some people tell me I have, and whether I have, in other matters, gone astray; for I am now, knowingly and wittingly, beginning to deviate, as the tenth century affords so little matter.

*

"I am sorry to tell you, quod propius ad nos, that Mr. Grattan's speech, however it is censured by some, has made deep impressions. Mr. Leslie, of Glaslough, whose son is Sheriff of Monaghan, tells me that a meeting is to be held in Monaghan next Friday, in order to consider of said speech, and give it efficacy there. This, you see, is but a beginning of what you will probably hear more of, before the assizes are over. Were I not so subject to despair, I would freely declare my opinion that a good compromise should be thought of, as soon as possible. Grattan has perseverance, and that perseverance has never failed of success in questions where there was less prospect of success than in this, where every man's interest and prejudice is in his favour. Government, to be sure, may stifle this business for some sessions, but in the interim the fire will be kindling, till it mounts into such a blaze, as will not be in their power, perhaps not in their inclination, to extinguish. The quære then is,-would it not be better to make decent terms, whilst the country is as yet quiet? Forgive, my Lord, these crude conceptions, but time will open, perhaps, a brighter prospect; which to my view was never yet so clouded. But I write from mere feeling, and I hope my fears are groundless. I am, &c. "THO. CAMPpbell."

Clones, Dec. 15, 1788.

"MY LORD, "My last was written under the impression of fear. Mr. Grattan's speech, and a consequent call from the sheriff of this county to give effect to his scheme (if any he had), operated, I remember, on me as the hovering kite does upon the small birds, when he is going to souse upon them. But I now begin to hope that I was under a false alarm. However, my opinion of that gentleman has always been the same, and therefore I had (I own to you) inserted a stricture on another part of his conduct, towards the conclusion of the inclosed sketch; which, upon mature de

* On the 14th Feb. 1788, on a motion for a Committee to inquire into the state of Tithes. Printed in the Collection of Grattan's Speeches, vol. ii. p. 27, 8vo. 1822.-F. M.

liberation, I blotted out, reserving such reflections for our "History of the Revolutions of Ireland."*

"These sheets were drawn up last spring, at the pressing instance of Mr. Gough, who limited me to a month (though I got this only last week). At that time I had not a single book in Dublin, and but few of my papers; which circumstance I observe, not as an apology for its obvious imperfections, but as it afforded me another specimen of the liberality of our Celtic antiquaries. Mr. Archdall, author of the Monasticon,† and librarian to Mr. Burton Conyngham, refused me the loan of the most common books (some of which I had duplicates of in the country), though formerly not only his own library, but Mr. Conyngham's, were, through him, as open to me as my own.

"Were I sure of meeting your Lordship in Dublin, about the meeting of Parliament, I should trouble you no further with deciphering my scrawl, but, like others, who, having received one favour, think themselves entitled to two, and so on, I cannot refrain from begging your advice on the present occasion. I have a notion of republishing 'Jerneus' in a volume, next spring, after revising and correcting it; and I mean to throw it into sections, support doubtful points with notes and authorities, and, upon the whole, illustrate and enlarge it by additions, after having expunged a great deal. The interval between St. Patrick and Henry II., making a period of about 700 years, appears to me in itself complete, though I would call it the obscure period. I know that times are divided into the unknown, the fabulous, and historical; but Ireland is in almost every thing particular; and this period, though not unmixed with fable, has a certain portion of certainty, which, though it may not be strictly called historical, it may fairly be called the obscure period. Indeed, whatever light dawns upon it, arises from the ecclesiastical quarter, and

* This work does not appear ever to have been published, although part of it was printed at the time of Dr. Campbell's death, in 1795. See Pinkerton's Correspondence, vol. I. p. 390.-F. M.

"Monasticon Hibernicum, or a History of the Abbeys, &c. in Ireland," by Mervyn Archdall, A.M. 4to. Dublin, 1736.-F. M.

"In the new evening paper, called the Dublin Chronicle, appeared lately some strictures on the Ancient Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, which you should by all means see. They first appeared under the signature of Jerneus in the Dublin Chronicle for December 24th, and again December 27th."Letter from Bp. Percy to Mr. Pinkerton, Jan. 16, 1788. See Pinkerton's Correspondence, vol. I. p. 390.-F. M.

therefore I more willingly accorded with Edmund Burke's idea of taking little notice, in my civil history, of the times antecedent to the English Revolution. So that this meditated republication might in some measure serve as a preliminary to my magnum opus. The title purposed for this little work is Memoirs (for I dare not call it even Sketch) of the Religion and Letters (or Literature) of Ireland, from the Introduction of Christianity in the Fifth Century to the Establishment of Papal Supremacy, and conformity to the Roman Ritual, in the Twelfth.'* Now, my Lord, the question is, do you think, from what you have seen, that this subject can be made of sufficient importance for republication? I have been also thinking of adding, in the same volume, this same inclosed Sketch, purged of its errors and fortified with notes, and an appendix, stating ab origine the revenues of Ireland, in order to remove whatever is there advanced which may seem paradoxical respecting the sufficiency of the hereditary revenue for the support of the establishments. This, my Lord, I conceive to be a cardinal point; for the expediency of a Union can never become popular in Ireland, till the nation is convinced that a King of England has resources sufficient for governing Ireland, without any new aids from his Parliament here; as his predecessors have more than once done. The sanction of popular consent, and the mode of collecting the revenues, is all that makes our Parliaments ostensibly necessary. I hope your Lordship will not suspect that I mean to deprive you of your peerage. No. But I have been long of opinion that the Protestant Ascendancy (in so few hands) is very insecure and precarious, till a thorough incorporation of the islands is effected.

"MY LORD,

THO. CAMPBELL."

Clones, March 29, 1790. "I should forfeit all credit with you were I to profess that my gratitude to your Lordship is increased by the success of your powerful representations to my Lord Primate in my brother's favour. He, poor man, expresses the same sentiment to me in a Letter received at the same

*This publication appeared under the title of "Strictures on the Ecclesiastical and Literary History of Ireland," &c. See p. 765.

time with your favour, in answer to mine, respecting the warm and generous part you had taken in his behalf, adding that it was his only hope, for that his Hope's anchor at the Newry Canal had found no bottom. It multiplies the magnitude of my pleasure upon this occasion that we owe no obligations but to your Lordship and my Lord Primate.

"I am, for ever, your slave,

THO. CAMPBELL.”

• MY LORD,

Clones, April 6, 1790. "I am sorry to hear that Mr. Hudson has declared to the Collector of Newry, that he will rather stand another shot than give up a better parish for a worse; for Tamlaght he places at only 150l. a-year. However, he may possibly write in another language to you and my Lord Primate. As you have done so much, I trust you will bring it to a happy issue, so that Tamlaght may be given to my brother.

66

"I heard yesterday that Dr. Paul's curate has abdicated his curacy, having left his wife, and gone off with her servant, &c. If your Lordship is acquainted with Dr. Paul, he would be glad your friend were to be his curate, and might probably let him have the use of his house to live in, as the country might not supply any so comfortable place to lodge in.

*

"And now that our Easter business is in all respects concluded to the perfect satisfaction of my own parish, I turn with greater ease of mind to Goldsmith. I told you I had sketched out a sort of exordium to the Life; and I have been ruminating whether I should conclude that exordium by mentioning the part you have taken, and the number of copies that Nichols is to give. This I wished to offer (with others) as a motive and apology for my own undertaking it. Your name must be introduced, where you took the hints from his own mouth; and the world must know, I mean it will find out,-whence the materials come. I therefore submit it to you now, whether it will not be best to make this acknowledgment at setting out. It will procure the work a more favourable reading, and will give me more credit. I trust it shall be conducted in such a manner as not to make you blush; but it will be

VOL. VII.

3 E

always in your own power to expunge or add till it can be wrought into some shape that will no way disgust you. "I am your Lordship's most humble and 'dutiful servant, THO. CAMPBELL.

"Bishop of Dromore, Dublin."

"MY LORD,

May 20, 1790. "Among the newspaper scraps I find an imperfect one from 'Goldsmith's present State of Learning in Europe,' which leads me to his conversation with Gaubius in Leyden, and would, if entire, be very material in other respects; as both the beginning and ending of the extract is wanting, it has excited my curiosity so much that I must see the work, for what I have seen leads to some very important reflections. I beg you may send the book if you have it, or can get it. THO. CAMPbell.

"Bishop of Dromore, Dublin."

"MY LORD,

Killyvan, June 16, 1790. "Your letter has indeed contributed greatly to my satisfaction, as his Grace's appointment must also to that of my brother; and I hope he had got to Dublin time enough to thank your Lordship, in person, for that most friendly part you have taken in his behalf. The death of Dr. Lyon, which I see in the papers, makes a vacancy of Killeshill, the very parish my father died in possession of, and which I am told is now worth near 4007. a-year. Whether Mr. Hudson would get or take this parish I cannot presume to say; but, if such an arrangement should take place, it might, in future, make an opening for my brother at Forkhill, as at first intended, and therefore I mention the thing to your Lordship, for your consideration, especially as you have already interested yourself, with such successful zeal, in his service.

"Goldsmith's Life goes on without much interruption, though I am now deep in mortar, and employ masons by the day (in order that it may be executed in the best manner) in the building of my church, of which I take upon me to be architect and overseer. And at intervals I retire from this employment, sometimes vexatious enough, to write a paragraph as a recreation. N.B. The site of the church is but two or three hundred yards from my house.