"What excited a wish, at first, was a desire to acquire some knowledge of the pursuits of Irish literati in the middle ages, and of Celestius. Garner satisfies me fully as to the last, and the former I must make out as well as I can. If the genealogy of the MS. could be traced to any monastery, or its age ascertained, and that it was written in Ireland, it might be a matter of curiosity to mention it. "We are going on but slowly with the 'Antiquities,' having printed not more than about eight quarto sheets; but I have now set two presses at work. The Analytical Review observed the want of connection in the Essays, and very truly; but he did not know that, in a novel undertaking, to continue one subject too long would infallibly pall the public appetite. However, I have at present attended to connection, and as much as possible made one Essay hang as a link from the foregoing. Here are the Essays printed : - "1. "On the Romantic History of Ireland.' "2. "Ancient Notices respecting Ireland, and of the Name of the Isle.' "3. Of the Colonization of Ireland.' "4. Of the Druids and their Religion.' "5. "Of the Pagan State of Ireland, and its Remains.' "6. Of the Introduction of Christianity, and of St. Patrick.' "7. "Anecdotes of Early Christianity in Ireland.' "8. Of the Origin and Progress of Monachism.' "9. Of the Culdees and Monaincha.' 6 "The corrections and additions make it almost a new work. Without great injury to the printer, I could not be absent one day. "Mrs. L. is equally grateful with me for your Lordship's goodness, and we both join in lamenting most sincerely the state of Mrs. Percy's health, which, from what Dr. Anderson told us, we hoped was re-established. The unceasing wet weather has occasioned a morbid atmosphere, and sickness has been general through the kingdom. We, thank God, have escaped tolerably well. I am, my Lord, your very faithful and obliged servant, "MY LORD, "E. LEDWICH." Feb. 23, 1803. "It is with great concern I inform you of the death of our little infant, Thomas, aged sixteen months. He first was greatly distressed by teeth; next he got an epidemic catarrh; and on these the hooping cough. It is no wonder he sunk. His mother is inconsolable, and I myself am bending under accumulated afflictions. It is no small alleviation of the poignancy of my feelings, to sit down and write a few lines to your Lordship. "Usher, Primord. p. 964, quotes the legendary life of St. Mocoemog, in which is told the coming of St. Colman to the city of Connor, in Ulster, and then into the region of Meath, where he met Onial, Columba, and Kanic: that Columba addressed Onial and Edus Flan, Prince of Meath, to give Colman some good land, whereon to construct a monastery. 'Let him,' says Onial, 'select any place in my territories.' Edus Flan pointed out a situation, Linalli, which Colman accepted, and there he settled and there died, A.D. 610. He was born A.D. 516. "Usher, p. 1065, says, 'Colman, Bishop of Dromore, sprung from the Ardes; he was instructed by Caylan, Abbat of Nendrum, and studied divinity under St. Albeus, and, by the advice of Macnys, Bishop of Connor, founded a monastery on the banks of the river Loch, ripâ fluminis Locha construxit monasterium. "Usher, p. 1126, only relates his birth above. "He was called Colman Elo, from the abbey he built in the territory of Eile O'Carrol, or King's County. Eile is alius, to distinguish it from others; and Landelo has been changed into Linalli, a church at present in the united parish of Balliboy, King's County, and service is performed there now. "All the foregoing seems to me legendary, and of no authority. "As to the MS. I have compared the letters, and the mixing Greek and Latin together, and the writing Latin in Greek characters and Latin in Irish characters, with specimens in Montfaucon, Astle, and others, and find such modes were common in the eighth and ninth centuries. In one of Usher's Irish Epistles (Syllog. epist. p. 38,) we find' imo ad doxam ovoμaris cyrii.' Again,' cata evangelicæ experimentum auctoritatis.' "As the Greek letters in the MS. are those called uncial or square, it is a further confirmation that they are of the age above stated. The life of St. Patrick might afford some light as to the age, unless it is in a more recent hand. It might also illustrate some obscure parts in his biography, and enable us to see how it differs from Pro bus, Joceline, Jonas, and other writers concerning our saint. "On the whole, a Memoir or Remarks on this subject, drawn up by your Lordship's skilful hand, would be a very acceptable present to the Society of London Antiquaries. Most cheerfully will I supply from our libraries here whatever might be wanting. The title-Argumentum Pelagii in Epist. ad Rom.'-is very interesting, and proves that his heresy was propagated here; and the necessity of sending Gallic Bishops here to extirpate it will be арраrent. I wish there was any thing about Celestius. "After all, the history of the MS. should be traced; though this is not easy, from our revolutions. "E. LEDWICH." "MY LORD, York-street, April 28, 1803. "I was much concerned to hear from Sir Richard Musgrave that your Lordship was affected with the prevalent epidemic. As he informs me, it has created a complaint in your eyes, the disorder is more manageable, and I hope will be of short continuance. People who pretend to great wisdom laugh at one who thinks it possesses some quality of the plague; and yet from its universality there are grounds to believe so. I do not mean an Eastern plague, or its infectious pustules, but such a morbid state of the atmosphere that attacks every one. I know of no one in a most numerous acquaintance who has escaped; one or other of my family have been ill above six weeks, and not all perfectly recovered as yet. "I have just received the inclosed from worthy Dr. Anderson, who desires it may be sent you, as you were a correspondent of Mr. M'Gouan's. The "I have just looked over Hay's History of the Rebellion.* It is really a low gossiping production, an obstinate and sedulous perversion of truth, without one new anecdote. He himself is the hero of his own tale. cloven feet he carefully conceals; not a word of United Irishmen, their organizations, their directory, and their connection with our enemies. Not a word of the designs, * Edward Hay, esq. M.R.I.A. published "History of the Insurrection of the County of Wexford in 1798; including an Account of the Transactions preceding that Event, and an Appendix," 1803, 8vo.-" Report of a Speech delivered by John Keagh, esq. at a Meeting of the Catholics in Dublin," 1807, 8vo." Debates in both Houses of Parliament, April 1812, on the Roman Catholic Question," 1813, 8vo. the landing, and progress of the French here, or of their capture; hardly a word of the rebel priests; all, all arose from Protestant persecution, whippings, &c. constantly making the effect the cause. E. LEDWICH." "MY LORD, York-street, Sept. 13, 1803. "I dined the other day with the Bishop of Elphin,* who very feelingly mentioned the complaint in your eyes, which I hope by this time is entirely removed. Every information of what is going forward here is detailed in the papers, but they are not allowed any longer to give the trials, because they dwelt very much on the prisoners' foolish defence by alibis, and thereby excited doubts of the justice of conviction; nor were they full enough on the evidence on behalf of the prosecution. My son-in-law, Counsellor Ridgeway, has been engaged by Government to take the trials in short hand, and he is publishing them, as he did the State Trials in the last Rebellion. These will disclose many curious facts and horrible machinations. "Never were a ministry so blindfolded as Mr. Addington's, by the ignorant, incapable, and contemptible functionaries in this country; and yet that miserable wretch Marsden + is continued in office amidst universal execration. Things have mended since Wickham came over. We trembled at a visit from Lord Cornwallis; not ten yeomen would appear in the ranks then, where thousands now are found. Rely on it this country never will be preserved but by the yeomen; not one instance of the want of fidelity or courage can be produced against them. "We much fear Lord Cathcart is a holiday General. Fox and Marsden are par nobile fratrum. "They are very busy at the College Library, putting up the Fagel collection; and really the mind is so agitated by the present situation of the country, as makes it impossible to apply seriously to literary studies. The moment a calm succeeds this storm, I will carefully attend to Pelagius, and the hints you were so good as to communicate. "I have printed 300 pages; there are about 250 more: as things have turned out, the delay is of no consequence. Sir Richard Musgrave is busy criticising Plowden;§ had * Dr. John Law. See p. 703. + Alexander Marsden, esq. was under Secretary of State, Civil Department. See p. 840. Francis Plowden, esq. LL.D. was formerly a distinguished member of the English Chancery Bar, and author of the History of Ireland, and he begun early in life, he would have been the author of 500 folios. "Great numbers are emigrating to England, and drawing money from the funds at immense loss. The exchange is above 20 per cent. and the difference between Irish and English money 87. 158. per cent., so that a person loses 30 per cent. The reason I know this is, that Mrs. Ledwich had a notion of going with some ladies to Chester for the winter, but has declined it for the present, and your Lordship's example has much influenced her. "MY LORD, "E. LEDWICH." York-street, Sept. 23, 1803. "I esteem it a particular favour (under your present indisposition, which I hope will be soon removed) to receive a line from your Lordship. The papers detail the political circumstances of the country, so that to dwell on them is quite unnecessary. "Emmett's declaration that there were no persons of rank or respectability concerned with him, has in a great measure appeased the public uneasiness; and his explicit abjuration of French politics and French connection, has excited pity in most people, and, it is hoped, will tend to weaken the attachment of even the common people to such faithless and plundering allies. "He was assisted in his devotions by Mr. Gamble, the ordinary of Newgate, and Mr. Grant, the minister of Clondalkin, in which Kilmainham Gaol is situated; and from these he received the sacrament. He told them that it was generally believed that rebels and innovators had no religion; that for himself he was a Christian, and would give them every proof of being so. This circumstance of his dying a Protestant has rendered his name odious among the Papists, who load him with obloquy. This same circumstance unfortunately gives a handle to them to vindicate their loyalty, by showing that in this and the last rebellion Protestants were the principal conspirators. The argument, though popular with them, is weak; for there are a few enthusiasts and bad men of every profession: let them look to the incalculable bands of yeomen, and say whether loyalty and patriotism are not the characteristics of Protestants. numerous other works. He died at Paris, at an advanced age, in 1829. See a full account of him and his various publications, in Gent. Mag. for April 1829, p. 374. |