The period immediately after the death of Fitzralph was, in many countries, one of great excitement and inquiry. The schools of logic, falsely so called, which had so long enchained the human intellect, began to be deserted, in order to cultivate a species of more satisfactory and beneficial knowledge, and the opinions then prevalent led to the assembling of a council at Constance,— -an event which would not have been mentioned here, but for one occurrence in connexion with Ireland. In the third year of its sitting, 1417, some dissension arose between the French and the English, respecting their precedency as nations, which could only be settled by a reference to antiquity. The English canonists referred to Albert and Bartholomeus, and urged, amongst other arguments, “ that, the world being divided into three parts, Europe, Asia, and Africa, Europe was distributed into four kingdoms; namely, first, the Roman ; second, the Constantinopolitan; third, the Irish, which is now transferred to the English ; and, fourth, the kingdom of Spain: from which it is manifest, that the King of England and his kingdom are among the most eminent and most ancient of the kings and kingdoms of all Europe; which prerogative the kingdom of France is not said to hold."* A similar precedency had been observed, in 1255, at the council of Lyons, when Albert Armachanus subscribed before all the bishops of France, Italy, and Spain,t-circumstances which are noticed here, however, merely as illustrative of the light in which Ireland was regarded.

The middle of this century, it is well known, was marked by an art, which, as soon as the secret was discovered, spread with almost incredible rapidity over all Europe, producing every where, on the moral world, an effect as striking as that which takes place in the physical at the return of day after night, or spring after winter,—the art of printing, first practised at Mentz, in 1457. The first native of Ireland who appears to have been connected with this memorable invention, should not be passed over, even though he was thus engaged far distant from his native home, and more than half an age before a few types were permitted to be sent to his own coun

its service brought more immediately into public notice."-Baber's Wiclif. pp. 66, 67.

*Concilium Constansiense, A. D. 1417. Sess. 31. Wadding's Ann. I. p. 605.

+ Ware's Bishops, 65.

try, or a solitary book printed there. Maurice O'Fihely, Maurice de portu, as he is sometimes called, or Maurice Hibernicus, and Maurice of Ireland, was born in 1463-4, in the county of Cork, near Baltimore, a town celebrated for its fine harbour, from whence originated the addition of de portu,' occasionally employed to distinguish him. Wood, in his Athenæ Oxoniensis, says, that he received instruction at Oxford, in “ grammar and trivials," i. e. grammar, rhetoric, and logic, called the trivium, or threefold way to eloquence. At an early age, however, he proceeded to Padua, and was there engaged for several years in teaching the liberal arts. About twenty years after the invention of fusible metal types at Mentz, Octavian Scott, a nobleman and native of Mons, went to Venice, where he set up several printing-presses at his own charge. Towards the close of the century, Maurice de Hibernia was his principal corrector of the press,—an office which at this period occupied the men of greatest learning.* Maurice was the author of several treatises, still extant: one of which, his Manual of Faith, was printed at Venice, with this title, "Enchiridion Fidei, &c. doctoris magistri Mauritii de Portu Hibernici Ordinis Minorum, Archiepiscopi Tuamensis dignissimi, Venetiis 1509," and dedicated to the Earl of Kildare, then Lord-deputy of Ireland.+ Another work of Maurice was a Dictionary to the Holy Scriptures, entitled "Dictionarium sacræ Scripturæ universis concionatoribus apprime utile et necessarium." This is mentioned by Possevin, as printed, long after the author's death, at Venice, in 1603, "though," he adds, "it is not extant farther than the letter E inclusive." But among the manuscripts in the Bodleian library, there is a copy of it complete to letter Z, Zona; at the end of which is expliciunt distinctionis fr'is mauritij.'§

By the printed title just quoted, it appears that Maurice had been nominated to the see of Tuam. This appointment took place in 1506, and in 1512 he left Italy for Ireland, and landed at Galway. Soon after, however, being taken unwell, he died there, on the 25th May 1513, scarcely fifty years of age, and was

* Palmer's History of Printing, 4to, p. 149. This vol. is in 4to, having this colophon,-" Uenetijs per Bonetum locatellum presbyterum.-Mandato et expensis heredum nobilis viri quondam domini Octauiani Scoti ciuis ac patricij Modeliesis, 1509." Wood's Athenæ by Bliss, I. p. 17. Now of the three printers under Maurice, mentioned by Palmer, this B. Locatelli was one, which is thus confirmed.

+ Apparat. Sacr.

Wood's Athenæ by Bliss, I. 17.

there buried. The spot in which he lies was long known, and pointed out till at least within these sixty years. The stone under which he was interred, says Harris, in 1764, “is yet shewn."

In glancing at Ireland itself, we find another individual of the same name, Donald O'Fihely, who wrote the Annals of Ireland in the language of the country, carried down to his own time. Sir James Ware says, that he saw them in manuscript in the possession of Florence Maccarty, at London, in 1626.* Wood, who mentions him as an Oxford student,-that he was living in 1505, and that he was valued for his unwearied industry in matters relating to history and antiquity, then adds"In this man's time, I find many noted persons of Ireland to have studied in this university, who, as it seems, have either been writers, bishops, or statesmen, in the kingdom; but most of their Christian names being deficient, I cannot justly particularize them." Several of these men, as well as others who studied in their own country, might here be noticed, were it not from the fear of becoming tedious, or extending these pages too far.t

During the latter part of the sixteenth century, however, one group of names cannot be passed over. Kearney and Walsh, Donellan and Daniel, or O'Donell.

John Kearney, or Kearnagh, who had received his education at Cambridge, was afterwards treasurer of St Patrick's, Dublin. Nicholas Walsh had been a fellow student with Kearney at Cambridge, and was still his beloved companion, having been

* Ware's Writers, p. 90.

+ I may simply mention Charles Maguire, whose "Annalis Hiberniæ usque ad sua tempora," continued by Cassidy to 1541, is now extant in the British Museum. Thomas Fitch, who wrote "De rebus Ecclesiæ suæ," called the White Book of Christ's Church.-George Cogley, the author of a catalogue of the bishops of Meath, handed by Ussher to Sir James Ware as serviceable for his works.-Nicholas Maguire, Bishop of Leighlin, the writer of an esteemed Irish chronicle: these three last were Oxford students.-Richard Creagh of Limerick, who wrote " De Lingua Hibernicæ ; Catechismum Hibernicæ," and an ecclesiastical history.-Thadeus Dowling, who wrote "Annalis brevis Hiberniæ," an Irish grammar, and other tracts.-Patrick Cusack, a man of family, educated at Oxford, and able schoolmaster in Dublin, about 1566. He is said to have given great light to his country by his learning, though he employed his time rather in the instruction of his scholars than penning books. He wrote indeed one book, "Diversa Epigrammata," probably for the use of his school.-Richard Stanyhurst, who was born in Dublin, 1546, maternal uncle to Archbishop Ussher, the author of several works, and who died in' 1618, at Brussels.

appointed chancellor of St Patrick's. These two individuals ought to be ever remembered as the men who first began to pursue the only effectual method of enlightening their Irish brethren, so far as the art of printing in their own language and character is necessary. They were the men who first introduced Irish types into their country, and obtained an order that the prayers of the church should be printed in that character and language, and a church set apart in the chief town of every diocese, where they were to be read and a sermon preached to the common people.* Accordingly we are informed, that in the year 1571, Queen Elizabeth provided, at her own ex-pense, a printing-press and a fount of Irish types, " in hope that God in mercy would raise up some to translate the New Testament into their mother tongue."+

The first work in which Mr Kearney engaged was an Irish Catechism and Primer,-" Alphabetum et ratio legendi Hibernicam, et catechismus in eadem lingua. John a Kearnagh, 1571, 8vo." In this, which was certainly the first book printed with a view to the instruction of the Native Irish, the types just mentioned are said to have been used, and this is probable; but whether it were so or not, it is certain that more than thirty years passed away, before the next publication in which they were employed.+

The translation of the Scriptures of the New Testament into Irish now engaged the attention of both these men, and in the

*Ware's Annals, 1571.

+ Dedication of the Irish New Testament.

It has been strangely asserted by Lemoine, in his History of Printing, and others, that an Irish liturgy was undoubtedly printed in Dublin in 1566, for the use of the Highlanders of Scotland. The reference here is to the book of common order, which, it is true, is sometimes called Knox's Liturgy. But the truth is, that this very rare Gaelic translation, entitled "Foirm na Nurrnuidheadh," i. e. Forms of Prayer, was printed at Edinburgh by Robert Lekprevik, and is dated 24th of April, 1567. John Carswell, superintendent of the west, and bishop of the Isles, was the translator. He here laments the misapplication of the gifts of writing and teaching, and says that much of the superstition that prevailed arose from the want of good books, understood by all who spoke the Gaelic tongue." But there is," says he in his epistle dedicatory," one great disadvantage which we the Gaeil of Scotland and Ireland labour under beyond the rest of the world, that our Gaelic language has never been printed, as the language of every race of men has been; and we labour under a disadvantage which is still greater than every other, that we have not the Holy Bible printed in Gaelic, as it has been printed in Latin and in English, and in every other language." One copy of this book exists in the Argyle library, which is supposed to be unique. There is another, but imperfect, in the possession of a private gentleman in Scotland.

year 1573, Walsh began the work, assisted by Kearney. In 1577, Walsh was elected to the see of Ossory, but proceeded in his undertaking, till he was stabbed in his own house, on the 14th of December, 1585, by a profligate whom he had cited before him for gross immorality. Providentially, some years before this, Nehemias Donellan, born in Galway, but also educated at Cambridge, on returning to Ireland, had joined these men in their undertaking. Thus it appears by a privy seal, dated the 24th of May, 1595, when he was raised to the see of Tuam, that "he had taken great pains in translating and putting to the press, the communion-book and New Testament in the Irish language, which Queen Elizabeth greatly approved of." This commendation is of course by no means to be considered as excluding Kearney, who, not only laboured in union, first with Walsh, and then with Donellan, but seems to have proceeded to other parts of Scripture. Harris indeed asserts, that Kearney "translated the Bible into Irish, which was extant in manuscript in Ware's time:" but this I have no doubt was a mistake of a part for the whole, as no trace of such a complete translation was ever heard of since. Part of the Bible, he probably effected, particularly the Psalms; but had there been a translation of the whole, we must have heard of it in the days of Bedell. These three men, however, laid the foundation, and effectually prepared the way for the fourth individual already named, William Daniel, or O'Donell. Being considered as well qualified for the undertaking, at the instance of the Lord-deputy and request of the privy council he proceeded. Availing himself of the labours of his predecessors, he went also into Connaught to procure such aid as he might think proper, and it seems that he derived some assistance from a native of that province, Mortogh O'Cionga, or King.* At all events, we know, from himself, that this translation of the Irish New Testament was scrupulously made from the original Greek," to which," says he, in his dedication to the king, I tied myself, as of duty I ought." Shortly after the accession of

* See Ware's Writers and Bishops. Letter from the Privy Council of Ireland, 15th December, 1605, in the Clogher MS. No 4. p. 375. Beling in his Vindicia ascribes the translation itself to King; but, with reference to the New Testament, this is saying too much. King certainly was an excellent Irish scholar, and as such was known afterwards to Primate Ussher, who recommended him to the notice of Bedell. The reader therefore will hear of him again.