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Poverty of
Cavan.

Impropriate parsonages.

"We came to Cavan, and pitched our tents on the south side of that poor Irish town."

par

"The state of the lay possessions being discovered, we did not omit to inquire of the number and value of the sonages and vicarages, of the reparation of the churches, and of the quality of their incumbents: by which inquisition we found, that the greatest number of parsonages were appropriated unto two great abbeys, lying within the English pale; namely, the Abbey of Fower, in Westmeath, granted to the Baron of Delwyn, and the Abbey of Kells, whereof one Gerard Flemynge is farmer. To the first of these fourteen parsonages within this county are appropriate, and to the other eight; besides these are two or three more belonging in like manner to the Abbey of Cavan, in this county, being now in possession of Sir James Dillon. As Vicarages poorly for the vicarages, they are so poorly endowed, as ten of them being united will scarce suffice to maintain an honest Ruinous state of minister. For the churches, they are for the most part in ruins; such as were presented to be in reparation, are covered only with thatch. But the incumbents, both parsons and vicars, did appear to be such poor, ragged, ignorant creatures, (for we saw many of them in the camp,) as we could not esteem any of them worthy of the meanest of those livings, albeit many of them are not worth above 40s. per annum.

endowed.

churches.

Poverty and ignorance of incumbents.

Neglect of the bishop.

"This country doth lie within the diocese of Kilmore, whose bishop (Robert Draper) was, and is, parson of Trym, in Meath, which is the best parsonage in all the kingdom; and is a man of this country birth, worth well nigh 4007. a year. He doth live now in these parts, where he hath two bishopricks but there is no divine service or sermon to be heard within either of his dioceses. His lordship might have saved us this labour of inquiry, touching matters ecclesiastical, if he had been as careful to see the churches repaired and supplied with good incumbents, as he is diligent in visiting his barbarous clergy, to make benefit out of their insufficiency, according to the proverb, which is common in the mouth of one of our great bishops here: that an Irish priest is better than a milch cow 1.""

15 DAVIES'S Tracts, p. 266.

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reflections on the

Sir John Davies concludes his curious and inter- Sir J. Davies's esting account of this journey, with certain reflec- journey. tions, of which those that relate to ecclesiastical matters may be properly transcribed.

"If my Lord Deputy do finish these beginnings, and settle these counties, as I assure myself he will, this will prove the most profitable journey for the service of God and his majesty, and the general good of this kingdom, that hath been made in the time of peace by any deputy these many years. For first his lordship having gotten a true and clear understanding of the state of the clergy in these parts, many will take a direct speedy course for the planting of religion among these rude people, who are apt to take any impression; for his lordship knowing the number and value of the benefices in every county, may cause an union, or rather a sequestration, to be made of so many as will make a competent living for a sole minister; then may he give order for building of as many churches as there shall be competent livings for ministers in that county. And this preparation being made, his lordship may lastly provide "Besides, sufficient incumbents to serve the churches." the crown is restored to all the patronages of ecclesiastical promotions, which heretofore were usurped by the Pope, and utterly neglected by the state here1."

Improvement of mended as to churches and

benefices recom

ministers.

principle of in

structing the

people in the

Irish tongue.

How far these favourable anticipations were Remark on the realized, may be well doubted. In particular, the state of these dioceses will again call for our attention on occasion of a royal commission, about fifteen years later; and especially the united dioceses of Kilmore and Ardagh will fall under consideration when we arrive at the period of Bishop Bedell's appointment to them about twenty-two years after the date of Sir John Davies's narrative. It may here, however, be remarked in passing, that the principle of "instructing the people of those wild parts in the Irish tongue," as the means of being "likely to do more 16 DAVIES, p. 268, 269.

Conspiracy of
Irish nobles in
Ulster, 1607.

Their vindication that they

had been persecuted for their religion.

good among them," was professed and acted upon by King James in the appointment of Bishop Draper to this diocese: a principle which, it may be likewise observed, had been acted upon at various periods in the most uncivilized parts of Ireland, not indeed by an uniform provision, but probably by many more individuals, and to a considerably greater degree, than those, who have not investigated the details of Irish ecclesiastical history, may suppose.

SECTION II.

Conspiracies and Rebellions in the North. Forfeiture of
Lands. Plantation of the Northern Counties. The
King's Care for the Improvement of the Religious Esta-
blishment. Emigrants from Scotland.
sessions, and the effect of them on the Church. Procla-
mation against Popish Emissaries. Report of his

Their prepos

Diocese by the Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin.

IN 1607 a formidable conspiracy, encouraged by the indulgences, which were interpreted into the weakness of the crown, was formed by the Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnel, the Lord Macguire, and other Irish nobles and great proprietors of Ulster, for surprising the Castle of Dublin, and murdering the Lord Deputy and council, and thus establishing their own independent authority. The conspiracy being discovered, the conspirators endeavoured to escape. Some, however, were taken and executed; and others, who had fled, being indicted on a special commission for their trial, were outlawed'.

In their vindication they alleged, that they had been injuriously treated, and especially had been persecuted for religion; but they were answered by 1 Cox, ii. 12.

king's declara

a declaration from the king, published in November Answered by the the same year, which repelled the allegation of tion. injurious treatment; and with respect to their other plea observed, "that there was not any purpose of proceeding against them in matters of religion, their condition being to think murder no fault, marriage of no use, nor any man valiant who does not glory in rapine and oppression; and therefore 'twere unreasonable to trouble them for religion, before it could be perceived by their conversation they had any; that they did stir up sedition and intestine rebellion in the kingdom; and sent their instruments, priests and others, to make offers to foreign states for their assistance; and that, under the condition of being made free from the English government, they resolved also to comprehend the extirpation of all those subjects now remaining alive within that kingdom, formerly descended of English race."

gated by religion.

But, although it were difficult to perceive from Rebellion instithe conversation of these rebels, that they had, properly speaking, "any religion," yet religion, nevertheless, such as it was, was undoubtedly a powerful agent in their rebellions: for it was not to no purpose, that the judgment of the Spanish universities of Salamancha and Valladolid had convinced all the Popish clergy of "the unlawfulness of assisting an heretical prince or people against the Church;" or that the priests, acting in conformity with the principle of the judgment, fomented and encouraged the rebellion, which was still prosecuted under the conduct of other Popish chiefs, by affirming, "That all were martyrs who died in that service."

Symptoms of the

Nor were unequivocal symptoms of the religious sentiments of the conspirators given, when in the ments of the

religious senti

conspirators.

Outlawry of the rebels.

1608.

northern

counties.

year 1608, on the surprise and capture of Culmore, or Kilmore, and its magazine, by Sir Cahir O'Dogharty, he "burnt two thousand heretical books, as he called them, refusing to let them be redeemed for an hundred pounds;" or when after taking, with little or no resistance, the neighbouring fort and town of Derry, and having plundered it, and burnt it to ashes, he murdered the governor and all the Protestants, except the bishop's wife, who with her children was taken prisoner, and afterwards was allowed to be ransomed.

In consequence of these rebellions, the last of which was brought to a close in 1608, by an accidental shot, which ended the life of Sir Cahir O'Dogharty, some of the rebels, on whom the king had formerly tried in vain the effect of pardon, and restoration to their property, were now outlawed, and they and the rest were afterwards attainted by Plantation of the parliament. By this judgment, large tracts of land, to the amount of 511,465 acres, of the Irish or plantation measure, equivalent to 818,344 acres of the English statute measure, in the counties of Donegall, Tyrone, Coleraine, Fermanagh, Cavan, and Armagh, were forfeited or escheated to the crown part of which was again by the crown bestowed for various uses connected with the Church, such as glebe-lands for ecclesiastical dignitaries and other incumbents, for the College of Dublin, and for free-schools; and, amongst other modes of distribution, the largest portion, assigned to any one purpose, was that of 209,800 plantation acres, or 335,680 statute measure, for "the Londoners and other undertakers," on the special agreement that "they should not suffer any labourer, that would not take

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