Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/423

 MATHEW. 419 which he prefixed is a most important accession to bio graphy. In 1808, he prepared for the press a few produc tions of the celebrated William Gerard Hamilton, to which he prefixed a sketch of his life. He also wrote a biographical memoir of that celebrated statesman Mr. Windham, which was not printed for sale. A gradual decay appears to have undermined his constitution; and when he was just on the point of going to press with his new edition of Shakspeare, he was interrupted by an illness of which he died on the 25th of May, 1812, in the seventieth year of his age, and his remains were interred in the family seat of Baronston, in the county of West meath. --- - THOMAS MATHEW. This gentleman, of whom the following account is taken from Sheridan's Life of Swift, was generally supposed to be the last who kept up the old Irish hospitality in i t s an cient splendour. Being possessed o f a considerable estate i n Tipperary, which produced a clear rent o f 8000l. a-year, h e resolved t o build a large commodious house for the reception o f guests, surrounded b y fifteen hundred acres o f his choicest land, a l l laid out upon a regular plan o f improvement. I n order t o carry this design into effect, h e retired t o the Continent for seven years, and lived upon 600l. a-year. When a l l was completed, h e returned t o his native country; and after some time passed i n the metropolis, t o revive the old, and cultivate new acquaintance, h e retired t o his seat i n Thomastown, t o pass the remainder o f his days there. As h e was one o f the finest gentlemen o f the age, and possessed o f s o large a property, h e found n o difficulty, during his residence i n Dublin, t o get access t o a l l whose character for talents o r probity, made him desirous t o cultivate their acquaintance. Out o f these he selected such a s were most conformable t o his taste, inviting them t o pass such leisure time a s they might have upon their hands, a t Thomastown.