Bacon's

to reforming

of the Ro

A. D. 1612. opposed, an ancient religion to be supplanted, (as Romish writers would fain represent it ;) but irreligion, profligacy, and outrage were to be suppressed, and civilization, and the arts of peace, with a state of society less disgraceful to the Christian name, were to be introduced in their stead. For the moral degradation of the idea relative old inhabitants of the country in those times had been such as to elicit from Sir Francis in Ireland. Bacon the observation, that, "till they be more like reasonable men than they yet are, their society were rather scandalous to the true religion than otherwise: as pearls cast before swine: for till they be cleansed from their blood, incontinency, and theft, which are now not the lapses of particular persons, but the very laws of the nåtion, they are incompatible with religion reformed."*

mish party

Regal visita

Irish

Church.

In the year 1612, it appears that his Majesty tion of the King James caused an inquiry to be made into the internal condition of the Church in Ireland, having directed "Instructions and Interogations" to the archbishops and bishops of the realm State of the for that purpose. Of the returns made on this dioceses of occasion, only one, by Thomas Ram, Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, appears to be still extant.

Ferns and

Leighlin.

*Considerations touching the Queen's Service in Ireland; Bacon's Works, vol. iv. p. 505, London, 1730.

also p. 817 sup.

Mant i, 328.

See

This one however contains many interesting particulars, throwing light on the state of the Church in that time, and enabling us, from the circumstances of Bishop Ram's diocese therein reported, to form some conjecture as to the condition of other places at the same period.*

A. D. 1612.

This bishop, as it appears from his own Diligence of statement, was very diligent and attentive in the bishop. endeavouring to improve the state of the Church and religion in the district committed to his charge: exerting himself in particular to instruct and reform the Romish inhabitants of those parts, conferring with many of them "in the most kind and familiar manner that he could, and confirming our doctrines and confuting their assertions, by the touchstone of all truth, the Holy Scriptures." These efforts it seems were kindly taken, by the humbler people in particular, as appears from what the bishop immediately subjoins-"As for the poorer sort," His difficulsays he, "some of them have not only discovered ties in dealunto me privately their dislike of popery, and of the adhe the mass, in regard they understand not what is Rome. said or done therein; but also groaned under the burden of the many priests, in respect of the double tithes and offerings, the one paid by them unto us, and the other unto them. Being then de

See this Report given in the Reports of the Commissioners of Public Records in Ireland, vol. i, p. 264. Mant i, 369, seqq.

ing with

rents of

A. D. 1612. manded of me, why they did not forsake the mass and come to church? their answer hath

Further

his exertions

and hindrances.

:

been that if they should be of our religion, no popish merchant would employ them being sailors, no popish landlords would let them any lands being husbandmen, nor set them houses in tenantry being artificers, and therefore they must either starve or do as they do." Those of the richer sort, he adds, from constant intercourse with Romish priests, were no less untractable.

Bishop Ram had been at this time seven years accounts in occupancy of his two sees; and had for so long a period been constantly resident in one or other of them. He had also every year visited each of them in person. He likewise with his clergy, maintained a diocesan school in each; but the people were warned not to send their children to them, on pain of excommunication by their Romish priests, and with assurance that they would certainly be damned if they sent them; and likewise that the parents who brought children to the Protestant clergy for baptism, with the children so baptised 66 were damned"

Injuries done to the

also.

In speaking of the income of his sees, the See of Ferns bishop mentions that great injury had been done by preced to that of Ferns "by the many fee farms made ing prelates. thereof by his predecessors, especially by Alex

ander Devereux and John Devereux," to their A. D. 1612. kindred and illegitimate children. We need

wonder little if under such influence the priests and other agents of Rome had found it an easy matter to gain much power and influence among the people.

veral of the

clergy in

those parts.

connected

parliament

It is interesting to observe that of the incum- Irish underbents of the twenty-seven benefices in Ferns at stood by sethis time, (who were all with two or three exceptions resident in their cures,) nine were acquainted with the Irish language; and in Leighlin, where there were fifty-one benefices, fourteen, including two of English birth, were in like manner acquainted with our native tongue. The year (1613) next following that in which Proceedings this return was made, was one of much political with the and religious excitement in Ireland, connected first Irish with important public events, which then en- of King grossed universal attention throughout the land, James. and exercised subsequently a very important influence over the condition and circumstances of its people. For in this year King James, who, as the first English monarch that was actual ruler of all Ireland, was extremely anxious to settle its constitution on an improved basis, had made arrangements, with this object in view, for assembling a national parliament from all parts of the entire island. Twentyseven years, including a long period of distrac

A. D. 1613.

L

A. D. 1613. tion and tumult, had now passed since any parliament had been convened in this kingdom; and in the mean time seventeen additional counties had been called into existence; and these, with a number of newly created boroughs, which the Lord Deputy was daily increasing by virtue of a royal commission, seemed to afford a prospect that in the next parliament the inhabitants of every class and order, old English, new British, and aboriginal Irish, should be fully represented. But at these proceedings the recusants, (that is to say, such as held aloof, under the influence of Rome, from the communion and worship of the Church,) were not a little alarmed. The summoning of a parliament, after so long an interval, must be, as they conceived, for some purposes of moment; and what those purposes might be, unless for promoting the Reformation, or persecuting its opponents, they knew not. The newly formed boroughs too, they feared, must be entirely subject to government influence, and sure to return only its creatures and dependents.

Exertions of the Papal party on this occasion.

Agents were therefore despatched from the Pale into every province by the members of this party, to support the elections of their friends, and to secure the interest and aid of every influential person for their side in this great struggle. The Romish clergy preached up "the