20 E. R. McDix on 



Monday the 13th of March to Monday the 19th of March," 

 and it appeared in the year 1659 O.kS./l660 N.8. At that time it 

 had been in existence for five weeks. It is a little quarto, and this 

 second survivor of its issue is to be found in the Library of 

 Worcester College, Oxford, from which it was reported to me 

 many years ago by Mr. AUnutt. It was printed by Wm. Bladen 

 and contains local news, It is a quarto of four leaves, paged 

 33 to 40. When this journal ceased to appear is not known. 



About three years later a similar little weekly journal was 

 published in Ireland, entitled, " Mercurius Hibernious, or the 

 Irish Intelligencer." Of this there are 15 numbers extant, the 

 first issue being dated January 13 to 19. It was printed ''for 

 S. Dancei\" a well-known bookseller and stationer, and it was 

 almost certainly printed by John Crook, the then State printer, 

 in Dublin. It contains not only local news but also news from 

 England and abroad and advertisements.. 



Thus we see this second journal lasted for nearly four 

 months. 



In Marsh's Library, Dublin, there is also to be found a 

 quarto of 8 pages very similar to these weekly journals. It was 

 printed in 1663 for Samuel Dancer, and is called "The Summe 

 of Intelligence lately occurred as well domestic as foreign." I am 

 not sure, however, whether it strictly ranks as an elementary 

 journal or newspaper, bat it was of that class. Perhaps it 

 succeeded, later in the year 1663, the "Mercurius Hibernicus," 



After that date, 1663, no journal has yet been traced till 

 we come to the year 1685. Then one appeared which has been 

 described by the late Sir John T. Gilbert. It was called " The 

 Dublin Newsletter." Whilst the first journal I have mentioned 

 was 4to., this journal consisted of a single folio sheet. There are 

 about 14 numbers to be found in the National Library, Dublin, 

 beginning in July and continuing to December. The first num- 

 bers are in the form of a letter, and begin with the word " Sir," 

 but that it was really in essence a journal is confirmed by the fact 

 that No. 61, December, 1685, contains for the first time an 



