In October, 1746, as he paffed through the Castleyard on the memorial day of the Irish rebellion in 1641, he met two ladies, and a girl of about eight years of age, who, ftepping on a little before them, turned about fuddenly, and, with uplifted hands and horror in her countenance, exclaimed, Are there any of those bloody papists in Dublin? This incident, which to a different hearer would be laughable, filled the doctor with anxious reflections. He immediately inferred that the child's terror proceeded from the impreffion made on her mind, by the fermon preached that day in Chrift-church, whence those ladies proceeded; and having procured a copy of the fermon, he found that his furmife was well founded. In a spirit very different from that of the preacher, he immediately, on returning to his house, fat down to give fome check to the hatred and afperity revived in these anniversary invectives, from feats fet apart for the propagation of truth and benevolence among men. His tract on this fubject he put in the form of a Dialogue, wherein one of the interlocutors fhews the unfairness, and abfurdity alfo, of charging to any religion whatever, the crimes which that religion condemns, but which fome of its profeffors may, at times, be guilty of. After fuch general reflections, he expofes the unfortunate caufes which led to the infurrection in 1641, and the fatal confequences which followed. Three kingdoms were then in a flame, and the moderation and good sense of a few could not stop the conflagration: though it might in the beginning be eafily quenched by those in power, had not their private views and self-interest biaffed them to fupply the fuel. The people of our days are no further concerned in fuch evils, than to remind them of never repeating them. The cause removed, the effects fhould not be active, and be active, folely, from suggestions of the imagination. To this the adversary to that interlocutor made answer, that though the evils complained of, have ་ long long ceafed, yet that among papists the principle re'mains, and muft juftify every legal penalty they are expofed to: He converted fuppofition, into a fact which he could not prove. With no better argument, the Dialogue was attacked in a voluminous pamphlet, by Mr. Walter Harris, a gentleman unverfed in the philofophy of history, and flagrantly abufive, but fit enough for his office of a compiler. Dr. Curry replied in a book intitled Hiftorical Memoirs; a work well received by the public, and from which Mr. Brooke had his materials for his Trial of the Roman Catholics. Still indefatigable in the caufe of his country, he enlarged his plan, in a work intitled, An Historical and Critical Review of the Civil Wars in Ireland, printed in 1775. Therein he gives a general view of the times from Henry II. and commences his details with the reign of Queen Elizabeth, ending with the fettlement under King William. This is the present work, now greatly enlarged from the doctor's manuscripts, with new matter taken from parliamentary journals, ftate acts, and other authentic documents; to which he has added, The State of the Catholics of Ireland, from the above period under King William to the Relaxation of the Popery Laws in 1778. The author dying two years after, deprived us of having this valuable work as perfect as if published under his own inspection. I fhall now observe to the reader, that the intention of the author in the following work was folely to inftruct, not to mifreprefent, to conciliate, not to irritate; and, in the execution of fuch a defign, it was incumbent on him, to remove the falfe grounds of a torrent of invectives, which have borne down repeatedly on our good fenfe, and which, if not stopped in its course, may fweep away before it fome practicable schemes for public profperity. If fome are so prejudiced as to reject several facts herein related, because they were were taught to reject them early in life; yet they will take the lefs offence at our author, as his materials are chiefly taken from those very authorities on which the invectives we have mentioned, are faid to be founded; and confequently can admit of no difpute concerning their credibility. No man of the present age (catholic or proteftant) is concerned in the conduct of those of any former former age, otherwise than by contrasting the causes and effects in the one with those in the other, and inftructing us thereby to put a proper estimate on our present happiness, and to remove any ill impreffion the public may still retain, in regard to times fo very different from our own. This is placing a mirror before the reader, wherein beauties and deformities are fairly reflected, and whereby deductions may be made, for improving our minds and manners, by the juftness of the representation. BELANAGAR, C. O'CONOR. CON OF THE FIRST VOLUME. III. The conduct of the English chief governors of Ireland IV. Motives for the general difcontent in Ulfter. VII. Lord Deputy Mountjoy's and Lord Verulam's opinions of the government of Ireland in 1602. VIII. Proclamation of pardon in the province of Munster. IX. The Spaniards invade Ireland. X. The cruelty of the English army in Munster. XI. A dreadful famine in Ireland. XII. The greater and better part of the Irish, in this war, fought for the queen against their countrymen. I. The ftate of the Irish under king James I. II. A general act of oblivion. CHAP. VIII. The king thanks the Irish for their supply, but orders the penal laws to be put in force against them. IX. Some account of the ecclefiaftical courts at that juncture in Ireland. X. The patience and fubmiffion of the natives. I. The fate of the Irish under Charles I. II. A free gift raised for the king, chiefly by the natives, for which they were rewarded by a new perfecution of their religion, III. The free gift or contribution continued for the fervice of the government. IV. Lord Wentworth continues the contribution. V. Lord Deputy Wentworth arrives in Ireland. parliament. VII. Some tranfactions of this parliament. VIII. The legality of feveral elections queftioned, but the motion over-ruled. IX. The remonftrance of the Irish commons to the deputy, concerning the promised graces. "X. The commons require an answer to their remon france. XI. A convocation of the clergy of Ireland. I. Lord Wentworth's proceedings upon the enquiry into defective titles. PAGE. 98 103 104 108 113 116 119 121 125 128 132 135 138 140 147 II. The Earl of Ormond furrenders his country to the king. 149 III. The deputy holds his court of inquifition. 151 IV. The deputy's feverity towards the jury of the county of Galway. 153 confidered. V. Further diftreffes of the people of Connaught. VIII. The Irish commons encomium on the Earl of Strafford's adminiftration confidered. IX. Complaints of grievances. X. The remonftrance of grievances vindicated 156 159 162 166 169 171 172 175 XIII. The |