some years past, must be fully convinced of this. But the subject is too delicate for me to handle with safety. Yet Mr. Skelton's remarks to me, with respect to the college election, though they savoured somewhat of the courtier, may, I hope, be introduced, without giving offence. He said, that the college should always choose men of consequence, and high authority with government to represent them. "Such persons," he observed, "would be able to obtain for them favours from government, which young hot-headed men of narrow connexions could not possibly procure. The fellows of the college," he continued, "have often complained to me that government never make bishops of any of them now, as they used in former times; but how can they expect this, when they choose representatives to oppose them in parliament?"

A part of the college, while he was there, being accidentally set on fire, he exerted himself in carrying water to quench it, which could not be effected till three buildings were consumed. He fatigued himself almost to death, while many of his fellow-students quietly looked on. His brother Thomas was once while a school-boy in imminent danger from an accident of this nature; being confined by a fever in a room in Lisburn when it was on fire; but he was luckily carried out to the fields before the flames reached the place where he lay.

Skelton, finding it impossible for him to gain the provost's favour, resolved to take his degree as soon as the proper time arrived, and quit the college. He accordingly took due care to prepare himself for the examination, which it was necessary to undergo, and he succeeded as well as he could wish; but still there was an impediment in his way. The provost strove to plague him once more before they parted. Being well assured he would be glad to get free of the college, where he was subject to his power, which he had made him too sensibly feel; he at the commencement,* for some idle pretence, stopped him of his deHe was thus all at once disappointed in his hopes. His only remedy now was to wait with patience till the next commencement, which would take place in about

gree.

Commencements signify the ceremony of taking degrees, which is held twice in the year, viz. on Shrove-Tuesday, and the Tuesday next after the 8th of July.

half a year. When the time began to approach, he considered how he might play a trick on the provost, and get his degree. Accordingly, a few days before it arrived, he waited on him, and, after paying his humble submission, said to him," Mr. Provost, I am extremely obliged to you for stopping me of my degree last time, because it was what I wished for above all things, and I beg and beseech you may also stop me now, as my friends are forcing me to take it, and quit the college, contrary to my desire." "Ah, you dog," he replied, "what do you mean, do you wish to stay here contrary to your friends' consent? Take your degree, sirrah, and quit the college, or I'll make you smart for it." Skelton began to lament, saying how greatly distreessd he was at getting this unfavourable answer. "Don't be growling here, sir," he said, "but go about your business; I'll not agree to your request, you shall take your degree in spite of you, sirrah." Upon this Skelton with sorrowful countenance, though with joy at his heart, walked grumbling out of the room. My scheme," he told

me, "happily succeeded, so I took my degree, and quitted the college; and a fig for the provost." He commenced Bachelor of Arts in July, 1728, and had his name taken off the college books on the 31st of May following, two years before the natural expiration of his scholarship.

Though Dr. Baldwin treated him with such severity, yet he always spoke of him with respect, and indeed justly, for he was on the whole an excellent provost. He possessed, Skelton said, a kind of solemn gravity suitable to his station. His person and external behaviour were dignified and striking. He required a strict adherence to academic discipline, and set the example himself. He attended chapel twice every day, at ten in the morning, and four in the afternoon. He was also unmarried and a clergyman, an austerity enjoined by the letter of the statutes. Yet he could not entirely overcome the propensities of human nature. His partiality for a certain fair one afforded subject for some scandal, and at length roused the indignation of the students, who rose up against her and turned her out of the college.

Baldwin, it is owned, had most of the qualities requisite for the station he possessed; but their effect was often de

stroyed by his imperious conduct. His violent expulsion of Dr. Hughes, a senior fellow, for some disrespectful expressions against him in his absence, strongly marks the character of the man. In his political opinions he could bear no opposition. He had an utter aversion to Dean Swift, because he was a tory, and used to say scornfully of him, that he was remarkable for nothing else, while in the college, except for making a good fire. He would not allow his college-woman, he said, to do it, but took that trouble on himself. Baldwin died, when he was above ninety, in 1758, having enjoyed the provostship forty-three years.

Skelton related the following story of his prowess. The students were formerly obliged by the statutes to go to Patrick's Cathedral every Sunday in Lent, which produced violent quarrels between them and the butchers of Patrick's market. At one of these conflicts, the provost ran out before them, and said, " Follow me, my lads, and I'll head you. I am appointed by your parents and friends to take care of you, and I'll fight for you till I die."-"He would have done so too," said Skelton, " for he was as brave as a lion." It was at length found necessary, on account of these quarrels, to pass an act of parliament dispensing with their attendance at St. Patrick's.

I have been so much taken up with his academic scuffles with Dr. Baldwin, that I inadvertently omitted a few of his juvenile exploits, which may, not improperly, be introduced here. Among his other accomplishments, he was a most excellent dancer; he could both dance gracefully, and dance long, two rare qualities united. During the college long-vacations, he amused himself with various exercises at Derriaghy, such as throwing the stone, the sledge, and the like. But long-bullets* was his favourite exercise, in which there was no match for him in the whole parish. Yet, though he excelled the generality of others in every exercise, he owned, he was beat shamefully by individuals in them all.

He went once during vacation on a visit to Mourne, and

Long-bullets is an exercise, wherein a metal ball of two or three pounds weight is thrown along a public road. He whose ball, in an equal number of throws, goes farthest beyond a fixed point, is victorious.

shewed there at a public meeting many feats of activity; running up turf-stacks, like a cat, without stopping till he came to the top, which amazed every one present. When he saw them surprised at his agility, he challenged any of them to play long-bullets with him. They then produced, after some hesitation, a thin poor-looking body, who, they said, would play with him. Skelton viewed his puny antagonist with contempt. He looked down on him, as Goliah did on David. "Is it you," he said, " that are to play with me?"-"Yes," the man replied. "Well, well," he said," we'll soon settle this matter." Skelton then took the bullet, and made a huge throw quite confident of success. The little fellow, in his turn, took the bullet, and threw it about twice as far as Skelton, who stood in amazement. He declared he heard the bullet whizzing past him, as if it had been shot out of a cannon; he threw it with such force. Thus was he vanquished by the puny person whom he despised.

The summer, in which he commenced Bachelor of Arts, he spent, as usual, in the parish of Derriaghy, where he met with a terrible accident, which he considered ever after as an instance of the Divine judgment. He was then, as he informs us, twenty-one years of age,* and since he was eight years old, had never once omitted, morning and evening, to offer up his prayers to God, until one morning two or three of his companions broke in on him while he was in bed, and carried him off with them to play long-bullets. While he was engaged in this sport, a three pound ball, thrown by one of his companions, hit a stone, and leaping back struck him above the left eye, and flattened the projecting part of his scull. Falling down apparently quite dead, he was carried to the house of a Mrs. Granger, a woman that knew a little of surgery, who stitched the wound in five different places, and kept him for some time at her own house. A small splinter of a bone came out of his scull, before he quite recovered. This hurt (with extreme abstinence, and large evacuations, necessary to prevent a fever), greatly shattered, he says, his excellent constitution. He had always a grateful sense of the care taken of him by Mrs. Granger, and made her several presents during her

See "Hylema," 50; vol. v.

life. He sent her (in 1774) a web of fine linen, part of which he desired her to keep for her winding-sheet. She lived until she was a hundred and five. The omission of his prayers on the morning it happened, he supposed ever after to be the cause of this unhappy accident. So early was his mind impressed with a lively sense of religious duty.

Having conducted Mr. Skelton through the preparatory courses of school and college, I proceed to attend him in his progress after he entered into holy orders. When he recovered of the hurt which he received at long-bullets, he lived for a while with his brother in Dundalk, and took on himself the management of the school, which by his presence rose to high repute. However he stayed there only a short time, having obtained a nomination to the curacy of Newtown-Butler in the county of Fermanagh, from Dr. Madden, usually called Premium-Madden, as by his means premiums were first established at quarterly examinations in Trinity College, He was recommended to the doctor by Mr. Brook of Cole-Brook in the same county; and was ordained a deacon for this cure by Dr. Sterne, bishop of Clogher, in whose diocess it lay, about the year 1729. He fasted and prayed two days previous to his ordination, doubtful whether he should get himself ordained or be married. His being ordained for this cure might at that time prevent his marriage, as he was bound to become private tutor to the doctor's children, and reside in his family.

On the night after he was ordained, he and the rest of the young deacons slept in the bishop's house, and one of them lay in the same bed with him. In the morning another of them came to them while they were in bed with a rod in his hand, and began a lashing them in sport. At last, Skelton leaping up, took him by the neck, and threw him down stairs. The bishop heard the noise, and came running to see what had happened. Skelton told him, the young deacon was so flushed with being ordained that he could not behave quietly, but must lash him, and he was forced to shew him the shortest way down stairs. The bishop owned, as he was insolent, that he could not blame him. When he was ordained a priest, he and the rest of the candidates were examined by this same bishop and