"thing, that is false; then, not to dare to omit any thing, that is true. Let there be no suspicion of favor in writing: nor any personal malice. "These foundations are known to all. But the superstructure consists of things and words. "The nature of the first requires order of time, description of places; also in great affairs worthy "of remembrance, first the designs, then the execution, and afterwards the results are expected "to be handled. The writer must express what "he himself approves of in the design: and as to "the execution of it, he must not only declare "what was said or done, but also in what manner. "And when the results (or consequences) are "handled, that all the causes (or motives) whether "of accident, wisdom or rashness be thoroughly

explained and that not only the exploits of the "actors themselves be set forth; but the general "conduct and character of such of them, as have

any pretensions lo a name or reputation in life. "But the selection of words, and stile of writing, "to be clear and easy, flowing with a certain calm "and even current, equally void of judicial asperity, "and the pungency of forensic declamation."

I solemnly declare, that I attempted to write my history according to these rules; sensible, that by so doing I performed the awful duty I owed to the illustrious personage, to whom the work is dedicated,

to the high spirited and loyal people, whose history it is, and to the unworthy individual, who has taken the arduous task in hand.

The officiousness of some of Columbanus' secret abettors has forced from him a plenteous discharge of bile. Resuming his nom de guerre, Columbanus No. V. he professes to give to his Countrymen the correspondence between the most Rev. Doctor Troy and himself, which the reader will find faithfully set forth in the postscript to this letter. It takes up little, more than a page. His advertisement, which is twice printed in front of his work, announces, that he has lately returned to this king"dom for the purpose of collating, during the summer months, the MSS. of ancient Irish history, transcribed by him from the Bodleian Library, with those deposited in Trinity "College." In order to afford his countrymen a specimen of his accuracy and fidelity in collating and transcribing, and quoting, and dealing out original documents to his countrymen, in that short correspondence he has taken the liberty of changing 15 words, of omitting 78, and inserting 186!!! materially altering the spirit and purport of the originals. It is, to be presumed, that in his eagerness to come before the public on his native soil, he had drawn off the sheets containing his edition of that correspondence, and above 50 pages of the irrelevant matter of Harold, de Vecchiis, Dowdal, &c. before he saw a printed copy of my postscript. Knowing that to give the documents correctly he cavalierly adds in the contents to his pamphlet, the reader will observe, that this is a second edition of both (i. e. of Doctor Troy's letter to him and of his to Doctor Troy) and that Doctor O'Conor has added one paragraph to his own!!! As if giving second edition of original letters justified the variance! Compare. Compare (5 Col. 153.)" Read it ye sycophants-and blush, if any such ruin of expiring virtue as a blush remains." of Columbanus (p. 11) says the only law, by which Doctor O'Conor might feel himself bound in this respect is that of the 6th session of the Council of Trent." " Deinde ut irreverentia vitetur singulis in suis diocesibus interdicant, ne cui bugo et ignoto sacerdoti, missas celebrare liceat; neminem "præterea qui publice et notorie criminosus sit, aut sanc altari ministrare, aut sacris interesse permittant. Doctor "O'Conor presumes to hope, that he is neither a vagus, nor "an ignotus, nor a publice vel notarie criminosus, and that therefore he comes not within the purview of this decree; a 28 decrée, which he morespects and most cordially sincerely y "reveres bagelle wou

I call upon the Rev. and most Tearned Doctor for the dispensation, release, or enfranchisement either of Doctor Troy or of himself from the obligation of the decree of the 23d Session of of the decre the same Council, ch. xvi. "Nullus præterea clericus peregri"nus, sine commendaticis sui ordinarii litteris, ab ullo epis"copo ad divina celebranda & sacramenta administranda admit"tatur," Did Dr. O'Conor produce to Dr. Troy the letters bihe sentence of his of recommendation from bis ordinary, or the interdict? blow of Jesino si to 300 90 03 He who reads my letter to Columbanus, will not call upon me to prove, that I have not in anus, will any part of it stood up for the e not call

infamous doctrine of Arbitrary Episcopal Excommunications: that I have in no part of it called upon any Statesmen to per secute any man. But I did and do again warn both our spiri tual and civil governors to keep a watchful eye and a well nerved arm upon each of the Richerian School. I defy even Columbanus' gigantic powers of distortion and misrepresentation to point out a passage, a sentence, a word, a syllable through. out the whole letter, which says, imports or bints, that the illus trious Charles O'Conor was a stickler for arbitrary Episcopal power, or that has directly or indirectly a tendency to calum. niate or even to depreciate his revered character. I have not in a single instance assimilated him to his clerical grandson. In publishing Dr. M'Dermott's letters, I do not consider myself guilty of any breach of confidence: Columbanus by referring to the correspondence about my writing the historical review in his attack upon me (Pref. iii.) created the necessity of bringing be fore the public the whole truth relating to that important trans. action, Mutilated and garbled truth is often more dangerous, than direct falsehood. Justice to Ireland, to her religion, to her history, to the great and good Charles O'Connor, and (I confi. dently add) to his worthy, and estimable grandson Doctor H. McDermott required the publication of what was not private, but public and national matter. I never received, saw or heard of any letter written to me from or on behalf of Dr. M'Dermott for the last 7 or 8 years: nor was I ever desired by him directly or indirectly, to my recollection, not to publish his letters, and if he had desired it, I certainly should not have acceded to the request under all the existing circumstances. Out of respect and esteem to him did I publish, do I preserve, and will I leave be hind mot unimpeachable documents of his grandfathers' vir. tue. I doubt not, but that in defiance of Columbanus' efforts to warp the innate rectitude of his head and heart, he he will at this day, as cordially adopt, as I know he did in 1801, that beauti. ful sentiment of Cicero. Cari sunt parentes, cari liberi, propinqui, familiares: sed omnis omnium caritates patria une complexa est. Cic: de Off: L. 1.

There may be some truth in one of the alleged reasons, why the memoirs of the grandfather written by the grandson were suppressed; namely, on account of it's chronological inaccura cies and mistatement of facts. And what work written by the same person, ought not for the same reason to be suppressed? But there is no truth whatever in the other alleged reason; viz. partly in compliance with the injunctions of Dr. Troy: the book was not suppressed by any injunction from that prelate, nor by his interference of any kind.

This last specimen of Columbanus' ranting amongst his coun. trymen, augurs little confidence in the numbers of his followers. But himself a host, ipse agmen (3 Col. 29) he swaggers, puffs and vaunts (p. 54) Were Columbanus to stand alone on the breach-there would he stand. (sagacious truism!!) Were his "hands to be cut off in the contest, he would yet fight with "his stumps."

As Widdrington in doleful dumps. Hud, 3 Cant. L. 95.

HISTORICAL LETTER,

TO THE

Rev. CHARLES O'CONOR, D.D.

STILLING HIMSELF

COLUMBANUS.

KEV. SIR, & MOST LEARNED DOCTOR,*

a free pres

ONE of the effects of a free press, is to Effects of draw forth individual judgments and opinions upon public men and measures. Every man, who pub lishes a work, is fully responsible to the law and

the

*There appears throughout the writings of Columbanus a peculiar sense of his own consequence. I wish not to be de ficient in paying respect to it, where it clashes not with truth or duty. In the first of his publications, which came under my eye, in 1805, and of which I shall have occasion to speak hereafter, (being his own anticipated critique of his then intended and still expected Latin work) Rerum Hybernicarum scriptores antiqui ex vetustis MSS &c. A Carolo O Conor, D.D. the initials in Latin, I presume, stand for Doctor Doctissimus. The usual stile of graduated theologians once was, Satra Theologie Doctor, S. T. D.