THE HON. DAINES BARRINGTON,

IS brother to the late Lord Barrington, the prefent Bishop of Durham, and alfo to Admiral Barrington.

This gentleman was bred to the law, a profeffion in which he never made a very confpicuous figure, but was fucceffively promoted to be one of the King's counsel, and a Welch judge; the latter of which stations he refigned fome years ago, on account of his growing infirmities. He has also poffeffed several other places under government, fuch as deputy-keeper of the wardrobe, fecretary to Greenwich-hospital, marshal of the admiralty, and commiffioner of ftores at Gibraltar, the laft of which only he now retains.

But if Mr. Barrington is not celebrated as a lawyer, he may justly claim the honour of being accounted a profound and judicious antiquary, an agreeable companion, and a truly worthy man. In 1775, he publifhed an Effay on the Probability of reaching the North Pole, 4to; and in 1781, a volume of Mifcellanies, alfo in 4to. principally on Antiquarian fubjects.

In 1766, he prefented the world with a volume of Obfervations upon the Statutes, from Magna Charta to the 21 James I. in which he ftrongly enforces a revifal, and adds a propofal for new modelling the whole. This is a work of great merit, and a fecond edition was called for and publifhed in 1776.

To enumerate Mr. Barrington's literary labours, would be an Herculean task: among them we find an Account of fome Fish in Wales;" “Investiga

tion of the Difference between the paft and prefent Temperature of the Air in Italy;" "Obfervations on Welch Caftles;" a Controverfy with Dr. Ducarel, concerning "Cheftnut Trees;" "Method of keeping Carp alive out of Water;" "Two Letters on Cæfar's Invafion;""Effay on the periodical Appearance of Birds;" "On the diftinguished Qualities of the Rabbit and Hare;" "Experiments on the finging of Birds;" "Correction of fome Miftakes in Ornithology;""Account of two Welch Mufical Inftruments;"" On the Remains of the ancient Cornish Language;" "Inquiry into the Antiquity of Clocks;" Conjectures relative to certain Remains of vitrified Walls in Scotland;" "On Archery;" "On Mufical Inftruments;" "On Card-playing."

66

Moft of thefe are highly entertaining, and fome of them evince the moft profound research.

This very ingenious man was the friend of Dr. Johnson, and a member of the club in Effex-street, inftituted by that great moralift. He ftill appertains to a fociety of choice fpirits, who meet at the Grecian, whither he is fupported by his man, and returns in a chair to chambers. The templars, the city beaus, and, indeed, the world in general, are much obliged to him for the improvements made in the garden facing the Thames, which exhibits more modern tafte and elegance than could be well expected from an antiquary.*

Soon after the publication of the above life, Mr. Barrington ceafed to be numbered among the living Public Characters of this country.

Ed.

DR.

DR. O'LEARY.

ARTHUR O'LEARY is a native of Cork, in Ireland, and a member of the moft numerous and leaft predominant fect in that country.

After receiving fome previous inftruction in his native land, he was fent to the continent, in 1747, to prepare him for the fituation for which he was defigned-that of a Prieft of the Roman Catholic Church. He accordingly refided for a confiderable time at the college of St. Omer's, and became a member of the order of St. Francis.

On the completion of his ftudies, he was appointed chaplain to a regiment in the fervice of the Prince in whofe dominions he had been educated; but not entering warmly into the meafure of engaging the fubjects of thefe kingdoms to enlift in foreign battalions, he incurred the difpleafure of thofe in power, and foon after returned to the country which had given him birth.

By the affiftance of fome friends, he built a small but decent chapel in his native city; and a circuinstance foon occurred which procured him fome little provincial celebrity. A work, about this time, was published in Cork, entitled "Thoughts on Nature and Religion." It was written by a Scotch phyfician; and as no one answered it, Father O'Leary applied to Dr. Man, the bishop of the diocese in which he refided, for permiffion to enter the lifts; now the churches of England and Rome happening to think alike on the matter in difpute, he imme

diately

1

diately granted leave. Accordingly, foon after this, appeared his " Defence of the Divinity of Christ, and the Immortality of the Soul."

When the Parliament of Ireland framed a test-oath for the Roman Catholics, many perfons of tender confciences fcrupled to take it. On this, Mr. O'Leary published his "Loyalty afferted, or the Teft-Oath vindicated;" in which he explained the feeming dif ficulties that occurred, fo much to the fatisfaction of the nonjuring Catholics in his neighbourhood, that they unanimously fubfcribed.

At that critical period, during the unfortunate war with America, when the combined fleets of France and Spain rode triumphant on the British coaft, and threatened an invafion of Ireland, he addreffed his Catholic countrymen in the most energetic-language, and in fuch an effectual manner, as to merit the thanks of every good citizen.

His next publications were in reply to fome fevere charges made against the Roman Catholics, by the late Mr. Wefley; and in thefe he attempted to refute that odious imputation by which they are accused of "keeping no faith with heretics!"

Another valuable tract published by Mr. O'Leary, is called, "An Effay on Toleration, and a Plea for Freedom of Confcience." In this cffay the reasoning is folid and perfuafive, and the whole tenor of it tends to inculcate the principles of liberality and humanity.

These fix pieces have been publifhed in a volume, under the title of "Mifcellaneous Tracts;" and it

has

has reached a third, if not a fourth edition. It is dedicated to the "Monks of St. Patrick," a fociety of refpectable men in Ireland, who affociated for the support of the conftitution of their country.

In addition to the literary labours already alluded to, an excellent pamphlet published in 1786, and entitled, " A Review of some interesting Periods in the Irish Hiftory," is alfo attributed to him; and Mr. Pratt has drawn his character in a very masterly manner, in his late novel called "Family Secrets," one volume of which is infcribed to the Doctor.

Father O'Leary, as he is familiarly called, and who is faid to have received a penfion from Government for his public fervices, has lately printed a fermon on the prefent fituation of affairs, which was originally preached at St. Patrick's Chapel.

BARRY, LORD YELVERTON,

CHIEF BARON OF THE EXCHEQUER IN IRELAND.

LIKE many other of thofe men whofe talents and virtues have raised them in Ireland to the highest places in the law, Chief Baron Yelverton owes nothing to illuftrious birth, to family connexions, or to wealth accumulated by ancestors. If report be true (and it is highly honourable to him), his lordship's immediate progenitor was nothing more than a petty dealer in wool, in the neighbourhood of Clonmell, far from affluent in point of circumftances, and unable to do more for Barry, his fon, than to give him

the