their chapels, and of the still more insignificant number of persons who could afford to pay for them if they existed.

It is to be hoped, however, that the time is not far distant when the act of a liberal and paternal government, equally regardful of the religious sentiments of all its people, shall, by a due stateprovision, put an end to the distressing position in which both the Catholic clergy and the poorer laity of Ireland are at present placed, through the unnatural and most unjust privations to which their Church has been so long subjected.

CHAPTER IV.

ENNISKILLEN.

At

ENNISKILLEN, the capital of Fermanagh, is one of the neatest towns in Ireland, and planted in a beautiful site between the two Loughs Erne. These two lakes are about four or five miles apart, but are united by a splendid river, flowing from the upper or southern lake into the lower or northern. about two thirds of the distance from the upper lake this river divides into two branches, which, after a circular bend on either hand, reunite and then proceed in a single current into the lower lake. On the island thus formed is built the principal part of the town of Enniskillen, though it is extended on both sides across its bounding rivers by means of bridges. The island is considerably elevated at one point, and is everywhere sufficiently high to preserve a good slope towards the water on all sides.

As seen from any of its approaches, Enniskillen has a very fine appearance, and from its higher parts it commands most delightful views in every direction. The whole valley between the lakes is bounded on either side by hills of considerable height, rising up steeply or sloping up gently from

the water, and everywhere adorned with the richest verdure and most luxuriant woods. It would, indeed, not be easy to point out a more charming locality than the immediate vicinity of Enniskillen, even without taking into account its magnificent lakes. The town itself is neat enough, but without any pretensions to architectural beauty either in its domestic or its public buildings. It is traversed from end to end by one main street which is of a fair width, and contains many good shops and two good hotels. The population of Enniskillen in 1841 was 5686; and in 1851, 5792. In addition to its own population it had, in 1851, in its workhouse, gaol, and infirmary, 1075 persons.

Being now in the province of Ulster, we begin to find a great alteration in the proportions of the two religions among the people, the Protestant element here assuming a much more important value. I was given to understand that in the town of Enniskillen the numbers of Catholics and Protestants are now nearly equal, the former comprising all the lower classes, the latter the middle and upper classes mainly.

This statement seems to be well borne out by the official returns of 1834, which distribute the population of the two parishes (Enniskillen and Rossory) in which the town is situated as follows: Protestants, 9052; Roman Catholics, 9208. It seems also in accordance with the official returns

of the whole county of Fermanagh, as given in the census of 1841. The number of the ministers of the different religious bodies are there given as follows:-Established Church, 29; Presbyterians and Methodists, 23; Roman Catholics, 23. This enumeration makes the number of Protestant ministers, taken conjointly, as being double that of the Roman Catholic. But if we admit, on the other hand, that each of the Catholic congregations is double that of the Protestant congregations (a moderate estimate in my opinion), we shall arrive at a conclusion in conformity with the statement made above as to the proportion of the two religious bodies in the town of Enniskillen.

There are numerous schools, and of all kinds, in the town: two National Schools; one if not two Catholic Schools; three schools connected with the Church of England, and three connected with the Presbyterians and Methodists, besides the great Endowed Grammar School of Portosa,

I was only able to visit one of the National Schools, the smaller of the two. Here I found in the boys' department only 37 on the books, with an average attendance of 26. The master told me that the attendance in winter was considerably larger, averaging 37 or 38. Out of the 37 now on the books, 12 are Protestants, of which number 9 attended school the day of my visit. This school, although in connection with the National Board, is not a pure National School, as the master receives

pupils of a higher class, who pay him fees averaging from 2s. 6d. to 7s. 6d. per quarter.

As in the ordinary National Schools, the religious instruction (simply the Catechism) is given on Saturday from half-past eleven to one o'clock, the Catholics occupying one room and the Protestants another. The master is a Catholic; but so far from seeking to convert his Protestant pupils, he adopts a rule of singular impartiality towards the two religions. Feeling it to be inconsistent with his own religious views to teach the Protestant Catechism, he delegates this task to a senior Protestant pupil; and in order that the Protestants may have no grounds for complaining of partiality even in this, he also delegates the instruction of the boys of his own religion to a pupil.

In the girls' school, the numbers on the books and in attendance were almost precisely the same as in the boys' school, but there were only 3 of the girls Protestants. Much of the time of the girls is employed in that kind of needlework (here termed "sprigging") which has been already noticed as so predominant in the schools of Connaught. Though highly important in various points of view, as formerly stated, this work may be and probably is carried too far in some schools. At least, I received complaints from more than one of the schoolmasters that it seriously interfered with the literary instruction of the children. And this is likely enough. Spriggery, or any other kind of female handiwork,