IRELAND. SIS 



jnotto round, Quis sefiarabit ? 1783, fastened by an Irish harp to the 

 crown imperial. A star of eight points encircles it on the coat. 



Religion. ...The established religion and ecclesiastical discipline 

 of Ireland is the same with that of England. Among the bulk of the 

 people in the most uncultivated parts, popery, and that too of the 

 most absurd, illiberal kind is prevalent. The Irish papists still retain 

 their nominal bishops and dignitaries, who subsist on the voluntary 

 contributions of their votaries. But even the blind submission of 

 the latter to their clergy, does not prevent protestantism from mak- 

 ing a very rapid progress in the towns and communities. How far it 

 may be the interest of England, that some kind of balance between 

 the two religions should be kept up, we shall not here inquire. 



Ireland contains at least as many sectaries as England, particularly 

 presbyterians, baptists, quakers, and methodists, who are all of them 

 tolerated or connived at. Great efforts have been made, ever since 

 the days of James I, in erecting free-schools for civilizing and con- 

 verting the Irish papists to protestantism. The institution of the 

 incorporated society for promoting English protestant working- 

 schools, has been extremely successful, as have been many institu- 

 tions of the same kind in introducing industry and knowledge among 

 the Irish. 



The archbishopricks are four ; Armagh, Dublin, Cashel, and Tuam. 



The bishopricks are eighteen ; viz. Clogher, Clonfert, Cloyne, 

 Cork, Deny, Down, Dromore, Elphin, Kildare, Killala Kilmore, 

 Killaloe, Leighlin, Limerick, Meath, Ossory, Rapho, and Water- 

 ford. 



Literature.... Learning seems to have been cultivated in Ireland 

 at a very early period. Mr. O'Halloran says, that the Irish " appear 

 to have been, from the most remote antiquity, a polished people, and 

 that with propriety they may be called the fathers of letters." 



It is said, that when St. Patrick * landed in Ireland, he found ma- 

 ny holy and learned Christian preachers there, whose votaries were 

 pious and obedient. Camden observes, that " the Irish scholars of 

 S.t. Patrick profited so notably in Christianity, that, in the succeeding 

 age, Ireland was termed Sanctorum Patria. Their monks so greatly 

 excelled in learning and piety, that they sent whole flocks of most 

 learned men into all parts of Europe, who were the first founders of 

 Lieu-Dieu-abbey, in Burgundy ; of the abbey Bobie, in Italy ; of 

 Wirtzburg, in Franconia; St. Gall, in Switzerland ; and of Malmes- 

 bury, Lindisfarran, and many other monasteries, in Britain." We 

 have also the testimony of venerable Bede, that, about the middle of 

 the seventh century, many nobles, and other orders of the Anglo.- 

 Saxons, retired from their own country, into Ireland, either for in- 

 struction, or for an opportunity of living in monasteries of stricter 

 discipline ; and that the Scots (as he styles the Irish) maintained 

 them, taught them, and furnished them with books, without fee or 

 reward: " a most honourable testimony," says lord Lyttleton, " not 

 only to the learning, but likewise to the hospitality and bounty of that 

 nation." Dr. Leland remarks, that a conflux of foreigners to a re- 

 tired island, at a time when Europe was in ignorance and confusion, 

 gave peculiar lustre to this seat of learning : nor is it improbable or 



* It has been affirmed, that St. Patrick was a Scotchman ; but Mr. O'Halloran 

 denies this, and says, that " it appears from the most authentic records that Pa- 

 trick was from Wales." 



