THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 9 



William Stephens, doctor in physic, was physician to 

 the Royal Hospital, Dublin, where he resided, being also 

 physician to Mercer's and Steevens' Hospitals. He was a 

 member of a very old county Wexford family, that owned 

 property in that county and in the county of Kilkenny. Dr. 

 Stephens became lecturer in Chemistry in Trinity College 

 in 1733, and was President of the College of Physicians in 

 that year and again in 1742. He published Botanical 

 Elements for the use of the Botany School in the University of 

 Dublin, and died in 1760. 



Francis Le Hunte, m.d., succeeded his brother Richard 

 Le Hunte in the family estates in co. Wexford, and, on 

 retiring from practice as a medical man, went to reside at 

 Brennanstown, co. Dublin. His extensive charities, bene- 

 volence, and great affability rendered him justly beloved. 

 He died December I, 1750. Mozeen, an actor, in an "In- 

 vitation to Dr. Le Hunte " {Miscellaneous Essays), says his 

 abode was the home of every virtue and delight. (See History 

 of Dublin, F. E. Ball, i. 106, and Swanzy's French and Nixon 

 Families, p. 27.) 



Thomas Prior, born in 1682, at Rathdowney, Queen's 

 co., was educated at Kilkenny School, where he had as 

 school-fellow the illustrious George Berkeley, with whom 

 he formed a lifelong friendship. After graduating in 

 Trinity College in 1 703, Prior began to promote all kinds 

 of industrial work in Ireland. His List of Irish Absentees 

 appeared in 1729, and was intended as a rebuke to the 

 large number of his fellow-countrymen and women who, 

 while drawing enormous revenues from their properties, 

 systematically resided out of Ireland. In 1741 he printed a 

 Proposal as to the Price of Corn. Lord Chesterfield, during the 

 period of his viceroyalty, had many opportunities of meeting 

 Prior, and formed a very high opinion of him. He acted as 

 Secretary to the Society from 1 731 to 175 1. Thomas 

 Prior closed a career of exceptional usefulness on the 21st of 

 October 175 1, and a monument to his memory was erected 

 in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, by the Dublin Society 

 (see p. 80). The Society is also in possession of a marble 

 bust of him by Van Nost, executed in 175 1 by its order. 



