celebration of her worship, and in ministers to celebrate it. That the queen and her English government were not ignorant of these defects, evidence exists in the communications, which passed between them, and the persons intrusted with the local administration of Irish affairs. Whether they were actuated by that earnest desire which ought to have prompted them to activity in the cause of God and of his truth, but were impeded in their efforts by obstacles insurmountable; or whether they were not fully alive to their duty, and not properly strenuous in the execution of it; different judgments may be formed: but unhappily, in either case, the melancholy fact is upon record, that sufficient provision was not made for the ministrations of the Church."

James's edition of the Prayer Book* was received by the Irish people without remark, as a necessary consequence of its adoption in England. In 1634, the third of the Irish canons imparted to it, at least, ecclesiastical authority, unless the words, "That Form of Liturgy, or Divine Service, which is established by the law," are to be exclusively applied to the only book they accurately describe, the Prayer Book of Elizabeth. Whichever book was meant, and the probability is much in favour of the former, the same, in an Irish translation, the churchwardens were to procure, by the ninety-fourth canon, for every place "where all, or the most part of the people are Irish.”+

* Vide 1 Stephens, Book of Common Prayer. Introd. cxl. Eccl. Hist. Soc. ed. 1849.

Clay on the Irish Prayer Book, British Magazine, Dec. 1846,

In 1608 the Prayer Book was printed in the Irish language and character, with a prefatory letter in English by William Daniel, or O'Donnell, Archbishop of Tuam, addressed to Sir Arthur Chichester, the Lord Deputy. Upon this subject the Editor has received the following valuable communication from the Rev. Dr. Todd. ·

"MY DEAR SIR,

"In compliance with your request I send you the accompanying collation of Archbishop Daniel's Irish version of the Prayer Book of King James I.

"That prelate was educated in the University of Dublin; ad been nominated a scholar of Trinity College in the foundation charter of Queen Elizabeth, and was one of the first fellows elected under that charter in 1593. In 1608 he was nominated by the Crown to the archbishopric of Tuam, and shortly afterwards completed the printing of his Prayer Book; having in 1602 published the first Irish version of the New Testament.

"The Prayer Book is a small folio, very neatly printed. It is now of great rarity. I have never seen but one copy of it, which is in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin: there is another copy in the Bodleian Library.

"It is printed in the Irish language and character, with the exception of the following dedication, which is in English:

"To the Right Honorable, and truely religious, Sir Arthure Chichester Knight, L. Deputy generall of Ireland,

W. D. wisheth all grace, prosperity and true comfort in this life and eternall hapinesse in the life to come.

Right Honorable, if learning & religion were hereditarie to any Nation (as they are not, witnes Jewes & Græcians) this noble Iland, (noble in respect of the quatity, and quality of the soyle) might compare with any whatsoeuer: Being somtimes in the account of very Heathen men, *Sacra Insula : & in the iudgemēt of aunciēt Christians, while Sathan was bound, Sanctorum patria,† bonarum literarum mercatura. Such is the nature of affectionate loue, that it easily beleeueth whatsoeuer may feede the strength thereof: Yet this my beleefe is grounded vpon the testimony of antiquity recorded by Straungers, who seldom flatter in their reportes of straunge Countryes. Famous Aldelmus writeth thus of Ireland: Discentium opulans, vernansque (vt ita dixerim) pascuosa numerositate, quemadmodum poli cardines, astriferis micantium ornantur vibraminibus siderum. Then was the Land adorned with multitudes of learned men, as the Firmament is adorned with shining stars. § Abbas Ionas writeth thus of this Nation Gens, quamquam cæterarum gentium legibus carens, attamen christianæ religionis dogmate florens, ita vt omnium vicinarum gentium fidem excellat. In those dayes the Neighbour Nations did highly admire the florishing estate of christian Religion, both preached and professed by our forefathers in this Kingdome. An other auncient authour writeth to the same effect, gracing the Country and the Nation thus: Scotia quæ & Hibernia dicitur, Insula est maris Oceani, fæcunda quidem glebis, sed viris sanctissimis clarior. Though this Kingdome were sometimes called Scotia, that is in Greek, darkenes, and now may iustly recouer the auncient title of Scotia maior, (being in greater darkenes) yet that God that caused light to shine out of darkenes in the beginning, caused also the beames of piety, learning,

* Ptolem: Geogra lib. 7. cap: 5. +Festus Auienus in Ora Marit:

In Epist. ad Ehfridum. circ: An: Dom: 690.

§ In vita Columbani circ. An: dom. 626.

|| Author vitæ Kiliani, qui occisus An: dom: 689.

and religion, to shine from hence vnto other Nations, that sate in darkenes and in the shadow of death: for as there came many swarmes hither from forraine Countryes to be trayned vp in learning and religion, (witnesse that famous Distich, Exemplo patrum commotus amore legendi, Iuit ad Hibernos, sophiâ mirabile, claros: The neighbour Saxons learning then their very characters from vs, the same in a manner with the characters of this Booke :) So this Beebiue sent many swarmes of learned Philosophers and religious Mounkes (much) differing from the Mounkes of these dayes) into forrain Kingdomes, as diuers Monasteries and Schooles of good learning, in Britanny, Burgundie, Heluetia, Franconia, and euen in Italy must confesse, being at the first founded by the religious Mounkes and Philosophers of Ireland. And not withstanding that since the time that Sathan was set at liberty, the smoake of the bottomlesse pit hath darkened the Sunne and the Aire, as well in this Kingdome, as in all other Christian Kingdomes of the World: Yet there is great hope that (Sathan being now tyed, the short time of his tyranny for deceiuing vniuersally being expired) this Kingdome may flourish in the same mercy that the neighbour Kingdomes doe, and may see greater glory, then euer it hath seene heretofore. Mee thinkes our mercifull God, whose property is, then to shew his mercies greatest when they are neerest to be dispaired of, hauing caused in the depth of our discomfort & dispaire, a most glorious Starre to arise out of the North, doth in this great mercy giue full assurance of all other blessings whatsoeuer. What though Sathan doe now rage more among vs then euer heretofore? His rage argues his desperate estate, and the vtter ruine of his Kingdome. The blessed Trinity hath already founded a Colledge vpon our Easterne shore, wherein learning and Religion begins to flourish, and (rising with the Sunne) to spred the beames thereof already to some partes, with much comfort and ioy: And I nothing doubt, but that in Gods good time, by the meanes thereof, and of the like Schooles of good learning, (the chiefest meanes of reformation) the Country that doth now generally sit in darkenes, shall in time see

In vitæ Sulgeni. circ. Ann: 1080. In Britan: Malmesburia, Lindisfarna. In Burg. Luxonium. In Heluet: S. Gallus. In Franc: Herbipolis. In Italia:

great light, to their euerlasting comfort. I see nothing wanting but zealous hearts and handes to build the Temple of the Lord, our gracious God hauing made the way plaine, by causing our warres to cease, the Land hauing partly swallowed vp in displeasure the disturbers of our peace, and partly spued them out into Straunge Countryes, crauing better Inhabitants to enjoy her blessings, and discouering her rich bosome for their kinde intertainment. Oh that the Land would swallow or spue out all wicked seducers, the bane of our Church and common-wealth, the onely Authors of the wofull ruines of our Sanctuaries; I meane not so much the materiall temples, (which tyrannous impiety hath made waste, with greater fury then they were at the first erected with zeale, the ruines whereof doe crye for vengeance in euery corner of the Land,) as those Sanctuaries which consisting of religious soules, are most immediately the pretious Temples of the holy Ghost. I know (right honorable) it hath deepely wounded your religious Soule, to see the miserable desolation of this poore decayed Church, which (weare it truely described,) would amaze the mind of any Christian. And out of a Christian sympathy of the miseries thereof, (that I say nothing of your vnwearied labours watered beyond all hope with the deaw of Heauen, for the generall good of this common-wealth, by managing the sword of Justice) your Lordship hath ofte played the part of a religious Bisshop, by exhorting the stiffe-necked to Religion & conformity, by dehorting from idolatry and superstition, by reprouing the obstinate, confuting their errours and correcting their vices, by planting in the Church the best choise of Ministers that the dearth and iniquity of the time could afford, contributing liberally to the maintenance of some for their better incouragement, & charging your owne purse extraordinarily with the maintenance of diuers poore Schollers of the Country byrth for their education in learning & religion, for the seruice of the Church; wherin your Lordship hath gayned the loue of the Nation in generall, and the commendation of a nursing Father to the Church, more then any your worthy Predecessors. And hauing out of an vnderstanding heart wisely considered, that the liturgy of the Church comming in the cloud of an vnknown tongue, can leaue no blessing behinde it, (as both +the Apostle teacheth, and this poore Church can testifye by wofull