Published by Mattheus & Leigh. 8. Leigh Strand.

THE LIFE

OF

ARCHBISHOP USHER.*

JAMES
AMES USHER, Archbishop of Armagh, and
Primate of Ireland, was born at Dublin on
January 4, 1580-1. His father, Arnold Usher,
descended

*The principal authority for the facts in the following narrative is the Life of Usher composed by RICHARD PARR, D. D. the primate's chaplain at the time of his death, This person was the son of the Rev. Richard Parr of Devonshire, who settled as a minister at Fermoy in Ireland, in king James's reign. Richard, born in 1617, was sent to England for education, and entered of Exeter college, Oxford. He was chaplain-fellow of his college when Usher, in 1643, making Oxford his residence in the civil war, was so favourably impressed by Parr's conduct, and character, that he engaged him as his chaplain. He accompanied the primate into Wales, and afterwards to London; and was presented to the vicarage of Ryegate, and subsequently, to that of Camberwell. He continued, however, to be Usher's chaplain till the death of that prelate, by whom he was entrusted with the care of all his papers. After the Restora

descended from an English family of the name of Neville, long settled in Ireland, was one of the six clerks of the Irish chancery. His mo

ther

tion, he refused the offer of being settled as a dignitary in Ireland; but accepted a canonry of Armagh. He continued to reside at Camberwell till his death in 1691, much esteemed by his parishioners both as a preacher and a minister.

Dr. Parr published his Life of Primate Usher in 1686. It is a plain narrative, written with a spirit of moderation, and, though displaying little sagacity or enlargement of mind in judging of persons and events, containing an useful selection of matter elucidatory of the primate's character both as a prelate and a man of letters. It bears all the marks of veracity. To the life is appended a large collection of letters, which passed between Usher and a variety of correspondents. These, though in general not very interesting, afford many particulars which throw light upon the literary history of the times.

Considerable use has also been made of the Life of Usher by THOMAS SMITH, D. D. which is the first and principal article of his work entitled Vita quorundam eruditissimorum et illustrium Virorum, 1707, 4to. This writer, who was a man of a superior order in literature to the former, was born at London in 1657, and educated at Oxford. He became a fellow of Magdalen college, whither he returned after having lived some years with Sir Joseph Williamson, secretary of state, as his chaplain. He was resident in Magdalen college at the time of James the Second's arbitrary attempt to

force

ther was Margaret, daughter of James Stanihurst, a master in chancery, recorder of Dublin, and speaker of the Irish House of Commons in three parliaments.

James, from his childhood, displayed an aptitude for instruction; and it is a singular circumstance, that he was taught to read by two maternal aunts who were blind from inforce upon it a popish president; and though he was one of the two fellows who alone submitted to the authority of the royal visitors, he was at length expelled for refusing to consort with the new catholic fellows. Being restored to his place, he again incurred expulsion for declining to take the oaths to king William and queen Mary; and thenceforth chiefly resided in the family of Sir John Cotton, grandson of Sir Robert, engaged in composing various learned works, chiefly of the antiquarian, critical, and biographical class. He died at London in 1710. Dr. Smith was a man of deep and various erudition; but certainly does not merit the praise of moderation or liberality. In his biographical composi tions, whenever he is led to the mention of persons, sects, or doctrines, religious or political, adverse to his own opinions, which were those of the church of England in its most dogmatical and restricted form, he lavishes upon them all the vituperative and contemptuous expressions that his turgid and involved Latin style could furnish. In his Life of Usher he closely follows Parr as to the facts; but his accounts of the primate's writings are apparently the result of his own examination.

fancy.

fancy. He had the good fortune to receive his education under two able scholars, who had come from Scotland to supply the want of proper masters under which Ireland at that time laboured. These were James Fullerton and James Hamilton, young men of family, who opened a school in Dublin, and were supposed also to be commissioned by their king, James VI. to maintain a correspondence with the leading persons in that capital and vicinity, preparatory to his eventual succession to the crown of England.

Under these masters young Usher made a rapid progress in the rudiments of polite literature; so that in his thirteenth year he was judged qualified to be entered a student of the newly founded college of Dublin. A seminary of learning had been founded in this city as early as 1320, by Alexander Bicknor, archbishop of Dublin, but it was gone to total decay. The motion for its revival was made in parliament by Usher's grandfather, Mr. Stanihurst; and his uncle, James Usher, afterwards archbishop of Armagh, was very instrumental in obtaining the charter and grants for the new foundation from queen Elizabeth ;