TO THE

RIGHT

HONOURABLE

EDMUND BURK E.

WHEN I communicated to you my intention

of fetting forth a Hiftory of the Revolu tions of Ireland, from the most early to the prefent period, your advice was to touch as lightly as poffible upon the times preceding the invasion from England. This accorded nearly with my own idea: for it being the deftination of that work to unfold the feveral political caufes, which have hitherto counteracted our natural advantages, I wifhed to execute it in the most concise and striking manner, by exhibiting rather the fpirit than the letter of our melancholy record, without entangling either myself or my reader with difputed questions of antiquity, which, be they difpofed of whatever way they may, are not effential to our main design.

But the interval between the legation of St. Patrick, and the domination of Henry II.-during which Ireland is known to have been the feat of piety and learning,-is a period peculiarly interesting to all those who are curious either in the original of nations, or in the revolutions of a people certainly ancient and traditionally illuftrious. So fully penetrated was Dr. Johnfon with this opinion, that in a letter which I conveyed from him to Mr. O'Conor, in the year 1777, he thus expreffes himfelf: "Dr. Leland begins his history too late. The ages which deferve an exact enquiry, are those B

"times

"times (if fuch times there were) when Ireland ແ was the school of the West, the quiet habita"tion of fanctity and literature. If you could give

a history, though imperfect, of the Irish nation, "from its converfion to Chriftianity, to the invasion "from England, you would amplify knowledge with new views and new objects. Set about it therefore "if you can. Do what you can easily do, without "anxious exactness. Lay the foundation, and "leave the fuperftructure to pofterity."

This plan has not been followed by the writer to whom it was recommended, nor by any other to my knowledge. For our modern antiquaries, defpifing fo late an illumination of their country, as the introduction of the Chriftian religion, and the Latin alphabet by St. Patrick, make an excurfion of near two thousand years before this epocht; during which the Milesian Monarchy is reprefented as one of the most renowned upon earth, flourishing in all thofe arts and sciences which embellish fociety, and dignify human nature: It therefore behoved to remove popular prejudices on this fubject; for before we convince, we must undeceive. But whatever belonged to the antiquities was, nevertheless, confined to a preliminary analysis.

Your converfation, however, determined me to retrench even what I had written. Accordingly, foon after my return from your Tufculum, I fet about feparating the ecclefiaftical and literary mater from what was merely civil and political, and thus

Hac infula, ampliffimum quondam regum theatrum, reges abfolutos, 136 Ethnicos & 48 Chriftianos, ad annum a partu Virginis 1022, per annos 2314, fupremo fceptro infignivit O Flaherty, p. 27.

O'Neal of Uliter writes thus to the Pope of Rome, John XXII. Scent paternitas velna eneranda, quod præter reges minoris Scotia, qui munes de noflra majore Scotia originem fumpferunt (linguam noftram in conditiones quedammodo retinentes) reges de fanguine noftre vatum mengginia jiptom in tota Hibernia infula regnaverant. See Ulher, p. 378.

thus has the former affumed its prefent fhape; but not without the affiftance of that large collection of MSS. which you put me in poffeffion of, the fummer before laft. And fuffer me now to make this public acknowledgment of that, to me, invaluable obligation; hoplefs of its being altogether imputed to gratitude, whilft I am willing to confefs, that it is not unmixed with vanity.

If, by fimplifying my original plan, these sheets fhall in any degree fupply what our learned friend confidered as a defideratum in Irish literature, they are indebted to you for the hint. In one refpect, I fear, they will too nearly answer what he expected; for without anxious exactness they will unavoidably betray all that imperfection to which he gave fuch a latitude; but they can fcarcely amplify knowledge, because they cannot furnish new objects, and they only afpire at giving new views of fuch as are old. A lens does not create the rays of light, it only collects them. And fuch only are here felected as may bear upon our fubject with the strongest effect.

To others we leave the field of fiction, where the gleanings of a thousand years have only accumulated evidences to prove a millennium of poverty. And, therefore, Sir William Temple complained that Ireland was lefs known than any other country, as to its ancient ftate. How far the genealogies and etymologies of the antiquaries, fince his time, have promoted that knowledge, let others decide; for they furpass my comprehenfion. The zeal of thefe writers, for their country's glory, may perhaps be equal to mine, but certainly it is not founded upon the fame views of fociety in general, nor of that of Ireland in particular. Í am free to own myself not altogether infenfible to a certain degree of credit, which may be reflected from the ancient celebrity of my native country; and therefore I wished to redeem her from the imputation of repofing her head upon tradition alone. Under

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"times (if fuch times there were) when Ireland "was the school of the Weft, the quiet habita"tion of fanctity and literature. If you could give a hiftory, though imperfect, of the Irish nation, " from its conversion to Chriftianity, to the invasion "from England, you would amplify knowledge with new views and new objects. Set about it therefore "if you can. Do what you can easily do, without "anxious exactness. Lay the foundation, and "leave the fuperftructure to pofterity."

This plan has not been followed by the writer to whom it was recommended, nor by any other to my knowledge. For our modern antiquaries, defpifing fo late an illumination of their country, as the introduction of the Chriftian religion, and the Latin alphabet by St. Patrick, make an excurfion of near two thousand years before this epoch†; during which the Milesian Monarchy is represented as one of the most renowned upon earth, flourishing in all thofe arts and sciences which embellish fociety, and dignify human nature: It therefore behoved to remove popular prejudices on this fubject; for before we convince, we muft undeceive. But whatever belonged to the antiquities was, nevertheless, confined to a preliminary analyfis.

Your conversation, however, determined me to retrench even what I had written. Accordingly, foon after my return from your Tufculum, I fet about feparating the ecclefiaftical and literary matter from what was merely civil and political, and thus

+ Hæc infula, ampliffimum quondam regum theatrum, reges abfolutos, 136 Ethnicos & 48 Chriftianos, ad annum a partu Virginis 1022, per annos 2314, fupremo fceptro infignivit O Flaherty, p. 27.

O'Neal of Ulfter writes thus to the Pope of Rome, John XXII. Sciat paternitas veftra veneranda, quod præter reges minoris Scotia, qui omnes de noftra majore Scotia originem fumpferunt (linguam noftram in conditiones quodammodo retinentes) reges de fanguine noftre rentum nonaginta feptem in tota Hibernia infula regnaverant. See Ufher, p. 378.

thus has the former affumed its prefent fhape; but not without the affistance of that large collection of MSS. which you put me in poffeffion of, the fummer before laft. And fuffer me now to make this public acknowledgment of that, to me, invaluable obligation; hoplefs of its being altogether imputed to gratitude, whilft I am willing to confefs, that it is not unmixed with vanity.

If, by fimplifying my original plan, these sheets fhall in any degree fupply what our learned friend confidered as a defideratum in Irish literature, they are indebted to you for the hint. In one refpect, I fear, they will too nearly answer what he expected; for without anxious exactness they will unavoidably betray all that imperfection to which he gave fuch a latitude; but they can fcarcely amplify knowledge, because they cannot furnifh new objects, and they only afpire at giving new views of fuch as are old. A lens does not create the rays of light, it only collects them. And fuch only are here felected as may bear upon our fubject with the ftrongest effect.

To others we leave the field of fiction, where the gleanings of a thousand years have only accumulated evidences to prove a millennium of poverty. And, therefore, Sir William Temple complained that Ireland was lefs known than any other country, as to its ancient state. How far the genealogies and etymologies of the antiquaries, fince his time, have promoted that knowledge, let others decide; for they furpafs my comprehenfion The zeal of these writers, for their country's glory, may perhaps be equal to mine, but can it is not founded upon the fame views of feety in general, nor of that of Ireland in particular. Í am free to own myself not altogether inferible to a certain degree of credit, which may be reflected from the ancient celebrity of my native country; and therefore I wished to redeem her from the imputation of repofing her head upon tradition alone.

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Under