Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/55

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51 WILLIAM DANIEL, D.D. A MAN, (says Ware,) of distinguished learning, was born at Kilkenny, but in what year is not known, and was one of the first fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, that i s , one o f the first elected fellows; for Henry Usher, Duke Chalonel, and Lancelot Mogues, masters o f arts, were the three first fellows appointed b y Queen Elizabeth's charter, nomine plurium; but William Daniel, together with Henry Lee, and Stephen White, were the three first scho lars o f the house nominated b y the said charter, nomine plurium

and h e was either the first o r second that com menced doctor o f divinity i n the said university. I n August 1609, h e was consecrated b y the Archbishop. o f Tuam, a t Dublin, i n St. Patrick's church (of which he was treasurer, a n office which h e held i n commendam,) and the same year was called into the privy council. He was a man highly eminent both for piety and learning, and translated both the Book o f Common Prayer out o f the English, and the New Testament out o f the Greek, into the Irish language; the former o f which translations was printed i n 1608, and dedicated t o the Lord Deputy Sir Arthur Chichester; and the latter was printed i n quarto, i n 1602, and dedicated t o King James the First, the ex pense o f which was defrayed b y the province o f Con naught and Sir William Usher, clerk o f the council. I t was afterwards reprinted i n the year 1681, a t the expense o f the Hon. Robert Boyle. He was celebrated also for his complete knowledge o f the Hebrew tongue. He died a t Tuam, o n the 11th o f July, 1628, and lies buried i n his own cathedral, under the same monument with his predecessor Daniel. I t i s t o b e regretted, that o f a man s o celebrated both for learning and piety, s o little has been recorded; trifling a s i s the memorial, i t i s , however, sufficient t o shew, that a t that early period, piety was promoted, and the attain ment o f learning encouraged.