that they were Protestants-were they Papists, the thing might find a justification in the persecuting spirit of the times, but we have seen that none were admitted till 1793. Can we possibly imagine any mode of giving charity more revolting or detestable? Is it not something like inhumanly flinging our alms in the face of the humble mendicant? A show is made of fostering indigent talent, while it is wounded and repressed by the bitterest mortification that can be well conceived. This was Charles's refined notion of rearing up spirited Protestants, who were afterwards to declaim against the slavish and degrading institutions of popery. Yet, on a vacancy occurring, it is common to have 150 candidates, who must already know more Greek and Latin than is necessary for a filius nobilis to obtain a degree at Oxford. The best answerer in a most severe examination is admitted; and he, though a mere boy, has often sufficient lore to qualify, as times go, for a classical professor. It is but justice, however, to say that, about the beginning of the present century, the college relaxed a great deal of its authorised severity towards those interesting objects, from whose ranks have sprung some of the finest geniuses that could adorn any country. Yet the number is still but thirty, as originally fixed by Charles! O the charter-how beautifully inviolable it appears in some cases! So, then, the scholars must never exceed seventy, nor the sizers thirty, no matter how the college revenues augment!

Come we now to some most important considerations. No one will maintain that the salaries of Charles, though doubtless liberal enough at the time, would answer for the present day. Accordingly, we find, on the authority of T. Swift, of whom we shall have occasion to speak hereafter, that thirty-seven years ago the provost had £3000, the bursar £2000, and the junior fellows £90. Look now to preceding page, and it will be seen that the first and last exhibit an increase of exactly thirty fold, and the bursar two hundred fold, over the charter salaries. And if it be true that the junior fellows have now £400, that is an increase of one hundred and thirty-three fold. Now, how were these augmentations made? Through bye-laws, no doubt; but why not keep cæteris paribus in view. Why keep the scholars to the now miserable allowances of Charles? Answer that. Tell us why, at only taking thirty fold as a standard, they are not allowed £90 a-year; for they are now, perhaps, all natives? Tell us whether 1s. 9d. a week is not still, in some cases, the calculation for their commons; and tell us, is there no more than 4s. 4 d. for that of a fellow?

Look again to former page for tuition. The charge for a pensioner now is, entrance (of which there is no mention in the charter) £14: 5: 0, and £6: 8: 0 for first half year, and it goes on rising according to class. I have not ascertained, precisely, the charges for a fellow commoner, but I find that they are considerably higher. So much for the sacred charter and tuition. I do not know what is now allowed for the sizers, but, as there are not two a-piece for the teachers, it is of no consequence.

All the fellows, "big and little," are, with the exception of three,

obliged to be priested, in order to fill up the college benefices as they become vacant. We are now approaching some of the university mysteries. No institution has succeeded so well in getting favourable reports in books as this. Look into any of the most independent English works that mention Trinity College, Dublin, and you would suppose it faultless as any thing human could be expected; but the truth is, that they have all been deceived for want of authentic information. The only attempt worth notice, at a fearless exposé, of which I have heard, was by a gentleman named Theophilus Swift, in a pamphlet published 1794, which is now out of print and very scarce. He brings numerous grave charges against the entire college system, and particularly as regarding not only education, but competency for tuition. Those I shall pass, but he makes one accusation of great importance,—that mulcts and fines were vexatiously multiplied on the pupils, so as to amount to no less than £8000 a-year, "which was all swept into the fobs of the fellows." For this, and, particularly observe, for this only, he was served with notice of an action for "libel." Swift called for a fair account of receipts and disbursements, and this is the way that he is answered! He also states that a living worth £1000 a-year was refused by eight junior fellows, and was only accepted by the ninth in rotation, because he wished a quiet life. See what an answer this is to the authentic accounts we read, of a senior fellowship being worth "perhaps" £1000 a-year, and a junior "perhaps" £700 or £800 a-year, when £1000 was actually spurned at by a junior near forty years ago. To us, in Dublin, such accounts are quite mawkish-they appear, at best, like the miracle of the five loaves and fishes, when we see senior fellows keeping splendid town mansions, beautiful country seats, carriages, livery servants, and living altogether at a rate immeasurably above our notions of a thousand a-year. The fact is that we know nothing of fellowship incomes, for the whole machinery is managed with admirable dexterity. Thus the present (now the late) provost, Kyle, has accepted the bishopric of Cork, estimated at £6000 a-year, and, of course, that would seem to say that the provostship was not worth so much. We have seen what Swift says of the salary, and there is, besides, a princely mansion, with all the other nameless &c.'s, and the place is at this day so valuable, that some carry their estimates as high as £8,000 or £10,000 a-year. Why, then, accept one of only a-third the amount? In explaining this, it is necessary to observe that the patronage of the Cork see is said to be worth from £10,000 to £30,000 a-year,-no contemptible source for a family provision; but suppose it had no patronage, the new bishop does not calculate on remaining there always. There is, you know, such a thing as translation-you, Mr. Editor, as a learned man, understand that. So, if a senior fellow is vacated to accept a living of £1000 a-year, it is no proof that his fellowship was not worth above treble. But these apparent phenomena help to silence the vulgar inquirer, who understandeth not translation, collation, or the beauties of Christian-like expectancy.

We can now plainly see that Trinity College, Dublin, is, in essence and

substance, a church establishment, and some light on its political character may be interesting. The suppression of the celebrated Historical Society, that produced so many great men, is well known, and I shall only observe that, about sixteen or eighteen years ago, Locke on Government was expelled to make room for Butler's Analogy of revealed Religion. You know the two works, Mr. Editor, and you can judge of the spirit that actuates the only university in a country with eight millions of inhabitants.

No Catholic can remain in college after he have finished his course, as he cannot be a scholar, nor be admitted to a higher degree than Bachelor of Arts.

None but the provost, fellows, and scholars, have a vote for the parliamentary representative.

From all these considerations, the following are among some improvements that naturally suggest themselves:

1. That the real yearly revenue of the college, in lands and otherwise, and from fines, entrance, or other fees, board and lodging of fellow commoners and pensioners, tuitions, &c. and the total expenditure, say for ten years last past, be published. This is necessary, to inspire confidence and respect; for no one can conceive why there should be any secrecy in the pecuniary concerns of a NATIONAL establishment, assuredly for the advancement of learning.

2. That, if any surplus appear over and above a reasonable fund for contingencies of building or repairing, it should, in the first instance, be applied to giving the scholars the increased allowances to which they are as fairly entitled as the provost and fellows.

3. That, after adjusting the rights of the scholars, any further surplus should be applied to extending the sizers to one hundred-a number which would still be by no means proportioned to other augmentations. The scholars, too, should be increased, but not until after the sizers were one hundred. And a charge, now exacted from the sizers for lodging, not mentioned in the charter, should be abolished.

4. That the number of junior fellows should be regulated by that of the students, which would be very easy; for if they decreased, a vacant junior fellowship need not be filled up. None of them to have less than a certain number of pupils, say fifty, and while that remained uncompleted, no new student should be allowed to choose his teacher. Such a regulation would be found most equitable and serviceable.

5. That the junior, or, at least, the senior sophisters have the right of voting for a parliamentary representative for the college.

6. That Catholics should be eligible to scholarships. For fellowships, the church being the fountain of college promotion, I do not think they could or would expect a participation, as the constitution of the establishment should be entirely changed to allow their admission: but to scholarships there cannot be any reasonable objection.

I now tell the college that petulant or dogmatical contradictions, or actions at law, will avail nothing, while the whole revenue and disbursement are unknown to the public. A new charter and statutes

for Trinity College IN Dublin, should certainly be recommended to parliament. We shall, no doubt, hear a great deal of fudge about the sacredness of charters, but that is mere fustian, with the precedent of Charles before us, who did nothing less than abrogate the original of Elizabeth-with the example of George II., who altered as much as he thought proper of Charles's; and, finally, with the admission of Catholics by the act of an Irish parliament, and which was rather aided than opposed by the college, as could be easily demonstrated. An improved charter would ultimately serve the college itself, by making it a popular and respected establishment, instead of being, as it now is, an object of suspicion, monopoly, and unfavourable report, and one of which the public are ready to believe the very worst rumours.

PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION.

RETURN of the population, according to the census of 1821 and 1831, of all towns or cities in England, exceeding a population of ten thousand, to which it is not intended by the Reform Bill to give representatives.

Miscellaneous..

"