numbers), and to introduce foreign proteftants in their room. Accordingly, in the year 1709, at the request of the lords and others of the council, eight hundred and twenty-one proteftant Palatine families were brought over to Ireland, and the fum of twenty-four thousand eight hundred and fifty pounds, five fhi lings and fixpence, appointed for their maintenance, out of the revenue, on a refolution of the commons," that it would much contribute to the fecurity of the kingdom, if the faid Palatines were encouraged and fettled therein." But the error of that policy was foon after difcovered; for the lords, in their addrefs to the queen, in 1711, thankfully acknowledge," that her majesty's early care had even prevented their own endeavours to free the nation of that load of debt, which the bringing over numbers of ufclefs and indigent Palatines had brought upon them." It is remarkable that only four, out of this great number of proteftant ftrangers brought over for the fecurity of the kingdom, enlifted in her majesty's army, though fhe was then actually engaged in a war with France.

CHA P.

the commons ordered, that "an addrefs fhould be made to her majesty, to defire her, that he would be pleafed not to grant licences to papifts to return into the kingdom." Com. Journ.

vol. iii.

It was even dangerous for them to attempt, or endeavour to hear, what pafled in the houfe of commons concerning themfelves. For in the fame year, an order was made there," that the ferjeant at arms fhould take into cuftody all papifts, that were or fhould prefume to come into the galleries." Ib. f. 976.

In the fame year the house of commons in England, fays Burnet, "came to a fudden vote, that those who had encouraged, and brought over the Palatines, were enemies to the nation. They even repealed a bill for the naturalization of all proteftants, which had paffed two years before, pretending that it gave the encouragement to the Palatines to come over." Hift. of his own Times, vol. ii. f. 338.

CHAP. VII.

Penal laws of difcovery and gavel-kind enacted.

IN May 1709, was introduced into the house of com

mons, by Mr. Serjeant Caulfield, a bill for explaining and amending an act, intitled an act to prevent the further growth of popery. This bill was paffed and tranfmitted into Great Britain, in due form, on the 20th of June following, and got the royal affent from Thomas Earl of Wharton, lord lieutenant of Ireland, on the 30th of Auguft in the fame year.

As this fecond act to prevent the further growth of popery did, indeed, complete the mifery of these people, without even the pretence of any recent provocation on their part; it will probably throw light on this dark and iniquitous tranfaction, to give fome sketches of the character of that chief governor, by whose influence and management, this new calamity was brought upon them, which I fhall now do from the account left us of him and his administration here, by that real and venerable patriot, Dr. Jonathan Swift, who was perfonally acquainted with him.

"Thomas Lord Wharton, by the force of a wonderful conftitution, had paffed, by fome years, his grand climacteric, without any vifible effects of old age, either on his body, or his mind; and in fpite of a continual prostitution to thofe vices, which ufually wear out both. His behaviour is in all the forms of a young man at five and twenty; whether he walks, or whilstes, or fwears, or talks baudy, or calls names, he acquits himself in each beyond a templar of three years ftanding... He goes conftantly to prayers in the forms of his place, and will talk baudy or blafphemy at the chapel door. He is a prefbyterian in politics, and an atheist in religion; he had imbibed his father's principles of government, and took up no other in its ftead, excepting that circumftance, he is a firm prefbyterian. It

was

was confidently reported, as a conceit of his, that talking upon the fubject of Irish bifhops, he once faid, with great pleasure, he hoped to make his we a B- -p.

"He is perfectly skilled in all the arts of managing at elections, as well as in large baits of pleasure, for making converts of young men of quality, upon their first appearance; in which public fervice he contracted fuch large debts, that the miniftry in England were forced, out of mere justice, to leave Ireland at his mercy, where he had only time to fet himself right; although the graver heads of his party think him too profligate and abandoned, yet they dare not be afhamed of him: for he is very useful in parliament, being a ready speaker, and content to employ his gift upon fuch occafions, where those who conceive they have any remains of reputation or modefty, are afhamed to ap

pear.

"He hath funk his fortune by endeavouring to ruin one kingdom; and hath raised it by going far in the ruin of another. His adminiftration of Ireland was looked upon as a fufficient ground to impeach him, at leaft for high crimes and mifdemeanors; yet he has gained by the government of that kingdom, under two years, five and forty thousand pounds, by the most favourable computation, half in the regular way, and half in the prudential."

The most ignominious part of this character was written, and I believe publifhed, about the time of this earl's adminiftration. The dean further adds, "that he has had the honour of much converfation with his lordship, and that he was thoroughly convinced, how indifferent he was to applaufe, and how infenfible of reproach; he is, fays he, without the sense of shame or glory, as fome men are without the fenfe of fmelling, and therefore a good name to him is no more than a precious ointment would be to thefe."

After having exhibited this genuine picture of his excellency and his government of Ireland, as I may fay, from the life, it is but juft, I fhould recite fome part of those distinguished honours which were paid him by

the

the Irish commons, on his paffing this popery act, by which it will plainly appear, how exact a conformity of fentiment and difpofition there was between his lordfhip and these commons.

"Befides gratefully acknowledging her majefty's most particular care of them, in appointing his excellency their chief governor, and earnestly wifhing his long continuance in the government;" they told him, "that they could not, on that occafion, omit mentioning, how acceptable to the whole body of protestants his excellency's endeavours had been in their favour; to which, next to her majesty's royal goodness, they justly attributed the return of the bill to amend the act to prevent the further growth of popery, in the manner the fame was tranfmitted, notwithstanding the strong efforts made against it by the Irifh papifts in Great Britain." With which addrefs and acknowledgment his excellency defired the fpeaker to tell them, that he was extremely well pleafed and fatisfied."

And, in truth, what governor could be better disposed or qualified than his excellency, as above described, was, to procure a law, which, under the fpecious pretence of preventing the growth of popery in Ireland, has, in reality, more effectually prevented the growth and improvement of every thing that is either ufeful or ornamental to that kingdom; that inftead of promoting true religion, and its genuine effects, public and private virtue, has given birth to more hypocrify, and, under that dangerous difguife, to more of every other fpecies of moral evil, and turpitude, than was before known in this, or any other part of the chriftian world; a law,

Of this the legislature itself seemed fenfible when it paffed this act, and many years after. For fuch was its diffidence of converts made by it, even in the year 1725, that they then, "refolved, that no person that is, or fhall be converted from the popith religion, ought to be elected or admitted to ferve as a member of this houfe, for the space of feven years next after his converfion; and unless he produces a certificate of having received the facrament, according to the ufage of the church of Ireland as by law established, thrice in every year, during the faid term." Com. Jour. vol. v. f. 290.

1

a law, by which great rewards are occafionally held forth to that vile and detefted race of men, discoverers and informers, who, being thus legally countenanced and encouraged, plunder indifcriminately parents, brethren, kinfmen and friends, in defpite of all the ties of blood, of affection and confidence; in breach of the divine law, and of all former human laws enacted in this or any other country, for the fecurity of property, fince the creation of the world!

TWO plausible reafons have been commonly affign

ed for the framing and continuing of thefe laws. First, their tendency to bring the papifts of this kingdom to conformity in religion, and loyalty, with their protef tant fellow-fubjects; and next, their aptitude to weaken and impoverish such of them as prove refractory in these refpects, to fuch a degree as to render both them, and their pofterity utterly incapable of giving any future difturbance to this government. But is it not notorious that hypocrify, and difaffection to the established religion and government, are the natural and conftant effects of fuch forced converfions? And even fuppofing that converts thus made might at length become real protef tants, and loyal fubjects," is evil to be done that good may arife therefrom," in this one inftance, when both reafon, and religion prohibit and condemn it in every other? On the other hand, does not the enacting fuch predatory laws against thefe people, without their being even accufed of any civil crime, and merely to weaken. and impoverish them, fuggeft to the mind fomething like the policy of an highway-man, in putting those he has robbed to death, left if they were fuffered to furvive their loffes, they might chance to difcover and profecute him for the robbery?

The