emplary Dr. Bedelle, Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh: the assisting bishops were Robert Bishop of Down and Connor, Theophilus Bishop of Dromore, and James Bishop of Clogher. This appointment appears to have been made at the request of the Bishop of London (Laud), who, in one of his letters to Archbishop Ussher, expresses great satisfaction that "Mr. Bedells preferment gives your Grace Important Considerations about Popery, collected from different Places. Libri 4. de sacra Eucharistia, et Libri duo contra Papistas. Sermons on Matthew xi. 28, 33, 41, with miscellaneous Observations on other Matters. Notæ in Aratum Solensem, Martialem, Ovidii Epistolas, Elegias, Librum de Arte Amandi, &c. pro illustranda Sacra Scriptura. Notæ in Nicandrum, Plautum, Catullum, Tibullum, Propertium, Græcos Autores, Titum Andronicum, Ennium, Nævium, M. Pacuvium, L. Accium, Annæum Senecam, Manilium, Petronium Arbitrum, pro illustranda S. Scriptura. Notæ in Pindari Carmina. Excerpta ex Prospero Aquitanico Episcopo Regiensi. Of the Kingdom of Great Britain, or a Discourse on the Question of Scotland's Union with England, shewing, 1st. What the Union is; 2dly. Reasons enforcing the Union; 3dly. The supposed Enormities from the Union answered. Laus Astronomiæ. De Usu Spheræ, cum Numero Constellationum. e Mr. Mason, in his Life of Bishop Bedell, has described the Fellows at this period" as factious and uncivilized;" and adds, "that it is scarcely to be wondered at, that his gentle spirit should shrink from the certain tempest." That disturbances had arisen in the College, nay, that there never had been peace within its walls, is very certain: but that this was the consequence of the misrule, to which the Fellows had been subjected from the first opening of the College, will appear from the following letter addressed to the Provost, which places them in a very favourable point of view, and proves that they fully appreciated the value of his services: "To the Revd. and worshipful William Bedell, D. D., and Provost of T. Coll. near Dublin these give. At Horminger, near St. Edmonds Bury in Suffolk. "REV. AND WORSHIPFUL SIR, -Our earnest desire of your speedy return and present residence in the College, as the present condition doth require, doth enforce us to solicit and importune you, as well by letters as by this speciall messenger, to hasten your journey towards us. The College affairs and welfare, as depending upon your providence and care in all actions and government thereof, doth require your presence and care more and more. In the time of your absence you know there can be no VOL. I. H such contentment." The Fellows of Trinity College were obliged to petition the King, that they might be allowed lawful admission of students unto this society without your authority and approbation: there can be no conferring of degrees either in the College or University: no election of Fellows or Scholars, no distribution of chambers to such as will resort hither in expectation of your admission. The Fellows are not to proceed against any parties in matters of law without consent of the Provost, for no pleadings in their name can be effectual, and without such course and order the College is like to suffer at their hands this next Term, who have any controversy with it for lands or rents. It is to be considered that the tenants being backward to pay their rents will take occasion to delay their payments, as appeareth by their words and actions in some part since your departure, alledging that no discharge can secure them in the absence of the Provost, and that the power and authority of the Fellows is no sufficient warrant in his absence for their security from future troubles. Some reports have possessed very many in this kingdom that you intend to resign your place of Provost in this College, and to continue your residence in England, which reports, as we hope, are most untrue, and such thoughts are far from your heart, whose zeal and affection doth aim above all things at the glory of God and the good of his Church, both which you cannot any where so much as in this kingdom further and advance, if it please you to continue and persist in your former zealous and godly resolutions: as we know no man so worthy of this government as yourself, so our affection and duty do ever according to your deserts prefer you before all others. Your first endeavours amongst us do assure us of prosperous success in the godly education of the students of this society, and pronounce much future happiness to arise to this Church and Commonwealth, by your longer residence and godly labours. We beseech you that neither expectation of altering the College charter or effecting any other matter at Court may delay your return. The words of discontented men and ignorant relations of some others ought not to divert wise men from their prudent and honest determination, which, we assure us, will be truly veri fied in you. Mr. John Floyd is departed hence for England without consent or notice of the Fellows: as his attempts have formerly proved, his labours are to hinder the good of this College by his pragmatical and sinister plots. His allegations to you we desire you to refer to full trial at your return. He hath formerly showed himself as ready to deny as to affirm the same things. We desire you as for the glory of God, so for the perpetual good of the College, to persist constant in your desire to advance this society by your presidence and residence therein: there is no place nor people that love you better or more willing and careful to encrease your means. The part of the lecture at Christ Church, which became void by Mr. Parry's departure, is conferred on you: and there is good hope that the benefice of the Treasurership of St. Patrick's Church will shortly devolve unto you, which is compatible with your place in the College as the opinion is of those that know that living best. The more ample relation of these and all other passages we refer to Mr. Travers, to exercise their chartered right of electing a Provost, and, by the advice of the Bishop of London, the King "leaves who from us is to inform you of all occurrences and particulars according to our common directions. Your present return or letters must settle us and all others concerning the truth of these forementioned reports, and of your intentions and resolutions in this behalf, both which we expect and daily wish for, beseeching God to direct and bless unto you and us all our designs and actions, that they may tend to his glory, the welfare of his Church and the good of this College, which cannot well consist with any credit without the presence of her Provost, as her chiefest Governor, Protector, and Preserver. These our relations and hearty requests of your return and presence we recommend with the dutiful remembrance of our duties and best affections unto you: and continue in all service and love, most willing and desirous to procure a further encrease and continuance of all happiness unto you, as your most affectionate and truly loving well wishers NATH. LYNCH. DAVID THOMAS. JOHN JOHNSON. "Trin. Coll. Dublin, 28 April, 1628." JOSEPH TRAVERS. It appears also from the following document, that the Fellows had not confined themselves to mere expressions of good will, but had exerted all their influence to procure for their Provost the office of Lecturer at Christ Church: "To the Rt. Honble the Lord Deputy, the humble petition of the Vice Provost, Fellows and Scholars of Trin. Coll. near Dublin. "Humbly representing, that whereas there was a concordatum of £40 st. yearly granted unto the said College in anno 1599 for the keeping of a public and standing lecture unto the State: which £40 st. was in the year following by letters patents confirmed unto this College for ever to the use abovementioned, as likewise for the better maintenance of the Provost, and hath accordingly been paid unto the said College from time to time until of late years the Provost and Fellows left it in your Lordships disposal. Now in regard our grant thereof is good as confirmed unto us by Letters Patents as may appear, and that we have lately drawn over a worthy and able man as well in the general for the public good and service of the Church, as in particular of this Society, to less means than he enjoyed in his own country: it may therefore please your Lordship that for the better maintenance of our said Provost, who is desirous to undertake a part of that charge in the Cathedral, the said £40 st. per annum, may be continued and paid unto the College, as it hath formerly been, the grounds and reasons remaining the same at this present, upon which these payments have been made in former times. And they shall ever pray, &c. &c." f However Bishop Laud might have given this advice, and thus have principally contributed to the election of Dr. Robert Ussher, his real intentions appear from a letter addressed to Lord Strafford. He writes thus: "When the Bishop of Kilmore was preferred from that government, them to their freedoms, so as they did choose such a man as would be serviceable to the Church and him." The choice I was resolved to make the Dean of Cashel that now is (William Chappel) his successor; and tho my Lord Primate writ very earnestly for a native and his kingsman that now is Provost, with assurance of his sufficiency (yet now his Grace writes to me that the Provost is too weak for the government, and the Statutes too), and tho two of the fellows came over and petitioned his Majesty, yet all this should hardly have taken me off, had not the Dean of Cashel at that time absolutely refused me, and if now your Lordship think him as fit for the place as I do, I will join with you for the preferring the present Provost, and to be revenged of his former refusal put in the Dean of Cashel, always provided that for his better encouragement he may hold the deanery."-See Strafford's Letters, vol. i. pag. 213. 8 The proceedings in this business where the King professed his willingness to comply, will shew in what manner rights founded on royal charters were considered in those days, and how lightly they were treated by the King and his ministers. When the King announced his intention of appointing the Provost to the bishoprics of Kilmore and Ardagh, the Lord Deputy sent the following letter to the Fellows : "After our hearty commendations. The enclosed is extracted out of his Majesty's letter unto us of the 16 of last month; for conferring of the Bishopricks of Kilmore and Ardagh upon Mr. Bedell now Provost of that College. By it you shall discern his Majesty's royal care of your Society and of the property thereof, and to that end his pleasure expressed touching your forbearance to proceed to the election of another Provost, until his resolution be signified, which we require you to observe accordingly. So we bid you heartily farewell. From his Majesty's Castle of Dublin, 13 May 1629. "Extract. 666 "Your very loving friend, 64 HENRY FALKLAND. And as we were pleased by our former gracious letters to establish the said William Bedell by our Royal authority in the Provostship of the said College of the blessed Trinity near Dublin: where we are informed that by his care and good government there hath been wrought great reformation, to our singular contentment; so we purpose to continue our said care of that Society being the principal nursery of religion and learning in that our Realm, and recommend unto the College some such person from whom we may expect the like worthy effects for their good as we and they have found from Mr. Bedell. This we would have you signify to the end that they may not proceed to make their election of another Provost, until they shall understand our further resolution: which shall be guided by no other reason or motive but what regards their prosperity which we exceedingly affect. Neither do we purpose to make this a precedent to deprive them of any liberty granted them by their charter. "Dated 16 April, 1629, &c.'" fell upon Dr. Robert Ussher, the individual elected by the junior Fellows on the former vacancy. "At the Court of Greenwich, the 18 of June, 1629. 'His Majesty being graciously pleased to allow to the Fellows and College of Dublin the liberty of election of a Provost according to their privilege, doth notwithstanding out of his princely care to have that place well supplied, require the Fellows of that College before they admit the person they shall so elect, to advertise his Majesty of their choice; and to this effect the clerk of the signet now attending is to prepare such a letter or warrant as is agreeable for his Majesty's signature. "DORCHESTER." "June 26, 1629. "I think it fit that a letter be prepared for his Majesty's signature to the Lord Deputy to give order accordingly to the College at Dublin to proceed to an election, after that my Lord Primate of Armagh hath certified his judgment of Dr. Ussher. "CHARLES REX. "GUL. LONDON." "To our right trusty and right well beloved Cousin and Counsellor Henry Viscount Falkland, Lord Deputy of our Realm of Ireland. "Right trusty and right well beloved Counsellor we greet you well. Whereas the Fellows of the College of the blessed Trinity near Dublin in that our realm of Ireland have nominated unto us for sufficiency in learning and other abilities one Robert Ussher Doctor of Divinity as a fit man to be their Provost; we therefore at the nomination of the said Fellows, in our princely disposition being desirous that a meet personage should be preferred thereunto, are graciously pleased to condescend thus far unto them for their humble request herein, viz. that they shall proceed to an election of the said Dr. Ussher to be their Provost of the said College. Wherefore we do hereby will and command you, upon receipt of these our letters to permit and suffer the said Fellows to proceed to an election of the said Dr. Ussher accordingly, any former inhibition or restraint to the contrary notwithstanding. Nevertheless our express will and pleasure is, and we do by these presents require you to take special care that the said Dr. Ussher be not after their election thereunto admitted, until we shall hereafter by our other letters signify unto you, that we have received from the Lord Primate of Armagh a certificate of his judgment and approbation of the said Dr. Ussher's fitness for that place. And for so doing these our letters shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge in that behalf. "Given under our Signet at our Palace of Westminster the 29th day of June in the 5th year of our reign." Next follows the letter of the Lords Justices for the admission of Dr. Ussher: "After our hearty commendations. By letters from the late Lord Deputy dated the 3rd of August last grounded on his Majestys letters of |