The king on this fubject wrote to Chichester, "that he thought both the order he had taken for reformation, and the punishment he had inflicted upon fome of the aldermen of Dublin, and certain others whom his letters mention, for their contempt, to be not only just, but necessary. And that he conceived hope, that many, by fuch means, will be brought to conformity (in religion) who perhaps hereafter will find caufe to give thanks to God, and him, for being drawn by fo gentle a constraint to their own good."

Hard as this treatment of the catholie laity was, amidst the calmeft and most univerfal peace that was ever known in Ireland," that of their clergy was ftill more rigorous. To omit many other inftances,

9 Defid. Cur. Hib. vol. i. p. 465.

the

new and exceffive fees, they tell him " that they thought it good, before they fall to any ufual order with him (Sir Patrick Barnwell), to be fomewhat cleared in the first important matter, to the intent that when they knew his ground, they might the better pronounce and publish the offence of any that had, or fhould prefume to cenfure his proceedings; and this they did the rather, because they pre-fuppofed he would not have taken that courfe, but that he found there fome particular authority by law or precedent, which as yet was unknown to them in England. They add, that to the other exceptions, they fend him what Sir Patrick Barnwell fayeth, and what he offereth to prove; to which they would have the deputy fend them some anfwers, rather for form's fake, &c." Defid. Curiof. Hibern. vol. i. p. 489.

And in another letter to the fame deputy, September 2, 1608," they fay, "concerning the proceedings of the ftate in fending forth the mandates (precepts before-mentioned) by the judges, who defire to be fpared till their return from their circuits for giving their reafons; we allow it very well, that they should take their time, it being fufficient for us to know, that they have done it upon good grounds; because all fuch proceedings in matters of religion, want not captious eyes in that kingdom; wherein, because we did fufficiently let you fee within what bounds his majefty wished you to contain yourselves as near as you could, we mean to touch that point no farther at this time, faving only to one part of your letter of the 9th of July, to let you know that if any motion shall be made here for reviving of a high commiffion, it fhall appear that his majefty thinketh the fame unfeafonable, and therefore, without order from him, we require you to forbear giving any way to it." Id. ib. p. 495.

the cafe of Robert Lawler deferves particular notice. When this poor man was thrown into prison, for exercifing the function of a Roman catholic prieft, he," in order to remove all fufpicion of his maintaining, or teaching

10 Sir John Davis's Reports in fine.

any.

e" Robert Lawler had obtained from the court of Rome the title and jurifdiction of vicar general of the See apoftolic within the archbishoprick of Dublin, and bishopricks of Kildare and Ferns. Upon his first examination, after he was apprehended in Dublin by the lord deputy himself, he acknowledged that he was a priest, and had accepted the title and office of the pope's vicar general, and had exercifed fpiritual jurifdiction in foro confciencia. And in fundry other points he maintained and juftified the pope's authority; only he faid he was of opinion that the pope had no power to excommunicate, or depose his majefty, because the king is not of the pope's religion. The name and reputation of the man, and the nature of the cause, drew all the principal gentlemen, both of the pale and of the provinces that were in town to the hearing of the matter : he was not a little abashed at the publishing of his examination and confeffion in the hearing of fo many gentlemen to whom he had preached a contrary doctrine; and therefore said, that the fhewing forth that confeffion was altogether impertinent and beside the matter; howbeit he could not deny, but that he made it, and figned it, and swore it, as it was teftified by the lord deputy and the reft. Upon his being queftioned about his diftinction between spiritual and ecclefiaftical caufes, he answered, that indeed he had faid to fome of his friends who vifited him in the castle of Dublin, that he had not confeffed or acknowledged that the king was his fupreme governor in spiritual causes; for that the truth is,” adds my author," in the confeffion there is no mention of spiritual causes, but of ecclefiaftical: and upon being further asked by the attorney general, what difference he made between spiritual and ecclefiaftical caufes, he answered, that that queftion was fudden, and unexpected at that time, and therefore he would do well to take another day to dispute that point." Sir John Davis's Report, from p 84. to p. 96.

"Cnohor O'Duana, bishop of Down and Connor, was apprehended in July, 1612, and committed to the castle of Dublin, wherein he lived in continual restraint many years; but having at last escaped out of prison, and having been afterwards taken, he was hanged, drawn and quartered on the 1ft of February." Theatre of Cath. and Proteft. Relig. p. 578.

The chaplain of this bishop, Bryan Carrulan, John O'Onan, Donoghow M'Reddy, and John Luneas, priests, suffered also, in Ireland in this reign." Id. ib. p. 586.

any feditious doctrines, made the following confeffion, before the lord deputy and council, and afterwards confirmed it on oath, viz. "That he did acknowledge his fovereign king James to be his lawful chief, and fupreme governor, in causes as well ecclefiaftical as civil; that he was bound in confcience to obey him, in all faid caufes; and that neither the pope, nor any other foreign prelate, or potentate, had power to control the king in any caufes ecclefiaftical, or civil, within that kingdom, or in any other of his majesty's dominions." Yet this extreme condefcenfion could not, it seems, prevent his condemnation. The only pretence for this feverity was, his having denied privately to fome of his friends, who visited him in prifon, that he had ever made fuch confeffion as was derogatory to the fpiritual authority of the Roman pontiff; for, he told them," that he had not acknowledged that the king was fupreme governor in fpiritual caufes, but in ecclefiaftical." Whether this diftinction, cal

culated for the private fatisfaction of his friends, was well or ill founded, I fhall not take upon me to determine; but certain it is, that it cancelled all the merit of his public confeffion.

CHA P. V.

The confpiracy and flight of the earls.

THESE feverities not having produced the defired effect, which, probably, was a new infurrection, and confequently new forfeitures; another expedient was made use of which had been lately fuccefsful, viz. private

a

a This was then thought to have been a contrivance of Secretary Cecil, whom Ofburne calls " an adept in state tricks," and who, two years before, found the like expedient to have fucceeded in the affair of the gun-powder treafon. (See an effay towards a new history of that treason.) " Cecil," fays Mr. Dodd, was an adept in framing fictitious plots, and has left instructions behind him to fucceeding minifters, when and how to make

ufe

private information of an intended confpiracy of the Irish, by means of an anonymous letter. But that there was in fact no fuch confpiracy, and that this letter was merely a state-trick, to enfnare the innocent, by forged accufations, we have as good proof, as can poffibly be had of a negative, in the manifeft abfurdity and contradiction of the different accounts which have been left us of it.

I

The firft of thefe accounts, which is taken from Dr. Henry Jones, bishop of Meath, and formerly fcoutmafter general to Cromwell's army, runs thus: Anno 1607, there was a providential discovery of another rebellion in Ireland, the Lord Chichester being deputy; the discoverer not being willing to appear, a letter from him, not fubfcribed, was fuperfcribed to Sir William Ufher, clerk of the council, and dropt in the councilchamber, then held in the caftle of Dublin; in which was mentioned a defign for feizing the caftle, and murdering the deputy, with a general revolt, and dependance on Spanifh forces; and this alfo for religion : for particulars whereof, adds the bishop, I refer to that letter, dated March the 19th, 1607." From hence it

appears

1 Preface to Borlafe's History of the Irish Rebellion.

use of them against catholics. The original of these inftructions, in Cecil's own hand-writing, was formerly in the keeping of the infamous Judge Bradshaw, by whom it was fhewn to Sir William Percival, who communicated it to a gentleman of great worth, who died anno 1697, and left it among other papers of remarks upon the times." Ecclefiaft. Hift. vol. iii. fol. 196.

The traditional account of this forged confpiracy is adopted and thus related by that learned English divine James Anderson, D. D. in his book, entitled Royal Genealogies, and dedicated to his royal highness the late Prince of Wales, p. 786. &c. published anno 1736: "Artful (Secretary) Cecil employed one St. Lawrence to entrap the Earls of Tirone and Tyrconnel, the Lord of Delvin, and other Irish chiefs into a fham plot, which had no evidence but his. But thofe chiefs being bafely informed, that witneffes were to be hired against them, foolishly fled from Dublin, and fo taking guilt upon them, they were declared rebels, and fix entire counties in Ulfter were at once forfeited to the crown, which was what their enemies wanted."

appears, that the firft difcovery of this confpiracy arose from the anonymous letter above-mentioned.

Doctor Carlton, bifhop of Chichester, a cotemporary writer, has left us a prolix but different account of the difcovery of this confpiracy, in which there is no mention made of this anonymous letter. The substance of his account is what follows.

2

"Montgomery, bifhop of Derry," fays he, " fufpected, or was told, that Tirone had gotten into his hands the greatest part of the lands of his bishoprick; which he intended, in a lawful courfe, to recover; and finding there was no man could give him better light or knowledge of thefe things than O'Cahane (who was great with Tirone), made ufe of fuch means that he (O'Cahane) came to him of his own accord, and told him, he could help him to the knowledge of what he fought, but that he was afraid of Tirone; yet he engaged to reveal all that he knew of that matter, provided the bifhop would promife to fave him from Tirone's violence, and not deliver him into England, which the bifhop having promifed, he brought O'Cahane to the council in Dublin, to take his confeffion there. Upon this, proceffes were fent to Tirone to warn him to come up to Dublin, at an appointed time, to answer the fuit of the lord bishop of Derry. There was no other intention but in a peaceable way, to bring the fuit to a trial; for the council then knew nothing of the plot. But Tirone having entered into a new confpiracy, of which O'Cahane was, began to fufpect, when he was ferved with a procefs to anfwer the fuit, that this was but a plot to draw him in, and that furely the treafon was revealed by O'Cahane. Upon this bare fufpicion, Tirone with his confederates fled out of Ireland, and loft all thofe lands in the North." Dr. Carlton adds, "that he had this account of the difcovery of the confpiracy from the bifhop of Derry himself. The reader will please to recollect, that, according to the bishop of Meath's ftory, the first discovery of this plot was made to the council by an anonymous letter dropt in the VOL. I. council

G

"Thankful Remembrance, &c. p. 168.