own good wishes, and his grandfathers services to his country, counteracted, as far as you Reverend Doctor had it in your power, in all its objects. MY DEAR SIR, Coolarvin, June 2, 1802. The promise I made in my letter of last week I here fulfill; to the scanty meterials set down on the other side, I can only add, that I have also several manuscript papers of Mr. O'Conor, principally extracts from Irish. books, or observations of his own on the history and antiquities of this county. These papers, together with the correspondence, I have not as yet looked over; and indeed I doubt my own competence to select from them what would be fit for your purpose. However, as you have already gone to press, would uot any new matter came too late? Point out how I may be useful, and I shall neither spare my time nor my industry. You want matter principally for the History of the last century: but the History of Ireland from 1692 to 1782 was nearly a blank. No events of importance occurred, except the affair of St. Constantine Phipps, the enquiry into the royal grants in the time of King William; the parliamentary suppression of our Woolen manufacture, the violation of the conditions of Limerick, the Penal Laws in the reign of Queen Anne, the contest between the Irish and English Parliaments about the right of Judicature in that of the two first Georges, the disturbances of the White Boys and Hearts of Steel, during the commencement of the present reign, and the tardy, timid, irresolute steps taken by the Catholicks from 1748 to 1778 to obtain even a mitigation of the Popery Laws. From 1778 to the Union you cannot be destitute or even barren of materials. In my last I promised to transcribe for you the Introduction to the Historical Review; but I find it inserted in page 340 of of the memoirs of Mr. O'Conor. But Dr. O'Conor by mistake gave it, as the Introduction to the Historical Memoirs by Curry, published in 1758; whereas it was only prefixed to the Historicai Review in 1775. The marginal corrections in Mr. O'Conor's printed copy of the 'Introduction relate principally to inaccuracies of style, and are therefore not worth sending to you. Should your present Work meet that rception from the publick, which I am certain it will deserve, I shall indulge a hope of seeing it hereafter expand from a cursory survey into a regular history. I know not why an History of Ireland, if well executed, should not be as popular a book in England, as a History of Scotland, which the names of Robertson and Stuart have placed on every shelf. I do not hesitate to say, that I should be better pleased to see such a Work come from your hand, than from that of any Irishman. Nor do I know any other native of Great Britain, who in abilities, learning, candour and political liberality equally qualify for sñch an undertaking. If you should ever think seriously of realising my hopes in this respect, it must bring you to Ireland, where I shall request you to consider this house as your own. All the books and papers, which I possess or can procure, shall be at your command, fully, freely and without reserve. In this I pay you no compliment; I only render my country perhaps the only service, it may ever in my power to render her. I am, with great esteem and regard, Dear Sir, Your's ever HUGH M'DERMOTT. This letter contains a list of the following pamphlets (amongst others) in the possession of Dr. M'Dermott. Seasonable thoughts relative to Ireland, Dublin, 1751 by Mr. O'Conor, Case of the Roman Catholicks 1755, by ditto. Maxims relative to the State of Ireland 1757, by ditto. ... Counter Appeal to the People of Ireland, Dublin 1749, by ditto. The Protestant Interest of Ireland considered, Dublin 1757, by ditto. Lord Taaffe's Observations on the Affairs of Ireland, Dub. 1767, by ditto.-Lord Taaffe set his name to it. Letter from Mr. O'Conor to Mr. Hume on the War of 1641, (manuscript.) Also several hundred of original letters on Irish History and Irish Antiquities, which passed between Mr. O'Conor and the following persons. Letters to and from Mr. O'Conor, and Lord Lyttleton, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Leland, Colonel Vallancey, Dr. Curry, Ralph Ousley, Mrs. Soley, an English Lady, Dr. Warner, Mervyn Archdall, Dr. Carpenter, Michael Reilly, James O Moore, Mr. Vesey, Mr. Whitton, and many others. N. B. The originals are all in my possession. One other letter, Reverend Sir and most learned Doctor, I received from your worthy brother-in-law, that inflexible patriot Dr. M'Dermott, which will complete my evidence, to prove, that I have not permitted myself to be misguided by the foreign influence men, the Castabalas of your native country, of which you claim a right to complain. Your assumption of that right imposes upon me the indispensible ob ligation ligation of negativing your charge, which nothing short of the unimpeachable authority of your brother in-law could have convicted you, or convinced your seduced proselytes of the flippant falsehoods and dangerous errors, which it has become my duty to shew, are contained in your four, letters, under the signature Columbanus. DEAR SIR, Coolavin, August 18, 1802. Your letter of the 5th Inst. reached me on Saturday last. I find by it (what I expected) that you were disappointed at the scantiness of the little parcel, which you received. The letters and other manuscript papers were not my property, they belonged to Dr. O'Couor, who left them in my care. To part with them without his consent would be a violation, of private confidence. I mentioned to you, that if, on a more enlarged prospect, you should ever come to Ireland, and favoured me with a visit; these and every other material I could command or collect, should be fully and freely at your disposal. I can not, nor do I conceive myself warranted to do more. Of Dr. O'Conor's refusal to supply you with the very ample historical documents in his possession I have already expressed my open disapprobation. But though I may censure, I have no right to controul. Nor would the want of a becoming liberality in him justify a breach of trust in me. From several hundred letters and papers now in this house, to extraet any thing material for yonr purpose would require more time, than I can command, and more abilities, than I possess. I could not discriminate properly. I feel myself unequal to make a judicious selection. I often regretted and still regret, that I had not those papers with me, when I had the pleasure of seeing you at Booterstown. The same continued. In your present important and arduous undertaking I am sorry to find you have had so few helps. We do not deserve, that you should labour for us. You are left to tug at the oar, as well as to guide the helm: but your merit will be the greater, in conquering difficulty by your own exertions. As for my part I must remind you, that the beggar can only give his mite. `He, who is poor himself cannot enrich his neighbour. I regret having had so little help to send you; but I cannot reproach myself with having sent less, than I ought. I am, Dear Sir, with great esteem, and best wishes, yours most truly, subject No further correspondence was carried on between Dr. M'Dermott and me, until the Historical Review had made it's appearance before the public; and I then wrote to him a letter, of which the following extract will bespeak the consistency of my views and the earnestness of my efforts to serve your country. MY DEAR FRIEND, Eessex-Street 22, August 1803, The late interruption of our cor. respondence I know you will attribute to the true cause on my part; namely, the labour of finishing my Work and the subsequent application to dispatch such things, as it had interrupted. You, who knew from the first conception the nature and spirit, in which it was engendered, will not be astonished, that its birth has displeased the men in power, because it has heinously offended the Orangemen. They have been loud in their complaints of the freedom, with which I have exhibited their system, and Mr. Wickham told me the day before he left London, |
