Page images
PDF
EPUB

arises from the long endurance of persecution ---if it was the nature of popish feelings to produce rebellions, this would have been the time when they would have shewn their most marked influence; when the government openly opposed the claims of the Sovereign pontiff, and usurped his titles--when it dispossessed popish prelates, seized on church lands, and demolished reliques; what plots and rebellions must not necessarily have followed!

Instead of this, we find the Irish making every submission that the English government felt it reasonable to require; when once the civil claims between the contending parties were satisfactorily arranged, we find no stress laid on the religious claims; we find the Irish princes, even the great O'Neil, accepting titles from the King of Ireland, which they had always despised when offered by the Lord of Ireland. Peace was for the first time universal: the French King offered his assistance to the Irish princes in vain, and in vain endeavoured to excite them to revolt. The English government for once appeared in a creditable alliance with its Irish vassals--

the army reduced at home, and an Irish army assisting the English King at Calais. Leland characterises the loyalty of the times as even outrageous.

When, therefore, the adversaries of the Catholics tell us that it is the nature of that religion to produce rebellions under a Protestant government; and yet we find that at the time when the whole nation were Catholics---when they were particularly uncivilized, and proportionally bigoted; that an open and unprecedented attack--an unceremonious reversal of every thing held sacred, was followed by no immediate commotion; and that a very short period after, an unheard-of degree of peace and loyalty succeeded, must we not conclude that they have exaggerated the effects of Catholic principles, or rather that no disloyalty flows necessarily from such principles, but that the disloyalty which has since been considered as a characteristic of the Catholics, has arisen from the very unwarrantable and very unwise severity with which the Catholics have been treated?

So far it is clear that in Henry the Eighth's reign, religion had no important

influence in producing rebellions: yet it was not to be expected that, however lax the ancient religion might have become, it could be suddenly assailed in its fundamen→ tal tenets, without producing a revulsion in the minds of a very ignorant people. Even if a general commotion had taken place, we should by no means be justified in arguing that rebellion against the civil power was a necessary effect of Catholic dogmas. In similar circumstances any sect might have flown to arms, as the Protestants under the reign of James II. did, but it is singular, how little resistance was made to the reformation in Ireland. This resistance was virtually confined to a single individual, Archbishop Cromer.

The great majority of the prelates and of the parliament, either favoured or made no opposition to the reformation. The general ignorance of the nation was the greatest obstacle to its progress; yet that it gained ground is evident, from the alarm felt by the See of Rome, who thought it necessary to send over a private commission to Cromer, and to excite the northern dynast, O'Neil, to commence hostilities.

C

To suppose that no opposition would be given to a great revolution in the national religion, would be extravagant; the clergy of course were interested to oppose it. Principle, as well as habit, would influence many of the laity to oppose it: but all things considered the opposition was inconsiderable; it might have been entirely obviated by judicious management; certainly it was not conducted with that intemperance, which argues a peculiar tendency in the Catholic religion to produce a rebellion against a Protestant government.

In fact, the reformation during the reign of Henry the Eighth was conducted with very little violence towards the Catholic laity; there consequently was very little reaction from resentment or bigotry, and though late historians describe the Priests as flying from city to city to animate their flocks to rebellion, yet as we find no facts to support the assertion, we must conclude they described what they thought probable, not what really was the case.

We are now bound to shew what was the cause of the rebellion which followed the

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

submission of the Irish princes. This cause we imagine was a clear infraction on the part of Henry, of the terms on which the submissions of the Irish were grounded; and a well founded apprehension that their power and independence were in danger of fresh encroachments..

[ocr errors]

The Irish chieftains had acknowledged Henry the Eighth as their liege lord; but in the very indentures of submission, their own prerogatives were acknowledged and remained untouched. Thus O'Sullivan, suæ nationis primus; Mac Donough, de Allow, suæ nationis caput. Donaldus O'Calaghan, nationis suæ primus

In these indentures are only reserved the usual services or tribute payable to the liege lord; the Chieftains were neither required to pay taxes, to submit to the English, or perform any one duty of subjects. They retained undisputed, the privilege of making war or peace among their several nations, of raising troops, of levying taxes, and the elective succession to their petty thrones.

Under these stipulations, they freely pro

c 2

« PreviousContinue »