seventh of the collection), “a job to accommodate two persons by particular imterest and management at the castle.” This local phraseology, though the familiar language of Hibernians, and of men much conversant with Ireland, would not have occurred to an Englishman.
The castle is the residence of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and answers to St. James’s. It accounts likewise for many images which any one well acquainted with Mr. Burke would almost swear to be the offspring of his mind. I particularly allude to that passage where the Duke of Grafton is said to have gone through each of the signs of the zodiac, and at last settled in Virgo; and another where the sacramental cup is mentioned. It may have given origin also to the kind of law which Junius so often displays; frequently strong and well applied, but not always perfectly sound. It is not the law of a practiser, but of one who had laid in considerable stores of legal and constitutional knowledge, but never followed the profession. This was precisely Mr. Burke’s case; and certainly whatever legal knowledge Mr. Dyer possessed must have been of this kind.
Mr. Dyer translated two of Plutarch’s Lives for the edition printed by Tonson in 1758, Pericles and Demetrius, and revised the whole work. The former which I have lately read with a view of comparison, is admirably executed; but in a translation, an author’s own manner is less discernible. He also, as has been said, translated part of Les Mœurs. I know not whether he ever published anything original but Junius, if that be his, as from all these concur-
