No. XLVI. LETTER OF CARDINAL P. GALLIUS TO JAMES FITZMAURICE ON THE rice a dealer in ecclesias as political A.D. 1579. That such a wild military leader as the insur- J. Fitzmaugent chieftain, James Fitzmaurice, should have been considered at Rome a trusty and prudent tical as well counsellor in matters relating to ecclesiastical transacappointments, will perhaps, at first sight, appear tions. a little odd; but may surprise us the less when we bear in mind, what were looked upon as the proper duties of a Roman ecclesiastic in those days, and how much of the military character was, in Ireland and elsewhere, necessarily involved in them. Pope Gregory's high opinion of James Fitz Maurice, indicated strongly in the preceding Bull, will be further evident from the letter here following, (extracted from Burke's Hibernia Dominicana, chap. LXXXIII. pp. 872, 873,) which is also interesting as illustrative of the method employed in those days for settling or disturbing Church affairs in Ireland, by Roman pontiffs, in conjunction with Irish insurgents. "From the Letters of Cardinal Ptolemy Galli, entitled C. Galli the benefit of his advice for the pope, relative to of Como, Secretary of State to Pope Gregory XIII. of holy memory, &c. "To my lord James Geraldine. "Illustrious lord, in brotherly regards. Your lordbegs to have ship is aware what a very anxious interest our most holy lord [Gregory] takes in the affairs of Ireland; especially in such matters as pertain to the conservation of the relics of the Catholic Faith, and the promoting of certain epis- the salvation of souls in that realm. But while his copal ap- Holiness is giving the subject his attentive consideration, pointments. and is of opinion that it is extremely necessary at the A list of candidates is forwarded to J. Fitz maurice for his conside ration. present time to provide proper pastors for those churches which have been destitute of them for this long time past, and in which, either in compliance with the popular will, or even with consent of the temporal lords of those districts where they are situated, the Catholic religion may be easily restored and maintained; he has nevertheless been unwilling to come to any decision relative to this matter, until he should ascertain what might be the judgment of your lordship, and of the bishops of Cork and Ross, (in whose faith and piety he reposes a deserved confidence,) relative, as well to the churches aforesaid, as also to those persons who may be found competent for the government of them, whether in the island, or beyond its limits. "Your lordship therefore will please be careful to write back word, as soon as possible, intimating what may be your sense and opinion of this matter; which that you may be able to do the more satisfactorily, we send you a list of the names of sundry individuals that have been recommended to his Holiness. You will also be good enough to have the letters, which we have given directions for sending along with these, conveyed to the bishops of Cork and Ross aforesaid, and to have the an "An episcopal city in the Duchy of Milan." Burke. swer afterwards transmitted to us. On other topics I have nothing to add, save only that our prayers are offered unceasingly to God for the welfare and peace of all of you. Good health attend your lordship, to whom I heartily commend myself. Rome, the 6th day of April, 1579." This letter therefore was written in the same year in which Fitzmaurice met with his death. No. XLVII. LETTER OF N. SANDERS TO THE IRISH PEOPLE. Mr. H. El nal Letters. The following remarkable document is here This letter given, as copied from the " Original Letters il- published in lustrative of English History," of H. Ellis, Esq., lis's Origi F.R.S., &c., 2nd series, vol. 3. Lond. 1827; in which it occurs as Letter CCXVI., pp. 92 seqq., with the title, "Father Sanders the Jesuit to the Catholic Nobility and Gentry of Ireland to stir them to rebellion." p. 94. "To the righthonorable and Catholike Lords A.D. 1580. and Worshipfull Gentilmen of Irland, N. Sander, D. of Divinitie wisheth all felicitie, Irish for "Pardon me I beseche you, if upon just cawse I use Sanders the same words to your honors and worships, which abuses the S. Pawle wrote somtyme to the Galatians: Who hath their loyalty enchanted you, not to obey the Truthe?' for if you be to the not bewitched, what meane you to fight for hæresie against the true faith of Christ, for the Devil against "wicked" God, for Tyrans that robbe you of your goods, lands, Elizabeth, lives, and everlasting salvation, against your own bre from "the thern, who daylie spend their goods and shed their blood to deliver you from these miseries? What meane you, I say, to be at so great charges, to take so great paynes, and to put yourselves in so horrible daunger of bodie and sowle, for a wicked woman, neither begotten in true wedlock, nor esteeming her christendom, and therefore deprived by the vicar of Christ, her and your lawful judge; forsaken of God, who justifieth the sentence of his Vicar; forsaken of all Catholike princes whom she hath injuried intolerably; forsaken of divers Lords, Knights, and Gentilmen of England, threatening who ten yeres past toke the sword against her, them with * and yet stand in the same quarel? See you not vengeance that she is without a lawful heire of her own bodie, next Catho- who may either reward her friends or avenge her like heire to enemies? See you not that she is such a shamefull rethe crowne," proche to the royal crown, that whoso is in dede a frind and from to the Crown, shuld so muche the more hasten to dis"the pope's lieutenant." possesse her of the same? See you not that the next Catholike heire to the Crowne (for the pope will take order by Gd's grace that it shall rest in none other but Catholikes) must accompt all them for traytors that spend their goods in mainteining an heretike against his true title and right? What wil ye answer to the Pope's Lieuetenant, when he bringing us the Pope's and other Catholike princes ayde (as shortly he will) shall charge you with the crime and payne of heretiks, for mainteining an heretical prætensed Queen against the publike sentence of Christes vicar? Can she with her feined supremacie (which the devil instituted in Paradise, when [he] made Eve Adam's maistresse in God's matters) • "Alluding to the rebellion of the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland in 1569." VIII.'s fa absolve and acquiet you from the Pope's excommunication and curse? Shall yee not rather stayne yourselves and your noble howses withthe suspicion of hæresie and Treason? in which case if the Catholike heire to the Royal Crowne call upon the execution of the Lawes of the Churche, you shall for the maintenance of hæresie loose your goods, your lands, your honors, and undoe your wives, your children, and your Howses for ever. God is not mocked. The longer it is before he punish, the more hard and severe shal his punishment be. Do He tells you not see before your eyes that becawse king Henry them Henry the Eighth brake the Unitie of Christes Church his mily became Howse is now cut off and ended? And think you that extinct, as a mayntaining the heresie which he beganne, you shall judgment not bring your own howses to the like end that his for his hehath? Marke likewise Sir William Drurie's end, who was the General against the pope's armie, and think not our part to weake seeing God fighteth for us. And surely wheras we had once both monie, men, and armour to beginne this battell withall; God by most strange meanes (which to recite in this place it were to tediouse) tooke them all from us, and sent us hether in manner naked, to th' end it shuld be evident unto all the World that this warr is not the warr of man (which is always most puisant in the beginning as most armies, begunne with greater power than afterward it is mainteind,) but the Warr of God, who of small beginnings worketh wonderfull end. Whom I beseche to open your eyes, that, whiles tyme is, you maye openly confesse and honor him more than Heretikes. The XXI. of Feb. 1580." On this Epistle, Mr. Ellis has the following annotations : resy. "[MS. Lansd. 96, art. 39, orig] Camden has given Camden's an account of the Expedition which in 1579 carried Fa- account of |