White — Elias Bouhereau of La Rochelle. 147 



College in Dublin) was inaccessible to all but the members, and that the 

 booksellers' shops were furnished with none but a few modern English books, 

 so that the clergy of that city and such as came to it about business, and 

 especially the poor curates who had no money to buy, having no place to 

 repair to where they might have the perusal of a collection of good books, he 

 feared spent much of their time worse, than probably they would do, if such 

 a provision were made for them. When he spoke of the College library as 

 the only one in Ireland, he meant that was anything considerable, there 

 being two others very small, one at Kilkenny, given by the late Bishop 

 there, and another at Londonderry, erected by the present Bishop of that 

 place. 



The money for the structure was ready and the ground laid out, being 

 part of the garden belonging to his (the Bishop's) house, and the model of the 

 building was being drawn. Only one encouragement was wanting. There 

 was a very learned gentleman, a refugee, one Mr. Bonhereau [sic], who held 

 great correspondence in foreign parts, every way qualified to be a library 

 keeper. He had moreover a collection of books worth between 500^. and 

 600/. This gentleman, being ancient, would give his books (which were in a 

 manner all his substance) to this library (when erected) and become library 

 keeper himself, if he might have 200/. a year settled on him for life. Were 

 the treasurership or chancellorship of their Cathedral of St. Patrick void, he 

 (the Bishop) would bestow it on him who was well qualified for such a 

 dignity and would endeavour to make it a preferment for a library keeper 

 for ever, there being no duty belonging thereto besides preaching three or 

 four times in a year. But it being uncertain when either of these might 

 become void, the only expedient that could be thought of was, that the King 

 would graciously bestow a salary of 200/. 'per ann. on Mr. Bonhereau [sic] 

 as library keeper, either during life or until otherwise provided for, which 

 might be paid out of the first fruits, and then the work would go on. The 

 library would at first opening be pretty well stocked with those books and 

 such others as he (the Bishop) should then give (the remainder of his library, 

 all but his Oriental Manuscripts, being designed for it when he died) ; but if 

 this could not be obtained, he feared the whole project would languish and 

 come to nought. He was somewhat bold with his Excellency; but his 

 concern was for the public good. Lord Galway was fully apprised of the 

 matter, and the Archbishop of Canterbury had formerly been acquainted 

 with it, and he (the Bishop) had again written to him. 

 Minuted : — " To be laid before the K." 



The Act of Parliament, passed 1707, by which Marsh's Library was 

 incorporated, mentions that the Eev. Mr. Elias Bouhereau had been made 



