friend the Right Hon. John Foster), he distinguished himself in the foundation of Sunday schools, and in the preparation of elementary educational works. He is most worthy of note, however, on account of his Map and Memoir of Ireland—the latter published at considerable expense, under the encouragement of the Marquis of Buckingham, when Lord-Lieutenant. Lowndes describes his Memoir, as "An exceedingly valuable work, containing a succinct account of the civil and ecclesiastical state of Ireland, and an index of all the places which appear on the author's map." 16 He was one of the founders of the Royal Irish Academy. He died May 1831, aged 91. 16 39
Beaufort, Sir Francis, K.C.B., Admiral, son of the preceding, was born at Navan in 1774. He entered the navy in 1787, and soon rose by his bravery and talent in the services on which he was engaged under Lord Howe and others, and was appointed Lieutenant in 1796. He greatly distinguished himself while Lieutenant of the Phaeton in 1800, by cutting out a Spanish vessel, the San Josef, from under the guns of a battery near Malaga. For this service he received a commander's commission. Disabled by wounds, and forced to remain at home from November 1803 to June 1804, he devoted his time, in conjunction with his brother-in-law, Richard L. Edgeworth, to the construction of a telegraph from Dublin to Galway. Gazetted anew, and after seeing more service in South America, off Spain, and in the Levant, he was paid off in 1812. Having given much attention to coast surveys, he received the appointment of Hydrographer to the Admiralty, and in 1846 attained the rank of Admiral. His second wife was a daughter, by a third marriage, of his brother-in-law, Mr. Edgeworth; he was consequently uncle and brother-in-law to Maria Edgeworth. He died at Brighton, 16th December 1857. 7 253
Bedell, William, Bishop of Kilmore, was born December 1571, at Black Notley in Essex, of an ancient and respectable family. Educated at Cambridge, he early showed a predilection for the ministry, and entered holy orders. He resided for eight years in Venice as chaplain to the English ambassador. Sir Henry Wotton. There he formed intimacies with Father Paulo and other scholars, with whom he examined and compared the Greek Testament; he also studied Hebrew with the chief of the Jewish synagogue. In common with other Englishmen, he at this time entertained expectations of converting the Venetians to Protestantism. On his return to England, he established himself at Bury St. Edmunds, and married the widow of the Recorder of that town. He had by her four children, two of whom died young. In 1615 he was presented with the rectory of Horningshearth, where he resided twelve years. The Provostship of Trinity College, Dublin, becoming vacant in 1627, the Fellows, acting under the advice of Archbishop Ussher, unanimously invited him to accept the post. After much consideration, he gave up his "competent living of above £100 a-year, in a good air and seat, with a very convenient house, near to my friends, a little parish, not exceeding the compass of my weak voice." Once installed, he set to work vigorously and conscientiously to discharge the duties of his office. In 1629 he was consecrated Bishop of Kilmore, when he found a deplorable state of things in the diocese. "He observed with much regret that the English had all along neglected the Irish, as a nation not only conquered but undisciplinable, and that the clergy had scarce considered them as part of their charge, but had left them wholly in the hands of their own priests, without taking any other care of them, but the making them pay their tithes." As a prime means of gaining the hearts of the people, he studied Irish, and secured the services of competent persons to translate the whole Bible into that language. He, himself, revised the whole, comparing it with the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, so as to correct the errors in the English. He had preparations made for printing the work at his own house—indeed he had already translated into Irish, and printed and circulated some sermons and homilies, and a catechism in English and Irish, when the War of 1641 -'52 broke out. The respect he evinced for Catholics in his writings and discussions, now bore ample fruit in the regard with which he and the numerous fugitives who crowded his mansion and out-offices were treated by the Catholic leaders. He was joined by the Bishop of Elphin, and the free exercise of their religion and services was permitted to them, the elements for the Communion being even specially supplied. It is to be noted that while his memoirs speak feelingly of the personal sufferings and outrages which the English settlers had to endure in being driven off their plantations, there is nothing in his writings about the massacre so dwelt upon by historians. There is something affecting in the account of his now preaching to his flock from the words: "But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I laid 14
