August 1841. He died by his o-wn hand, when in a state of delirium resulting frona illness, 8th June 1842, aged 65, and was buried at St. Geoi-ge's, Hanover-square, London.
Pair, Richard, D.D., a distinguished divine, was born at Fermoy in 161 7. He received much advancement in the Church owing to his intimacy with Archbishop Ussher. Aiter occupying several prefer- ments in England, he was on the Restora- tion made a canon of Armagh Cathedral. Harris's Ware says: "He was so constant and ready a preacher at Camerwell that thereby he broke two conventicles in his neighbourhood, by outcrying the dissenters at extempore preaching... In this course of constant preaching he continued nigh thirty-eight years."He died at Cam- berwell, 2nd November 1691 , aged 74. His Life of Ussher is spoken of as "this rich and incomparable volume... The divine and the student of church history will read these letters with egual interest and profit." Gibbon criticises it as " accurate as written by his chaplain; but this chaplain is both too long and too short."
Parry, John, Bishop of Ossory, son of Edward Parry, Bishop of Killaloe, was bom in Dublin, early in the 17th century, and was educated at Trinity College and at Oxford. Aiter the Restoration he came to Ireland as chaplain to the Marquis of Ormond, obtained some English preferments, in 1666 became Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and in 1672 was consecrated Bishop of Ossory. He was the author of several minor theo- logical works, and according to "Wood's Athenoe Oxonienses, wrote the preface to Sir James Ware's Bishops. He died 21st December 1677, and was buried in St. Audoen's church, Dublin. Harris's Ware says: "He was reckoned a prelate of very good abilities in point of learning, a great benefactor to his church, and a patron and encourager of his clergy.
Parsons, Sir Lawrence, 2nd Earl of Rosse, was born 21st May 1758. [His ancestor. Sir William Parsons, settled in Ireland in Elizabeth's reign, was Com- missioner of Plantations, and obtained large grants of land from the Crown. He was for some time Lord-Justice in conjunction with Sir John Borlace, but was removed in 1643.] Sir Lawrence re- presented the University of Dublin, and afterwards the King's County, in the Irish Parliament, where he distinguished him- self, especially in his efforts against the Union, as an eloquent and popular speaker. In the debate of 23rd and 24th January 1799, Barrington says " he supported Mr.
Pousonbyin a speech, luminous and in some
parts almost sublime; he had caught the
flame which his colleague had but kindled,
and blazed with an eloquence of which he
had shown but few examples; the impression was powerful." His oratory is thus
described by a contemporary: "His voice is
strong, distinct, and deep; and his language,
simple, flowing, and correct; his action is
ungraceful, but frequently forcible; his
reasoning is close, compact, and argumen-
tative, though his manner is stiff" and
awkward; his matter is always good,
solid, and weighty." He continued to
represent the King's County in the Imperial Parliament until the death of his
uncle, 20th April 1807, when he became
2nd Earl of Rosse. He died 24th Feb-
ruary 1 841, aged 82.
Parsons, William, 3rd Earl of Rosse, astronomer, son of preceding, was bom at York, 17th June 1800. He was educated at Dublin and also at Oxford, where he took high honours, especially in mathematics. He represented the King's County in Parliament from 1821 to 1834, and succeeded his father in the earldom in 1841. In 1845 elected a representative peer of Ireland. He filled the distinguished post of Chancellor of the University of Dublin for many years. Although a strong Conservative, he latterly took little part in politics, and his name was unheard in the debates during the whole of the stirring period that embraced the Catholic Emancipation and Reform movements. The charms of sci- ence gradually weaned him from all pursuits that interfered with its cultivation. During the discussion of the Reform Bill he was occupied wdth the construction of his first great telescope, the speculum of which had a diameter of three feet, being larger than that of any previous instrument. Its success was so complete, that he was emboldened to construct one with a speculum double the diameter. Every step in the process, necessitating a com- bination of scientific knowledge and me- chanical skill, had to be pioneered by experiments, and success was won at the cost of many and harassing failures. The gigantic speculum was at length turned out without warp or flaw. It was mounted on a telescope fifty-two feet in length. The machinery required to move such a ponderous instrument taxed all Lord Rosse's mechanical genius. The task was completed in 1845, after seventeen years' labour, at an outlay of upwards of £20,000. The sphere of observation was immensely widened such a powerful instrument — nebular were resolved into stars, and new
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