Davenant's 'Love and Honour.' It was first performed at Lincoln's Inn Fields on 11 Jan. 1720, and ran seven nights (ib. iii. 35). Much of its success was due to the fact that Peg Fryer, an actress of Charles II's days, who was then eighty-five, and had not appeared upon the stage for fifty years, took the part of Widow Rich. She acted admirably, and at the close of the performance danced a jig with wonderful agility.
Molloy ultimately adopted whig journalism as his profession, and became the principal writer in 'Fog's Weekly Journal,' the successor of 'Mist's Journal,' the first number of which appeared in October 1728 (Fox Bourne, English Newspapers, i. 122). He was also almost the sole author of another periodical, entitled 'Common Sense; or. the Englishman's Journal,' a collection of letters, political, humorous, and moral, extending from 5 Feb. 1737 to 27 Jan. 1739, afterwards collected into 2 vols. 12mo, 1738-9. To this journal Dr. William King, Lord Chesterfield, and Lord Lyttelton were occasional contributors. His papers are remarkable for their bright style, knowledge of affairs, and closeness of reasoning.
He died in-Soho Square on 16 July 1767 (Probate Act Book, P. C. C., 1767), and was buried on the 20th at Edmonton, Middlesex. In July 1742 he had married Miss Sarah Duffkin (1702-1758) of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, who brought him an ample fortune. He had no issue (Robinson, Hist. of Edmonton, pp. 72, 105).
[Baker's Biog. Dramat. 1812; Lysons's Environs, ii. 262, 272; Will of Sarah Molloy, formerly Duffkin, in P. C. C. 47, Button; Will of Charles Molloy in P. C. C. 174, Legard.]
MOLLOY or O'MAOLMHUAIDH, FRANCIS (fl. 1660), theologian and grammarian, was a native of the county of Meath, Ireland. The family of which he was a member had extensive landed possessions in the district known as O'Molloys' Country, and some of them engaged actively in the Irish movements from 1641 to 1652.
Francis Molloy entered the order of St. Francis, became a priest, was appointed professor of theology at St. Isidore's College, Rome, and acted as agent for the Irish catholics at the papal court in the reign of Charles II. His first published work was entitled 'Tractatus de Incarnatione ad men- tern Scoti,' 1645. This was followed in 1658 by 'Jubilatia genethliaca in honorem Prosperi Balthasaris Philippi, Hispani principis, carmine,' and by a Latin treatise on theology in 1666. A catechism of the doctrines of the catholic church in the Irish language was published by Molloy in 1676 with the title : 'Lucerna fidelium, seu fasciculus decerptus ab authoribus magis versatis qui tractarunt de doctrina Christiana.' It was printed at Rome at the press of the Congregation 'de propaganda fide,' from which, in 1677, issued another book by Molloy, entitled 'Grammatica Latino-Hibernica,' 12mo, the first printed grammar of the Irish language. It is in Latin, and consists of twenty-five chapters : nine on the letters of the alphabet, three on etymology, one on contractions and cryptic writings, and twelve on prosody and versification. At the end is an Irish poem by Molloy on the neglect of the ancient language of Ireland and the prospects of its resuscitation.
Edward Lhuyd [q. v.], in his 'Archæologia Britannica,' published at Oxford in 1 707, mentioned that he had seen a manuscript grammar of the Irish language copied at Louvain in 1669 which partially corresponded with that of Molloy. He added that Molloy's grammar, although the most complete extant in his time, was deficient as to syntax and the variation of the nouns and verbs. The date of Molloy's death has not been ascertained.
[Manuscripts in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin; Wadding's Scriptores Ordinis Minorum, ed. Sbaralæus, Rome, 1806; Transactions of Iberno-Celtic Society, 1820; Remarks on the Irish Language, by J. Scurry, 1827; Grammar of the Irish Language, by J. O'Donovan, 1845; Contemporary Hist. of Affairs in Ireland, 1641–1652, Dublin, 1879.]
MOLUA, Saint (554?–608?). [See Lugid.]
MOLYNEUX, MOLEYNS, or MOLINS, ADAM de (d. 1450), bishop of Chichester, and keeper of the privy seal, was second son of Sir Richard Molyneux of Sefton, Lancashire, by his wife Ellen, daughter of Sir T. Ursewick, and brother of Sir Richard Molyneux (d. 1439), whose son, Sir Richard (d. 1459), is separately noticed. The family traced its descent from William de Molines,one of the Norman invaders, whose name is derived from a town in the Bourbonnais, and stands eighteenth on the Battle Abbey Roll. William de Molines obtained from Roger of Poitiers the grant of Sefton, where the family have since been seated, its present representative being William Philip, fourth earl of Sefton. Adam's grandfather, William Molyneux, was made a knight-banneret after the battle of Navarret, in 1367, by the Black Prince, with whom he served in the French and Spanish wars. From 1436 to 1441 Adam was clerk of the
