HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN. .. (FROM ITS FOUNDATION TO THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH.)

It is difficult to analyse with accuracy, the feelings which pervade the mind, on the contemplation of those edifices which have been erected by the piety and munificence of our ancestors, for the improvement of the moral, the social, and political condition of mankind. The very barbarism from amid which they rose, tends to heighten the solemn feeling they invariably inspire. We consider them as the depositories of knowledge, when all around was sunk in the darkness of ignorance, and we respect them; we consider them, through the successive gradations of ages, still advancing moral science and philosophic truth, and we venerate them the more. There is, besides, a feeling in the heart, which connects us indissolubly with the past. What endears that past to a nation? The reputation of the great men it has produced.What can excite a deeper interest for institutions such as these, than the reflection that it is to them we owe that fame which genius has won, or learning has acquired. Of what materials must his character be composed, who does not feel his best sensibilities awakened-his piety animated-his thoughts dignified, and his moral tendencies strengthened, by the consideration of structures erected for purposes so ennobling and so dignified as these. It is, however, asserted, that we reverence them less for their objects than their antiquity. Man is the creature of system and of habit, and as of that which is established the advantages are known, and as every age has given fresh authority for respect, institutions of this nature, it is said, exact esteem, not from our conviction of their present benefit, but from the hallowing influence of time. Antiquity-if antiquity be considered like "every other quality that attracts the notice of mankind," has undoubtedly votaries; but votaries that reverence her more

Clayton.

from prejudice than reason. Her circle is, however, 'limited, and her worshippers are few; for admiration of this nature is rather the result of ignorance than refinement, as antiquity can only be exalted from its connexion with the history, the interests, and improvement of mankind. Now, as Colleges are the immediate promoters of these, when antiquity displays the influence they have exerted on the past, her claims are admitted, her influence is felt-she blends herself alike with our imagination and reason, and her power is at once venerated, acknowledged, and despotic. The establishment of Colleges and Halls may be traced to that devotional sentiment which induced the affluent to endeavour to propitiate heaven by the erection of edifices, where the sacred principles of religion might be inculcated, and its truths advanced. As the dark clouds of ignorance rolled away, they shed the light of revelation on mankind. They reclaimed him from an impure and mystical religion, and inculcated the Christian worship of his Creator. "They collected the learned who were few; and made them a compact and honourable confederacy against the ignorant, who were powerful and many. They gave rise to the plan of collective exertion and emulative industry, which advanced the energies of the mind, and encouraged the progress of discovery, and they supplied a continual growth of cultivated talent for the demands of successive generations, They treasured the materials of knowledge, saved from the wreck of that moral world which had been passed over by a desolating ignorance, and arranged them as the bases of new acquisitions." Such were the advantages consequent upon the foundation of Universities, advantages alone equalled by the benefits they have progressively conferred. Trinity College does not, perhaps, as a literary curiosity, present to us that extreme antiquity which would give to it the charm of its perspective. But it has age enough to make inquiry interesting, and sufficiently moral cir

cumstance to render its history instructive. The past has given it splendor-the future is radiant with hope; it arose from the liberal policy of a Princess-it has been enriched by the mental energies of its sons. Limited as the enquiry must necessarily be, it is presented as a tribute to a country, where genius has ever loved to dwell, and whence, history avers, that much of learning had its rise.

The lateness of the period assigned to the foundation of the University of Dublin, is not to be considered as indicative of the ignorance or apathy of the Irish. It arose, not from their want of zeal to obtain such an institution, or abilities to adorn it, but from the unhappy circumstances of the time.Clement the Fifth, in 1312, then in the seventh year of his pontificate, issued a bull upon the application of Archbishop Lech, "for the foundation of a University in Dublin;" but the death of the Archbishop prevented the fulfilment of the design. This was, however, effected in 1320, by Alexander de Bicknor, in St. Patrick's Church; but it declined and fell from the deficiency of funds. Thus, at a period when literature, rich with the stores of time, unfolded her treasures to expectant nations, Ireland, predominant over every other in the desire for similar advantages, could only boast the memory of plans for their possession. But the ministers of Elizabeth were equal to the spirit and the wants of the time: their desire was to base the government upon the interests and affection of the people. By their advice, and the concurrent patronage of Elizabeth, Sir John Perrot was appointed Deputy, or Governor of Ireland. He was a man of liberal feelings, and enlightened views; he saw the connection of the countries was founded upon reciprocity of interests, which would be best promoted by an asylum for learned men, from whence they might diffuse through society the benignant influence of liberal instruction. His plan was to dissolve the cathedral of St. Patrick, and appropriate the revenue for the foundation of Universities. His purpose, according to Ware, was "to have settled six masters in each of the colleges, and one hundred scholars to be instructed in learning, civility, and loyalty." But the influence of Archbishop Loftus, supported by the interest of the Lord Keeper, who concealed their cupidity under the plea of profanation, retarded its erection by the disgrace of Perrot. It is difficult to elicit the cause for which Perrot was continually pursued by the maliciousness of Loftus; but Rawlinson, his biographer, has preserved a letter from Elizabeth, written with all the pride of a Tudor, and the imperiousness of a woman, desiring the Archbishop to forego his hatred, in obedience to her. But although Sir John Perrot was deposed, Elizabeth did not abandon the undertaking, and the Archbishop was desired to devise a plan for the realization of its advantages. There was, at that time, belonging to the corporation of the city, a piece of ground which had formed the scite, ambit and precinct, of the Augustinian monastery of All Saints, a priory of Aroasian Canons, founded in 1166, by Dermot M'Murrough, king of Leinster. These buildings were in ruins, but were apparently well calculated for the purpose. The Archbishop immediately applied to the Mayor and Common Council, and addressed them with an eloquence so "pathetic," as to obtain the monastery and lands for the purposes explained. The formality of petitioning the Queen for "her Charter" was performed by Henry Usher, which was, of course, complied with; and on the 3d of March following, letters patent passed the Great Seal for the erection of a University, called "COLLEGIUM SANCTÆ ET INDIVIDUÆ TRINITATIS JUXTA DUBLIN A SERENISSIMA REGINA ELIZABETHA FUNDATUM."

These were,

By this instrument, one Provost, three Fellows, and three Scholars, were appointed in the name of more. Adam Loftus, the Provost, Henry Usher, A.M. Luke Challoner, A. M., and Launcelot Moyne, A.B. for Fellows, and Henry Lee, William Daniel, and Stephen White, as Scholars. The attention of its founders was now directed to the provision of a sum for its support; but the state of the country was but little favourable to this-incessant wars had barbarized the people, and continued exactions had impoverished them. There was, indeed, a momentary calm; but it was the stillness which foretells commotion. Nevertheless, on March 11, 1591, Fitzwilliam, the Lord Deputy, and the Privy Council issued circular letters for the furtherance of their views; but the amount received was apparently inconsiderable, as Robert Taaffe, its collector, complains of the unsuccessful results of his application. On the 13th of March, 1591, the first stone was laid by Thomas Smyth, then Mayor, and on the 9th of January, 1593, the first students were admitted, Nothing but the zeal and interest of Archbishop

Loftus could, however, have sustained the institution during the civil war, which now spread its destructive violence around. He made its necessities a consideration of state; and obtained a "Concordatum of forty pounds per annum, and an allowance of six dead payes (morte payes) out of such cheques as should be imposed on her Majesty's army." This grant was subsequently repeated, and largely increased by the liberality of Elizabeth, who watched over the institution with a zeal alike honorable to her station and her mind. S. H.

FINE ARTS.

Historic Sketch of the past and present state of the Fine
Arts in Ireland.
No. 7.

(Continued from p. 327.)

SMALL as was the advancement of the Fine Arts in Ireland, during the sixteenth century, it was nevertheless, greater, probably, than in that which immediately followed. The reign of James the First, which was but little favourable to their cultivation in England, would, consequently, be still less so in this island; and during the troubled reign of his son, the elder Charles, a name still dear to cultivated minds, for his liberal devotion to literature and the fine arts, Ireland was involved in all the horrors of a civil war, not inferior in its disastrous consequences to any by which it had previously been devastated, and which clouded our unfortunate country with more than her former darkness and barbarity. The tyrannical government of the usurper, was not less unpropitious to the progress of the arts of civilized life, which were in little danger of being dishonoured by the admiration of those fanatic soldiers, who were so suddenly transformed from ignorant plebeians, into estated gentlemen, by the mandate of their chief. The curse of bigotry and brutality-the true curse of Cromwell-was upon them; and it would necessarily take two or three generations at least, to redeem their descendants from its baneful influence. Even the restoration, though it brought to Ireland a melancholy calm, which was miscalled peace, did not send her usual attendants, the fine arts. Prosperity and happiness, away from which they cannot live, were still absent. The ancient gentry of the country, were, for the greater part, reduced to indigence, and thirsted only to regain those inheritances by the sword, which they had vainly expected from the justice of the restored monarch; while the more fortunate minions of Cromwell, though confirmed in their acquired possessions by Charles, had still too strong a conviction on their minds of the insecurity of their title, and the probability of another revolution, to feel disposed even if they had the taste, to indulge in what might be considered, even by more cultivated minds, as unnecessary luxuries. The expected storm, which was longed for by one party, and dreaded by the other, at length came on, in the succeeding reign of James, and added waste and ruin to the general misery. It is not, then, to be wondered at, that few traces of the fine arts, and those few almost entirely confined to sepulchral monuments, should be found in Ireland, in this disastrous age; or, that the marks of their existence should be, as Moore has elegantly said of our music, like the altar of Pity at Athens, only known by the tears that were shed there!

The sepulchral monuments of the 17th century deserve but slender praise as works of art. They are usually of a mural form, covered over with heraldic emblazonments, trophies, mottos, and other devices, grotesque and barbarous as well in design as execution. The best of them are those of the Boyle family, and archbishop Jones, in St. Patrick's cathedral, to which we have previously alluded. These are, at present, almost the only specimens of this age now remaining in our metropolis, though before the parish church of St. Audeon's was suffered to fall to decay, it presented a vast assemblage of such tombs, but of far inferior magnificence, belonging to the chief Protestant families of Dublin, during that century. There are, however, several interesting remains of this kind, to be found in other parts of the kingdom, as the tomb of O'Connor Sligo, and his wife, the old Countess of Des

mond, in Sligo abbey:-the still nobler monument, in the fine abbey of Ballintober, county of Mayo, of the unfortunate Tierna Mayo, who was executed and his family attainted for his supposed participation in the massacre on the bridge of Shrule:-the tomb of the Chichesters, in Carrickfergus-that of the Aylmers, in Donadea church, county of Kildare-the Bowen's monument, in the ruined church of Bally-Adams, King's county; and many others unnecessary to enumerate. The name of the artists, by whom these monuments were executed, have not descended to us; and they have only received the fate they merited.

After the reign of the first James, no architectural edifices worthy of note, were erected in Ireland till the restoration, when a few domestic buildings were raised in the French taste of the age, which was introduced into Britain, with many other licentious innovations, by the restored monarch. The castle of Antrim, built by Sir John Clotworthy, though altered in its general style, still preserves a good and characteristic example of this style of architecture in its decorated front, on which there is represented in bas-relief, a portrait of the unfortunate Charles. The castle of Kilkenny, now rebuilt in a better taste, was also of this period. Of the public edifices of the time, we have fine examples in the Royal Hospital at Kilmainham-and in the College Library, an edifice which is at once characteristic, and yet free from the bad taste of the age in which it was erected. The old Tholsel, too, which stood in Skinner's-row, but has been some time taken down, was perhaps the first attempt at anything like classical architecture in any of the erections of our island. The front was ornamented with statues of Charles II. and his unfortunate brother the Duke of York. These are still in existence, and ouly remarkable for the size of their wigs, which makes them rather amusing as curiosities. If however, these barbarous figures give us but a poor opinion of the sculptor's art at this period, we shall receive a very different impression on looking at the carvings in oak, in the chapel of Kilmainham hospital, which, if our recollection be not unfaithful, are of great beauty, and no doubt carved in England by Gibbons, or some of his assistants; they were certainly not done in Ireland by native artists.

These notices of the progress of sculpture and architecture in Ireland in the 17th century, are dry, perhaps, and scanty, but we believe there is nothing better to offer —and we have but little to add relative to painting, the more illustrious and popular sister art. There is no memorial in existence of a single native professional painter in Ireland during this whole century; any pictures that were produced here, were the works of strangers. James Gandy, an Englishman, who was a pupil of Vandyke, and, as a portrait painter, not very inferior to his "mighty master," was brought over by the old Duke of Ormond, and retained, we believe, in his service, till the period of his death, which occurred in the year 1689. His portraits of distinguished persons are not uncommon among us, though they are usually attributed to the hand of his illustrious instructor; and even the fine portraits in the castle of Kilkenny, called Vandyke's, are, we believe, well-known to be chiefly copies by Gandy. Very little indeed is known of his history.

Towards the close of this century, another portrait painter named Wright, according to Vertue, settled here, "and had so much success that he gained £900 the first year, and had £10 a head." He must, at that rate, have been at least a rapid if not an able painter. He was educated in Rome, and was the nephew of Michael Wright, a Scotsman, who painted portraits with applause in Lon. don. Of his merits we are not able to speak.

A far more celebrated man, John Van Wyck, is generally supposed to have come into Ireland at this period in the train of King William; but of this fact we believe there is no better evidence than that afforded by the commonness of his works here, and particularly those of his favourite subject, the Battle of the Boyne. There is, we think, greater probability that another distinguished artist, but in a different line, visited Ireland at this time in the train of the deposed monarch-we mean one of the Rottiers-James's medallists. That unfortunate king had

certainly a mint in Capel-street, and his coins, though struck only in base metal, display at least the aristocracy of art in their hasty but elegant execution.

To these notices we should not forget to add the name of Simon Digby, Bishop of Elphin, a distinguished amateur, who painted miniature portraits with the hand of a master. He was of the family of Lord Digby, and the son of Essex Digby, Bishop of Dromore. He succeeded to the see of Limerick in 1678, and was translated to Elphin in 1691, where he died in 1720.

His love for painting must have been enthusiastic, for we have ourselves seen nearly thirty portraits of his hand. They are chiefly of his own family, or of distinguished persons with whom he was intimate; as among the former, two of his father, (one very admirable), and one of his mother; and among the latter, Sandcroft, Archbishop of Canterbury; Tillotson; Hoff, Bishop of Winchester; Narcissus Marsh; the Duke of Tyrconnell; Lord Capel, &c. &c. We believe they are now in the appropriate keeping of the worthy Dean of St. Patrick's, and they could not possibly be in better hands.

Bishop Digby was also a lover of planting and gardening. The trees at Abbert-the seat of Mr. Blakeney, in the county of Galway, the finest timber now in that county, were of his planting. We have wandered in the shade of their luxuriant masses, eating delicious fruit from the garden he planted, but these enjoyments did not excite in our mind so grateful a regard for his memory as his attachment to that delightful art, of which we are ourselves sincere though humble lovers. P.

ON THE COMMON SEALS AND DEVICES OF THE VARIOUS MUNICIPAL BODIES

OF IRELAND.

TO THE Editor of THE DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL.

SIR,-The use of seals has from the earliest period formed the strongest evidence of civilization; we read of them in the history of almost every country, and under every dynasty; they form the strongest rivet in the social compact, and have been invariably used as the bond and sign of authenticity in the most important transactions between man and man; they speak a language that cannot be misunderstood, and not only represent the actual personal identity of the owners or users, but also their most firm resolves and determinations; and the affixing of the sigillum has been, and still is, the fiat of life or death, peace or war, affluence or poverty, honour or dishonour.

There is a class of this description which, I believe, has never yet (at least in this country) been fully brought before the public, namely, the common seals or devices of the different corporations or communities in Ireland; the study of them is calculated not only to interest the enquiring mind, but also to throw much light on our history and customs; and a regular collected series of them, I am convinced would be highly acceptable to the antiquarian or virtuoso. The matter has occasionally occupied my attention, and your readers having been presented, in one or two instances, with copies of those of some of the ancient religious communities, I have ventured to take up the subject in a tangible form, and relying for assistance on the contributions of many of "good men and true," denizens, citizens, and freemen of the various cities, boroughs, and towns corporate of Ireland, I offer to my fellow-countrymen, through you, No. I. of THE CABINET OF NATIONAL SEALS AND DEVICES.

It is reasonable to suppose, that at the period the charters, and consequently the arms and ensignia of the different municipal bodies, were granted, the devices chosen or conferred were selected as applying in some measure to the character of the place or its relative importance in the commonwealth, and, in some instances to its local situation or history. We also observe that some of those seals consist only of a single device, while others are perfect emblazonments of arms, with escutcheon, crest, motto, &c. Examples in point are here adduced, premising that, although it might be supposed the arms of the city of Dublin should occupy the first place, yet I am inclined to give the post of honour to the most ancient, and shall begin with

barbarous Latin of the age, Monasterum de viridi Ligno; and in Irish, Na Juar, or Na Yur, signifying the yew trees. It will be remembered that in the 13th number of this Journal, in the article entitled "The Charter of Newry," it is stated that a tradition exists to the effect that "two large yew trees formerly grew within the precincts of the abbey, from which the place was called, in old English documents, the Newries," the accuracy of which tradition is singularly confirmed by the extract from the annals of the Four Masters, also quoted there, which records that, in the year 1162, "The monastery of the monks of Newry was burned with all its furniture and books, and also the yew trees, which Saint Patrick himself had planted."

The next I shall advert to, are the Arms of Drogheda, one of our oldest corporations, enjoying that distinction since the reign of King John, and held in such repute by the heads of the English power in this country, that the various chief governors, until the reign of Charles II., made it their occasional residence, and there performed many of the most important acts of their government. The arms are azure, a crenelated gate of two towers argent, portcullised sable, surmounted by pennons gules; on the dexter, a ship appearing to sail behind the gate, having St. George's ensign displayed over her stern-on the sinister, three lions of England, issuant or. Crest, on a wreath, a crescent and star, argent; motto, "Deus Præsidium Mercatura Decus."

These arms are a strong evidence of the former strength and importance of this town; and point out the security afforded by its possession to the commerce of England, represented by the ship bearing her flag-and to her military power, signified by the cognizance of their kingboth equally secured and guarded by the embattled gate, which also points out the possession of this fortress as the key of the north, and the sallyport from which they might issue, to curb and restrain the province of Ulster, in which division of the kingdom the County of Louth was formerly considered.

The Crest-the half moon and star-is not the least interesting part of the device-being the arms of the prince from whom the Corporation of Drogheda received its charter. They appear in this fashion on all the triangular coins of John struck in this country, and also in sculpture over the thrones in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, which were erected during his lordship of Ireland. That the commerce of Drogheda was, from the earliest period, considerable, is incontestibly proved by the motto; and long may its citizens have cause to say

"GOD is our safeguard, and merchandize our glory."

The last I shall on the present occasion instance, is the common seal of the County of the Town of Carrickfergus, to which I am indebted to Mr. M'Skimin's very valuable history of this town. This represents a castle, crenelated and turretted, the base washed by the sea, with a palm branch on each side; the birds I take to be merely ornamental. This device refers entirely to the situation; for although Carrickfergus is undoubtedly a very ancient corporation, yet it was so exposed to the assaults and insults of an implacable enemy, that it never arrived at any particular importance. Mr. M'Skimin states, that it is said to have been incorporated by King John, and says, that as "it is certain sheriffs were appointed in those counties and cities held by the English, by Henry II, who were confirmed by King John on his visit to Ireland, the 12th of his reign, some of those princes may have I created it a county." The sheriffalty was held jointly with that of the County of Antrim. The most ancient patent existing respecting them, is dated September 11th, 1326, the 20th of Edward II.; the words are-" The King to his beloved John de Athye, greeting. Know ye that we have committed to you the office of Sheriff of the Counties of Carrickfergus and Antrim, to hold during pleasure." In the Down Survey, it is called the County Palatine of Carrickfergus." Counties Palatine were erected immediately after the conquest of the country by the English, and were endowed with "great privi leges," in order that the inhabitants, who were "subject to continual invasions," might defend them against the "wild Irish."

66

I have thus endeavoured to sketch the outline of a plan for the elucidation of a most interesting portion of our national antiquities. Trusting that it will be followed up, I beg leave to subscribe myself, yours truly, R. ARMSTRONG.

THE TOMB IN HOLY CROSS ABBEY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL.

SIR-I have seen in your 42d Number a very interesting paper on the beautiful monument in Holy Cross Abbey, which hitherto has been considered as that of Donald More O'Brien, king of Limerick, but which you desire to exhibit as that of Eleanor Butler, daughter of James, the second earl of Ormond, and the wife of Gerald, the fourth earl of Desmond.

While highly approving of the preliminary remarks on the requisites and characteristics of a true antiquary, as distinguished from the stupid industry and grub

bing propensities of those who are unable to rise above the rubbish which surrounds them, I cannot exactly agree with the writer in his conjecture, and am inclined to believe that he is better versed in antiquarian than in heraldic lore, and therefore has fallen into mistakes out of which I may possibly extricate him. Being somewhat acquainted with heraldry, and having made antiquarian researches a part of my study, I venture to assert that the monument in question is not the tomb of the Countess of Desmond, or any of her family, but that of Elizabeth, the daughter and heiress of Gerald, earl of Kildare, who was the first wife of James, the fourth earl of Ormond. This indeed removes all difficulties; all the escutcheons of arms are in perfect order and position. The royal arms of England show the descent of the Butlers from the Plantagenets; the Butler coat is on the husband's side; the Fitzgeralds on the wife's; the Gross on the first escutcheon may be, and possibly was, intended to represent that of St. George.

The lady to whom I assign this monument died about the year 1400. The architecture is of that period; and, as above stated, the heraldry tells the tale exactly. Is any further proof necessary?

I will merely add, in conclusion, that the haughty and powerful earl of Desmond was not likely to acknowledge by his own act the superiority of his wife's family, by placing her arms in the most honorable position, to the degradation of his own; nor was such a practice usual even where the disparity of rank was much greater than between the Desmonds and Ormonds.

Hoping that your useful Journal may be made the vehicle of much future antiquarian information, and wishing success to your exertions, I am, &c. Stradbrook House.

WILLIAM BETHAM.

As the elucidation of truth is at all times our paramount object, we have great pleasure in giving publicity to the above communication from our kind and worthy friend, the Ulster King-the most competent authority on such a question. For his opinion we have the most sincere respect, and are free to acknowledge, that we should not have ventur. ed on the publication of the article commented on, without consulting him, but that he was at the time, and for some weeks previous, out of the country. But though we do not desire to uphold an opinion one moment for the sake of argument, or to maintain a claim to antiquarian infallibility, we must, notwithstanding, confess with every deference, that Sir William has not quite convinced us that we have been in error -and though it is not unlikely that we may be wrong, we are strongly inclined to believe that he is far from being right. We shall endeavour to make this apparent. In the age, which we were the first to assign to this remarkable monument, Sir William concurs; he differs with ns only as to the person for whom it was erected, who, he asserts, was not the daughter of James, the Second Earl of Ormond and Countess of Desmond, but the daughter and heiress of Gerald, Earl of Kildare, who was the first wife of James, the Fourth Earl of Ormond. To come to this conclusion, it is in the first place, obviously necessary to prove that the arms on the fourth shield, are those of Kildare and not of Desmond. It is on the admission of this premise that all Sir Wil liam's conclusions rest. But though he takes this for granted, we do not; as he has advanced no evidence to support this supposition; while on the other hand it is to be observed, that in the engraving of the tomb given in the year 1772, by O'Halloran, the arms are undoubtedly those of Desmond; and that in a recent etching, by Mr. D. Gurney, they ap pear also to be of that family. Secondly, even though we should concede this point to Sir William, his conclusions are not borne out by facts; for it appears by unquestionable historical evidences-first, that James, the Fourth Earl of Ormond, was not married before the year 1400, the period assigned by Sir William for his wife's death, or even of age in the year 1407, in which year his wardship was granted to Thomas, Duke of Lancaster, son of Henry IV. Secondly, though it is true that bis first wife was, as Sir William states, the daughter of Gerald, Earl of Kildare, her name was not Elizabeth but Joan; and though this dif ference of name is of little consequence, it is certain that the Countess can have no claim to the monument in question, as we have evidence that she died in London, in the year 1430, and was buried there in the hospital of St. Thomas D'Acres, to which her husband had been a great benefactor. There was also at a later period, another intermarriage between the noble houses of Ormond and Kildare, when in 1485, Pierce, the Eighth Earl of Ormond married the celebrated Lady Margaret, the daughter of Gerald, the Eighth Earl of Kildare;-but the claim of this lady must, equally with that of her predecessor, be set aside, as it is certain that she was interred with her husband in the cathedral of Kilkenny, as appears from the inscription on their magnificent tomb, still remaining. Are we not justified, therefore, in replying that further proof IS necessary before we should be satisfied that we are in error, or that, at least, Sir William himself is nearer the truth?

P.

ANCIENT BAPTISMAL FONT,

The font, of which the above is a representation, formerly occupied a conspicuous place in the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter's at Drogheda-a building which, although long destroyed, in former days yielded to none in this kingdom in extent or magnificence-its precincts contained several chapels and oratories, erected and dedicated by the piety of individuals renowned in their day. At various times, within its walls, were held Synods for the regulation of the spiritual concerns of Ireland, over which, the venerable Primates of Armagh presided-and beneath its floor, reposed the ashes of those who, in this life, ruled and swayed the destinies of thousands.

We have strong evidence to prove this church was rich in ornament and decoration; and that the various arts then in use for the enrichment of ecclesiastcal edifices were put in requisition for its embellishment. In " Guillim's Display of Heraldry," page 327, (printed A.D. 1660) the following example occurs:-"He beareth argent, a cheuron engrailed between three trumpets sable, by the name of Thunder; this coat armour standeth in a glass window, in St. Peter's Church, in Drogheda, in Ireland," and we have record in Harris's Collections, vol. 2d, as quoted by Archdall, that "the steeple of this church, supposed to be the highest then in the world, was thrown down

ST. PETER'S, DROGHEDA.

by a violent tempest, about midnight of the 27th Jan. 1548.* This steeple was subsequently replaced by one of wood, which continued until 1649, when Cromwell, like a destroying angel, swept the land with the besom of destruction;-after forcing an entrance into this devoted town, he caused this "church to be fired," and in it he acknowledges" above 2000 persons were put to the sword, flying thither for safety. See the 36th number of the Journal. The ancient church of St. Peter's never recovered this visitation; that it was partially repaired, is evident from a view of the town, engraved in 1692, in possession of the writer, in which it is represented as having a steeple; but in the year 1740, it was entirely removed and the present beautiful edifice, of Grecian architecture, erected on its site.

Among the ornaments in the original church, the subject of this notice must have been conspicuous: it presents a very beautiful specimen of ancient art; and being composed of lime-stone, the produce of the neighbouring quarries, is evidently the work of a native artist.

In form, it is an octagon-a figure usually employed by the ancient Christian Irish in the construction of baptistories; examples of which we have at Mellifont Abbey, County of Louth, St. Doulagh's, County of Dublin, &c.The entire outer surface is elaborately carved; the front