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T BRIEF SKETCH
OF VARIOUS ATTEMPTS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE TO DIFFUSE
A KNOWLEDGE OF

a THE HOLY SCRIPTURES,
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THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF

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Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the Voice, t shall be unto
| him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian
J \mtf> m«. 1 Cor. xir. 11.

IDu&ltn :
PRINTED BY GRAISBEKRV AND CAMPBFLL, 10, BACKLANE.
1818.

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BRIEF SKETCH

OF VARIOUS ATTEMPTS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE TO DIFFUSE
A KNOWLEDGE OF
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES,

THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF
%ty 3frts!) language*

Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the Voice, I shall be unto
Jiim that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian
unto me. 1 Cor. xiv, 11.

Dublin ;
PRINTED BY GUAISBEUEY AND CAMPBELL, 10, BACK-LANE.
1818.

FORM OF A BEQUEST TO THE SOCIETY.
I give unto the Treasurer of " The Irish Society for promoting the Edu
cation of the Native Irish through the medium of their own Language"
formed in Dublin in the yeai- 1316, the Sum of £
sterling, to be paid out of such part only of my personal Estate as shall not
consist of Chattels real, for the purposes of said Soociety, and for which th*
receipt of such Treasurer shall be a sufficient discharge,

•».* Devises of Land, or of Money charged on Land, or secured on
mortgage of Lands or Tenements, or to be laid out in Lands or Tene
ments, are void ; but Money or Stock may be given by Will, if not directed
to be laid out in Land.

Subscriptions and Donations for the " Irish Society," will be received by
the Office-bearers ; by the Treasurers, G. Latouche, and Co. Esqrs.
Dublin; and Puget, Bainbridge and Co. Warwick-lane, London; or at
the Office, No, 16, Upper SackYille-street, Dublin.

m s

BRIEF SKETCH, &c.

THERE is nothing, perhaps, which more re
markably, and it scarcely need be added, more
gloriously characterizes the present era, than
that desire of diffusing religious information
which so remarkably prevails. With a view to
this object, translations of the Scriptures have
been multiplied abroad, and increased circu
lation has been given to the Words of Life at
home ; and yet, is it not a melancholy singula
rity, a most affecting anomaly, that while our
efforts in this truly interesting cause have
been directed to almost every otlier part of
the world, we should have so entirely over
looked that part of the population of this country
which uses exclusively the Irish tongue, or is at
least incapable of receiving moral or religious in
struction through any other medium ; a people
so nearly connected with us, living as it were
at our very doors, breathing the same air, and

governed by the same laws? It may indeed be
said, that public attention has but recently been
•directed to the peculiar situation of this class
of the community ; and of those more active
ly engaged in the dissemination of the Scrip
tures, that few have been so situated as to be ca
pable of ascertaining their spiritual wants. It
might therefore be expected, that, in order to
obtain a hearty co-operation on their behalf,,
nothing more would be necessary than simply
to state the vast proportion of the people so
circumstanced ; and that a general and ardent
desire would at once be excited among all who
appreciate the advantages of religion, to put
into their hands the Holy Scriptures, and
to enable them to read, in their vernacular
tongue, the Words of Life. Unfortunately,
however, experience does not here keep pace
with expectation ; aud some, even of those who
are warm advocates for giving the widest pos
sible extension to the principles of Christianity,
have questioned the expediency of employing
the Irish language for that purpose. As this
reluctance on the part of such men must arise
from a want of full information, or of just views
upon the subject, it will be necessary to enter
into the question more fully, to meet objections,
to propose arguments, and to bring forward
facts. It may not, however, be uninteresting
first to take a short view of what has-
already been done in this respect..

Judging from what was the practice in the
earlier ages of Christianity, we might naturally
imagine that the Irish, after their conversion
from Paganism, would not long remain with
out a version of the Scriptures in their own
tongue ; and what in a manner confirms this
supposition, is the statement of the venera
ble Bede, who informs us, that in his time
(that is, little more than 200 years after the
period usually assigned for the introduction of
Christianity into this island) the Bible was
read in Great Britain in five dialects then
vulgarly used, those of the Angles, the Britons,
the Scots, the Picts and the Latins.* The
close connexion which prevailed between Ire
land and the country now called Scotland,
makes it highly probable that the version used
by the natives of North Britain, was also in use
among those of this island. The little inter
course too between the Irish Church and that
of Rome, whose interference and controul the
former so long resisted, renders it unlikely
that the services were performed at that period
in the Latin tongue. But no traces of the
version which, according to Bede, did exist
in that tongue, now remain, either in Scotland
or Ireland. Thus we find Bishop Carsuel com«

* Bede, Hist. Eccles. Lib. 1. cap. 1. p. 41. foi. Cantab.
1722.

plaining, in the year 1566-7, that the Gael of
Scotland and Ireland had not the Holy Bible
printed in Gaelic ;t and though this complaint
refers more immediately to the want of a
printed copy in Gaelic, yet from the context
we may fairly infer, that he was unacquainted
with the existence of any version in that tongue,
either in print or in manuscript.
Richard Fitzrauf, or Fitzralph, a man singu
larly enlightened, and bold in declaring against
the corruptions of the Church in his day, was
the first person on record known to possess a
version of any part of the Scriptures in Irish.
He was born at Dundalk, and educated in the
University of Oxford, of which he was Chan
cellor in the year 1333. He was first made
Dean, or according to some, Archdeacon of
Litchfield ; afterwards, in the year 1347, Arch
bishop of Armagh.* According to the infor
mation of Bale, he concealed a version ofthe
New Testament, probably made by himself, in
a certain wall of his church, with the following
note at the end : " When this book is found,
truth will be revealed to the world ; or, Christ
will shortly appear, "f
$ See Epistle dedicatory ofthe " Confession of Faith and
Prayer-book, &c:" by Bishop Carsewell or Carsue], printed
in the Year 1566-7.
* Ware, de Scriptoribus Hiberniae, lib. I. p. 69. quarto,
Lond. 1639.
f Baleeus, Script. Brit. 14. Centariae: Centuria decima
quavta. p. 246. foi. Bas. 1559.

About 1530, one hundred and seventy years
after his death,* the copy of the New Testa
ment above-mentioned was found, on repairing
the church at Armagh.
The reformed Religion having been introdu
ced into Ireland about the year 1551, the 5th
of Edward VI. , the necessary consequence
was the ordering the Common Prayer to be
read in English in the churches. On the ac
cession of Queen Elizabeth, the Liturgy, which
had been prohibited during the reign of her
predecessor, was restored, and English Bibles
were sent over to be distributed gratis.
The vast majority of the people, however,
not understanding English, were no way bene-
Fox, in his Martyrology, as quoted by Usher, says, that
he himself had seen ancient copies of this version in Eng
land ; and that persons who might be relied on informed him,
that fragments of such books existed, every where in Ireland,
Vide Fox's Acts and Monuments, London, 1596, p. 381.
Usser. Hist. Dogm. p. 156. quarto, Lond. 1695.
* He died in 1360, at Avignon, whither he had been cited
in 1357, to appear before the Pope and Cardinals in consis
tory, to answer for opinions maintained by him in opposition
to the sentiments which prevailed in his days relative to
voluntary mendicity. His bones are reported to have been
brought over to Dundalk about the year 1 370, by Stephen
de Valle, Bishop, first of Limerick, afterwards of Meath,
where he was well known, as Ware informs us, under the title
of St. Richard of Dundalk. And "so great were his virtues, and
so many the miracles ascribed to hira, that," notwithstanding
the controversy in which he had been engaged, and which
was left undecided at the time of his death, " Boniface IX., by
diploma, ordered these miracles to be examined into." — Ware,
de Script. Hib. lib. 1. p. 71.

fited by these regulations. The Irish Parlia
ment therefore, at the same time that it marked
its preference of an Irish Liturgy, yet conceiv
ing that the delay of printing, and the general
ignorance of the Irish letter, would form ob
jections to it, recommended to the Queen, that
wherever the minister did not understand Eng
lish, the Liturgy might be read in Latint ; there
being no alternative between this and the per
forming ofthe service in English, a language of
which the minister understood neither the
meaning nor the pronunciation.
The advantage, however, of employing their
own language as a medium for conveying re
ligious knowledge to the native Irish, we have
reason to believe was not altogether disregard
ed, since we find that in the year 1571, the
13th of Elizabeth, about eleven years after the
passing of the above-mentioned act, a fount
of Irish types, provided by the Queen at her
own charge, " in hope that God in mercy
would raise up some to translate the New Tes
tament into their mother tongue," was sent
over to Nicholas Walsh, Chancellor, and John
Kearney, Treasurer of St. Patrick's, Dublin ;
and it was ordered that the prayers of the
church should be printed in the Irish language
and character ; and that a church should be set.
apart in the chief town of every diocese, where
they were to be read, and a sermon preached
f See Appendix A.

to the common people in their own language ;
which, as Richardson informs us, was at
tended with the desired success. Many of
the clergy and laity, eminent for rank and
piety, heartily joined in this work. Among
others, the Lord Deputy himself, Sir Henry
Sidney, strongly recommended to the Queen,
in his letter of the 28th April, 1576, to pro
vide ministers capable of instructing the peo
ple, through the medium of their own language,
in those parts ofthe country where it prevailed.*
Such also was the advice of no less a man
than the great Lord Bacon. In a paper of his,
entitled, considerations touching the Queen's
service in Ireland, addressed to Mr. Secretary
Cecil, A. D. 1601, he thus observes; " But
there would go hand in hand with this some
course of advancing Religion indeed, where the
people is capable thereof ; as the sending over
some good preachers, especially of that sort,
which are vehement and zealous preachers,
and not scholastical, to be resident in princi
pal towns ; endowing them with some stipend
out of her Majesty's revenues, as her Majes
ty hath most religiously and graciously done
in Lancashire ; and the recontinuing and re
plenishing the College begun in Dublin, the
placing of good men to be Bishops in the
Sees there, and the taking care of the versions
of Bibles and Catechisms, and other books of
* See Appendix B.

instructions into the Irish Language ; and the
like religious courses, both for the honour of
God, and for the avoiding of scandal and insatis-
faction here, by the shew of toleration of Re
ligion in some parts there."*
Mr. Kearney composed a Catechism in Irish,
which was the first book printed in that cha
racter^ Nicholas Walsh, after his promo
tion to the See of Ossory, began the translation
of the New Testament, but was barbarously
murdered in his own house while engaged upon
it. Mr. Kearney, and Nehemias Donnellan,
Archbishop of Tuam, then undertook the work,
but died, leaving it still unfinished.^ It now
devolved upon William Daniel or O'Donel,
Archbishop of Tuam,|| by whom it was comple-
* Works of Lord Bacon, vol. 4. p. 552. Foi. London 1740.
f This must be understood with limitation to Ireland, as it
is uncertain whether the Irish Liturgy for the Highlands and
Islands of Scotland, composed by Mr. Carsewell, first Bishop
of the Isles, and afterwards Bishop of Argyll, was in the
Irish character, as also where it was printed. — Ames. Vol. iii.
p. 1524.
J Such is the natural inference from the words of Arch
bishop Daniel, in the dedication of his translation ofthe New
Testament to King James. Ware, however, speaks of a
translation of the same made by Mr. Kearney, which was ex
tant in manuscript in his time  Ware de Script. Hib. p. 86.
|| He was one of the three first Scholars of Trinity
College, Dublin, nominated by the charter, one of the first
elected fellows of that House, and the first or second who
commenced Doctor of Divinity in that University. Ware
informs us, that he was a proficient in Hebrew, and

ted, and published in the year 1602, the province
of Connaught and Sir William Usher, Clerk of
the Council, defraying the expense of this fir§t
edition.! After this the same pious and learned
prelate translated the Book of Common Prayer
into Irish, which was printed at his own expense,
by J. Frampton, A. D. 1608-9, with a dedication
to the Lord Deputy .+"
How favourable King James himself was
to this line of proceeding, we learn from the
King's letter in behalf of all the prelates and
clergy of the kingdom of Ireland, dated 26th
February, 17°. Jac. I. addressed to the Lord
Deputy and Chancellor, and all other the
King's officers and ministers whom it shall
concern. In this letter, after noticing the dan
gers to which the people were exposed, for
want of ministers capable of speaking to them
in their own language, after expressing his
concern and surprise that this evil liad not yet
been remedied, the College of Dublin having
c
". was indeed a man of distinguished learning." Harris's
Ware, vol. i. p. 616. foi. Dublin, 1739.
f This translation was made from tlie original Greek, " to
which," says Archbishop Daniel in his dedication to king
James I. " I tied myself as of duty I ought."
% History of the attempts that have been made to convert
the Natives of Ireland &c. by Rev. J. Richardson, Rector of
Anna, alias Belturhet, and Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of
Ormond, and to the Lord Bishop of Clogher, p. 14, 15. 8vo,
London, 1712,

10
been founded by Elizabeth, and further en
dowed by himself, principally with a view to the
instruction of the natives ; and after requiring
the Visitors of the University to examine into
the manner in which the Governors ofthe Col
lege had performed the trust reposed in them
as to this point, he directs that a competent
number of young men of talents, acquainted
with the Irish language, should be maintained
for two or three years in the University, that
they might acquire such a knowledge of the
grounds of religion as would render them ca
pable of catechising the natives ; ordering, that
these men should be put, in preference to
others, into such small livings " among the
" meere Irish" as might fall vacant, or else be
maintained as their interpreters by other able
ministers, who, owing to their livings being so
situated, and their own ignorance of the lan
guage, were themselves capable of doing but
little good.*
This document is not a little interesting, as
from it we learn that one of the principal ob
jects which Elizabeth had in founding, and
James in further endowing the College of Dub
lin, was to train up natives skilled in the Irish
language, that they might thereby be able to
instruct their fellow countrymen. And this,
connected with what Richardson informs us,
* See Appendix C.

11
respecting " a small allowance having been
settled in that house for the encouragment of a
few natives,"* may lead us to conclude, that
those places in the College called Natives''
Places, endowed with about £20 per annum,
and which are usually bestowed on scholars of
good character, were originally founded for the
maintenance of students whose native tongue
was Irish, with a view to their being afterwards
employed as ministers in those parts of Ireland
where that language was spoken.
About four years after this, we meet with a
no less decided expression of James's senti
ments relative to this subject, in certain or
ders and directions concerning the state of
the church of Ireland, and the possessions
thereof, &c.f dated 3d of February, 1623,
signed H. Falkland ; the manuscript of which
Richardson saw in the library of the Honour
able Mr. Bridges, from which the following is
an extract : <f We do also command, that the
New Testament and Book of Common Prayer,
translated into Irish, be hereafter frequently
used in the parishes of the Irishrie ; and that
every non-resident there do constantly keep
and continue one to read service in the Irish
tongue;" and what should give the greater
• Richardson, p. 43.
f Entitled " Articles of direction to the Lord Chichester,"
who was then Lord Deputy. See Appendix (note) p. 5.

12
weight to this Order is, that it appears to have
been given upon report made to the King
by the Lord Deputy, the Lord Chancellor,
Lord Wilmot, Lord Caulfield, Sir William
Jones, Sir Dudley Norton, Sir Francis Annes-
ley, Sir Nathaniel Rich, and others, to whom
he had issued a commision to enquire into and
report on the state of Ireland.
The following sensible instruction, sent about
this time, in a letter from the English Privy
Council to Sir Arthur Chichester, Lord Deputy
of Ireland, dated from the Court at Whitehall,
though not immediately connected with the
use of the Irish tongue, is worthy of being
brought forward here, as explaining their views
of the manner in which pure Religion ought
to be propagated in Ireland : — " Conformity,"
say they, " must be wrought with time ; and
by the care which you must take to enlarge the
passage of God's word by choice, and plantation
of sufficient and zealous men to teach and
preach the same unto his people, wherein we
have more hope of good effects, (by the favour
of God) than b}- any sudden or violent course
in that kingdom, where the people have so lit
tle means as yet to be instructed."*
Charles I. was by no means indifferent to
this work. In this King's letter to the Arch
bishop of Armagh, Usher, with instructions
* Richardson,; p. 17—20.

relative to ecclesiastical matters, dated July 8,
2° Car. I. we find him, at the request of Usher
himself, and upon certain propositions made
by him for the confirmation of the orders of
King James, &c. directing the Primate to take
special care that, agreeably to those orders, the
very language of which he adopts, " the New
Testament and Book of Common Prayer, trans
lated into Irish, be frequently used in the pa*
rishes of the the Irishrie, and that every non
resident there do constantly keepe and con
tinue one to reade service in the Irish tongue."*
It was evidently not imagined that these
measures could retard the progress of English,
as in another document, of the same date,
relative to the education of the Irish, that
monarch expresses no less anxiety than his pre
decessors, to extend the knowledge of Eng
lish, t The former of those documents af
fords the clearest evidence of what was the
opinion of Archbishop Usher, whose autho
rity as a man of piety, judgment, and learn
ing, few will question. Indeed we want not
this proof; for, independently of the support
which he gave Bishop Bedell in the Convoca
tion of 1634, and the manner in which he all
along encouraged and assisted him in his tran
slation of the Bible, Dr. Parr, in his life of
Usher, mentions his having required a persoa
* See appendix D.
f See appendix E.

14
unacquainted with the learned languages, who
came to him for holy orders, (the or^y one
indeed he ever ordained who had not rec ;ived
a liberal education) to learn Irish ; " being
satisfied that such an ordinary man was able to
do lnore good than if he had Latin without
any Irish at all ;" nor was he, as the Doctor
informs us, deceived in his expectations.*
But of all who engaged in this work, none
entered upon it with more ardour than Bishop
Bedell. Richardson informs us, that even be
fore his coming to Ireland he was intent on
following this Apostolical way wilh the natives.
From one of his letters to Primate Ushert he
seems to have made some progress, even while
Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, in trans
lating the Psalter ; and from another, written
after his elevation to the Episcopal Bench, we
have reason to believe that he encouraged the
study of Irish in the College, during the time
that he was at the head of that seminary ; for,
speaking of one who had translated the Arch
bishop's Catechism into Irish, he mentions
his having been instructed at the Irish lecture
there.t That translation does not appear to
have been printed, and it probably is not now
in existence.
* Parr's Life of Usher, p. 90, 91, foi. Lond. 1686.
f Idem, p. 403.
X Life of Bedell by Bishop Burnet, p. 47. 8vo. Dub.
1~.36\ The mi' i. -.-rials for this memoir were furnished by
thj Rev. Mr. ClQgy, who was son-in-law to Bishop Bedell.

15
On his promotion to the sees of Kilmore
and Ardagh he shewed how much he had
this work at heart ; and from the success which
attended his exertions, we may presume what
good effects would have followed, had the
same measures been universally adopted. " He
thought," says Bishop Burnet, '• the use
of the Scriptures was the only way to let the
knowledge of Religion in among the Irish, as it
had first let the Reformation into the other parts
of Europe." He frequently repeated an ob
servation which he heard Fulgentio make at
Venice, in preaching on these Words of Christ,
" Have ye not read ?" that if Christ were now
to ask this question, all the answer which they
could make to it was, " No, for tiily were
not suffered to do it.* Possibly the Bishop
might conceive, that had Fulgentio been preach
ing to an Irish auditory, the answer would have
been, Ao, for we heave not tlie Scriptures in
our own language ! ! !
At the age of fifty-seven Bishop Bedell com-
mencedthe study of Irish, in which he made so
greata proficiency as to be able to compose an
Irish grammar, and to superintend the translation
of the Old Testament, which was undertaken by
a Mr. King, whom he had selected for that pur
pose by the advice of Primate Usher and other
eminent persons; " a man," as Bedell writes
* Life of Bedell, p- 93.

16
to Lord Strafford, then Lord Lieutenant, " of
that known sufficiency for the Irish especially,
either in prose or verse, as few are his matches
in the kingdom."*
In this work he seems to have been subse
quently assisted by a Mr. Dennis Sheridan ;
and though this translation was made fronr'
the English version, the translator having been
ignorant of Hebrew, yet it was regularly
revised by the Bishop, who usually read over a
chapter after dinner or supper ; " and as he com
pared the Irish translation with the English,
so he compared the English with the Hebrew
and the Seventy Interpreters, or with Diodati's
Italian translation, which he valued highly ;
and he corrected the Irish where he found the
English translators had failed.f " He was well
fitted to conduct this revision, having studied
Hebrew under Rabbi Leo. Italian also was
familiar to him, as he had been long resident at
Venice in quality of Chaplain to Sir Henry
Wotton, during the time ofthe Interdict, where
he contracted a friendship with the celebrated
Paul Sarpi.
He published a Catechism in English and
Irish, arranged in parallel columns, which he
distributed throughout his diocese, also the
following tracts in Irish ; some forms of Prayer ;
• Bedell's Life, p. 92, and 103.
+ Bedell's Life, p. 93.

17
a selection of the most instructive and edify
ing pascages of Scripture ; the three first of
Chrysostom's Homilies upon the parable of the
rich man and Lazarus, and some sermons by
Leo, which tended chiefly to commend the
Scriptures in the highest strains of eloquence.*
Those labours, as Richardson informs us, were
so well received by the natives, as to give good
grounds of hope that further endeavours of this
kind would not be vain or fruitless. He was
moreover desirous of procuring Clergymen able
to preach to the natives in their own lan
guage, regarding it as a qualification abso
lutely necessary in every minister employed
in a diocese almost wholly inhabited by na
tives. Several were rejected by him for want
of this attainment ; and, notwithstanding much
opposition, he obliged every minister to perform
Divine offices in a tongue understood by tlie
people.t In the year 1634, the version of the Bible
and the Liturgy of the Church of England
into Irish, were ordered to be used by the Con
vocation held in Dublin ; not, however, till
D
* Vide Bedell's Life, p. 106.
+ Bishop Burnet, in his Life, gives us a translation of the con-r
eluding part of his Form of Collation, which runs thus: " Ob
testing you in the Lord, and enjoining you, by virtue of that obe
dience which you owe to the great Shepherd, that you will
diligently feed his flock committed to your care, which he

18
after considerable debate, " Bedell being for the
affirmative, and Dr. Bramhall, Bishop of Der-
ry, opposing it." The reasons of the latter,
as Dr. Dopping, Bishop of Meath, informs us,*
" were drawn from an act of Parliament,
passed in this kingdom in the reign of King
Henry VIII. for obliging the natives to learn
the English tongue." However, the arguments
of Bishop Bedell were deemed so satisfactory,
(especially being countenanced by the autho
rity of Primate Usher), that the Convocation
thought fit to pass three canons on the subject,
requiring the Confession, Absolution, and all
the Second Service, at or before the Commu
nion, as far as the homily or sermon, to be read
in Irish, where the majority of the people are
Irish, and providing every thing requisite for
carrying this into effect. t
The translation of the Old Testament was
finished in 1640, but Bedell did -not live to
see it published, as he died the following
year, at the age of 7 1 . Had he lived, it was
his intention to have had it printed at his own
purchased with his own blood : that you instruct them in
the Catholic Faith, and perform Divine offices in a tongue
understood by the people, &c." Bedell's Life, p. 60. And
herein he set an example himself, having the Common Prayer
read in IrUh every Sunday in his cathedrsl, at which he al
ways was present.
* App. to Boyle's Life, by Birch, prefixed to his works,
vol. l.p. clx.-.xii. clxxxiii.
¦j: See Appendix F.

19
house, and at his own charge.* The great es
teem which was shewn by the native Irish, and
even those of the Romish communion, to this
" best of English bishops" as they called him,
and the singular marks of honour and affection
which they paid him, even in the great heat of
the rebellion, are strongly encouraging proofs
that the method he pursued, as it was most
likely to benefit them, so was it most calcu
lated to win the hearts of the Irish.t
Notwithstanding the troubles which followed,
and the overthrow of the Kingly power, the
course pursued by this excellent man does not
appear to have been altogether abandoned ; for
we find that a catechism, entitled the Christian
Doctrine, one column in English, and the op
posite in Irish, " with places of Scripture,
was printed at Dublin, in the year 1652, by
©ne Godfrey Daniel, with rules for reading
* Bedell's Life, p. 106.
¦\ Although the bishop was considered by the rebels as a
heretic, it is an interesting circumstance, that they suffered
him to be interred in his own burial place, desiring, if his
friends thought nt, that the office proper for that occasion
might be used, according to the Liturgy of the Church of
Ireland. The chiefs of the rebels also having gathered their
forces together, and accompanied his body to the church
yard in great solemnity, discharged a volley of shot at his
interment, crying out in Latin " Quiescat in pace ultimus
Anglorum ;" and one of the priests, (Edmund Farilly) who
was present on the occasion, exclaimed, " O sit Anima mea
*um Bedello." Harris's Ware, vol. i. p. 240. 241.

20
the Irish tongue, short and excellent, taking
up no more than half a sheet of paper.*"
The advantage of addressing the people in a
language which they understood, seems also to
have been felt by the government which was
established here during the Protectorate, as
may be judged from a document to be found
in the Appendix. t
About the year 1680, that very excellent
man, and truly Christian philosopher, Mr.
Boyle, who had largely contributed to trans
lations of the Scriptures into other languages
and through whose means the Society for
promoting Christian Knowledge received its
charter, determined on republishing, at his
own expense, the Irish New Testament, which
was out of print, most of the copies of the
former edition having been, as he was in
formed, bought up, from time to time, by
Romish ecclesiastics. For this purpose he
caused a fount of Irish types to be cast, hav
ing ascertained that the old one had fallen in
to the hands of the Jesuits, who had carried
them over to Doway, where several tracts in
Irish were published by them — a convincing
proof what a powerful instrument the members
of that indefatigable and sharp-sighted Society
conceived the vernacular tongue might be
• See Dr. Sail's letter to Mr. Boyle. Boyle's Works, vol.
vi. p. 595. Quarto, Lond. 1772.
\ See appendix G,

21
made for acting on the minds of the people.
Mr. Boyle had also an able printer instructed
for printing necessary books in the Irish
tongue, and caused the Church Catechism in
Irish, with the elements of that language, to
be published in 1680.*
In the mean time, however, he did not
neglect the New Testament, the publication
of which was delayed by the necessary cor
rections made under the superintendance of Mr.
Rely, a native of Ireland, and a good Irish
scholar.t It came out in the year 1681,
in the Irish character, with a large preface
in English and Irish, composed by Doctor
Andrew Sail, and translated by Mr. Rely.
It contains answers to some of the most
plausible objections against putting the Scrip
tures into the hands of the lower orders, and
shews the opinion of the Fathers and most
eminent divines of all ages, everi in the Romish
communion, on that subject.!
In the mean time Doctor Henry Jones,
Bishop of Meath, to whom the manuscript of
Bedell's version had been intrusted by Mr.
Sheridan, having learned Mr. Boyle's anxiety
to give the Scriptures to the Irish in their own
• Richardson, p. 26.
+ Boyle's Works, vol. I. p. clxxii.— -cciv. in the Appendix
to his life, and vol. vi. p. 591 — 610.
£ Boyle's Works, Vol. I. p. clxxxiii, — clxxxviii.

22
language, wrote to inform him of the exist
ence of such a manuscript, and solicited his aid
towards publishing it.*
Mr. Boyle, immediately entering into the
Bishop's views, generously subscribed £50
himself, towards defraying the expense, and
gave every assistance towards obtaining sub
scriptions. The manuscript was put into the
hands of Dr. Andrew Sail, who considered it
a work of so much importance, that he re
linquished all those studies in which he had
before engaged, and which, from a previous
letter of his to Mr, Boyle, embraced an ex
tensive field of ethical and theological disqui
sitions. His words, in a letter to Mr. Boyle, dated
7th February, 1681, are interesting, as shewing
the favourable reception which the edition of
the New Testament met among the people.
'•' My labour and industry," says he, " I will
not spare, and will lay aside other studies I
was engaged in, to attend to this work, being
* From this letter of Bishop Jones it would appear
that, together with the Old Testament, the Psalms had been
translated into metre fitted to the ordinary tunes. They
were not, however, published ; and, from a letter of Bedell,
to Primate Usher, written in the year 1629, shortly after his
promotion to the Bishoprick of Kilmore, it seems that on
the advice of a Mr. James Nangle, he early relinquished
the idea of this metrical translation. Boyle's Works, Vol. I,
p. clxxii. Parr's Life of Usher, p. 423-.

23
persuaded that none other can be of more
importance for the glory of God, and the
good of souls, in this poor country. I have
been confirmed in this persuasion, by the great
joy I see in the country for ibe publication
of the New Testament, with many biessings
on you, and prayers for you, whose great piety
and bounty procured this happiness for them."
" Several Gentlemen of this country, Roman
ists, came to me this term, earnestly desiring to
have them (Irish New Testaments) for read
ing to their, families ; and one promised to
urge their Priests to read chapters of it at
Mass to the congregation. For this purpose,
I wish that a great number of the next edition
may be exposed to sale at a low rate."
Nor were his labours in this field confined
to the revisal of the text of Bedell's version —
for we learn from his letters, that in Cashel
and elsewhere he preached in the Irish tongue,
catechising also every Sunday in English and
Irish in the city of Cashel, for which purpose
he enlarged the Church Catechism where he
thought it necessary. In all this he was
materially aided by the countenance of the
Archbishop of Cashel (Dr. Thomas Price,
formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin,)
who had appointed the Psalms and the Com
mon Prayer in Irish, to be read in his Cathe
dral j and who besides maintained many Irish

24
Clergymen to preach to the natives in their
country language.* This countenance of the
Archbishop was not in itself, however, sufficient
to prevent opposition to Doctor Sail. In
one of his letters he writes thus : " Our
good Archbishop has continual battles with
them upon this subject. But I hope God will
help us to carry on his work against oppositions,
which shall never be wanting, and of this un
welcome tidings no more" : and in another
place he writes, that " he was told, while he
went abqut to gain the Irish (to God) he
would lose the English." He did not, however,
live to complete the revisal. The manuscript
therefore which he had given to Doctor An
thony Dopping, formerly Fellow of Trinity
College, Dublin, and successor to Jones in the
See of Meath, was by him committed to Doctor
Narcissus Marsh, then Provost of Trinity
College, Dublin, (afterwards Lord Primate of
Ireland) who employed a Mr. Higgins in
finishing the revision. This Gentleman was
engaged at the Provost's own charge in
teaching Irish in the University ; and having
afterwards been admitted into holy orders,
was, as Richardson informs us, instrumental
in effecting much good. The Provost himself,
whose knowledge of Irish was sufficient to
enable him to undertake the composition of
* Harris* Ware, Vol. I. p. 187. foi. Dublin, 1739,

2.5

an Irish Grammar, assisted in the correction.
He early saw the propriety of attending to
this language, as we find him listening to the
recommendation of Bishop Jones, in having Irish
prayers read publickly in the College. From ano
ther letter of the same Bishop to Mr. Boyle,
we learn that Doctor Marsh countenanced
an Irish Teacher in that seminary whose pub
lic lecture was attended by 80 students, while
some of the Fellows and chief members of that
Society attended him privately. — He also caused^
a sermon in Irish to be preached every month,
commencing on Easter Sunday, on which oc
casion the Chapel was unusually crowded ;
among others, Lord Viscount Dillon was of
the auditory. The Duke of Ormond, then
Lord Lieutenant, also attended, and promised to
countenance it by his presence. The following
testimony to Doctor Marsh's exertions in this
cause, is borne by Bishop Dopping, in a letter
to Mr. Boyle : — " That which gives me the
greatest hopes of success iu this, is our good
Provost's care and zeal in training up the present
youth in the College in reading the Irish, which,
by the books from you now in their hands,
is much forwarded. This may be a seed Plot
for the church ;" to which the Bishop subjoins
the following pious reflections, to which every
wellwisher to his country, every sincere Chris
tian, will heartily subscribe : — " The harvest is

26
great and the labourers few, therefore is the
Lord of the harvest to be earnestly desired
to prepare and send forth more labourers for
the great harvest of souls which we hope for."
The work did not, however, proceed without
opposition. The objections which have been
commonly urged against it, were then brought
forward ; and we find Dr. Jones, in one of his
earliest communications on the subject, thus
expressing himself to Mr. Boyle : — " I found
it almost a principle of their politics to sup
press that language utterly, rather than in so
public a way to countenance it." — Of the
opposition to Doctor Sail, notice has been
already taken. Doctor Marsh too, in a letter
written after his promotion to the see of Ferns,
on which he gave up neither his grammar nor
the revision of the Bible, after mentioning that
" the Lord Lieutenant had promissed assistance
and encouragement," adds, that " he (the Lord
Lieutenant) was surprised at what was related
to him of the discouragements (and indeed
threats) that I have had on this account."
The work, however, received no inconsidera
ble patronage : the Archbishop of Canterbury*
aided in defraying the expense : the Bishop of
* Dr. WiUiam Sancroft. He was one of the seven bishops
committed, in the reign of James II. to the Tower. Re
fusing, however, from motives of conscience, to take the
oaths of allegiance to William and Mary, he was, in 1690,
deprived of his see, in which he was succeeded by Tillotson.
See Biographica Britannica, Article Sancroft.

27
St. Asaph was also favourable to it.* Nor were
the dignitaries of the Irish Church backward
in giving it their support. The Bishop of
Kilmore, son of that Mr. Sheridan who had
assisted in translating the Old Testament, en
couraged it ; and the Bishop of Kildare, Doc
tor William Moreton, (afterwards Bishop of
Meath) promised " to promote it." Dr. Marsh
in a letter to Mr. Boyle, writes thus : — " The
Bishop of Meath has written to several Bishops,
whose answers (which he shewed me) gene
rally are, that they will cast in their mites for
the carrying on so good a work, when they
know what methods will be used for the
gathering them."
At length, after many delays, it was put to
press in the year 1685, under the superin-
tendance of Mr. Rely, the same who had
superintended the printing of the New Tes
tament. * The very learned Dr. William Lloyd, afterwards Bishop
successively of Coventry and Litchfield, and Worcester.
He was one of the bishops committed to the Tower with
Archbishop Sancroft. For a high character of him, see Bur
net's History of his own times, vol. I. p. 190, 191. foi. Lond.
1724. After speaking in the strongest terms of his talents,
industry and acquirements, he adds " Yet, as much as he
was set on learning, he never neglected his pastoral care ;"
and concludes with these words, " He was a holy, humble
and patient man, ever ready to do good when he saw a
proper opportunity ; even his love of study did not divert him
from that." See also Burnet's Preface to his History ofthe
Reformation, Part I.

28

Two editions of the Irish scriptures were
printed in the year 1690, one in the Roman,
the other in the Irish character ; the latter
intended for Ireland, the former for the High
lands of Scotland. For Mr. Boyle having sent
thither 200 copies of the Bible, a general
interest was excited, particularly among the
clergy, to supply that country more abundantly,
and proposals were immediately made for pub
lishing 3000 copies of the Scriptures in Irish
for the use of the Highlanders. — In this
edition the use of the Roman letter was
adopted, as the people had been previously
taught to read English without understanding
it, a practice which prevailed in that country till
very lately. In those proposals an interesting
account is given of the manner in which the
former copies were received by the people ;
" such is their zeal that they send for the Bible
sometimes to one part of the parish, and some
times to another, that they may read it on the
week-days, and then they return it to the
Church on the Lord's day, that all may hear it
read publicly." The following testimony is
also borne to the efficacy of the Scriptures upon
the minds ofthe people, in producing princi
ples and habits of peaceable submission to the
constituted authorities. " And it is very re
markable, that amidst the public commotions
in that kingdom, scarce any of those Highland-
ders, who have received Bibles and catechisms,

29
and have been instructed in the knowledge of
truth, have joined themselves to the adversa
ries ofthe present happy settlement."
It may lead us to form some notion of the
weight of those objections which are urged iu
the present day, to know that even with respect
to that country, the idea was entertained of
abolishing the language by not teaching it;
and even a doubt, which it was necessary
gravely to meet and remove, was then sug
gested whether the language was so exclusive
ly spoken, as to call for such a version of the
Holy Scriptures. Persons unacquainted with
the state of a country ought always, therefore,
to be very cautious in giving a decided opinion
on such subjects. The proposals before refer
red to, without a single line of alteration, might
be adopted in the present day in recommenda
tion of similar plans for the Highlands ; and
were it not that the custom of preaching in
Irish is appealed to as a proof that the language
was not yet extinct, (an appeal which unhap
pily cannot be made in this country) they
would be equally applicable to the present state
ofLeland. The following extracts will, shew
their view ofthe subject. " We may very rea
sonably suppose, that many who send their
children to school to learn English, are not
able to keep them so long under the Care of a
school-master as to have them taught to speak,
though they may have time to learn to read and

30
understand it pretty well in books ;" and again,
" Suppose one often should learn to speak it
perfectly, yet what is this to the extirpating
the language in this age ? What must be done
with the four or five, or nine or ten children,
not to say any thing of aged persons who can
not speak for lack of knowledge ? or shall the
BLESSED MEANS OF HEAVENLY LIGHT AND COM
FORT BE WITHHELD FROM THEM, AS FROM A GE
NERATION THAT God HATH CURSED AND FOR
SAKEN ? Far be it from all those that bear the
honourable name of Christians, to harden them
selves against their brethren, and under pre
tence of any human policy, to fight against the
kingdom of our God and Saviour ;" and again,
— " many can buy and sell in English, who do
not understand a sermon in that language."*
A letter of thanks was written by Mr. Spald
ing to Mr. Boyle, dated Edinburgh, Jan. 28,
1690, by desire ofthe Church Meeting of the
Ministers and Elders in Scotland. Thanks were
also in the most affectionate manner returned to
him for his munificent present by the Presby
tery of Ross, synodically convened (that is, the
Bishop of Ross and his clergy) through a Mr.
Kirkwood, who was extremely active in this
work. * See an Account ofthe design- of printing 3000 Bibles in
Irish for the use ofthe Highlanders,'' with an Answer to the
objections against printing the Bible in Irish." Boyle's,
Works, vol. 1. p. exc — exciii.

31
There is also a letter on this subject from
the Bishop of Ross himself to Mr. Kirkwood,
in which, after temperately observing that he
" cannot condemn the design of some to have
that language quite worn out of this country,"
(Scotland) he goes on to observe, " what he
had done, notwithstanding, for the instruction of
the people through the medium of their own
lauguage." " I took care, a considerable while
ago, to request some of the Presbyter?, who
were best skilled in that language, to translate
into Irish a catechism, which is appointed to be
made use of in all the diocese either in
English or Irish," and the advantages he
hoped presbyters would derive from the version
of the Scriptures are noticed as follows : " and
in places where most of the people understand
only the Irish, he is at the pains to translate it
into that language, for which this noble present
ofthe Irish bible will be very useful to them, be
cause I have heard some of them complain,
that they could not get words to express in
Irish some passages of holy writ.*"
It was during the printing of this edition of
the Irish Scriptures for the Highlands of Scot
land, that Mr. Kirk superintended the press,
and not, as Richardson supposes, when the New
Testament was published in 1681, and the Old
in 1685, that office having, as may be inferred
* Boyle's Works, vol. I. cxciii — cciv.

32
from the correspondence published on the sub
ject in Boyle's Works, and the Appendix to his
life, devolved on Mr. Rely.
Shortly after this the beneficial effects of ad
dressing a people through the medium of their
own language, received confirmation even in
this island. Richardson informs us, that after
the siege of Londonderry was raised, many of
the Irish natives having left their habitations in
the barony of Inishowen in the county of Do
negal, and having followed the Irish army to
the southern parts of Ireland, several Protestant
families from the Highlands of Scotland settled
in their places. They having petitioned the
then Bishop of Derry, the celebrated Dr. Wil
liam King, afterwards Archbishop of Dublin,
that he would send them a minister to perform
divine offices to them in their owh language,
their request was readily granted, and two mi
nisters were encouraged to preach iri Irish in
that barony, one of whom had a benefice, and
the other a competent allowance from theBishop,
and by the blessing of God upon their labours,
they got four or five hundred hearers, none of
whom understood English.*
In consequence of those good effects, several
persons were employed in the northern parts
of the county Antrim, and continued to be so
till the time of Richardson, that district hav-
* Richardson, p. 28.

ing been likewise deserted by the Irish on the
landing of the English army near Carrickfer-
gus in 1689, in consequence of which many
families from the Western Isles of Scotland,
who understood no other language than Irish,
settled there. On their first coming to Ire
land, they attended the worship of the Estab
lished Church, but soon, being incapable of
understanding the service celebrated there,
went over to the communion of the Church
of Rome, only for the benefit,, as they them
selves acknowledged, of those, exhortations,
which are usually given in Irish, wherever
that language is prevalent. Some persons
observing this, presented a petition to the
Bishop of Down, requesting that these High
landers might have a minister to officiate
to them in their own tongue ; upon which Mr.
Duncan Mac Arthur was sent to them, who
performed the offices of religion to them in
their own language, to their great satisfaction.
After his death the Bishop appointed Mr. Ar
chibald Mac Collum to succeed him in the
same office ; in which his contemporary Rich
ardson informs us, he was successful, not only
among the Highlanders, but also the na
tives of Ireland. Besides him, there were
in Richardson's time, three or four other
such preachers in that country, having every
one of them considerable congregations.*
F

34
A few years after, the Rev. Nicholas Brown,
Rector ofthe parishes of Donacavy, Drumore
and Rossory, in the diocese of Clogher, adopt
ed this course with considerable success. In
the year 1702 he began to preach in Irish, for
which he seems to have been well qualified, by
his knowledge of the language and happy fa
culty of expressing terms of divinity therein.
To this he had been advised and encouraged by
the Bishop of Clogher,* and was aided and
countenanced by Audley Mervin, Esq. one
of the knights of the shire for the county
of Tyrone. " He was a man of an exemplary
life and conversation," and embraced every
occasion of winning the hearts of the people,
to whom he was kind, humane and charitable.
Perceiving how much they were pleased at
hearing divine service in their own tongue, he
took opportunities of instructing them, and
administering ordinances to them in Irish ; ap
pointed public meetings with them ; went to
their houses, and attended at the places where
they usually assembled to hear Mass. Re
specting his labours, the plan he pursued, and
the manner in which it was received, we have
a very interesting document from the Provost,
Burgesses, and principal inhabitants of Ennis-
killen, dated January 14th, 1711, stating that
* Dr. St. George Ash, who had been previously Fellow
and Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, and Bishop of
Cloyne. He was afterwards Bishop of Deny.

35
during the three or four years he was among
them, ending 1705, he frequently, and in sum
mer time every Sunday in the afternoon,
had great numbers of the natives convened in
some convenient place in or near the town ;
that he always read some chapters out of the
Old or New Testament to them in Irish ; and
the prayers ofthe Church out of an Irish com
mon prayer book of the church of England, in
which the people joined devoutly, expressing
great satisfaction at what they heard.*
In addition to this, we have a letter of a Mr.
Gratten, who attended him in his last sickness,
dated January 24th, 1811, stating that the
prayers he used were taken chiefly out of the
Communion Service ; and the discourses he
read were the Sermon on the Mount, and
other select passages of Scripture, as also the
Gospel and Epistle for the day. To this gen
tleman Mr. Browne expressed his conviction of
what would be the happy result in a few years,
if the Convocation could prevail on the Parlia
ment, among other things, to establish Irish
preachers and schoolmasters, in every diocese
in the kingdom. He also recommended the
translation of " choice books" into Irish, and
with this view had the first part of Thomas a
Kempis translated, at his own care and ex-
pence. Mr. Grattan saw the manuscript among
• Richardson, p. 30—83.

36
his papers, and proposed to obtain it for Rich
ardson. The characters were fairly written,
and the translation, as he was informed, exact.
Whether it be yet extant, is uncertain.*
During this time the body ofthe clergy was
not inattentive to the subject, for we find the
Lower House of Convocation, March 3d, 1703,
passing a resolution, which they sent to the
Upper House, setting forth among other things,
the advantage of preachers in all the dioceses
of this kingdom, who should address the peo
ple in the Irish tongue^ and thereupon deter
mining that an application should be made to
the Archbishops and Bishops to take into con
sideration what number of such preachers would
be necessary in each diocese, as also how they
should be supported. To this application, as
far as related to preaching in Irish, their
Graces and Lordships returned the following
answer: — " As to preaching in the Irish, we
think it useful where it is practicable."!
The Rev. Walter Atkins, treasurer of the
cathedral church of Cloyne, and vicar of the
parish of Middleton in the county of Cork and
diocese of Cloyne, was the next who strenu
ously engaged in this work, concerning whose
labours we learn, from an account he himself
gave of them to Richardson, that soon after
* Richardson, p. 31— 36, f Ibid. p. 37.

37
his collation, he applied himself diligently to
the study of Irish, with which he was before
not altogether unacquainted. He then pro
ceeded, with the sanction of the Bishop of
Cloyne,* to perform the offices of religion to
the natives in their own language, for which
the Earl of Inchiquin furnished him with a
Common Prayer Book. " He buried their dead
according to the Liturgy of the church of Eng
land, which the living liked so well, that they
expressed great devotion at it, and joined their
voices in the Lord's Prayer, and the responses
before it. His labours were so acceptable,
that they sent for him frOm all parts of the
parish to baptize their children, to visit their
sick, to bury their dead, to church their wo
men, and to solemnize matrimony, insomuch
that he hath married six or eight couple in a
day."t In 1709, the Lower House of Convocation,
in consequence of an earnest recommendation
from the Lords for their advice and assistance,
resolved, among other things, to print the Li
turgy and Scriptures in Irish, to draw up an ex
position ofthe Church Catechism in that tongue,
and to encourage clergymen, duly qualified,
to perform divine offices therein.!
* Dr. Charles Crow, formerly Amanuensis to Dr. An
drew Sail.
f Richardson, p. 37— -38. \ See Appendix H.

The Rev. Dr. Hall, Vice Provost, supported
for some time a person ofthe name of Dunne, for
the purpose of giving private lectures in the
College to such scholars as desired to learn Irish,
while the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. William
King, (probably as visitor,) encouraged one
Lyniger, to teach it publickly. The Provost and
Fellows also liberally contributed to his support,
and gave him the following certificate :
" Mr. Charles Lyniger, for three years last
past, with our consent and approbation, has
taught many of the Students in the said College
the Irish language. Humbly of opinion if said
work were promoted and encouraged, it might
prove a means, by God's blessing, to convert
the Irish natives, and bring them over to the
established church."
Benjamin Pratt, Precep. John HaU,
Richard Baldwin, Claudius Gilbert,
Nicholas Forster, John Elwood,
Thomas Coningsby, Mathew French.*
It is pleasing to recognize here the venerable
names of Baldwin and Gilbert.
In 1710, some clergymen of the established
church, followed the example set them by the
Rev. Messrs. Browne and Atkins. The people
attended with much devotion, and expressed
great satisfaction at hearing prayers in their
own language. " It was," says Richardson,
* Richardson, p. 42 — 14.

39
u a joyful surprize to them, and like giving
sight to the blind : some were highly pleased,
and much affected when the word of God,
" which rejoiceth the heart, and enlighteneth
the eyes," was read to them : and two men, of
30 years of age at least, were so much taken
with it, that they bought primers, and learn
ed to read, that so they might be able to search
the Scriptures themselves.*
One of the above mentioned Clergymen hav
ing bought a fount of Irish types in London, in
order to print the Bible, Liturgy, and such
other books in the Irish language as might be
necessary or useful, a proposal to this effect
was drawn up and laid before several noble and
estimable persons of Great Britain, who ex
pressed their approbation of it, and desired
that those books should be printed with all ex
pedition, offering to contribute towards de
fraying the charges of the press. However,,
the Hon. Francis Annesly, of Lincoln's-Inn-
Fields, not doubting that the Duke of Or-
mond would encourage and support this under
taking, and intercede with Her Majesty, re
commended it to the Hon. Mr. Southwell, Secre
tary of State for Ireland, who approved of his
design, declaring also his belief that it would
be acceptable to the Duke of Ormond. It was
therefore laid before the Lord Bishop of Kil-
* Richardson, p. 45.

40
dare (Dr. Welbore Ellis), and several of the
Nobility, Clergy, and Gentry of Ireland, who
consented it should be presented to the Duke
of Ormond in their names, and particlarly sub
mitted to the consideration of the Right Hon.
the Earl of Anglesea; " whose approval," says
Richardson, " gave the design a hopeful
prospect."* The memorial, after noticing the great satis
faction expressed by the natives on hearing
Divine Service performed in their own tongue,
and after remarking the want of printed books
on religion in Irish, proposes " that some
numbers of the New Testament and Common
Prayer Books, Catechisms, and Expositions
thereon, the Whole Duty of Man, and select
sermons upon the principal points of religion,
be translated and printed in the Irish character
and tongue," for distribution in the Irish fa
milies that could read, and especially among
such Ministers as laboured in this interesting
work.t That the Memorialists had no intention of
retarding thereby the progress of English, is
evident from their recommending " charity
schools to be erected in every parish in Ireland,
for the instruction of the Irish children gratis
* Richardson, p. 45 — 46.
\ See Appendix I. .

41
in the English tongue.* No ; they had in vievr
a grand system for the intellectual, moral, and
religious improvement of the people, iti which
they conceived, and justly, that an attention
to the Irish language should make a part.
The Duke of Ormond gave the memorial a
kind reception, promised his patronage, and
sent it to Ireland with a favourable letter to
the Lords Justices, desiring them to lay it be
fore the Lord Primate and Archbishops iri
Dublin, for their opinion as to the usefulness
of the plan, and what would be fit io propose
to Her Majesty thereon. Their Graces and
Lordships were favourable to it, but considered
that it would require the advice and assistance
of Parliament and of the Convocation.
The prejudices against Irish seem, however,
to have been too powerful ; since, in the petition
which was afterwards presented to Her Majesty
relative to the general education of the people
of Ireland, no notice whatsoever is taken of that
language.! The same objections were brought
forward then, as formerly in the time of Bedell,
and latterly in our own days — That it would be
the destruction ofthe English interest ; and that
it was contrary to law, as being prohibited by
an act passed in the 29th year of Henry VIII.
for the encouragement of the English order,
habit and language. c
• Richarason, p. 48. f Ibid- p. 49—S3-

42
In the mean time the Archbishop of Ar
magh* and his clergy joined in. a subscription
for maintaining two missionaries to preach in
Irish to the natives in the diocese of Armagh.
The Bishop of Derryt and his clergy acted si
milarly for the diocese of Derry, which was
not without success, according to the accounts
that Richardson received.! On the meeting
of the Irish Parliament, the subject was taken
into consideration by a Committee of the
House of Commons, from whose resolutions
on the occasion the following is an extract :
" It will be requisite that a competent num.
ber of ministers, duly qualified to instruct the
natives of this kingdom, and perform the of
fices of religion to them in their own lan
guage, be provided, and encouraged by a suit*
able maintenance."
A bill, conformable to the resolutions, was
prepared by order of the House ; but it was
brought in too late to be passed into a law that
session, § nor was the subject ever after revived
there. The lower House of Convocation, after long
and full consideration, resolved to apply for a
* Dr. Narcissus Marsh, whose zealous endeavours in the
publication of Bedell's version of the Old Testament have
been noticed above.
f Dr. Charles Hickman. ^ Kicbardson, p. 5*.
§ Richardson, p. 55 — 57.

43
fund for the education of natives in the Uni
versity of Dublin, and for the maintenance of
persons in Holy Orders skilled in the Irish
tongue, who should be appointed by the
Bishops, with the consent of the respective in
cumbents, to assist the parochial clergy where
ver a considerable number of the parishioner*
did not understand English. They further re
solved on placing at the disposal of the Arch
bishops and Bishops, a sufficient number of
bibles and prayer books in the Irish tongue.*
In addition to this, they recommended schools
for teaching English gratis, " for that, among
other reasons, that the Irish language may in
time be utterly abolished," though they pro
posed to teach it ; a strong proof that nothing
was farther from their thoughts or their ex
pectations than the idea of perpetuating that
language.t In the year 1711, the Rev. John Richardson,
rector of Annah, alias Belturbet, in the diocese
of Kilmore, published " Practical Sermons on
the Principal Points of Religion, translated into
Irish," with a dedication to the Duke of Or-
mond : and in the following year, in conse
quence of an application made by him, the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
of which he was a corresponding member, di
rected 3000 copies of his " Short History," &c
* See Appendix I. f Richardson, p. 57 — 66.

44
from which so much of the preceding matter has
been drawn, to be printed and circulated. This
was written evidently with a view to obviate the
objections which were started at this time. To it
was annexed a proposal for printing the Bible, Li
turgy, and Exposition of the Church Catechism,
and other useful treatises in Irish. The erection
of charity schools for the education of the chil
dren of the Irish gratis, in the English tongue,
also entered into the plan. Subscriptions
towards this design were received at Bartlett's
Buildings, by the Rev. Mr. Shute, and by a
committee of members appointed for that pur
pose, among whom we find the names of the
Rev. Dr. Charlett, Muster of the University Col
lege, Oxford; the Rev. Dr. Richardson, Master
of St. Peter's, Cambridge ; the Rev. Dr. Wood
ward, and Archdeacon Maurice. By the en
couragement then obtained, the Society was
enabled speedily to print an edition of 6000
copies of the Book of Common Prayer,* the
the same number of the Church Catechism,
with the Irish alphabet and elements of the
Irish language for the use ofthe charity schools,
and 6000 copies of Lewis's Exposition of the
* Lord Chief Justice Parker subscribed £10. towards the
printing of the Irish Liturgy, and through his hands was re-
mitted to the Society ,£80, from a person unknown, for the
same purpose, towards which Mr. Francis Annesley also
subscribed^ 10. the following year,

45
Church Catechism,* all in the English and
Irish languages, in parallel columns, which
were distributed, partly in Ireland, and partly
in the Highlands of Scotknd.t
In the year 1714, a pamphlet was published
in Dublin, in which the propriety of attending
to the language in the Irish University was sug
gested. The author of tha^ pamphlet, after remark
ing that " the present clergy are generally ig
norant of the Irish language, and therefore in
capable of discoursing with the meer natives
on the Liturgy and religion of the Established
Church, &c." further advises, " but if exhibi-
tionst were paid annually to such a number of
students in the College of Dublin as shall be
thought convenient, who shall qualifie them
selves to speak the Irish tongue ; and a new
Fellow of the College was appointed to be Pro
fessor thereof, and allowed a stipend for exa-
amining such exhibitioners, this, would in a
few years enable many of the Protestant
clergy to converse famliarly with the natives
ip their own language," &c. " who would, at
* This catechism was translated by Richardson, and dedi
cated by hirn to Robert Nelson, author of the work on the
the Feasts and Fasts.
¦f See " A General Account of the Society for Prqmoting
Christian Knowledge," p. io, 11. London,. 1816.
\ Four hundred pounds was the sum proposed to be laid out
annually on these exhibitions, and the salary of the Professoj.

46
the same time, learn a better disposition to
them by their kind treatment, and at once
propagate our religion and manners ; and be so
far from inculcating the Irish tongue, that the
English language and religion would insensibly
take place, and spread among them."
The last attempt made till within these few
years to instruct the natives, through the me
dium of their own language, was, so far as we
have any account, that of performing Divine
Services in Irish to the inhabitants of the
Island of Raghlin, preparatory to which the
Church catechism in Irish, with the English
placed in opposite columns, was published in
Belfast in the year 1722, under the title of Te-
sag Kreesdee, edited by two clergymen whose
names are unknown ; to this was added the
visitation of the sick, select texts of scripture,
and a vocabulary, to which are prefixed some
grammatical observations. It was printed in
the Roman letter. An impracticable attempt,
however, was made in this work, to reduce the
orthography in both languages to more certain
rules of analogy, the reasons for which are
given in the prefaces
Among those who patronized this undertak
ing were the Lord Primate, Dr. Thomas Lind
say, the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. William
King, the exertions of which latter in this cause
we have already had occasion to notice more

47
than once, the Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr,
Timothy Godwin, afterwards Archbishop of
Cashel, the Dean and Archdeacon of Down, the
Dean of Cashel, several of the clergy, and many
of the nobility and gentry. Whether their inten
tion of building a church in the island, and
settling a minister there for the purpose of per
forming Divine Services in Irish, and towards
which they either contributed or promised
money, books or building-materials, was carried
into effect, and if so, what success attended it,
has- not been ascertained.*
Although we do not hear of any thing being
attempted after this,t yet we find Dr. Madden,
iii. his Reflections and Resolutions, printed in
Dublin, 1738, and reprinted in 1816, at the ex
pense of that celebrated philanthropist, Mr.
Thomas Pleasants, recommending " a body of
itinerant clergy to preach to the natives in
Irish,"* At length, however, in our own times, this
work has begun to attract attention. In 1799,
* The Church Catechism in Irish, duod. Belfast 1712.
j- In a list of books printed by one Gunne, annexed to
" a Defence of Free Thinking in Mathematics, &c. by th^
Author of the Minute Philosopher,," (Eishop Berkeley,)
published in octavo at Dublin, in 1735, we find the " Ikish
and English Common Prayer ; a cireumstance which plainly
shews what demand books of this kind in Irish, at that time,
had. X Reflections and Resolutions proper for the. Gentlemen
of Ireland, &c. p. 80, Svo. Dublin, 1816.

45
Dr. Stokes, late Senior Fellow of Trinity Col
lege, Dublin, now Lecturer ou Natural History
in the University, published 2000 copies of
St. Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles
from Daniell's version, which were well re
ceived by the people. These, as well as an im
pression of the four Gospels and the Acts,
which followed in the year 1806, were in
parallel columns of English and Irish, and
in the Roman character. The same gentle
man, also, in 1806, printed and circulated in
Dublin observations " on the necessity of
publishing the Scriptures in the Irish language."
In 1810, the British and Foreign Bible So
ciety, whose liberality has been felt in the most
distant parts of the world, extending their bene
volent views to Ireland, determined on printing a
version of the New Testament in Irish.* The
manner in which they expressed themselves on
this subject is peculiarly interesting, inasmuch
as it shews they were of opinion, that the rea
sons for adopting this line of conduct wrere not
less weighty at present than formerly. " This
resolution," say they " has not been adopted
without much deliberation, and after the most
minute inquiry into the expediency of it. The
doubts on this subject, which have long de
layed the execution of this work, are not new,
• This edition, which was stereotyped, was published in
octavo in 1S1".

49
as the question respecting the use of the Bible
and Liturgy in the Irish tongue, was amply dis
cussed in a convocation held in Dublin as long
ago as the year 1634. It was then decided in
the affirmative, and the arguments admitted
in favour of the proposition did not appear to
your Committee to have lost their weight when
considered as applicable to the question at
this time."*
In 1812, Dr. Dewar, a gentleman who, from
his personal knowedge of the advantages at
tendant on preaching to the Highlanders in their
own language,! is an authority that should be
highly valued, strongly urged the propriety of
pursuing a similar course, with respect to the
Irish. He frequently conversed with them, while
on his visit to this country, in their own lan
guage, and bears testimony to the readiness with
which they would receive any instruction con-
H
* Reports of the British and Foreign Bible Society,
vol. I. p. 293.
f In consequence of the great extent of the Highland
parishes, and the manner in which the several parts are dis
united by the intervention of mountains, lakes, arms of the
sea, and rivers, clergymen of the Church of Scotland have
been in many places appointed, under the title of Missionaries,
to assist the minister in providing for the spiritual wants of
the parish. Dr. Dewar, at no veiy remote period, was one
of such Missionaries. The General Assembly of the Church
of Scotland receive an annual grant of of 2000 towards the
support of these missions.

so
veyed through that medium.* The importance
of paying attention to this language, in a sys
tem of national education, was also forcibly re
commended in a Pamphlet, published in Dub
lin in the year 1814, entitled " Suggestions re
lative to a System of National Education," &e.t
But of all that has appeared on the subject,
in none has it been more fully treated of
than in the " Memorial" of the Rev. Christo
pher Anderson, Secretary to the Society in
Edinburgh for promoting Gaelic Schools in
the Highlands and islands of Scotland, and
who, from his official situation, was peculiarly
fitted for coming to a right judgment on the
matter. That judgment has strictly accorded
with the views of those high authorities, which,
as we have seen, sanctioned the encouragement
ofthe national language.^
An edition ofthe Proverbs of Solomon was
published at Dublin in the year 1815, in
Irish and English, in parallel columns, the
Irish in the Irish character. To this was pre
fixed an Irish alphabet and table of contrac
tions. In 1817, Robert Newenham, Esq. undertook
X Observations on Ireland, by Daniel Dewar, 8vo. London,
1812. See especially chap. iv. and chap. xi. sect. iii.
t P. 32—37.
X Memorial on behalf ofthe Native Irish, &c. 8vo. Lond.
1815.

51
the publication of the Gospel of St. Luke in
the Irish language and letter. Many copies of
this work have been distributed among the
people, and received by them with the utmost
cordiality and pleasure.
In the same year the Committee of the Bri
tish and Foreign Bible Society resolved on ste
reotyping the Bible in the Irish letter ; and the
Prayer Book and Homily Society having at the
same time determined on publishing the Book
of Common Prayer in the Irish language and
letter, with the English in an opposite column,
have called on the friends of Ireland, and the
National Church, to afford pecuniary aid to
wards carrying this determination into effect.*
Such are the principal factst connected with
the various attempts that have been made for
the religious instruction of the native Irish by
means ofthe ancient language. Having taken,
therefore, this hasty review of them, and having
seen, for our encouragement, that a success bear
ing in some degree a proportion to their magni
tude almost always attended those attempts, we
come to consider the principal objections that
* In the years 17,93 and 1 794, the Society for promoting
Christian Knowledge contributed £\50 towards the print
ing a translation ofthe Liturgy into the Gaelic language, for
the use of the natives of the Highlands of Scotland. See
General Account of the Society for promoting Christian
Knowledge, p. 12.
\ It is needless to say any thing respecting the London
Hibernian, and Baptist Societies, as their Reports are before
the public.

52
are generally made to prosecuting a similar
line of conduct at the present day.
Previous, however, to entering into a more
minute examination of those objections, it may
be worth observing, that were the broad ab
stract question proposed — through the medium
of what language can moral, religious, or in
deed any other instruction whatsoever, be most
speedily and most efficiently conveyed to a
people ; the answer undoubtedly would be,
through the medium of that language which
they understand best, and to which they are
most warmly attached, the language of their
thoughts and of their feelings : and he who
would argue against the application of this ge
neral principle to any particular instance, may
fairly be called upon to shew, that there is
something peculiar in that particular instance,
and what that something peculiar is, which
would prevent the extension ofthe principle to
it. Having premised so much, let us now take
a nearer view of the objections generally al
leged. And those may be classed under two heads.
L The inutility of the project ; which objec
tion necessarily implies a waste of expendi
ture. II. The evil, and even dangerous conse
quences that would result from its success.

53
Under the first of these heads, the inutility
of the project, an assertion is made in general
terms, at the outset, which, as it would paralyze
all active exertion, it is necessary to meet in li
mine. The number, it is said, of persons whose
sole language is Irish, is so small, that the be
nefit that might be expected to follow from
adopting such a vehicle of instruction, would be
totally inadequate to the expense. To this it
may be answered, first, that those who speak
solely Irish are much more numerous than is
probably supposed. Persons residing in the
metropolis, and large cities, and in those parts
where English is the prevailing language, are
not in general aware how large a population
occupies the less frequented parts of the
southern, western, and north-western counties,
including peninsulas and islands, together with
the wild sequestered glens and -mountainous
districts of even some ofthe inland counties,
who still cherish, with an almost exclusive at
tachment, the language of their fathers. The
little intercourse which the inhabitants of these
districts, owing to their insulated situation,
had with those of the other parts of Ireland,
at the same time that it retarded the progress
ofthe English language among them, rendered
the fact of the prevalency ofthe Irish less
generally known.*
* See Dewar's Observations, p. 06. 97- who informs us, that
he heard very little English in places where he was assured
not a word of Irish was spoken.

54
Secondly, let it be observed, that even of
those -who to that of Irish have added some
knowledge of English, immense numbers there
are, who are notwithstanding incapable of using
this latter as a medium through which they
might receive moral and religious instruction.
Irish is to them the language of social inter
course, of family communion ; every feeling
connected with moral duty is closely interwo
ven with that language. If consciousness of
guilt sting the bosom of one of these, the re
flections it excites, the anguish of remorse, the
terrible paintings of a smitten conscience, the
brightening hopes of mercy, all pass in rapid
succession before his mind, clothed in the ha
biliments which his native tongue has given
to them. If the operations of creative power
awaken his attention to the majesty of the
Creator, the idea of Deity rushes on his mind
in closest union with that name, to which
early association has in a manner indissolubly
bound it, and with which are connected in his
mind so many ideas of solemnity and awe.
Man, to whom he owes kindness, God, to
whom he owes devotion, are presented before
him in the mirror of his native tongue. Thus
all those principles on which morality is found
ed, are embodied in his own language, in that
language in which he conceives, in which he
reasons, in which he feels. Can the same be

55

said of English ? It is to him but the language
of barter, of worldly occupations ; taken up
solely at the market, laid aside when he returns
home, a very confined vocabulary, and that
too consisting of a selection of words of a very
different class from what would be necessary to
convey sentiments of morality and religion,
will prove sufficient for carrying on that ordi
nary intercourse for which alone he considers
an acquaintance with English desirable. How
little such a knowledge "of a language (if that
can be called knowledge which does not em
brace any operation of the intellect, and relates
only to the poor perishing concerns of the bo
dy) will avail in communicating to him the
truths of Christianity, is surely too evident to
every reflecting mind, to require the aid of
further argument. But even as to those, who,
though their vernacular tongue is Irish, have a
tolerably competent knowledge of English, let
it be recollected that this latter is to them at
best but a language of secondary signs, whose
connection with the conceptions in their minds
is established only through the intervention of
their own tongue, requiring of course the slow
process of mental translation, before any truth
so conveyed can convince the understanding,
lay hold upon the imagination, or interest the
feelings. How much light must such truths
necessarily lose in the transmission ! How

ss
much risk must they run of confusion in the
image !
On the whole, to employ Irish as a means of
disseminating religious knowledge, will scarce
ly appear useless, when it is considered that a
moderate calculation estimates the numbers of
those, who are either totally incapable, or at best
capable but imperfectly of receiving religious in
struction through any other language, at one
million and a half.* And when the discovery of
a population of not quite three hundred thou
sand souls similarly circumstanced in the high
lands and islands of Scotland has been con
sidered as affording a sufficient answer to simi
lar objections brought forward against instruct
ing them, through the intervention of Gaelic, t
shall about five times that number of our coun
trymen appeal unsuccessfully to the humanity
and Christian charity of Irishmen ?
But admitting the numbers who speak Irish
to be so great, it is again objected that few
can read it.
• See Dewar's Observations, &c. p. 95, and indeed the
whole of chap. iv. on the Irish language. In one place,
(p. 88.) he states the number so high as two millions.
See also Wakefield's account of Ireland, &c. vol. ii. 4to.
Lond. 1812; and Shaw Mason's Statistical Account, &c.
of Ireland, passim, vol. i. 1814, vol. ii. 1816, 8vo. Dublin.
f See First Annual Report of the Society for the sup
port of Gaelic Schools, &c. p. 10. 2d Edit. Edinburgh,
1812.

57
This objection, if it proves any thing, would
equally prove the inexpediency of disseminating
the Scriptures, and giving instruction in any lan
guage which the mass ofthe people cannot read ;
and this, till very lately, was the situation of a
great majority, and is indeed in some degree still,
of a considerable proportion of those who speak
English, and yet it has not operated to prevent
the wide diffusion of the Scriptures in that lan
guage. Nay, this should rather act as a stimu
lus on all, who appreciate the advantages to be
derived from a personal examination and study
of the Word of God, to attempt to remove the
objection by teaching those to read Irish, who
ordinarily converse in that tongue, and thus to
give every possible efficiency to the noble libe
rality of the British and Foreign Bible Society,
which has so munificently determined to ste
reotype the Irish Bible.* But, indeed, though
hitherto the number of those who could read
Irish may have been comparatively few, that
number is every day encreasing, and it is the
duty of those who have influence in the coun-
i
* This edition is to be in the Irish letter. The British
and Foreign Bible Society have already published it in
the Roman letter. See thirteenth Annual Report of the
Society, p. xxiv. among the various editions of the Scrip
tures, &Q.

58
try, to give this disposition to learn a proper
direction.* Again, it is objected, that there are but few
books in Irish. As the former objection seems
more directly opposed to the dissemination of
the Scriptures in Irish, this would appear more
particularly urged against the utility of teach
ing to read that language. Without questioning
how far this objection may be founded in fact,t
* In the Statistical Account ofthe parish of Clonmany, in
the county of Donegal, published in Shaw Mason's Statistical
Account, &c. of Ireland, it is remarked, " some of tlie old
men in this parish have a genius for reading the Irish language,
in Irish characters ; and there is one old man, upwards of 80
years of age, who can write it tolerably well.'' See vol. I.
p. 184, 185. — Dr. Stokes calculates from the number, about
two thousand, of Irish Catechisms of the Church of Rome
sold annually, that there are at least twenty thousand who
have made some attempt at reading that language. See
Dewar's Observations, p. 88.
f Were the number of printed books still fewer, there
are yet many valuable manuscripts in that tongue, with
a view to the more accurate investigation of which, some
might be willing that the language should not be totally
lost until they had been translated into English. Among
the Irish MSS. preserved in Trinity College, Dublin,
there is a dictionary of the language by one Norton,
which contains many more words than in Johnson. All
the words in Norton, and many thousands beside, will
be found in the Irish Dictionary lately published in Dub
lin by Mr. Edward O'Reilly. It is, perhaps, the most
copious vocabulary extant, of any . language except the
Greek. The late celebrated Mr. Flood was so convinced
of the advantages that might be derived to literature

59
it may in general be stated, that it can have but
little weight, when considering the subject in
a moral and religious point of view. The great
object, it should be recollected, of teaching
the reading of Irish, &c. is not to make those
who are to be the subjects of that instruction
a learned, or what may be called a reading
people, or to convey to them, through the me
dium of that language, any general knowledge ;
but almost exclusively to bring them acquaint
ed with the great principles of morality, found
ed on the important truths and doctrines of
Christianity ; and for this purpose the Bible
Itself, with some few elementary books, will am
ply suffice. Were there no other books, therefore,
extant in that language but the Bible, that
alone should hold out a sufficient induce
ment to the most unremitting exertion.
When to this are added the Book of Common
from an acquaintance with the remains of antiquity in
the Irish language, that he bequeathed a considerable pro
perty, in lands, to Trinity College, for the purpose of found
ing an Irish Professorship, and purchasing Irish manuscripts,
&c. See " Observations on the bequest of Henry Flood, Esq.
to Trinity College, with a defence of the Ancient History of
Ireland, by Sir Lawrence Parsons/' now Earl of Ross, 8vo,
Dublin, 1795. In this work the considerable knowledge
which the ancients had Of Ireland, and the confirmation which
the Mosaic history receives from the Irish Records, is main
tained by the noble author with much learning and ingenuity.
The validity of the bequest having been questioned, the Col
lege instituted a suit for the purpose of establishing their
claim, with a view to carry Mr. Flood's intentions into effect.

fiO
Prayer and Church Catechism in Irish, surely
a want of books cannot seriously be made an
objection. This has not weighed with the
members of the Church of Rome, who have
published therein many tracts in Irish, and
among others, one by the Titular Archbishop
of Armagh (Dr. O'Reilly), entitled, the " Tasag
Kreesty," or Christian Doctrine * Nay, this
very scantiness of Irish books is not altogether
without its advantages, inasmuch as it affords
an opportunity of communicating the benefits
of religious instruction, free from the risk of
corrupting the mind by the productions of a
licentious and immoral press: the danger of
which has been urged as one of the strongest ar
guments against the rendering general a capa
bility of reading. Here it is possible to supply
the most wholesome aliment to the mind, with
out exciting at the same time a dread, lest a
vitiated taste might seek to gratify its diseased
and pampered appetite in feeding upon poison.
It is the part of wisdom, therefore, to take pos
session of this field, before an enemy plants his
standard upon it.
* See " Report of the Committee of the Highland Society
of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the Nature and Au
thenticity of the Poems of Ossian," Appendix, p. 303,
Note p. — To Butler's Catechism, twelfth Edition, Dublin,
1814, are annexed Acts of Contrition, Faith, Hope and Cha-
rity, with a Prayer to be said before Mass, all in Irish add
English, upon opposite pages.

61
Again, the difficulty of learning is made the
ground of an argument against teaching to read
Irish. This is obviously the objection of one
originally unacquainted with the language, and
and who, if he has any knowledge of it, has
merely taken it up as a dead language, and in
this way the same might be said of any lan
guage whatever. It should, therefore, be kept
in view, that there can be no intention of
teaching to read Irish where it is not al
ready spoken, and, in this case, a priori
reasoning, as well as every analogy from what
has been happily found to take place in the
various attempts that have been made by dif
ferent institutions to teach the reading of Eng
lish, shew that the task will not be so difficult,
or the time ordinarily necessary for acquiring
it so very great.
The Reports ofthe Welsh circulating schools,
and those of the Society for promoting Gaelic
schools through the Highlands and Islands of
Scotland, bear testimony to the ease with which
a people may be taught to read in their own lan
guage;* and let it be observed, that the close
affinity of the Welsh and Gaelic tongues to the
Irish, as also the similarity of their circumstances
* See Reports of the Society for the support of Gaelic
Schools, First Report, p. 53 — 57, 63 ; Second Report, p.
3 — 7, 25 ; also Welsh Piety, or a collection of the several
accounts of the Circulating Welsh Charity Schools, from their
rise in 17.37, to Michaelmas 1753, in three vols. Svo.

62'

with respect to the English, should give addi
tional weight to every argument derived from
analogy coming from those quarters. And we find
there, that instances of learning to read in the
short space of three months are not unfrequent.
But we are not left here to mere a priori, or
analogical reasoning. Examples are not want
ing in our own country, of the readiness with
which the reading of the native language may
be acquired. Three months, six weeks, and,
in some instances, even so short a space as
twelve days, have been found sufficient for this
purpose. Indeed, the much greater expedition
with which a man wrho speaks Irish will learn to
read it than English, is one of the strongest
arguments for preferring the former in afford
ing primary instruction to the latter, both as it
regards the saving of expence by the saving of
time, and as it enables him (which is the great
object) the sooner to become acquainted with
the Holy Scriptures. What an encouragement.
will such speedy success prove to increased ex
ertion on the part of those who have already
made some progress ! What an excitement to
commence the study will it be to those, who
have witnessed the rapid success which has
attended the labour of others! — On the other
hand, let it be recollected how long a time
(generally from three, to four years) he must
spend in learning English, without properly, if

63
at all, understanding the meaning of the words
he learns, or acquiring any new or de
finite ideas therein.* All this time he is
condemned to the drudgery of learning mere
words, which to him have no meaning, and
consequently cannot, by any strong association,
lay hold upon his memory. Nor is he support
ed by the consciousness that he is acquiring
knowledge ; his mind is making no advances.
He feels no enlargement of his views. What
wonder, then, if hopeless of attainment, the
jrksomeness of the task should lead him an de
spair to its final abandonment. Not so when
taught in Irish, as on learning the characters, he,
immediately recognizes many of the words as
familiar to him, while the context leads him
to the knowledge of such as are less so. If it is
one of the leading principles on which elemen
tary works for facilitating the progress of the
beginner, in acquiring the art of reading, are
constructed, that too many new words should
not be crowded together upon bis mind ; it
surely is not the part of wisdom to introduce
him at once to a language, almost all the terms
• This was formerly the case in the Highlands of Scot
land, where it was not an uncommon thing to meet with one
who could read English with tolerable fluency, who yet at the
same time understood not a single word of what he was read
ing. See Reports of the Gaelic School Society, 1st Rep. p,
5. 37. 41 . 2d Rep. p. 1 3. See also Welsh Piety.

64

of which are new to him (even though he may
have an imperfect knowledge of it) as the ma
jority of them have never occurred in those si
tuations, in which hitherto he has been obliged
to have recourse to that language. Or shall
an attempt be made so to construct English
elementary books for this class of the popula
tion, as to lead its members through the gross
and sordid ideas of barter, and the terms con
nected therewith, into all those finer sentiments
of moral duty and religious hope, the oral
signs of which at present exist for them only in
their own language.
On the whole, so far from the objection
holding true, it will appear to every candid
mind, which fairly estimates the greater com
parative ease and readiness with which one so
circumstanced will learn to read Irish than
English, that this is one strong argument for
preferring the former, for the purpose of con
veying to him moral and religious information.
Another objection under this head is, the
variety of dialects into which the Irish lan
guage is divided, which, it is argued, will pre
vent any books published in it being of general
use, inasmuch as, it is said, a book that may
be understood in one part of the country
becomes hence unintelligible in another.
To this it may be answered, that the differ.
ence of dialects alluded to, consisting rather in

65
a different mode of pronunciation, than in a
real diversity of root, this objection loses much
of its weight when applied to the language as
written. In proof of the truth of this reasoning
it may be stated, that the same printed Irish Ser
mons have been preached in different parts of
the country. Experience shews, indeed, that
there is not much in the objection, as persons
speaking different dialects are capable of mu
tually understanding one another. Nay more,
a native of the Highlands or Islands of Scot
land can carry on, with tolerable ease, a con
versation in Erse with one speaking Irish.
The same also is true respecting those who use
the Manks dialect. Nor should we here overlook
the argument which may be drawn from the
Greek language, divided and sub-divided as it
was into so many varied dialects, spoken over
such a wide extent of country, which embraced
parts of the three great Continents then known,
and was intersected at the same time by large
and numerous seas. There appears, however,
to have been a very free circulation of the
writings in that language from Magna Graecia
and Sicily to Ionia, from Macedonia and even
Thrace to Egypt. Nor does the Ionic dialect
of Herodotus appear to have been any bar to
his, receiving the applauses of assembled Greece
at Elis. May it not also be worth noticing here,
that while there is a diversity of style in the
K

66
Books ofthe New Testament, there appears no
thing like an adoption of dialect to suit those
to whom they were addressed, or for whose use
they were more particularly composed. An in
stance is also furnished in the Romansh, a lan
guage spoken over part of the Grisons.
Though divided into two main dialects, and
these again into a multiplicity of sub-dialects,
yet the Bible, in one of the dialects, is under
stood in those parts where the other is spoken,
and is indeed the only version there used *
But indeed we need not go so far from home,
or search into antiquity for arguments, to com
bat this objection. English has itself its di
alects ; and tlie natives of Cumberland, of York
shire, of Somersetshire, of London, and even
ofthe Lowlands of Scotland, (whose language
is certainly a dialect of English), would proba
bly find a difficulty in understanding o e an
other if conversing together ; and yet this has
never been ur^-d against the utility of cir
culating among them the approved Version of
the Holy Scriptures, or teaching them to read
English. This seems to be a proper place for noticing
an objection, alledged more particularly with a
* See a very interesting account of the Romansh lan
guage by Joseph Planta, F. R. S. in the Philosophical Trans
actions for 1776. Part I. p. 129 — 159. This paper was
drawn up in consequence of a Bible in that language having
been presented to the Royal. Society by the Count deSalis.

67
view to undervalue the benefit that might be
expected from circulating Bishop Bedell's ver
sion ofthe Old, and Archbishop Daniell's ver
sion of the New Testament, that its style is
too antiquated to be understood by those who
at present speak Irish. But to this it may be
answered, that so late as the year 1712, ac
cording to the statements of Richardson, this
version was sufficiently understood; and it can
hardly be imagined, that in little more than a
century, the language spoken could have been
materially altered, particularly when it is con
sidered that, during that period, it has been
preserved among a people who have had very
little intercourse with those who spoke another
language, by an admixture with which alone it
could suffer so great a corruption ; the same
causes which tended to its preservation, would,
in all probability, also tend to the maintenance
of its purity.
But the truth is, this version is understood
and prized wherever Irish itself is understood.
Of the high estimation in which it is held, the
following may be considered as affording abun
dant proof. Several persons in Cork acquaint
ed with Irish, and desirous of reading the
Scriptures in that language, petitioned the
Bishop of Cork to let them have the use of
that copy of the Irish Bible which is in the
library of St. Barry's Church, Cork. His Lords
ship readily complied with their request, and

68
numerous copies are now taking by them, in
manuscript, of that Bible. The Rev. Mr.
Graham also, Curate of Kilrush, County of
Clare, in a letter dated the 3d of February,
1806, when speaking of certain young people
who had learned to read Irish, says, " they
are in the habit of reading in the intervals of
labour, and particularly during the long winter
nights, to circles of their friends and neigh
bours, who are illiterate, and understand
the Irish only." " By this means" he observes,
" the knowledge of the divine truths of Scrip
ture are propounded to the hearts and under
standings of multitudes, who would otherwise
have gone to the grave as ignorant as myriads
of their ancestors." " Whenever Mr. Dewar
announced that the Scriptures would be read
in the Irish language, crowds not only came
to hear, but they listened with manifest plea
sure, and eager intelligence."*
It has indeed been argued by some, on the
consideration that a population of only twenty
thousand, speaking the Manks language, have
been furnished with the Scriptures in their own
tongue, that even were the former version of
the Irish Bible obsolete, it would be reasonable
to undertake a new one in behalf of the im
mense numbers who speak the Irish language.
Without, however, examining into the justness
* See Memorial in behalf of the native Irish, p. 61.

69
ofthe argument, which is happily unnecessary, it
may be remarked that an example of a line of
acting somewhat similar, has been lately furnish
ed us in Russia, by the Holy Synod, which, at
the recommendation of his Majesty the Emperor
of Russia, has resolved on a translation being
made of the Bible into the modern Russian.
" His Majesty had observed, that while the
Society, i. e. the Russian Bible Society, was
supplying all the nations in Russia with the
Scriptures, the Russians themselves were oblig
ed either to read the Divine oracles in a lan-
guage they understood imperfectly, or in a fo
reign tongue ; for the translation of the Slavo
nian Bible having been made in the ninth
century, the language of it differs more from
the modern Russian than Wickliff's translation
ofthe Bible from the modern English version."*
Before leaving this part of the subject, it may
pot be unnecessary to take notice of another ob
jection which regards not so much the language-
itself, as the character in which it is proposed
to print it. Many conceive that were the Ro
man character employed instead of the Irish,
it would much facilitate, to such as might-desire
it, the after acquisition of the English tongue.
This objection to the character goes on the sup
position that the power of the various Roman
• See twelfth Report of the British and Foreign Bible
Society, p. 24. 25.

70
characters, when used in the Irish and English
languages, is always exactly the same, which
is by no means the case ; some even of the
simple characters * have not exactly the same
sound in both languages, while the effect of
combining h with another letter, is veiy dif
ferent ; for example, sh t and th in Irish,
have only the force of an aspiration ; dh and
gh are sometimes pronounced as y, and some
times have a weak guttural sound, somewhat
stronger than that of tv ; bh and mh sound
as v or a\ according to their position in a word;
fh is not sounded. Is it not evident, there
fore, that an acquaintance with the Roman
character, in connexion with Irish, will, so far
from affording assistance towards obtaining a
knowledge of English, rather throw an addi
tional impediment in the way, inasmuch as cer
tain sounds will be associated with certain let
ters or combinations of letters, which associ
ation of sounds and characters it will be ne
cessary afterwards, in acquiring English, to dis
solve ; a task which will prove much more dif
ficult, than to acquire a new character. In
illustration of the truth of the^e assertions may
be mentioned, the greater comparative ease
with which one previously capable of reading
English can read Irish in the Irish, than in
* Thus d sometimes sounds rather like th' in that.
-J- sh in certain cases is mute.

71
the Roman character, even though Irish had
been his vernacular tongue. From what has
been said above, it is evident that even with a
view to future instruction in English, putting
a dot (.) over a letter, as g, will be preferable to
annexing h, in order to express the power
arising from the combination, whether the cha
racter employed be Irish or Roman ; of this
Pr. Neilson has been so convinced, that he has
used the dot, even though he employs the Ro
man character ; a further advantage is, that
less room is occupied by the word, a benefit
which affects not merely the size of the book,
but also the ease with which the meaning ofthe
word thus presented in a condensed form to
the eye, will be understood. It is further to
be remarked, that the change of power of the
letter, which is to be expressed, arising in ge
neral from an inflection, as it were, of the word,
but no way affecting its radical meaning, that
radical meaning will present itself more di
rectly to the mind when there is no change of
the character, than when it is in some measure
disguised by the insertion of h. What ad
vantage this will afford in understanding print
ed works, it is unnecessary to insist on. Hence
we see how erroneous the Editors of the Ca-
thechism for the Island of Raghlin were, in en
deavouring to adapt the orthography to the
sounds of the words, rather than to their ety-

72
mology. Were their plan generally adopted,
the injury inflicted on the etymology of lan
guages would be greater than the benefit gained
to the orthography.
These remarks will prepare the mind to per
ceive how little there is in an objection, which is
however commonly brought forward, and which
arises out of the inability of persons who know
Irish merely as a spoken language, but are ca
pable of reading English, to understand an Irish
book when put inter their hands, though in a
character, the Roman, with which they are
already acquainted. It is thereupon at once
objected, that the Irish of that book, the Bible
for example, is too antiquated, &c. to be of ge
neral use among the people, forgetting that a man
must be taught to read a language before he can
be expected to understand it when written. An
acquaintance with the characters, when present
ed to the eye, will afford him no assistance,
unless he is at the same time acquainted with
the powers which it is intended that these
characters should convey to the ear or mind.
Who is there that would expect a man whose
vernacular language is French, but who never
learned any written language unless English,
to be capable of understanding a French book
immediately on its being put into his hand,
without being previously made acquainted with
the several laws which regulate the quiescence

73

or pronunciation of the various letters of that
language. II. Having thus taken a view of the principal
objections brought forward against the utility
of communicating instruction in Irish, we now
come to consider others of a graver character,
which are urged against such a measure, from
an apprehension of the evil, nay, dangerous
consequences that must result from its success.
Under this head, it is said that teaching it
only tends to perpetuate a barbarous language,
at the same time that it opposes a bar to the
amalgamation of the people, excites disunion
among them, and keeps alive a spirit of disaffec
tion towards the Government, and of disinclina
tion to the English connexion.
Without waiting to examine into the truth of
the assertion that it is a barbarous language,* it
may be noticed, that in conveying religious in
formation, the comparative excellence of the
medium should be of little consequence. The
barbarous languages (as the Greeks fondly
called all others but their own,) of Mesopotamia,
and of Media, of Elam, and of Parthia, were
equally honoured with the more polished tongues
L
* To some, perhaps, it may appear that ' liis objection more
properly belongs to the former head; itshould, however, be re
collected, that whatever tends, in even the remotest degree,
to plunge into, or retain a people in barbarism, is worse than
unprofitable, it is injurious.

74
of Greece arid Rome, in proclaiming on the day
of Pentecost, from the inspired lips of the disci'
pies, the wonderful works of God.* Happily
the principle of this objection has not been
acted on elsewhere. Why then should Ireland
be selected as a solitary instance for adopting a
line of conduct so contrary to sound reason, to
humane feeling, to pious sentiment? Some of
the most barbarous languages of Africa, the
Bullom and the Susoo, equally with that most
difficult and singular language of Asia, perhaps
of the world, the Chinese, have been cultivated
with a view to the dissemination of divine truth.
Poor will be your excuse, if on such shallow
grounds as the rude and barbarous nature of
the language, you shall, by refusing to give the
Gospel through that medium, incur the heavy
responsibility of thus endeavouring, though such
may not be your intention, to defraud God of his
glory, and man of his hopes.
Perhaps, after all, the Apostle Paul, in his
application ofthe term barbarian, as being mere
ly relative to an incapability on the part ofthe
hearer to understand the words of the speaker,
has been more philosophically just than the wise
men of Greece and Rome. " Therefore, if I
know not the meaning ofthe voice, I shall be to
him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that
* Acts ii. 1. 11.

15
speaketh shall be a barbarian to me."* In this
point of view English is itself a barbarous lan
guage to many of the Irish.
It may not, however, be considered as alto
gether irrelevant to quote here the opinion of
the Rev. A. Downie, in his letter to the Society
for promoting" instruction in Gaelic, respecting
the Erse, and which there is every reason to
suppose is no less applicable to its cognate dia
lect, the Irish. On this subject he writes thus :
" It is one of the peculiarities ofthe Gaelic, that
the illiterate speak it with as much propriety as
those who have received the advantage of edu
cation; and that as far as regards language
merely* the common herd will understand the
best orator. "t This seems, indeed, to be the na
tural consequence of the language containing
all its roots in itself, and receiving all its modifi
cations from within, which will of course render
the ideas conveyed by it more precise and defi
nite. How often has the study of foreign and
dead languages been recommended to enable the
student to acquire a more adequate knowlege of
the English ! This is, however, for the reason
above stated, unnecessary with respect to Irish :
so that considered merely in this point of view,
even the perpetuation of a language once spoken
* 1 Cor. xiv. 11.
f First Report ofthe Society for promoting Gaelic Schools,
&c. p. 36.

76
over a great part of Europe, might not perhaps
be so much to be deplored.
But charges of a- more serious nature are
involved in the objection, that the perpetuation
of the ancient language will operate as a bar
to the amalgamation of the people, and keep
alive in them a spirit of disunion and disaffec
tion.* It might be fairly asked on what grounds
this is asserted, as there seems to be no neces
sary connexion here between the cause and the
effect assigned? Perhaps, it will be said, that in
keeping up the language you keep up a mark of
distinction between the different classes of the
community who use the different tongues. It
cannot be denied, indeed, that diversity of lan
guages tends much to prevent that free in
tercourse which every philanthropist would wish
to promote, and that therefore considered in
this light, it would be desirable that the language •
not only of e\my state, but even of the whole
earth were one. But must not every one ac
knowledge that a unity of sentiment, a unity of
* It has been found adviseable here to consider, under one
head, 'the two objections; one arising from the supposed
danger of exciting a spirit of disaffection towards the Govern
ment ; the other from a dread of disuniting the people ; inas
much as, independent of their cli>se connexion, one principal
answer is applicable to both — the salutary influence which an
enlarged knowledge of the divine truths of Christianity may
bo expected to have upon the minds of the people.

77
customs, a unity of laws, tend much more to the
amalgamation ofthe people than a mere unity of
language ? Is there any thing in diversity of
tongue alone which must of necessity induce di
versity in these respects ? Does not the history
of past ages — does not the history of the present
time furnish abundant instances of whole tribes
of people who use different languages, living
peaceably together under the same government?
Look to Great Britain ; there'we see the Gael in
Scotland, the Briton in Wales, andthe Saxon in
England, living together in the utmost harmony.
Are we then to suppose there is something pe
culiar in the combination of the sounds or cha
racters that constitute the Irish language, ren
dering it an involuntary and necessary agent for
the production of all the ills of disaffection and
disunion ? Can we continue of this opinion,
when we reflect how harmless and inoffensive the
same language has proved in Scotland ? If there
is any thing in it hostile to British connexion,
why does it show so little of this noxious quality
there ? In truth, it is not a diversity of lan
guage which produces a diversity of sentiment.
This effect is attributable to education, political
or religious feuds, prejudices, and other similar
causes. To give moral and religious instruction
in Irish cannot increase the influence of these;
nay, it will tend most powerfully to counteract
them. It is said Irish is calculated td revive re
collections of past transctions, which it were

78
better were forgotten, as the tendency pf these
FepoJIectiqns is to disunite the people If it
was indeed intended to publish details of the
mutual struggles of adverse sects contending
fpr ascendancy, there might perhaps be some
force in this objection : such is not the inten
tion here : to enable the native to read the
Scriptures in his own tongue is the sole ob-,
jecf. You thus afford him that knowledge
which is most calculated to heal every irrii
table, feeling, and to allay every animosity
which such recollections may unhappily still
cherish. If the only language they know has
hitherto carried the poison of disaffection and
disunion through every part of the system which
it has visited in its circulation, let it now convey,
through vamifioations not less extensive, the an
tidote for that poison. Instruct them in that pre-,
cious faith, through whose blessed influence pro-.
phetic vision " sees, an innumerably great mul
titude gathered together out of aU nations, and
kindreds,, and people, and tongues, standing be
fore the Throne and before the, Lamb, crying
aloud" iu harmonious concert, as with one single
voice, " Salvation to our God which sitteth upon
the ThTQUe» and unto the Lamb." Is it not the
glory of the Gospel that it is to he preached to
every nation, and kindred, and tongue ? Were
not the command, of Christ to bis disciples to
evangelize all nations ? And does not the ample
provision made on the day of Pentecost, for con-

_79
veying it through the medium of every language,
stamp, as it were, a sarictioU of Divine authority
on similar attempts at the present day ? Or shall
it be said that it was right to do so in the
first century, and wrong in the nineteenth?
This were to say, that the getiius of Christianity
has changed. Is it not the glorious privilege of
true Christianity that, like her great founder*
she is eve* the same, and, as one of the loveliest
traits of her character, while yet in the freshness
of yOUth, was that winning influence through
which she closely drew together all her chil'-
dfen by a community of interest and of feeling,
so it may be hoped that age has not yet de
formed her countenance, but that still beneath
her smiles her children of every country, dime,
and tongue, may present the lovely spectacle of
" brethren dwelling together iu unity ?" It has
been observed above, that unity of cttetoms,
of laws, of government, and of manners, form
a stronger tie than merely that of s^ee^cn.
Christianity has her customs, and they are essen
tially the same beUeath every clime. Chris
tianity has her 'opinions, her sentiments, her
principles, hel* laws, and they speak the same
language to the heart in every tongue. Chris
tianity acknowledges her Prince of PeaJee, and
WhWevet the hymri Of praise asters to him,
Ms name is Wit.* Christianity i&toem ©ertMi
'• 2ecn. xiv. 9.

80

manners, cherishes certain tempers, awakens
certain feelings, and there is a unity to be recog
nised in those manners, in those tempers, in
those feelings, though among people living
under different governments, — among families
claiming a different descent. But her blessed
harmonizing influence ends not here. She gives
a unity and community of hdpes,' Her children,
lovely in their lives, in death are not divided.
If then, you would unite your people, bind
them together in the bands of one faith ; let
one common hope point them to one common
centre Of attraction, and let the sympathetic
magnetism of Christian charity gently draw
them, with one common influence, to each
other. Irish has been the language, some say, of dis
organization and rebellion, — make it hencefor
ward the language of loyalty and peace, by caus
ing the Bible to speak in it. Or will you say, that
instructing a people in their duty towards God
will weaken that principle of submission which
the. Bible tells them is due to the powers that be
of God? Or that inculcating love to man will
root out that which is the best guarantee of
union and order among them— mutual affection,
and plant in its stead the rankling thorns of
jealousy and envy, of savage ferocity, of hatred
and revenge ? Can it be imagined, on the one
hand, that principles of obedience to the con
stituted authorities will be weakened in the

81
minds of an Irishman, by perusing such pas
sages as these ? — " Render to Caesar the things
which are Caesar's." — " Let every soul be sub
ject to the higher powers ; for there is no power
but of God : the powers that be are ordained of
God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power,
resisteth the ordinance of God." — " Wherefore
ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath,
but also for conscience sake." — " Render,
therefore, to all their dues : tribute to whom
tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; fear
to whom fear ; honour to whom honour." —
" Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man
for the Lord's sake : whether it be to the King,
as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that
are sent by him for the punishment of evil
doers, and for the praise of them that do well."
— " Honour the King." Or, on the other hand,
that every humaner feeling will be suppressed,
and every more malignant passion excited by
such as follow? — " Love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them that despitefully use you,
and persecute you." — "Love worketh no ill to
his neighbour ; therefore, love is the fulfilling
of the law." Surely such truths, whether ex
pressed in the English or Irish language, are
equally well calculated to infuse the most ex
alted and firmly grounded sentiments of loy
alty to the ruling powers, and of mutual affec
tionate attachment of man towards man.
M

82
Nor is this matter of mere speculation. Mr.
Dewar informs us that an Irishman, into whose
hands a New Testament had been put, exclaim
ed, on reading it, " if I believe this it is impos
sible for me to remain a rebel."* Similar to
this also were the expressions of that priest, who,
on his flock asking his advice as to the propriety
of their reading the Proverbs, when lately pub
lished in the Irish language, informed them,
after examining it, that if they read that book
it would make them better husbands, better
wives, better, children, better parents, better
servants, better masters, and better subjects.,
But, in truth, it is a mistake to suppose that
teaching it will necessarily perpetuate the lan
guage. Can it be expected that a man will
renounce his old language unless he is pre
viously furnished with a new one ? And what
motive can induce him to take the trouble ne
cessary to acquire such new language, unless it
be the advantage which the acquisition holds
out in transacting the ordinary business of life,
or in gratifying an ardent spirit of enquiry ?
Will instructing him in Irish make it less his
interest to become acquainted with English ?
Nay, will it not make it more so.; as. education,
by enlarging his powers, will render him. fitter
* Observations on Ireland, pf 139. On this Mr. I)ewar
remarks, " Behold the; means which a beneficent Providence
has appointed to make good men, and good citizens !"

ss
for, and so open out to him a greater likelihood
of Obtaining situations of profit or distinction,
for which a knowledge of English will be neces
sary ? Will instructing him in Irish weaken the
force of that most powerful incitement to the
search after knowledge which a spirit of en
quiry affords ? Nay, will not the information
already given him in that language be most
probably the means of awakening this spirit, in
many instances, where before it did not exist,
and increasing it where it did ? In whom is
this desire of knowledge found most power
fully to operate ? In the ignorant, or in those
who have been in some degree enlightened?
Shall we then withhold from him the means of
reading .his own language, and expect that he
willj as it were, intuitively learn another ? ShaU
we leave him in ignorance, and expect in him
that knowledge which is the offspring of cu
riosity, excited by previous information ? No,
let us teach him to read a language he already
understands; his intellectual powers- will thus
be roused, and he will be induced to learn the
language of the State, from an acquaintance
with which he will promise himself the protec
tion of the law, and fertile sources of emolu
ment and advantage tb himself and his family.
There will thus be created in him a thirst which
will soon exhaust the springs that are to be
found in his- own language ; he will therefore be
impelled, by thfe acquisition of English, to roll

84
away the stone from a well which promises so
plentifully to satisfy that thirst ; as it has been
Veil expressed by one writing on this subject,
" as the mind becomes enlightened it becomes
inquisitive, and if this disposition cannot be
gratified in Irish, which it is evident it cannot,
it will seek it in English." In the forcible lan
guage of another, " the stone will be set a roll
ing, and there is little doubt that it will not stop
till it has arrived on English soil." " Know
ledge," says Doctor Johnson, " always in
creases ; it is like fire, which must be kindled
by some external agent, but which will after
wards propagate itself. When they once desire
to learn, they will naturally have recourse to the
nearest language by which that desire can be
gratified ; and one will tell another, that if he
would obtain knowledge, he must learn Eng
lish."* And if this reasoning is just with res-t
peet to imparting to him knowledge in general,
how much more so will it be in communicating
to him religious knowledge. A taste will thus
* See a letter of Doctor Johnson to Mr. William Drum
mond, on the propriety of publishing a version of the Scrip
tures in Gaelic. Johnson's Works, vol. xv. p. 162 — 167. 12mo.
Edinburgh, 1806; where also are to be found two other letters
on the same subject, from which it appears that this letter was
published under the revision of Dr. Robertson, the celebrated
Historiographer. See also Appendix, K.
See also Reports of the Society for promoting Gaelic
Schools, &c. First Rep. p. 15. 38. Second Rep. p. i. 26.
Fourth Rep. p,. 25.^6. 39. ...

85
be given him for divine things, a relish for hea
venly wisdom ; at the same time he will be fur
nished with but one book. True, it is the Book
of Life, the best of books. Do we not how
ever find, that amongst English readers the
effect of such improved taste is an eager desire
after works of devotion and Christian experi
ence ; and when the Irish Biblical student is
informed that such are to be foundin English, his
religious feelings co-operating with his curiosity,
now enlisted in the best of causes, will naturally
virge him to new exertions to obtain them, while
the success attendant on his former efforts to
become acquainted with the written character
of his own language, will make him disregard
the difficulties of acquiring a new one, which
would otherwise perhaps have appeared to him
insuperable. Here we may observe how futile is that
objection which argues against affording instruc
tion in Irish, as though it would increase the
difficulty of afterwards learning English. The
very contrary is the truth. Such a mode of
reasoning could only be supported on the sup
position that the capabilities of the mind are in
an inverse ratio to its cultivation, and that in
proportion to its attainments, its powers of at
tainment are diminished. In truth, the better
any one is acquainted with his vernacular
tongue, the easier will he find it to attain ano-

86
ther ; and the more languages a man knows, the
more capable will he be of learning new ones.
He does not at once understand the connexion
of written with oral signs, and through them
with the conceptions ofthe mind j having, how
ever, learned the nature of that connexion in
his own language, he finds less difficulty in trac
ing it through others. Besides, the way whereby
new languages are generally learned is hereby
opened to him, namely, that of grammars,
dictionaries, &c. It would indeed be scarcely
credible that such an objection could seriously
be brought forward, were it not known that to
some in Scotland it was matter of surprise that
the Islanders and Highlanders could be taught
Gaelic without any previous instruction in Eng
lish ;* in other words, how they could be taught
their own language without having been first
instructed in one with which they were almost,
if not altogether unacquainted. Do we ever,
it may be asked, think of having our children
taught French in order to pave the way for
learning English ?
But, say objectors, it is to the silent opera*
tion of an increased and increasing intercourse
between those who speak English and those
who speak Irish, as the way in which a new-
language is generally introduced, that we look
* See First Report of the Society for promoting Gaelic
Schools, p. 41.

87
for the rapidly progressive disuse of the lat
ter, and the corresponding substitution of the
former. It, is to the attempt to teach Irish,
therefore, as retarding, at least, if not counter
acting the effect of this principle, that we chiefly
object. In answer to this it may be asked, what ten
dency will such attempts have to counteract, or
even retard the effect of this principle ? Will it
diminish the number of those around who speak
English, or will it lessen the intercourse between
those two classes of the inhabitants of this
island? Surely not. Thus it will be found,
that the attempt will not lessen the inducements
to the acquisition of English. It will rather
increase them* while at the same time it will
supply new motives, and those the most power
ful. It may therefore be confidently asserted,
that it will not be any obstacle to the amalga
mation of all classes of the people, or prove a
wall of separation between them. — will not keep
alive dissension and disunion — will not cherish
a spirit of disaffection to the constituted autho
rities of the land — nay, will not perpetuate
Irish, or even arrest the progress which English
may be making; No, it will induce our coun
trymen to learn it ; it will facilitate to them the
acquisition of it.
But let us suppose that it would retard the
advancement of English, or that it even would
perpetuate Irish ; is; thi&a sufficient.reason, in a

88
moral and religious point of view, for with
holding the Scriptures from a million and a
half of our countrymen ? Nay, shall any
merely theoretical objections, taken from the
supposed worldly, or even political disadvan
tages which may be imagined to be connected
with this language, be considered as of suffi
cient weight to keep so large a proportion of
the population in ignorance of that which is
most interesting to them in time, most impor
tant as it regards eternity ? Shall the rea
sonings of the politician be allowed to out
weigh the obligations of the Christian? And,
let it be recollected, that God rules in the af
fairs of men, and that if to any worldly system
we sacrifice his glory and the happiness of our
fellow men, he may be provoked to dissolve
that very system which we would fondly endea
vour to uphold. Surely, when Christ himself has
declared the whole world to be nothing to a
man in comparison of his soul, we should not
postpone the eternal interests of a single soul
to the mere secular advantages of worlds, were
these advantages even certain, much less when
they are only speculative.
There remains one further objection still to be
considered, and that is one arising'out of the
act of Henry VIIL ch. 15. " For the encourage
ment of the English order, habit, and lan
guage." It is asserted, that to attempt to dif
fuse a knowledge ofthe Scriptures, through the

89
medium of the Irish language, is a direct in
fringement of that statute* It is however to be
observed, that the act is wholly affirmative in
the enacting provisions relating to the language
to be used. Sec. 3. enacts, that the English lan
guage shall be used and spoken, but contains no
prohibition of the Irish. No offence, therefore,
is committed against the express provisions of
the act, by either speaking or teaching the
Irish tongue, any more than by speaking or
teaching French or Latin. On the other hand, if,
as experience has shewn in other countries, the
most likely way to promote the knowledge, and
ultimately the use, of the English language, is
to teach the people first to read their own ; then
the policy of the act is thereby promoted, whilst
its provisions are not violated. And a still
stronger observation arises on the recital in the
act, from which it appears, that the great ob
ject of the legislature, and their chief induce
ment, in passing the act, was, " The induc
tion of rude and ignorant people to the know
ledge of Almighty God, and of the good and
vertuous obedience which, by his most holy pre
cepts and commandments, they owe to their
princes and superiors, then a good instruction
in his most blessed laws, with a conformity,
concordance, and familiarity in language,
tongue, in maners, order, and apparel, with them
that be civil people, and doe profess and know
ledge Christ's religion." Now, if it be found that
N

90
those who cannot or will not accept " the
knowledge of Almighty God, and of his blessed
laws," or who cannot be brought to a know
ledge of Christ's religion, through the medium
of- an English Bible, will receive the same
through an Irish Bible, is it not promoting the
great object of the statute, and the benevolent
and wise policy of the legislature, to furnish the
people with the Scriptures in Irish, and teach
them to read in that language in which they
will understand what they read, rather than
leave them without the Scriptures, because they
will not read, or cannot understand them in
another tongue? That the act was formerly
taken in this sense, and considered to contain
no prohibition of Irish, may fairly be inferred
from the several measures so favourable to
that language pursued by Elizabeth, James I.
and Charles I., of which an account has been
already given.* This objection was brought
forward in the convocation of 1634, but was not
then considered of sufficient weight to prevent
the passing of the canons, already noticedt,
* The first paragraph ofthe Instructions given, during the
reign of Edward VI., to Sir James Crofts and the Council in
the year 1551, within fourteen years after the passing of this
act, when he was made Lord Deputy, coincides completely with
this view of it. The instruction runs thus: " To propagate the
worship of God in the English tongue, and the service to be
translated into Irish to those places which need it." Hibernia
Anglicana, by Sir Richard Cox, vol. L. p. 290. foi. Lond. 1669-
f See p. 18. This objection was renewed in the vear 171 1,
yet we find the Primate and several of the Bishops acting, at

91
relative to the language. These canons are
worthy of observation, not only as enabling
us to judge in what light the convocation
viewed the act of 28th Henry VIIL, but also
because they are binding on the Clergy of the
Church of Ireland in matters not contrary to
the law of the land.* That, in what relates
to the Irish language, they are not contrary, at
least, to the act of Henry VIII. it is hoped the
observations on that act above will satisfy every
cand'dmind. Indeed these canons are in strict
conformity with the wishes of the legislature,
expressed in the Act of Uniformity, 2d of Eli
zabeth, Cap. 2, Sec xv. as follows : — " And
that -if some good meane were provided, that
they might use the Prayer, Service, and Ad
ministration of the Sacraments set out, and es
tablished by this act, in such language as they
MOUGHT BEST UNDERSTAND THE DUE HONOUR OF
God SHOULD BE thereby much ADVANCED. t
The anUual grant to the College of Maynooth,
in which a Professorship of Irish has been
founded, may also be considered as affording a
legislative sanction to giving instruction in
Irish, as any prohibition of instruction in that
language must expend to every mode in which
such instruction is bestowed. Were we, indeed,
the very time, in such a manner as plainly showed how futile
they considered it. See p. 4-2. See also p. 46. 47.
* See Bolingbroke's Ecclesiastical Law, Title 41. chap. 1,
vol. 11. p. 1240. '
-j- That the legislature considered such langinge to \w
Irish, ste Appendix A.

92
to take this act as prohibitory of acquiring
a knowledge of the Irish language, no excep
tion could be made in favour of any object, and
thus a stop would be put at once to all enquiries
into the history and antiquities of the country,
through the medium of that language.
The principal objections having been now
considered, let us direct our attention to the
motives which should urge, and the encou
ragements which invite to adopt this language
for the purpose of conveying religious know
ledge. Most of these have been already hinted at in
answering objections. Yet it may not be unpro
fitable to bring them forward in an arranged or
der, and in some instances to enlarge on and
enforce them..
With respect to motives, the first, and evi
dently the most weighty, is the connexion which
this system has with the spiritual welfare of a
large proportion of our countrymen — with
awakening them tp a sense of their duty to God
and man, and making known to them what most
materially concerns the interests of their im-
r.ioital souls,
If it has been shown that a vast population
speaks this language alone, and that a still great
er number are incapable through any other of ac-.
quiring a competent knowledge of religion — if
religion be that which is most interesting to
man, teachipg him his duty in this life, and the
giounds of his hones in another, surel v it should

9S
be a duty no less grateful than imperative to
disseminate the Scriptures in Irish, and to afford
every possible means of reading and understand
ing them.
All those principles which urge on us the ne
cessity of disseminating the Scriptures through
out every part of the country, call upon us to
engage in this work. A laudable anxiety has
been expressed on the part of individuals,
even of the highest and most venerated autho
rity, that not " a poor man's cottage should be
without a Bible." To carry this object into ef
fect has been the basis whereupon several insti
tutions have been formed throughout the United
Kingdom. Now, why, it may be asked, give
the Scriptures, but that they may be read ? why
desire they should be read, but that they maybe
understood ? how shall they be understood if
written in a language with which the poor man
is unacquainted ? what is it but mockery to put
a book in,to his hands and tell him to read it, if
he knows not the tongue in which'it is written ?
Surely the object of giving the Bible is not
merely that it may be displayed upon the shelf,
but that it may be " read" and that the truths
therein contained may be " marked, learned,
and inwardly digested; so that by patience, and
comfort of God's holy word, the blessed hope
of everlasting life" " given" to sinners " in
our Saviour Jesus Christ" may be embraced,
and ever held fast by its possessors.
J& like manner, whatever arguments have

94
been used to recommend instruction in reading,
with a view to enabling the objects of that in
struction to read the Bible, apply with equal force
to the plan now recommended; and surely he,
who looks forward with exultation to " the
day when, throughout the compass of our
island, no cabin, in which there is an eye ca
pable of enjoying its treasures, shall be unfur
nished with the hallowed code of revela
tion,"* will not object to giving instruction
in that language, through whose medium alone
many an eye is capable of receiving such enjoy
ment. Why teach a people to read at all but
that they may be edified ? How can they be
edified if the language is to them barbarous ?
It is indeed a happy circumstance that the ques
tion is not whether we should give or withhold
the scriptures — whether we should give or with
hold instruction, but whether, admitting the
advantage of religious instruction, we should
distribute the scriptures and afford instruction
in Irish, or not, inasmuch as we are thus enabled
to bring forward, in support of the affirmative,
whatever has been adduced by the highest and
most respectable authorities in favour of the
general dissemination ofthe Bible — in favour of
the general instruction of the people, since, as
has been already observed, they are no less ap.
plicable in this instance than where English is
made the vehicle of communication. Let then
* See a Sermon preached before the Association for Dis
countenancing Vice, &c. by the Bishop of Clonfert, in the year
1507. p. 4-7.

95
the preciousness of immortal souls urge us on
to engage with a holy alacrity in this most in
teresting cause. Let not the short-sighted
speculations of mere worldly policy* interfere
with the welfare of beings destined to endure
when this earth shall have vanished away, and
all the magnificent schemes of human invention
shall have shrunk into insignificance before the
grandeur ofthe fully developed plans of infinite
mercy, wisdom, justice, power, aud love. In
the sacred volume are contained elements as
valuable for the sustenance of the divine life,
as animal food is for the support of the corpo
real. In it are principles capable of imparting
a no less genial and healthy glow to the powers
ofthe soul, than material fire does to those ofthe
body ; will you then see so many of your bro
thers and sisters of this land perishing for lack
of knowledge ; a prey to the frozen apathy of
indifference on heavenly themes, and yet be
contented with a mere wish " be ye warmed, be
* It is a question of some consideration, , whether this
policy is the best and most advantageous to accomplish the
end proposed ? A short retrospect of the eventful period of
the last twenty years might shake the confidence of the most
experienced and sagacious politician, in any calculation upon
the best founded schemes of worldly wisdom. He might,
perhaps, be led at length to perceive that the only sound,
wise, serviceable, and durable system of worldly policy, must
be that which is founded upon the wisdom from above ; in a
few words, that the Gospel is the best code of morals and
political economy that has ever been composed.

96
ye filled," without at the same time holding
forth, in the language in which alone they
can understand them, those blessed truths so
nourishing and invigorating to the soul which
abound in theNScriptures.
It has been attempted to weaken the force of
this argument, as applied to the present in
stance, by suggesting, that in every case where
a want of competent knowledge in the English
may render it necessary, persons skilled in both
languages might be employed to read the Scrip
tures to the people, turning, as they go on, the
English version into Irish, for the benefit of
their hearers. This plan, useful as it may be,
where a supply of Irish Bibles is not to be had,
and preferable as it is to leaving them altoge
ther without religious instruction, is certainly
at the same time not without many disadvan
tages which do not apply to our scheme. First,
on the score of expense ; inasmuch as the readers
so employed must be permanent so long as Irish
exists. Nor could we look forward to the time,
prior to its complete disuse, when the encreased
knowledge of the people would render them
unnecessary. Of course the system of circu
lating schools, which has been found of so
much advantage in both Wales and Scotland,*
could not in such a case be adopted, as the re
moval of the reader would leave the inhabitants
of the district as incapable of getting at the
* See Reports of the Society for promoting Gaelic schools,
¦passim. See also W^^ Piftv.

97
Scriptures as ever. Besides, the persons so em
ployed being necessarily of greater than ordi
nary attainments, as being masters not only of
Irish but English, will naturally expect higher
salaries. Would not this also deprive the
hearer of many advantages enjoyed by those
who possess Bibles in their vernacular tongue,
and are able to read them ? How many mo
ments of lassitude and idleness might he have
been induced to fill up in its perusal ! What a
comforter is withheld from him in the hour of
sorrow and distress — what a counsellor in the
hour of difficulty ! He is incapable of refresh
ing his memory on those passages which may
have most interested him, and of thus keeping
alive, by continual accessions to so pure a fount
of heat, the sacred flame of devotion which may
have been already kindled. The Bible too4 as a
part of family and private worship, will be alto
gether shut out from him, the public readings
being, of course, generally confined to such
times as a considerable number can be collected.
How great a loss he will thus sustain they best
can feel who have most enjoyed this privilege.
Further, it maybe questioned^ how far it would
be safe to follow this suggestion, as, in order to
secure against any mistake in their interpreta
tions, great care would be requisite in the selec
tion of readers. In the first place it would b«
necessary to be assured of their competent

98
knowledge of both languages : secondly, of
their ability to render English into Irish ; third
ly, of their not having embraced any material
errors in religion. On the second of those qua
lifications it may be remarked, that a knowledge
of two languages does not necessarily ensure a
capability of translating the one into the other.
Indeed, the person who has acquired both
languages in the same way, merely by con
stantly hearing them spoken around him, and
has never been grammatically instructed in any,
will in general have but a very inaccurate no
tion as to what particular words in the two lan
guages mutually represent the same ideas, since
he has been generally indebted to the context
for a knowledge of their mutual relation. His
rendering, therefore, will be more properly a
paraphrase than a translation. In this every
one will agree, who has demanded of a person so
instructed, the meaning of an Irish sentence.
We know, besides, how difficult it is even for
those who have made translation their peculiar
study, ahvays to give the exact meaning of an
author ; and shall -*ve then prefer the every
where, and at all times varying, crude, and pe
riphrastic translation of readers, all of them, it is
more than probable, unacquainted with the ori
ginal, to the well weighed version of Bishops
Daniel and Bedell, faithfully and diligently com-

99
pared by them with the original, and other ver
sions, revised and corrected by some of the best
scholars of the times' ; and as it would appear
recognised by the church of Ireland itself?*
When in addition to this are considered, in re
ference to the third qualification, the perver
sions which ignorance, or false views of Chris
tianity may put upon his version, it will proba
bly be thought less objectionable to make use
of Daniel and Bedell's Bible. It has been often
mentioned as one of the interesting features of
Bell's system, that by means of it a pagan
Hindoo may be qualified to teach the principles
of Christianity, though himself be ignorant of
them. In like manner, by simply reading and
teaching to read the Irish Bible, one ignorant
of the doctrines of Christianity may instruct
others in the purity of evangelical truth. Nay,
almost before he is aware, he may imbibe those
blessed principles himself. This has occurred
in more instances than one.
Another benefit to be expected from this
system is, the interest which those neglected
people will see that you take in the welfare of
their immortal souls, as such instruction can
have no reference to mere worldly concerns.
To use the language of Mr. Charles of Bala, in
* See Canon 94, of the Convocation of 1 634, Appendix F
This is true at least ofthe version of the New Testament by
Archbishop Daniel, which was published previously to this
convocation.

100
urging the importance of teaching Welsh first ;
"you prove to them, that you are principally
concerned about their souls, and thereby natu
rally impress their minds with the vast import
ance of acquiring the knowledge of divine
truths, in which the way of salvation, our duty
to God and man, are revealed ; whereas, that
most important point is much kept out of sight
by teaching them English, for the acquisition of
the English is connected in a good measure only
with their temporal concerns, which they may
never want, for they may, as the majority do,
die in infancy."
The next advantage arising from the distri
bution of the Scriptures in Irish, and the in
struction of the natives in their own language
in the first instance, is the saving of expense
which it would occasion.
The expense must in a great measure depend
upon the time occupied in conveying instruc
tion,' which, as was observed before, must al-
wavs be lessened when the language taught is
the vernacular speech of the country. What
father among us would expect his son to make
as rapid a progress in reading, were he to com
mence with a foreign language, as if he were to
becin with English ? The comparative saving,
judging by what has been done in Wales, may
be estimated at about twelve to one.* Let it also
* See an abstract from Reports respecting the Welsh Cir
culating Schools in the Appendix to the first Report of the
Society for promoting Gaelic Schools, p. 54.

101
be kept in view, that expense is ever relative
to the benefit conferred. How much, in this
point of view, Irish will have the advantage of
English, may be conceived from the fact already
stated, that boys in the Highlands of Scotland,
who had been a considerable time at school, so
as to acquire a fluency in reading English, have
been frequently found incapable of understand
ing a single word they read. The same has also
occurred in Wales. Thus the Rev. Griffith
Jones of Llandowrer, the original promoter of
the Welsh Circulating Schools^ speaking of the
English charity schools which had been tried in
Wales, says, " All that the children could do in
three, four, or five years, amounted commonly
to no more than to learn very imperfectly to
read some easy parts of the Bible, without
knowing the Welsh of it ;" and as a reason for
it, he adds, " nor should this be thought strange,
considering that they were learning to read an
unknown language, and had none to speak it but
the master, and he too obliged to talk to them
often in Welsh.''*
A further advantage, and one of very great
moment, is the benefit which the parents and
relatives of those instructed may derive from
hearing the children i-ead, in a language they
understand, the words of eternal Jife. Many
interesting instances of the good effect produced
upon those who have heard the English Bible
* See Memorial in behalf of the native Irish, p. 41.

102
read, frequently occur in the Reports of the
Sunday School Society for Ireland. The same
has happened on reading the Gaelic and Welsh
Bibles in Scotland and Wales ;* and even in this
country many beneficial effects have already
arisen from the use made of the Irish Bible.
We may also observe that the benefit will
here be mutual, inasmuch as the parents will
be able, by hearing them read, to keep up their
children in the knowledge already acquired,
which is too frequently lost during the absence
ofthe teacher, orthe withdrawing ofthe school. f
There is another advantage very closely con
nected with this, that persons so taught will
be able to teach those to read who understand
only Irish, which would be impossible were
English the subject of instruction. How often
children have taught their brothers and sisters,
and even parents, must be known to all. And
in one of the Reports- of the Sunday School
Society for Ireland, an interesting account is
given of a little girl, aged thirteen, having
herself established a most flourishing and effec
tive Sunday School. X
* See Reports of the Society for promoting Gaelic
Schools, &c. First Report, p. IS, 16, 23, SI, 56. Second
Report, p. 13,39,44,45.
•J- See Reports ofthe Society for promoting Gaelic' School*.
First Report, p. 43. Second Report, p. 12, 38.
X See its Sixth RepSrt, p. 18, 19 — " The Reports from

103
Another argument in favour of this plan si,
the total failure of the opposite system. A long
trial has been made of the benefit to be derived
by withholding from the Irish the Scriptures in
their own language. Let three centuries suf
fice for an experiment so awfully detrimental
to the eternal interests of our fellow-country
men : let another system now be adopted. To
use the words of Dr. Johnson, in the letter quoted
above, " let it be remembered, that the efficacy
of ignorance "has long been tried, and has not
produced the consequence expected. Let know
ledge, therefore, take its turn ; and let the pa
trons of privation stand awhile aside, and admit
Ireland," says the Rev. Alexander Stewart of Dingwall,
" abound with instances of parents being excited to attend to
the scriptures, and of their acquiring the knowledge of the
invaluable doctrines of the Gospel, by means of their children ;
the same thing has been happily exemplified here. The in
structions inculcated upon the children have, through that
medium, been transmitted to the parents. Without stooping
to the humiliating attitude of learners, the parental interest
and pleasure they felt in their childrens' improvement, drew
their serious attention to the sacred scriptures, which the
young ones read or committed to memory at home. Thus
the walls of the cottage were illuminated by the taper which
was lighted in the School. Prayer has been introduced into
families where no form of devotion existed before ; swearers,
liars, and drunkards, have appeared to stand in awe of their
own children, knowing how they had been taught at school to
abhor these vices as sins which provoke the wrath of God,
and drown the soul in perdition." Sixth Report of the So
ciety for promoting Gaelic Schools, &c.

104
the operation of positive principles." In the
time of Richardson it was absurdly objected,
that employing Irish in conveying religious in
struction, would have an effect directly opposite
to that which he expected. More than a cen
tury has now elapsed, and what has the contrary
system accomplished ? One melancholy advan-
tageof the failure of Richardson's suggestions
is, that we have been thereby furnished with
presumptive evidence of what may be expected
from persisting in that system which has been
hitherto supported, unhappily with too much
success, in contravention of his. Let not the
twentieth century have to deplore the conse
quence of a failure in the nineteenth, similar to
that which the present mourns over as having
taken place in the eighteenth !
A further argument, and one of considerable
weight, is the great attachment of the Irish to
their own language ; an attachment which they
have, in so many instances, so happily trans
ferred, (and what can be more encouraging ?) to
the Irish Bible, and the reader of it, and even to
the Irish Liturgy ofthe Church of England. A
strong proof of this is to be found in the manner
in which the labours ofthe Rev. Messrs. Brown
and Atkins, as related above, were received by
the people; and it may be said, without fear
of contradiction, that those who have been most
r*
active in this work, have been most beloved
and respected, even by persons out of their own

105
communion ; witness the general regret express
ed by the Irish Roman Catholics on the death of
Bishop Bedell. You thus enlist in the cause
of religion their very prejudices, if attachment
to their native language can be called a pre
judice. In truth, we can want no argument for em
ploying the vernacular tongue in the present
instance, when we consider how much it is pre
ferred in the. Irish districts, even by those who
understand English, in their ordinary commu
nications with one another; owing, perhaps,
to early attachment, or more probably, to the
greater facility with which they can therein
convey their ideas. Irish stewards, availing
themselves of this circumstance, in giving the
directions of their masters even to such as
understand both languages, generally use Irish ;
and gentlemen themselves frequently find their
advantage in learning it. Nor should we here
overlook the force of evidence to be derived.
from the practice of the clergy ofthe Church of
Rome, of whose competency to form a judg
ment upon this subject no one can doubt who
reflects on the situation they hold in reference
to a great proportion of the people of this is
land. They always employ Irish in their ad
dresses from the altar, in those parts of Ireland
in which that language prevails. And that ig
norance of the language on the part of the

106

priest may not deprive the people of being ad
dressed in words which they can understand, an
Irish Lecture, for the instruction of students,
has been, as we observed above, established in
the College of Maynooth. Even in London
the number of those speaking Irish, (natives of
Ireland) has been considered by the Clergy of
that Church sufficiently great to call upon
them for religious instruction in that tongue,
and the appointment of a sermon in Irish has
been the consequence. If, therefore, in the
metropolis of the sister island there be found
a population, formed by continual emigrations
from this island, whose necessities on this head
are so imperative, can it be irnagined that in
the parent country such necessities do no where
exist ?
Let us now take a view of those circumstances
which should operate as encouragements to pro
ceed in the cousse here advocated.
Among the chief are the benefits which have
every where, and at all times, followed the pro
mulgation of the Scriptures in the vernacular
tongue. Three centuries have not elapsed since
the translation of the holy Scriptures into the
vulgar tongue has been in general circulation
throughout Great Britain, and what have been
the effects ? Are they not to be seen in increased
religious knowledge, and improved habits? What
cause can we assign for the purity of religious
faith, if not the diligent perusal ofthe Bible ? T«

107 *
what are we to ascribe the melancholy contrast
exhibited in the ignorance and depravity of so
many of our own countrymen, but to the cruel
policy of withholding from them an intelligible
translation ofthe word of God? And shall not
the success which attended an opposite system
in Great Britain, stimulate us to pursue a differ
ent course now ? Translations of the scrip
tures into the numerous and various languages
of the nations who embraced Christianity, were
entered upon at an early period, of which we
have -the strongest evidence in the works of
ecclesiastical writers ;* nor was Ireland herself,
as we observed above, overlooked at that time.
And shall not the clearer light and deeper reli
gious feeling which prevailed when the scrip
tures in the vulgar tongue were geuerally read
* Dr. Mosheim attributes much of the success and rapid
propagation of the Gospel, even in the' earliest periods of
Christianity, to the numerous versions that were made into
different languages of the books of the New Testament. — .
See Mosheim's Eccles. Hist, vol, I. cent. II. part. I. chap, I,
sect. vi. p. 151. CeDt. III. part. I. chap. I. sect. v. p. 245.
Cent. IV. part. I. chap. I. sect, xxiii. p. 340, 8vo. London,
1811. — Eusebius, speaking of many who were eminent among
the immediate successors ofthe Apostles, relates, besides other
remarkable proofs of their zeal," that, travelling abroad, they
performed the work of Evangelists to those who as yet
had not heard the word of Faith, being very ambitious to
preach Christ, and to deliver the books of the divine.
Gospel." See Eusebius, Eccl. Hist, translated by Edward
Wells, D.D. Lib. iii. cap. xxxvii, p. 48. foi. London, 1709.

108
in the Churches, and were in the hands of the
faithful, than did in those times which followed,
be an animating inducement to an attempt
which promises to give them a wider circulation
among our fellow countrymen ? It may in ge
neral be stated that the decay of piety, and tbe
corruption ofthe faith in Christian communities,
have ever been in proportion to a want of scrip
tural knowledge among the mass of the people.
Nor are the Scriptures themselves destitute
of examples of this kind ; an encouraging in
stance ofthe gopd effects which have arisen from
bringing to light the word of God, is furnished
us in the history of his peculiar people, as related
in 2 Kings, xxii. xxiii. (See also 2 Chron.
xxxiv.) where we read how Hilkiah found the
Book of the Law, and how Josiah " the Kinir
" sent, and they gathered unto him all the el-
" ders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the
" king went up into the house of the Lord, and
" all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants
" of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and
" the prophets, and all the people, both small
" and great, and he read in their ears all the
" words of the Book of the Covenant, which
" was found in the house of the Lord. And
" the king stood by a pillar, and made a Cove-
" nant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord,
" and to keep his commandments, and his tes-
" timonies, and his statutes, with all their

109
" heart, and all their soul, to perform the
" words of this Covenant that were written in
" this book : and all the people stood to the
" Covenant," &c. This interesting history,
while it shews the advantage arising from the
Scriptures being generally made known, teaches
likewise the danger to which a people are ex
posed in being kept ignorant of the precepts of
their God.
Nor should the example furnished us jn the
Septuagint version of the Old Testament, and
the encouragement derived from its beneficial
effects, be overlooked. This version, whatever
may have been its origin, appears, from the fre
quent quotations of it in the New Testament,
especially when citations are made from the
Book of Psalms, to have been very generally
used by the Hellenist Jews, for whom it is
not improbable it was originally designed. The
influence which this version had in preparing
the way for Christianity, wherever the language
of Greece was understood, is obvious ; nor
could the Jews of Beroea have proved them
selves more noble than those of Thessalonica in
^searching the Scriptures daily, in consequence
of which many of them believed, were not those
Scriptures in a tougue which they could under
stand.* The propriety of addressing a people
pn religious subjects in a language they under*
* Acts, xviii. 11, 12.

110
stand, appears from the success of Stephen,
himself an Hellenist,* in his arguments with the
Hellenists,+ and the selection of Paul, whose
native tongue was Greek, and whose early la
bours were also among the Hellenists,! to be
in a peculiar manner the apostle ofthe Greeks.
But we can adduce encouraging examples
from what has taken place in times nearer to the
present day, and in circumstances closely simi
lar, and bearing more directly upon the point.
Among the most interesting is that from the
history ofthe Wendens, a people who used the
Sclavonian language, Attempts had been made
for about thirty years to introduce the German
among them, by keeping them in ignorance of
every thing which might have been learned
through the medium of their own written lan,
guage. The attempt completely failed, while
the miserable people were in the most unhappy
condition, destitute of all spiritual knowledge.
Owing, however, to the pious labours of the
Rev. Gotlieb Fabricius the system was changed.
Tlie NewTcstament and a catechism were trans
lated into the Wenden tongue —schools for
teaching it were set up — a taste for reading was
induced — and the consequence was, that the
* The circumstance of his election among the seven, as
\rell as his name, which is Greek, indicate this.
+ See Actsvi. 9.
X See Acts ix. 29.

iii

PEOPLE OP THEIR OWN ACCORD AFTERWARDS
LEARNED GERMAN, SO THAT WHAT WAS BELIEVED
WOULD PROVE A HINDRANCE TO THEIR ACQUISI
TION of the German tongue, did, on the con
trary TEND TO ITS INCREASE.*
We have another interesting example in the
successful efforts of the Welsh Circulating
Schools. In Wales, too, the mistaken attempt
had been made to establish English by banish
ing the native language. For this purpose Eng-
glish Charity Schools appear to have been in
troduced, and what was the result ? Hear the
Rev. Griffith Jones : " All," says he, "..that the
children could do in three, four, or five years,
amounted commonly to no more than to learn
very imperfectly to read some easy parts of the
Bible, without knowing the Welsh of it, inso
much, that they who had been so long in Eng
lish schools could not edify themselves by read
ing till many of them lately learned to read
their own language in the Welsh Charity
Schools." These Schools, first erected in the
year 1730, by the Rev. Griffith Jones, and con
tinued on the same plan, after his decease, by
Mrs. Bevan, a pious lady of fortune, and an in
timate friend of Mr. Jones, did much towards
ameliorating the condition of the people, in re
spect to the capability of acquiring and commu
nicating moral and religious knowlege, though

* See Appendix L.

112
far from being so complete, or so Well appointed
as the circulating schools of modern times, in
Wales and the Highlands of Scotland. From
an abstract taken from the close of the third
volume ofthe printed Reports, entitled " Welsh
Piety," &c. it appears " that one hundred and
fifty thousand two hundred and twelve persons
were taught to read the Welsh Scriptures dur
ing the space of twenty-four years ;* and
that through the superintendance and influence
of a single clergyman, who was but of a weak
constitution, and in a poor state of health for
several ysars before his death. Nor was this
all ; for Mr. Jones informs us, at the close of
one of his reports, that ' most of the masters
instructed for three or four hours in the evening,
after school times, those who could not attend
at other times, and who are not included in the
above number, about twice or thrice as many as
they had in their schools by day :' and, fur
ther, he says, that ' in many of the schools
the adult people made two-thirds of the scho
lars ;' thus raising the total number benefited
to above 400,000 souls ! Persons above sixty
attended every day, and often lamented, nay,
even wept, that they had not learned it forty or
fifty years sooner. Not unfrequently the chil
dren actually taught their parents, and some
times the parents and children of one familv
* See Appendix M .

MS
resorted to the same Circulating School, during
its short continuance in a district ; while various
individuals, who, from great age, were obliged
to wear spectacles, seized the opportunity, and
learned to read the Welsh at that advanced pe
riod of life."
Before Mr. Jones's death the schools in
creased to the amazing number of 220, and
though these charitable endeavours were stopped
from a want of funds, the benevolent intentions
of Mrs. Bevan, who left ^10,000 for this pur
pose, having been suspended in consequence of
a protracted litigation as to the validity of her
will, yet happily this cause found an able and
energetic advocate in Mr. Charles of Bala.
After twenty-three years labours what was he
enabled to say? " I have had the only satisfac
tion I could wish, that of seeing the work, by
the Lord's blessing, prospering far beyond my
most sanguine expectations. The beginning
was small, but the little brook became an over
flowing river, which spread widely over the-
whole country in Sunday Schools, the whole
some effects of those previous institutions, fer
tilizing the barren soil wherever it flows."*
But the argument drawn from the Welsh
Q
* See Memorial respecting the Native Irish, p. 40—51,
67—69 ; also First Report of the Society for the Support of
Gaelic Schools, p. 52—63.

114
schools is attempted to be turned against us,
on account of the little advancement that peo
ple have made in acquiring English ; that part
of Wales, it should however be recollected,
which through the medium of the London
road comes under the notice of the majority of
travellers, had, till very lately, but little com
munication with England, as lying principally
in the mountains. Nor even now is the inter
course between the lower orders of the people,
whose ignorance would most affect and attract
the attention of the casual traveller, and those
ofthe same class in England, so great as to en
courage the expectation that any rapid profici
ency will thus be made by them in the language
of their neighbours. It is not impossible, too,
that their knowledge of English may be greater
than is imagined. Who is there that knows not
how different a thing it is to understand a fo
reign language when reading it and when hear
ing it spoken ?
Every degree Of credibility ought therefore
to be attached to the statements of Mr. Charles
of Bala, a gentleman, from his local situation,
most capable of forming a just judgment on
the subject, and from his piety not to be sus
pected of falsehood ; he thus writes in a letter
to Mr. Anderson, dated June 4, 1811, " I can
vouch for the truth of it, that there are twenty
to one who can now read English, to what

115
could when the Welsh was entirely neglected.
The knowledge of the English is become ne
cessary, from the treasures contained in it. Eng
lish books are now generally called for ; there
are now a hundred books, I am sure, for every
one that was in the country when I removed
from England, and first became a resident in
these parts. English schools are every where
called for ; and I have been obliged to send
young men to English schools, to be trained up
for English teachers, that I might be able, in
some degree, to answer the general demand for
them."* Nor is the example furnished by the Welsh
in adhering to their ancient language, without
benefit to us in another point of view, as it
shews for how long a period a people bordering
on another, much more numerous than them
selves, and using a different tongue, though go
verned by the same laws, professing the same
religion, and having some degree of intercourse
with them, will retain its own tongue. The
remark of Augustus, that it was impossible fbr
him, powerful as he was, to bring a new word
into use among the Romans, may be applied to
the attempts of introducing a new language.
This is beyond the power of princes by their
proclamations, or parliaments by their arts, as
* See Memorial, &c. p. 48, 49. First Report of Society
for the support of Gaelic Schools, &c. p. 61.

116
was exemplified in the vain attempts of William
the Conqueror to introduce French among his
people, by ordering the children in the schools
to be taught nothing but French, and enforcing
all pleadings at law to be made in that lan
guage ; and the equally vain efforts of the
Irish Parliament respecting English, in the 28th
of Henry VIIL, alluded to above.
Now it may be asked, who that has witnessed
the vast advantages which the Welsh have de
rived from reading the Scriptures in their own
tongue, will regret that the immediate improve
ment of their immortal souls, by the infusion of
religious truth in a language they understood,
had not yielded to the uncertain speculation of
forcing them prematurely to learn English, by
keeping them in ignorance of every thing else ?
Who can barely contemplate the idea of a peo
ple being left so long destitute of religious know
ledge, without shuddering at the consequences ?
If the Welsh language had been totally abo
lished in that time, how dearly would any ad
vantages arising from such abolition, have been
purchased by the ignorance, immorality, and
irreligion, that must, of necessity, for so many
years have prevailed among them, in conse
quence of such a system ? How many souls
that are now, through belief of the saving truths
of the Gospel, resting from their labours, in
joyful expectation of a beatified re-union with

117
their bodies, might be looking forward to the
Resurrection as to a time of increased misery
and confirmed punishment ? And yet this is
the line of conduct which has unhappily been
too long pursued towards this distracted coun
try, and which some would wish to continue.
This may be a proper place to bring forward
the authority ofthe Bishop of St. Asaph. Speak
ing on this very subject, in his charge to his
clergy in the year 1709 — 10, among the
questions proposed to them is this : " Doth
he preach every Sunday, either in the English
or British (i. e. Welsh) tongue ?" on which he
remarks, " I must leave it to the Minister's
discretion, whether this sermon shall be in the
English or the British tongue — but let me take
this opportunity of advising the Ministers so to
divide their English and their British sermons,
as may most tend to the general edification of
their people. In some places, I understand,
there is now and then an English sermon
preached, for the sake of one or two ofthe best
families in the parish, although the rest of the
parish understand little or nothing of English,
and those few families understand the British
perfectly well, as being their native tongue : I
cannot possibly approve of this respect and
complaisance to a few, that makes the Minister
so useless to the rest, and much the greatest

118
number of his people. I should be very glad,
(for my own sake) that there were but one
language common to us all, and that one
were English ; but till that wish can be
accomplished, i heartily desire the lan
GUAGE of the Minister may be always such as
WILL BEST INSTRUCT AND EDIFY HIS PEOPLE
most ; and that no civility should come in com
petition with his duty, much less take place of it.
I know that the religion and good breeding of
the gentry, will easily part with a respectful
custom, when it is prejudicial to their poor
neighbours. What is it for a Minister to be a
Barbarian, and to speak in an unknown
tongue, but to preach in a language that is not
understood by those who hear him ? And if I
were to give you rules of preaching, whatever
the language were, English or British, the first
should be, to speak to the greatest part of your
congregation, i. e. to those who make up
the body of your people." Another question
is, " Have you a large Bible of the last transla
tion with two Common Prayer Books, both in
English and Welsh ?" Upon which, after re
ferring his clergy to what has been above quoted,
he adds, " The edification of the most is ever to
be first in the Minister's consideration."* There
* See " The Bishop of St. Asaph's Charge to the Clergy

119
needs no comment on these passages, which,
serve to shew what was his Lordship's opinion
as to the circumstances that should regulate
the language in which the services were to be
performed, and the Scriptures read in the
church : and no one will deny but that his
reasonings are equally applicable to Ireland.
Indeed a strong argument might be drawn out
of them to enforce the expediency of encourag
ing our young students in divinity to qualify
themselves for preaching in Irish.
The success also of the Society lately insti
tuted " for the support of Gaelic schools in the
Highlands and Islands of Scotland," affords us
no small grounds of encouragement. This in
teresting society took its rise in Edinburgh
about the latter end of the year, 1810. Its ob
jects were simply to enable the Scotch Gael to
read the scriptures in his own language. For
this purpose the Society employed circulating
schools, according to the plan adopted in Wales
by the Rev. Messrs. Jones and Charles ; and
from that time to the present year, their reports
of that Diocese in 1710," p. 11 — 13, 51, Svo. London, 1712.
His Lordship, afterwards Bishop of Ely, was Dr. William
Fleetwood, author of Sermons at Boyle's Lecture, and several
other works, in which are displayed considerable learning.
He was, notwithstanding, a man of a retiring and unambitious
spirit. See Biographia Brittannica. Article Fleetwood.

120
have continued to exhibit the most encouraging
accounts of their success. Wherever their mas
ters went, they were received with gratitude by
the ministers, and with enthusiastic delight by
the people. Most interesting letters from va
rious parts ofthe country, detailing the progress
of the Society, have been received, and se
lections from them published by the Com
mittee. It is pleasing to see the unanimity which
prevailed on this point among persons of every
denomination. Thus we find the Episcopalians
in Scatwell, Ross-shire, readily receiving instruc
tion in these schools. There is also an interest
ing letter from the Rev. Dr. Norman Mac
Donald, Roman Catholic Clergyman in the
parish of Ardnamurchan, Inverness-shire, dated.
Moidart, 22d April, 1813, from which the fol
lowing extracts are made : " Sir, Please permit
me to inform you, that Peter M'Ewen, the
bearer hereof, has given entire satisfaction in
regard to his moral conduct, which has been
irreproachable since he came to this country ;
as also in teaching the Gaelic language, in
which branch of education his pupils, I find,
have made an unexpected progress, during the
short period since he came here ; having, by all
appearance, paid the utmost attention to the
trust you and the Society reposed in him. I give
this character entirely unsolicited by himself."

121

And in proposing one who had been M'Ewen's
principal scholar to succeed him, he further
writes, " I have examined the boy, and have
made nim read different parts of the Bible, be
sides his ordinary lessons, when I found him as
expert in reading the Gaelic, and as fluently, as
you or I could read English." And again,
" I would be most willing to employ him for
that purpose," viz. teaching the Gaelic, " as I
think him sufficiently capable of doing so."
And again, " if you can find it convenient to
employ Ranald M'Donald, Mr. M'Ewen's pupil,
he will, in a short time hence, teach all the youth
of the country to read the Gaelic Scriptures,
which I wish for very much."
From the account of the teacher, this boy, so
capable of instructing others, could not have
received, above six months instruction. There
is also an interesting letter from the inhabitants
of this district, the whole of whom, with the
exception of a few, as Dr. M'Donald informs us
in the above-mentioned letter, are Roman Ca
tholics. The following is a copy :—
" Moidart, 22d April, 1813.
" We, the under-subscribers, and tenants in
Glenuig, humbly beg leave to return our grate
ful thanks to the Society, who had the humanity
of sending us Mr. M'Ewen, to teach our chil
dren the Gaelic language. May the great God

122
reward them for their good and laudable in
tentions! We are so well pleased with Mr.
M'Ewen, that we would rejoice at his coining
among us again, if the honourable Society would
think us worthy. We remain, most gratefully,
your most obedient humble servants."
To this were affixed, in the presence of Mr.
Chisholm, of Samla, the marks of the several
persons in whose names the letter was written.
That they continued grateful appears from
the report of the following year, which contains
the following paragraph of " a letter from
Alexander Chisholm, Esq. of Samlanian, to one
of the Secretaries : " the)' all with one voice
beg that 1 would give you the trouble to thank
the Society for their great and liberal intentions;
or, using their own expressions, " Gudtbugadh
Dia mor nargras paidh dhaibh p nach wraiu
sinn a dheanamh."*
In a subsequent letter Dr. M'Donald, recom
mending a particular station for a teacher,
mentions as a reason, "there is a Meeting-house
on that farm, at a very short distance from the
other houses, where I occasionally officiate ;
and Mr. M'Ewen may have the use of it for his
scholars. Thus, by degrees, I hope we shall
* " Literally, May the great God of grace give you pay
ment, (or reward you,) as we cannot, which wilt be our con
stant prayer."

123
have the satisfaction of seeing the crooked ways
made straight," &c.
The Committee adopted this recommenda
tion. And again, an extract from a letter, dated 14th
October, 1814, shews the interest which Dr.
M'Donald took in the plans of the Society ;
he writes thus : — " In regard to the Gaelic
School, the intended station at Langal must be
relinquished on account of some families, in an
adjoining property, having removed to an in
convenient distance, which renders that station
too eccentric for the purpose ; yet, since yes
terday, I have procured a station still more
centrical than Langal was, even before those
families retired from its neighbourhood, for their
absence will be considerably more than nume
rically supplied by others who are at too great
a distance from Langal. The name of the farm
I have fixed upon for the school is Blain, where
I have also bespoke as suitable accommodations
as can be expected here, with an honest famiiy
for the teacher, who will likewise be accommo
dated with a school-house, either on the farm, or
about a quarter of a mile from his lodging,
which last would be rather more convenient for
the generality of the scholars; but either will be
left to his own option: as matters are now ar
ranged, he may come as soon as ready. Blain
is in my immediate neighbourhood, and there-

124
fore a more frequent Opportunity will be af
forded me of superintending the school there
than at Glennig."
The following too is an extract from a letter
'from the teacher, dated 24th November, 1814 :
' The people, young and old, are exhorted by
the Rev. Dr. M'Donald to attend my school."*
In the island of Canna, too, where the popu
lation is for the most part Roman Catholic, a
school has been established of thirty-six souls,
no inconsiderable number, when it is consi
dered that the population of the island is but
392.+ Also from the island of Cannay, the teacher
writes — " The Roman Catholics here make no
scruple in learning any thing I request, — any
portion of Scripture. I am greatly obliged to
Mr. M'N. for his kindness in every respect;
and also to the Priest, who lives at Eigg, you
know, and came to this island some days since.
He has been admonishing both yoUng and old
to attend. I have heard him saying, (while
talking about me,) that he should be greatly dis
pleased, if they should not attend ; * for address
ing them) you see he came here, not for his own
interest, but for yours ; therefore, I hope you'll
* See Third Report, 51— 53. Fourth Report, p. 12, 13,
37, 38.
f See Sixth Report; also Second Report, p. 19,20.

125
consider that.' And there is a prospect of a
large attendance."*
In the Fourth Report, likewise, an interest
ing account is given of the progress of the
school in this island, as well as the satisfaction
the inhabitants received in being able to read the
Scriptures in Gaelic.
" This island," says the Report, " is inha
bited almost wholly by Roman Catholics ; and
their attention to the school-master's instruc
tions, as well as their progress iu learning to
read, have been remarkable. The first parcel
of books which was sent having been detained
by the way, and the teacher having, in the
meanwhile, taught a number of the scholars to
read their letters and short syllables, when the
books did arrive, " they were purchased," says
the School-master, " without exception, before
I could get them off the shore. Several, to as
sure themselves of the sacred volume, spoke to
me a month ago to keep a Bible for them." At
the end of the Summer Sessions, the number on
the list was eighty-eight, of whom five were
reading short sentences, or learning the alpha
bet. Forty-eight of these scholars are under
fifteen years of age, thirty aged from fifteen
to twenty, and ten above twenty years old. On
several occasions, . during the past year, the
* See Third Report, p. 60.

126
dispositions which have been evinced by both
old and young, at this station, have afforded to
your committee no small pleasure. " They are
not satisfied," says the teacher, " with barely
reading the word, every part of the Scriptures
presents something new to them, which they
never heard before, and this leads them to
search them more carefully." The scholars, on
getting acquainted with the New, could not be
satisfied without the Old Testament, while the
parents seemed greatly pleased, if not benefited
by the progress which the children were making
in reading their mother tongue. About five
months after the teacher's arrival in the island,
one man said, " He did not expect that his son
would ever have given him so much pleasure in
matters of religion, as he had done already ;" he
then added, " that he had received more instruc
tions from his son's reading about Christ, at his
own f reside, than he had ever known before."
When the teacher was about to leave the island,
during the autumn vacation, one man, who had
a young boy at the Gaelic School, came to
him, thanking him for the trouble he had taken
in teaching his son to read the Gaelic Bible, and
said, that he understood from his son that he
had but one half of it, and that it gave him so
much pleasure to hear what he had, that he
would give any. thing for the other part. Ano
ther man would not, on any account, part with

127
the school-master till he gave him his own Bible.
With this desire the teacher complied."
The following extracts also are given in the
appendix to that Report :
Extract from the teacher, dated 10th Janua
ry, 1814. " You know, before I proceeded to
this station, I entertained some dubious thoughts
about what progress I should make among the
inhabitants, but I have been happily mistaken ;
indeed, they are mightily pleased to see the pro
gress my scholars are making in their mother
tongue, and I have great pleasure in seeing them
so diligent. My night school is daily increas
ing. I had thirty attendants last night, two of
whom are married men. One of these did not
know a single letter a few days ago, and has got
the alphabet very rapidly. There is another
school in the other end of the same building,
(i. e. the Romish Chapel, both schools being
under the same roof,) in which about thirty
boys are taught to read English : a few of the
people having employed a young man to do so.
I have often observed some of these boys run
ning in among my scholars (unknown to their,
teacher) to steal a lesson from them ; and if, on
discovery, they were asked what they were
doing there ? they replied, " they were learning
to read what they understood." I teach till eight
o'clock in the evening, at school, and on re
turning to my lodgings, there are several per-

128

sons longing for my return ; these I continue to
teach till eleven o'clock, and often later/'
Extract from the same, 4th April, 1814. —
" There was not a Gaelic Bible in the island
when I came in December last ; only two Tes
taments and one Psalm book, from whence any
person may judge of their state as to book know
ledge. Among the population of 400, there were
only three or four that could read any Gaelic,
and these very imperfectly ; now there are
thirty that can, so as to be understood by the
hearer ; ten of these, who have been supplied
with Testaments, will read with accuracy. Both
the English teacher, and the scholars that I
mentioned in a former letter, are attending our
school four hours a day ; upwards of eighty at
tend occasionally ; sixty of these are constant
attend ers."
From the same, dated 15th August, 1814. —
" I hope the inhabitants of the island have pro
fited by my teaching. The scholars are getting
a portion of the New Testament by heart every
Lord's Day, so as to be able to repeat it on
Monday. They are getting so fond of their
task, that they very often have double what I
request, and I have the pleasure to see every one
striving to have more than the other."
From the same, dated 3d September, 1814. —
" I was really very sorry to part with these
young children. Truly it was a very affecting

129
scene to me. When I intimated my going to
leave them, tears were evidently seen in many
eyes, which brought some from my own, and left
an impression to this very moment. On my
taking leave of the priest, (who was then in Can-
nay,) he expressed his sorrow at my going away,
and that it gave him great pleasure to see the
progress my scholars made iu the Gaelic."*
The reports, as has been noticed in the pre
ceding part of this work, furnish numerous
proofs of the readiness with which the pupils
learn to read Gaelic, and the consequent saving of
expense thereby, as also of the desire that has
been awakened in many pans, of acquiring a
knowledge of English.
One extract from a statement circulated by
the Rev. Alexander Stewart, author of the
Gaelic grammar, shall conclude this part of the
Subject. — " When," says he, " I entered upon
this charge, about eleven years ago, I found
that a great majority of the labouring class of
people could not read a word, and scarcely
knew the simplest principles of Christianity. I
well remember, that when I first examined the
families ofthe parish, I was astonished at their
ignorance. I suspected, that possibly they did
not understand my language, and that that was
the cause of their not answering my questions.
I called the parish catechist, and desired him to
s
* See Fourth Report, 15—17, 10, 41.

130
examine them in my presence, in the manner
he had been accustomed to do for years be
fore. He asked a few questions from the As
sembly's Catechism, to which he received an
swers very incorrectly repeated, and often fo
reign to the question. It was apparent that
the people, in pronouncing the words of the
Catechism (in English), annexed to them no
ideas whatever. This was the case alike with
parents and with children, whose knowledge
extended no farther than to words and sounds ;
fhe mind was uninformed and uncultivated."— r-
Mr. Stewart then states his having tried the
effect of employing the Gaelic language, and
mentions the following as the happy result of
that experiment : " An ardour for knowledge
was spou excited in the minds of the young,
and a corresponding interest in the parents-
In subsequent examinations, I could not but
observe a sensible advancement in religious in
telligence and knowledge, among the older
people, which could easily be traced tp the in
structions first imparted to the children.*
Nor should the example furnished us in the
Manks language be disregarded. Although it
was confidently affirmed, about the 1 740, that
" the ancient Bishop of Man had found means
* Sixth Annual Report of the Society for the support of
Gaelic Schools.

131

to bring the Manks into disuse," yet we find,
from the year 1763, several impressions ofthe
sacred Scriptures and religious books and
tracts published in the Manks tongue, by the
Society for promoting Christian knowledge,
at the recommendation of the venerable Bi
shops Wilson and Hildesley, and of the late
Bishop of Sodor and Man.* The British and
Foreign Bible Society also, in consequence of
returns having been made by the clergy, on the
recommendation of the Bishop, as to the want of
the Scriptures in their respective parishes, sent
1326 copies of the Manks New Testament to
the Bishop for the accommodation of the inha
bitants of that island.t From this edition hav
ing been stereotyped, taken in connection with
the fact that the population of the Isle of Man
does not exceed twenty thousand souls, it is
evident that there was no expectation on the
part of the Committee of the Bible Society,
that the demand for the Testament in that lan
guage would speedily cease.
Who then that considers the advantages
which other people derived, and are yet deriv
ing from having the Scriptures in their native
language, will refuse to Irishmen a similar be-
* See a general Account of the Society for promoting
Christian Knowledge, p. 11, 12.
f See the Reports of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

132
nent ; especiaUy when he reflects on the ea
gerness which they manifest to receive those
Scriptures in Irish, of which no greater proof
need be given than (as has been already
alluded to) the pains which some of the in
habitants of Cork have taken in transcribing
manuscript copies of Bedell's Bible, and read
ing them immediately after to an anxious and
attentive auditory. On the whole, what en
couragements can we want ? We have the
translation ready made. We are promised a
very liberal supply of Bibles. We have the bee
nefit of the matured plans of Societies at home
and abroad, no less useful in teaching what
ought to be avoided, than what line of conduct
should be pursued ; and above all, we have an
ardent, people ready to co-operate with us, be
seeching us to go forward in their behalf, their
anxiety for instruction overcoming all their
prejudices. If we should think it necessary to have re
course to authority, have we not the very high
est ? Look to Alfred, by all justly esteemed
worthy of being ranked among the first of mo
narchs. — "Then, indeed," says, he to Bishop
Walfig, in the Preface to the Saxon Pastoral of
Gregory, " it occurred to me that the law of
God was first found in tlie Hebrew tongue, and
that afterwards the Greeks, when they had learn
ed the same, had translated the whole of it, and
moreover all the other books, into their own lan-

133
guage ; that the Latins also, as soon as they
themselves understood it, expressed the sime
in their own tongue by means of skilful inter
preters ; and in like manner that every Christian
people, on every side, translated some portion of
it into their vernacular language ; wherefore I
conceive it would be a most excellent thing, if
you think so likewise, that we should translate
such books as we shall judge most necessary to
be understood by all, into a language which all
understand." Alfred himself is reported to have
translated the Psalms, some say the whole Bible,
into Saxon.* That celebrated master of the
Greek tongue, Clenardus, travelled into Barbary
to learn the Arabic, into which tongue, say
Messieurs de Port Royal, " he was desirous of
translating the Scriptures, with a real Christian
view of promoting the conversion ofthe Maho
metans ;"t and with respect to those who more
particularly favoured the dissemination of the
Irish Scriptures, the authority of the great Ba
con is surely not to be undervalued on a subject
such as this. Nor should we disregard Sir Hen
ry Sidney and those other statesmen, who re
commended that attention should be paid
to the Irish language, with a view to the civili-
* Vide Usserii Hist. Dograat. p. 123,124.
t See Preface to a new Method of learning with greater
facility the Greek Tongue, translated from the French of the
Messieurs de Port Royal, p. vii. 8vo. Dublin, 1747.

134

zation and religious improvement of the peo
ple. Shall we not consider the opinion of Usher
as of some weight, whose researches on the
subject of Biblical versions have led to the
knowledge of 104 versions of the Bible into
thirty-one or thirty-two different languages in
the times preceding the Reformation ?* Shall
we pay no attention to the judgment of Bedell,
who, during his residence in Italy, had an op
portunity of witnessing the deplorable situation
of a people debarred of all access to the Scrip
tures ? Is Boyle to be despised, a man whose
very pursuits would render him cautious in
forming an opinion ? Would he have been
likely to have come to any conclusion without
carefully examining the several particulars on
which that conclusion was founded ?t Though
* See the Index ofthe Versions ofthe Holy Scriptures in
to the vulgar Tongues, before the Reformation, &c. at the
end of Usserii Hist. Dogmat.
f Boyle ranks too high as a philosopher to render it ne
cessary to insist here ou that part of his character. It will
not, however, be irrelevant to the subject we are upon, to
take a summary view of his very zealous exertions to disse
minate a knowledge of Divine truth and ofthe Word of God,
through the medium of the vernacular languages of various
people. His biographer, Dr. Birch, informs us that " he was
at the charge of the translation and impression ofthe Four
Gospels and Acts ofthe Apostles into the Malayan language ;
and this book he sent over all the East Indies." " He was
resolved to have carried on the impression of the New

135
Johnson* did not deliver his opinion in direct
reference to the Irish tongue, yet, from its be
ing capable of immediate application to the
subject, have we not all the authority which
Testament into the Turkish language, but the Company
thought that it became them to perform that work, and so
suffered him only to give a large share towards it.'' He was
at £700 charge in the edition of the Irish Bible, which he
ordered to be distributed in Ireland." " He contributed also
also largely to the impressions both of the Welsh Bible and of
the Irish Bible for the use of the Highlands in Scotland"
See Boyle's Works, p. cxxxiii. How great was the assist
ance which he afforded Mr. John Elliot, commonly called
the Apostle ofthe Indians, in his labours among that people,
and in his translation of the Bible into their language, may
be seen in the letters of Mr. Elliot to him. See Appendix
to Boyle's Life, p. ccv — ccxiv. Mr. Elliot always addresses
him in some such terms as follow : " Right honourable,
charitable, indefatigable, nursing Father." See also his let
ter to Mr. Elliot, p. cxx, cxxi. This correspondence he
carried on in his capacity of Governor of the Corporation
for propagating the Gospel in New England and the parts
adjacent in America, for which Society, ( of which he was
the first Governor) and not for that for promoting Christian
Knowledge, as stated by mistake above, he appears to have
been instrumental in procuring the charter.
* Dr. Johnson's letter to Mr. Drummond was relative " to
the translation ofthe New Testament into the Gaelic lan
guage, by the Rev. James Stewart of Killin, which was
printed in 1767, at the expense of the Society in Scotland
for propagating Christian Knowledge. The first edition of
the Gaelic Old Testament was published in 1802, by the
same Society." In this undertaking they appear to have
been assisted by a grant of £300 from the Society for pro
moting Christian Knowledge. See a General Account of the
^society for promoting Christian Knowledge, p. 12.

136

his gigantic mind could afford? See also how
this cause has been espoused by a number of
eminent men ofthe Churches of England and
Ireland, the latter of whom were, from their
local knowledge, best qualified to form a judg.
ment. Besides Archbishop Usher and Bishop Be
dell, (and in earlier times Archbishop Fitzrauf,)
Archbishops Donnellan, Daniel, Price,* San
croft, Marsh, King, Lindsay, and Godwint en-
* In addition to what has been noticed above respecting
the exertions of this prelate, it is pleasing to be able to add
the testimony of Bishop Jones, by which it appears, that for
some time previous to the year 1676, Archbishop Price had
himself laboured in this vineyard with considerable success.
Bishop Jones, in page 2d of an Epistle Dedicatory of his Ser
mon of Antichrist, to the Earl of Essex, then Lord Lieute
nant of Ireland, published in quarto at Dublin in the. year 1676,
while urging upon the clergy the necessity of attending to
the Irish language, adds, " I cannot but mention, and re
commend as a precedent to others, the zeale of a pious and
learned prelate, the present Archbishop of Cashel, who has
set himself on that work industriously, by instructing the
Irish in their ovvne language, and hath already gathered the
comfortable fruits of his godly labours, drawing in and re
taining many of tlie nation firm in the faith, the number also
of such increasing."
. f From the readiness with which Laud makes the follow
ing communication to Usher, we might perhaps be war
ranted in inserting his name in this list. He writes thus
in the year 1629: " The King (Charles I.) likes won
drous well of the Irish lecture begun by Mr. Bedell, and the
course of sending such young men as your Grace mentions.''
See Parr's Life of Usher, p. 409. This communication is
further interesting, as it affords inrluhifnhlp evirleni-o ',f ar,..

137
couraged and were most of them actively and
personally engaged in various attempts to dif
fuse a knowledge of religious truth through
the medium of the Irish tongue. Not less de
cidedly favourable to such measures were Bi
shops Walsh, Jones,* Dopping, Lloyd, Sheri
dan, Moreton, Ash, Crow, Wettenhall,t Hick
man, together with most of the English
bishops at the time in which Richardson
wrote his " Short History.''^ We may indeed
T
such were wanting, of Charles's own dispositions relative to
this subject.
* We owe it to Bishop Jones that Bedell's version was
ever published. How anxiously he desired it previous to his
letter to Boyle, we learn from the Epistle Dedicatory to the
Earl of Essex, referred to in a preceding note, in which he
says, speaking of Bedell's manuscript translation: " This I
have in my hands in the manuscript, and wish it were for
such a public good printed and published. " See p. 2d of that
Epistle Dedicatory.
t In consequence of a misprint in Richardson's " Short
History," Dr. Welbore Ellis, Bishop of Kildare, is mention
ed, in p. 40 of this Work, as having concurred in the memo
rial presented to the Duke of Ormond, whereas it was Dr.
Edward Wettenhall, Bishop of Kilmore.
X This fact we learn from Dr. William Nicholson, Bishop
of Derry, who, in the Preface to his Irish Historical Li
brary, after mentioning Richardson's History, observes, that
to it " a very great supplement might be added, by re
counting the excellent services done in that way by the wor.
thy author himself, who, about the- same time that he sent
abroad this little Treatise, published also in the Irish lan-

138
say, that men the most eminent as antiquarians,
as statesmen, as philosophers, as philologists,
as divines, have seen the subject in that point
of view in which it is now presented to the
eye of the Irish public.
But there are many, perhaps even of those
who are anxious to give the widest possible
diffusion to moral and religious instruction, who
will be ready to say — " we are willing to admit,
guage and character, Sermons on the principal points of Re
ligion, by Arohbishop Tillotson, Bishop Beveridge, &c. ; the
Church Catechism, with Mr. Lewis's Scriptural Proofs, and
his own correct translation of our Liturgy. This pious de
sign was much encouraged, not only by the late Duke of Or-
vnond and other great men of this kingdom but also by the
generality of the English Bishops, who agreed in the good un
dertaker's sentiments, that the likeliest method of converting
our Popish natives, was by proposing to them the saving truths
\A' religion in their own tongue, that being the only tongue un
derstood by some, and most acceptable to all." See Preface, p.
xxxviii. to " The Irish Historical Library, &c. by William
Lord Bishop of Derry," Svo. Dublin, 1724. From the terms
in which the Bishop of Derry speaks of Richardson, and the
object he had in view, we may add him to the list of prelates
who were favourable to this undertaking. The above state
ment also affords testimony to Richardson's personal labours,
and seems to confirm, what might fairly be inferred from a
comparison of p. 2. ofthe Proposals circulated by the Soci
ety for promoting Christian Knowledge, annexed to his His
tory, with p 44, 45, of that work, that of the clergymen who
exerted themselves about the year 1710, for the instruction
of their countrymen through the medium of Irish, he was
that one who bought the fount of Irish types.

139
that in the times of these great men there were
circumstances which completely justified tb«r
manner of thinking and acting on this snbject,
but these circumstances now no longer ex
ist. English has encreased rapidly in Ire
land within the last century, and unless the
Irish language is upheld by impolitic interfe
rence, we may reasonably expect, from its de
cline within the same period, that it will soon
be entirely disused ; and we insist that the en-
creased and encreasing knowledge of English
will supersede the necessity of teaching Irish,
since to the extension of the former we may
trust altogether for the removal of that igno
rance so generally deplored."
Much has been said already which affects this
view of the question ; and it cannot be denied
that, positively, English has encreased from the
establishment of schools and from the encreased
population of those who speak it. But it must
be admitted that Irish also has considerably en
creased,* as from early marriages, cheap food,
and frugal habits, the population of those who
use it has become excessive. Relatively, there
fore, it is to be feared that the English lan
guage has not gained so great an ascendancy
over its rival as is generally supposed. The
* In the same period that part of the population of the
•Highlands, which speaks Gaelic, has doubled.

140
parts ofthe country where English prevails are
open to casual observers, and are inhabited by
the educated classes of society, who do not take
into their calculation those remote, unfrequent
ed, and almost inaccessible districts, in which
the natives have been left in the undisturbed
possession as well of their vernacular tongue,
as of the soil on which they dwell. If there
fore numbers were ever an argument for in
structing them in reading Irish, that argument
has gained strength in proportion to their ab
solute numerical increase ; for it should be kept
in mind that where souls are concerned, it is
their absolute, not relative numbers that must
be taken into account ; and lost indeed must
they be to every humane and Christian feel
ing, who would limit the boon of religious in
struction by an arithmetical calculation ofthe
proportional numerical value of those who are
to be benefited thereby.
Let it be further remembered that this very ob
jection was brought forward in former times, un
happily with too much effect, particularly in
those of Boyle and Richardson ; and it was with
a full view of it, and indeed of almost every other
objection which it is now usual to urge, that they
determined on acting as they did. It might be
well, therefore, if objectors of the present day,
while they do justice to the principles of those
who took an opposite view of thesubject formerly,
would fairly consider at which side of the ques-

141
tion they would then have ranged themselves.
We have seen, however, that circumstances are
not so much altered as some imagine ; nor is
high authority wanting, even at present, in sup
port of that Hne of conduct which it has been
the aim of the present work to recommend.
The character of Dr. Dewar stands high, in
every point of view, in his own country ; nor
have his " Observations on Ireland" diminished
any thing from that character. The advan
tages which he possessed from his knowledge
ofthe language, and from other circumstances,
for forming his opinion, have been already in
sisted on.
If then Richardson appealed to the evidence
of the two preceding centuries against this ob
jection, we may unfortunately appeal to the
testimony afforded by an additional century
which has elapsed since his time. Melancholy
and frightful is it to reflect, how many, during
that period, have been left awfully ignorant of
what most materially concerned their immortal
souls. Let then the experience of upwards of
three centuries shew us how little we should
rely on the gradual increase of the English lan
guage, to supersede the present necessity of im
parting the rules of faith in a language that is
understood. But even admitting the possibi
lity that, in consequence of an extended educa
tion, and a free intercourse through all parts of

142
the country, the encreased knowledge of En
glish must take place in future with more
rapidity than heretofore, and must thus, in the
end, completely succeed in eradicating Irish ;
still, however, a whole generation, at least, must
perish before such a complete revolution can
be effected ; and how many in that time must
be born, and live, and die, without having an
opportunity of reading the Scriptures, if we
depend solely on their knowledge of English to
afford that opportunity !
Surely, then, no one ought to question the
propriety of making Irish the medium of moral
and religious instruction, wherever that lan
guage is the language of the cabin.
Though the attempt may not be free from eve
ry objection which ingenuity can devise, it can
not however be considered unfair to throw the
onus back on objectors, and to ask them, whe
ther indolence and apathy, and a sitting still
till schemes are proposed against which nothing
can be urged, may not in themselves be open
to objections ? Recollect " that old age is ad
vancing, and some, awful consideration ! pe
rishing for lack of knowledge."* Even now the
brink of the precipice is crowded, the waves of
time are silently eating away its base, the slip
* Letter from the Rev. William Findlater, Nov. 18, 1812,
S Gael. Rep. p. 37.

143

is continually falling in, and multitudes, even
while we are deliberating on the expediency of
affording them this instruction, are constantly
dropping into eternity.

the end.

ERRATA.
Page 29, line I, after of read the.
 49, — 1 1 , for knowedge read knowledge.
-' 90, note, third line from bottom, for vol. L. read vol. I.
 103, line 1 ,_/or si read is.
— — 106, ¦ — 10, for cousse read course.
 122, — 17, for Gudthugadth read Gu dthugadh.
 18, for wrain read urain.
124, — 3, for Glennig read Glenuig.
Appendix, A. p. 1, line i, for admtnistration read adminis
tration.
., G. p. 6, line 27, after of insert his,
 , L. p. 12, — 15, for Uenedi read Venedi;
 , — 30, after speaketh insert the.
 , p. 14, — 30, for Fabricious read Fabricius.

APPENDIX.

Extract from the " Act for the Uniformitie of common
Prayer and Service in the Church, and the admtnistra
tion ofthe Sacraments. — 28 Elizabeth Chap. 2. Sect. xv.
" AND forasmuch as in most places of this realm, there
cannot be found English ministers to serve in the Churches
or places appointed for Common Prayer, or to minister
the sacraments to the people, and that if some good meane
were provided, that they might use the prayers,, service, and
administration of sacraments set out established by this
act, in such language as they mought best understand,
the due honor of God should be thereby much advanced ;
and for that also, that the same may not be in their native
language, as well for diffkultie to get it printed, as that few
¦ in ihe whole realme can read the Irishe letters. We do
therefore most humbly beseech your majesty that with
your highness favor and royal assent it may be enacted
•by the authority of this present parliament, That in every
such Church or place where the common minister hathe
not the use or knowledge of the English tongue, it shall
be lawful for the the same common minister or priest to say
and use the mattens, even song, celebration of the Lord's
Supper, and administration of each of the Sacraments, and
all their common and open prayer in the Latin tongue, in
A

2 APPENDIX.
suche order and forme as they be mentioned and set forth
in the said book established by this act, and according to
the tenor of this act, and none otherwise, nor in other
manners, any thing before expressed and contained in this
acte to the contrarie notwithstanding."
— — »«®©|<2£»>l®«»''>"— —
B.
E j.- tract of a Letter from Sir Henry Sidney, Lord De
puty of Ireland, to Tier Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
— " In choice of which ministers for the remote places,
where the English tongue is not understood, it is most ne-
cessaiie that soche be chosen, as can speak Irishe, for
whiche seatche would be made first, and spedilye, in your
own Universities ; and any found there well affected in re
ligion, and well conditioned beside, they would be1 animated
by your Majestie ; yea, though it were somewhat to your
Highness' chardge, and on peril of my liffe, you shall fynde
it retorned with fayme, before three years be expired : If
there be no soche there, or not inough (for I wish tene or
twelve at the least) to be sent, who might be placed in of
fices of Dignitie in the Churche, in remote places of this
realme, then doe I wishe, (but this most humblye under
your Highness correction,) that you would write to the Re
gent of Scotlande, where, as I learne, there are many of the
reformed chtirche, that are of this language, that he would-
prefer to your Highnes so many, as shall seeme good to
you to demande, of honest, zealous, and learned men, and'
that could speak this language ; and though for a whyle
your Majestie were at some chardge it were well bestowed,
for in shorte tyme theire owne preferments would be -able to
suffice theim, and in the meane tyme thousands would be
gayned to Christ, that nowe are lost, or left at the woorst, &c.
xxviii April, 1576." — See " Letters and Memorials of state in

APPENDIX.

the reigns of Queen Mary, &c, written and collected by Sir
Henry Sidney," &c. Vol. 1. p. 113. foi. Lond. 1746. Collin's
State Papers.

c.

Extract from the <{ King's letter in behalf of all Pre
lates and Clergy of this kingdom of Ireland, dated 26th
Feb. 17°- Jac. I. addressed to the Lord Deputy and
Clare, and all others the King's Officers and Ministers
'whom it may concern"
" And because wee understand that the simple natives of
that our Kingdom, whoe by experience wee heare are found
to be farr more tractable amongst the rude Irishmen then
amongst the unconformable English, are still kept in dark
ness, and apt and ready thereby to be misled into error, su
perstition and disobedience by the Popish Priestes, whoe
abuse their siinplicitie and ignorance, which proceedeth
through want of ministers whoe could speake their owne lan
guage, whome they may understand, because our Colledge of
Dublin was first founded by our late sister of happie memorie,
Queene Elizabeth, and hath beene since plentifully endowed by
us, principallie for breeding upp the natives of that kingdom
in civility, learning and religion, we have reason to expect that
in all this long tyme of our peaceable government, some good
numbers of the natives should have beene trained upp in
that Colledee, and might have beene employed in teaching
and reducing those which are ignorant among that people,
and to think that the governors of that house have not per -
formed that trust imposed in them, if the revenewes thereof
have bene otherwise imployed and therefore wee doe require ;
that henceforth special care be had, and that the visitors of
that universitie be required particulerlie to looke unto and
take- care of this point, and the supplying of the present
want, that choise be made of some competent number of to-

4 APPENDIX.
wardlie young men, alreadie fitted with the knowledge of the
Irishe tongue, and be placed in the universite and maintained
there for two or three years, till they have learned the ground
of Religion, and be able to catechise the simple natives, and
deliver unto them so much as themselves have learned and
when any livings that are not of any great value fall void
among the meere Irish, these men to be thought upon before
others, or to be placed with other able ministers that pos-
sesse livings amongst the meere Irishe, where, for defect of
the language, they are able to doe little good, to be interpre
ters unto them, and be maintained by them after they are
made fitt for that imployment ; and in the meane' tyme, that
during their continuence in the Colledge, they may be main
tained partlie by the contribution from the ministers that pos-
sesse many livings among the Irishe ; partlie by the seques-
tracons of some living in remote places where there is little
exercise of the ministerie, partly by some helpe out of re-
cusante fines or by some other good course, that shall be
thought most fitting to youe, and that y'oue consider with our
Primate and some other of our chiefe Prelates for this or some
otlier good course, to be taken for supplying of this defect,
which wee thinke will be a principall meanes to rcclaime the
poor ignorant people," -&c. -

D.

Extract from the " King's letter to the Archbishop of
Armagh, with instructions relative to Ecclesiastical
matters, 2°. Car. I.
" Preamble — Right trustee, &c. At the humble request,
and^upon certain propositions made unto us by the Right
Reverend Father in God, James Archbishop of Armagh,
and Primate of all Ireland, concerning as well the Church in
general there, as more particularly the Ecclesiastical state of

APPENDIX. 5
his owne province, that we would be pleased not only to rati-
fie and confirme the orders made by our deare father deceas
ed, King James of blessed memorie, but also make some ne-
cessarie addition unto the same; we being ever readie to ma
nifest unto the world, that we doe not only succeed our fa
ther in his kingdoms, but alsoe his pietie and zeale to God's
Church and true Religion, and his extraordinarie care" for
the advancement thereof, have thought good in the parti
culars propounded unto us, to set downe theis followinge di
rections." " § 5. And we further require you to take special care,
that the people there may be instructed in the principles of
religion by those to whom it apperteyneth, and that the
Newe Testament and Book of Common Prayer, translated
into Irish, be frequently used in the parishes oj the Irishrie,
and that every non resident there do constantly keepe and
continue one to reade service in the Irishe tongue, as is ex-
presslie commanded by the 36th Art.* of the. said orders,
Dated 8 July, 2Q. Cha. I."

E.

Extract from the " King's letter for renewing the under
takers gr aunts of Ulster, 2". Gar. I.
" And that the said Irishe shall build and dwell in villages
and townreeds together, and not dispersedly on the plaines,
and not in woods, nor upon unaccessible mountains ; and we
order their apparell after the manner used by the English, and
bring upp their children with religious schoolmasters, and
permitt them to learne the English language. Dated 8 July.
2". Cha. I."
* Artides of direction to 4e Lord Chichester, then Deputie.

6 APPENDIX.

F.

Extract from the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical
treated upon by the Archbishops and Bishops and the
rest of Clergy of Ireland, and agreed upon "with the
King's Majestie's Licence, Sfc. in their Synod, begun
Anno Dom. 1634, Mo. Dublin, 1669.
" VIII. And every Beneficiary and Curate shall endeavour
that the confession of sins and absolution, and all the second
service, (at or before the communion to the homily or ser
mon,) when the people all, or most are Irish, shall be used
in English first, and after in Irish, if the ordinary of the place
shall so think meet." p. 9.
" LXXXVI. And the said clerk shall be &c. and where
the minister is an Englishman, and many Irish in the pa
rish, such a one as shall be able to read those parts of the
Service, which shall be appointed to be read in Irish, (if
it may be)." p. 53.
" XXCIV. And where all, or most part of the people
are Irish, they shall provide also tbe said books (the Bible
and two books of Common Prayer,) in the Irish tongue, as
soon as they may be had." p. bl.

G.

Extract from the Books of the Privy Council Office, in
the year 1665.
" Upon reading the Report of Doctor Winter, Doctor
Harrison, Mr. Wooten, and Mr, Chambers, touching Mr.
James Carey, and of his fitnes and abilityes to preach ye
word, both in English and Irish, and upon consideration had
thereof, and of the usefulness of guifts in order to ye con
version of the poore ignorant natives, it is thought fitt and

APPENDIX. 7
ordered, that ye said Mr. Carey doe preach to ye Irish at
Bride's parish, once every Lord's day, and that he doe occa
sionally repair to Trim and Athye to preach as aforesaid,
and that for his care and paines therein he be allowed ye
sallary of sixty pounds p. annum, to be paid quarterly, &c.
&c." v
" Dated at Dublin Castle, ye 3d. of March, 1665.
" R. P; M. C; R. G; M. T."

H.

Extract from Resolutions agreed to by the Lower House
of Convocation, " Sessio 166" Die Mercurii lmo viz.
Junii, Anno Dom. 1709."
" Resolved, that the Holy Bible and Liturgy ofthe Churcfa
{of England) be printed in the Irish Language in the En
glish Character.
".Resolved, that some person may be appointed to prepare
a short exposition of the Church Catechism, the same to be
printed in Irish and English.
" Resolved, that some fit person be provided and encouraged
to preach, catechize, and perform Divine Service in the Irish
tongue, at such times and in such places as the Ordinary of
each Diocese, with the consent of the Incumbent of the Pa
rish where such offices shall be performed, shall direct.
" Resolved, that such Clergy of each Diocese as are quali
fied by their skill in the Irish Language for this work, and
are willing to undertake it, may have the preference, not
only in their own Parishes, but in any other parts of the Di
ocese." Richardson, p. 39 — 42.

APPENDIX.

Extract from " the humble Memorial of several of the
Nobility of Ireland, the Lord Bishop qfKilmore, and se
veral of ihe Gentlemen and Clergymen of that kingdom."
'' To his Grace James Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant
General and General Governor of Ireland.''
" And whereas the natives, when trial hath been made, have
expressed great satisfaction upon hearing Divine Service per
formed in their own tongue ; and lastly, whereas there are
no printed books of Religion (except a very few Bibles or
Common-Prayer Books) extant iu Irish; therefore that our
pure and holy religion may be propagated among them by
Evangelical and religious means, and that so many souls
may not be abandoned to utter infidelity and barbarity on
the one side, or left a prey to deceivers on the other ; it is
humbly proposed as followeth :
" That some numbers of the New Testament and Common
Prayer Books, Catechisms and Expositions thereon, Whole
Duty of Man, and select sermons upon the principal points
of religion, be translated and printed in the Irish character
and tongue, in order to which the only set of Irish cha
racters now in Britain is bought already, and that those
books be distributed in the Irish families that can read, but
especially be given to such ministers as shall endeavour to
convert them, and to give them a true and practical sense
of religion. Richardson,'' p, 47 — 48.

Extract from Resolutions agreed to by the Lower House
of Convocation. " Sessio. 242. Die Jovis, viz. 25'" Die
Mensis, 86"'S1711.
" And whereas the carrying on of this good work requires

APPENDIX. 2
persons of more skill in the Irish language than the gene
rality ofthe parochial Clergy are masters of; It is, therefore.
resolved, that application be made for a fund, for the educa
tion of natives in the University of Dublin, and for the sup
port and maintenance of a sufficient number of grave and
duly qualified persons in Holy Orders, to be provided and
appointed by the several Archbishops and Bishops of the
kingdom, in their respective dioceses, with the approbation
and consent of each respective Incumbent of the parish
where they are to officiate, to assist the parochial Clergy,
where a considerable number of the parishoners do not un
derstand English, in all such things as shall be judged neces
sary to promote the conversion of the Popish natives, and in
such manner, and under such rules and restrictions, as by a
canon to be framed for that purpose shall be appointed.
" And the better to enable the several Incumbents, as well
as such their assistants, to perform every thing necessary to
so pious an undertaking, that a sufficient number of Bibles
and Common Prayer books be provided at the public charge
in the Irish language, and a proportionable number of the
same be left in the hands of the several Archbishops and
Bishops, to be distributed, as need shall require, to the se
veral Incumbents and their assistants.'' Richardson, p. 58. 59*

K.
Letter from Dr. Samuel Johnson to Mr. William Drum*
mond.
Johnson's Court, Fleet-st. 13th August 1766.
I did not expect to hear that it could be, in an as
sembly convened for the propagation of Christian know-*
ledge, a question, whether any nation uninstructed in
religion should receive instruction ; or whether that in
struction should ba imparted to them by a translation of
S

10 APPENDIX.
the holy books into their own language. If obedience to
the will of God be necessary to happiness, and knowledge of
his will be necessary to obedience, I know not how he that
withholds this knowledge, or delays it, can be said to love
his neighbour as himself. He that voluntarily continues ig
norance, is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces;
as to him that should extinguish tbe tapers of a light-house,
might justly be imputed the calamities of shipwreck. Chris
tianity is the highest perfection of humanity ; and as no man
is good but as he wishes the good of others, no man can be
good in the highest degree, who wishes not to others the
largest measures of the greatest good. To omit, for a year,
or for a day, the most efficacious method of advancing
Christianity, in compliance with any purposes that terminate
on this side of the grave, is a crime of which I know not
that the world has yet had an example, except in the prac
tice of the planters in America, a race of mortals whom, I
suppose, no other man wishes to resemble.
" I am not very willing that an)' language should be totally
extinguished. The similitude and derivation of languages af
ford the most indubitable proof of the traduction of nations,
and the genealogy of mankind. They add often physicaF
certainty to historical evidence ; and often supply the only
evidence of ancient migrations, and of the revolutions of
ages, which left no written monuments behind them.
" Every man's opinions, at least his desires, are a little in
fluenced by his favourite studies; My zeal for languages
may seem, perhaps, rather over heated, even to those by
whom I desire to be well esteemed. To those who have no
thing in their thoughts but trade or policy, present power,
or present money, I should riot think it necessary to defend
my opinions; but with men of letters I would not unwillingly
compound, by wishing the continuance of every language,
however narrow in its extent, or however incommodious for
common purposes, till it is reposited in some version of a
known book, that it may be always hereafter examined and
compared with other languages, and then permitting its dis
use. For this purpose, the translation of the Bible is most

APPENDIX. 1 1
to be desired. It is not certain that the same method will not
preserve the Highland language, for the purposes of learning,
and abolish it from daily use. When fhe Highlanders read
the Bible, they will naturally wish to have its obscurities clear
ed, and to know the history, collateral or dependant Know
ledge alvyays desires increase; it is like fire, which must be
kindled' by some external agent, but which will afterwards
propagate itself. When they once desire to learn, they will
naturally have recourse to the nearest language by which that
desire can be gratified ; and one will tell another, that if he
would attain knowledge, he must learn English.
" This speculation may, perhaps, be thought more subtle
than the grossness of real life will easily admit. Let it, how
ever, be remembered, that the efficacy of ignorance has
long been tried, and has not produced the consequence ex
pected. Let knowledge, therefore, take its turn, and let
the patrons of privation stand a while aside, and admit the
operation of positive principles.
" You will be pleased, Sir, to assure tbe worthy man who is
employed in the new translation, that he has my wishes for
his success ; and if here, or at Oxford, I can be of any use,
that I shall think it more than honour to promote his under.
taking.* I am sorry that I (delayed so long to write. I am,
jSir, your most humble servant,
" SAM. JOHNSON."

L.
A Letter to J. Chamberlayne, Esq. Author of l( The
present state of England," from the R,ev. and very
learned Dr. JablonsJci, first Chaplain to the King of
Prussia, concerning the instruction of the Die Wendens,
a Nation in Brandenburgh, thqt speaks the Sclavoniclt
Tongue. Faithfully translated from Latin into Eng
lish."
" Honoured Sir, with your present of otlier pieces of
* Johnson' Work svo l.iv p.162-165, 12mo, Edinburgh 1806.

12 APPENDIX.
learning, for which I heartily thank you, I received also
the Reverend Mr. Richardson's proposals for the conversion
of the Irish Papists, by printing books in their native lan
guage. I found great satisfaction in reading them, because
I saw in them those things wisely put together, which are
sometimes asunder, but never can be so without prejudice to
the best design, viz. fit and lawful means adapted to a pious
end ; which, I am confident, cannot fail of the Divine Bles
sing, whensoever they shall be put in execution, according to
the mind of that author.
" However, worthy Sir, I thought it would not be unaccep
table to you, or the Reverend Mr. Richardson, if I should
write you a short account of some things hero, which seem
to be parallel to your Irish affairs. There are, to this very
day, some considerable remains of the antient Uenecii, (called
by us the Die Wendens,) who formerly inhabited the banks
of the Vistula, but now live along the the Oder and Sprea ;
at present their country begins about three miles from Berlin,
and from thence runs through both the Lusatia's into Mis-
nia on the one hand, and yilesia on the other ; part of them
are subject to the Emperor, and the Elector of Saxony, and
part to the Elector of Brandenburgh. The number of this
people cannot be easily computed : in that part of Lusatia
which belongs to Brandenburgh, there are 124 villages of
them, divided into 24 parishes, besides many more of the
same nation in that electorate, as far as it extends into Sile
sia, and in several other places ; of whose numbers, as also
of those subject to the Emperor, and Elector of Saxony, I
have no certain knowledge. This people, being originally
Sarmatians, speaketh Sclavonick tongue, and most tenaci
ously keep up the use of it to this very day, notwithstanding
that they have so many ages lived in the midst of Germans.
Some of them having passed the Elbe in the days of Charles
the Great, settled themselves in the country of Lunenburgh,
but their language, by reason of the small numbers of those
that spoke it, as we may imagine, havinglostgroundby littleantj

APPENDIX. 13
little, was at last quite disused within the memory of our fa
thers, nay of some now alive. Some while since, several
attempts were made to bring our Wendens likwise into a
disuse of it ; and to that end, there was a German sclfool
set up at every church : to most of their congregations were
sent German pastors, ignorant ofthe Sclavonick Tongue ; and
no books printed in that language, that so this illiterate peo
ple might be under a necessity of learning the German
tongue. " But none of those methods had the desired success or
the schools, which seemed likeliest to effect it, were found
insufficient ; because the Wendens, being husbandmen, do
not inhabit cities or towns, but villages only, which being
far asunder, their Children could not without difficulty go to
school, especially in winter, which was the only time they
could be spared, by reason that their parents could not want
their assistance in summer at their country labours ; whence
it came to pass, that they wilfully forgot that in summer,
which they had unwillingly learnt in winter; which their
parents, who were not willing to change their own language
for the German, secretly rejoiced at. The German Pastors
of these Churches had very bad success in their employ
ment, for being barbarians to their hearers, the greatest part
of them, and especially the women, were not at all edified.
And it was found by experience, that even after the space
of 30 years and upwards, in such mongrel congregations,
neither the pastor or the flock understood each other. For
which reason, by order of the Chief Magistrate, German
Pastors were at last exchanged for Wenden. Lastly, the
want of books of piety in their own language, tended natu
rally to foment their ignorance, but not to kindle in them
any desire to those in the German tongue ; for that barbar
ous nation, not knowing the good of such books, perfectly
despised them.
" And now you may easily judge, what a miserable condi
tion these unhappy people were in, who were altogether un
acquainted with letters, had not one book, no spiritual food,

14 APPENDIX.
nor any other help for devotion but a very few prayers, and
some hymns to be got by heart. Neither was any part of
the Holy Scriptures printed for the use of so many numer
ous congregations; but every minister, instead of a sermon,
did read some portion of the Word of God to them, trans
lating it himself as well as he could from the German, to the
Wenden language, though often with little accuracy or judg
ment so to do.
" At last King Frederick, of glorious memory, applied a re
medy to these great evils, the Reverend Gottlieb Fabricius,
a godly and very zealous minister of the Gospel among the
Wendens, having by his great piety contributed much there-:
unto ; for after he had, with no small labour, learned the
Wenden language, and translated a catechism into it, he
soon betook himself to a greater work, and in the year 1709,
published the whole New Testament in that language, and isr
now employed in publishing an elaberate version of the Book
of Psalms, and several hymns. This man being called to
the parish of Peilzens, which consists of six villages, whereof
he hath now the charge, and finding no Wenden school there,
though he met with some difficulty at first, from the opposi
tion even of his own parishioners, yet he so managed the
matter, that a school master was immediately placed, for the
use and benefit of two of those villages. This man so faith
fully discharged the trust committed to him, that in a
short time it came to pass, that not only those two villages
were much pleased with reading their own language, but the
inhabitants of tho rest desired, that school-masters might be
placed among them too; which they soon obtained, and three-
were sent to them, Fabiicious himself having, with a great
deal of p:iins, firit taught them to read, ,and then how to in
struct the children committed to their care. He soon saw the
happy success of his pious labour in this matter, for not only
some hundreds of children were now taught to read by the
industry of these masters, but the parents themselves (who
formerly thought their children might live as happily without
letters, as they had done, and out of a kind of secret envy,

APPENDIX.

would not have their children more knowing than themselves}
learned to read from their own children, and practised it in
their daily devotion at home. Nay, in some places, which
could not then be supplied with masters, while the servants
were taking care of the horses, some one of them, who had
happily learned to read, would often take that opportunity to
instruct the rest in reading. So much could the piety of one
man do, when supported with the authority of a most religious
King, whose sense of this affair he himself excellently de
clares in his rescript to the government of Newmark, dated
September 22d, 1708, as followeth : ' The church of
Grapke and Dubro is concerned lest when their pastor is re
moved to another place, they should again receive one igno
rant ofthe Wenden tongue, as you may see by their inclosed
petition. But forasmuch as we do not call to mind, that the
use of that language was prohibited by any royal edict or
mandate, and we rather esteem it our glory to have people of
a foreign language subject to our dominions ; you shall there
fore take good care, that the aforesaid Church be provided
with a Pastor, whose want of the language may be no hin
drance to him, by diligent catechising to instruct the flock
committed to his care, in the Christian Religion, and to guide
them to the fear and obedience of God and a Christian life,
and to teach, comfort, and admonish them according to every
one's particular state and condition.' — Thus far the King being
desirous to have the glory of God preached in the different
languages of several people. The piety also of your nation
hath contributed somewhat towards this work; for your ex
cellent Mr. Hales, when he was some years ago in that coun
try, having got a little English treatise, called, ' The Neces
sity of Caring for the Soul,' translated into the Wenden
tongue, and printed at Budissin, a City of Saxony, he distri
buted copies of it among them, to the great benefit and edifi
cation of that ignorant people. There are still remaining some
congregations of Popish Wendens in that country, whom we
Jiope to bring over to the Protestant Fteligion, by the mean*

16

APPENDIX.

of reading, and of having printed books in their own lan
guage (both which are conferred gratis upon them. ) This
however is certain, that the small progress some of the Vene-
di have made in reading, hath so much raised their appetite,
that they do now, of their own accord, apply themselves to
learn the German language, that so they may enjoy the be
nefit of books written in it ; whereby it is come to pass, that
what was believed would be a hindrance to the German
tongue, doth, on the contrary, evidently tend to its encrease.
But, worthy Sir, I detain you too long ; farewel, and con
tinue to love your most obedient servant, Dan. Ern. Ja-
blonski. Berlin, May 5th, 1714."
Richardson's Folly of Pilgrimages, p. 139 — 156. Svo.
Dublin, 1727.

M.
Abstract taken from the third Volume of the printed Re
ports, entitled " Welsh Piety," Sfc.
Welsh Circidating Schools.

V/^.t i-

No. of

No. of

Year.

No. of

No. of

i ear.

Schools.

Scholars.

Schools

Scholai

1737

37

2400

1750

130

6244

1738

71

3981

1751

129

5669

1739

71

3989,

1752

J 30

5724

1740

150

8765

1753

134

5118

1741

128

7995

1754

149

6018

1742

89

5123

1755

163

7015

1743

75

4881

1756

172

7083

1744

74

4253

1757

220

9037

1745

120

5843

1758

218

9834

1746

116-

5635

1759

206

8539

1747

HO

5633

1760

215

8687

1748

136

6223

Tot. of 1st Col.

7*1 ,26*

1749

142

6543

Total •NT

irnhpiv

<ifl 91 <2

71,264

^INIS.