the principles of the Ultramontane school; they urged, in the Session of 1640, that persons attainted of high treason, had command in the service of Spain, that they derived titles from places within the realm of Ireland, and ought not to be supplied with such formidable means for disturbing the tranquility of the State. Cardinal Richlieu was then fomenting the troubles in Scotland and London, by the intrigues of Chambers, and Bellievre; he had emissaries in Ireland also; he informed the Irish agents in France, that their Countrymen were but a rope of sand, unless they formed a holy league, like that of the Guises against the Hugonots!--Upon this model, the solemn league and covenant was formed in Scotland; and upon the same model, the massacre of S. Barthelemi, went through a second edition in Ireland! *

Compare the Ambassades de Monsr. d'Estrades, Amsterd. 1718, with Siri's Memorie recondite, v. 8. p. 799, and his Mercurio, 1. 1, p. 199, the Journals of the Irish House of Commons, July 30, 1641, Nalson, v. 2, p. 426, and Carte's Orm. v. 1, p. 83, 89 and v. 2, p. 426.

93. Yes-The Catholic Religion, pure in its genuine principles, chaste in its morality, heavenly and discerning in its subordination to just commands, became a stalking-horse for clerical ambition, and the dearest interests of the Catholics of Ireland were sacrificed to intrigues! To these, and not to that religion, are to be attributed the vile equiovcations, the perjuries, and violations of faith, which have ever since been the principal, if not the only cause of our exclusion from the blessings of the Constitution!-The good sense of England, would never quarrel with Ireland about her Religion, well understood; they are only the abuses of that Religion, which have over

Nalson's Historical Collections are very valuable with respect to his Irish narrative, not only because he was a man of great integrity himself, and because he gives originals, but also because he was enabled to select such originals as contained the truth. There are silly writers who argue from originals as if they were all Gospel, because they are originals! Nalson says in his Preface, that " he had the happiness to be "assisted by the D. of Ormond, whose great character of unspotted loyalty and honour, will supersede all manner of "dispute of the integrity of the relation."

whelmed it with obloquy; and these abuses are self-evident to any man, who will but attentively read Fleury's Discourses on Ecclesiastical History, where the grain is separated from the chaff.-Perhaps there is no History, by which Fleury's observations are better illustrated, than by the History of Ireland.

Historical narrative from 1646 to the Revolution.

94. Let us take a rapid view of the leading facts, from 1641 to the revolution, and then conclude with that inference, which it is the great object of these sheets to establish, namely, that it is absolutely necessary to regulate the discipline of the Catholic Church of Ireland, by a Code of laws, which shall restrain the abuse of Spiritual power, according to the intent and spirit of the ancient Canons of the Christian Church, laws, founded upon the four first General Councils, which have been received by the Church of England, in the 2d of Elizabeth.

It is now pretty well ascertained that the confusions of 1641, &c, are not to be ascribed either to the pretended Massacre of Island Magee, or to Protestants hunting Irish Catholics with blood-hounds, or to their digging up the graves of Catholics, and driving stakes through their bodies near highways,† or to

*

The first who relates this fable, is the anonymous writer of Colonia, 1617, mentioned above, p. 261, in his Preface p. 28, and he gives it expressly on hear-say, “fertur a quodam Vicecomite factitatum in Comitatu Midensi, anno 1616."-Yet the foreign-influenced faction mention it as historical fact, though they confess that this is their only authority! Curry's Hist. Mem. p. 38, and the Letter to Hume in the 1st and 2d Numbers of the London Museum, 1763. Gracious God!-Is Catholicity to be defended by falsehood? Is Religion to be supported by immorality? Is Ireland never to have an historian?

+ This story comes from the same forge. But the inventor talks of it rather as a menace in terrorem “sepeliendi, exhumandi," not sepulti or exhumati. He adds indeed that this was done in some instances; but he neither mentions these instances, or any authority whatsoever; nor does any contemporary writer support his assertion; and he himself feels sore and aukward, asserting that the King interposed his authority to prevent it." In multo plures pœna recidisset, “nisi Regia in Comitiis benignitas iņtercessisset," ib.

Let any man of common candour compare this with Curry's account of the Sunday tax, "so rigorously enforced, that in

the Oath of Supremacy, which excluded no Catholic from Parliament; or to the enquiry into defective titles, which the King had prohibited, and the Council abolished; or to any persecution on the score of Religion, which every one was free to follow in any form he pleased, provided he made no tumultuary display of it. No Protestant, even in those days of anger, when the sword was drawn, would

"Cavan alone, the fines on Catholics for not attending Church, "amounted to £8000 in one year, (1615) an immense sum in "those days!

"When some miserable people in the County of Meath, "not being able to pay this tax on their consciences, had "fled from the cruel Collectors into dens and caverns, furious "blood-hounds were often sent after them, followed by a Sheriff " and his posse of disbanded Soldiers, equally furious and un"relenting.-Ecclesiastical censures, on account of this Sun❝day tax, were executed with the greatest rigour. So that "those that lay under them were constantly thrown into "gaols, and if they happened to die, they were denied Christian "burial, and thrown into graves dug in the highways, where, “as a mark of the greatest ignominy, stakes were driven "through their bodies; or if they happened to be buried by "stealth, their bodies were dug up and treated in the ignomi"nious manner before mentioned." Curry ib. p. 39!

Yet there is no authority for all this but the hear-say "fertur" of a man who was then in Germany!-Such are our Irish Historians! God bless them!