lion in the succeeding reign. However, to do James justice, he avoided several errors which had been committed in former distributions of confiscated lands. He included a large proportion of native Irish in the grants, and allowed to none of the undertakers, those large proportions which engendered petty despots, and gave them a consequence that disdained the controul of laws. James, as a planter, saw the expediency of toleration, and exempted his Roman Catholic tenants from taking the oath of supremacy.

Sixty-six thousand acres were seized on between the river of Arklow and the Slane; three hundred and eighty-five thousand acres in the counties of Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath, Leix, and Offaly; and by regranting large proportions to the old inhabitants on permanent tenures, these measures were carried with apparent tranquillity. So far James seems to have been actuated by a colonizing Quixotism; and though his view of objects was false, his intention was liberal and good. But at the latter end of his reign he was gradually led from confiscating people's property for

their interest, to confiscate for his own; and had recourse to an outrage which for its practical villainy, and its disastrous consequences, can scarcely be paralleled.

James's revenue in Ireland fell short sixteen thousand pounds per annum, in those days thought a terrible deficiency. To supply this he had recourse to the following device, which was aimed at the inhabitants of an entire province.

The lords and gentlemen of Connaught, including the county of Clare, had surrendered their estates on composition to Elizabeth, but had neglected to take out the letters patent for the re-grant of them, as was the custom. This defect was supplied by James in his better days, who issued new patents for re-conveying their lands to them and their heirs. These patents received the great seal, but by neglect of the officers concerned, were not enrolled in chancery, although the proprietors had paid three thousand pounds for the enrol

ments.

Advantage was now taken of this involuntary omission. The titles were pronounced defective, and the lands vested in

the crown. Though an act of state, during Lord Grandison's government, had declared the titles valid, though the wrong was evident, and the most pathetic remonstrances were made to the King, he would not retract, till the desperation of a province, inhabited by an active and spirited people, became alarming. Influenced by this fear, and his immediate necessities, James consented to sell a new confirmation of the patents, on consideration that the rents were to be doubled, and that a fine should be given him equivalent to the sum that was computed would arise from a new plantation of the province. To these hard terms the proprietors agreed.

Surely if to these reasons for discontent we add the regret which many of the chieftains or their heirs must have retained for their princely prerogatives, and that natural feeling which inspires one nation to resist the domination of another, a great part of the odium of the succeeding rebellion should in justice be removed from the supposed influence of the Catholic religion. Yet there is no doubt that this influence which, as we have seen, had but a very

partial effect during Elizabeth's reign, took a very decided character at the latter end of James's life.

The point then next to be considered, is whether this disaffection was a necessary consequence of the Catholic religion itself, or whether it was excited by the injuries inflicted on those who professed this religion.

The Roman Catholics of the Pale, and of ' the towns and cities, had fought Elizabeth's battles, and hitherto had considered the distinction of English and Irish as paramount to that of Protestant and Catholic. During the whole of Elizabeth's wars, the Catholics of the English Pale had always sided with the Protestants of the English Pale against the Irish enemy, though Catholics. Yet in return, they had been treated with considerable contumely as Catholics, and in consequence finding their religion made a mark to separate them from the English Protestants, that same religion became a common interest, which drew them to an union with their ancient enemies, the Catholics of Irish

race.

On the accession of James, who had been known to have tampered with the court of Rome, they resumed the public exercise of their religion as a thing of course; but James, who had measures to keep with the puritans, and who was very tenacious of his ecclesiastical supremacy, prohibited the celebration of the mass. This was the first of those sad follies which sacrificed the interests of the fairest island in the world to the senseless visions of self-sufficient bigots. This was the first insult which made the most important part of the Catholics feel that they had a separate interest from the government.

The next step was still more brutal, and proportionably stupid. The Catholics were required to attend the Protestant churches. Upon their refusal, the magistrates and chief citizens of Dublin were fined and committed to prison. This spread a general feeling of anger among the Catholics, and an immense concourse presented a remonstrance against the illegality of the imprisonment, as the utmost severity of the law, obsolete from the time of its enact