If tlio speechoa of mr. Bright are on your list, why are Mr. Gladstone's excluded ? Mr. Bright's speeches on Irish Buhjects are very good; hut, euu)[)ared with the speeches of Mr. Gladstone ou the Irish Church and t.lie Irish Land queskons, they are as the tinklinc: of a small bell compared w'lth the booming of an 80-ton gun. I regret I must dissent from some of " llis- toricua's" criticisms —his estimate of Plowden, for example, Plowden is one of the last books I would put into the hands of a young Irishman to learn the history of his country. — I am faithfully yours,
James Kavanagh. D D, P P.
THE MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMAN.
Devonshire House, Piccadilly, W,
March 21, 1886.
Lord Hartington presents his compliments to the Editor of the Freeman's .Journal, and regrets the delay in replying to his letter. Lord Hart- ingten has read with interest the proof of the ar- ticle on "The Best Hundred Irish Books," but lie does not think that his opinions on an Irish literary question would be of any value.
THE BISHOP OF CLONFERT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMAN.
Loughrea, March 24.
Dear Sir — Though not sufficiently an expert to pronounce judgment on the merits of many of the works selected by "Historicus," I have no hesitation in expressing my cordial approval of the object the editor of the Freeman has in view. So far as I understand it, your desire is to stimulate the reading public to cultivate, by means of the most available truthful channels, an acquaintance with our sad but interesting his- tory, too often distorted by prejudice or bigotry, as also with the character of our people, too fre- quently made the subject of caricature and mis- representation. If, by the use of authentic re- cords and the agency of a healthy literature, the Irish story and the characteristic traits of our long-suflfering people are even now placed in their proper light, the Freeman will have deserved well of the country and earned additional claim to our confidence and gratitude. I make free to suggest that Canon O'Rourke's book on the "Great Irish Famine" and Maguire's "Irish in America" should find a prominent place in the list furnished for readers. Both are truthful and thrilling records of episodes that have left landmarks never to be effaced, and that form the foundation of organic changes in our social and political system, of which -we appear to be only on the very threshold. — FaithfiUlly your.s,
✠ Patrick Duggan.
PROFESSOR STOKES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMAN.
Trinity College, March 22.
Sir— I have read the advance proof of the article on the Best 100 Irish Historical Works, and have admired its comprehensive and tolerant spirit, the only spirit, indeed, worthy of the his- torical student. There are, however, some works which I would add to it. It is difficult in dealing with such a subject and with such a comt)i ehen- sive article to bo (;uite sure that any particular book has not been already inentioned. I Mhall therefore make no attempt to supply its lacuna*, but oflTer suggestions Jis they occur to me. 'I'ak- ing the subject from a chronological point of view we V)egin .'ith St Patrick. You have mentioned Dr Todd's Ijife; I should be inclined to add the Rev Mr. Hogan's Extracts from the Book of Ar- magh in the Analecta Bollandiana, puldished at Brussels some three or four years ago, and Mr. Hennessy's translations of the Tripartite Idfeand of the works of the national saint in Miss Cusack's Life of St Patrick. The Rev Robert King's Church History of Ireland is an accurate and learned work from an opposite point of view, while Mr. Skene's Celtic Scotland is just as learned and yet more modern and more interesting. Cardinal Moran, again, in his essays on "Early Irish Church History," is the only writer who has utilised Wasserschleben's learned work ou Irish Canon Law. Mr Warren's "Celtic Liturgies" deals with a somewhat obscure side of our Church his- tory, which has gained a special interest for us since the late additions to the manuscript trea- sures of the Irish Academy, Dr Reeves's edition of Adamnan's "Life of Columba" is extremely valuable for its illustrations of life in the sixth and seventh centuries, illustrated as it has been within the last twelve months on many important points by Butler's "Coptic Churches of Egypt." Dr Reeves's "Antiquities of Down and Connor," and his edition of Primate Colton's "Visitation," are also most learned and iustructive. The "Life of Columbanus" and the works of that ancient saint are very interesting as showing the learning of Bangor in the seventh century, a topic which the career of John Scotus Erigena abundantly confirms. The "Life of Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh," by St Bernard; the story of "Burni; Njal," by Sir George Dasent ; and Dr Todd's "The Wars of the Gaedhel and the Gael" in the Master of the Rolls series, together with Mi. Hennessy's "Chronicon Scotorum" in the same series, are essential to the knowledge of Ireland between the tenth and the thfrteenth centurie.s. O'Hanlon's "Life of St Laurence O'Toole" and "Lives of the Irish Saints," together with Col- gan's "Acta Sanctorum," shed much liglit upon the same period. Ussher's "Historical Wor£s," again, are authorities used and ac- knowledged by all parties. His singu- lar historical acumen and judgment have been strikingly illustrated by Bishop Lightfoot's new work on St Ignatius and St Polycarp. The latest historical Investigations only confirm the judgments of our Irish scholar 250 years ago. IBs "SyUoge Veterum Epistolarum Hibernicarum" is a curious repertory of Epistles bearing on Irish history a thousand years ago. Mr. Gilbert's volume of Dublin Municipal Records, and his Chartularies of St Mary's Abbey, both published in the Rolls Series, are important contributions of our 13th century literature. The printed Sta- tutes of the Irish Parliament shed much light on our history. To these I would add Sir S Ferguson's Annual Reports, and his contribution to St Patrick's bi.story, lately printed in the Transactions of the Irish Academy. I have confined myself to early times, for I am sure many will deal with our later history. I may, however, notice among those which throw hjut ou the last two centuries Archbishop King s
