in the annals of history, the Irish clergy of all classes flocked there, and received a warm welcome. Many Irish families of position also settled down there in commercial pursuits, and the relations hence arising made Nantes easy of access to the south coast of Ireland, and the remote harbours afforded an opportunity of secret means of transport to the Irish students to obtain in France and Spain the education denied them under severe penalties at home.

IRISH SEMINARY AT NANTES.

The Most Rev. Dr. Troy, in a "relatio status" of the Diocese of Dublin, presented to the sacred congregation of the propaganda in the year 1802, mentions the necessity of the College of Maynooth for the education of the clergy in Ireland on account of the loss of the foreign colleges subsequent to the French Revolution. In these colleges his Grace mentions that 500 students were educated in France. There were two houses in Paris, one for priests, the other for ecclesiastical students, in both of which the Collége des Lombards, and the Collége des Irlandais, one hundred and fifty students received each year their support and education. One college at Nantes contained about one hundred; Bordeaux forty; and about as many at Douai. Specil Osso. Vol. 3. Page 632.

Although not the earliest established in the order of time, the Irish college at Nantes became one of the most important of the many institutions of the kind for supplying the wants of the Irish Church, as is seen from the above statement that in point of number it ranked immediately after that of Paris. The first locale of the Irish college was in a house, not suited for the purposes of a college, in the Rue de la Paume, or Chapeau rouge. In 1694 the Dominican nuns of S. Catherine who were established in the "Maison de la Touche," belonging to the bishop, and the Religious of "Mercy of the Hermitage in the Route de Rennes, were suppressed, as they were not authorised by letters patent. Monsigneur Jean Francois de Beauvau, Bishop of Nantes, gave to the community of Irish priests the house which the nuns of S. Catherine

occupied. It was situated in Rue Voltaire, at the end of it; and, at the right hand side, opposite was the "Manoir de la Touche." The buildings of the former "Manoir," and subsequently the convent of Dominican nuns, were old, and insufficient for the demands of the institution; therefore in 1727-1728 the college which existed down to a recent period was built.

The following extract from the work of the Abbé Grégoire, entitled, "Etât du Diocése de Nantes," in 1790, under the title "Seminaire d'Irlande," gives an account of the college which is interesting. Page 35.

"The Dominican nuns of S. Catherine were established in 'la Maison de la Touche,' and made use of the Chapel of S. Gabriel, near the GrandsCapucins, in the parish of S. Nicholas. They were suppressed by royal edict, and their house was given to the Irish priests for the instruction of the clergy of the country."

Before "La Touche" was given them, the Irish occupied an old convent in La rue du Chapeau-Rouge (1690-1695). The present seminary was built at the expense of the Catholics of Ireland from 1727-1728. The chapel was blessed and, like the former, dedicated to S. Gabriel by Mgr. de Beauvau in 1695. The "House" is composed of a "Salle de Conseil," class halls of theology and philosophy, a refectory containing ten large tables, four rooms for professors, and from 72 to 80 cells for students.

Sir James Ware, "Antiquities of Ireland," vol. II., p. 255, thus describes the Irish College at Nantes. Dublin, 1761.

At Nantes, in France, is a seminary for Irish secular priests, established about the year 1680, by the consent of Ægidius de Beauvau, Bishop of Nantes, obtained by the intercession of Doctor Ambroso Madden, of the Diocese of Clonfert, and Doctor Edward Ionery of the Diocese of Waterford. They pay rent for the house inhabited by them ever since the year 1697, and have no fixed endowment, but live chiefly by charity. The house at present affords lodgings for thirty-five priests, received indifferently from all the provinces of Ireland, who live in community, and have lectures and repititions like other communities. The Chappel belonging to it is under the convocation of S. Gabriel the Archangel, whose figure, in the shape of a young man with wings, is over the high Altar.

The letters patent of the College are dated from Fontainebleau, year 1765, and are as follows:

LETTRES PATENTES CONFIRMATIVES DU SEMINAIRE DES PRESTRES IRLANDOIS DE LA VILLE DE NANTES.

Registre 41, de 1766-1769, Archives du Parlement.

Louis, par la grâce de Dieu roy de France et de Navarre a tous presens et a venir salut. Notre trés chér et bien amié le Père Daniel Byrne prestre superieur du séminaire irlandois de la ville de Nantes nous a fait représenter que le feu roy Louis 14 notre trés honorés siegneur et vizaieul auroit autorisé l'etablissement des prestres irlandois dans plusieurs villes de nostre royaume et leur auroit donné des maisons et defferens bien fonds pour pouvoir s'y soutenir; que plusieurs prestres de la même maison persecutês dans leur pais a cause de la religion Catholique si seroient refugiés a Nantes en l'année 1695 et auroient été reçus par les evesques de cette ville dans une maison nommée bois de la Touche et dependante de l'évêché de Nantes, que la dite maison ou ces prestres ont vescu d'abord en communauté a été erigé ensuite en seminaire ou ils sont actuellemente prés de soixante, que leurs principales fonctions consistent dans la desserte de plusieurs paroisses óu ils exercent avec beaucoup de zêle les fonctions du S. Ministere, qu'ils sont encore employés en qualité d'aumosniers dans les hopiteaux, sur nos vaissaux, sur ceux de la compagnie des Indes, et sur les navires marchands. Mais comme leur etablissement n'a pas été par nous encore autorisée, et que par cette raison il n'a pas jusqu'a présent estre pourvu de la dotation, l'exposant nous a trés humblement fait supplier de vouloir bien approuver et confirmer par lettres patentes le dit seminaire, ensemble de lui permettre de receivoir et d'acquérir, par dons, legs et donations, et par nos mêmes lettres autoriser l'evesque de Nantes à procéder suivant les regles et formes canoniques apres tout fois de decéz de l'exposant a la supression du titre du priéuré de St. Crispin en bas Anjou, dioceze de Nantes, dont le dit exposant est actuellement pourvu, pour les fruits et revenus dudit prieuré estre mis a perpétuité au profit du séminaire; permettre en outre audit sieur evesque de Nantes de faire tel reglement qu'il jugera convenable tout pour le spirituel, que pour le temporel dudit seminaire ou la Philosophie de même que la Theologie, pourra etre enseignée par des professeurs de la nation irlandoise attendu l'eloignement du college et du seminaire du diocéze; accorder à cet effet aux etudiants la faculté de prendre leurs degrés dans l'université de Nantes en subissant les examens et soutenant les thézes ordinaires, et du surplus ordonner que le dit seminaire jouirra à l'avenir des mêmes privileges dont jouissons dans notre royaume les etablissements de même nature; a ces causes aprés nous estre fait informer plus particuliérement de l'utilite dudit seminaire en la de ville de Nantes, de l'avis de notre conseil et de notre grâce speciale pleine puissance et antoriteé royale. Nous avous approuvé et confirmés et par ces presentes

signées de notre main approuvons et confirmons ledit seminaire des prestres irlandois etabli en ladite ville de Nantes et aussi lui permettons de recevoir et d'acquérrir par dons legs et donations à la charge par les prestres du seminaire de se conformer aux dispositions de nostre édit du mois d'Août 1749 et pour assurer and. établissement partie de la dotation autorisons notre aimé et feal conseiller en nos conseils le sieur evesque de Nantes à proceder suivant les régles et formes canoniques à la supression du titre du prieurié de Saint Crispin en bas Anjou dioceze de Nantes aprés le decez dud. sieur Byrne exposant, qui en est actuellement pourvu pour les fruits et revenus dudit prieurié être mis a pérpétuité an profit dudit seminaire permettons en outre au dit sieur évêsque de Nantes de faire tel reglement qu'il jugera convenable tant pour le spirituel que pour le temporel dudit seminaire, ou la philosophic de même que la theologie pourra estre enseignée par des professeurs de la nation irlandoise; accordons a cet effet aux etudians la faculté de prendre leur dégrés dans l'université de Nantes en subissant les examens et soutenant les théze ordinaire sans toutefois que vos presentes lettres puissant prejudicier ni porter atteinte aux droits des evesques de Nantes et a ceux de l'université de la dite ville et a ceux des recteurs de la paroisse de S. Nicolas de Nantes sur la territoire de laquelle le dit seminaire est situé, Voulons au surplus que le dit seminaire jouisse à l'avenir des mêmes privileges dont les autres seminaires de notre royaume ont droit et continue de jouir. Sy donnons commandement à nos amés et feaux conseilleurs les gens devant notre cour de parlement a Rennes et a tous autres nos officiers et justiciéres qu'il appartiendra que les dites lettres ils ayant a faire registrer et du contenu en Iceéle jouir les prestre dudit seminaire irlandois de Nantes, pleinement, paisiblement et perpetuellement cessant et faisant cessers tous troubles et empêchemens-et unobstant toutes choses a se contrarier car tel est nôtre plaisir: et afin que ce soit choses ferme et stable a toujours nous avons fait mettre notre sel a ces dittes preséntes. Donné à fontainebleau l'an de grace 1765 et de notre regne le 5/e Signé Louis-et sur le reply...par le roy. Phelippeaux.

UNIVERSITY OF NANTES.

In the archives of the department at Nantes there are papers regarding the University. As early as 1764 there was question of removing the University to Rennes, the capital of Brittany. The question was afterwards agitated and was not finally finished until the Revolution, when it was transferred completely to Rennes in 1778. Extract "of the motives which the University of Nantes presents to Monseigneur le Garde des Sceauf and to Monseigneur du Conseil du Roi to obtain the arguments of its privileges, and the conformation which it opposes to its translation to Rennes."

Page 6-8. And the Irish priests who come to seek in France the lights and the degrees (academic) necessary for them for the instruction of the Catholics, whom God in His mercy has preserved in the Faith, in a kingdom which has renounced the Faith of the Church, will the Irish find at Rennes the means to continue their studies? The piety of our kings has opened to them an asylum in France, a means to perpetuate the succession of pastors, the teaching of the Catholic Faith. Louis XIV. granted them at Nantes a house, afterwards erected into a seminary by letters patents in the year 1765; registered in Parliament in August, 1766, and in the Chamber of Counts, the 24th March, 1767. They number, in the seminary, one hundred. The number and wealth of the inhabitants who have need of Masses in the country is their only resource; it furnishes the means of subsistence to the men who have not preserved of their patrimony but the Faith of their Fathers; the University, zealous to forward the pious intentions of the Prince, admits them gratis to degrees; many of them carry back to their country with pure doctrine, talents which raise them to the government of dioceses and parishes; with zeal and the lights capable to console the Faith of their countrymen and sustain it against persecution. It is doubtless worthy of the piety of the King to preserve an establishment which costs so little, so honourable to France, which was always the asylum of the afflicted, and to which the Faith may owe one day a glorious triumph over error in Ireland. But is it not evident that the destruction of this establishment the most convenient for the Irish, and perhaps the most flourishing they have in France, is threatened by the removal of the University to Rennes ? (Imprimeri de la veuve d'audré Luevo Imprimeur-Librarie suré de l'Université, 1778.)

D'Argentre Histoire de Bretagne, apropos of the University of Nantes. It, the University, is composed of five faculties, to wit Theolgy, Law, canon and civil, Medicine and Arts. By order of the Council of State, in the year 1735, the faculty of law was transferred to Rennes, where it is now. There have been attempts made recently to transfer thence, also the other faculties established to Rennes, but without success. In the Memorial made by the Municipality of Nantes and the University in the year 1764, the community of the town of Nantes, and the University of the town, to hinder the execution of this project, it was stated that it was desired rather its destruction than simple translation of an Establishment which was erected for the city, which suits it more than any other town of the province for the convenience of the student, for its good situation, the salubrity of the climate, the number of its inhabitants, all which render it the largest in