or Brehon law, fo as no treason, murther, rape, or theft, committed in those "countries, was enquired of or punished by the law of England." And he alfo remarks: "That the abbies and religious houses in Tyrone, Tirconnel, "and Fermanagh, though they were diffolved in the 33d year of Henry VIII. were never furveyed nor reduced into charge, but were continually pof"feffed by the religious perfons until the reign of James I." In this state of things, O'Neal, O'Donnel, O'Dogherty, and fome other Irish chieftains, either repenting of their too hasty fubmiffion, or weary of their dependance upon the English, propofed terms to the French king to become his fubjects, on condition of his fending over a fufficient force to enable them to thake off the English yoke. Francis the First fent over the Bishop of Valence to reconnoitre and report to him the fituation of the country, and the probability of expelling the English. This prelate found the chieftain of Tyrconnel and fome other of the Irish dynasts to whom he applied, either fo ftaunch to their engagements with Henry, or fo averse from fubmitting to a foreign yoke, that the French 'monarch declined engaging in the affair. On the other hand the Irish fhewed themselves ever ready to fight the battles of England; and Henry was attended to the fiege of Bologne by a confiderable body of Irish infantry, who diftinguished themselves by their activity and prowefs.* The enemy was astonished at the agility with which they made incurfions for several leagues into their country, and the ferocity with which they attacked, feised, or destroyed all they met. Henry, by his wars on the continent and other expences, having exhaufted his treasury, adopted a measure which rendered him unpopular even with his own fubjects of the Pale; for as yet thofe without it could not be fo called. He ordered bafe money to be coined in Ireland, and ftamping it with a nominal valué, he made it current, to the great injury of the people, especially of the foldiers. The fhort reign of our infant Edward was confidered, by Sir John Davis, to have been of fuch flight importance to the elucidation of this part of the * It is recorded of this Irish brigade, that when they ranged the French country, which is open and uninclosed, they carried with them a bull, which they tied to a ftake, and then surrounded it with fire the bellowing of the animal, as the fire scorched him, brought all the cattle within hearing to the spot, where they were made a prey of. As they gave no quarter to the enemy, the French gelded and otherwise tormented fuch of them as fell into their hands. Irish history, that in his Discovery of the true Caufes why Ireland was never entirely fubdued, nor brought under Obedience to the Crown of England until the beginning of the Reign of James I. he wholly omits any mention of it. There is, however, one feature to be traced in it, that strongly marks the pernicious and fatal confequences of thwarting the difpofitions, exciting the difaffections, and encroaching upon the native rights of the Irish people. This ill-fated principle of anti-union was not only productive of oppreffion and calamity to Ireland, but of lofs, detriment, and difgrace to England itfelf. Feriunt fua tela nocentem. Immediately upon the demife of Henry, O'Moore, O'Byrne, O'Connor and fome other chieftains fhewed themselves in arms, hoping to take advantage of the weakness of the English government during the infancy of the monarch. But they were fubdued by Sir Anthony Bellingham, who had been feasonably fent over with a reinforcement of 400 foot and 600 horse. Some time after the Earl of Defmond proving refractory and turbulent, was furprized in his houfe by the deputy and carried prisoner to Dublin. Sir Anthony Bellingham, instead of punishing him, fo worked upon him by reafon and mildnefs, that Defmond made fincere atonement for his crime, and was releafed upon giving fureties for his future good conduct: he continued a peaceable and loyal fubject to his death.* The adminiftration of Bellingham, though honorable to himself and ferviceable to the crown, was foon put an end to through jealoufies and intrigues: he was accused of not effectually supporting the English interest, and of other malpractices: he was recalled to take his trial in England, but died before it came on, having first indignantly rejected terms of compromife from his accufers. † In Ireland, fays Leland, the Reformation was tendered to a prejudiced and reluctant people. The avowed enemies of English government, and the factious oppofers of English administration naturally regarded every new regulation in the affairs of religion, as arbitrary, oppreffive, and injurious, and feized the occafion of inveighing against fuch offenfive exertions of authority. The more peaceable, who had never been accustomed to a ferious difcuffion of the great points in controverfy, refted indolently upon the * Defmond after his release daily prayed for the deputy by the name of the good Bellingham. ↑ Ormond his prime accufer was soon after poisoned with fixteen of his retinue at a feast at Ely House in Holborn: but whether by accident or treachery was never difcovered, + 2 Lel. 192. antiquity antiquity (as it is called) of the former establishments, and in this relaxed state of mind, were ftricken with great terror at the denunciations of divine vengeance, thundered out by the friends of Rome against herefy and innovation. The vindictive character of Henry VIII. and the rigor of his government, had driven many of the pale as well as of the Irish race, to formal profeffions and condefcenfions, which the very eafe and readiness, with which they were made, fhew to have been made without due attention and ferious conviction. The authority of a minor king was lefs efteemed or dreaded, at the fame time, that the requifitions now to be made were more extensive and did greater violences to the popular prejudices. The protector Somerset having fuccefsfully proceeded with the work of the reformation in England, was refolved, that the Liturgy of the Church of England fhould, as well as other new ordinances concerning religion, be introduced into Ireland. Orders were accordingly fent over to convene a parliament for this purpose: but, whether from the apprehenfion of a violent oppofition to the measure, or from what other caufe, the defign of convening an Irish parliament was laid afide, and the royal proclamation was tranfmitted, addreffed to the clergy and enjoining the acceptance of the new Liturgy. This innovation in religion was unexpectedly and most violently oppofed by Dowdall of Armagh, the new primate, who had been promoted to that dignity by the king. Besides Archbishop Browne four only of the Irish bishops* fubmitted to the proclamation: and these five were not supported by their own clergy. The new Liturgy was performed for the first time on Eafter Sunday, A. D. 1551, in the cathedral of Chrift Church Dublin, in the prefence of the deputy, magistrates, and the few of the Dublin clergy that had then conformed. Soon after this a most injudicious measure was adopted, that could but tend to ulcerate the public mind already tenderly fore upon the subject of religion. A public conference, or rather a theological disputation, was holden in St. Mary's abbey, between Dowdall, on behalf of the catholic, and Staples of Meath, on behalf of the reformed religion. This spiritual tournament produced it's natural and ufual effect: each champion claimed the victory, each party retired with encreased acrimony against the other. The bulk of the nation adhering to their ancient faith, the cause of religion became the cause of the nation; and it fatally feemed, as if the English government * Viz. Staples of Meath, Lancaster of Kildare, Travers of Leighlin, and Coyn of Limerick. were predetermined not only to opprefs, but to irritate the people of Ire land. *Doctor Leland informs us, that at this time John Bale, the violent and acrimonious impugner of popery, was nominated to the fee of Offory. His rigid and uncomplying spirit appeared immediately on his confecration. Even the weak among the new reformed, were terrified, and the Romish party held this fpirited and turbulent enemy, in the utmost abhorrence. His learning, which was ftupendous, compared with that of his Irish brethren, promised to do confiderable fervice to the reformation in Ireland, and even the vehemence of his temper feemed well fuited to the place and circumftance of his miffion. But the truth is, that the business of religious reformation in Ireland, had hitherto been nothing more, than the impofitions of English government, on a people vehemently addicted to their ancient worship; not fufficiently obedient to the English government, but flightly impreffed with fear, and in no degree reconciled by kindness. Bale, infulted the prejudices of his flock without reserve or caution. They were provoked, and not fo restrained or awed by the civil power, as to diffemble their refentments. During the fhort period of his refidence in Ireland, he lived in a continual state of fear and persecution. On his first preaching the reformed doctrines, his clergy forfook him or oppofed him; and to fuch violence was the populace fpirited up against him, that five of his domeftics were flain before his face and his own life was faved by the interpofition of the magif trate. As a mean of establishing the tranquillity of Ireland on a more permanent bafis, warm applications were made by the deputy to the English cabinet for an extenfion of the English law to the Irish natives, throughout the kingdom. But they were not attended to. Times and circumftances were altered. When the power and poffeffions of the Irifh were confined within much more limited bounds, when they fiarted under the various oppreffions of the adventurers from Britain, they desired, they entreated, they offered to purchase the participation of the English law. Their fentiments were changed with their circumftances: and they had relapsed into all their innate prepoffeffions in favor of their ancient inftitutions.. The late attempts to force them to renounce their ancient faith, which they had received from St. Patrick, and to adopt a new system of religion with an English ritual, naturally connected themselves with the national prejudices, against English oppreffion; and cooperated in raifing the infurrection of Tyrone, for the fuppreffion of which, we must look to a later period of the Irish hiftory. This nobleman, notwithstanding the fulness of his late fubmiffion, and his acceptance of an English title, retained all his native predilections for the greatness and regal fplendor of his family. He had once pronounced a curfe on those of his pofterity, who fhould conform to the English manners, or affociate with the Saxon race. With this he was often upbraided by his kinfmen and followers; and finding the Irish nation now more estranged than ever from the English government, by their recent attempt to force them out of their religion, he chofe this as the most favorable moment to shake off the trammels of allegiance, and revert to the ancient confequence and independance of O'Nial. The unexpected death of Edward VI. and the short reign of his fifter Mary, gave a temporary refpite to the troubled ftate of Ireland, as far at leaft, as it depended upon England. But inafmuch as all the measures of the British cabinet in the former reign which affected Ireland, related folely to the ecclefiaftical fyftem: fo the principal effect of the acceffion of Queen Mary to the throne of her ancestors was, that the firft by a proclamation counteracted, and did away whatever innovations had been introduced into the ecclefiaftical establishment, by the proclamation of her infant brother. She then convened a parliament, which repealed all the acts of her father touching religion, which had been paffed after the twentieth year of his reign, and the civil establishment of the catholic religion was precifely restored to the state, in which King Henry VIII. had found it on the demife of Henry VII. The Proteftant bishops were deprived, and Catholic biflops substituted to their fees. The poffeffions of the church, which had paffed into lay hands, were confirmed to the poffeffors, as they were in England, by the concurrent approbation of the lords, spiritual and temporal, the fovereign, and the pope. This parliament of the 3d and 4th of Phillip and Mary, began with declaring that the queen had been born in lawful wedlock, and therefore annulled and repealed all fentences of divorce, and all acts paffed in the reign of Henry, by which the fucceffion to the crown had been fettled to the prejudice of Mary. They adopted the proceedings of the English parliament for ascertaining fuch offences against the king and queen, as fhould |