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CHAP. X. Catholics are seriously endangered-in case they happen to omit taking and subscribing those voluminous Oaths and Declarations, iu open Court, and with all necessary formalities.

Relief, only conditional.

SECTION II.

Panishment,

Of Penal Statutes-not already specified.

THERE remain certain other Statutes,

yet unrepealed, and levelled principally (tho' not professedly) against the Catholics.

I. A Statute, enacted in 1695, has for not working imposed a pecuniary fine of 2s. (and, in default of payment, the punishment of whipping)

upon Catholic

holydays.

66

Will. 3. 6. 14. upon every common Labourer being hired, "or other servant retained, who shall refuse to "work at the usual and accustomed wages,

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upon any day, except the days appointed by "this Statute to be kept holy: namely, all

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Sundays in the year, and certain other days "therein named."

This enactment was manifestly calculated to cHAP. X. compel the labouring Catholics to profane such other Holydays, as might have been appointed by their own Church.

2. By a Statute enacted in 1697, “ A

"penalty of £10. is imposed upon every per- Will. 3. c. A son, who shall bury, or be present at the

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for burying

burying of, any dead, in any suppressed Mo- Punishment, nastery, abbey, or convent-that is not made except in the

Protestant

"use of for celebrating Divine service accord-Church-yarde ing to the liturgy of the Protestant church "of Ireland, as by law established-or within "the precincts thereof.”

This prohibition may, perhaps, tend to augment the amount of Burial fees; but it must deeply wound the feelings of the Catholics, and meet with continual resistance in those sentiments of peculiarly reverential tenderness, with which the Irish people are known to regard the memory of their deceased friends.

of

sect. 7.

3. Another Statute, enacted in 1703, 2 Anne, c. 6, has imposed a fine of 10s. (and, in default payment, the punishment of whipping) upon Punishment, every person" Who shall attend or be present and Meetings at at any Pilgrimage, or meeting held at any "Holy Well, or reputed Holy Well,"

for Pilgrimage,

Holy wells

CHAP. X.

Punishment,

"And a fine of £20. (and imprisonment "until payment) upon every person who shall build a Booth, or sell ale, victuals, or other Holy wells, &c. "commodities, at such Pilgrimage or Meet

for Pilgrimages, and Meetings at

Catholic Crosses,

Pictures, In

ing."

"And also requires all Magistrates to demoscriptions, &c.lish all Crosses, Pictures, and Inscriptions, to be demolished,

that are any where publicly set up, and are the "occasions of the reverence or respect of the "Catholics" [or of Popish superstitions, in the language of this Statute].

In Ireland, as in all other Catholic nations, the people have been wont, from time immemorial, to commemorate certain holy Persons, or Saints, on particular days: and for that purpose Harmless nature to repair to some chosen spots, which, for various of Pilgrimages, reasons, have acquired the reputation of sanctity.

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Certain Wells have been most favoured in this respect, as having contributed (perhaps by the use of cold bathing, or by the medicinal naturę of the waters) to the cure of infirm or diseased persons, An amiable feeling of pious gratitude draws such persons and their friends frequently to the spot, which they recollect with so much pleasure.

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Hence Patrons" in Ireland-or Meetings so called, because they are annually held at these salutary Wells, upon the days of the Patron

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Harmless nature

Meetings at

Saints, to whose memory these Wells are dedi- CHAP. X. cated. Such are St. Patrick's Wells, St. Bridget's Wells, St. John's Wells, &c.-Upon of Pilgrimages, the days sacred to the memory of these Saints, Holy welle, &c. Meetings or Pilgrimages take place. These consist, partly, of pious persons, who pray for the cure of diseases, for blessings upon their children, &c.—or who offer up their gratitude for blessings received. The young and the old meet together.-A little fair is sometimes held, for the sale of toys and other articles of trifling value-and the day is passed, by some in exercises of public devotion, by others in harmless society and amusement. Such was the origin of Origin of great the most ancient and celebrated Fairs in Europeof Lyons, Frankfort, Leipsic, &c. &c.

Yet in Ireland, these harmless Meetings are forbidden by Law; and stigmatized as endangering the Established Church, and the happy Constitution of these Realms.

Fairs.

The latter clause of this Statute of 1703, Folly of these prohibitions. requiring Magistrates to demolish all

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Crosses,

"Crosses, Pictures, and Inscriptions, which Demolishing are publicly set up, and promote the picty Pictures, Inscriptions, &c. of the Catholics," accords perfectly with the savage and insulting spirit which breathed thro' the Legislative System of that age. But what must the nations of the Continent think

CHAP. X. of the wisdom of our Laws, were they aware, that this puerile interdiction still remains, amongst others of a similar character, unrepealed, and in full force in Ireland!

Statute,
13 Eliz. c. 2.
Engl.

4. To these unrepealed Statutes, we may add that which was enacted in England, in 1571, touching any correspondence with the Pope of HIGH TREASON Rome, or his agents; for, though this Statute to obtain any has never been enacted in Ireland, it must seri

written or

printed instru

ment from the ously affect and embarrass the Irish Catholic

or from any

person autho

Bishop of Rome, Clergy, who may be obliged to communicate with their spiritual brethren abroad, through the medium of persons resident in England.

rized by him,

&c.

By this Statute, "If any person shall use, "or put in use, any Bull, Writing, or Instru"ment, written or printed, of absolution or "reconciliation obtained from the Bishop of

Rome, or other person claiming authority by "or from him; or shall take upon him, by "colour thereof, to absolve or reconcile any

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person, or to grant or promise to any person

any such absolution or reconciliation, by any "speech, preaching, teaching, writing, or any "other open deed; or shall obtain from the "Bishop of Rome, any manner of Bull, "Writing, or Instrument, written or printed, "containing any thing, matter or cause what

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