Dr. Knox adds, that Dr. White, of Ballynahinch, is thoroughly experienced in the uses and adaptation of these waters.

We turn again to the east from Downpatrick, a distance of eight miles, keeping Crossgar and Redemon House (a seat of Wm. Sharman Crawford, Esq., M.P.,) on our left, and within two miles of Downpatrick, Finnebrogue, the seat and richly planted demesne of John Waring Maxwell, Esq., D.L. Further on we pass Inch, the seat of Robert Martin, Esq., and its old abbey, "fashioned by long-forgotten hands." To the right, is the fine demesne of Hollymount, the seat of Lady Harriet Forde, Ballydugan House, the seat of William Keowne, Esq., J.P., and Vianstown House, the seat of Bernard Ward, Esq., J.P., and the large steam worked flour-mills, fitted up with superior and costly machinery, at Ballydugan Lake.

We now enter the ancient capital of the county Down.

DOWNPATRICK.

OWNPATRICK is an inland town, seventy-three miles north of Dublin,

twenty-four miles north-east of Newry, and twenty miles south of Belfast. In 1841, it had a population of 4,651, dwelling in 808 houses. The town is situated partly in a valley, and partly on hills, surrounded by marshes and high grounds, one mile south of the Quoile Quay which stands where the Quoile river begins to expand into Lough Strangford. The approach to the town from Newry and Belfast has been vastly improved by the new roads which meet in Irish Street. The town is highly diversified and picturesque in appearance. It has many fine public buildings of a very superior order, the chief of which is, the abbey or cathedral, one of the finest specimens of the pointed style of architecture in the province. It is called a restoration of the old abbey, because it incorporates some parts of that structure. It appears that the original edifice was built by St. Patrick (whose grave is still visible at the foot of an old stone cross in the adjoining burying

ground), that it was partly rebuilt, repaired, and beautified by De Courcey; it having decayed or been destroyed, another was built in 1412, which was burned in 1538, and, at the same time, the monuments of St. Bridget, St. Patrick, and St. Columba, were defaced, by Lord Leonard de Grey, for which he was afterwards beheaded. This building must have been repaired or another edifice erected on its site, which in its turn became a ruin, in which state it was described by Archdall, Harris, and others. This venerable and beautiful specimen of ancient architecture, whose ivy-mantled walls, broken arches, and lofty tower, still lovely in ruin, formed so fine an ornament to the town, was in 1790, pulled down to make way for the present cathedral, which was erected chiefly by the exertion of Arthur, Marquis of Downshire, great grandfather of the present representative of that noble family; and the tower was completed in 1829. "It is a stately embattled edifice, chiefly of unhewn stone, supported externally by buttresses, and comprising a nave, choir, and aisles, with a lofty square tower at the west end, embattled and pinnacled, and smaller square towers at each corner of the east gable, in one of which is a spiral stone staircase leading to the roof. The aisles are separated from the nave by lofty elegant arches resting on massive piers, from the corbels of which spring ribs, supporting the roof, which is richly groined and ornamented at the intersections, with clusters of foliage. The lofty windows of the aisles are divided by a single mullion; the nave is lighted by a long range of clerestory windows, and the choir by a handsome east window, divided by mullions into twelve compartments, which appears to be the only window remaining of the last former splendid edifice. Over the east window are three elegant niches with ogee pointed arches, which formerly contained, on pedestals, the remains of the mutilated effigies of St. Patrick, St. Bridget, and St. Columbkill."

"There are, perhaps," says a writer in the Irish Penny Magazine, "few towns in this kingdom that can boast of a foundation more ancient than Downpatrick. It is generally supposed to be the Dunum mentioned by the geographer Ptolemy, in his account of the inland towns of Ireland, and though now possessing but little remains of its former magnificence, it is represented by our early annalists as a place of considerable importance, and distinguished for the number and splendour of its monastic establishments. The most celebrated of these institutions was the Abbey of Canons Regular,' which, from its connexion with the life of the apostle of Ireland, and with the adventures of the chivalrous De Courcey, cannot but prove interesting. This monastery was erected early in the fifth cen

tury by St. Patrick, on a hill called Dûn,* granted him for that purpose, by the chieftain of the Dal-dechu, who had become a convert to Christianity. And here, anno 493, was interred the body of its founder, who closed his labours at the abbey of Saul, having attained the patriarchal age of 120 years. It is related by Cambrensis, that his remains, together with those of St. Bridget and Columba, were discovered by Sir John de Courcey, anno 1185, with the following epitaph written over them—

Hi tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in uno,

Brigida, Patricius, atque Columba Pius:

which Harris, in his history of the county Down, thus translates:

"One tomb three saints contains, one vault below
Does Patrick, Brigid, and Columba show."

De Courcey obtained a Bull from Pope Urban III., for the translation of these relics, and had them placed on shrines within the abbey.

About forty feet from the western end of the abbey, stood one of our national round towers, which measured sixty-six feet in height, forty-seven in circumference, and three in the thickness of its walls. Its entrance was level with the ground, which is not generally the case in such buildings. This pillar tower owes its removal to the apprehension that it might fall and damage the cathedral.

The following are a few of the more interesting annals of Down :

A.D. 499-St. Cailin was Bishop of Down. 583—the Bishop St. Fergus died. 940-the town was plundered and burnt by the Danes. 949-the abbey was plundered by the Danes of Dublin. 988-the town was burned by the Danes, who again destroyed it in 1015, and plundered it in 1040 and 1069. In 1101, Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway and the Islands, was slain by the Ultonians, and interred in this abbey. 1111-the town was again destroyed by the Danes. 1177-Sir John de Courcey arrived at Down, and took possession of it without opposition, and afterwards defeated an army of 10,000 men led against him by Roderick M'Dunline, King of Down. 1183De Courcey turned the Secular Canons out of this abbey, and replaced them with Black Monks, from the abbey of Werburgh, in Chester. 1201-the celebrated Bishop Malachy O'Morgair died. 1203-De Courcey having espoused the cause of Prince Arthur of Brittany, was treacherously taken prisoner by his

To which the Saint's name was subsequently added-Dun-Padring, the "hill of Patrick," and hence the name of the town.

inveterate enemy, Hugh de Lacey, whilst doing penance on Good Friday, by walking barefooted round the abbey. 1259a desperate battle was fought in the streets of Down, between the Lord Justice Stephen de Long Epee (we have always had fighting lawyers in Ireland) and the chief of the O'Neills, in which O'Neill, with 352 of his countrymen, was slain. 1316the abbey was destroyed by Edward Bruce. 1539-we find the prior of this abbey resigning it to the king, upon being allowed a life pension; after which, the abbey, with the immense possessions belonging to it, was granted to Gerald, Earl of Kildare.

Besides the Abbey, the other public buildings are the Gaol, with the fortress-like house of the governor, a magnificent building, erected about eighteen years ago, at a cost of £63,000. The County Court-house corresponds in dignity of architecture; the pediment of the façade is surmounted by two admirably sculptured allegorical figures, representing Justice, blind, with her sword and scales, and Mercy, with her imploring look pleading to the sightless goddess. The Fever Hospital and Infirmary are also fine specimens of architectural beauty. The old gaol has been converted into an Infantry Barracks, but never more than two companies from the head-quarters at Newry are stationed here. The Poor Law Union Workhouse is much the same as others of its class, and accommodates one thousand inmates. There are a parish church, a Catholic chapel, two Presbyterian meeting houses, some Methodist chapels, and a market house.

Custos Rotulorum of the County, the Most Noble the Marquess of Londonderry. High Sheriff for the County, Hugh Montgomery, Esq., Rosemount.

The Town Commissioners are, James Steele, merchant; Joseph H. Talbot, woollendraper; Robert Denvir, innkeeper; William Bell, merchant; John M'Giffin, woollendraper; Arthur Johnston, merchant; Hugh Gilchrest, woollendraper; Hugh Croskery, merchant; Thomas Rowan, woollendraper; Hugh Porter, woollendraper; David Patterson, merchant; John Lloyd, cabinet-maker; Robert Hutton, chandler; Hunter Shaw, watchmaker; John Martin, woollendraper; Wm. Hastings, merchant; Thomas Henry, merchant; Wm. Jordan, builder;

John Todd.

Assistant Barrister, Theophilus Jones, Esq. Clerk of the Peace, Rowland Craig, Esq. Sub-Inspector of Constabulary, George Dickson. Surgeon to County Infirmary, Philip E. Brabazon. Surgeon to the Fever Hospital, W. C. Hart. County Surveyor, John Fraser, Esq.

Supervisor of Excise, George Spedding. Distributer of Stamps, Charles Knox. Postmaster, Benjamin M'Ivor.