Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/371

 KIRWAN. S67 They love to hear him, who on no other occasions appear within the walls of a church; men of the world who have other pursuits, and men of profession who have not time; physicians, lawyers, actors. The pressure of the crowd is immense. Guards are obliged to be stationed without, to keep off from our largest churches, the overflowing curiosity, which cannot contribute adequately to the great charities for which he generally preaches. The parishioners resign their pews to the officers appointed to accommodate often the lord-lieutenant and the court, at a l l times the high nobility o f both sexes, archbishops and bishops, the judges, the great law officers, the great parlia mentary orators, the clergy, and a l l who wish t o b e in structed, o r t o b e moved and delighted b y his eloquence. The sums collected always exceed any thing known o n similar occasions.” “If this man b e not a great orator, Cicero was mis taken.”.” The Orphan School, and several other o f the public charities, found i n the eloquence o f such a n advocate a most productive source o f support; and, o n the 5th o f November, 1788, the governors o f the General Daily Schools o f several parishes, passed a resolution, “that from the effects which the discourses of the Rev. Walter Blake Kirwan from the pulpit have had, his officiating i n the metropolis was considered o f peculiar national advan tage: and that vestries should b e called, t o consider the most effectual method t o secure t o that city, a n instru ment, under Providence, o f s o much public benefit.” I n the same year h e was presented b y the Archbishop o f Dublin, t o the prebend o f Howth, and i n the year fol lowing t o the parish o f St. Nicholas without, i n the metropolis, worth about three o r four hundred a year. Though the celebrity o f Mr. Kirwan's eloquence ren dered him a n admired favourite with the laity o f the high church, i t b y n o means recommended him t o the favour Chironomia, page 228. - Cadell, London.