the interdict, not, indeed, from a desire to favour any party or individual, but rather to satisfy our obligation of obedience. As to the insinuation touching what I said about the suspension of the censures by the appeal <Rome, all I can remember is that I expressed myself then merely in a riscursive manner; and as to the example you propose to me in the conduct of the bishop of Ossory, with all deference to that prelate's deservings, I may observe that I have before me the example of other bishops as learned and charitable as he. Great, indeed, as are my obligations to this city, both as its pastor and born denizen, you must bear in mind that there are others equally binding and stringent. As to my temporalities, which you threaten to revoke, all I need say is, that the enemy has anticipated you, for he is already seized of a goodly portion of same, and as for the remainder, it is in the hands of certain noblemen of the confederate council, as I have already notified to you in the return I have forwarded of the revenue of my diocess. But although I were to be stripped, justly or unjustly, of all the world could give, on account of my submission to the decrees of holy Church, I will, nevertheless, persevere in obedience, nor will I cease to pray God that you may well and faithfully guide the councils of the confederates of this kingdom.'

This well-timed rebuke closed Comerford's correspondence with the supreme council, nor does it appear that he took any part by proctor or otherwise in the proceedings of those bishops, who, steadfast in their adhesion to the nunzio's policy, strove at Galway and elsewhere to maintain the cause of religion and country against Cromwell's precursors. That he was sorely harassed by Inchiquin, who, with the sanction of his new allies, after reinstating the Puritan ministers in Cloyne and Ross, swept the county of Waterford with fire and sword, because its bishop observed the censures, is quite certain, but happily for him the fort of Duncannon sheltered him within its walls, and enabled him to set at defiance all the machinations of his enemies. There, indeed, he was secure from Inchiquin's violence, for, notwithstanding all the efforts which were made by Belling and his colleagues to get possession of the fort and the bishop's person, the garrison could not be bribed or forced to surrender to them.

Meanwhile, Cromwell appeared before Waterford, in November, 1649, and although the city was but feebly garrisoned by some detachments of Ulster troops commanded by O'Farrell, the inhabitants refused admission to a strong force sent to their aid by lord Ormond, simply because that nobleman had declared against the nunzio and his censures. Nevertheless, the resolution of the citizens was such, that Cromwell, not wishing to lose time, struck his tents, and proceeded to invest Dungarvan, while Ireton had to retire from before Duncannon, which was then commanded by Wogan, a brave officer, entirely devoted to the old confederacy. As for Comerford, his conduct at this awful crisis was in every respect consistent, for, while attending sedulously to the spiritual interests of his people, he did not fail to exhort them to hold out to the last against the parliamentarians, *The foregoing letters, dated June, 1648, are given in the Supplement to Hib. Dom., pp. 397-8.

As it is not

whom he justly characterised as enemies to God and man. our province to go into a detail of the incidents connected with the siege of Waterford, or the stout resistance which its inhabitants offered to the Cromwellians, we must content ourselves with stating that Comerford's care of the people, during the ravages of the plague, was, in every sense, worthy of his zeal and pastoral devotedness. Though feeble and worn out by anxiety, he was ever ready to minister consolation to the dying; and his means, which, indeed, were then very slender, were always at the service of the poor and sick. At length, when the city had to capitulate to Ireton, whose unmerciful character was even then proverbial, Comerford, knowing what fate awaited him if he remained in Ireland, embarked for St. Malo-then the residence of many of the exiled Irish prelates-where he arrived towards the close of August, 1650. After residing two years in that sea-port, he ultimately removed to Nantes, where he closed his mortal career on the 10th of March, 1652, after having reached the ripe age of sixty-six. His remains were interred, with great pomp, in the grand cathedral of that city, and seven years afterwards, his friend and colleague, Robert Barry, bishop of Cork, was laid in the same grave. M.

SIR WILLIAM WILDE.

WILLIAM ROBERT WILLS WILDE, born on the banks of the Suck, at Castlerea, a village on the confines of the counties of Roscommon, Mayo, and Galway, from which emanated many distinguished scholars-Bishop Young, the Rev. Ralph Wilde, the Gannons, Browns, Smiths, Faheys, Delamares, and others. Although having a Saxon name, by the accident of a son of a Mayor of Durham having, about a century ago, penetrated so far west as the country of the O'Flynns, and fallen in love with a beauty of that ancient family, Sir William's lineage is from an old Irish stock, his mother having been Miss Flynn, of Ballymagibbon, county of Mayo. For the son of a Protestant English mayor to wed an Irish Papist was an offence neither to be condoned nor forgiven, and so the connexion between the English and Irish branches of the Wilde family was permanently severed. But, worse than all, another of the family, a man of high commercial standing in Dublin, became a United Irishman, and fled to America in '98, where, however, his son became chief justice, and well known in literature by his graceful "Life of Tasso," and many other works.

Doctor Wilde, father of Sir William, was a physician of eminence in Castlerea, where his memory is still revered, and from him Sir William derived his early taste for medical science, a taste united, however, with a piscatorial one, for almost from childhood he was one of the astutest anglers on the Suck, and it was while wandering along the banks of that fine trout stream, or making excursions to the neighbouring raths of Croghan, or the ruins of Ballintubber, or while visiting old Thomas and Alexander O'Conor (the last undoubted descendants of Cathal Crove Dearg and always honoured as such by the people), that young Willie Wil

picked up all that legendary lore, that thorough knowledge of the pea-' santry in thought, feeling, and expression which he afterwards embodied in his "Irish Popular Superstitions." The learned Doctor O'Conor, the author of the "Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," was one of his father's friends, and at the time parish priest of Castlerea; and old Father Prendergast, the last Abbat of Cong, who resided at Ballymagibbon, in good old times, before religious distinctions were as great as now, used often to produce the celebrated Cross of Cong for the boy's information. He was thus early inspired with that antiquarian zeal which was afterwards developed and cultured by his extended travels through Egypt, Palestine, Asia Minor, and the greater part of Europe, and has finally been productive of so much benefit to Ireland in the elucidation of her history, and the preservation of her inestimable antiquarian remains.

Sir William's first work, the "Narrative of Eastern Travel," was published when he was only twenty-one. This beautifully illustrated twovolume work excited immense attention, and speedily brought the young author into notice. Since then to the present day scarcely a year has passed without the production of some work from his pen, either in the professional, statistical, antiquarian, or connected with general literature. He was an early and frequent contributor to the University Magazine, and was editor of the Dublin Quarterly Journal during the brightest period of its existence.

Early distinguished as a student, especially as a comparative anatomist, he soon won his way to the leading rank of his profession, and has materially helped, by his distinguished success, to establish the fame of the Irish School of Medicine throughout Europe and America. Yet, while assiduously devoting himself to his profession, with the true zeal of one who loves his life work, he has found time, with the earnest energy of an intellect that seems never to weary, to assist in every undertaking by which Irish literature or art could be advanced, or Irish interests promoted. There is no man amongst us more truly national, for he has never yet set his hand to any work that does not tend to the enlightenment or the good of his country, or to awaken interest in the labours of the great Irishmen who have gone before him. We may refer for example to his Biographies of Remarkable Irishmen, such as Molyneux, Mosse, O'Halloran, Graves, and others, which we hope to see collected some day in a volume. In addition to the works already mentioned, Sir William has published many others, which justly entitle him to a most distinguished place in the Gallery of Irish Writers. His "Beauties of the Boyne," the volume on Dean Swift, and the learned Catalogue of the Irish Antiquities in the Royal Irish Academy are well known to all those who appreciate the study of Irish archæology, and are so many evidences of unwearied and patient research. In the opinion of the present writer, however, Sir William's chefdœuvre is the "History of Epidemic Pestilences in Ireland," (prefixed to the Census for 1851), a work of wonderful erudition, in which the learned author clearly proves that he has made himself thoroughly acquainted with the most recondite sources of our history, and spared no pains

to show how zealously medical science was cultivated in Ireland from the earliest times. Other Irish medical men have, doubtless, done much for the advancement of their science in its various departments, but to Sir William Wilde alone belongs the honour of having made us familiar with the names of those Celtic Doctors who have long before the Conquest, and at subsequent periods, maintained the honor of the profession in Ireland. Why is not this invaluable work issued in such form as to make it accessible to all classes of readers?

To us, indeed, it is a pleasing duty to record that lord Carlisle has considered Sir William Widle justly entitled to the honor of knighthood; and without detracting in the smallest degree from the Viceroy's appreciation of his eminent claims, we may observe that the latter were long since recognised by the King of Sweden, who conferred on Sir William the decoration of the Polar Star, and by the Academy of Science of Upsala, which enrolled him among its honorary members. In private life, (for we do not deem it necessary to speak of his wide-spread professional fame,) Sir William Wilde is amiable and hospitable, thoroughly Irish in the best meaning of the word, a most interesting companion, and a generous friend, whose large heartedness many a poor Catholic priest has had good reason to bless. Need we say what gratification it affords us to be able to congratulate Lady Wilde on the honor which has been bestowed on her eminent husband? Need we say that she has claims to the respect of her countrymen, such as no queen or viceroy could confer? Those grand Lyrics, over the well-known signature "Speranza," are her best title to the love and respect of the Irish race in every quarter of the globe; and we venture to predict that she will be remembered by that euphonious pseudonym in years to come, when, perhaps, the style and title of "Lady" may be forgotten. Ireland, indeed, has good reason to be proud of Lady Wilde; and we do not hesitate to assert that she is at the present moment the most popular lady in the land of her birth, and the most highly gifted with all those attributes of grand genius for which she is celebrated, wherever the English language is read or spoken. Lady Wilde is an accomplished linguist, and her translations from the German, Spanish, Danish, Italian, and other tongues, need no praise from us. Her works-" Sidonia the Sorceress," "The Glacier Land," and "Eritis Sicut Deus," are familiar to the reading public; but there still remains a task to be accomplished by her-we mean the collecting and publication of the pre-eminently grand poems which have appeared from time to time from the pen of " Speranza." May Sir William and Lady Wilde live many years to enjoy their welldeserved honors.

SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS.

ANALYSIS.

THE wonderful advancement which science has made in our days is a subject of constant boast and exultation, and very justly so; but there ismuch less danger of over rating modern science than of under-rating that of antiquity. Indeed, we exult so much in our modern progress that it would appear as if the whole edifice of human knowledge had been built up in

our own times, and we have no doubt there are some who labour under that delusion. We can imagine a man who has just procured sixpence worth of useful knowledge at a cheap book-shop, or returned from a lecture at the theatre of a mechanic's institute, his head dizzy with the amount of learning displayed for the first time before his mind's admiring gazewe can imagine such a person pitying the ignorance of those who had the misfortune to live in the days of his grandfather, or, even later still, and flattering himself, that all the knowledge now so cheap and accessible, was first brought to light in his own time. We need not say how monstrous an error such a supposition would be; and without rushing into the opposite extreme, and ranking ourselves among the equally infatuated laudatores temporis acti, we may venture to assert that a very large share of our scientific knowledge has been transmitted to us from past ages.

The present age would seem to be not so much an age of profound thought, or great intellectual development, as of practical arrangement of knowledge, its general dissemination, and its appliance to useful purposes. It is wonderful how wide the spread of information is every day becoming through the agency of education and cheap publications; and still more wonderful is the inexhaustible ingenuity with which every kind of knowledge is applied to man's comfort, convenience, economy, and enjoyment. Still, all this kind of progress comes to little more than social and industrial activity. It evinces a great development of energy, physical still more than mental; an amazing amount of mechanical skill and application, and a boundless command of capital through the means of co-operation and association: but all the while the human mind does not appear to have reached a higher range of thought in our times than it did a long time ago; and we are compelled to admit that, while we live in a perfect vortex of action, a great deal of the thinking, if not the best part of it, was done in the time of our less practical, less enterprising, less utilitarian forefathers.

There is perhaps no branch of human knowledge, in which the ancients may stand competition with the moderns more creditably than in pure mathematics; yet what wonders have been effected by modern analysis which were wholly beyond the reach of ancient science! A glance at the history of this branch of science is full of interest, but it will show, that even here our progress does not altogether belong to the present day.

Diophantus of Alexandria, who flourished in the middle of the fourth century of the Christian era, generally gets the credit of having invented algebra. His works are the oldest extant, in which that kind of analysis is treated, and the questions which he investigates show that he was familiar with some of its most abstruse principles; but it is considered extremely probable that some of those principles were known, long before his time, to Apollonius, Archimedes, Euclid, and others. Diophantus employed only a few symbols, and expressed all his investigations in common language, which, of course, clogged the whole process, and rendered it both tedious and obscure. A totally distinct and independent invention of mathematical analysis seems to have been made by the Hindoos, who have works on the subject as old as the sixth century of our era, and from whom the Arabs obtained this science, as well as our common system of arith