4 A HISTORY OF 



In 1693 a reorganisation of it was brought about 

 in Trinity College, which was in active operation up to 

 1698. "This evening (26 April) at 6, met at the 

 Provost's lodgings, T.C.D., in order to a renewal of 

 our Philosophical meeting, when Sir R. Cox read a 

 geographical account of Derry," &c. (Marsh's MS. 

 Diary}. 1 



A third society was in existence about 1706, of 

 which Samuel Molyneux, son of William Molyneux, 

 was secretary, and it is frequently mentioned in the 

 Familiar Letters of Locke and Molyneux. Of this 

 society Berkeley was a member. Sir Thomas Molyneux, 

 brother of the originator of the first society, was the 

 only person who appears to have directly connected 

 the Dublin Society with the earlier associations. 



When, after the Revolution, the country had settled 

 down to resume its former peace and quiet, the condi- 

 tion of agriculture was low in the extreme. The most 

 primitive implements were in use, and the crudest 

 possible ideas on husbandry prevailed. Tenure of 

 holdings was most precarious, and this, combined with 

 the poverty and ignorance of the farming classes, pre- 

 vented any real progress. Landlords began to find 

 that pasturage was their easiest mode of making money, 

 and they showed a marked preference for a few 

 substantial tenants over a number of smaller ones, who 

 could only engage in light tillage. Seeing there was 

 no employment for labourers, whole neighbourhoods 

 were turned adrift, and begging became a settled occu- 

 pation of numbers of the people. These are Mr. 

 Lecky's views as to the state of agricultural Ireland at 

 the time, and in his Essay on Trade, Arthur Dobbs was 

 forced to suggest the erection of workhouses as a remedy 



1 Now in the library which he founded in Dublin. 



