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as King of Ireland.* Moreover, the destructive A. D. 1603. rebellions of the preceding reign had now come to an end, and the people, weakened and wasted by war and famine,† had but little heart or power for exciting fresh disturbances of any serious magnitude. Even those parts of the country where the struggle for independence had ever been most obstinately and incessantly maintained, were now completely reduced under English rule; and James has therefore been regarded, not without reason, as the first English king who was able to enjoy complete sovereignty in every part of Ireland. From these His accescauses his accession to the throne was followed ed by a peby an interval of tranquility of nearly forty riod of years' continuance, not indeed entirely undis- tranquility turbed by the agitation and intrigues of Rome, but yet so calm and universal, that learned authors have not hesitated to say that Ireland had never seen the like before. Sweet indeed and refreshing must it have been, to such of the poor of the land as had survived the sad scenes of misery and horror, in which their tyrant leaders had involved them for so many preceding years.‡

sion follow

singular

in Ireland;

The reign of the new monarch was not how- marked

See p. 632, sup.

† See Appendix, No. 56.

See Sir John Davies's " Discoverie of the true causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued," &c.; a work which forms a most valuable contribution towards our history, or at least the Anglican period of it. Dubl. 1761, p. 180, &c.

however at

tial distur

bances of

the peace.

*

A. D. 1603. ever allowed to commence without some exhibitions of excitement and agitation throughout first by par- the provinces. The Romish teachers of the people had been instilling into their minds the false doctrine asserted by certain foreign universities, which taught that it was mortal sin to aid in any way the "English heretics" against the Earl of Tyrone; and that those who did so could have no salvation unless they deserted and repented of their crime. Under the influence of such lessons, some of the chief cities and boroughs of the south were led to make resistance to the proclamation of the king's accession, and to assume for a time an attitude of decided hostility and rebellion, taking measures also for setting up the Romish religion by force of arms. Cork, Waterford, and Limerick appear to have been particularly distinguished for their manifestations on this occasion; and other places of less importance and strength, as Clonmel, Kilkenny, Wexford, &c., were not slow to participate in the same kind of proceedings.

Riotous

proceedings

In Cork, the rebellious citizens, we are told, in Cork on took possession of the churches, ejected the lawthe King's ful reformed ministers, burned what Bibles and Common Prayer Books they could find, rased out the Ten Commandments and Scripture sen

accession.

See the Judgment of the Doctors of Salamanca and Valladolid on the Earl of Tyrone's War in Ireland, &c. Appendix, No. 57.

rages at

tences from the churches, and painted Romish A. D. 1603. pictures in their stead, restored the mass in public use, and paraded the city in procession with a cross, which they forced all persons to reverence. In fine, they took the sacrament to pledge themselves to the support of the Roman Catholic religion with their lives and fortunes, and gave proofs of their earnestness by various acts of tumult and outrage. Nor were the citi- Similar outzens of Waterford much less violent; for they Waterford; too showed their temper by pulling down their and their recorder from the cross, where he was reading the proclamation of the king's accession, seizing on churches, and admitting into one of them a Dominican friar to preach a seditious sermon, in which, among other injurious remarks relative to the late queen, he took occasion to say that Jezebel was dead, causing mass to be celebrated in the Cathedral, &c.

But these comparatively trifling exceptions to the general tranquillity were soon removed by the energy and address of the Lord Deputy Mountjoy, who visited Munster in person for the restoration of order. Waterford at first refused to admit the viceroy within its gates, pleading some privilege founded upon an ancient charter, and asserting that its pious citizens "could not in conscience obey any prince that persecuted the Catholic faith." They soon

issue.

A. D. 1603. however, saw the expediency of opening their gates, taking the oath of allegiance to the king, and renouncing all foreign jurisdiction. After which Lord Mountjoy, having visited Cork also and Limerick, as well as Cashel and other places in the southern province, returned again to Dublin.*

Forbear

ance of the

king towards

his accom

plices.

And now, for the purpose of confirming the public peace and good order, a proclamation was issued, granting a general indemnity and obliO'Neill and vion for past offences against the law. Moreover, the chieftains O'Neill and O'Donel (i. e. Roderick O'Donel, brother of Hugh Roe O'Donel, who had fled into Spain) were taken over by the Lord Deputy to visit the king's court in London, where, after a very gracious reception of them both, the latter was created Earl of Tyrconnel. But these Irish noblemen, as they passed along the streets of the English metropolis, were assailed with insults by the populace, who could not restrain, even through respect for the Lord Deputy, their marks of hatred and execration toward the persons of those who had occasioned so much bloodshed and sorrow to thousands of their fellow-countrymen.

Further seditious proceedings of the

agents of Rome.

The moderation of King James, however, and his temperate bearing towards the Papal Church, was made by the designing and wily agents of • Cox's History of Ireland, ii. pp. 4-8.

as

Rome, to furnish new matter for their insidious A. D. 1603. intrigues. "The son of a Catholic martyr,' they styled him, could not but be well affected to them and to their faith. Yea, they were bold enough to affirm openly, that the king was indeed of their religion; and that he only awaited a favorable opportunity of declaring himself. Meanwhile they resolved to act in a bold and decided manner, as if assured of his favor; proceeding, accordingly, to seize on some of the parish churches by violence; building other new ones; repairing abbeys and monasteries for their own use; erecting crosses in conspicuous places; marching through the towns in pompous processions with their showy habits and gaudy ceremonies; reviewing and deciding causes which had been determined in the king's courts, and compelling their subjects to obey their decisions and not those of the law, and this on pain of damnation; forbidding also the people to be present at the reformed worship in their parish churches. For to this period the practice of resorting to those churches had been still continued even by those who cherished strong feelings of attachment to the religion of Rome. Such persons were distinguished by the name of Church-Papists, from the more extreme and violent of those who belonged to the same party. Rothe's Analecta. Colon. 1617, p. 133.

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