passing of the act of Parliament. In the local annals the nefarious execution of this clergyman was suppressed, as if even bigotry and prejudice had been ashamed to refer to so cruel a legalized murder. Many a dark and fearful deed of blood and vengeance was perpetrated in these sad days of religious intolerance and ascendancy, which have never seen the light. As to corporate iniquity, however, there are some brief records of the spoliations of the orange faction. Prior to the change in the government caused by the Revolution, there were sixty-five leases executed by the Corporation to members of that body :5— The following leases were executed prior to 1746 (some twenty years after this time) at which period the greater portion of the Corporation Estates were granted in fee or for 999 years, to members of the then Council: added to which, during the above period, four leases only seem to be executed 1 De Burgo (Hib. Dom., p. 716) states that several priests suffered for violating this law. 2 In the first edition of Ferrar's History of Limerick, there are two lines referring to the fact. In the second edition there is no mention of it. White's MSS. • This was a stain on the reputation of Lieutenant-General Pearce, who was the brother of the distinguished Sir Edward Lovet Pearce, the architect of the magnificent Irish Parliament House. Sir E. L. Pearce was at this time Engineer and Surveyor General of the King's works. He obtained a sum of £1,000 from the Commons, and an address from the House of Lords in Ireland, "for his true ability, skill, and good workmanship in building of the Parliament House in College Green," an edifice which was then, and which continues to be, the admiration of Europe. He had been a Captain in Nevill's regiment of Dragoons, and he sat in the Parliament of Ireland for the borough of Ratoath. • Report of the late Robert Potter, Esq. sometime M.P. for Limerick city, and Solicitor to the Reformed Corporation. for larger terms than those just out. Two of them were leases of pieces of the Strand-a third a lease of a Common, reserving to the Corporation and the citizens the right of using the same as they should think fit, and the fourth to Hugh Heney, Esq. of Clynoe, West Singland. Such was the system carried on by the followers of the great and good King William; and at each of their festive gatherings the charter toast was now "the glorious, pious, and immortal memory." But they had not, as we have seen, every thing their own way. They did not sleep on a bed of roses. On the 26th of May, 1727, and on the 1st of June, 6th of June, 23rd of June, and 9th of October, in the same year, several resolutions were entered into, by which it was declared that the assent of the citizens was necessary to the making of a Common Councilman, or the payment or disposal of corporate money, and that without such assent in a Court of D'Oyer Hundred, such election of Common Councilman was void, and no money could be paid or disposed of.2 In this year Father Thomas O'Gorman, a native of Munster, and who had entered the order of the Jesuit Fathers in Castile, in Spain, taught School in Limerick; he had previously taught in Clonmel and Cork also.. CHAPTER XLI. GENERAL FURTHER ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.-A ELECTION.GUILDS OF TRADE. THE BATTLE OF THE MAYOR'S STONE.THE THEATRE. -- In recording the events of these dismal days, though an occasional gleam of sunshine may appear, its only effect is to bring out into more painful relief the gloomy and revolting features of the picture. Ever aggressive and busy, the dominant party in the state, as well as in the local governing bodies, lost no opportunity to show the Catholics their legal inferiority, and to impress upon them that they had nothing more than a permissive existence, which might be withdrawn at any moment it pleased the powers to do so. Pursuant to orders, in 1730 and 1731, returns were made to Purliament by the Protestant Archbishop of Armagh, the Protestant bishops of Meath, Clogher, Raphoe, Derry, Dromore, Down, Connor, Ardagh, &c., consisting of documents or papers taken from convents, friaries and houses where Catholic clergymen had resided. In 1731 a "report was made by the Protestant Primate, from the Lords' Committee appointed to inquire into the present state of Popery in Ireland, and to propose such heads of a Bill as they shall think most proper for explaining and amending the Acts to prevent 1 Report of the late Robert Potter, Esq. 2 This appeared in the Council Book produced to Parliament in 1761, but the Court of D'Oyer Hundred became an absolute mockery and delusion. It was filled with the prowling partizans of the dominant faction when it met, and things went on as usual. 3 Jesuit Catalogue of 1752-Father O'Gorman was the teacher of the Rev. James White, compiler of White's MSS. and had him sent to Spain to study for the Church.—White's MSS. the growth of Popery, and to secure the kingdom from any danger from the great number of papists in the nation." In the preface of this extraordinary production it is said: "As leading perseverance in promoting and increasing Protestant seminaries (Protestant charter schools just invented) and due execution of the laws against the Popish clergy, will, it is hoped, in the next age root out that pestilent, restless, and idolatrous religion! !" In this book it is stated that they (the Protestant informers) had discovered parcels of papers at the friaries of Boulay, near Portumna; of Kilconnell, near Aughrim; and of Kannalfish, near Loughrea; in convents near Athenry, Meelick, Clare, Galway, and Dunmore; and lastly in the house of Thady Glynn, a Popish priest in Dunmore, who kept a seminary there. Amongst these papers were copies of the Acts of the Chapters of Friar Minors held in Dublin, from 1717 to 1729; From those Acts it appeared, that the Franciscan order alone had, in 1717, 61 convents; that in 1724 they had increased to 62; and in 1727 and 1729, to 67 in Ireland." The abstract of the returns which this book contained is as follows: "26 dioceses; 664 mass houses, of which 229 had been built since the commencement of the reign of George I.; 1445 priests officiating; 51 friaries; 254 friars; 2 nunneries; 8 (gr. 4) nuns ; 24 Popish chapels; 549 Popish schools." It is impossible for language to describe the intense sufferings of the great body of the people in these times. Severities to the Catholics in this season of general distress must have horror-struck every man of feeling." The whole population of Ireland at the time could not much exceed 1,700,000 souls, of whom 700,000 were Protestants. In 1652, according to the survey of Sir William Petty, the Catholics amounted to 800,000 and the Protestants to 700,000 only, so that in the course of less than a century, by the fosterage of Government, the Protestants had more than doubled while the Catholics continued stationary. In the face of persecution, many of the exiled clergy, risking their lives, returned, and exposed to the merciless pursuit of priestcatchers, who were again sent on the chase, to the cold and damp and starvation of bogs and caverns." When the rage of persecution had abated, they issued from their hiding places, bare-headed and bare-footed, halfnaked, half-famished, proceeded from cabin to cabin, instructing the ignorant, consoling the unfortunate, infusing the balm of religion into the hearts of the wretched. While these unheard of persecutions existed, French influence strange to say, predominated so strongly in the Councils of Great Britain that leave was allowed to recruit publicly in Limerick and in other cities in Ireland for the Irish Brigade then in France. Lieutenant-Colonel Hennessy of the Irish Brigade, and other officers of the French recruiting service, were recommended by the Duke of Newcastle and Sir Richard Walpole to the Irish Government; but Primate Boulter, the originator of the Charter Schools, was unfavourable to Colonel Hennessy. An outcry was raised against this system, but it went on nevertheless until the defeat of the British army at Fontenoy, in 1745-and until the stir made by the Prentender in England and Scotland, when the impolicy of allowing the bone and sinew of Ireland to fight against England in foreign fields appeared but too plain to those who had hitherto encouraged the enlistment. But whilst this was going on To this was added an Appendix, containing original papers. Dublin, printed in 1741, and reprinted in London, by J. Oliver, in 1747. 4 Ibid. 2 O'Connor's Dissertation on Irish Catholics. s Ibid. in 1733, in order the more effectually to banish Priests and deprive Catholics of any shred of landed property left them, a bill was brought in to annul all marriages celebrated by Popish priests and friars, and to illegitimize the issue a measure which caused unusual consternation, and against which Lord Mountgarrett and Lord Cahir petitioned to be heard by counsel on their own behalf, and on that of the rest of the Catholics of Ireland; but whether owing to the remonstrances of the French court, or the shameless cruelty of the measure, the bill was withdrawn. Nearly all through this century up to a later period, the position of the Catholics was deplorable in the extreme. To illustrate this state of things, a general election had occurred a little before this time (1731), and as usual on such occasions, excitement prevailed. The rival candidates for the city of Limerick were Mr. Charles Smyth, son of the Bishop, and a Mr. Rawson. Among the freemen who recorded their votes for Rawson was one David Parker, who was objected to because his wife was a papist. Parker had offered to swear that he never knew his wife to be of any other than the Protestant persuasion; but the objection was insisted on, and it need hardly be added that it prevailed. George Howe, freeman, was objected to also, and his vote reserved for scrutiny," he having a Popish wife." Robert Napper, freeman, was objected to for the same cause; and Jasper Chievers, freeman, was "reserved for the scrutiny for turning from ye Protestant to ye Popish religion;" whilst William Kelly, freeman, was equally objected to and ordered to attend the scrutiny, because "he went to mass, which he denied, but confessed that he read his recantation."2 These were the happy times and enlightened days, when religion was madethe stalkinghorse of mere faction.' It was a specific duty on the part of the candidate that he should enrol himself in the guilds of trade; and accordingly we find Mr. Charles Smyth admitted by "the Master, Wardens, and Elders of the Society of Victuallers of Limerick, to all the privileges, franchises, &c. of the Society." He was also admitted a member of the Cordwayner's Society, of which Robert Wilson was the Master. It is scarcely necessary to add that these guilds were true blue, real Orange, and that they exercised powerful influence on the fate of 1 Arthur Roche's Poll Book. • Ibid. It was the custom at this period with the mayors to appoint a deputy in writing, “or give a deputation," and written authority, during his (the mayor's) absence from the city. The following is a copy of an authority given by the Right Worshipful Charles Smyth, Mayor, to Alderman Robinson, to act for him : City of County of Limerick. I do hereby constitute, nominate, and appoint James Robinson, Esq. of said city, Alderman, to be Deputy Mayor during my absence from ye said city, to hold Courts, and do other judicial acts for the speedy execution of justice in the city and the county of the city of Limerick aforesaid. Witness my hand and seal ye 25th day of October, 1732. CHARLES SMYTH. The following is a copy of the certificate which is written in a very admirable hand on vellum: "We, the Master, Wardens, and Elders of the Society of Vittulers in the cittie of Limerick, unanimously concurr'd and agreed together to admitt Charless Smith, of the said citty, Esq. into our Society as a free Brother and Member of the same, and by virtue of our Charter to enjoy all the Privileges, Franchisses, and Liberties, that we or any of the said Society, can or doth enjoy by the said Charter. In witness whereof, we, the Master and Wardens, have subscribed our hands, and affix the Company's seal the Eleventh day of October, 1781. "GEORGE ALLISON, Master. "PHILIP TOMLINSON, "ROBERT SMITHSON, "WM. TOMLINSON, Clark. Wardens" The red wax seal of the Society is attached, bearing the arms of the Victuallers, on a shield, supported by winged bulls, a lamb on the crest over a helmet: two axes quartered on the shield. Legend-" The Company of Victuallers of the citty of Limerick." The policy of securing the co-operation of the guilds in Parliamentary elections was universal at this time. elections. Mr. Charles Smyth was therefore returned. But the guilds did not at all times agree among themselves. On the contrary, they had several severe contests and bloody battles, one of which has been handed down to us in verse, which commemorates THE BATTLE OF THE MAYOR'S STONE,' And which from its graphic and illustrative character we admit to a place in the history, although by no means remarkable for poetical merit. It should be borne in mind that orange and blue were the colors of the Clothiers whatever their religion might be. Like the "Weavers' March," and the " Butcher's Quick-step," it was formerly very popular, but is now extremely scarce. The only "various readings" we notice in this ballad, which from its mythological allusions would seem to have been written by a schoolmaster, and which as an orange ballad is unique as a Limerick production, are in the end of the fourth stanza, of which the last two lines in the colloquial verse, are sheer nonsense, and in the second line of the sixth, in which for "law's delay," which reads suspiciously Shakespearian, we find " dint of law," in which there is no rhyme, though there is very good reason. We are bold Limerick Clothiers, we'll have you for to know us Though they were vast in number, we came on like claps of thunder, They found in time of battle that we were men of metal, Our blows to them proved fatal and made them curse their fates. Though Vulcan with his weapons had sworn he'd kill the Weavers, There were Tinkers, Bricklayers, Glaziers with Stone Cutters and Braziers, Which spread a vast confusion outside of Thomond Gate, When we received true tidings of their wicked base contrivings, Full closely then we tramped to where they were encamped, And our stout and noble captain valiant Bennis led the way;— This stone was placed near the cross of Killeely, outside Thomond Gate, on the old road to Ennis, and it had the following inscription. It has been removed for several years : THIS PAVING WAS WH OLY ENDED AT THE RATION, IAMES WHIT E FITZIAMES ESQVIR 2 The Blacksmiths bore the arms of Vulcan. |