But

mayor, could not refrain from communicating to him, in the overflowing of his zeal, the business with which he was charged; and so taking out of his cloakbag a leather box, "Here," said he, "is a commission that shall lash the heretics of Ireland," calling the Protestants by that title. The woman of the house being well disposed to the Protestant religion and having a brother named John Edmonds, who professed the same creed, resident in Dublin, was much troubled at the doctor's words. watching her opportunity, while the mayor took his leave, and the doctor was complimenting him down stairs, she opens the box, and takes the commission out, placing instead of it a pack of cards, with the knave of clubs uppermost, wrapped up in a sheet of paper. The doctor returning to his chamber, and not suspecting the trick, put up his box as before, and on the next day sailed for Dublin, where he arrived on the seventh of October, 1558. Repairing directly to the castle, he presented the box to the lord lieutenant in full council, who ordered the secretary to read her majesty's commission; but when the box was opened, it was found to contain nothing but a pack of cards, to

the astonishment not only of the lord deputy and council, but of Dr. Cole himself, who assured them solemnly that he had a commission, but could not tell what had gone with it. Then the lord deputy answered, "Let us have another commission, and we will shuffle the cards in the mean time." The doctor much confounded went his way, and returning to England, obtained another commission; but while he waited for the wind at the water side, news came to him that Queen Mary was dead, and thus God preserved the Protestants of Ireland. It is said that Queen Elizabeth was so delighted with hearing the story afterwards from the lord lieutenant, that she sent for the good woman, Elizabeth Edmonds, and settled on her a pension of forty pounds a year for life, for saving her majesty's Protestant subjects of Ireland.

§ 28.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE

REFORMATION

IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.

The death of Queen Mary having put an end to the cruelties of her reign, her sister Elizabeth suc

ceeded to the throne of England, on the seventeenth of November, 1558. One of the first measures of importance adopted by the new government with reference to the Irish Church, was the restoration of the use of the Church service in English. This had been introduced, as we have already seen, in the reign of Edward VI.; and in consequence an edition of the Book of Common Prayer had been published in Dublin, (being the first book ever printed in Ireland,) in A.D. 1551. But on the death of Edward VI. the English Liturgy ceased to be read publicly, nor was its use resumed here until several months after the accession of Queen Elizabeth. It was a part of the instructions given to her viceroy, the Earl of Sussex, on his coming to Ireland, in August, 1559, that he should "set up the worship of God as it is in England;" an injunction which the lord deputy appears to have faithfully obeyed.

The prospect however of a restoration of the reformed worship was little pleasing to the more bigoted of the Romish party; who were ready to go any length, or have recourse to any expedient, rather than resign without a struggle the use of the

Latin mass. The historian Strype gives us the following account (in his Life of Archbishop Parker) of the means which they made use of to throw discredit on the English service, and to prevent if possible, its introduction into the churches of Ireland.

According to the queen's instructions "the Litany was sung in English in Christ Church, Dublin. This gave great offence to some of the Popish zealots, reckoning aright, that the use of the mass was in danger of being laid aside in that cathedral. Something therefore was to be done, now or never, to keep the reputation of the old superstition; and a miracle was to be shown in the said church the next Sunday, when the lord lieutenant, the archbishop, and the rest of the privy council, were there at service.

"There was in that cathedral an image of Christ in marble, standing with a reed in his hand, and the crown of thorns on his head. And while service was saying before this great assembly, blood was seen to run through the crevices of the crown of thorns, trickling down the face of the crucifix. The people did not perceive it at first; therefore

some, who were in the fraud, cried out to one another, and bade them see, how our Saviour's image sweat blood! Whereat several of the common people fell down with their beads in their hands, and prayed to the image. Vast numbers flocked to the sight; and one present, who indeed was the contriver, and formerly belonged to the priory of this cathedral, told the people the cause; namely, that he could not choose but sweat blood, whilst heresy was then come into the Church.' The confusion hereupon was so great, that the assembly broke up. But the people still fell upon their knees, thumping their breasts; and particularly one of the aldermen, and mayor of the city, whose name was Sedgrave, and who had been at the English service, drew forth his beads, and prayed with the rest before the image. The Lord Sussex

and those of the privy council hastened out of the choir, fearing some harm.

"But the archbishop of Dublin, being displeased, caused a form to be brought out of the choir, and bade the sexton of the church to stand thereon, and.. to search and wash the image, and see if it would bleed afresh. The man soon perceived the cheat,