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SKELTON. 545 1732, he was nominated to the curacy of Monaghan, where his life was most exemplary, and his preaching efficacious. It was said, that the very children of Mo naghan, whom he carefully instructed, knew more of reli gion at that time, than the grown people of any of the neighbouring parishes, and the manners of his flock were soon greatly improved, and vice and ignorance retreated before so powerful an opponent. His charities were extraordinary, for a l l h e derived from his curacy was 40l. o f which h e gave 10l. a year t o his mother, and for some years a like sum t o his tutor, Dr. Delany, t o pay some debts h e had contracted a t college. The rest were for his maintenance and his charities, and when the pittance h e could give was insufficient for the relief o f the poor, h e solicited the aid o f people o f fortune, who usually contri buted according t o his desire, and could not indeed refuse a man who first gave his own before h e would ask any o f theirs. His visits t o the gaols were also attended with the happiest effects. On one remarkable occasion, when a convict a t Monaghan, o f whose innocence h e was well assured, was condemned t o b e hanged within five days, h e set off for Dublin, and o n his arrival was admitted t o the privy council, which was then sitting. Here h e pleaded for the poor man with such eloquence, a s t o obtain his pardon, and returned with i t t o Monaghan i n time t o save his life. I n order t o b e o f the more use t o his poor parishioners, h e studied physic, and was very successful i n his gratuitous practice, a s well a s b y his spiritual advice, and was the means o f removing many prejudices and superstitions which h e found very deeply rooted i n their minds. His fame, however, both a s a preacher and writer, his extraordinary care a s a n instructor o f a parish, and his wonderful acts o f charity and goodness, began, about 1787, t o b e the subject o f conversation, not only i n the diocese o f Clogher, and other parts o f the North, but also i n the metropolis; but still n o notice was taken o f him i n the way o f preferment. Dr. Sterne, the bishop o f Clogher, WOL. II. N N