Rare Irish Books

In a spcond-story back-room on ona o! the side streets down town there is & collection of books the like of which Is not to bo found anywhere in the United States. Herc are over 500 volumes in the Irish language, and over 5,000 works on subjects pertaining to Ireland and its people. In a talk had with tho proprietor some interesting facts were learned about the collection, which comprises some of tho rarest Irish books in existence. Among these aro a set of the publicaüons of the Irish ArcJMBlogicál Society, of twenty-two volumes, the only set in America. In each volume one page 9 printod in the Irish languago and tho other in Euglish. Tho set is worth 200 and was published in 1842. Not more than 1,000 sets wero issued, and the only way one is obtained is through the death of one of the original subscribers. Two very raro books here are upon the famous Round Towers of Ireland. One book claims the towers to be of Pagan origin and tho other to be the work of Christians. The two books are worth $20 and were published in 1830. One of the oldest books in the collection is Cox's History of Ireland, published in 1689 and written from the Bnglish staiulpoint. It is worth $15. A very curious volume is one on Irish coins, by Sirnon. It gives a fac-simile of every coin issued in Ireland and goes back into Pagan times. It was published in 1810 and some of the plates show distinctly the coins of the times bofore the Conquest Whon asked regarding the oldest Irish work in America, the proprietor said that it was one printed in Rome at the Propaganda Fida ia 1676. It is in the Irish languaga, and was published for the use of missionaries going to Ireland. It is a catechism, of 12mo siae, and was obtained direct from Rome. It is held as a great curiosity. Among tho rare works in the collection isasetoffour volumes of the Dublin Penny Journal published in 1832 and edited by tho cclebrated Dr. 0"Donovan. In this are the first published verses of tho famous Irish poet, Clarence Mangin. The set is worth $25. Another very rare work is a copy of tho Antholigia Hibernica. a magazine printed in 1800, and in which the poet Moore's first verses were published. It is in four volumes and is worth $12. Among the books of the collection are the histories of every county of Ireland. One of the veri tabla curiosities is a copy of a book which nv;is burncd by tho hangman in the puhlic square at Dublin by order of the British Government It is entitled The Case of Ireland Stated. It author was Robert Molinaux. who was imprisoned for writing it. It was published in 1708. Another very rare work is A View of the State of Ireland as It Was in the Reign of Queon Elizabeth. It is by the poet Edmund Spencer, and was published la 1763. In speaking of big priees paid for Irish books the proprietor said that he sold to tho British Museum some time ago a small 18mr volume for $83. It was entitled The Bloeding Iphigonia, and was by Dr. Freneh. It was a soit of a parable on the history of Ireland, and not another copy was to be had. Another rare Irish work which recently bmught a good figure tras Waiv's Antiquitiej of Ireland, wliiili he sold to the Xavier Union of this city for $100. Fifty dollars was recently paid for a volume entitled "Hibernica Dominica," by De Burgo. It was a quarto in size, and was a history of the Dominican order in Ireland. It was printed in Lat in. Among somo of the books in the collection in tho Irish language was one containing a translation of Moore'3 melodies by Archbishop McHale. With reference to tho cultivation of the Irish lauguago in this country the proprietor said that in ncarly every city of the Union there have been olaasea formed to study it, and that ttoefcnowledge regarding t is greatly necossary. The characters are like tlios.i of both Hebrew and Greek, and it is very difficult to pronounoe because t the large number of silent letters. Ho said that it is still the one Unguage spoken among tho Schermen on the north and southwest coasts of Ireland, where it is necessary to have an interpretcr in the courts. In regard to librariea of Irih books tn this country, it was stated that the Xavier Union of this city is acquiring a large one of raro liisli works especially, and that a priest who lives up the Hudson has f20,000 worth of books relating to Ireland. The demand for these works isincrcasingso rapldly in this country, the reporter was informed, that old books on Ireland are getting more and more scarce and obtaining largely-ineroasod priees.- N. Y. Mail and Express. - A Conscientiods Drlver.- It was very warm, and the old gentleman dozed off in the streot-car. The car passed his house and still he sltuiibered. Wlien he got to the end of the route the drlver woke him ui. "Wliy didn't you shako me whon the ar passed my house?" demanded the Irate party. The drivor replied: "Ididthink of shakingyou, bul the printed instructions are, as you see there: "Driven are not permitteil, under any droamstances, to handle tho f are.' I cal led you, but you were snoring so loud you didn't hear me." - Texas Siftings. -In 1850 there were 6,737 prisoneri in the Jaill f this county. In 1880 tho number was 59,258. In 1850 there was one prisoner to every 3,442 inhabitants; in 1880 thero was one to every 837 in habitants. j