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343 the east wind. 1 whelks. 2 SAMUEL BURDY (c.1758–1802–1820) Samuel Burdy was born at Dromore, Co. Down, and educated at Trinity College Dublin. He was ordained into the Church of Ireland and spent most of his working life as curate at Ardglass, Co. Down. His most famous work was The Life of the late Revd Philip Skelton (1782) – an account of one of the more saintly Irish protestant divines of the age and a philosopher of note – but he also wrote histories of Ireland, a travel book and a volume of verse, Ardglass, or the ruined castles (1802), which gives interesting insights into Ulster life. from: Ardglass, or the ruined castles … The sun, the stars, the high celestial frame, Point out the existence of a God supreme; The regions too of the extended sea, In every clime, his wondrous power display; Tho’ vex’d by EURUS,1 and his surly band, Its raging waves he curbs with gentle sand, Directs th’alternate motions of the tide, Advancing now in grave majestic pride, O’er the high rocks with wilks2 and limpets bound, And now receding to the vast profound. 10 Such wondrous works display’d to human sight, Strike with surprise, or fill us with delight. When the huge body, and enormous shoal Of numerous herring quit the frozen pole; Desert their northern hive for temperate climes, Like Goths and Vandals in the barb’rous times, To British seas, long wish’d, at length resort, And yield our anxious poor a kind support, Then various birds with wonder we survey Attend the pilgrims on their watery way; 20 Of these the gull and gannet are the chief, Who eat them up as glutton would roast beef. The gull, like diver, rides the wave secure, As huntsman rides the courser o’er the moor, 344 Yet ne’er descends within the briny flood, But on the surface takes the finny brood. With vent’rous wing the gannet mounts on high, And darts straight downward from the vaulted sky, Pierces to wondrous depth the liquid plain, Seizes his prey, and then ascends again. 30 But should the hog3 with open mouth assail, Adown his throat they run as thick as hail: Now here and there, from side to side he’d pass, And thus collect them to a solid mass. Then downward dive, and in the middle rise, Devour, disperse, and raise them to the skies. Yet boats and men he’d shun with cautious care, And flimsy texture ne’er disturb nor tear. Our happy seas no baneful shark annoys, That human life alas! Too oft destroys; 40 But on our shore the useful fish abound, Both those that swim, and those that skim the ground, The speckled mackrel, and the gornet red,4 The haddock firm, and cod with wondrous head, The gentle whiting, and delicious sole Ta’en by a net extended on a pole, The flowk,5 the ray, the plaise, the bret6 so nice, And charming turbot of enormous price, With lobsters, crabs, and others small and great, In verse or prose too tedious to relate. 50 The prime of these are sent to distant towns, Convey’d by smacks, by cadgers, or by clowns:7 There the plump alderman, at city feast, Devours them greedily, and extols their taste, Praises our fishers for their skill and care, In thus providing such delicious fare. … sea-hog or porpoise. 3 bearded gurnard or red mullet. 4 the fluke or flounder. 5 the brill. 6 by fishing smacks, by carriers or carters, or by countrymen. 7 ...

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