This is a faithful picture of how little sympathy there existed, at the close of Henry's reign, and during the first years of Edward's government, between the people of Ireland and the heretical clergy. The violent attempts made by Bale and others in the following years, only served to awaken the ardour of the Catholic population, and even Dr. Mant confesses, that during the reign of Edward, no progress was made in the reformation; partly, as he says, on account of the timidity of counsels during the king's minority, and partly (or, we would rather say, wholly) through the intractable temper of the people, and their inveterate attachment to the Church of Rome.* Were further evidence required, we would find it in the letter of the lord deputy St. Leger, who writes from Dublin on 5th December, 1550:†— "Now as touching the bishopric void, it shall be well done some honest man be placed therein for the advancement of religion, which, although it hath been here much talked of these two or three years past, yet hath it been smally set forth in deed; and, perchance, if the disposition of men here were thoroughly known, it would be thought a thing not easy to be brought to pass."+

There were some indeed who took the oath of allegiance, but as yet this was regarded by many as only an acknowledgment of fealty to their monarch: it was supposed by the natives not to involve the denial of any doctrine of faith, and it was explained by the court, as we have already seen in the words of Dr. Browne, that it only granted to Henry what many other Catholic and sainted kings had exacted from their subjects. Perhaps many of those who thus offered their allegiance never even enquired into the precise terms of the oath; but when it was proposed to abandon the Catholic Church, and renounce their affection for the see of Peter, we have sufficiently shown that such proposals were rejected with disdain, and that the Irish people remained immoveably attached to the faith of their fathers.

The rejoicing with which they hailed the accession of queen Shirley, p. 45-6.

* Hist. of Ir. Ch. vol. i. p. 228.

In Shirley (remarks on Letter the 7th), is cited a passage from some interrogatories made by the government in 1548, with the answers received: 'How is the word of God set forth in this realm? (answer) the deades (that is, not at all). How many friar-houses and others remain using the old Papist sorte? (answer) all Munster, Thomond, Connaught, and Ulster."

Mary, and the restoration of the Catholic worship, is of itself a sure guarantee of their unswerving devotedness to the ancient faith. It was on the 31st of August, 1553, that the clergy of. Kilkenny resolved to restore the cathedral of St. Canice to Catholic worship. Dr. Bale, the most violent of the reformers, was the Protestant bishop, and Ormond was his patron. The death of the king had not as yet been publicly proclaimed, still the people would brook no delay. "To the utter contempt of king and council of England," as Bale himself writes, they rang all the bells in the fine old cathedral and parish churches; in the exuberance of their joy, "they flung up their caps to the battlements of the great temple;" a solemn procession was formed; once more the canons walked forth "with their capes, candlesticks, holy water, crosses, and censers;" the litany was intoned, and the hearts of the citizens were cheered with the oft-repeated Catholic anthem, "Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis."* The Protestant bishop himself was treated with every opprobrium, and obliged to fly in disgrace to the stronghold of puritanism. And yet this was not the first time that Bale had witnessed the enthusiasm of the good people of Kilkenny in the cause of their time-honoured faith. Six months before, when, on his first appointment, he publicly proclaimed the tenets of king Edward, a tumult at once ensued: "five of his attendants were slain before his face, and he himself was obliged to shut himself up from the fury of the populace within the iron gates of his castle, from which critical situation he was relieved only by the civil magistrate at the head of 500 soldiers."‡

The same spirit was everywhere manifested throughout the kingdom; especially in those parts where Catholic devotions had been for awhile prescribed by the government, festive rejoicings marked the triumph of their sacred cause. Nowhere do we find the slightest trace of any opposition to the recognition of the Holy See. In fact, says the writer just now referred to, "on the accession of Mary to the throne, so little had been

* Bale's Vocacyon, ap. Mant, i. 232.

White, in his Apology-"Joannem Baleum Anglum

noluerunt

Hiberni recipere, sed ut catholicos eorum animos decebat, cum ignominia exulare coegerunt et confugere ad Calvinismi arcem et metropolim. Genevam.” -P 47.

Liber. Mun. Hib., part i. p. 37.

done in the advancement of the reformation, that there was little or nothing to undo. She issued a license for the celebration of Mass in Ireland, where no other service was or hadbeen celebrated worth mentioning, and where no other supreme head had been ever in earnest acknowledged but the pope."*

CHAPTER II.

APPOINTMENT OF HUGH CURWIN TO THE SEE OF DUBLIN— HIS ACTS AND APOSTACY.

1. Early Life of Dr. Curwin.-2. Chief Events of his Episcopate.-3. His apostacy and translation to Oxford.-4. Constancy of the Irish in their faith.

Ir is a remarkable circumstance that the only Englishman who, since the sad era of the reformation, was elevated to the see of St. Laurence O'Toole, should be, at the same time, the only bishop on its long roll of sainted names who dishonoured it by a vile apostacy.

1.-Early Life of Dr. Curwin.

Hugh Curwin was a native of Westmoreland, in England, and boasted a high lineage from the earls of Northumberland. He enjoyed a fair literary fame, was doctor of laws, dean of Hereford, and, according to some of his biographers, archdeacon of Oxford. In matters of religion, however, he made worldly utility the rule of his conscience; hence, during four successive reigns, he fashioned his creed according to the tenets of his royal patrons, and his character was well sketched by Strype, when he styled him a complier in all reigns.*

The first question by which Curwin acquired notoriety, and won the favor of Henry VIII., was that of the king's marriage

* Lib. Mun. Hib, part i. p. 37.

† Life of Cranmer, p. 54.

with Anne Boleyn. Corrupt though the court of the English monarch was at this period, yet exemplary priests were wanting, who boldly admonished him of his crimes, and denounced his violation of God's law. In 1533 a Franciscan friar named Peto, "a simple man," writes Stowe, "but very devout," preached before the king at Greenwich, and took for his text the words of the prophet: "Even where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, even there shall the dogs lick thy blood also, O King." Amongst other things he did not fear to address the following words to the proud monarch: “I am that Micheas whom thou wilt hate, because I must tell thee truly that this marriage is unlawful; and I know I shall eat the bread of affliction, and drink the water of sorrow; yet, because the Lord hath put it into my mouth, I must speak it."

a

On the following Sunday, the courtiers deemed it expedient that the favourite tenets of the king should be eulogized in a strain equally bold and impressive, and Hugh Curwin was the orator chosen for the occasion. The fact of his having been thus selected, sufficiently proves what an ardent advocate he had shown himself of Henry's divorce. Nevertheless, the discourse of this favorite orator was the occasion of an additional mortification to the court party. Curwin, indeed, used the severest language in regard of Peto and his preaching; he styled him " slanderer, a rebel, and a traitor," and used other most opprobrious epithets, adding, that no subject should speak so audaciously to princes. Having said much on that head, and in commendation of the king's marriage, he concluded, raising his voice, and exclaiming, "I speak to thee Peto, who makest thyself Micheas, that thou mayst speak evil of kings, but now thou art not to be found, being fled for fear and shame, as being unable to answer my arguments." The orator well knew that Peto was absent; for the superior of his order, suspecting that a storm was impending over the courageous friar, sent him to assist at a meeting of the clergy, which had been convened at Canterbury. But in the assembly addressed by Dr. Curwin, there was present a companion of Peto, equally zealous in the cause of truth, and equally heedless of the monarch's indignation. His name was Elstow, and standing in the rood loft, he, in a loud voice, thus addressed the preacher:

"Good sir, you know that Father Peto, as he was commanded, is now gone to a provincial council holden at Canterbury, and not fled for fear of you, for to-morrow he will return again: in the meantime I am here, as another Micheas, and will lay down my life to prove all these things true which he hath taught out of the Holy Scripture; and to this combat I challenge thee, before God and all equal judges; even thee, Curwin, I say, who art one of the four hundred prophets, into whom the spirit of lyeing is entered, and seekest by adultery to establish succession, betraying the king into endless perdition; more for thy own vain glory and hope of promotion, than for discharge of thy clogged conscience and the king's salvation."

The fearless Franciscan continued in this strain till the king, in a rage, commanded him to be silent.

66

Whilst new dignities were marked out to reward Curwin for his servility, the two friars, Peto and Elstow, were cast into prison. This punishment, however, only served to complete their triumph; and so fearless were they when summoned before the council, that on the earl of Essex telling them they deserved to be put into a sack and thrown into the Thames," Elstow smiling replied: "Threaten these things to rich and dainty folk, who are clothed in purple, fare deliciously, and have their chief hope in this world; for we esteem them not, but are joyful that in the discharge of our duties we are driven hence; and with thanks to God, we know that the way to heaven is as short by water as by land, and therefore we care not which way we go."*

On the question of supremacy Dr. Curwin was not less devoted to the crown; and he even publicly preached in favour of it. It was also known that king Henry was warmly attached, through conviction or through pride, to the "Corporal presence," as the Catholic doctrine of the Blessed Eucharist was then called; and hence this tenet found an ardent supporter in our aspirant to court favour. Indeed, so zealous was he on this head that the death of Frith, for teaching the contrary heretical doctrine, was commonly laid at his door.

On the accession of queen Mary, the sentiments of Dr. Curwin were completely reformed on the questions of the royal supre

*See Ellis's "Original Letters Illustrative of English History," ii. 41-2. and Edinb. Rev. January, 1825, p. 434.

Strype, "Life of Parker," vol. i. p. 508.

See Mant, "Hist. of Ch. in Ireland," p. 239.