"Good morning to you," he said, with marked politeness; morning, sir," said Jemmy, looking rather surprised, that the priest should recognize and salute him. "I am glad to see you, Jemmy, I have been thinking a good deal about you of late," said the priest. "Why maybe you mistake me for some one else, sir," said Jemmy. "Oh no!" said the priest, you are Jemmy so-and-so, and I have been thinking, Jemmy," he continued, "that your condition could and ought to be bettered considerably." "Why, I am obliged to you, sir," said Jemmy, "but I don't know what you mean, or what you can do for me." "Oh! indeed, I am sure I can," said the priest, "but, before I go any farther, Jemmy," he added, "I want you to understand that I haven't the least notion of asking you to turn Catholic, but, I think I can put you on the way of bettering yourself, Jemmy, and you can remain as staunch a Protestant, as the parson of the parish. Now, isn't that fair, Jemmy?" said Father Murphy. "It is very fair, indeed," said Jemmy, "but, I don't know, sir, what you mean.' "Well," said Father Murphy, "you heard of these two girls that went to Church last week," "Oh! yes," said Jemmy, straightening himself up, "and the whole country will soon turn also," "Well!" said the priest, "we needn't talk about that, just now; but Jemmy," he continued, "don't you think that the money they got, might have been laid out much better on you, and the likes of you." That it was a money transaction, was considered a matter of course; there was no necessity of arguing on that point, but Jemmy had not, probably, looked at the bearing of the affair on himself before. When, however, the idea was presented, he was ready at once to admit it. "Well, sir! I believe you are right, in that," he replied, "but I don't know what you mean, or what you are driving at." Why! said the priest, "I told you already, Jemmy, that I don't want you to turn, but, though you don't turn, Jemmy, do you think it would hurt you, if a report went out that you were thinking of turning?" "By the hokie!" says Jemmy, catching the plan at once, "I believe you are right sir, but how can that be done?" 'Nothing is easier," said Father Murphy, "you know where I live. Come up to my house to-morrow, let somebody see you on the way. We can talk over anything you please, and I'll engage you'll not lose by it." Jemmy entered into the plan at once, and next day wended his way to the priest's house. Not far from it, he met a Catholic woman, from whom he inquired if Father Murphy was at home. "Father Murphy! why, what do you want of Father Murphy?" said the woman. "Oh!" said Jemmy "these times a man must be thinking of his soul." 66 "Oh! the Lord be praised!" said the woman, "who would have ever thought of Jemmy so-and-so turning Catholic." And I need not tell you, that the news soon flew through the parish. Jemmy, in the meantime, went to the priest's house, and after a long talk the priest took him out to show him the chapel, letting some passers-bye see him moving in and out. He took him into the sacristy, and after some talk there, "this will be your confession, Jemmy." he said. "Yes, this will be my confession," says Jemmy, exulting in what he knew was to come. Finally, he bade adieu to the priest, with the warmest expressions of gratitude, for he knew well what was in store for him. "Now, Jemmy," the priest said to him when he was leaving, "there is one thing that I must request, and I hope you will not refuse." "Oh! by the powers!" said Jemmy, anything you ask me sir, shall be done; I know that I am now a made man." "Well then," said the priest, "all I ask is, Jemmy, that you don't go back too cheap. Get all you can." "Oh! sir!" said Jemmy, "leave that to me," and he went home. He was not long at home when the parson, as expected, came to pay him a visit. After the usual salutations and enquiries, "Jemmy," said the parson, "I have been thinking of late a great deal about you and your family; you are not as well provided as I would wish, and I have a situation for you, Jemmy, where you will receive so much a week." Jemmy thought that was not bad, and inwardly thanked Father Murphy, but he remembered his injunction not to go back cheap, and he replied: "I am thankful indeed, sir, but," said he, "you know I have a large family, and it takes a great deal to support them." "Oh! never mind that," said the parson, "I have a situation for your oldest daughter also, where she will receive handsome wages." "Better and better," said Jemmy to himself, but he was resolved not to go back cheap. "But, your Reverence," he replied, "the poor girl has no clothes fit for such a place, and I am ashamed to send her as she is." "Oh! that will be settled," says the parson, "here is an order which you can take to such a shop, and she can get all the clothes she wants." The shoneens, by their contact with the native population, have imbibed much of their shrewdness, and Jemmy feeling that he was master of the situation turned it to good account. He found out innumerable wants. Under one plea or another he contrived to go as deep as he could into the parson's purse, but finally had to stop when he could think of nothing more. After all this was arranged, the parson quietly remarked: "Now Jemmy," said he, "I am sorry to hear that you are weak in the faith." "Oh! well, sir!" you can "Oh! said Jemmy, "when a man is weak in the stomach, he cannot be strong in anything else." But now,sir," he says, trust me" Next day, as he had promised, he called on Father Murphy, to report progress, and return his warmest thanks. Father Murphy, however was'nt done. "Now, Jemmy,' he said, "since you have fared so well yourself, wouldn't it be a kind act to put your brother-in-law on the way of making a penny also? "Oh! by the powers!" says Jemmy, "I am afraid that would be going too far." never mind!" says the priest, "don't you think he has a better right to the money that's going, than those that have been getting it?" And it was not hard to induce him to help his brother-in-law, and he too took good care to make a dive into the parson's purse, and not to go back either cheap, and so the secret was whispered round among the shoneens of the parish, and all tried their hand at it, and the parson had to buy back his own people, and what was worse, it required a heavy outlay to preserve the investment. It never would have answered, if he who was to "convert" all Ireland, had not been able to preserve his own people. The result was, that the bottom was knocked out of his coffers; there was no more money to purchase poor Papists, and there was an end at that time to "conversions" in that parish. Indeed, as I am but relating what actually occurred, it may be no harm to add that the parson was so pressed by the shoneens, that he went deeply into debt, and was obliged to leave the country to avoid being imprisoned. Shame compelled him to leave nothing undone to prevent his own people becoming Catholics, instead of inducing the Catholics to leave the Church in masses as he had promised, and the money that he would have obtained in abundance from abroad to convert "Papists," was not to be had to retain his own, even if he had been willing to proclaim his precarious hold on them. From But the priest has not only to struggle against the enemies of the people; he is often forced to struggle with themselves. For they have not only inherited all the common ills of fallen nature, but in them, as in others, corrupt nature acquires traits and developments peculiarly their own. these, that is from themselves, the priest is frequently called to save them, and to accomplish this it often becomes necessary to apply no gentle hand. But, although the warmth of their nature may push them into excesses, they always know that the priest's voice and hand are those of a father who loves them, and when the fire of passion has passed, they thank him that in endeavouring to restrain and protect, he did not fear to displease. The Irish priest thus holds and exercises much power, which confessedly is not inherent in his office. It grew out of his peculiar position, and that of his people, and he holds it by a title which republicans, at least, should not dispute; he holds it through the free consent of those over whom it is exercised. His continuing to hold it, and his being supported in exercising it, is the best proof that he has been faithful to the trust under which it was granted. Outside of the ranks of the clergy, there have been many fearless and true men, who labored for the people with zeal, or failed without a blemish. There was above all, the great O'Connell, who was a tower of strength and impregnable in his honesty. He found the people in the dust, and though he did not accomplish all he desired, he removed the brand that was stamped on their foreheads, and he taught them to look their enemies boldly in the face. Many others, if not equal yet true men, might be named. But I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that as a class the clergy was the only body that, in supplying many good men, did not also supply a whole brood of betrayers. Statesmen betrayed them, riding into office on their shoulders, and then selling them for money or place. Hot-spoken orators betrayed them, and slipping away in the hour of the peril they had provoked, or making terms with the enemy, left the masses to bear its brunt. Many, from their own midst, with warm and honest hearts, but not with equal discretion, arousing in them an enthusiasm prompted more by their wrongs than warranted by their power or suggested by their religion, and evoking a spirit that could neither be guided nor repressed, when its dictates became unlawful, or hopeless, only plunged themselves and the whole people into deeper ruin. The blackthorn or the pike may 'never miss fire," but their "fire" is not always well or lawfully directed, and they will not carry as far as rifled guns, which, in their execution, know nothing of right or wrong, and are not in the least affected by the most beautiful oratorical or poetical effusions. The priest no more than others has been always able to obtain redress. But he neither shrunk from his post in the hour of danger, nor did his ranks supply the informers or the traitors who made other men atone for the acts they themselves had done. His hopes were not always realized, but things were seldom made worse by him, and I could quote numberless instances in which nothing was gained and much lost by disregarding his moderate counsels. But whether foiled or successful, no one can point to "spoils which he expected for himself or his order, or to any other advantages that he obtained or was aiming at obtaining, except what he might derive from the universal improvement in the condition of his people. No treasury was placed in his hands which the most malicious could say he was turning to his own account; no contracts were made by him from which he could reserve fat pickings. His whole training and the spirit of his calling will, it is true, make him err, if err he will, on the side of moderation, but there is little danger of any man identified with the people, going too far in this direction in Ireland. In all righteous struggles of the past, in which it was proper for them to take a part, the priests were foremost in the boldest movements, whenever there was a chance of success. This was so true, that they were always marked men in the estimation of the enemies of the people, and were on that account always excepted from any leniency shown to the vanquished. Though religious hatred doubt was the leading motive of this, the part acted by the priest was the one alleged, and we cannot deny that the priest's conduct made it plausible. Had it been a good one, it would in many cases have fully justified their course. no Thus Terence O'Brien, the heroic Bishop of Emly, continued at the siege of Limerick to exhort the people with effect to the defence of their altars and firesides, though Ireton who was besieging the city offered him £40,000 in money, and permission to betake himself to any part of the world he pleased, if he would only cease. But he spurned the offer and paid the penalty of his fortitude by being hanged, quartered, and embowelled, and having his head stuck up on Thomond bridge. Even while going to the scaffold he continued the bold advocate of the people, reproaching the monster with his cruelties, and summoning him to appear for them before the judgment-seat of God, which he did in a few days, like another Antiochus acknowledging his crimes, but not with a repentance that would have obtained pardon from God. the In a similar manner, Boetius Egan, Bishop of Ross, taken prisoner by the Cromwellians, when offered his life if he would induce the Irish troops that held the Castle of Clondrohid to surrender, being led before its walls for this purpose, as soon as he came within hearing, addressed besieged in Irish, and exhorted them to hold out, telling them that the English would soon be obliged to raise the siege. The English officer, learning the character of his address, was so exasperated that he put him to death at once, amidst the most cruel torments, which was, of course, VOL. V. 38 |