notes had been contributed by himself. At the annual examinations, Whyte usually had a play performed by his pupils, and in general the specimens of youthful proficiency exhibited on those occasions were quite marvellous. Thus, in the prologue to the tragedy of Cato in 1771, the speaker in addressing the audience, says— "We plead our years too-I am, sirs, only seven, Whyte's pupils first performed this play on Christmas-eve, 1771, at the little theatre in Capel-street, for the entertainment of their private friends. "The marquis of Kildare one morning on the stage started the thought, that if these boys repeated their play for the public at large, and money were taken at the doors (which was not done at first), the profits might be applied to some of the charitable institutions of * A Dublin writer in 1586 eulogises as follows another schoolmaster of the same name: "In the west end of the churchyard (of St. Canice, Kilkenny), of late have been founded a grammar schoole by the right honorable Pierce or Peter Butler, erle of Ormond and Ossorie, and by his wife the countesse of Ormond, the ladie Margaret fitz Gerald, sister to Girald fitz Girald, the earle of Kildare that last was. Out of which schoole have sprouted such proper impes, through the painefull diligence and the laboursome industrie of a famous lettered man, M. Peter White (sometime fellow of Oriall college, in Oxford, and schoolemaister in Kilkennie) as generallie the whole weale publike of Ireland, and especiallie the southerne parts of that island, are greatly thereby furthered. This gentleman's method in training up youth was rare and singular, framing the education according to the scholer's veine. If he found him free, he would bridle him like a wise Isocrates from his booke; if he perceived him to be dull, he would spur him forward; if he understood that he were the worse for beating, he would win him with rewards: finallie, by interlasing studie with recreation, sorrow with mirth, paine with pleasure, sowernesse with sweetnesse, roughnesse with mildnesse, he had so good successe in schooling his pupils, as in good sooth I may boldlie bide by it, that in the realme of Ireland was no grammar schoole so good, in England I am well assured none better. And bicause it was my happie hap (God and my parents be thanked) to have been one of his crue, I take it to stand with my dutie, sith I may not stretch my abilitie in requiting his good turnes, yet to manifest my good will in remembering his paines. And certes, I acknowledge myselfe so much bound and beholding to him and his, as for his sake I reverence the meanest stone cemented in the wals of that famous schoole." Dublin. Stuart, an actor, and a great oddity, clapped the marquis on the shoulder, with a good move, my lord.'"Why, I think it is, Mr. Stuart,' repeated lord Kildare, with the sense and good humor of his natural character. The plan was adopted, and succeeded to the delight of every feeling mind." The dramatis personæ were as follow: 66 THEATRE ROYAL, CROW-STREET. "For the relief of the confined debtors in the different Marshalsea, on Thursday, the 2nd of January, 1772, will be performed, by the young gentlemen of the English grammar school, Graftonstreet, the tragedy of CATO. Cato, Master Whyte. Lucius, Master George Carleton. Sempronius, Master John Bird. Juba, Master Anthony Gore. Syphax, Master Marnell. Marcus, Master William Holmes. Portius, Master Lynam Decius, Master William Irvine. Lucia, Master Gibson. Marcia, Master Nugent. With an occasional prologue, by Master Richard Holmes. Dancing, between the acts, by Master M'Neil; and singing, by Master Bird. After the play, by particular desire, Dryden's Alexander's Feast, to be spoken by Master Whyte. Boxes, 11s. 44d. Pit, 5s. 5d. Gallery, 3s. 3d. Second gallery, 2s. 2d. Stewards to the charity: Marquis of Kildare, earl of Bellamont, and lord Dunluce." The three Misses Montgomery, usually styled "the three Graces," superintended the decorations; the band was entirely composed of gentlemen, and captain French and captain Tisdal stood sentry on the stage. The receipts of the night, amounting to £262 5s. Ed., were applied to procuring the liberation of eighty poor debtors from the Marshalsea. The annual dramatic performances at Whyte's academy, and the subsequently distinguished career of many of the juvenile actors who engaged in them, are alluded to as follows in Master Benjamin Nun's address to his school-fellows, at a public July examination (1790), the speaker having just completed his tenth year : "How many here, these thirty years, have been Here as the friend, the hero or the sage, Or, from this height, harangued the admiring train; Less pleasing cares their present thoughts engage; And part with honest fame for ribbands, chains, and gold! With gospel showers the barren land bedew, While hundreds hang on their supporting hand." he Whyte's gratification in thus publicly exhibiting the results of his scholastic labors, was alloyed by the knowledge that the ill-success in life of some of his pupils had been ascribed to the taste for theatricals with which they had early been imbued at his academy. With a view of discountenancing such aspersions, wrote and published in 1790 a poem entitled "The Theatre, a didactic essay; in the course of which are pointed out the rocks and shoals to which deluded adventurers are inevitably exposed." In 1792 Whyte's collected poems were published by subscription under the editorship of his son Edward Athenry Whyte, who became a partner with his father in the management of the academy; this volume, which passed through four editions, was the premium generally pre * In addition to his poems, Whyte also published the following works: "Miscellanea nova; containing, amidst a variety of other matters, curious and interesting, remarks on Boswell's Johnson; with con. siderable additions, and some new anecdotes of that extraordinary character: a critique on Burger's Leonora; in which she is clearly proved of English extraction; and an introductory essay on the art of reading and speaking in public," 1800. "The Beauties of History," 2 vols. 12mo, addressed to the Hon. Mrs. Beresford. "The Juvenile Encyclopædia." "Matho; or, the Cosmotheoria puerilis," edited by S. Whyte, and addressed to Mrs. Tisdal. Holberg's Universal History, edited by S. Whyte. "A short system of rhetoric." "Hints to the Age of Reason.' "Practical Elocution," &c. &c. sented by the author to the most distinguished of his pupils at the annual examinations; the prizes given to the less successful candidates consisted of neatly-framed portraits of their master, engraved by Brocas from a painting by Hamilton. Whyte felt severely the consequences entailed on Dublin by the removal of the resident nobility and gentry subsequent to the Union, which event he survived eleven years, and died in Grafton-street on the 4th of October, 1811. His son Edward A. Whyte continued to conduct the business of the academy until the year 1824, when he finally closed the establishment, and retired to London where he ended his days. In the year 1766 a building styled the " Navigation-house" was erected on portion of a vacant plot of ground on the Western side of Grafton-street, for the use of the commissioners of inland navigation, in pursuance of a statute passed in 1765 enacting: "That it should be lawful to and for the corporation for promoting and carrying on an inland navigation in Ireland, to apply so much of the duties vested in them by act of parliament, as should be necessary for building and furnishing a convenient house within the city or county of Dublin, and furnishing the same with proper accommodations for the reception of the said corporation and assistants to meet and assemble in for putting in execution the several powers and authorities vested in them by law." These commissioners had been incorporated in 1752 and provided by government with a large annual revenue for the purpose of opening the navigation of the Shannon. The mismanagement and incompetency of the members of the corporation were soon rendered apparent by their undertaking, at nearly the same time, twenty-three different works, scarcely any of which were accomplished; it having also been found that their expenditure of nearly six hundred thousand pounds was attended with comparatively unimportant results, the board was dissolved, and an act of parliament passed in 1786 vested the Navigation-house in the crown. Shortly after this enactment, the Irish Academy, which so early as May, 1785, had held meetings in the Navigation-house, presented a memorial to the duke of Rutland, lord lieutenant, praying that government would allow them to occupy the vacant building, and in June, 1787, having received notification that their petition had been granted, the Academy received possession of the house, which it continued to hold till the year 1852. This institu tion was incorporated for the study of polite literature, science, and antiquities by letters patent, dated 28th January, 1786, which recite that Ireland was "in ancient times conspicuous for her schools and seminaries of learning, and produced many persons eminent in every branch of science," and that "lately several persons in the city of Dublin had met together for their mutual improvement in the above studies, to which encouragement should be given everywhere, especially in Ireland." "The first society of this kind established in the University about the year 1782, was called the Palæosophers.' Their object was the investigation of ancient learning, particularly the fathers of the church. Dr. Perceval had just returned from the Continent, and introduced the new system of chemistry, then almost totally unknown, and little attended to in this country. The investigation of this had excited a kindred zeal in the pursuit of other sciences, and Dr. Percival proposed to Dr. Usher to establish a new society to promote it. In the year 1785, therefore, another association was formed. Their object was the investigation of science and modern literature, and they denominated themselves Neosophers:' into this, the Palæosophers' in a short time merged. They met at each other's houses, dined together once every fortnight, read essays, and debated: they kept regular journals of their proceedings, but published no transactions. From these emanated the Royal Irish Aca. demy, combining and enlarging the objects of both the former, and having distinct committees for the investigation of science, antiquities, and polite literature. The originalNeosophers' were, Drs. Usher, Marsh, R. Stack, Hall, Young, Hamilton, Waller, Kearney, F.T.C.D., Drs. Perceval and Purcel, M.D., Messrs. W. Ball and W. Preston, barristers." The Rev. Robert Burrowes, F.T.C.D., by authority of the Academy, in 1787, gave the following account of the origin of the institution: "In the year 1683 William Molyneux was instrumental in forming a society in Dublin similar to the Royal Society in London, of which he was an illustrious member: much might be expected from an institution of which Sir William Petty was president, and Molyneux secretary,* had not the distracted state of the kingdom dispersed them so soon as 1688. Their plan seems to have been resumed without success about the beginning of the present century, when the earl of Pembroke, then lord lieutenant, presided over a philosophical society established in Dublin college. In the year 1740 the Physico-historical society, two volumes of whose minutes are Molyneux's account of this society will be found in the third paper on the Streets of Dublin, IRISH QUARTERLY REVIEW, Vol. II. |