‘570 KIRWAN. admiration of his auditors, but to bring down on himself the marked disapprobation of his ecclesiastical superiors; for he was immediately visited with a decided veto from the Metropolitan, against the course he had commenced, and warned of stronger censures if he persisted. This was putting an extinguisher, in his very outset, upon a l l the hopes o f pulpit eminence h e had s o long cherished. However, h e had only passed the first degree o f ordina tion, and was not yet “a priest for ever.” Disgusted with this sudden check upon his talents and hopes o f rising b y his eloquence i n the church, h e relinquished his gown, and transferred his abilities t o the study o f the law, a s a more promising source o f elevation and emolument. After this “awful warning,” Mr. Kirwan was left with out a rival t o his eloquence i n the high church pulpit, while the sectarians o f every other persuasion were allowed a l l the freedom and force o f their best energies upon the pregnant topics o f christianity, and t o attract t o their conventicles proselytes b y thousands, who could never have been roused t o a saving sense o f religious piety b y the tame and monotonous lectures read t o them from their parochial pulpits. At the same time that Mr. Kirwan's talents obtained such celebrity i n the church, the eloquence o f Mr. Grat tan flourished with contemporary splendour i n the senate. No man more highly admired the talents o f the preacher than Mr. Grattan, o r felt more indignation that merit s o superior seemed t o b e treated with apparent neglect b y the patrons o f church preferment. For several years the laborious exertions o f his talents i n the duties o f his voca tion, evidently injurious t o a tender frame and delicate state o f health, recommended him t o n o provision beyond the poor living o f St. Nicholas without, while fat benefices and church dignities were liberally distributed amongst candidates with whom, i n point o f abilities, his ambition would not have been much gratified b y comparison. Mr. Grattan, i n one o f his eloquent speeches i n the House o f Commons, alluded i n pointed terms t o this marked neglect
