitants are chiefly quakers.

In this province, and particularly in the King's County, are many evident proofs that the Druids formerly refided here; thofe heathen

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heathen priefts, according to the most authentic accounts which have been tranfmitted us, used to dwell in the darkeft receffes of the woods, where they erected temples for the celebration of religious worship. Lucan, who lived at the very time that the doctrine of these priests was fuppofed to have been in its greatest reputation, has given us in his Pharfalia feveral fine descriptions, both of their principles and habitations. He fays,

The Druids now, while arms are heard no

more,

Old myfteries and barb'rous rights reftore: A tribe who fingular religion love,

And haunt the lonely coverts of the grove. To thefe, and thefe of all mankind alone, The Gods are fure revealed or fure unknown.

If dying mortals dooms they fing aright No ghofts defcend to dwell in dreadful night; No parting fouls to grifly Pluto go, Nor feek the dreary filent fhades below: But forth they fly immortal in their kind, And other bodies in new worlds they find. ROWE.

QUEEN'S COUNTY.

This county is well inclofed, cultivated, and inhabited throughout, tho' formerly it was much impoverished by bogs. Its greateft length from north to fouth is 25 miles, and nearly the fame in breadth. It derived its name from Queen Mary. It is bounded on the fouth by Kilkenny, on the north by N

the

the King's County, on the eaft by part of Kildare and Catherlough, and on the weft by part of Tipperary; contains 238,420 Irish plantation acres, or 386,193 British acres, and 39 parishes. The baronies are feven, and fend eight members to parliament, viz. two for the county, and two for each of the boroughs of Portarlington, Maryborough, and Ballinekill. Great quantities of flax are raised in this county, for the inhabitants feldom fow any foreign feed, but change their own from one foil to another as it begins to degenerate. Their flax is good and in general very cheap.

Chief towns are the following, viz.

Maryborough,

Mountmellick,

Portarlington,

Ballinekill,

Mountrath,

Maryborough. So called in honour of Mary Queen of England, who reduced this part of Leinster to thire ground, by an act of parliament, in the 7th year of the reign of Philip and Mary. It is a borough, a market, and the affize town, and distant from Dublin 40 miles fouth weft. It is governed by a burgomafter, and sheriffs, hath barracks for one troop of Horfe; gives the title of Baron and viscount to Lord Mollyneaux. The poft goes three tiines a week to Dublin.

Mountmellick. Is diftant from Dublin 36 miles fouth weft, and is a fmall market

town.

town. In this town as well as in Maryborough, are a confiderable number of linen manufacturers.

Portarlington. Is diftant 32 miles weft from Dublin, is a neat market town, and has of late been confiderably improved and enlarged; it contains many well built houses, and is inhabited moftly by genteel families, feveral of whom are French: Here is an academy for the education of children of the nobility. It is fituated on the river Barrow in the northern part of the Queen's County. It is governed by a fovereign, recorder and portrieve, is a good market town and the poft goes to and from Dublin, twice a week,

Ballinekill. This is the moft confiderable market town in this county, though the town is small. It is fituated 40 miles fouth weft from Dublin; there are large bleach yards in this town as also at Maryborough, Mountmellick, Ballyfinn, and at Aghaboo.

Mountrath. Is a large town, fix miles south west from Maryborough, which gives the title of Earl to the noble family of Coote. The linen weavers in the neighbourhood of this town, make linen of three quarters and a half wide, and as the yarn of this county is fine, they may fpeedily be led into the manufacture of 3-4ths and 7-8ths Douglas, equal if not fuperior to the foreign.

END OF VOL. I.