Church Stroke to be rendered into Irish. 61 



disability, impossible to be overcome, or as an 

 indigenous weed incapable of extermination ; 

 for neither attention nor solicitude appears to 

 have actuated the rulers in taking measures for 

 the people's instruction. In the year 1552 there 

 is a remonstrance made with great feeling by 

 an Irish Chancellor to the Lords justices of 

 Ireland. " Hard is it," says he, " that men 

 should know their duties to God and the King, 

 when they shall not have teaching or preaching 

 through the year. Teaching we have none, 

 which is our ill luck without which the ignor- 

 ant can have no knowledge." What a repul- 

 sive picture is here presented of the then state 

 of the country. And how far is it dissimilar 

 from the truth, in the present day ? 



Elizabeth was strongly urged by that virtuous 

 and able statesman Sir Henry Sidney, to con- 

 sent to the church service being rendered into 

 Irish, and qualified persons sent to preach in a 

 language which the people could comprehend. 

 Deeply is it to be lamented, that measures 

 fraught equally with wisdom and humanity 

 should have been so totally disregarded. The 

 principles on which government acted are not 

 left to conjecture ; yet, if they were not on 

 record, it would scarce be credible that an en- 

 lightened nation could have been so influenced 



