It is now nearly two hundred and forty years since Trinity College was founded. The reader has before him all that has ever been done for the natives in their native language; and on whomsoever the blame has rested, or at present rests, taking it all in all, to this singular and injurious course of procedure there is not a parallel in Europe; but there is a contrast which must not-need not-now be concealed. In a previous section, the reader has already observed, that while we were idle, or opposed to the employment of a single Irish type, elementary books in that tongue were printing on the Continent: he may now see where these things were employed, whether in Spain or Italy, in France or Bohemia and the Netherlands. In not encouraging, by every means within our power, the enlightening of this people through the only medium, naturally and therefore necessarily dear to their hearts, just as much so as our mother-tongue is to us, one cannot help inquiring whether a more effectual method could have been devised for

Oxford. The first donation of value to Trinity was that of Ussher's own library; the history of which is also worthy of remark. In 1640, Ussher left Ireland, intending or wishing to return; but, the following year, his personal property being destroyed or seized, with the exception of his furniture and library, he secured the conveyance of the latter to Chelsea College. In 1642, Ussher not only declining to attend the Westminster Assembly, but controverting their authority, his library was confiscated by order of the House of Commons as the property of a delinquent. John Selden, his particular friend, employed Dr Featly, then, I believe, Provost of Chelsea College, to purchase the whole as if for Selden's own use. It was in reality to preserve the entire library for its owner. On Ussher's death, in 1655, although he had destined his books for Trinity College, his misfortunes compelled him to leave them to his only daughter, Lady Tyrrel, then the mother of a numerous family. Both Cardinal Mazarine and the King of Denmark wished to purchase it entire, but the officers of Cromwell's army could not bear the idea of its leaving the kingdom. Whether they had the soldiers of Elizabeth, already mentioned, in their eye or not,-actuated by a noble and enlightened spirit they purchased the library for L.2200 sterling, in order to present it to the University of Dublin. These men indeed were bent upon the erection of a second college in that city, and this occasioned Ussher's library to be deposited meanwhile in the castle-an unfortunate step, as it occasioned the loss of many volumes. In 1661, by the authority of Charles II., the whole were conveyed to the spot which Ussher himself intended. At the head of the benefactors, therefore, we find the following entry:-"Carolus II. qui anno 1661 dedit Bibliothec Usseriana." He had, however, no share in the donation, except that of complying with the original intention of the purchasers. At a more recent period, in the reign of James II., the whole library was exposed to the most imminent hazard, and, but for the vigilance of Dr Michael Moore, an Irishman, afterwards mentioned as educated in France, but then the Provost of Trinity, it had probably fallen into the hands of the Jesuits. (See page 87.)

The library is now valuable, including above a hundred thousand volumes, among which are to be found the Fagel collection of 20,000 volumes, mostly bound in vellum, purchased in Holland for L.8000, and presented by the trustees of Erasmus Smith; besides about 1200 manuscripts, once the property of Ussher-Stearne, Bishop of Clogher-Provost Huntingdon, chiefly Oriental-Carew, president of Munster, Irish MSS. of Elizabeth's time, &c. This library, included in the booksellers' act, receives a copy of every new publication, a privilege, however, which, for Ireland's sake, should have been extended to Marsh's library, so useful, because so open to every respectable stranger or resident, at all seasonable hours. See Parr's Life of Ussher. Stuart's Armagh. Hist. of Dublin, 4to.

withering one of the arms of the nation, or rather infusing into it a power of rebounding against ourselves? All those who have cultivated the language have ever ingratiated themselves into the affections of the people; and whatever mystery there may have been in the state of Ireland, still there was all along as direct a road to the heart of a native Irishman as to that of any man under heaven. As the reader proceeds he will excuse this digression. I need scarcely add, that the following cases are brought forward, not as proofs of eminent learning; but as we have already done with books, so we now proceed with schools, and they are to be viewed as results,-conveying information at once curious, interesting, and admonitory.

On looking abroad, we find that, before the foundation of Trinity College was laid, there existed at least two colleges for the direct use of the Native Irish; and others followed in succession, established in different countries. The following account, placed in chronological order, contains a few notices in reference to each. These are taken principally from Ware's Irish Antiquities by Harris; but his statements have been compared with other authorities, and other particulars of a more recent date, have been added, so as to bring up the account to the present period.

1. Salamanca, 1582.-The first country on the European continent to which the Native Irish were accustomed to resort for education, was Spain, the land in which, according to one impression among themselves, their ancestors once lived; and the earliest foundation of which any authentic account can be given was at Salamanca, in Leon, once so famous for its university. At the instance and solicitation of an Irishman, Thomas White, from Clonmell, Tipperary, a college was instituted in 1582, of which White was the first rector. Small at first and poor in its origin, it was, however, maintained for many years, till, in the years 1610 and 1614, buildings were erected and a spacious library was formed. It was in this college, about fifty years after this, that Dr Andrew Sall, already mentioned, was a professor, and here that different individuals, named in these pages, in whole or in part received their education. The number of students, however, has never been great. Thus, at the period of the French revolution, there were 32, and

up to the invasion of Spain by France, in 1807, the number was never above 30. At present there are supposed to be only about 12. Count Beerhaven, of an Irish family, was a benefactor to this seminary.*

2. Alcala, 1590.-About the year 1590, Baron George Sylveria, born in Portugal, but of Irish extraction, his mother being a Macdonell from the north of Ireland, founded a college at Alcala de Henares, for 30 Irish students, four chaplains or professors, and eight servants; for whose maintenance he allotted the sum of two thousand pounds sterling annually, and one thousand pounds for the erection of the chapel.

3, 4. Lisbon and Evora, 1595.-In this year there were two colleges founded in Portugal for Irish students; one at Lisbon by one Ximenes, (not the cardinal of course,-he died in 1517, but not improbably the Spanish lawyer,) to which Mr Leigh, an Irishman, was a benefactor. It seems to have been but a poor foundation; yet, from its funds, after receiving his education, any student returning to Ireland received five pounds to pay his passage home, besides provisions for his voyage. From 1792 to 1807 there were from 20 to 30 students; but since then and at present only about 12. The College at Evora, founded the same year, was soon alienated from its original design.

5. Douai, 1596.-Before the close of the sixteenth_century, the Native Irish had begun to resort to French Flanders and the Netherlands, induced, it is not improbable, by the influence which Spain then enjoyed in these parts. To Douai, in particular, they had repaired; but in 1596 the foundation was laid of a seminary for their exclusive instruction, by one of their own countrymen, Christopher Cusack, an Irishman from Meath, probably the son of Christopher Cusack of Gerrardstown, near Rateeth. This man spent his own patrimony in the cause; and, procuring the assistance of other friends, was instrumental in first founding the Douai College. From hence, too, by his exertions, also

* Peter French, from Galway, educated here, went as a missionary to the Mexican Indians. There he remained for thirty years. He composed a catechism in the Mexican language, and finally returned to Ireland, where he died in 1693.

Ch. Cusack, whom I presume to be the Father, "made a book of collections," says Harris, "relating to Irish affairs, in 1511, which is extant in manuscript in Trinity College library," and which Primate Ussher so valued as to prefix to it several genealogical tables.

sprang the seminaries or colleges at Lille, Antwerp, and Tournay. Cusack was the first President of Douai, styled the Mother College, and he acted as the superior of the Irish youth throughout Flanders, until his death, in 1619. Mr Laurence Sedgrave, a cousin, succeeded him, and continued till 1633, when a Mr James Talbot succeeded as his universal heir. In 1706, Edmund Bourke, and in 1713, Christopher French, both from Galway, were Regents of Douai College, and both of them authors. Bourke returned to Dublin, where he is said to have written his essay in opposition to the Jesuits, and died at Rome about 1738. In the year 1740, the President of Douai was Mr Patrick M'Naughten from Ireland, who furnished Mr Harris with an account of these Netherland seminaries; and it was here also that Patrick alias Christopher Fleming, related to the Lords of Slane, received his education. He was successively a lecturer at the Irish Colleges of St Isidore at Rome, at Louvain, and Prague, leaving his Life of Columbanus, which was published at Louvain in 1667. Before the French revolution there were 40 students here, under two superiors. At present I do not know of any.

6. Antwerp, 1600.-About the commencement of the seventeenth century the College at Antwerp was founded, of which Sedgrave, already mentioned, was the first President. In 1629, however, he paid 13,320 florins for a house and garden, which, with the consent of the Bishop of Antwerp, he erected into a college for 12 or 16 students from any of the four Irish provinces; but the establishment would afterwards admit of double this number. Archdekin from Kilkenny, already mentioned as an Irish author, was rector in 1676. About the year 1792 there were two superiors here, and under them 30 students.

7. Tournay, 1607.-This year a seminary for young Irish students was opened at Tournay. Villani, the Bishop, left 9000 florins for the support of the President. This, however, was but a poor foundation, and, having to look to Antwerp for aid, was ultimately given up.

8. Lille, 1610.-The seminary at Lille, which was founded at this time, was also of small extent, and afterwards confined to students from the province of Leinster. It continued open, however, for many years, and before the Revolution there were eight students under one master.

9 & 10. Louvain, 1616.-At Louvain, this year, the first stone of a college for the Native Irish was laid by the Princes Albert and Isabella of Spain, which is generally styled the College of St Anthony of Padua. Florence

Conry from Connaught, the author of an Irish catechism already noticed, used his influence with Philip III. to found this seminary; but in 1624 another college was opened here, of which Roch MacGeoghan was the first provincial. It was afterwards enlarged by two Irishmen, named Joyce, about 1656. Ferral, no bad poet," (says Ware,) and Archdekin both taught in one of these colleges. About the time of the French revolution there were 40 students in attendance under two masters.

11. Rome, 1625.-The number of Irish students in this city has never been great; but there are various particulars in relation to the colleges there which are interesting, and deserve notice.

In the year 1625, several buildings at Rome, with ground attached, which had been employed by Spain for despatching the business of that kingdom and the Indies, having fallen under debt, which they could not defray, the parties concerned advised with Luke Wadding, an Irishman, as to the best mode of redeeming the concern from its encumbrances. Wadding, the eighth son of his father, a respectable citizen of Waterford, had left Ireland in the fifteenth year of his age for Lisbon, and commenced his studies there in 1603. Having, in addition to Greek and Hebrew, acquired a correct knowledge of the Portuguese and Castilian languages, he removed to Salamanca about the year 1616. Here he continued to preside over the Irish College for two years, when he was sent, as chaplain of the Spanish embassy, to Rome; and there he remained, labouring with an assiduity which is scarcely credible, did not his voluminous writings alone sufficiently prove it.

To say nothing of smaller works, and unpublished manuscripts left at his death, although his other occupations were so numerous, says Harris," that it is difficult to conceive how he could find time either to write or read,"- -we may form some idea of the prodigious activity of this man when it is stated, that during his lifetime he wrote and published ten volumes in folio, two in quarto, and four in octavo; besides preparing, with great labour, sixteen volumes in folio for the press, and superintending four others of the same size. Of these, fourteen he got printed at Rome,