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The despatch is dated from the castle of Catherlaghe (Carlow), the last day of March, in the 33rd of the reign of Henry VIII.

In the expedition to O'Brien's Bridge, so often referred to, Sexten was desired in the following letter which appears in the Arthur MSS.' to give his assistance :

To our trustie and well beloved, the Maior, Baylives, Aldermen, and Cityzens of the cittye of Lymerick.

Trustie and right well beloved we grete you well, and desire and praye you also neverthelesse in the kyng's name charge according, our former writing of haster night, you with your companie in all haste, repayre unto us with your pikeaxes, speades, shovels, matokes, axes, and other such engines for the breaking of O'Bryen's Bridge. Yee knoo well wee have but 3 dayes victualls, and cannot sett forth conveniently, till your comying, wherefor make speede with all haste possible, and lett victualls be brought by water. Yee knowe the king's honor one and all your wealths lyeth uppon this our proceedings at this instant tyme, fayle yee not hereof, as ye intend ever our good will, and for the contrary will answer at your pril to the king. From the Campe this morning,

Leonard Gray,

To the Mair of Lymirke, in hast post haste.

1 A summary of the achievements of Edmond Sexten from the Arthur MSS. is of some interest: "Edmond Sexten was employed by the king in the commission with the Earl of Desmond, the Bishop of Emlaye, and Mr. Agard, for the suppression of all the religious houses in Mounster, in which journey he spent £9 sterling. He was a mayne help with the cittizens of Limmerick to take in the castle of Deryknockane from the rebells, and Lord Leonard Grey left the keeping thereof to Sexten's own care for the six years, which cost him in all £39 18s. sterling. He was employed by the Kyng to the traitor Thomas Fitzgerald, in hope to reduce him to subjection, whereof he fayled, but certified his Majestie of the refractoriness of the said Fitzgerald.

After that he was three severall tymes employed by the King to the Earl of Desmond and other Lords in Munster, to keepe them in their loyaltie, and from adhering to the said Thomas and his complices. The then Lord Deputie and Councell oftentymes employed him to that effect to the said lords and to O'Bryen, to John of Desmond, and to his son James, and to Donough O'Bryen and others.

He served at his own cost at the taking of Knockgraffon, Dungarvan, Carrigogunnel, the first and second time; Ballinconnell Castle in Thomond and Clare, and Clononkenie, in the countie of Lymrick. He toke Donnell O'Bryen's galley, which did much prejudice the King's subjects in the river of Shehan. He sent his men, who slew the rebell called Slico (O'Connor Sligo), which did offend the cittizens much, and threatened to burn Lymerick. He caused Edmond Bourke and his sonne to pay £16 to such of the cittizens as they have robbed thereof. He caused William Fitzjames Geraldine to bestow the prey which he toke from some of the cittizens. His men brought home the cattle which were taken away the night before by some of the rebells. He apprehended one Macloghlen Baukaks sonn, and another rebell, whome he caused to pay £24 for their ransome, which he gave to such of the cittizens as the said Macloghlen's sonn formerly caused to pay him ransome of £16. He with a small companie burned the toune and castle in the Island called Ellanrogane, and faught with many of the rebells there, of whom they killed many, and burnt others, and brought his men with their goods home salfe. He toke a galley and a half galley from Mourough O'Bryan, which he carried by land a myle and a half, and then lanced them to the water, and brought them to Lymricke. He issued at midnight out of Lymricke towards the Bishop of Killalowe and his two sonnes, but they narrowly escaped him, quitting their horses and baggage, whereon they seized. He burned Kilcordane and Clonemoniayne, in O'Bryen's countrie. He allured James of Desmond to come into the Lord Deputie's camp and laye in his tent and wayte on him to Limerick, and in his progress through Thomond within two miles of Galway, where they tooke leave and came to Lymrick, and the Lord Deputie went to Galway. He payed £40 in part payment of 1000 Duckatts, which he promised to Donough O'Bryan for betraying and delivering up into his hands the rebell Thomas Fitzgerald, being then with O'Brien in Thomond, as he undertook to doe, but fayled in performance thereof."

A very large mass of correspondence contains among the rest, several letters written by the king to his Deputy Lord Leonard Grey, in which he strongly reminded our trusty and well beloved Edmond Sexten, one of the gentlemen of our chamber and may be of that our city of Lymerick to doo unto us faithful and acceptable service-and tells Gray "in all your proceedings in our affairs concerning the reduction of the

In a letter from the Council of Ireland to Cromwell, dated from Cashel, August 24th, an account is given of the recapture of the castle of Carrigogunnel, by Donogh O'Brien, Ossory, and the Lord De Gray; in the assault ordnance and arrows were used, and thirteen of those who were within the castle were slain with ordnance, and four with arrows. There were 40 of Ossory's party also killed. The keeping of the castle was then given to Ossory.

inhabitants thereaboutts to our obeysance and due reformation or as the state shall require in prosecuting of the same, the obeyance and indurate mynde so requiring, ye doo tak unto you our said Sexton, and but begin consult whereby the said inhabitants may perceyve our estimaycion and favour born unto hym, by whych means he shall now the better allure them to our obeysance, and consequently by his experience and polyte the rather obtain the desired purposes in our affairs in those quarters." We have also the letters of Henry to Sexton, and of Sexton to Henry. Henry writes a special and lengthy letter commencing "Henry by the Kinge-Trustie and well beloved we grete you well"-returning thanks for the series of services performed, adding "taking you to noit (note) that being advertised how like goode, true, and faithful subjects ye have resisted the malicious enterprises of Thomas Fitzgerald that faulse Traytor and Rebell and other his accomplices there, we have thought goode not onleye to give unto you our hearty thanks for the same, but also to signifye unto you that we shall not faile for to remember your integritie declared therein, as shall be to your benefits, wealthe and commoditie hereafter. Ye shall also understande that whereas the fee farm of that our cittie remaineth for sundrie yeares behind and unpaid, sythens (since) our subject Richard Ffox was first maier thereof, we have authorised and appointed our trustie and well beloved servant Edmond Sexton, sewer of our Chamber, to receyve of you to our use the said arrearages soe behind, so unpayed, whose acquitance in that behalf shal be your sufficient discharge as from yere to yere from henceforth to tak and receyeve into his hands our said fee farm being ten pundes by the yere till ye shall further know of our pleasure." The letter goes on at further length, as "given under our signet, at our Manor of Langley, the 21st day of September, the

* yeare of our reigne"-and is addressed "to the Righte Trustie and well beloved, the Maier, Baylilffes, Aldermenne and Cittizzens of the Citie of Lymerick." Not content with these expressions of favor to the Mayor, Corporation and citizens, Henry wrote to the Council and Corporation of the city as follows:

Henry Rex. By the King.

Trustie and right well beloved, we grete you well, and perceyving by your letters and credence sent unto us in the person of our trustie and well beloved servant, Edmond Sexten, Mayor of that our cittie, your desire concerning the confirmation of your charter and libertyes, with certain additions in the specialities whereof, ye further instructed the same our servant concerning your faithfull loyal herts towards us, with your dilligent service to our good contentation and pleasure, like as for the same we give unto you our right harty and condign thankes. We be right favorable willing and inclyneable not only to yor said pursuits, but also shall be the semblable in all other your reasonable petitions. And for this tyme, in token of our favor towards you, we have written unto our deputie there that at his next repayre unto our prce, he shall leave one of our great pieces of ordinaunces, with shott and pouder necessary, in your custodye within that our cyttie, there to remayne, and be alwayes in a readyness for the advancement of all enterprosses in those ptes, to be attempted and sett forwardes by your said servant and his coadjutor, our trustie and well beloved John Arthur FitzNicholas, one of your brethern of that your cittye. Byde unto them at all seasons, consellying, favouring, aveding and assisting to the best of your power, as our speciall trust in you. Given under our signet at our Manor of Westmr, the last day of May.

To the Counsell and Corporation of our cittie of Lymericke.

In addition to his other qualifications, Edmond Sexton was an author. He wrote a book by the King's commandment "for the reformation of those parts," and among his papers were found the names of the castles, lands, rivers, creeks, important places, territories, lordships, with their lords, on each side of the Shannon to Loop Head. He states that in the Island of Inniscattery, the merchants of Limerick dwelt, and had castles and store houses of their own inheritance --that there was an image of St. Senan in the island, which was regarded with the utmost devotion by the people, and a great old church, wherein woman never went since the time of St. Senan, with a provost as warden, who singly disbursed a hundred marks yearly. He recommends that a future church be built on the island. Moore wrote, or rather translated from the Latin, the beautiful and well-known verses "St. Senanus and the Lady."

CHAPTER XIII.

SUCCESSES OF THE ENGLISH-FRUITS OF THE REFORMATION.

THE events summarised in the last chapter occupy a period of between seven and eight years. We need not refer to the extraordinary changes which took place in consequence of these successes of the English in a country where they had heretofore had little if any footing except within the walls of the city where they had been endeavouring to establish themselves for some centuries before. In 1537, the Earl of Kildare, whose rebellion had caused sore annoyance to the government, and who is styled by the annalists "the best man of the English in Ireland of his time," and his father's five brothers, namely, James, Oliver, John, Walter, and Richard, were put to death in London; all the Geraldines of Leinster were either exiled or put to the sword; the Earldom of Kildare was vested in the King, and every one of the family who was apprehended, whether lay or ecclesiastic, was put to death. It appears from a letter written by Lord Thomas, to Rothe, that during his confinement he was treated with the greatest indignity -he was not permitted to enjoy the merest necessaries of life; for his clothes, which were tattered, he was indebted to the charity of others, his fellow prisoners, who took pity on him. He wrote a letter to Rothe, in which the following passage appears :-"I never had any mony sins I came into pryson, but a nobull, nor have I had neither hosyn, doublet, nor shoys, nor shyrt, but on [one] nor any other garment, but a synggle fryse gowne; for a velve fyrryd wythe bowge, and so I have gone wolword and barefore, and bareleggd, diverse times (when ytt hath not ben very warme); and so I shall have done styll, and now, but that pore prysoners, of their gentylnes, hath sumtyme geven me old hosyn, and shoys and old shyrtes." The grief and misery which prevailed throughout Ireland for the fall and extermination of the illustrious Geraldines of Leinster, were expressed in the loudest and most unmistakeable manner; and to add to the sorrow with which the heart of the nation was stricken, it was just at this time that the "Reformation" in England and in Ireland began to manifest the existence of its bitter fruits. The possessions of monks, canons, nuns, brethren of the cross-i.e., the crossed or crouched friars-and the four poor orders-i.e, the orders of Minors, Preachers, Carmelites, and Augustinians-were suppressed, and their properties vested in the King. The monasteries were broken down; the

In the year 1535 M'Auliff of Duhallow, the ruins of whose castle may still be seen near Newmarket in the county Cork, gained a great battle, in which were slain the Lord of Claingais, or Clulish, a wild district in the Barony of Upper Connelloe in the South West of the county Limerick, with a large battalion of the Clan Sheehy, i.e. Mac Sheehy, who were of Scottish origin (see O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, ad. an. 1535) and hereditary gallowglasses of Ireland. In this battle was slain Mael Murry, son of Brien M'Sweeny.

Lord Thomas Fitzgerald to Rothe-State Papers.

The number of abbies which Henry VIII. possessed himself of in England was 645, which were levelled to the ground, and their lands and riches seized-there were 2,347 chapels and chantries in like manner destroyed, and their temporalities confiscated; 110 hospitals, and about 100 colleges, together with their revenues, were also appropriated to the king's use. Such abbots as did not resign their abbies were cruelly put to death-viz. the abbots of Glastonbury, of Reading, of Gloucester, of Whately, of Gerveaux, of Sawley, and the Priors of Woburn and Burlington. With the spoils of St. Thomas of Canterbury's church alone there were twenty-six waggons, laden with the richest ornaments, plate, jewels, &c. There is no computing the enormous wealth which was thus taken possession of by the king to satiate his own brutal lust for plunder. In Ireland the abbies, convents, and priories, were in like manner handed over to the king, and in 1541 these resignations were ratified and confirmed by the Irish Parliament. To appease the gentry of the nation, "lumping bargains" were given to them by the Crown of Church lands, and thus interest quelled their complaints; so that they beheld the ruins of the noble monasteries and convents founded by their forefathers for the service of God without remorse.

roofs and bells were made away with, so that from Arran of the Saints to the Iceian Sea, there was not one monastery that was not broken and shattered, with the exception of a few in Ireland, of which the English took no heedsome of which appear not to have been known to them for a long time after this disastrous period, and in the neighbourhood of which the friars continued to live, as at Multifarnham, Ballyhaunis, &c., until a comparatively recent period.2

The Chief Justiciary, Gerald Aylmer, meantime arrived in Limerick, in the 33rd year of Henry's reign, and made an inquisition, with his fellow commissioners, "touching some things taken up to the King's use at Limerick upon the suppression, and other crown matters." He ordered the mayor and bailiffs to come before him and his commissioners, and to summon "18 free and lawful men" of the bailiwick on the Friday before St. Patrick's Day, to enquire into sundry matters. The inquisition was accordingly taken on the 13th of February, and the particulars of it, as we find them in the Arthur MSS., which go into many subjects in detail which deserve to be put on record. These, which will be found in the note, will give some notion of the great riches with which the abbies and monasteries of these days were filled, before they fell a prey to the rapacious spoliation of the brutal and merciless Henry. They have never, we believe, been hitherto published.

With the exception of the Butlers, and very few others, there were none in favour of these proceedings. Many of the old statutes of Kilkenny for the extinction of friendships between "the Irishrie and Englishrie," and the

The name by which the ancient Irish writers called the sea that divides England from France. 2 Note in Annals of the Four Masters.

An office declaring the possessions of the king's castle Lymerick, and touching some things taken up to the king's use uppon the suppression at Lymerick, and other crown matters.

"Gerald Aylmer, knight, that is captain, and justiciary of our lord the king in the pleadings before the same lord and king in his land of Ireland, and to his fellow commissioners of our lord the king within the county of Limerick, as well within the liberties as without, to inquire about all singular treasons, murders, felonies, transgressions, and other offences whatever, within the aforesaid county, committed only whenever perpetrated, and the hearing and deciding same, and further proceeding as in the letters patent of the said lord our king, whence to me and my fellow commissioners aforesaid being (so) appointed is more fully contained. We command the mayor and bailiffs that they cause to come before the commissioners aforesaid, 18 free and lawful men of your bailiwick of the city aforesaid on the Friday before the feast of St. Patrick, Bishop, which is next to be, to enquire about articles touching our lord the king, and further to do what shall be given them in command; and that you have there the names of the said 18 men and this precept. Witness the aforesaid justiciary at Limerick, 8 day of March, in the 33rd year of the reign of King Henry VIII.

The inquisition taken before the king's commrs. at Lymerick the Thursday next after Shrofft Tuesday which was the 13th day of Februarii in the 33 yeare of our Sovereign Lord, King Henry the Eighth, by the jurors following, David White, alderman, Thomas Young, alderman, Patrick Fanning, alderman, Stephen Creagh, alderman, William Fanning, alderman, Dominik White, alderman, David Ryce, George Stretch, Andrew Harrold, Stephen Comyn, James Creagh, William Verdon, Rowland Arthur, Thomas Long, Humphray Arthur, John Comyn. Wee find that the king's castle hath by the yeare ten pounds of the fee-farm of the citty of Lymerick which £10 Mr. William Wyse doth receive yearly as constable of the said castle under the king. Item wee do finde that there are twoe gardines adjoyninge to the south side of the Ilande pertayne ing to the said king's castle which the said constable hath. Item more wee finde that the pasture and grazeing of the said iland appertayne to the said king's castle. The inhabitants of the said cittie having their ingress and regress for their pastyme therein without any interruption or lett. Item more wee doo finde that there belongeth to the said castle tenn shillings a yearely rent to the Ile weare which lyeth on the east side of Corbally. Item, we fynde that there belongeth to the said castle of every ship resorting to the said cittie, with wheate or salt, being noe freeman's goods of the same citty, one measure of salte, and one of wheate and of every boath or galey laden with heareings or oysters, as is aforesaid, one hundred of heareing, and one hundred of oysters soe laden.

annihilation of the Irish habit, were ordered to be put in execution.' Harpers, Rhymers, Chroniclers, Bards, &c., were ordered to be set upon with unsparing vengeance. Silk and satin were forbidden to be worn. The celebrated image of the Blessed Virgin, which Archbishop Browne (the first of the English church archbishops of Dublin) called, in the language of the

Item, wee finde that John Comyns house in the Key lane, do beare yearly to the house of Keilmanam, twoe shillings of yearly rent and noe most. Item, wee finde that Patrick Fanning's house lynge in Creagh lane, doe bearre to the house of Keilmanam twelf pence of yearly rent. And of Patrick Lange's house, next unto the same of yearly rent twelf pence, and a gardine lyeing by the spitle twelf pence of yearly rent. Item, wee doe find that in the 30th yeare of King Henry the Eighth, Edmond, Archbishop of Cassell, and Walter Cowley, the king's solicitor taking uppon them to be the king's commissioners, did take of the image of the holly roods, shoes of silver, wheing twentie seaven unces troy weight wherein weare divers stones the value whereof wee cannot tell. And alsoe did take the image of our Ladye of the said church showes of silver weighing six unces with divers stones, and fifteene buthons of silver, valued at three shilling, 9d. str. And neyne crosses of silver, valued at neyne shillings. And a peare of beades of silver, weighing six unces. Item, the said commissioners did take of the black fryers of Lymerick the day and yeare above said Sanict Sunday, his showes of silver weighing tenn unces, with divers stones, the value whereof wee cannot tell. And 4 stones of cristall bound with silver to our estimation weighing 2 unces. And foure score pound of wax as wee doe think rather more than less, being in the said chappele then. And iron being in the said chappell to the sum of twentie stones, And above. Item, the 22nd day of Januarii, in the 32 yeare of our sovereigne Lord King Henry the Eighth, Mr. Robert Saintlager did take both the greate bell and the small bell out of the same place. Item, we find that David Michell of Lymerick, marchant, have a challice of silver, of the grey fryars in his keeping, delivered unto him, by one John O'Linge, at that tyme fryer of the said house, which challice was delivered to Humphrey Sexten. Item, wee find that John Skeolan of Lymerick, merchant, have two candlesticks of brass, of the said abbey in gage they doe say. Item, wee find that John M'Skyddiy of Lymerick, taylor, have a booke of the said fryars in gage for eight pence. Item, wee find that Stephen Crevagh, hath certain glasses of the said fryars which he hath delivered to Humphray Sexten. Item, George Sexten hath a vestment of chamlet red with a cross of velvet thereon. Item, John Ryce bath a vestment of Ameistock of the said fryers. Item, Humphrey Sexten have received of Leonard Crevagh, one challice of silver of the grey fryers. Item, wee finde that Stephen Harrold have a gardine of the said fryers by lease for years, paying therefor yearly sixteene pounds which is within the churchyard of the said fryers. Item, Steephen Crevagh hath a particle of the same churchyard, and in lease for yeares paying therefor, yearly, sixpence. And Christopher Crevagh hath the rest of the said churchyard by lease for years, paying yearly therefor, 2s. 8d. Item, Steephen Crevagh hath a garden of the said fryers, within the moore of the said fryers by lease, paying yearly therefor, 2s. Item, James Harrold hath a garden of the said fryers, by lease, paying therefor, yearly, 3s. 4d. Item, John Nagle hath a gardine within the precincts of the said freeres, by lease paying therefor, yearly, 3s. 4d. Item, John Nagle hath a little medowe of the said freeres, paying therefor, yearly, 3s. Item, more wee find that John Skoylane hath another gardine in the said moore, by lease, paying therefor, yearly, 2s. Item, Nicholas Stretch hath a gardine by the little Iland by lease, paying yearly therefor, 8s. sterling. Item, Andrew Harrold hath a gardine in the said moore by lease, paying yearly therefor, 2. 4d. James Fox hath a garden by lease and within the precincts of the freeres church, paying yearly therefor 8s. Item, Leonard Creagh hath another gardine payeing yearly therefor 1s. Item, Dominick Comyn hath one stone house of the said freeres, named the fish house, by lease, paying therefor yearly sixteen pence. Item, John Nagle hath one other gardine within the said precinct by lease, payeing therefor yearlie 16d. Item, John Stretch Fitzgeorge hath one other gardine by lease without the moore, paying yearly therefor 2s, More, the said John hath one house which did appertayne to the said freeres, by lease, payinge therefor 2s. Item, Christopher Crevagh hath one tenement or voyde place by lease, payeing therefor yearley 4s. and another voyde place, payeing therefore yearly 8s. 4d. Item, wee fynd that there are tenn acres of land in Luithagh, more the two parts of the teythe of the same in Theobot Boorke's country, and three acres in Bramblock and twoe parts of the teythe of the same, and twoe acres in the great croft and the twoe parts of the teythe of the same, and tenn acres in Claishcuigilly with the 2 partes of the same, whych lands and teythes appertayne to the same freeres. Item, wee fynd that the church of Scainte Peter and the churchyarde of the same is a chappell in Keilrone, inO'Bryens countrye, and all lands and tenements within the cittie of Lymerick, appertayning to the saide Sainct Peters hereafter followe. Item, wee find that Christopher Harrold hath one gardine and orchard by lease for certaine yeares paying therefor yearly 2s. And one house by lease which lease doth mansion that all rent thereof is payed before hand. Item, Ellan Whyte widdowe hath one orcharde by lease payeing therefor yearly, 28. And Elinor Arthur widdowe hath one gardine and one house

State Papers, Henry VIII.

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