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cerning the poverty of "the working clergy," "ill-paid curates," and so forth, a working curate of some years' standing will perhaps be excused for telling, (at the close of this subject,) those thoughtful individuals, how little the objects of their humane intentions are able to sympathise with such benevolent speculations in their favour. As far as the writer may be permitted to suppose the sentiments of others accordant with his own, he would say for himself and them, "We are no levellers, nor in any such hurry to be rich or comfortable, as to look with jealous and impatient eye on the glebes and benefices enjoyed by our much respected fathers and elder brethren in the ministry of the Lord's flock. They have borne the toils and heat of the day before us, and long may they be permitted to enjoy, if it so please God, whatever increase of dignity or comfort advancing years have brought them. And even if in some cases the profligate abuse of Church patronage, on the part of secular ministers, be employed in prostituting Church dignities and endowments, to seduce and corrupt for political ends, those few of the sacred order who may be found capable of acting under such influence, let even those who profit by such proceedings enjoy their 'honours and emoluments, as they may find it possible, so long as their fewness continues to bear an effective

testimony to the unaltered faithfulness of the great body with which they are connected."

Nos. XIII.-XVI.

LETTERS OF POPE ALEXANDER III. ON IRELAND.

the Liber

The three following epistles may be found, Notice of (as was stated at p. 533 sup. not.) in the new Niger of edition of Rymer's Fœdera. But the whole con- Dr. Hearne. tents of the Liber Niger Scaccarii, from which they are taken, have been published at Oxford, 1728, in two small 8vo. volumes, edited by T. Hearne, S.T.P. In this work these letters may be found at pp. 42-48.

No. XIII.-POPE ALEXANDER III. TO THE BISHOPS OF IRELAND.

the Irish prelates.

"Alexander, bishop, servant of the servants of God, Opening sato our venerable brethren, Christian bp. of Lismore, lutation of legate of the Apostolic See, and Gelasius Armachan. Donogh Cashel, Lauce. Dublin, and Catholicus Trianen. [sic] archbps. and their suffragans, greeting and apostolical benediction.

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uncatholic Irish people.

The sad extent of disorder and crime which stains Abuse of the character of the Irish people, and the manner in the godless which they have cast off the fear of God and the restraints of the Christian religion, to follow courses fraught with peril to the souls of men, has been made very clear to us from the contents of your letter; although indeed a pretty full account of the case was brought before the notice of the apostolic see in the au

vade Ireland, ac

cording to the pope's

notion.

The pon.

thentic statements of other parties also. Therefore it is that when we understood from your letter how those practices, so contrary to all law, which have prevailed in your country, are now beginning, with the Lord's assistance, to disappear under the influence of the power of Henry II. our dearly beloved son in Christ, the illustrious Henry, divinely in- king of the English, (who pressed in his conscience by spired to in- the voice of divine inspiration, was led to effect by a concentration of his forces, the subjugation to his own sovereignty, of that savage and uncivilized people who know nothing of God's law,) we rejoiced exceedingly, and rendered our boundless thanksgivings to Him who bestowed on the prince aforesaid so grand a victory and triumph;-making request withal in our humble supplitiff's pious cations, that through the vigilant and anxious personal efforts of the monarch, aided by your hearty co-operation, that lawless and unruly people may be brought to cherish a respect for the divine law, and for the principles of the Christian religion in all its parts and all its bear. ings on every circumstance of their lives; and that and other ecclesiastical persons may enjoy that honour and quietness of life, to which you are properly entitled. "Seeing therefore that it behoves you to use your anxious diligence and friendly efforts in promoting an commanded undertaking which has been commenced on such pious Henry II. in principles, we command and enjoin upon you brethren, keeping the by this our apostolic writ, that you do, to the utmost savage Irish of your diligence and power, (so far as may comport in order,

prayers for Ireland.

The bishops of Ireland

to assist

and to excommuni

you

with your office, and the privileges of your order) give your assistance to the prince aforesaid, (as being so magnificent a person, and so truly devout a son of the Church,) in maintaining and keeping possession of that land, and in extirpating from it such filthy abominations

as are above referred to.

"And if any of the kings, princes, or other persons of that country shall attempt by rash adventure, to con

travene the obligation of his oath and fealty tendered to all obstinate the king aforesaid, if on your admonition he shall not rebels with due promptness return to a better mind, let him feel against the stroke of your ecclesiastical censure, enforced by the weight of our apostolical authority, no regard whatsoever being had to the occasion or excuse which may be assigned. That so you may carry into execution this our mandate in a diligent and effective manner; and that as so generous the aforesaid king is stated to have exhibited a spirit of a friend of pious and benevolent obedience to our wishes, in making you restitution of the tithes, as well as of your other ecclesiastical dues, and in attending to all matters pertaining to church liberty, so you on the other hand may steadfastly maintain for him all privileges belonging to the royal dignity, and exert yourselves as far as in you lies, to have the like maintained by others.

"Dated at Tusculum, Sep. 20."

the Church.

No. XIV.-POPE ALEXANDER III. TO KING HENRY II.

"Alexander, bishop, servant of the servants of God, The opento our son well-beloved in Christ, Henry, the illustrious ing salutaking of the English, greeting and apostolical benedic

tion.

tion.

"It is not withcut very lively sensations of satisfac- The king tion that we have learned, from the loud voice of public praised for report, as well as from the authentic statements of par- cent crusade his magnifiticular individuals, of the expedition which you have against the made, in the true spirit of a pious king and magnificent base Irish. prince against that nation of the Irish, (who in utter disregard of the fear of God, are wandering with unbridled licentiousness into every downward course of crime, and who have cast away the restraints of the Christian reli

VOL. III.

The Hiber

nian abomi

nations ex-
emplified
in some par-

ticular
cases;

gion, and of morality, and are destroying one another with mutual slaughter;)-and of the magnificent and astonishing triumph which you have gained over a realm, into which, as we are given to understand, the Princes of Rome, the triumphant conquerors of the world, never in their days of glory pushed their arms;—a success to be attributed to the ordering of the Lord, by whose guidance, as we undoubtedly do believe, your serene highness was led to direct the power of your arms against that uncivilized and lawless people.

"For, not to refer at present to the other enormities and crimes, in which this people, in their disregard for the restraints of the Christian religion, indulge themselves with abundant profanity;-it appears from the statements of our venerable brethren, Christian bp. of Lesmor, legate of the apostolic see, and the archbishops and bishops of Ireland in their letter to us, and also from the testimony of our beloved son R. archdeacon of Llandaff, (a person of discretion and prudence, and one attached to your Majesty's royal person by a bond of no ordinary devotedness,) who was himself a trustworthy eye-witness of the facts, and reported them orally to us, in a manner that shewed at once his prudence, and the interest he felt in them;-that the people aforesaid (as your Serene Majesty may possibly have learned more fully from other sources) are in the habit of bringing their own stepmothers into their houses openly, and Church, &c. blush not to beget children from them; the brother abuses his brother's wife, while he still lives; one person will connect himself with two sisters for his concubines; and it is a common practice among them to forsake a mother and bring in her daughters. And they all universally eat flesh meat in Lent, and pay no tithes, and shew none of that respect which they ought to entertain for God's holy churches or for ecclesiastical persons.

as incest, eating flesh in Lent,

disrespect

for the

"But now, that in the mercy of God, His inspiration

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