acquaintance with the country, it is still almost daily inquired," What can be the real causes for Ireland being found, at this late day, in her present circumstances?" The writer, it will be seen, is very far from the too common error-that of ascribing the whole to any single cause; but he will leave it to any inquirer, whether he is not here furnished with one palpable reason. The objects in view are of a description with which the feelings of party ought never to be associated, and the writer greatly mistakes if, in any instance, he has betrayed them. His object has been to interest one part of the community on behalf of another, and, by correct information, to excite the sympathy of the general reader. At the same time, it is proper to state, without any disguise, that the present is simply another effort to clear away one of the most absurd and ungenerous barriers to moral improvement, which ever existed in a civilized country; and to bring, if it be possible, the energies of British benevolence and Christian philanthropy to bear upon those parts of our country which still stand out in such contrast to the rest, that they have often excited the astonishment of foreigners, and exposed this nation to their just though severe reproach. In the year 1815, a brief Memorial on behalf of this people, with a view to their moral improvement, through the medium of their own language, excited some attention: but the community at large, whether in Britain or even Ireland itself, was not then awake to the extent of illiteracy-the almost entire absence of means- -or the real amount of the native populaEach of these, however, in turn became with some the subject of friendly discussion. Meanwhile tion. the past history of the people as to literature, education, and oral instruction, that is, such as their language had all along positively demanded, was full of painful interest, and if brought down to our own times, promised to furnish one of the most extraordinary contrasts to every other class of their fellowsubjects-but there was no work in existence, embracing, with impartiality and distinctness, the entire history of their past and present situation. With a view to supply this deficiency, in the autumn of 1828, the first edition of these Sketches was published, but it has already for a considerable time been out of print. The Author has therefore done what he could to correct and improve this second impression throughout, giving additional force to former facts, and bringing up various statements to the present date. The preface of the last edition, being more properly an introduction, is now inserted as such, in this volume. The actual condition of so large a proportion of British subjects certainly cannot much longer be treated with cold indifference; and it would be well for them, if these statements were at last regarded as an appeal, I will not say to the judgment only, but to the justice and the humanity of the kingdom at large. EDINBURGH, April, 1830. CONTENTS. Page PRIMITIVE TRIBES in the west of Europe; four within the United Kingdom; the Public attention far from being suffi- ciently awakened to the present state of one of these; the import- ance of farther inquiry into their peculiarly neglected condition, 13 LITERARY HISTORY-Or Gleanings from the Early Ages to the Present Day, including some notice of the most eminent Men; references to Irish Typography, whether in Britain or on the Continent; and an Account of the translation and print- ing of the Sacred Volume in the vernacular tongue,............. 23 SCHOOLS OF LEARNING Of early and modern date, including some account of the attempts to employ the Irish tongue as a branch of Education at home, and of the Schools either founded by the Native Irish, or at their instance, for their Education ORAL INSTRUCTION-Including Historical Notices of all that has yet been effected in preaching to the Natives in their verna- cular tongue, and the present condition of the Country with re- gard to a stated Ministry in the language of the Irish people,...129 UNFOUNDED OBJECTIONS-Against the employment of the Irish language answered, and shown to be of baneful tendency in every sense; as it is not only essential to the effectual instruc- tion of the people, but its neglect is injurious, as well to the pro- gress of the English language as to that of general information,...167 THE IRISH LANGUAGE-With proofs of the extent to which it is spoken at present, or used daily by the Natives as the natural vehicle of their thoughts; and this extent accounted for or ex- THE ISLANDS OF IRELAND-Viewed apart by themselves, as an object demanding special consideration and assistance, in- cluding the number of inhabitants in each Island,.................................232 DESIDERATA-EDUCATION-Through the medium of the Irish DESIDERATA- -ORAL INSTRUCTION-Or the necessity and importance of ministering the Divine Word in a language under- HISTORICAL SKETCHES. INTRODUCTION. Primitive Tribes on the west of Europe; four within the United Kingdom; the public attention far from being sufficiently awakened to the present state of one of these, the aborigines of Ireland; the importance of farther inquiry into their peculiarly neglected condition. SCATTERED throughout several countries on the western shores of Europe, there are to be found various confessedly ancient tribes of our fellow-men, between which there still exists a marked affinity in point of language. They are generally supposed to be the earliest waves of that tide of population which proceeded westward in Europe, till stopped in their progress by the sea, and most of them occupy at this moment nearly the same ground which they did in the days of Cæsar. If the sources of some of those rivers with which we have been long acquainted, have hitherto baffled all the enterprise of our travellers, so has the origin of those primitive races, the research of the learned. Their dialects being the children of one common Parent, and this unquestionably a very ancient tongue, these various tribes of course, belong to a people correspondently ancient; but the neglect of their dialects has, in its measure, contributed to a discordance of sentiment with regard to the people. In the absence or deficiency of other data, languages have not unfrequently served to fix the antiquity and lineage of a people, and hence they have even been styled the pedigree of nations. But whatever may be the opinion formed as to their descent, the treatment of these distinct races is a question A |