juftices) as well as law and juftice, they were robbed of their substance and abused in their perfons.'

In vain did the government of Ireland pretend to put a ftop to this crying injuftice and cruelty of the inferior civil officers. The lords juftices themfelves foon after became equally guilty in thefe refpects. It is confeffed, "that Capel, lord juftice, in 1693, proceeded as far as it was in his power, to infringe the articles of Limerick." In 1695, the fame lord Capel being deputy, was held the first Irish parliament in this reign. If the Irish catholics, then expected the performance of their articles, and of their majefties folemn promife, to procure them fuch further fecurity from parliament in the particular of religion, as might prevent them from any future difturbance on that account, they were indeed miferably disappointed; for instead of performing that promife, his majefty, on the contrary, fuffered several fuch acts and refolutions to be paffed in that parliament, as gave them infinite disturbance, on account of their religion." But these were only preparatory steps to the feveral acts then in agitation, "to prevent the further growth of popery."

a 7 & 9 Wm. 3. feff. 1. c. 26. All popish archbishops, bifhops, vicars general, deans, jefuits, monks, friars, and all other regular popish clergy, and all papifts exercifing any ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, fhall depart this kingdom before the ift of May, 1098. And if any of them, fhall be at any time after the said day within this kingdom, they fhall be imprisoned, and remain there without bail till they be tranfported beyond the feas out of the king's dominions, wherever the king, his heirs or fucceffors, or chief governors of this kingdom fhall think fit: And if any fo transported, fhall return again into this kingdom, then to be guilty of high treason, and to fuffer accordingly.

And from the 29th of December, 1697, no popish archbifhop, &c. fhall come into this kingdom from any parts beyond the feas, on pain of twelve months imprisonment, and then to be tranfported in manner aforefaid; and if after fuch transportation, any of them return again into this kingdom, they fhall be guilty of high treafon, and fuffer accordingly.

And

CHA P. II.

Severe laws made against catholics.

AMONG many other fevere laws, then enacted,

against Irish catholics, his majefty gave the royal affent to that illiberal act to reftrain foreign education," by which it is provided, "that, if any subjects of Ireland fhould after that feffion of parliament, go, or fend, any child or perfon, to be educated in any popish univerfity, college or school, or in any private family, or if fuch

child

And any person that fhall from the 1ft of May, knowingly conceal, or entertain any fuch popish archbishops, bishops, &c. hereby required to depart out of this kingdom, or that after the faid day fhall come into this kingdom, fhall for the first offence forfeit 201. for the fecond double the fum, and if he offend the third time, fhall forfeit all his lands and tenements of freehold or inheritance, during his life; and alfo all his goods and chattels; one moiety to the king, his heirs and fucceffors, and the other moiety to the informer (fo as it exceed not 100l.) and the furplufage of what fhall remain, to the king.

December 1ft, 1697. "Refolved, that part of the act 2d Eliz. chap. 2d. which obliges every perfon, not having a lawful or reasonable excufe to be absent, to refort every Sunday to church, and there abide during the time of common prayer, preaching, and other fervice of God be there miniftered, under pain of forfeiting for every neglect, twelve-pence, ought to be put in execution." Com. Jour. vol. ii. f. 984. Are not these a direct and immediate violation of the first article of Limerick, and of king William's folemn promise for the free exercise of the catholic religion?

Whilft this reftraint upon foreign and domestic education was part of an horrible and impious fyftem of fervitude, the members were well fitted to the body. To render men patient, under a deprivation of all the rights of human nature, every thing which could give them a knowledge or feeling of those rights was rationally forbidden. To render humanity fit to be infulted, it was fit that it fhould be degraded. . . . Indeed I have ever thought the prohibition of the means of improving our rational nature, to be the worst fpecies of tyranny that the infolence and perverfeness of mankind ever dared to exercise. This goes to all men, in all fituations, to whom education can be denied." Lett. Eng. Commoner to a Peer of Irel. p. 13.

child should, by any popish person, be inftructed in the popish religion, or if any fubjects of Ireland fhould fend money or other things towards the maintenance of fuch child or other perfon, already fent or to be fent, every fuch offender, being thereof convicted, fhould be for ever difabled to fue, or profecute any action, bill, plaint, or information in law, or equity; to be guardian, administrator, or executor to any perfon, or to be capable of any legacy or deed of gift, and befides, fhould forfeit all their eftates, both real and personal, during their lives." This law was rigorously executed during that and the fucceeding reign.

In the fame feffion, "it was refolved, nemine contradicente, that the excluding of papifts from having votes for the electing of members to ferve in parliament was neceffary to be made into a law." Nothing certainly, but fuch a law was wanting to complete the flavery of these people, and they were, accordingly, afterwards excluded in the first act to prevent the further growth of popery in the following reign. Thus were thefe, and divers other proceedings of the like enflaving-tendency against these people, permitted and countenanced by a prince, the boasted restorer of liberty to these kingdoms, whofe public faith and honour were folemnly engaged to preserve their former privileges entire ; and to endeavour to obtain from parliament further fecurity for them, in the article of religion, which was what alone rendered them thus obnoxious to government.

b

It

"The taking away of a vote (fays the fame English commoner) is the king away the fhield which the fubject has, not only against the oppreffion of power, but that worst of all oppreffions, the perfecution of private fociety, and private man

ners.

No candidate for parliamentary influence is obliged to the least attention towards them, either in cities or counties. On the contrary, if they should become obnoxious to any bigotted or malignant people amongst whom they live, it will become the intereft of those who court popular favour, to use the numberlefs means which always refide in magistracy and influence, to oppress them. The proceedings in a certain county in Munster, (in the 1769), read a strong lecture on the cruelty of depriving men of that shield, on account of their fpeculative opinions. Id. ib.

It is really fhameful to see what mean, malicious, and frivolous complaints against papists were received under the notion of grievances, by that parliament. 1 66 A petition of one Edward Sprag and others in behalf of themselves and other proteftant porters, in and about the city of Dublin, complaining, that one Darby Ryan a papift, employed porters of his own perfuafion, having been received and read, it was ordered to be referred to the examination and confideration of the committee of grievances, and that they fhould report their opinion thereon to the house." It is obfervable, that the complaint of the petition was not, that these proteftant porters were not employed by Ryan, but that the popish porters were.

And yet these fame commons, that fhewed fuch remarkable deference to this trifling petition of the protestant coal-porters of Dublin, were not afhamed to refuse, in the fame feffion, common justice, in a matter of the last confequence, to feveral of the most respectable Roman catholics of Ireland. For, upon a bill's being brought before them, very improperly intitled an act," for the confirmation of the articles of Limerick." A petition of Robert Cufack, gentleman, Capt. Francis Segrave,, and Capt. Maurice Eustace, in behalf of themselves and others comprized under the articles of Limerick, fetting forth, that in the faid bill there were feveral clauses that would frustrate the petitioners of the benefit of the fame; and if paffed into a law, would turn to the ruin of fome, and the prejudice of all perfons intitled to the benefit of the faid articles, and praying to be heard by counsel to faid matters; having been prefented and read, it was unanimoufly refolved that faid petition should be rejected." СНАР.

'Com. Jour. vol. ii. f. 699.

2 Ib. f. 932.

The catholics of Limerick cruelly treated. IT would be too tedious and irkfome, to recite all the other inftances of the breach of these articles, which we find recorded and avowed in the public journals of that parliament. I fhall, therefore, only take notice of one remarkable paffage, which immediately preceded the paffing of the first act to prevent the further growth of popery.

The catholic citizens of Limerick thought themfelves particularly fecured, by their articles, from any fu ture moleftation or disturbance on account of their religion; but befides what they had already fuffered, in common with the reft of their countrymen of the fame perfuafion, they are now compelled to abandon their dwellings, and fettlements there, on that fingle ac count: "for upon a petition of the mayor, fheriffs, and proteftant aldermen of that city, complaining, (like the proteftant coal-porters of Dublin beforementioned) that they were greatly damaged in their trade, by the great numbers of papists refiding there, and praying to be relieved therein; a claufe was ordered to be inferted in the act" to prevent the further growth of popery," that every perfon of the popish religion, then inhabiting within the faid city, or its fuburbs, fhould give in fufficient bail or fecurity, be fore the chief magiftrate of the faid city, that they would bear themselves faithfully towards her majefty; or in default of giving fuch fecurity, fhould depart out of the faid city and fuburbs." "

a

.

'

But

* By the 2d of the civil articles of Limerick," the inhabi tants or refidents thereof, of what profeffion, trade, or calling foever they be, fhall, and may use, exercise, and practife their respective trades and callings there, as freely as they did ufe, exercise and enjoy the fame in the reign of King Charles the second." And yet fays Sir Theobald Butler, in his pleading

against