IRELAND, Samuel, father and dupe of the perpetrator of the "Ireland forgeries," was a native of London, and originally a mechanic in Spitalfields. He became a speculator in scarce books, prints, drawings, &c., and migrated westwards to Norfolk Street, Strand. Having some skill as a draughtsman and an engraver, he made a series of tours, publishing descriptions of them with illustrations by himself. His first work, the "Picturesque Tour through Holland," &c., published in 1789, was successful, and was followed by similar works descriptive and illustrative of the Thames, the Medway, the Wye, the Severn, and the Upper or Warwickshire Avon. His "Graphic Illustrations of Hogarth," published in 1794, contains copies of many of the great painter's lesser and fugitive works, including shop-cards, tickets, &c. He was chiefly conspicuous, however, for having ushered into the world the Shakspeare-forgeries of his son, William Henry (q. v.), in a folio volume entitled "Miscellaneous papers and legal instruments under the seal of William Shakspeare, including the tragedy of King Lear, and a small fragment of Hamlet," &c. There is no reason to suppose that in this transaction the elder Ireland was anything but a dupe, and he has told the story of the deception practised on him in his "Vindication," published in 1796. The shame of the exposure is said to have hastened his death. This, however, did not occur until 1800, in which year appeared his latest work, "Picturesque Views of London, with an Historical Account of the Inns of Court."—F. E.
IRELAND, William Henry, son of the preceding, and perpetrator of a series of audacious Shakspearian forgeries, was born in London in 1777. "I am informed," says the contemporary MS. annotator of the copy of his 'Authentic Account of the Shakspearian Manuscripts' now in the British Museum, "that his baptism is registered that year (1777) in the parish of St. Clement Danes by the name of William Henry Irwyn, according to his mother's name, who was then a married woman living with Mr. Ireland, separated from her husband." The name of Samuel, that of an elder brother who died before him, was given to him by his father only. After a preliminary education in and near London, he spent three years at school at Amiens and the college of Eu in Normandy, and at about sixteen was articled to a conveyancer in New Inn. This employment familiarized him with legal phraseology, the matter and manner of old deeds, &c.; and his first forgery was one of a deed of Shakspeare, which he said that he had lighted on among some old papers. According to his own account he was induced to commit this forgery to please his father, an enthusiast about Shakspeare and Shakspearian relics, and whom three years before he had accompanied on a tour in Shakspeare's native district, when the elder Ireland collected the materials for his work, "Picturesque Views on the Upper or Warwickshire Avon." He seems also to have been more attracted than warned by what he had heard and read of the career of Chatterton, with whom in point of natural ability he is not for a moment to be compared. The elder Ireland was deceived and delighted, and his son went on forging. He produced an autograph profession of Shakspeare's faith, letters between the poet and Lord Southampton, and at last a complete Shakspearian tragedy, Vortigern. Sheridan was persuaded to purchase it for Drury Lane, where it was played on the 2nd of April, 1796, John Kemble personating Vortigern, and Mrs. Jordan being among the performers. After a fair hearing from a crowded house, Vortigern was damned. Had it succeeded, Ireland intended to have forged, in the name of Shakspeare, historical dramas from the reign of William the Conqueror downwards, and had already made some way with a play entitled Henry II. Among Ireland's dupes, after an ocular inspection of his MSS., were Dr. Parr, George Chalmers, Pinkerton, and James Boswell, while experts from the public offices signed a declaration of their belief in the genuineness of the forgeries. Malone, however, was not to be deceived; and after the publication of his Inquiry, Ireland was called on by his father and the other believers to produce the person from whom he pretended that he had received the MSS. After brazening it out for a little, he confessed, and in 1796 appeared his "Authentic Account of the Shakspearian Manuscripts," which in 1805 was expanded into a volume of so-called "Confessions." The tone of both works is that of one glorying in his shame. Ireland's subsequent career seems to have been that of a bookseller's hack. He published some worthless novels, poems, and dramas, a life of Napoleon, a description of Kent, &c., and so late as 1832 republished "Vortigern," with an explanatory preface for the instruction of the new generation which had grown up since the first appearance of the forgeries. He died in the April of 1835.—F. E.
IRENÆUS, Saint, was born in Asia Minor about 140. He was a disciple of Polycarp; perhaps a companion of the latter during his journey to Rome. Where and how he went to Gaul we do not know. Perhaps he accompanied Pothinus and others from Asia Minor, who removed thither as missionaries. When presbyter at Lyons he was sent by the confessors there with an epistle to Eleutherus at Rome relating to Montanism; and on the martyrdom of Pothinus was chosen bishop of Lyons in 178. In the controversy respecting Easter he took an active part, writing to Bishop Victor on the subject, and also to the presbyter Blastus. After filling the office of bishop for twenty-four years, he is said to have suffered martyrdom in 202. But there is good ground for doubting the statement; all the early writers are silent about it. Irenæus was a sincere, judicious, moderate, and philosophically educated christian, whose zeal and efforts gained many converts. He was the great opponent of the Gnostic speculations. As a theologian and interpreter of scripture he does not excel; nor had he a strong or logical intellect. Because his writings were looked upon almost as foreign productions in Gaul, they soon became little known, and were early lost. His principal work is his examination and confutation of Gnosticism, in five books. It is directed mainly against Valentinus, but is also a refutation of all the Gnostics and most of the heretics of that age. Unfortunately, it exists only in an old Latin translation, except the Greek extracts in Eusebius, Epiphanius, and others. A few epistles and fragments are all besides now extant. The best edition of Irenæus' works is that of Stieren, 2 vols. 8vo, 1853.—(See the Abbé Prat's Histoire de S. Irenée, Paris, 1843, and Duncker's Des heilig. Iren. Christologie, Götting., 1844.)—S. D.
IRENE, Empress of the Eastern empire, born at Athens in 752. She was wife of the Emperor Leo IV., and after his death, regent during her son's minority. Her zeal for the worship of images led her husband to banish her from the palace; but, after her return to power, she devoted all her energies to the establishment of image worship, in which she succeeded by calling the second council of Nicea in 787. She governed with energy and ability, but was banished to Lesbos in 802 by Nicephorus, and died soon after in 803.—B. H. C.
IRETON, Henry, one of the leaders of the parliament during the great civil war, was the eldest son of German Ireton of Attenton in Nottinghamshire, and was born in 1610. He was educated at Trinity college, Oxford, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts; and as he was intended for the English bar he entered the Middle temple as a student of law. When the civil war broke out, however, he laid aside his legal studies and joined the parliamentary army under Lord Essex. He soon became celebrated for his knowledge of the military art, and obtained rapid promotion, partly through merit, partly through the interest of Cromwell, whose daughter, Bridget, he married in 1646. He was made commissary-general by Fairfax on the field of Naseby, and was appointed to command the left wing. In spite of his bravery and steadiness he was unable to withstand the impetuous attack of Prince Rupert; his division was routed and himself severely wounded and taken prisoner; but in the confusion of the struggle he shortly after regained his freedom. He was a zealous republican, "able both with his pen and his sword," and took a prominent part in all the subsequent proceedings of the republican party. He is said to have intercepted a letter of the king, from which he discovered that Charles was attempting to overreach, and intended to destroy him and Cromwell; and it is alleged that he, in consequence, was one of those who most earnestly recommended that the king should be put to death. He attended most of the sittings of the court which tried the king, and signed the warrant for his execution. On the establishment of the Commonwealth, Ireton accompanied Cromwell to Ireland as his second in command, and gave him zealous and effective aid in all his military operations. He was made president of Munster; and when Cromwell was called home to take the command of the force appointed to invade Scotland, Ireton was left behind, with the title of lord-deputy, to complete the reduction of Ireland. His character for severity is said to have inspired such fear among the natives, that the greater part of the country submitted to him without striking a blow. While
