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TilE BISHOP OF CORK'S LETTERS ABOUT TilE CATHEDRAL.
and commendable one, but I must beg of you to consider that the honour and service of God is, in the language of the Scriptures, preferred to the ./,-• service and love of our neighhours. You know better than I the state of your Cathedral, and how impossible it will be for the clergy, out of their P-conomy to erect it in any decent form ; I beg you will consider that the Citty of Cork is the second Citty in this kingdom, and that it would be --- impossible to raise a building suitable to the dignity which such a Citty would demand for less than .£3000. For my own part there is no Bishop --- in the kingdom that has less occasion for being solicitous about the erecting of a Cathedral than myself, since both the houses which it has pleased his Majesty to vest me with have private Chappels annexetl thereto, which will very well serve my f1-iends and family to pay their devotions in to their Creator. • "Dut what I am at present solicitous about is a public building in which the honour of the Citty of Corke is concerned, in which your honour is con- cerned, as you are inhabitants, 1\{agistrates, and guardians of it. "I shall only beg leave to represent to you that as the number of found- lings at first, or their expense while young, will not be very great, I shoulcl think it no very great matter for you to consent to the applying the tax upon coals for the first seven or five years, at least, towards finishing your Cathedral, and in return for this I promise to use all my interest with the clergy to apply all the income of the reconomy for ten years to come, which can possibly be applied that way, towards compleating the ornaments of the inside, and if there is any favour which it is in my power to grant, that will be acceptable t~ yourselves in particular, I assure you you shall not • have occasion for asking it a second time. As it has pleased God an~---·-- his Majesty to appoint me to be your Diocesan, I shall always look upon it as a very great happiness to proceed jointly and unanimously along with you in all your pious endeavours, and as you have the honour of being represented by two very worthy gentlemen, for whom I have the greatest regard, I could not think of giving public opposition to any scheme which came recommended by them, but have chosen to make this my first request to you in conjunction with them, and do not doubt but that, with the blessing of God, your compliance herein will further your own project and give encouragement to subscriptions towards building a Work- house, which may be erected against the expiration of the five years, when
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