Excerpt from Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen, From the Earliest Times to the Present Period, Arranged in Chronological Order, and Embodying a History of Ireland in the Lives of Irishmen, Vol. 5

In 1714, he returned with lord Peterborough to England. The fall of the tory party appeared to terminate all immediate prospects of prefer ment; he was, therefore, not dissatisfied at the occurrence of a favour able Opportunity to extend his travels. The bishop of Clogher, Dr St George Ashe, proposed to him to accompany his son who was heir to a good property, on a tour through Europe.

His stay at Paris is rendered memorable by an incident of some interest, his interview with the celebrated philosopher Malebranche, of which, we have to regret, that no detailed account remains. Malebranche was prominent among the great speculative inquirers of his age, and held Opinions very nearly approaching those of Berkeley's theory. His opinion that all our volitions and perceptions are produced by the immediate Operation of the divine will working on the frame, ap pears by a brief and very obvious train to lead to the inferences of the non-existence of external things. From this not very sane result, the French philosopher was deterred by an argument which should have had a similar influence on Berkeley, whose theory was invented with a direct view to oppose a scepticism fashionable in his day. Malebranche justly considered the existence of the external world to be affirmed in the beginning of Genesis, and, therefore, concluded that the inferences of speculation could not be carried so far as to deny it: although it is clear he removed all evidence for it but that supplied by scripture. When Berkeley paid him a visit, he was labouring under an inflam mation of the lungs; and, at the moment, engaged in the preparation of some medicine, which he was watching as it heated in a small pipkin on his fire. It was an unfortunate situation for the encounter of two philosophers, who had such a point of difference to contend for. Malebranche had become acquainted with Berkeley's theory of the non existence of the external world; and immediately entered, with all the interest of a philosopher, and all the impetuosity of a Frenchman, into a. Discussion upon it. Berkeley was soon heated with controversial ardour; and they who best know the zeal of metaphysical disputation, will not hesitate to admit the probability, that the trifling considera tions of form and circumstance must soon have been forgotten by both parties in the keen debate. The actual incidents are no further know 11 than by the event. The French philosopher spoke so much and so loud, that it brought on a violent increase of his disorder, which car ried him off in a few days.

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