their wants. Upon urgent occasions, when the pittance he could give was not sufficient to relieve their distress, he applied to people of fortune who usually contributed according to his desire. For who could refuse a character so exalted, that first gave all his own before he would ask any of their property?

He was particularly attentive to the state of the prisoners in the jail, whose situation renders them so helpless. To quit the gay scenes of the world, and plunge ourselves into such gloomy cells to comfort the afflicted, is surely one of the most humane of all offices. On examining the jail of Monaghan he found, that the poor prisoners were often cheated of their proper allowance of bread. But he took care soon to rectify this and every other abuse; so that the condition of the prisoners there was in his time as comfortable as could be expected. To those who were condemned to die, he was a faithful instructor, affording such advice and consolation as were suitable to their melancholy state.

He was once very successful in his endeavours to save the life of a convict at Monaghan, that was condemned to be hanged in five days, but of whose innocence he was well assured. He set off immediately for Dublin, and travelling without delay, on his arrival there went to the privy-council, which was fortunately sitting. He was admitted, pleaded eloquently before them the cause of the poor man, obtained his pardon, and like a good angel, returned to Monaghan, with the happy news, before the day of the execution arrived.

While he was thus seeking for opportunities of doing good, he met with one John Burns in that town, a boy who was born deaf and dumb. Touched with compassion at his unhappy state, he instructed him carefully in the Christian religion, for which he was prepared, by having been taught to read and write. Some years after, John Burns published a book by subscription, at the price of 6s. entitled a Chronological History of the World, by which he made a considerable sum of money. Mr. Skelton, it is supposed, helped him to write this book, and procured him many subscribers. I dipped a little into it, and found it to be a registry of remarkable events, which might be consulted on occasions, but could not be read over without weariness.

He keeps now a little shop in Monaghan. 'Having the curiosity, when I was there, to go and see him, I perceived he was a remarkably intelligent man. I was told that Mr. Skelton taught him to read and write, but his wife undeceived me, assuring me, that he only instructed him religion, after he was prepared to receive it.

His endeavours to convert one Craven in the same place, a notorious sinner whose wicked life gave offence to every sober Christian, were attended with equal success. When he went to him and told him his business, warning him of the danger of his evil ways, the man was so desperately wicked, that he took a spit, and ran at him to stick him. Skelton was forced then to make his escape. However he had the courage to go back, and, at last, after much danger and difficulty, by long perseverance, by his awful lectures, and the divine aid, brought him to a sense of religion, and made him a good Christian. He produced indeed a sensible reformation in the manners of his people, thirty or forty of whom usually attended prayers on a week-day.

When he had acquired sufficient knowledge in divinity for instructing his people, he applied himself, as his father on his death-bed desired him, to the study of physic. For four years, he informs us,* he was employed at this useful science, and in this particular also was well qualified to serve his poor parishioners, whose lives were often sacrificed by ignorant quacks. Before he ventured to prescribe, he consulted a physician of eminence how he should conduct himself in difficulties. The physician then gave him this advice, "Sir, I advise you not to prescribe, unless you are sure you understand the disorder, and that the medicine will be of use. As for myself, physic is my trade, and when I go to see a patient, I am forced to prescribe something, should it be even brick-dust, to preserve my character, otherwise the people would imagine I had no skill; but as you are under no such necessity, you may do what is best." He took the physician's advice, and by this means was of great use to his parishioners, for he cured many, and killed none, which but few of our doctors can boast of. He used once an extraordinary application to effect a cure on a poor woman at Monaghan, who was a little de

* See "Senilia," 174; vol. vi.

"

ranged. Being sent for to visit her in the capacity of a clergyman, he went walking with a long pole in his hand; and when he came to the cabin, was shewn into a sort of a room where she lay. "What ails you, my good woman?" he said to her. "Oh, sir!" she answered, "there is a little woman with a red cloak and a black bonnet that haunts me night and day, wherever I go, and gives me no peace.' "Where is she now?" he said to her, "Oh, sir! there” (pointing with her hand) " on the bed-post, looking straight in my face."-" Stand off all of you," he said to the people about him. Then he took the pole and whirling it round his head, hit the post a smart stroke with it, and made it crack again. "Where is she now?"-" Oh, sir! there, on that sod in the corner of the roof;" pointing to it. "Stand off," he said again; then whirling the pole as before, he hit the sod a harder blow with it, and knocked the greater part of it down on the floor. "Where is she now?"-"Sir, she is just on the cupboard there, looking at me."-"Stand off, all of you;" then he struck the cupboard with such force as to break the tea-cups on the shelves. "Where is she now?”—“Oh, sir! she just flew out of the window." Thus he cured her of her delirium.

4

He was also sent for to visit a man in the same parish affected with a similar disorder. When he came into the room where he was, which happily had an earthen floor, he saw him sitting on it with the coals of the fire all about him in little heaps here and there, as if he were roasting potatoes. "What are you doing with the coals?" he said to him. "I am roasting devils," he answered. “You ought rather, man," said Skelton, "to get some water and duck them, for fire is their own element."-" I believe so," replied he. However, he humoured him so well, that before he left him he got him both to eat and sleep, which he had not done for some time before.

Having wrought these cures on persons disordered in their brain, he tried his skill upon a hypocritical enthusiast at Monaghan, a weaver, who, pretending a divine mission, set up to preach a new religion, and drew some of his people after him, chiefly by wearing a white hat. While a number of them were about him one day, Mr. Skelton came up to them and said, David, why do you wear the

white hat?"-" Because, Philip," replied he, "I have no money to buy any other."-" Well, well, David," he said, "if I buy a new half-guinea black hat for you, will you wear it?" He returned no answer. "David, I say, will you wear it?" Still he continued silent. "My friends,” Mr. Skelton said to the people, "you see all his religion is in the white hat; he'll not part with it; take away that mark of distinction, and then there will be no more virtue in his religion." The people being convinced by what he said, quitted their new teacher, who was forced to go home to his trade.

Though Mr. Skelton was usually employed in the serious business of his profession, he could now and then relax from such severity, and partake of innocent amusements and exercise. There were few, it appears, equal to him in the manly exercises; for in size, strength, and activity, he was superior to most men. He told me he has lifted up some huge weights, which no ordinary person could move. In the walks of the plantation at Monaghan, he threw the sledge and stone, played long-bullets on the public roads, and performed many other manly exercises. He could wind a fifty pound stone round his head without any difficulty, which shews the amazing strength of his arms. He found it requisite indeed, even then, to make use of his hands to chastise the insolent.

One Sunday, after church, riding along with a lady to a gentleman's seat some distance from Monaghan, he came up to a parcel of tinkers on the road, whom he heard uttering horrid oaths, for which he rebuked one of them in particular in these words," Sirrah, it would be more fit you had been at divine service than be thus profaning the Lord's day." The fellow gave him a saucy answer, and continued cursing as before. He then threatened to correct him if he would not desist, which made him more profane and abusive. Skelton could bear no longer, but leaped off his horse and struck him; the rest took his part, but he soon beat him and the whole troop of tinkers. He thus made them sensible of their crime by the only argument of which a tinker could feel the force. Then mounting his horse, he rode hastily off with the lady to the gentleman's house to which he was going, that he might be there before they

should hear of it. But with all his speed the news travelled there before him, and on entering, they complimented him on his boxing and beating the tinkers.

He exerted his courage again on a similar occasion. A young officer, proud of his red coat, which he had just put on, came into the hall of an inn (while he, being then on a journey, happened to be in the parlour), and to shew his cleverness, began reproving the waiter, and uttered a volley of horrid oaths. The waiter retaliated, and thus they were going on, when Skelton coming out of the parlour, told the officer, that he was a clergyman, and that it was very offensive to him to hear such horrid swearing, and begged he would desist. The officer then said to him, "You scoundrel curate, what is it to you?" Skelton gravely replied, "Young man, this is not proper language to one of my profession, merely for giving you good advice." -“You puppy you (for he thought Skelton was afraid), you deserve to be kicked for your impertinence;" and then he uttered some blasphemous oaths. "Well sir," said Skelton," since fair means will avail nothing, I'll try what foul can do." Upon this he fell to him with his fists, and cuffed him through the hall of the inn, and soon cooled the captain's courage, and made him quiet and submissive. Thus he chastised the military man for his profaneness, exerting his valour in the service of God and religion.

It appears that he was fond of paying visits, and, among others, he sometimes visited Dr. Maul, that worthy prelate, who, when bishop of Dromore, lived in the old see-house at Maheralin.* He once borrowed a horse from a Mr. Wrightsome of Monaghan to go thither. This horse being slipped in the back by the carelessness of some of his lordship's servants, the bishop gave him another one in exchange which was not quite so good. But afterward, as a recompense to the man, he bestowed on him his sermons.

Mr. Skelton set out in his ministry in the character of an avowed champion of the orthodox faith. Deriving his religious principles from the pure source of information, the Holy Scriptures themselves, he could find in these no real ground for the opinions of our modern refiners. Consequently he declared open war against all Arians, Soci

A small village in the county of Down.