once, got into print; but let all such expressions be now brought into comparison with what ought to be done, with what a population so extensive imperiously require, and they will certainly not be repeated for some time to come.

In this department of Books alone, to which the preceding pages have been chiefly devoted, almost every thing remains to be done, and certain desiderata will be pointed out afterwards in conclusion. Meanwhile the previous sketch, and, above all, the existing state of this people, as still farther to be laid open, will, it is hoped, set all such measures as may be necessary in a light sufficiently strong. The best interests of the kingdom are interwoven with the moral condition of any substantial quota of its population; and it is only a strong conviction that the present state of the Native Irish embraces an object of far greater magnitude and importance than has ever yet been admitted, which has led to the publication of this volume.

SECTION II.

SCHOOLS OF LEARNING

Of early and modern date, including some account of the attempts to employ the Irish tongue as a branch of Education at home, and of the Schools either founded by the Native Irish, or at their instance, for their Education abroad.

"THE ages," said Dr Johnson," which deserve an exact inquiry, are those times, for such there were, when Ireland was the school of the west, the quiet habitation of sanctity and learning." By learning, of course, such a man intended the learning of the day as far as it had gone, although how much he involved in the term he has not informed us. I am perfectly aware that this department of our national history is regarded by some only with a smile, as one would some puzzled skein of silk, which it requires great patience and fine fingers to rectify. It may be so; but from the length which even the writer has gone, at intervals snatched from other avocations, he cannot but believe, that so far as any man, possessed of learning and patient research, shall proceed in a candid examination of the Irish remains abroad and at home, at least the ancient school of Armagh, if not one or two others, will rise in point of character. At present the generality say, and with some truth, we have only heard the fame thereof with our ears." Precision, accuracy, and confirmation are required, and especially for those who seem disposed to question every affirmation; while certain Irishmen more deeply read, and naturally interested in their past history, cling with fondness to these recollections of ancient times,—by some they are cherished, as one remembers the singing birds in spring, which now sing no

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The foundation of the school of Armagh is to be traced to a very remote period, in the judgment of those who are partial to Irish antiquity, while this seems to be little more than con

jecture in the estimation of others; but of its early existence there can be no question. Insignificant in its commencement, like every similar school of learning in Europe, even of more modern date, still such men as have been already glanced at, who came out of Ireland in those early ages, there can be little doubt, owed whatever learning they possessed mainly to this seminary. Referring, therefore, to what has been already said of them, I might add here, that, even so late as the end of the twelfth century, though many changes had taken place, and a long night of darkness had intervened, we know, as matter of history, that the last of the Irish kings, an encourager of learning, augmented the income of the superior of Armagh College; stipulating that this studium generale should be continued and kept open for all students, as well from any part of Ireland as from Albanian Scotia.* If the reader is curious on this subject, among others I might refer him for one account of the ancient School or College of Armagh, to Stuart's Historical Memoirs of the City, Appendix, No V.,—an interesting volume in many respects.

In looking over Ireland after this period, we find no seminary of learning worth notice, until the close of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Passing over the abortive attempts of the fourteenth century, for in the fifteenth there were none, it was in the end of the sixteenth that the present University of Trinity College, Dublin, was founded by the Queen's warrant, dated 29th December, 1591. During the following reign, the Native Irish are specially noticed, in connexion with the College, in a letter from King James I., addressed to the Lorddeputy, and all others whom it shall concern, dated 26th February, 1700.-"Because," his Majesty, says our College of Dublin was first founded by our late sister of happie memorie, Queen Elizabeth, and hath beene since plentifully endowed by us, principallie for breeding upp the natives of that kingdom in civility, learning, and religion; we have reason to expect that in all this long tyme of our peaceable government, some good numbers of the natives should have been trained upp in that College, and might have been employed in teaching and reducing those which are ignorant among that people, and to

*Ware's Antiquities by Harris, p. 241. Tria Thuam, p. 310.

think that the governors of that house have not performed that trust reposed in them, if the revenewes thereof have bene otherwise imployed; and therefore wee doe require,-that henceforth special care be had, and that the visitors of that Universitie be required particulerlie to looke unto and take care of this point, and the supplying of the present want; that choise be made of some competent number of towardlie young men, alredie fitted with the knowledge of the Irishe tongue, and be placed in the Universitie, and maintained there for two or three years, till they have learned the ground of religion, and be able to catechise the simple natives, and deliver unto them so much as themselves have learned; and when any livings that are not of any very great value fall void among the meer Irish, these men to be thought upon before others, or to be placed with other able ministers that possess livings among the meere Irish, (where, for defect of the language, they are able to do little good,) to be interpreters to them, and to be maintained by them, after they are made fit for that employment," &c.

I am not aware of any approach to a conformity with these instructions till the days of Bedell. While he was Provost, just two hundred years ago, viz. in 1627 and 1628, he had done what he could, in promoting an Irish lecture in Trinity College, -a measure of which Charles I. expressed his decided approbation, through the Chancellor to Archbishop Ussher. All this, however, died away, and it was not till about thirty years afterwards, in the time of the protectorate, that we find any thing akin to it; but this attempt also, which was about the year 1656, and of which some account is given in the next section, also failed, and the subject was dismissed for more than twenty years. Jeremy Taylor indeed, who had been Vice-Provost of Trinity, addressing the Secretary of State in 1667, says, "It is fit that it should be remembered, that near this city of Dublin there is an University founded by Queen Elizabeth, principally intended for the natives of this kingdom;"-he saw them to be "populus unius labii, and unmingled with others,”—yet though he undertook the task of collecting and completing the body of statutes, &c. which Bedell had left unfinished, he does not appear to have seen the importance or necessity for meeting the partiality of the natives for their own tongue.

In 1680, however, the Bishop of Meath, Dr Jones, advised with Dr Narcissus Marsh, and during his provostship, we find

not fewer than eighty students attending on Mr Higgins the Irish lecturer, besides some of the Fellows and chief members attending him more privately ;—we see the Provost Marsh himself, not only superintending the transcription of the Irish Scriptures for the press, but composing an Irish grammar. We find also, in the College chapel, an Irish sermon delivered monthly, which was crowded; the Duke of Ormond himself attending, and promising his presence to countenance it. “That which gives me the greatest hopes of success,” said Dr Jones, writing to Mr Boyle this year, "is our good Provost's care and zeal in training up the present youth in the College in reading the Irish, which, by the books from you now in their hands, is greatly forwarded. This may be a seed-plot for the church. The harvest is great, and the labourers few, therefore is the Lord of the harvest to be earnestly desired to prepare and send forth more labourers." But all this did not proceed without opposition or discouragement,—and with the removal of Dr Marsh to another sphere, the decease of Dr Jones and other circumstances, the whole course was finally relinquished.

About thirty years afterwards, it is evident that the subject had again been taken up in the University. "We must not omit those means which have been lately used in the College of Dublin," says Mr Richardson in 1711. "The Rev. Dr Hall, present Vice-Provost, supported for some time, at his own charge, one Denny, to teach Irish privately to such of the scholars as had a desire to learn that language; and the present Archbishop of Dublin (King) did and doth still encourage Mr Lyniger to teach it publicly. There is also a small allowance settled in that house for natives, to which, if more were added by the pious charity of persons disposed to encourage this work, and a constant salary settled for an Irish lecturer, there might be a sufficient number of scholars trained up within a few years." Mr Lyniger had been three years thus employed; but there is no proof of his continuance after this period; nay, rather the reverse, as in three years after, viz. 1714, we meet with a pamphlet published in Dublin, recommending the language to the notice of the University. "The present clergy," says the author, "are generally ignorant of the Irish

* Richardson's History, p. 43.