Becoming thus acquainted with Mr Hogan’s abilities, Mr Carey, with that surprising prophetic judgment with which he was so eminently gifted, at once predicted the young sculptor’s future fame, and proclaimed his genius in every quarter in which he hoped it might prove serviceable to him. He commenced by writing a series of letters, which were inserted in the Cork Advertiser, “addressed to the nobility, gentry, and opulent merchants, entreating them to raise a fund by subscription, to defray the expense of sending Hogan to Italy, and supporting him there for three or four years, to afford him the advantages of studying at Rome.” But for some time these letters proved ineffectual, and would probably have failed totally in their object but for Mr Carey’s untiring zeal. Acting under his direction, Mr Hogan was induced to address a letter to that noble patron of British genius, the late Lord de Tabley, then Sir John Fleming Leicester, and to send him at the same time two specimens of his carvings, “as the humble offering of a young self-taught artist.” This letter, which was backed by one from Mr Carey himself, was responded to at once in a letter written in the kindest spirit, and which contained an enclosure of twenty-five pounds as Sir John’s subscription to the proposed fund. This was the first money actually paid in, and subscriptions soon followed from others. Through Mr Carey’s enthusiastic representations, the Royal Irish Institution was induced to contribute the sum of one hundred pounds, and the Royal Dublin Society to vote twenty-five pounds for some specimens of his carvings which Mr Hogan submitted to their notice. These acts of liberality were honourable to those public bodies; yet, as Mr Carey well observed, it was to Lord de Tabley’s generosity that Mr Hogan’s gratitude was most due. Here, as he said, “was a young man of genius in obscurity, and wholly unknown to his lordship, rescued from adversity in the unpromising morning of life--a self-taught artist built up to fame and fortune by his munificence--a torch lighted, which I hope will burn bright for ages, to the honour of the empire. HOGAN may receive thousands of pounds from future patrons, but it is to Lord de TABLEY’S timely encouragement that he will be indebted for every thing.”