Ixxxiv 



that he contested with the most distinguished students a premium 

 for the repetition of any ode that might be required : he lost it 

 by the commission of two mistakes, while his successful opponent 

 made but one. It is a singular fact, that, skilled as he at this time 

 was in the Latin language, he was unacquainted with the Greek, 

 and remained so until an advanced period of his life, when he 

 learned it without assistance. The Latin was always the most fa- 

 vourite language of the foreign academies ; and it is well known 

 that, even in the English universities, the foundation of Greek 

 professorships was so late as the first introduction of the Refor- 

 mation. 



Eichard quitted Poictiers about the beginning of the year 1754, 

 for Paris. He appears about this time to have entered on his no- 

 viciate, either at St. Omer's or Hesden. He was so excellent a 

 Latin scholar, that the College of Jesuits considered him qualified 

 to act as Professor of Humanity; and during his noviciate he taught 

 in the habit of a Jesuit, Many of the French clergy who survived 

 the Revolution have acknowledged him as their best professor. 

 One of his pupils was the Abbe Lynch, afterwards Vicar-general of 

 Paris. 



When first he arrived at Poictiers, the superiors of the College 

 were anxious that he should, in the first instance, acquire a know- 

 ledge of French ; but Richard pertinaciously refused to learn the 

 language of the land of his banishment, or to associate with any 

 but boys from his own country. An ingenious stratagem of his 

 tutor overcame his repugnance : it appears that even at this period 

 (aet. 17), he was much devoted to chemistry ; during the hour per- 

 mitted for play, he was in the habit of studying some chemical books 

 which he brought from Ireland ; his tutor, finding further impor- 

 tunity fruitless, took from him all his English chemical books, and 

 substituted French works on the same subject. His love for the 

 science in which he afterwards became so distinguished prevailed; 

 Richard not only soon read and spoke the French language with 

 fluency, but, before four years had elapsed, had made some pro- 

 gress in forgetting his native tongue. 



In May, 1755, we find Mr. Kirwan at Hesden, in the Catholic 



