LIFE OF THE MOST REY. OLIYER PLUIKET. ^tct)l)fsi)oj) of ^rmaflt), anXf ^Prtmate of all JJrelant, WHO 8UFFEBED DEATH FOR THE CATHOLIC FAITH IN THE TEAR 1681. BY THK REV. PATBICK FRANCIS MOM, D. D. ^ BOSTON. N"EW YORK': P. O'SHEA, PUBLISHEK, 2t Barclay Street. 1871. tfOSTOW COULEGE LIBRARY '^-WF.KTNUT HILL. MASS. TO THE EEADER. The present "Life of Oliver Plunket" is a compendium of the larger work which appeared ten years ago, entitled " Memoies of the Most Eev. Oliver Plunket," (Dublin, Duffy, 1861.) Every fact connected with Dr. Plunket's life, and every contemporary record calculated to give an accurate idea of the apostolic labours of this devoted Prelate, or of the period in which he exercised his sacred ministry, have been care- fully retained, but all matters of mere erudition and such details as were unimportant for the general public are omitted. The object of these pages is to make known to Catholic readers the heroism of one at least of the illustrious cham- pions of our holy Eeligion, who, in the dark days of persecution, fearlessly guai^ded the sane- iv. tuary of God, and handed down to us the de- posit of divine Faith. If even one of those who peruse this little volume be stimulated by it to cherish the memory of this great martyred Archbishop, and to emulate his virtues, the writer will have fully attained his desired reward. *PAULUS CAEDINALIS CULLEN, Archiep. Dublinensis. Die 14 Oct, 1870. CONTENTS. Chapter I. Page Early Life of Dr. Plunket ... 7 Chapter II. Dr. Plunket pursues his Studies in Rome . 19 Chapter III. . Dr. Plunket as Agent of the Irish Clergy at Eome 35 . Chapter IV. Dr. Plunket nominated Archbishop of Armagh . 45 Chapter V. Consecration of Dr. Plunket . . .59 Chapter VI. PoUcy of the Government in Ireland at the hegin- ning of Dr. Plunket's Episcopacy . . 71 Chapter VII. Apostolic Labours of Dr. Plunket . . 87 Chapter VIII. Dr. Plunket's zeal in correcting abuses . . 119 Chapter IX. Efiforts of Dr. Plunket to Educate his Flock . 128 Chapter X. Councils convened by Dr. Plunket . . 154 Chapter XL Visitation of Dioceses by Dr. Plunket . . 167 Chapter XII. Dr. Plunket's Mission to the Scoto-Irish of the Highlands and Hebrides . 200 vi CONTENTS. Chapter XIII. Page The Eevenue of the Irish Sees . . . 213 Chapter XIV. Some special events of Dr. Plunket's Episcopate . 222 Chapter XV. Persecution of 1674 . . . .243 Chapter XVI. Dr. Plunket promotes Devotion to the Holy See in Ireland 251 Chapter XVII. Correspondence of Dr. Plunket . . .264 Chapter XVIII. Kenewal of Persecution towards the close of 1678 275 Chapter XIX. Arrest and Imprisonment of Dr. Plunket . 287 Chapter XX. Character of the three Chief Witnesses . . 302 Chapter XXI. The other "Witnesses .... 312 Chapter XXII. The Trial of Dr. Plunket , . .327 Chapter XXIII. The Execution of Dr. Plunket . . f . 8i7 Chapter XXIV. Heroic Sentiments of Dr. Plunket during his Im- prisonment, and at the place of Execution . 369 Chapter XXV. Veneration shown to Dr. Plunket after his Death 384 LIFE OF THE MOST EEY. OLIYEE PLUNKET. — ♦ — CHAPTEE I. EARLY LIFE OF DR. PLUNKET. Oliver Plunket was bom at Loughcrew, in tlie county of Meath, in the year 1629. He was con- nected by birth with many of the most illustrious families of Ireland, and was a near relative of Dr. Patrick Plunket, who successively ruled the dioceses of Ardagh and Meath. He was also connected with the illustrious Peter Talbot, Archbishop of DubliUj who, writing to him be- fore his appointment to the see of Armagh, styles himself his cousin. The Bishop of Ardagh, just mentioned, in a letter of 19th October, 1668, addressed to Oliver Plunket, then Agent of the Irish Clergy in Eome, gives the following in- terestingparticulars connected with his family: — "As regards your relatives, theEarls of Fingall and Eoscommon have re-acquired their lands and property, which were in the hands of Crom- well's officers, and to the great delight of all 8 EAELY LIFE OF friends, tlie castle of Killiney (Killeen), six miles from Dublin, has been restored to Lord Fingall. The Baron of Dunsany not having recovered any of his estates, is reduced to great poverty ; but the Baron of Louth has obtained a partial restitution of what he lost. Mr. Nicholas Plun- ket, of Dunsaile, has got back all his former possessions. The other Plunkets of Tatrath, Balrath, and Preston have not as yet got back their castles, which are all still in the hands of the Cromwellians and Londoners, having been pur- chased by them from the Parliament in the time of the Kebellion." Oliver, at an early age, displayed a desire to devote himself to the sacred ministry, and his education, until his sixteenth year, was con- fided to his own relative. Dr. Patrick Plunket, then titular Abbot of St. Mary's, Dublin. This we learn from a letter of the illustrious teacher himself, who, when the buds had put forth their flowers, and the little plant had become a full- grown tree, recalled to mind with delight the labour of former years, and the anxious care with which he had scattered in his tender mind the fruitful seeds of virtue and learning. This letter is addressed to the Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda : — "During twenty-two years I ruled the diocese of Ardagh, nor did I abandon the Church en- trusted to me until the persecution of Crom- well, when I suffered exile for seven years. As soon as the king, having obtained possession of DB. PLUNKET. 9 his hereditary dominions, restored to my dear brother and nephews their castles and posses- sions confiscated by Cromwell, I obtained per- mission to return to my native country, in which I was the only bishop to perform the pontifical functions. Promptly and faithfully I carried into effect in the very city of Dublin (though not without imminent danger) the Decrees of the Sacred Congregation against the false and schismatical brethren, and on every occasion will I intrepidly continue to execute them, even though now in my old age my blood should be ^ shed ; nay, it would be a glorious thing for me to exchange for martyrdom, through reverence for the Apostolic See, the few years of life which yet remain, Eome, as a watchful and holy mother, Avas not unmindful of my labours ; and you, a true lover of Ireland, being the proposer and promoter of my cause, the Holy See and the Sacred Congregation transferred me from the lowly diocese of Ardagh to that of Meath, the most flourishing in the whole Kingdom, where, dwelling in my own home, I may super- intend my whole flock. For this favour, and for having increased the number of our bishops, I render to you, and ever shall render, all the thanks in my power; as also for the afection displayed by you towards Oliver Plunket, who is closely united to me by birth. Having educated him from his infancy till his sioeteenth year, I sent him to Rome to pursue his studies at the fountain- head of truth, and I now take pride in his having a2 10 EARLY LIFE OF merited your patronage : neither do I believe that my judgment is led astray by flesh and blood when I assert that he burns with ardent zeal for the Apostolic See, and for the spiritual progress of our country. I earnestly commend him to your protection. " I remain, your Excellency's most obliged and devoted servant, " « Patkick of Meath. " Killiney, in Meath, 22nd June, 1669." In 1643, Father Peter Francis Scarampo was sent by the Holy See on a special mission to Ireland. He was a man filled with the spirit of God, and during his stay among them, heaven seemed to smile on the cause of the Irish Con- federates, and to crown their efforts with suc- cess. In 1645, the Supreme Council petitioned the Holy Father to send a Nuncio to represent him in Ireland, after the manner of great Ca- tholic kingdoms, and at the same time solicited that this dignity should be conferred on Father Scarampo; but the humble disciple of St. Philip* offered a most decided opposition to this * The author of the Vallicellian MS. life of F. Scarampo says : — " I remember that meeting one day with Cardinal Panzirolo, then Secretary of State of Pope Innocent X. , he said tome : 'Your Father Scarampo through humility has not accepted the title of Nuncio, but he has fulfilled all the duties of an excellent Nuncio.' And again, Father Wadding, a religious of that exemplary life and learning which the whole world knows, said to me fre- quently : ' I will not call your Father Scarampo by any other name than that of Apostle of Ireland, for he truly deserves this title.'" DR. PLUNEET. IX project, in so much that Innocent X., when per- mitting him by a Brief of the 5th of May, 1645, to return to Kome, expressed regret that through the holy man's humility the Church in Ireland, and in a manner, the universal Church, should be deprived of his eminent services, A few months later Father Scarampo, accom- panied by five youths, was seen hastening towards the Irish coast. A frigate was there awaiting him to bear him and his companions to Flanders, and the people flocked around him in thousands to receive for the last time the blessing of one whom they loved, and to pray in return that God would shower down His benedictions on the good Oratorian, and on the youthful Levites whom he was leading with him to the sanctuaries of Kome, there to drink in at the very source the pure streams of truth with which one day they might refresh their native land. One of these youths was the future martyr- Archbishop of Armagh, then in his sixteenth year. The holy Oratorian seems to have even then cherished a special affection for DonOliverio, as he loved to style him— an affection which . mcreased with each succeeding year, and was faithfully responded to by Dr. Plunket. „ A journey from Ireland to Flanders was not without its dangers at this period. The narrow seas were covered with cruisers of the rival states, and pirates, also, continually infested the British Channel. The Nuncio Einuccini, in the month of October of this very year (1645), when IS EAELT LIFE OF sailing from France to Ireland, had more than once with difficulty escaped from the pursuit of the Parliamentary squadron ; and Father Sca- rampOjWith his young companions, now incurred like dangers when sailing from the Irish shores. Pursued for twenty-four hours, says his biogra- pher, by two large vessels, they were more than once in imminent danger of falling into the hands of the enemy. On arriving in Flan- ders new perils awaited them. When travelling through the country they were seized by ban- dits, and it was only by the payment of a large sum of money that they obtained their liberation. But Providence having safely conducted them through these and many other trials, at length, before the close of the year 1645, they arrived in the Eternal City, and knelt together around the tombs of the Apostles. Here we must depart awhile from chronolo- gical order, that we may the better appreciate the warmth of affection with which, in later years, Dr. Plunket repaid the paternal kindness of the good Oratorian. In 1656, the city of Eome was ravaged by the plague. A central hospital for those stricken by the frightful malady was es- tablished in the island of St. Bartholomew. AU who, impelled by charity, entered within its walls to minister to the wants of its inmates were deemed devoted to certain death. Never- theless, many were the zealous priests who sought this martyrdom of charity ; and to judge from the records, of the time, none disg^l^yed in DB. PLUNKET. 13 a higher degree that heroism of divine love than F. Peter Francis Scarampo. Scarce, however, had he entered upon his arduous mission in the pestilential wards of the hospital, than the mem- bers of his order, and his other many friends in Eome, wrote letters urging him to abandon the theatre of such imminent danger, and to reserve for other labours his precious life. The only letter of this apostolic man, which is now preserved in the Vallicellian archives, was written in reply to one of these solicitations, and, in the style of those times, bears the address, " To my Very Eeverend Master, Mr. Oliver Plunket, at S. Girolamo della Carita ^Kome)." This letter is truly valuable, not only as dis- closing to us the noble sentiments of charity and faith which animated the zealous Father of the Oratory, and his ardent affection for Dr. Plunket, but also as recording those facts of their journey to Eome, which otherwise, perhaps, might have remained wholly unknown to us. He thus writes : — " Why do you fear, oh you of little faith ? Should we desist from a work which is truly ours, which God wishes us to perform, and which is so pleasing to Him ? I have almost completed my sixtieth year, and never before did such an occasion present itself of satisfying for my sins, and perhaps should I live as many more, such another opportunity would not be granted to me : shall I therefore be idle and allow it to be lost ? But, you say, you shall die. 14 tiARLY LIFE OF What matter ; even at the Chiesa Nuova and everywhere else we must die. Kelatives, friends, masters, acquaintances, dependants, subjects, penitents will grieve ; but all these, if they do not die themselves before me, will have, at some other time, to weep my death. Would it then be proper for me not to face death, in order to pass perhaps eight, ten, fifteen years more in a painful old age, even should death not prema- turely assail me ? and yet it will be vain for it to assail me, should not the Lord of death so will it. The same God who snatched both me and you from that death with which the piratical ships threatened us in the English Channel — who freed me from snares in my long and con- tinual journeys — who, in Flanders, by ransom, liberated us from robbers, and who in His power guided us through many other more imminent and certain dangers, which you have never known or heard of— He, too, is present in the hospital, should I be seized with the pestilence in St. Bartholomew's. In Him do I confide. How therefore do you say to my soul, change your quarters and return ? He who sees all things, will He be unwatchful of me ? " So much about myself. As to you, place your trust in God and He will do everything. If I have shown you any love or kindness — for I conferred no benefit — to whom are you in- debted ? to Him who is the bestower of all gifts, the Father of charity and of kindness ; what He performed through me— I repeat it— if it was DK. PLUNKET. 15 any good, He can perform the same still better through another. Be of good courage ! rest not for your support on reeds, of which I am one of the most fragile. I will do what you desire : I will commeifd you to my Fathers, Virgil and Marianus ; nor need you ever entertain any doubt of their charity. ..Salute Father Luke* and his charge. Father Youngf and his, not forgetting Dr. Creagh and all the other Irish. Thank them for their prayers ; and as these are most necessary for me, have them frequently offered up for me ; and I embrace you from my heart. " From the island of St. Bartholomew, the Feast of St. Francis (4th Oct.) " Your most faithful and devoted servant, " Pet. Fe. Scabampo." This letter clearly evinces the lively interest with which Father Scarampo sought to provide for his young friend. Indeed, so great was the solicitude which he continually displayed in his regard, that his own brother, on one occasion, said to Dr. Plunket — "Father Peter Francis does for you what he would never consent to do for me ; for he readily goes on every occasion to * r. Luke "Wadding, the renowned author of the An- nals of the Franciscan Order. In the letters of the time he never receives from his friends any other name than Fadre Luca. + He was a Jesuit, at this time Eector of the Irish College, Eome. 16 EAELY LIFE OF speak to tlie Cardinals in your favour, and this he never once did for me, though I frequently solicited him to do so, even on some matters of great importance." A few days passed on from the date of the ahove letter, and the fears of the friends of Fa- ther Scarampo were too sadly realized. Struck by the pestilence, contracted in attending the sick, he breathed his last on the 14th of October, 1656, offering up his life as a holocaust of charity. He was interred in the church of S-S. Nereus and Achilles, and the following simple inscription was placed upon his tomb : — " To Peter Francis Scarampo, Superior of the Eoman Congregation of the Oratory, "Who, inflamed with the ardour of charity, And ministering to those infected by pestilence. Being seized with the same contagion, Eeceived as his reward a wished-for death, The day before the Ides of October, 1056, Of his age the 60th." Amongst the MSS. of the Vallicellian, there is, on a flying-sheet, another beautiful inscrip- tion, composed by some of F. Scarampo's ad- miring friends, and not improbably by our own Dr. Plunket. It is as follows : — " Peter Francis Mary Scarampo, from Saone, Superior of the Congregation of the Orat. of S. Philip Neri in Eome. DE. PLUNKET. 17 From nature he received nobility; This he increased by his life, By his death he rendered it undying. During the contagion He embraced the heroism of charity. And losing life he attained it. In the year of salvation 1656, of his age the 60th, The day before the Ides of October." In the letter cited above. Father Scarampo commended Dr. Plunket to the care of F. Vir- gilius Spada. This priest was a member of the Oratory, and had been for some time Superior- Genei'al of the Order. During the pestilence he had entered the hospital with F. Scarampo, and had ever been his constant companion in his labours of love. To' him Dr. Plunket, whilst weeping for his departed friend and benefactor, now turned for consolation ; and the fragment of the letter which still remains, ad- di-essed by him to F. Spada, will better express than any words of ours the bereavement and sorrow which overwhelmed him. It is pre- served in the Vallicellian and Barberini manu- script lives of Father Scarampo : — " Ireland has lost an untiring protector and efficacious benefactor in the death of F. Peter Francis Scarampo ; and I, in particular, have lost a father more dear to me than my earthly father, for he conducted me from Ireland, en- countering in so long a jom-ney many dangers from pirates and bandits, and bringing me to 18 BAELY LIFE OF DR. PLTTNKET. Eome at his own expense, and also maintaining me for three years in the city and in our college ;* and even when I had completed my studies, his assistance, whether temporal or spiritual, Avas never wanting to me. God alone knows how afflicting his death is to me, especially at the present time, when all Ireland is overrun and laid waste hy heresy. Of my relatives, some are dead, others have heen sent into exile, and all Ireland is reduced to extreme misery ; this overwhelms me with an inexpressihle sadness, for I am now deprived of father and of friends, and I should die through gi'ief were I not con- soled hy the consideration that I have not alto- gether lost Father Scai-ampo ; for I may say that he in part remains, our good God having retained your reverence in life, who, as it is known to all, were united with him in friendship, and in charity, and in disposition, so as even to desire to he his companion in death, from which, though God preserved you, yet he did not deprive you of its merit." But it is time to resume our narrative, and pursue the career of Dr. Plunket as student, and suhsequently as professor, in Eome. * There being but a limited number of burses in the college, his expenses were defrayed for a time by F. Scarampo until a burse became vacant. 19 CHAPTEK II. DE. PLUNKET PUESUES HIS STUDIES IN EOME. The Irish. College for the secular clergy in Eome, as most of the other Irish Continental institutions, dates its origin from the times of persecution. Gregory the XIII. (1579-85) had more than once contemplated the establishment of such an asylum for our nation, but the demands for arms and supplies made on him by the Irish princes then combating for their lives and religion, absorbed the various sums set aside by him for this purpose. The bishops of Ireland, however, did not cease their solici- tations, that this great boon should be granted to our suffering church, and in a Relation pre- sented to Eome in 1695, the foundation of an Irish College is insisted on as a necessary means for supplying our island with virtuous and learned pastors, and maintaining its con- nexion with the centre of Catholic unity. It was only in the year 1697, however, that the college was at length establishedthrough the mu- nificence of Cardinal Ludovisi, nephew of Gre- gory XV., and through the untiring exertions of the illustrious ornament of the Franciscan Order, Father Luke Wadding. This wonderful 20 DE. PLUNKET PURSUES man, having already founded the Convent of St. Isidoi'e for the members of his own order, earnestly laboured to have a similar institution opened for the secular clergy. An occasion soon presented itself, and, indeed, a truly pro- pitious one. Urban the VIII. had, on his accession to the Papal throne, nominated Car- dinal Ludovisi Protector of Ireland. This 1|!lardinal was distinguished even in Rome by his liberality and munificence. One monument alone, the Church of St. Ignatius, which is due to his piety, should suffice to immortalize his fame. It was his desire, and in this he was encouraged by his most intimate friend, Luke Wadding, to render to the Irish Church some important service calculated to perpetuate the memory of his protectorate. " It was not a difficult matter," says the simple narrative from which we leai-n these particulars, " to convince his Eminence that no other work was more worthy of his munificence, or could render more lasting service to the Irish Church, than the foundation of a missionary college for the youth of that nation." Without delay this idea was carried into effect; and we learn from many sources, that it was the intention of his Emi- nence not merely to found the College, but to endow it with sufficient funds for the mainten- ance of a large number of students ; death, however, cut short this beneficent design, and the sum which he was able to bequeath for its endowment being comparatively small, during HIS STUDIES IN ROME. 91 the ITO years whicli the college lasted till its suppression by the French usurpers of Kome, in 1798, it was seldom able to receive more than eight students within its walls. At the period of which we now treat it was under the direction of the Jesuit Fathers, and it sent forth so many learned and distinguished missionaries, who shed lustre on the Irish hierarchy, that it won for itself in Rome the title of nursery of Bishops. Indeed the 17th century may be justly considered a glorious era in the history of the Irish College.* Of the five students conducted to Rome by Father Scarampo, three were placed in the Irish College ; two of them, Drs. Plunket and Bren- nan, were destined, as Archbishops of Armagh and Cashel, to become pillars of the Irish Church in the days of her severest trials ; whilst the third. Father Walsh,f having completed his • For instance the following Prelates, contemporary ■with Dr. Plunket, and -whose names will more than once recur in the following pages, were educated in the Ludovisian Irish College : Dr. Brennan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, and thence transferred to the Archdiocese of Cashel; Luke Plunket, Vicar Apostolic of Raphoe, afterwards of Derry; Eonan Maginn, Vicar Ap. of Dromore; Dr. Cusack, Bishop of Meath: Dr. Peter Creagh, Bishop of Cork and Cloyne, afterwards Archhishop of Dublin, &c, , (fee. + From the Vallicellian MS. life of Father Scarampo, we learn that in 1669 it was the intention of the Sacred Congregation to confer on F. Walsh the Archbishopric of Cashel, his native Diocese ; he was prevented by sick- ness from accepting that dignity, and Dr. William Burgatt was appointed to the See. 1 22 DK. PLUNKET PUBSUES course of studies, entered the congregation of the Oratory, and made first Perugia, and then Eome, the theatre of his missionary labours. On arriving at Eome, Dr. Plunket devoted himself for some time to the study of rhetoric ! under Professor Dandoni. In the following year, 1646, he was admitted a student of the Irish College. There he applied himself with great diligence for eight years to the study of Mathematics, Philosophy, and Theology;* subsequently he attended the lectures on Canon Law of the celebrated Jurisconsult Mariscotti,f ' in the halls of the Eoman University called the Sapienza. ; With what ardour and proficiency he applied to these studies we learn from a paper presented to the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda m 1669, by the Eector of the Irish College Father Edward Locke. " I, the undersigned, certify that the Very Eeverend Dr. Oliver Plunket, of the Diocese of Meath, in the Province of Armagh, in Ireland, is -of Catholic parentage, descended from an illustrious family, on the father's side from the most illustrious Earls of Fingall, and on the mother's side from the most illustrious Earls * Amongst those who at this period attracted hy theii- learning foreign students to the haUs of the Roman CoUege, we may mention Father Pallavicino, afterwards Cardinal of Holy Church, and author of the "History of the Council of Trent." t Mark Anthony de Mariscotti, was one of the most learned Jurisconsults of the 17th century. HIS STUDIES IN EOME. 23 of Roscommon, being also connected by birth with the most illustrious Oliver Plunket, Baron of Louth, first Nobleman of the Diocese of Armagh : and in this our Irish College he devoted himself with such ardour to Philosophy, Theology, and Mathematics, that in the Eoman College of the Society of Jesus he was justly ranked amongst the foremost in talent, diligence, and progress in his studies : these speculative studies being completed, he pursued with abund- ant fruit the com*se of Civil and Canon Law, under Mark Anthony de Mariscotti, Professor in the Roman Sapienza, and everywhere and at all times he was a model of gentleness, integ- rity, and piety." It was the mle of the Irish College that the students after their ordination should return to Ireland; and they were obliged solemnly to avow their intention of discharging this duty, should they not be exempted from it by their superiors. Such was the state of Ireland in 1654, the date of the ordination of Dr. Plunket, that there were great obstacles to prevent his entering immediately on his sacred mission. Indeed, nothing can be more sad than the spec- tacle then presented by our church. The ruth- less invasion of Cromwell had rendered like unto a desert the fairest plains of Ireland : her cities were desolate, and the country deluged with the ^i^o^of the inhabitants; many of the survivors ot the dreadful massacres had been sent to un- dergo a lengthened martyrdom in the Barbadoes, 24 BR. PLUNKET PURSUES or the swamps of Savannah : all colleges and seminaries had been suppressed, religious houses dissolved, the clergy proscribed, the Bishops put to death or driven into exile, the churches all in ruins : in a word, the long meditated pur- pose of the enemies of Ireland and of Ireland's creed seemed to have been realized.* But still the spark of faith was not extinguished, and faithful pastors, concealed in the recesses of the forests and the fastnesses of the mountains, ga- thered together the remnants of their scattered flocks and broke to them the bread of eternal life. Fearing to enter on this arduous mission with- out further preparation, Dr. Plunket, on the 14th June, 1654, thus addressed the General of the Jesuits : — ^ " I, Oliver Plunket, your most humble peti- tioner, student of the Irish College, having com- pleted my Philosophical and Theological studies, considering the impossibility of now returning to Ireland (as your paternity well knows), in accordance with the rules of this College, hum- bly request of you most Kev. Father, that T may be allowed to continue in Kome, and dwell with the Fathers of S. Girolamo della Carita. I promise, however, and declare, that I will be ever ready to return to Ireland whensoever you. Rev. Father, or my superiors shall so com- mand." * See « Sufferings of the Irish Catholics, &c.," by Bev P. F. Moran.— (Dm/?/, 1865.) . J- «v. HIS STUDIES IN EOMB. 25 The permission sought for was readily ac- corded, and for three years Dr. Plunket devoted himself altogether to study and the unostenta- tious exercise of the sacred ministry in the silent retreat of S. Girolamo. In 1657, however, his fame for theological learning heing wide-spread in Rome, he was appointed Professor in the College of Propaganda, where for twelve years he continued to lecture on Speculative, Contro- versial, and Moral Theology. He was at the same time Consultor of the Sacred Congrega- tion of the Index, and of other Congregations. In a letter of the 15th September, 1674, Dr. Plunket thus alludes to his labours in promoting study in these schools : — " I spent in Rome twenty-five years (1646- 1669), and for twelve of these I served the Sacred Congi-egation in the chairs of Theology and Controversy. I also served the Sacred Congregation of the Index. The state in which I found the course of studies in Propaganda, and the progress which they had made before I left Rome, may be learned from the Very Rev. Fathers Libelli, Laurea, Spinola, Sommascho, and the Rector Bonvicini, who were the Prefects of Studies during my time, and are acquainted with the matters to which I refer." Dr. Plunket, whilst prosecuting his studies at the Roman College, became acquainted with the celebrated Father Pallavicino, then filling one of the chairs of the Roman College, which had been illustrated by the learning of Suarez, B 26 D'R- ^MPKET PURSUES De Lugo, and Toletus. When the literary and theological labours of the great historian of the Council of Trent were rewarded by his promo- tion to the Eoman purple, Dr. Plunket con- tinued to enjoy his friendship, and to live with him on terms of the most cordial intimacy. In a letter addressed to Cardinal Casanatti, 15 th August, 1676, the Archbishop of Armagh thus writes : — "Whilst your Eminence was Secretary of Propaganda I had the honour of enjoying your erudite and learned conversation, in company with his Eminence Pallavicino, of happy me- mory, and I must in sincerity declare that from such conversation I derived great instruction. Of tliis, and of many other favours received from your Eminence, I, although in these re- mote parts of the world, retain a lively recol- lection, and never forget you in the Holy Sacri- fice of the Mass, praying the divine Majesty to grant to you long life and every prosperity for the good of all, and especially of this afflicted country." Of those whose society he thus enjoyed, many afterwards attained the highest dignities in the Church ; and among others, Monsignor Odes- calchi, who in 1676 was raised to the Chair of Peter, assuming the name of Innocent XI. The letter written by Dr. Plunket on the occasion of this elevation, and addressed to the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda, exhibits many features of the early life of Dr. Plunket in Kome. It -bears the date 11th August, 1677 :— •OSTON COLLEGE LIBIVAK't HIS STUDIES ^!?t|i^T HILL, MA90i7 " May it please your Eminence — It would be difficult to express with what spiritual consola- tion and joy the Catholics of this kingdom, lay and ecclesiastic, have received the announce- ment of the merited exaltation of our Holy Fa- ther to the Chair of St. Peter. The heretics themselves, who surely are no lovers of the faith of St. Peter, entertain, nevertheless, a special veneration for his present successor; and the English and Scotch, who during the past years visited Rome for sight-seeing, returned greatly edified, and reduced to silence their own preachers and ministers, who from the pulpit proclaim all sorts of fables and falsehoods about Rome. The courtesy and kindness shown to the Protestants who visit Eome are of great ad- vantage to the poor Catholics of this country. Whilst professing Theology and Controversy in the College of Propaganda for many years, I had experience of the sanctity of our Holy Fa- ther, and of the great esteem in which he was held by all for wisdom, prudence, and holiness. I was particularly intimate with D. Marcantonio Odescalchi : I often assisted him when he served the poor and ragged and needy, many of whom were covered with vermin. He gathered them into an asylum, and clothed them at his ex- pense : with his own hands he cleansed them, fed them, &c. I am morally certain that God granted to his Church so holy a Head through the merit, in great part, of the saintly D. Mar- cantonio. This being the case, your Eminence 28 DB. PLUKKET PUESUES will easily imagine with what joy I received the intelligence of the exaltation of our Holy Fa- ther; hence I feel compelled to announce to the ; people what I saw and what I experienced, that thus they too may raise their hands in thanks- giving to the divine Majesty, and supplicate for the long life of his Holiness. The Irish are es- pecially hound to do this, in consequence of the great tenderness and compassion ever displayed towards them by the Holy See, during the per- secutions which they sustained these hundred years past, and which we still have to sustain ; for, rather than abandon the ancient faith, they suffer with joy the plunder of all their goods, and the privation of all offices and dignities : and I am sure the Holy Father will ever with spiritual care promote and preserve the holy faith in this kingdom, and remove all obstacles which might impede its progress. " I pray your Eminence to inform his Holi- ness that there has been lately published here, in English, in a new form, the pestiferous his- tory of Soave* which is a continual tirade against the Popes, and against the Council of Trent, with the life of that impostor, as though he were a hero. As the poison has been thus spread, an antidote indeed is necessary; such would be the history of the same Council, by * Th« assumed name of Father Paul Sarpi, a Venetian apostate friar, of the Order of the Servites, author of a history of the Council of Trent, famous for distorting facts, and misrepresenting doctrines. i i 1 HIS STUDIES IN KOME. 99 Cardinal Pallavicino, if translated into English. You cannot imagine what injury has been done by that pest of a writer, Soave : all the nobility, gentry, merchants, &c., read his history, and it is the more detrimental as it pretends to be written by a religious of our communion." " Your Eminence's most devoted and obliged servant, " * Olivee of Abmagh. "Dublin, 11th August, 1677. " To his Eminence Cardinal Cybo, &c., &c." Dr. Plunket enjoyed, moreover, a close inti- macy with, the Cerri family, and especially with Monsignor Cerri, witl^,whom he maintained in after life an uninterrupted correspondence and constant friendship. .' On being made acquainted with the appointment of his old friend and fel- low-student to the high office of Secretary of Propaganda, Dr. Plunket thus wrote to him, recounting the first occasion of his intimacy with that family : — ** Most Eeveeend Loed — A letter from any member of the house of Cerri would be at any time most gratifying to me ; but the letter of your Excellency, of the 11th of June last, was especially so, not only for its own merits, but on account of the many obligations which I owe to the revei-ed memory of your father, who was my master and benefactor. My intimacy with him commenced in this way:— Father Peter Francis Scarampo was confessor of the pious and devout lady, your mother; she gave fre- B 2 30 DK. PLTJNKET PURSUES quent accounts to D. Francesco (your father) of the great prudence and virtue of this P. Scarampo, priest of the Chiesa Nuova; and D, Francesco being intimately acquainted with, and esteemed by Cardinal Barberini, excited in his Eminence a great affection for F. Scarampo, who, after discharging the mission of papal minister iit Ireland, conducted me thence to Eome. When the pestilence broke out in that city, F. Scarampo, by a pious stratagem, ob- tained permission to assist those who were infected in the island of St. Bartholomew, and there he afterwards got sick, and died in the odour of sanctity. A little while before his death he wrote a letter to D. Francesco, recommending me to his protection, which was of great advan- tage to me, as through his intercession I soon afterwards obtained the chair of Theology, and subsequently of Controversy, in the College de Propaganda Fide, where I continued to teach till I was appointed to the Primatial See of this kingdom, about nine years ago ; so that your Excellency, as if by inheritance, is my master and protector ; and I in these remote quarters of the Christian world make continual remembrance of D. Francesco in the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and I pray for the prosperity of the whole house of Cerri, and I induce other priests to do the same. I am moreover obliged to your Ex- cellency for the favour conferred on Dr. James €usack,* who is a learned and prudent man, * He had been lately appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Meath. HIS STUDIES IN BOME. 31 and has laboured here with great zeal for the last sixteen years. The venerable bishop of Meath was well deserving of this favour, having served the Sac. Congregation, as bishop, for nearly thu'ty years, during all the fury of the persecution." " * Oliver of Armagh. " Dublin, 30th August, 1678." In little more than twelve months from the date of this letter, Monsignor Cerri was hurried to a premature grave ; and Dr. Plunket, writing on the 30th of November of the following year, thus expresses his sorrow at that event : — " I am exceedingly grieved at the death of Monsignor Cerri. He was my fellow-student in the city of Eome, and his father, M. Francis Cerri, was my most dear friend. I shall have the Holy Sacrifice and prayers offered up for the repose of his soul by the clergy of the province of Ai-magh, for they are indeed under an obliga- tion of doing so on account of the fatigues which he sustained for them when Secretary of the Sac. Congregation." We have already remarked that Dr. Plunket, in 1654, entered the house of the Oratory at S. Girolamo della Caritd. The justly-renowned Eubricist Catalani, in his commentary on the Roman Pontifical,* affirms that he became a member of the Oratory ; but from the petition presented by him to the General of the Jesuits * Tom. 3, index, voc, Plunket. 39 UR. PLTJNKET PURSUES m June, 1654, it is manifest that he intended a merely to reside there ; and in the sketch of ' his hfe by Marangoni, to which Catalani refers as his authority, it is only said that— " Having completed his studies about the year 1 6 5 4, he procured a place among the fathers ' of the house of S. Girolamo della Carita, where he obtained permission to reside till such time as his superiors would judge it opportune to ■ send him to Ireland." Even to the present day the house of S. Girolamo continues to be a place of peaceful ■ retreat, where many members of the secular clergy take up their abode, devoting themselves at the same time to the pursuits of study, and to the exercise of the ecclesiastical ministry. \ Marangoni was a learned Oratorian, whose \ writings have acquired for him a universal fame. j In the appendix to his work, " Life of the Ser- j vant of God, FatherBuonsignore Cacciaguerra," 1 page 116, he gives a chapter entitled " Life of Father Oliver Plunket, afterwards Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland." This life extends from the 116th to the 124th page, and contains little more than the translation of Dr. Plunket's discourse at Tyburn. Nevertheless, ^' the few additional sentences that it contains are' J of inestimable value, as illustrating this period J of Dr. Plunket's life, and supplying some facts * which we would seek for in vain from other sources. He commences his narrative by de- claring that Dr. Plunket " should be ranked HIS STUDIES IN EOME. 33 amongst the most illustrious personages whose virtuous lives adorned the house of S. Girolamo della Carita." This house had heen founded by St. Philip ; many of his early disciples had lived there, and it had ever been the abode of virtue and learning, and hence these words of the learned Oratorian show how eminent was the fame of sanctity to which Dr. Plunket had attained, and how distinguished were his mis- sionary labours in Eome. Marangoni then describes the occupations of Dr. Plunket whilst living at S. Girolamo — " Here it is incredible with what zeal he burned for the salvation of souls. In the house itself, and in the city, he wholly devoted him- self to devout exercises ; frequently did he visit the sanctuaries steeped with the blood of so many martyrs, and he ardently sighed for the opportunity of sacrificing himself for the salva- tion of his countrymen. He moreover frequented the hospital of Santo Spirito, and employed himself even in the most abject ministrations, serving the poor infirm, to the edification and wonder of the very officials and assistants of that place." Rome is truly rich in sacred monuments. Its very soil, so often bedewed with martyrs' blood shed for the Catholic faith ; the treasures of the relics of countless saints which it con- ceals ; its sanctuaries and shrines — present resistless attractions to the fervent soul. The great founder of the Oratory, St. Philip, never 34 DR. PLUNKET PURSUES allowed a day to pass without rekindling, at these shrines, the flames of divine love. Dr. Plunket seems to have taken him for his model, and to have daily visited these holy places with special ardour of devotion. As we have seen, Father Scarampo presented in his life a true model of Cbristian solicitude for the poor and the infirm; and the devotedness which Dr. Plunket displayed in the public hospitals in assisting tliem and in ministering to their wants, sufficiently attests what progress he had made in this sacred school of virtue. Maran- goni speaks only of the hospital of Santo Spirito; but from the incidental reference made by Dr. Plunket himself in his letter to the Prefect of Propaganda, when speaking of D Marcantonio Odescalchi, we learn that he visited other hospitals with like charity and zeal. It was when visiting Santo Spirito, that a holy Priest announced to him his future mar- tjTdom, which gave occasion to the humble prelate to betray the ardent desire with which he burned in his inmost soul to attain that glorious crovvn. We shall allow the learned Marangoni to narrate this fact in his own words : — " I cannot here but relate a fact," he saya, " which is attested by Father James Mochi, a priest yet living, and Dean of the Fathers 'of , this house of S. Girolamo, who at that time | was engaged in attending the hospital of Santo HIS STUDIES IN EOME. 35 Spirito, so frequented by Father Oliver, who also was well known to him: he therefore attests that Dr. Oliver Plunket, having gone in his episcopal dress to visit that hospital, before his departure from Rome, when standing at the door which looks towards the castle of St. Angelo, and bidding farewell to the then prior, D. Jerome Mieskow, a Polish Priest of extra- ordinary sanctity of life ; the latter, embracing him, and, as if prophesying, said to him : ' My Lord, you are now going to shed your blood for the Catholic faith.' And he being wholly inflamed with the desire of thus shedding his blood for Christ, replied with humility : ' I am unworthy of such a favour ; nevertheless, aid me with your prayers that this my desire may be fiilfiUed.' " CHAPTER III. DR. PLLNKET AS AGENT OF THE IKISH CLEEGX AT EOME. At the close of the year 1668 there were only two Catholic Bishops in Ireland, Dr. Patrick Plunket, Bishop of Ardagh, and Dr. Owen M'Sweeny, Bishop of Kilmore. On the Con- 36 DK. PLUNKET AS AGENT OF tinent three other members of our Hierarchy^ the Bishop of Kilfenora, the Bishop of Ferns, and the Archbishop of Armagh, lived in exile. No wonder, then, that the widowed churches of Ireland should have hailed with joy the 21st of January, 1669, the day on which the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda nominated four new bishops to vacant sees, i.e., Dr. Peter Talbot to the Archiepiscopal See of Dublin, Dr. William Burgatt to Cashel, Dr. James Lynch to Tuam, and Dr. Phelan to Ossory. Indeed during the period of persecution our Irish Hierarchy was more than once on the verge of destruction ; and if our Church at the ' present day does not present the sad desolation of England and Scotland, we are indebted under Heaven to those indefatigable men who laboured in season and out of season to pre- serve unbroken, despite the efforts of the enemies of our holy faith, the succession of ou chief pastors. No one laboured more strenuously than Dr. Plunket in attaining this happy result. He had already been for some time agent in the Eoman Court for his relative the Bishop of Ardagh ; but no sooner were the new bishops nominated by the Holy See than he was chosen by them their common representative in Kome. The letter addressed to him by Peter Talbot, the justly celebrated Archbishop of Dublin, is exceedingly interesting under many respects. He thus writes : — THE IKISH CLERGY AT KOME. 37 " The Bishop of Ferns has requested me to unite with him in constituting you our agent in the Eoman Court, for the Province of Dublin, to which request I have most readily assented, well knowing your zfeal for the faith, and the affection you bear your friends ; and that you will correspond with the confidence placed in you, to the full satisfaction of all. " I was consecrated in Antwerp, on Sunday last (the 8th of May), and I now return in haste to London to meet Peter Walsh, and oppose his infamous efforts against God, the king, and his country ; and, although he pretends nothing but allegiance to the king, I know that this is only a mantle with which such plotters ever seek to mask their evil designs. " Until such time as you shall be able to procure the pallium for me, I have obtained a Brief, authorizing me to exercise its preroga- tives and privileges. Nevertheless, I beseech you to ask for it in the same manner as it was granted to my predecessors, and that as soon as possible. [ " Your most affectionate cousin, " @ Peter of Dublin." The predecessors of Dr. Plunket, as repre- sentatives of the Irish bishops in Kome, had filled that office with prudence, and conciliated for themselves and for the Irish Church the esteem of the authorities in that city. Dr. Burgatt, who, as we have seen, was at this c 38 DR. PLUNKET AS AGENT OF time appointed Arclibishop of Cashel, had held I that office for many years ; and Dr. O'Dwyer, 1 whose name is so justly illustrious as connected with the national Confederation, and subse- j quently as Bishop of Limerick, was in the | early half of this century deputed, on more than I one occasion, as agent of our bishops to the Papal court. Those who, during the lattei- years of the seventeenth century, were appoint- ed to the same office, were not unworthy of their predecessors, and the names of Dr. Bren- nan. Dr. Creagh, Dr. Sleyn, and Dr. Michael Plunket sufficiently attest the solicitude of the j Irish Prelates in sending worthy representatives to the central See of the Catholic world. The principal efforts of Dr. Plunket were directed against the machinations of Taafe and Peter Walsh, who left no stone unturned to find patrons and abettors for their well-known '• Eemonstrance," which while pretending to be nothing more than a profession of allegiance to the sovereign, contained all the virus of Jansenism and enmity to the Holy See. Indeed, through the zeal and labours of Dr. Talbot, both before and after his appointment to the Episcopate, this Eemonstrance was soon wholly discredited in Ii-eland, iind Dr. Plunket la- boured with equal ardour in Rome to second . his efforts, and make known to the authorities there the real iniquitous designs of the Eemon- strants. A paper regarding Walsh and his associates, THE lEISH CLEKGY AT EOME. 39 presented by Dr. Plunket to Propaganda in May, 1699, contains many particulars on this subject, which he states were gleaned from letters of Dr. French, and Bartholomew Plun- ket, President of the Irish College in Brussels, written on the 13th of April, 1669 : — " Walsh has sent an agent to London to seek a continuation of the protection of the Queen, but her Majesty has withdrawn her protection from him. This agent also sought to procure for Walsh the favour of the new Viceroy, but he received for answer, that if the new Viceroy found Walsh in Ireland on his arrival he would send him to the scaffold. " ¥. Taafe is gone to London, and is waiting to receive money and a safe conduct from Monsignor the Internuncio, to pass into Flan- ders. " Ormond, now that he has lost all power, puts himself forward, and pretends to be a Avell- wisher of his country. The King makes a display of affection towards him, but his inti- macy with the Duke of York gives displeasure, and it is thought that for this reason he was deprived of his office. " The Catholic gentry of Ireland lately sent Sir Nicholas Plunket as their agent to London, to obtain from the King a restoi'ation of their property on the occasion of the change of Government ; but it is feared that nothing will be gained, as many in the Court are interested in the plunder, the Duke of York receiving 40 DR. PLUNKET AS AGENT OF annually two hundred thousand scudi *(£50,000), and Ormond a like suni."f The Taafe to whom reference is made in this letter was brother of Lord Carlingford, and few events attracted more attention for many years, or threatened our Irish Church with such imminent danger, as the imposture which he devised, and which can scarcely find a parallel in the ecclesiastical annals of any country. To support the ruinous fabric of the Eemonstrance, this companion of Peter Walsh i forged a Bull from the Holy See, empowering I him to act as Vicar Apostolic of all Ireland, and \ depose, as he should think fit, the local Vicars and Bishops, and make many other arbitrary arrangements for the due reformation of the Irish Church; all his plans, however, having for their chief object to discredit and depose whosoever had been opposed to the Eemon- strance, and to place the ecclesiastical autho- rity of the country in the hands of its favourers and abettors. So artful Avas the forgery, and so ingenious its author, that he procured the recognition and authentication of his Bull, not only from Ormond and the English Govern- * According to the relative exchange of that time, four scudi were deemed equivalent to t Plowden, Hist. Review of State of Ireland, t. 1, p. 175, brings the testimony of a writer who states that "the gitts and grants made to Ormond amounted to i^630,000;" all which gifts were continued by Parlia- ment. I THE lEISH CLEKGY AT ROME 41 ment, but even from Dr. Darcy, Bishop of Dromore, and Dr. Patrick Plunket, Bishop of Ardagh. The particulars of the confusion which ensued in many dioceses, and of the sums which were levied on various ecclesiastics, in virtue of this pretended authority, belong to the Life of Dr. Edmund O'Reilly, to whom we are chiefly indebted for having unmasked this iniquitous imposture. Taafe went through all this farce however more as the dupe of Peter Walsh than through any malice of his own ; after repeated sum- monses he at length repaired to the Eternal City, and for many years led a retired life in the convent of S. Isidore's. On the same day on which the bishops were nominated to the vacant Sees, Dr. Patrick Plun- ket was transfeiTed from Ardagh to Meath. Dr. Oliver Plunket, when petitioning for this transla- tion, assigned as its motive the sad condition to which the diocese of Ardagh had been reduced since the ravages of Cromwell. " No two Catho- lics," he says, " have been left in possession of their hereditary estates, and the whole country is parcelled out between the soldiers of Cromwell and the merchants of London, who purchased it from that tyrant or from Parliament." Another petition, presented by him to the Secretary of the Sacred Congregation was ad- dressed in the name of all the bishops, and was as follows : — " To establish peace and order in the thirty- 42 DB. PLUNKET AS AGENT OF six dioceses, which are in the four provinces of the kingdom of Ireland, whose secular clergy amounts to the numher of a thousand, the regulars, moreover, heing six hundred, and the Catholic population two niillons, we supplicate your Excellency, through the great zeal and affection you bear our kingdom, to consider the following points : — "1. That until such time as the Sees of * Ireland are provided with Bishops and Vicars Apostolic, the Bishops already appointed may nominate Vicars-General to the Dioceses which . are vacant, or may become vacant, that thus \ all occasion of schism may be removed. "2. That the Vicars Apostolic, should the} be constituted, may be made dependent on the resident Bishop of the Province. " 3. That on any day of Lent the Bishops may consecrate the Holy Oils. " 4. That the Bishops may have the faculty \ of blessing a Crucifix, which being kissed by the dying, may communicate to them the in- dulgence in articulo mortis, and that he may : bless one such Crucifix for each Parish Priest. 5. That the Bishops may be enabled to communicate their faculties to such Irish Priests as, moved by the spirit of God, may feel a vo- cation to undertake the arduous mission of the American islands, to succour the many thousands of Irish Catholics sent thither into exile by the tyrant Cromwell, and who, through the want of Priests, run great risk of their eternal salvation. THE IRISH CLERGY AT ROME. 43 "0. That by one Order or one Brief, an in- dul'^ence may be granted to all the Cathedrals, Chiirches, and Parishes of Ireland on their titular feast, their dedication, the festivals of oiTr liord, of the Blessed Virgin, and the holy Apostles. I said in virtue of one Brief or Order ; for to multiply Briefs for every Church, would be too tedious and dangerous in a country ruled by heretics, where there are rigorous penal laAvs against any such communication with Kome ; and tliat this indulgence may be gained where- ever the Parish Priest says Mass, for we have no lixed Churches or Oratories, but celebrate the Holy Sacrifice often in the fields, now at one place, now at another, and often too in the castles of the nobility and genti^y." . . . . Whilst Dr. Plunket thus laboured in the eternal city to promote the interests of the Irish Church, he displayed an equal solicitude in providing for the wants of his suffering country- men, who perchance had taken refuge in that common asylum of all the faithful. I find one instance especially recorded in a MS. account of some of the early Students of the Irish College. In the month of April, 1666, Dr. Edmund O'Reilly, Archbishop of Armagh, took his departure from Rome. A few days before his leaving an ecclesiastic arrived from Ireland, and solicited admission to the Irish College. No burse, however, was vacant in the College, and as the young traveller's funds were ex- hausted, a sad alternative presented itself to 44 AS AGENT OF THE IRISH CLERGY AT ROME. his mind. No sooner was this case of distress made known to Dr, Plunket, than he set to work to satisfy the pious desires of the young man, and obtaining a contribution of 30 scudi from the Primate, from various other individuals an additional sum of 50 scudi, and supplying 90 scudi, the sum which was yet wanting, from his own scanty funds, he succeeded in placing him within the College walls, and maintaining him there till such time as he was able to enjoy a burse of that Institution. It was probably at this period that Dr. Plun- ket composed the Irish poem to which O'Reilly, in his " Irish Writers," refers, and which thus began : — " 0 Tar a of the Kings !" During his infancy he had often roamed about that royal hill, and it cannot surprise us that in after-life his soul should dwell with rapture on the ancient glories of his country clustered around its summit. Such reminiscences especially could not fail to recur to his mind when, standing amidst the ruined trophies of the persecutors of the Cbristian name, he contemplated from afar the struggles of his countrymen, and the per- secutions which they endured, as well in the cause of nationality as for the faith of their fathers. 45 CHAPTEK IV. DR. PLUNKET NOMINATED ABCHBISHOP OF AEMAGH. On the 9th of July, 1669, Dr. Oliver Plunket was nominated by the Sacred Congregation Archbishop of Armagh. His illustrious pre- decessor had been compelled, by the storm of persecution which laid waste our island, to seek an asylum on the Continent, and some months had now elapsed since death closed his eventful career. Having been almost wholly deprived for many years of the presence of its chief spiritual pastor, the Church of Armagh was torn by dissensions, and the germs of many scandals had appeared in some of the districts subject to the Primatial See. Hence, urgent were the solicitations of the Irish prelates to have a successor appointed without delay, who might heal these wounds and restore peace and tranquillity to the desolate flock. None more forcibly represented to the Holy See the necessity of appointing at once a distinguished prelate to the vacant Church, than the Most Eev. Peter Talbot, the lately consecrated Archbishop of Dublin. On the 15th of May, 1669, he thus writes to the Cardinal Prefect of Propa- ganda : — c2 46 DR. PLUNKET NOMINATED " No part of Ireland stands so niucli in need of a proper Pastor and Primate as the Province of Armagh. For though it is not expedient for the present to create many bishops, lest Ormond should say that the Papal authority received a sudden and dangerous increase in Ireland since his withdrawal ; nevertheless, the Bishop of Armagh, added to the other three Archbishops, can give no occasion of evil report or envy, es- pecially should he be a person not displeasing to the Court. Three have been proposed to me by those best acquainted with matters and per- sons. One of them. Dr. Patrick Everard, is a learned theologian, exceedingly pious and prudent. He suffered much for the Catholic faith during the thirty-six years which he strenuously and untiringly laboured in culti- vating the vineyard of the Lord, and in rooting out vices in the province of Armagh, of which he is a native, and he is descended from a noble and ancient family. His prudence ap- pears even from the fact that in all the dissen- sions of the clergy of his province, he was never known to be the author or promoter of factions ; and whilst there was no more deter- mined enemy of the Eemonstrants, no one, at the same time, was less obnoxious to the government. He opposed and condemned the Dublin approval of the Sorbonic propositions ; he is well skilled in the Irish language, preaches also in English, and is dear to both nations ; nor will his appointment be displeasing to the ARCHBISHOP OF AEMAGH. 47 king. I would recommend D. Oliver Dease, Vicar-General of Meath, as worthy of the See of Ardagh, or of Clogher, especially as the only objection made to him is that of age ; whilst, nevertheless, he is of a robust constitution. Surely the number of years during which he has fought the battles of God, should favour, rather than impede, the promotion of one who is thus at the same time full of merits and of years." Besides those here named by Dr. Talbot, many others were recommended to the Sacred Congregation as worthy to succeed to the Primatial See. Some difficulty, however, was met with in regard to each of them. Dr. Ever- ard, for instance, a member of the Society of Jesus, was Kector of the Irish College of Ant- werp, and the only pillar of its support; and his removal from it threatened to deprive the nation of that ecclesiastical resource. " But why delay," said the Holy Father, " in discus- sing the dubious merits of others, whilst Ave have here in Eome, a native of that Island, whose merits are known to us all, and whose labours in this city have already added so many Avreaths to the peerless glory of the ' Island of Saints.' Let D. Ohver Plunket bo Ai-chbishop of Armagh."* This appointment, whilst it filled with terror and dismay the sowers of dissension and the * Arsdekin. Theol. Trip. torn. 3, p. 227. 48 DR. PLUNKET NOMINATED enemies of our holy faith, called forth the ap- plause of all the true lovers of Ireland. The illustrious Bishop of Ferns thus writes from his place of exile to the Archbishop of Cesarea, then Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda : — " Most Illustrious and Eev. Loed — Ap- plauding and rejoicing, I have hastened hither from Ghent to the Most Keverend and Illustrious Internunzio of Belgium, to return all possible thanks to our Holy Father, in the name of my countrymen, for having crowned with the mitre of Armagh the noble and distinguished Oliver Plunket, Doctor of Theology 1 To your influence we owe it, that such a pre- late, of noble birth, and adorned with exalted j talents, as well as with benevolence and virtue ' (and yet of no proud conceit), should be raised to the government of the Primatial Church, the spirit of God leading the minds of their Eminences to this conclusion. It came from on high (such is my opinion,) that whilst your Excellency wisely laid open this matter to the Holy Father, he should place this excellent man on the mountain of the Church, in which * office he will be a light to all who hope in the Lord. " The Holy Father acted holily and justly in promoting a devoted child of the Koman See, lather than one who, having favoured Walsh the Philistine, when combating against the Ark of God, nowise deserved to be honoured by the 4 ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH. 49 Cliurch Do you, in tlie meantime, most Illustrious Lord, pursue your course ; for by your counsel, affection, and efforts, the falling Hierarchy of the Irish Church has commenced to exalt itself above heresy and error ; accord- ing to your piety, promote the members of both Clergy, but only such as are faithful servants of 'God, soldiers of Christ, champions of the Cross, devoted to the Holy See, and holily fulfilling their vows to God. I lovingly kiss your conse- crated hands. " In all things your most obedient servant, " s> Nicholas, Bishop of Ferns. " Brussels, 30th Aug., 1669." Dr. James Dowley, lately appointed Vicar Apostolic of Limerick, writes in like manner, congratulating the Holy See on the happy ap- pointment made to Armagh : — " Most pleasing to all was the appointment of Dr. Plunket, and I doubt not but it will be agreeable to the government, to the Secular Clergy, and to the Nobility; and all this we owe to your Excellency." The ornament of the college of St. Sulpice, in Paris, at this time, was Dr. John O'Molony, who a few years later was appointed Bishop of the ancient See of Killaloe. He too thus re- turned thanks to the Sacred Congregation for the favour now conferred on our Irish Church : — 50 DR. PLUNKET NOMINATED " New favours require tlie expression of new gratitude, and the renewal of benefits can only be requited by the renewal of thanksgiving. Not long ago, though unlmown to your Excellency, yet laying aside all fear of temerity, I addressed to you letters expressive of my sincere gratitude for the great watchfulness and solicitude Avhicli you displayed for the welfare of our Church, as if it alone occupied your attention, though on you rests the burden of so large a portion of the whole Catholic world. You had already laid the foundations of our edifice, erected the pillars, and given shepherds to feed the sheep and the lambs : but now, that the work should not remain imperfect, you have crowned the edifice, and provided a Pastor for the Pastors themselves, appointing the Archbishop of Armagh. For it is not of the diocese of Armagh alone that he has the administration, to whom the primacy and guardianship of all Ireland is entrusted. One, therefore, in a thou- sand had to be chosen, suited to bear so great a burden. That one you have found : one than whom none other better or more pleasing could be found; Avith whom (that your wise solicitude for our distracted and aflflicted country should be wanting in nothing) you have been pleased to associate his Suffragan of Ardagh, a most worthy and grave man.* With what * Gerard Farrell, O.S.D., -who for a short time had acted in the Eoman Curia as agent of Dr. Edmund O'Eeilly, was on the same day appointed Vicar Apostolic of Ardagh. AECHBISHOP OF AEMAGH. 51 thanksgiving, then, or praises I should extol you, I know not, for your benefits exceed all thanks and all praise. I therefore supplicate you your- self to return due thanks, that thus those whom you have eternally bound to you by your benefits may be still more closely bound by your becoming minister of their thanksgiving; whilst I, the last of your disciples, who am not worthy to be called your disciple, shall never be unmindful of your benefits, but will ever be your Excellency's " Most obliged servant, "J. O'MOLONY. "Paris, IGth Aug., 1669." More interesting still is the letter addressed to the Secretary of Propaganda, Monsignor Baldcschi, by the illustrious Archbishop of Dublin, who rejoices in like manner in the happy choice of the Holy Father, and assigns, as his motive for not having already proposed Dr. Plunket in the first place for the See of Ar- magh, the request of that Prelate, who had ex- pressed his desire to prolong yet awhile his stay in the Eternal City. " Most Illusteious and Kev. Loed — Most agreeable to me were the Eoman letters by which I learned the promotion of the most Illustrious and Reverend Oliver Plunket to the See of Armagh ; nor less pleasing to all good men was the . announcement of what had been done against the Remonstrants as well in Spain 53 DE. PLUNKET NOMINATED as in Ireland, although as yet we ai-e ignorant of the particulars, for which I anxiously look forward ; and all this must be attributed to the piety and zeal of your Excellency. Certainly no one could be appointed better suited than Dr. Oliver Plunket, whom I myself would have proposed in the first place, were it not that he had written to me, stating his desire not to en- ter for some years on the Irish mission, until he should have completed some works which he was preparing for the press "In the month of October the Parliament will assemble, and we are in dread of persecu- tion if liberty of conscience be not granted. The King, however, has little to fear, for he has won over some of the heads of the different factions. I have hurriedly written these few lines, as the bearer is taking his departure ; but I shall write at greater length from Dublin. In the mean- time, &c., &c. " * Peter of Dublin. " Primate of Ireland. " London, 11th Aug. (styl. vet.), 1669." The Bulls appointing Dr. Plunket Archbishop of Armagh were despatched to the Internunzio in Brussels, and the decree of the Sacred (Con- gregation was conveyed to him, destining Bel- gium as the place of consecration. This had already been deemed the more prudent course in the case of the Bishops appointed in the pre- ceding January; for it was supposed that by ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH. 53 being consecrated in Kome the prejudices of the Government would be more awakened, and the Bishops rendered more obnoxious to persecu- tion in their future labours. But Dr. Plunket was too attached to Eome not to ardently desire to receive the sacred consecration within its hallowed walls, amidst its sanctuaries and shrines. He wished to go forth from Rome fully armed for the spiritual fight, as so many Apostles and martyrs had hitherto gone forth, to scatter the heavenly seed, to reap the good harvest ; and perhaps, too, consummating his course like them, to receive the martyr's crown. Hence, he addressed an energetic peti- tion to the Sacred Congregation, to have its order reversed, and sacred consecration imparted to him in the Eternal city. " No one," he thus concludes, " was ever known to be obliged to leave Eome and seek elsewhere the holy gift of consecration, save, perhaps, Dr. Burgatt; and, as if by fate, his brief strayed from place to place, and only after great delay, and beset by many dangers, could that Pi-elate receive consecration ; let then, this crowning favour be added to the many others I have received, and I shall ever more and more be bound in union Avith the Holy See and the Sacred Congrega- tion." There are many incidental passages of this letter which disclose further particulars connected with the subject of this work, and some facts relating to the history of our Irish Church, which are otherwise unrecorded: — 54 DR. PLUNKET NOMINATED " The Avhole Irish nation," he says, " and especially the house of Plunket, have received so many favours and henefits from your Excel- lency, that neither heart, nor tongue, nor deeds can ever render due thanks to so pious and beneficent a protector. " Dr. Patrick Plunket obtained the Episco- pate of Meath, which is the richest and largest in the -whole kingdom, and where his nephews have the greatest part of their lands. " Lord Fingall, nephew of Monsignor Phmket, whilst commanding the infantry in the Eoyal army, was made prisoner by the Cromwellians not far from Dublin, and put to death in the tower of Dublin. Monsignor Plunket then, with Sir Nicholas, his brother, and Lord Fingall, his. grand-nephew, lived in exile in France and Flanders during the whole time of the Crom- wellians. The king being restored, the Bishop returned without delay, and being the only bishop capable of performing the Pontifical functions, he ordained in the very capital during many years, two hundred and fifty priests, from all parts of the kingdom, administered the sacrament of confirmation to a large number, and faithfully carried out the commands of the Sacred Congregation. . . . " It is, indeed, true that it is not a matter of prudencB to promote those who took a promi- nent part in the various factions during the late war, and are held in positive abhorrence by the king ; but I believe that it is not desirable AKCHBISHOP OF AEMAGH. 55 to advance those who seek for promotion through the English Court, for such persons always adopt the doctrines of the Sorhonne, and should any question arise, they will adhere to the king and not to the Apostolic See ; and ordinarily speaking, they are restless, ambitious, and flat- terers ; seeking evil report, and listening not to truth, and pursuing their o^vn interests, not those of Jesus Christ. . . . And, were the Holy Father to appoint persons truly great and affectionate towards the Holy See, such as the late Primate and the Bishop of Ferns, and two other Bishops put to death in Ireland, even though they should find little favour at court, I am sure that their death or exile would be of great glory and honour to the Apostolic Church, which by the blood and sufferings of her con- fessors and martyrs ever increased for the past, even now increases, and will so too increase for the future. Thrasamund, Arian King of the Vandals, in Africa, in order to root out the Catholics, published a decree, that no more Cathohc Bishops should be consecrated. What then did the Catholic Bishops do ? They con- secrated in one day seventy-two bishops ; where- lore the mfuriated Thrasamund sent them and many others into exile, into Sardinia. And yet, bj-mmachus, writing to St. Fulgentius, and to tne other exiled bishops, deemed the Church of Christ tnuanphant in these her glorious cham- pions. Dr. Phmket, however, appealed in vain ; the DB. PLUNKET NOMIKATED decision had been made, and the Sacred Con- gregation was inexorable. Thus frustrated in his holy design, he wished, at least, to be the bearer to his afflicted Church of a sacred treasure, of which, through the violence of the persecution, it had been long deprived. Its history is as follows : — In 1648, the Most Kev. John Bapt. Scanarola, a noble citizen of Modena and Bishop of Sidonia, admiring the generous spirit of self-sacrifice and religious zeal which the Irish nation then displayed, whilst combating around the altar iind the throne, presented to the Primatial See of Armagh a cross of massive gold, containing relics of the holy wood of the Cross, of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, and other saints, and entrusted it to the care of the illustrious Bishop of Ferns, Dr. French, who was then in Eome on an embassy from the Confederate Council to the Holv Father. It was a condition, however, of this gift, that it should be ever pre- served in the Cathedral Church, and with due solemnity exposed to the veneration of the faith- ful. But Dr. French knew too well the sad condition of the Church of Armagh, at that period, to guarantee these conditions. He had seen the fury of the storm, which had lately swept unchecked over the Northern Province, and hence he recommended a delay of a little while till order should be again restored and religious liberty be achieved by the arms of the Confederates. In 1654, Monsignor Scana- ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH. 57 rola formally renewed his donation to the Cathedral of Armagh, and by act of public notary, declared Father Luke Wadding and other members of the Franciscan Convent of St. Isidore, the depositaries and guardians of his gift, until the conditions referred to above could safely be carried out. Dr. Plunket deemed that such a time had now arrived, and anxious to be himself the bearer of this precious relic to his afflicted flock, ad- dressed the following petition to the Holy Father : — . "In the 10th year of the happy memory of Innocent X., when Cromwell drove the clergy of Ireland into exile, and destroyed our church, Monsignor Scanarola presented a cross of gold, with a relic of the most Holy Cross, to the Church of Ai-magh, with the annexed condition that it should be publicly exposed for venera- tion. Now that, through the mercy of God, the persecution of Cromwell has passed, and as, through the clemency of his present Majesty, we enjoy such liberty that the Catholics have public oratories, and even the Eegular Clergy have opened their novitiates, your petitioner most humbly supplicates your Holiness to com- mand the Friars of the Eeformed Order at St. Isidore's, Avho hold that cross in their custody, to consign it to me for the consolation and devotion of the Catholics in the province of Armagh, who will ever pray for the welfare of your Holiness." 58 NOMINATED ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH. As in his subsequent letters, Dr. Plunket never renews his solicitations for this holv relic, it seems probable that his petition had a favour- able result, but I have been unable to find an}' certain record of his success. Before we come to the consecration of this successor of our glorious Apostle, one other fact remains to be recorded. Dr. Plunket had acquired, during his residence in Eome, a small vineyard on the declivity of the hill whost' summit is crowned by Castle Gandolfo, and adjoining the farm then belonging to the Irish College, but known in after years as the villeggiatura of the novitiate of the Jesuits of St. Andrew's on the Quirinal. Before taking his departure from the Eternal City, Dr. Plunket presented this vineyard to the Irish College, anxious to testify his affection for that nursery of his youth, in which he had been trained to the sacred ministry, and whose brightest glory he himself was soon to become by his apostoli c labours and heroic martyrdom. It seems th:'! he left several of his books to the same college many of which Avere lost when its library was scattered during the French invasion of Rome. Some, however, still remain, and one in parti- cular is carefully treasured in its archives, having the simple record written with his own hand : " Oliver Plunkette, Collegio Hibern. dedit." We shall hereafter see that in his last letter addressed to his relative Michael Plunket, then student of the college, the only dying memorial CONSECRATION OF DR. PLUNKET. 59 Nvhich he bequeatlis, is one to tlie same loved abode of his early years. " The pictures which are there I leave to the place where you are, and where I got my first education ; would that there were cornici (frames) to them.'' How dear these paintings would now be to every Irish Catholic, and how sad that they, as most of the other memorials of the Old Irish College, should have been lost to our nation at the period of the invasion of Rome by the French republicans towards the close of the last century. CHAPTER V. CONSECRATION OF DR. PLUNKET, From a commendatory letter addressed by the General Superior of the Dominicans, Father Peter Mary Passerine, to the Provincial of the Order in Ireland, Ave learn that Dr. Plunket took his departure from the Eternal City to- wards the close of August, 1669. Father Pas- serine, in this letter, extols the virtues of the Archbishop elect, and speaks of his merits as known to the whole city : — " The bearer of this letter, the Most Rev. and Illustrious Archbishop of Armagh and Pri- mate of the Kingdom of Ireland, departs from Rome, and as we wish him a happy journey to 60 CONSECRATION OF his destination, so we desire that he may be greeted on his arrival with your reverential ho- mage, and that of your subjects. In this mat- ter, to remind you of the obligation by which all are bound, it would suffice to recall to mind the exalted dignity of so great a Primate and Archbishop ; but even this dignity is equalled by the many and great merits of the same most worthy Prelate, which are known to the whole city of Rome, so that on this account our de- voted homage must be in every respect redou- bled. Let, therefore, your paternity be atten- tive, that on all occasions our Order may dis- play peculiar devotion and reverence towards so excellent a Prelate, and that the most benign affection which he openly professes for the Do- minican family may never be defrauded of the due return of gratitude and recognition. Thus may you prosper with those subject to your care, and be often mindful of us and our com- panions in your Masses and prayers. "Fr. Peter Mary Passeeino. " Rome, S4th Aug., 1669." The incidents of Dr. Plunket's journey from Rome to Brussels are unknown to us. It was not an age of railways and steamboats, when that road may be run over in little more than two days and a-half. Two months at least were then required for that journey, and it was only in the beginning of November, 1669, that DR. PLUNKET. 61 the Ai'chbishop Elect entered the city of Brus- sels. A few months earlier in the same year Dr. Burgatt, the Archbishop Elect of Cashel, pursued the same homeward course, and from a letter of his, written at Milan, we may learn the difficulties which beset travellers in those days, from the want of conveyances, the imprac- ticability of the roads, and the continual over- flowing of the rivers : — " It was not without difficulty that we arrived here on yesterday, the little mountain streams being swollen into torrents by the heavy rains, and consequently impeding our progress. We remained at Bologna eight days (all the vehi- cles being engaged by the local nobility, I know not for what feast or amusement): the over- flowing of the Po detained us two days in Pa- dua : yesterday our boat sailed for five entire miles over trees and corn-fields and vineyards, the whole country being inundated by the river. Neither is it possible for us to get away from this, the same cause preventing us. I hope in the divine mercy that all these obstacles will prepare at least a peaceful port for us at the close of our journey. We have learned nothing from Ireland or other parts, worth communica- ting. We shall leave as soon as possible. In the meantime your Excellency Aviil be pleased to expedite everything connected with the pro- gress and peace of our Church, which also Dr. Plunket will take care to suggest " Milan, 5th May, 1669." D €9 CONSECJIATIOX OF It was in the beginning of Novembei' that the Internunzio in Brussels welcomed our Archbishop Elect to his hospitality,* and this worthy representative of the Holy See soon discovered that his guest was truly what his Eoman friends had already proclaimed him to be, full of zeal for the propagation of the faith, . and one who, by his merits and wisdom, wouldj i-ender still more illustrious the exalted dignityi to which he had been destined : 1 " I was in Liege (he thus writes to the Sa-' cred Congregation) when Dr. Oliver Plunket arrived here. On my return to Brussels I w^el- comed him to my house, where he still remains.- I have written to the Bishop of Ghent to ar- range for his consecration, as from that city he can without delay continue his journey to Ire- land. I am still awaiting his answer. I have found in Dr. Plunket most excellent qualities, and his zeal to labour for the glory of God gives grounds for the greatest hopes. I am consoled, and rejoice that the favours of onr Holy Father are so well conferred." The Bishop of Ghent was invited to conse- crate the Elect of Armagh, and an illustrious member of the Irish Hierarchy, Dr. French, Bishop of Ferns, then living in exile in that * Dr. Plunket, writing on the 22nd September, (styk vet.,) 1672 (that is, 2nd October), says, "three years SM to one month have now elapsed since I had the honoiffl of being caressed by your Excellency in your Palace Brussels. " DE. PLUNKET, city, was to be among the assistants. This glo- rious confessor hastened to Brussels to welcome one whom he had long admired, and who ^vas now about to become the pillar of our ancient Church. On Saturday, the 92nd of November, he once more hastened back from Brussels to- wards Ghent, accompanied by Dr. Plunket, as the following day was destined for the conse- cration. But a slight illness of the consecra- ting Prelate supervened, and it was only on the 30th of November, 1669, in the private chapel of the Episcopal Palace, that Dr. Plunket at length received from the Bishop of Ghent the solemn imposition of hands, and was conse- crated Arclibishoj) of Armagh. But the Bishop of Feins claims it as his special right to an- nounce the consecration of his illustrious friend, and we must now allow him to speak for himself : "I present a concise narrative of the conse- cration of the most illustrious Archbishop of Armagh. His Excellency the Interriunzio \vrote most kind letters to the Bishop of this diocese, requesting him to perform it, and he most readily acquiesced. But I, on receiving this ne^vs, set out at once for Brussels to con- duct hither his Grace of Armagh, bound by gi-atitude to render him this homage. A slight fever seized our excellent Bishop on the Satur- day before the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, which had been fixed for Dr. Plunket's conse- cration ; wherefore that ceremony was deferred till the first Sunday in Advent, on which day it €1 CONSECKATION OF was devoutly and happily performed in the Ca- pella of the Palace, without noise, and with closed doors, for such was the desire of the Archbishop of Armagh. Remaining here for eight days after his consecration, he passed his time in dispatching letters and examining my writings. These are two small works, viz. : ' A Refutation of the wicked Remonstrance, or the Protestation of Walsh;' and 'A Bulwark for the House of God :' that is, a just defence of the Religious Congregations profanely lacerated with the greatest impiety, fury, and madness hy those who envied the innocence, probity, and efforts of the Clergy of Ireland, who strenuously laboured to sustain the Kingdom of Christ, and earnestly asserted the honour, and dignity, and power of the Holy See. In the foremost rank of these persecutors Peter Walsh led the way, not only amongst the orthodox, but also amongst the Protestants. His Grace of Armagh left with me in writing his testimony as to the irre- proachable integrity of the aforesaid works, in point of morality and faith. " These things I deemed proper to state to you, regarding the consecration, delay, and oc- cupation in this city of his Grace of Armagh, to whom I pray all things most prosperous, as also to your Excellency, who by your influ- ence caused him to be placed as a pillar in the Church of God. I most reverently kiss youi' sacred hands. " « Nicholas of Ferns. " Ghent, 19th Dec, 1669." DR. PLUNKET. 65 During the age of persecution the Bishops of Belgium displayed for the persecuted members of our Irish Church true Christian sympathy and charity ; and we learn from some letters of those times, that they not only admitted to their hospitality the Irish Prelates who sought con- secration at their hands, but, moreover, on the day of consecration, presented to them rich gifts, generally a precious ring, and other ornaments for the sacred functions of their ministry. Dr. Plunket continued in Ghent for eight days after his consecration, and thence setting out for England, arrived in London about the middle of December, 1669. Even during his short stay in Belgium, his attention was wholly en- gaged in the promotion of the interests of our holy faith. Through his solicitations, the learned Jesuit, Arsdekin, a native of Kilkenny, and at this time lecturing on divinity in the University of Louvain, composed a course of Theology, which acquired for the author a uni- versal fame, in a few years passing through more than ten editions on the Continent. Erom the letter of Dr. French, we also see with what an interest he encouraged that exiled Prelate in his mvaluable writings, which are all so replete vnih the love of our country and of our holy faith. ^ Before hastening to the scene of his future labours. Dr. Plunket delayed some time in Lon- don, and it was only about the month of March, i6 . 0, that he arrived in Ireland. He had many D 9 66 CONSECEATION OF relatives and acquaintances at Court, and as the opening of Parliament was fixed for the begin- ning of February, he awaited there, anxious to use his influence in seeking to mitigate the ri- gour of those measures which many members had already vauntingly prepared for his suffer- ing country. His letter, addressed from Lon- don, to the Cardinal Protector of Ireland, Car- dinal Barberini, presents a most interesting narrative : — " I presented the letters of your Eminence to the Queen, who gave me a most gratifying audience, and passed a high eulogium on your Eminence. I also consigned your Eminence's letter to the Eev. Father Howard, Grand Almoner, a truly worthy man. He secretly lodged me for ten days in his own apartments in the Eoyal Palace ; with great kindness he often, too, conducted me in his carriage to see the principal curiosities of the city ; he is truly hospitable and munificent, and the refuge of all foreign Catholics, and he enjoys great favour with the King and Queen, and is loved by all, even by the Protestants, for his great gentleness and courtesy. I request your Eminence to thank him in your next letters for the kindness which he showed me, thi-ough esteem for your Eminence. F. Fei-nandez also, in consequence of your Eminence's letters, made many profes- sions of readiness to serve me, and showed great courtesy. In my opinion he is not very influen tial, and has but little weight with the Queen : lie is a good, simple man. DK. PLUNKET. 67 " The Parliament will re-assemble on the 14th of February, which was the day fixed in the prorogation ; when the Parliament is prorogued the preceding sessions are of little avail. The King asked for eight millions of scudi,* in order to pay his debts ; but the Parliament declared they would only grant one million of scudi, and two hundred thousand more should France de- clare war against the Dutch. As the Govern- ment has no money we shall continue neutral. The Parliament often engages the King in foreign wars, and then refuses to grant supplies, in order that in his need he may be dependent on them ; and King James (the First), in order that he should not be thus dependent on the Parliament, never consented to embark in war, though he was instigated to it by the Parlia- ment, in favour of the heretics of France and Germany. General Monk died this morning, lamented by all ; he was a man of moderation and courage. It is thought that Prince Kupert or the Duke of Monmouth (natural son of the King) will be the future General. Here the cold is so intense that the wine of Spain was frozen in my chalice ; for many years they have not experienced so rigid a season. A heavy fall of snow succeeded the ice, so that it is morally impossible to travel till this cold shall have passed. I have no desire, however, to remain in London, knowing the intention of the * Two miUioris of pounds sterling. 68 CONSECRATION OF Court. The adherents of Walsh, or rather Walsh himself, sends to some of the Ministers of Com^t anonymous letters, full of falsehoods, ahout my presence here ; hut their malignity is known and they themselves are despised. A letter was written to the King stating that F. Howard concealed three hundred priests in the Eoyal Palace, who made their rounds every night seeking to make proselytes for the Pope. These fabulous stories do this much good, that no credence is given to the writers even when they tell a little truth. The Duke of Ormond will do his utmost to excite some storm against the clergy, in order to molest Monsignor Tal- bot, Archbishop of Dublin, for whom he enter- tains a mortal hatred. Not to tire you further, I make a profound reverence. " Your most devoted and obliged servant, " s> Oliver, Archbishop of Armagh, " and Primate of Ireland. " London, 30th December, 1669." On the 18th of June, in the following year. Dr. Plunket again writes to the same Cardinal as follows : — "The continual favours which I received from your Eminence in Eome, encourage me to lay before you a brief narrative of what has occurred since my departure from that city. Being arrived in London (as I already notified to your Eminence), I received that courtesy DR. PLUNKET. 69 from the Queen which she professes to be hei' desire to show to all who come under the pro- tection of your Eminence. I found that the gentlemen of this Court, who have been in Rome, proclaim to all the great kindness and generosity of your Eminence, and profess their obligations for the attention they received in that city, on account of which the Catholics in England receive many favours from them. " I afterwards arrived in Ireland, in the month of March, and hastened immediately to my residence ; and I held two Synods, and two Ordinations, and in a month and a half I ad- ministered Confirmation to more than ten thousand persons, though throughout my pro- vince I think there yet remain more than fifty thousand persons to be confirmed. I remarked throughout the country, wherever I went, that for every heretic there are twenty Catholics. The new Viceroy is a man of great moderation. . . . I found that ^ur of the principal persons in Court were secretly Catholics, and these main- tain the Viceroy in his favourable sentiments and esteem for the Catholics, so much so, that not long since he wrote a whole letter to the King in favour of the Irish clergy, declaring that they were good subjects, and worthy of the favour of his Majesty." Despite the intense cold which then prevailed, Dr. Plunket resolved to delay no longer in the ■fc^nglish capital, anxious to avail himself of the ^.pproaching Lent to visit and console his flock, 70 CONSECRATION OF DR. PLUNKET, and administer to them the consolations of our holy religion. At Holyhead he was detained for twelve days by contrary winds, but at length, on Monday, about the middle of March, 1670, he was welcomed by his many friends who awaited his arrival on our Irish shores. Before the close of the week he thus announced to Monsignor Baldeschi the various incidents of his journey from London to our Irish capital : — " I at length arrived in this city on Monday last, and I may say that I suffered more from London to Holyhead (where I went on board a vessel) than during the remainder of the journey from Eome to London — excessive cold, stormy winds, and a heavy fall of snow : and then when a thaw set in, the rivers became so swollen that three times I was up to my knees in water in the carriage : I was detained twelve days at Holyhead in consequence of contrary winds ; and then, after a sail of ten hours, I arrived in this port, where the many welcomes and caresses of my friends mitigated the grief with which I was oppressed on account of my departure from Eome. " Sir Nicholas Plunket at once invited me to his house, and gave me his carriage : the Earl of Fingall, who is my cousin, invited me to his country seat. The Bai"on of Louth will give me board and lodging in my own diocese as long as I please, and I am resolved to accept the invitation of this gentleman, as he lives in POLICY OF THE GOVEKNilENT. 71 the very centre of my mission : there are also three other gentlemen who are married to three of my cousins, and who vie with each other in seeing who shall receive me into his house. " I was also consoled to find the Bishop of Meath, though sixty-eight years old, yet so robust and fresh, that he seemed to be no more than fifty : he has scarcely a grey hair in his head, and he sends his sincere respects to your Excellency. I write about these matters know- ing that you Avill be pleased to learn the happy success of one who reveres and loves you. " I set out upon my journey despite the severity of the weather, that dui-ing the Lent I might be able to discharge part of my duty in my province ; but I shall find it difficult to assemble five Priests when consecrating the Holy Oils, especially during Holy Week, when all are occupied in hearing confessions : so I pray your Excellency to obtain for me the privilege of consecrating the Holy Oils with the assistance of only two Priests.'' CHAPTER VI. POLICY OF THE GOVEKNMENT IN IRELAND AT THE BEGINNING OF DE. PLUNKEt's EPISCOPATE. At this period the storm of persecution had begun to subside, which, from the first land- ing of Cromwell on the Irish shore, had laid 72 POLICY OP THE GOVERNMENT AT THE waste our island. The Puritanical fanaticism of the Protestant faction required indeed the enactment from year to year of new penal and oppressive laws ; but the administration of the Government being entrusted to wiser and less bigoted men, and better lovers of Ireland, these strokes fell more lightly upon the people, and at intervals Catholics were enabled to practise in peace the holy exercises of their religion. The Duke of Ormond, indeed, to the last, proved himself an insidious enemy of the Irish Catholics, and, ever intent on his own personal aggrandizement, unceasingly laboured to root out Catholicity and lay desolate the sanctuary ; and it was only when he saw the reins of power about to fall from his grasp, and rival statesmen gaining the favour of the King, that he began to deem it necessary to concili- ate the Catholics, and hold out to them some hopes of a liberal administration. We have seen in the third chapter how, on the dawn of peace upon our horizon, it was the first care of the Holy See — ever watchful of the interests of our afflicted Church — to ap- point pastors to the widowed Sees of Ireland. Its hierarchy had remained unbroken despite the efforts of persecution, and when, on the 21st of January, 1669, the Archbishops of Dublin, Cashel, and Tuam, and the Bishop of Ossory, were appointed by Kome, there were yet five bishops who had survived the scenes of suff"ering and trial, and now handed down to BEGINNING OF DB. PLUNKEX's EPISCOPATE. 73 new champions that precious inheritance of unsullied faith which they themselves had received from their fathers. It was the same temporary calm that enahled the Sacred Con- gregation of Cardinals, on the demise of Dr. O'Reilly, to deliberate without delay on the appointment of his successor in the person of Dr. Plunket to the Primatial See of Armagh, On the 14th of February, 1669, Ormond was deprived of the Lord Lieutenancy, and this disgrace of their insidious enemy, inspired with new hopes the great body of the Catholics. The appointment of John Lord Eoberts, of Truro, was hailed as the dawn of a more im- partial administration ; he is described by his biographers as a staunch Presbyterian, obstinate, jealous, and proud, but at the same time just in his government. Some acts, however, of his Viceroyalty— if they may not be attributed to the fanaticism of individuals rather than to the Government— would not be out of place in the bitterest days of persecution. One instance connected with the subject of these memoirs will suffice. Amongst the Eawdon papers we find a letter n ^ Conway to his brother-in-law, Sir George Rawdon, then residing near Lisburn county Antrim, which discloses to us the de- signs of the Government officials in regard to the newly appointed Primate :— J'u^^''\^'f™''—^^^^eheen all this day AMthmy Lord Lieutenant, or employed about E 74 POLICT OF THE GOVEENMENT AT THE his commands, and I am but newly come home from him. Though it be very late, yet I am to give you notice, by his command, that the King hath privately informed him of two persons sent from Eome, that lie lurking in this country to do mischief. One is Signore Agnetti, an Italian employed by the College de Propaganda Fide, the other is Plunket, a member of the same college, and designed titular Archbishop of Armagh. If you can dexterously find them out, and apprehend them, 'twill be an acceptable service. But I told him I did not think they kept their residence in our parts (about Lis- bum); however, he thinks it is his duty to search everywhere. " Conway. " Dublin, 20th Nov., 1669." Such were the sentiments even of those who were esteemed the most just and impartial of our rulers ! The person who, in the above docu- ment, is indicated by the name Agnetti, is the canon Claudius jigretti, who for many years was first secretaiy of the Papal Internunzio in Brussels, and for some time, too, discharged the office of pro-Internimzio. At the period of which we speak he had been sent on a mission to Ireland with instructions from the Holy See connected with the forgeries of Taafe and the Ke- monstrance of Peter Walsh. He was probably as yet in Ii'eland at the date of Lord Conway's letter, though on the eve of his departure from BEGINNIKG OF DR. PLUNKEt's EPISCOPATE. 75 it ; as we find that on the 14th of December following he writes to Eome announcing his return to Brussels, and transmitting a paper, which he styles ' a narrative of his pilgrimage to Ireland.' The Govei-nment, however, was misinformed as to the presence of Dr. Plunket in the country, and though they had received intelligence of his appointment to the Primatial See, yet they were wholly astray as to his movements ; and at the date of Lord Conway's despatch he was living with the Internunzio in Brussels, awaiting in peace the day appoin- ted for his consecration. Aware of the feelings that existed. Dr. Plunket, on his arrival in Ireland, some months later, considered it pru- dent to avoid appearing in public as long as this administration lasted, and only performed his sacred functions, and visited his flock, by night or in disguise. The Government of Lord Eoberts was of short duration, and on the 31st of May, 1670, Lord Berkeley, of Stratton, was sworn in as Viceroy of Ireland. The private instructions which he then received inculcated the necessity of showing special favour to those who had signed the Remonstrance of Peter Walsh, and of shielding them from their more orthodox opponents. The twentieth article of these in- structions was as follows: — Several popish clergy, since the return of the Duke of Ormond hither, have exercised their jurisdiction, to the great grief of the Ke- 76 POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THE monstrants. If so, execute the laws against the titular Archbishops, Bishops, and Vicars-Gene- ral that have threatened or excommunicated the Kemonstrants ; and see that you protect such Eemonstrants as have not withdrawn their subscriptions." The other articles recommend energy and zeal in the propagation of the Protestant reli- gion; thus, in the 14th article we read, "En- deavour to bring all to a conformity in the reli- gion by law established, and acquaint us with what difficulties you meet with therein." And in the very beginning of the instructions : "For- asmuch as all good success doth rest upon the service of God above all things, you are to set- tle good orders in the Church, that God may be better served in the true established religion, and the people by that means be reduced from their errors in religion, wherein they have been too long most unhappily and perniciously se- duced; and never more than since the late fatal rebellion, which hath produced too plenti- ful a seed-time of atheism, superstition, and schism."* A special subject of these Instructions is the building and repairing of Protestant Churches. The wars of Cromwell not only laid in ruins the few places of Catholic worship which, de- spite the preceding pei'secutions, had remained in the hands of the Catholics, but involved in * Cox, Charles II., page 9. BEGINKIKG OF DR. PLUNKEt's EPISCOPATE. 77 the same destruction those venerable structures, which, though raised by our Catholic fore- fathers, had, nevertheless, been appropriated to Protestant worship. Dean Swift, in a sermon on the martyrdom of King Charles I., whilst de- lineating the evils of Puritanical zeal, presents a vivid description of the utter demolition of the Irish churches : — "Another consequence," he says, "of this horrid rebellion and murder, was the destroy- ing or defacing of such vast numbers of God's houses. If a stranger should now travel in England, and observe the churches in his way, he could not otherwise conclude than that some vast army of Turks or heathens had been sent on purpose to ruin and blot out all marks of Christianity. They spared neither the statues of saints, nor ancient prelates, nor kings, nor benefactors : broke down the tombs and monu- ments of men famous in their generations : seized the vessels of silver set apart for the holiest use : tore down the most innocent orna- ments both within and without: made the houses of prayer dens of thieves or stables for cattle. These were the mildest effects of Puri- tan zeal, and this was what themselves affected to call a thorough reformation. In this king- dom (Ireland), those ravages were not so easily seen, for the people here being too poor to raise such noble temples, the mean ones we had tvere not defaced, hut totally destroyed." The spiritual decay of the Protestant Church 78 POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THE at the time of which we speak, was not less ap- parent than the ruin of its material edifices ; and the instructions given to Lord Berkeley justly speak of the atheism, superstition, and schism which had desolated their establishment since the era of the Eevolution. Dr. Williams, Protestant Bishop of Ossory, who died in 1679, has left us a tract in which he details the sad condition both of the Protestant clergy and people in his diocese, and he adds that it was not much better in all Ireland. We shall give one extract, which fully confirms the foregoing statement of Dean Swift : — "If you walk thi-ough Ireland, as I rode, from Carlingford to Dublin, and from Dublin to Kilkenny, and in my visitation thrice over the diocese of Ossory, I believe that through- out all your travel you shall find it as I found it in all ways that I went, scax'ce one church standing and sufficiently repaired, for seven (I speak within compass) that are ruined and have only walls without oi-naments, and most of them without roofs, without doors, without windows, but the holes to receive the winds, to entertain the congregation I do be- lieve that out of about a hundred churches that our (Catholic) forefathers built and sufficiently endowed in the diocese of Ossory, there are not twenty standing, nor ten well repaired at this day As God is without churches for His people to meet in — to serve Him, so He is without servants enabled to do Him service, to BEGINNING OF DR. PLUNKET's EPISCOPATE. 79 praise His name, and to teach His people." (page 2-6.) The conclusion to which this learned Bishop arrives is identical with what is still oftentimes proclaimed in Protestant meetings, namely, that " Popery can never he suppressed, and the true Protestant religion planted," without an augmentation of the means and livings of the Protestant clergy, and without new grants to the Protestant Estahlishment. Even the most thoroughly Protestant districts were no hotter circumstanced, and the Protestant Bishop of Derry, in a statement made to the King in council, on the 13th of May, 1670, gives a forci- ble description of the sad spiritual condition even of the city and county of Londonderry.* The documents, indeed, to which we have just referred, seem to limit this spiritual decay in the Protestant Church of Ireland to the pe- riod of Cromwell's invasion, and ascribe it to the persecution of the Puritans, and to the want of means in the Protestant clergy. But impar- tial history testifies far otherwise. Thus, in the diocese of Meath in 1699, according to Usher's own report, though there were 943 livings, there were only half-a-dozen churches in good repair, nmety churches being in ruins, and sixty others j'^ 5 J'^iiious condition ; we learn also from Le- land, that long before the Kevolution of 1641, Ignorance, negligence, and corruption of man- History of the Church of Ireland, vol. i. 80 POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THE ners prevailed among the established clergy ;"* and Stuart, in his Historical Memoirs of Ar- magh, is not less explicit. " The parishes," he says, " were either filled with careless and im- moral pastors, or sequestered by avaricious bishops in commendam. Divine service was not performed except in great towns and cities." Even the Lord Deputy Wentworth styles " the clergy unlearned," and " the people untaught ;" and assigns as its cause " the non-residence of the Protestant clergy, occasioned by unlimited shameful numbers of spiritual promotions, with care of souls which they hold by commendams, the rites and ceremonies of the church run over, without decency of habit, order, or gravity in the course of their service ; the (Protestant) bishops alienating their very houses and de- mesnes to their children, and farming out their jurisdiction to mean and unworthy persons. "f As to the number of those who had embraced the Protestant doctrines, they must have been but few indeed. Stuart, in the work already referred to (page 266), informs us that forty years after the commencement of the Eeforma- tion an inquiry was made into the religious state of the country, from which it resulted *' that the people had not adopted the Protestant religion." Dr. Kelly, the late lamented Pro- fessor of Ecclesiastical History in the College of * History of Ireland, vol. iii. t See State Letters, vol. i., page 187. BEaiNNING OF DR. PLUNKEt's EPISCOPATE. 81 Maynooth, calculated the relative proportion of Catholics to Protestants in 1630 to have heen eleven to two.* Dr. Plunket, however, more than once states, that with the exception of Dublin, the Catholics were in his time, as com- pared to Protestants, as twenty to one.f Such, then, were the fruits of Protestantism in Ire- land, after a struggle of more than one hundred years, though it was ever supported by all the wealth and power which earth could command. And what were the effects of the boasted Refor- mation ? The temples of the living God were destroyed ; divine service was interrupted ; ig- norance and immorality were spread through the land ; and the endowments of the Catholic Church, destined for the support of religion and the poor, were now handed over to foreign Protestant bishops and ministers, whose only object it was to aggrandize themselves, and to transmit large properties to their children, accu- mulated from the spoils of the Catholic Church. Without attaching much importance to the instnictions which he had received. Lord Berkeley seems to have devoted all his energies to the unbiassed administration of justice and the consolidation of public order in the king- dom. Dr. Plunket often speaks of him as a man nowise hostile to the Catholics, but, on the contrary, anxious to show them favour and pro- IHfioT^''^^^'''^-'^'^*" ^^th.,page 343, in not. (DubUn, t See Letters, 18th June, 1670, and 20th June, 1670. e2 82 POLICY OF THE GOVEKNMENT AT THE tection. Thus, in his letter of the 18th of June, 1670, addressed to the Cardinal Protector of Ireland, he states : — " The Viceroy of this kingdom shows himself favourable to the Catholics, not only in conse- quence of his natural mildness of disposition, but still more on account of his being acquainted with the benign intentions of his Majesty in reference to his Catholic subjects, so that eccle- siastics may freely appear in public without suffering any annoyance, even when they are recognised as such. I perceive that some of his court are secretly Catholics, as are also some of the principal members of the Government, who suggest to him kind measures for the Catholics. May God grant us a long enjoyment of this calm, and bestow many years on your Eminence for the public good of the Christian Church." Writing on the 16th of April, 1671, he styles Lord Berkeley a moderate and pi-udent ma7i, and adds, " should our Viceroy be changed, God alone knows what may come to pass." At this time the leaders of the bigoted faction left no stone unturned to achieve the ruin of the Vice- roy, and to substitute in his stead his avowed enemy, — who was at the same time the mortal enemy of the Catholics, — the Earl of Orrery. In a postscript to his letter of 27th September, 1671, Dr. Plunket states the following fact re- garding Orrery : — " As I have already made known to you, the Earl of Orrery a few days since expelled from Limerick, by a public edict. BEGINNINa OF DB. PLUNKET's EPISCOPATE. 83 all the Catholics : a nice gain we would have made, had this man been appointed our Vice- roy, as some persons most anxiously desired." This fact of the edict published against the Catholics by Lord Orrery is further explained by Dr. Plunket in a letter written on the fol- lowing day, the 28th September, 1671 : — " I sent another parcel to Dr. Dowley,' Bishop of Limerick. This poor man is yet in trouble ; the Earl of Orrery having published a few days ago an edict commanding all Catholics, ecclesi- astics or lajTnen, to depart from, and live no longer in, that city. Some desired that he, in- stead of Berkeley, should be our Viceroy: a good bargain we would have made. I do not know how our Viceroy Berkeley, who is now returned to the helm, will take these proceedings of Orrery. Orrery is no friend of the Viceroy, and some are of opinion that these edicts are published by Orrery on purpose. He is a cun- ning politician; should the Viceroy recall these decrees, then Orrery may assail him as being a patron of the Catholics, and already in various meetings he has styled Lord Berkeley a Catholic, that thus he might excite against him the en- mity of the heretics, who hate the Catholics." At length, by misrepresentation and calumny, the enemies of Lord Berkeley succeeded in ob- tammg an order for his removal, and though he did not actually abandon the reins of govern- ment till August, 1672, his removal was deter- mmed on, and notified to him as early as the 84 POLICY OP THE GOVEENMENT AT THE preceding May, as we learn from Dr. Plunket, who thus writes to the Internunzio on the 14th May, 1672 :— " At length we have a certainty of the removal of our good Viceroy, as he himself has communi- cated the intelligence to me on yesterday morn- ing, when I was with him for two hours. His departure is a great loss to us : he would have promoted our interests, and carried out punc- tually in the cities the last proclamation of the King in our favour, for in some cities it meets with opposition, which, however, I hope, will be overcome. His successor, the Earl of Essex, is represented to us as a moderate and prudent man ; but by his fruits we shall know him. The Lord Chancellor, who is' also the Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, had great differences with the present Viceroy about the government of this city, which matter did but little service to the good Viceroy, and at length they have come to an open rupture. The next Viceroy will arrive about the middle of June. We shall never have one like to the present." The character of Lord Berkeley is admirably drawn by Mr. O'Conor in his History of the Irish Catholics (page 104) : — " Lord Berkeley was a man of probity and moderate principles, who substituted a mild and merciful administration for the unrelenting tyranny of oppressors; the penal statutes of Elizabeth were relaxed, the public exercise of the Catholic religion allowed, its professors BEGINNING OF DK. PLUNKET's EPISCOPATE. 85 •were admitted to all situations of trust and emolument, civil and military, to all franchises and corporations, to the rights and privileges of subjects, protected in their persons and proper- ties, invested with political power, with shriev- alties and magistracies, to secure them against oppression and injustice. Under this system Ireland began to flourish and prosper, to recover from the miseries of the late war, and the deso- lation of Cromwell ; arts and manufactures revived." We cannot be surprised that such a Viceroy should secretly encourage Dr. Plunket, not only in the correction of public abuses, but also in the establishment of schools, for which purpose he even seems to have placed various sums of money at the disposal of the Primate. Arthur, Earl of Essex, assumed the Lord Lieutenancy on the 5th of August, 1673. Howsoever desirous he may have been to pur- sue the conciliatory course of his predecessor, he was soon compelled by the jealous bigotry of the Protestant faction, and the Puritanical fanaticism of the English Parliament, to lay aside all semblance of toleration, and seek by stringent measures to compel the Bishops to fly for safety to the Continent, and abandon the flocks entrusted to their care. Dr. Plunket exhorted his fellow pastors to remain in the country and conceal themselves till the storm should have passed, or, if necessity should be, to imitate the example of the Bishops of the 86 POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. first centuries, and fearlessly lay down their lives for their flocks. In company with Dr. Brennan, his former companion in the Irish College in Eome, and now Bishop of Water- ford and Lismore, he chose a place of retreat in his own diocese ; the only provision which he had made, was one of books and candles, as he states in one of his letters, and often did he and his companion run the risk of death from fatigue and the want of the necessary means of subsistence. This storm, too, subsided, and the latter days of Essex's administration were comparatively mild, or at least not marked by any special deeds of hostility towards the Catholics. This Viceroy seems to have enter- tained a high personal esteem for the Primate, and when Mac Moyer and his fellow-apostates had, by their perjured testimony, procured sentence of death against Dr. Plunket, Essex joined with Lord Berkeley in soliciting his pardon, and, as Echard informs us, " told his Majesty the witnesses must needs be perjured, for these things sworn against him could not possibly be tr-ue." Even when the Duke of Ormond resumed the viceroyalty in August, 1677, he was com- pelled for a while to hold out the hand of friendship to the Catholics, and to assume the mask of moderation and impartial justice. Dr. Plunket often speaks of his govertiment as being at this period peaceful and mild, but when in the following year circumstances began APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF DK. PLUNKET. 87 to change, and the court party in England pro- claimed their hostility to the Catholic faith, this old betrayer of Ireland hesitated not to sacrifice his convictions to interest, and inaugu- rate and promote that persecution whose crowning deed was the glorious martyrdom of the Archbishop of Armagh. CHAPTEE VII. APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF DE. PLUNKET. We have seen, towards the close of the fifth chapter, how the newly consecrated Primate, as soon as circumstances permitted, abandoned the British capital and hastened to his diocese, anxious to enter, without delay, on the field of his spiritual labours, and break to the flock intrusted to him the bread of eternal life. The first fruits of his pastoral zeal are thus briefly enumerated in the letter already cited of the 18th June, 1670:— "I held two Synods and two Ordinations, and in a month and a-half I administered Confirmation to more than ten thousand persons, though throughout my pro- vince I think there yet remain more than fifty thousand to be confirmed." Nor was this fer- vour of a momentary impulse : it was the fruit of the ardent zeal and humble spirit of self- sacrifice which he had so long cherished at the 88 APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF tombs of tlie Apostles. His subsequent career reveals to us at every step manifest traces of the same Apostolic spirit, and it seems difficult to conceive how one man could, in so short a career, effect so much good, overcome so many difficulties, and undergo so many trials. "How great his industry," cries out his learned contemporary and friend. Father Arsdekin, " in appointing fit pastors to guard the fold: how wondrous his labours throughout the vast districts of Ulster to strengthen the faith of its people, ever devoted children of the Eoman Church ; and what was still more arduous, how untiring his vigilance to preserve from the teeth of the wolves and from the errors of heresy the fold entrusted to his care."* In like manner the Oratorian Father, to whose sketch of Dr. Plunket's life we have already refei-red, exclaims : " Who can worthily relate with what solicitude he laboured to re- store piety and raise up religion, and with what care he soiight to appoint worthy pastors to his flock, and to confirm in the faith the Catholics scattered through the vast province of Ulster." Indeed the labours of Dr. Plunket, even in the first months of his Episcopate, would have sufficed to render his name illustrious in the Irish Church, and entitle him to the veneration of posterity. Before three months had passed * Theol. Tripart., torn. 3, page 227. DK. PLUNKET. 89 from his arrival on our shores — that is, hefore the close of June, 1670 — he had already solem- nized two Synods of his Clergy, and, moreover, convened and presided at a general Synod of the Irish Bishops which was held in Dublin : and before the month of September in the same year we find him summoning a Provincial Council of Ulster, and enacting many salutary decrees for the correction of abuses and the advancement of ecclesiastical discipline in that province. This Synod, justly celebrated in the ecclesiastical annals of our country, was held at Clones, and the representatives of the respective dioceses soon after re-assembled privately in Armagh, and thence addressed a letter of thanksgiving to the authorities in Eome for having destined as their Primate a Prelate of such ability and piety. No words can better describe the untiring labours of Dr. Plunket, and the fruitful efforts of his zeal during the first months of his Episcopate, than this letter of the assembled Clergy of the province of Armagh ; it is dated the 8th of October, 1670, and is as follows : — " Most Illusteious and Most Kevebend Lord, " "When we send letters to your Excellency we regard ourselves as addressing the Apostolic See. We have not written sooner to your Ex- cellency regarding our most illustrious Primate, lor we waited till his merits should be known to us by experience. And now that we have 90 APOSTOLIC LAB0UE3 OF had this experience we render exceeding thanks to the ApostoHc See for having placed over us such a pastor and teacher. Since his arrival in the province of Armagh he has been unceasing in his labours : to the great utility of the pro- vince he convoked Diocesan Synods, and in- structed the Clergy by word and by example, and in the Ordinations which he held he pro- moted none but such as were worthy, and only after they had passed a rigorous examination. He celebrated a Provincial Council in the town of Clones, in which many salutary decrees were made. He introduced the Fathers of the Society of J esus into the diocese of Armagh to educate the youth and instruct the younger clergy, and built for them a house and schools at his own expense. In the dioceses of Armagh, Kilmore, Clogher, Derry, Down, Connor, and Dromore, although far separated from each other, he ad- ministered Confirmation to thousands in the woods and mountains, heedless of winds and rain. Lately, too, he achieved a work from which great advantage will be derived by the Catholic body, for there were many of the more noble families who had lost their properties, and, being proclaimed outlaws in public edicts, were subsequently guilty of many outrages ; these, by his admonitions, he brought back to a better course ; he, moreover, obtained pardon for their crimes, and not only procured this pardon for themselves, but also for all their receivers, and thus hundreds and hundreds of DE. PLUNKET. 91 Catholic families have been freed from imminent danger to their body and soul, and property. Truly, he is so assiduous in good works, and his life and conduct are so exemplary, that he has won for himself and clergy the love and reverence even of the enemies of our faith : and since his arrival amongst us the clergy have not been subject to persecution. " We, therefore, return repeated thanks to the Apostolic See for having promoted him to this dignity, and we shall ever pray for the repose of the soul of that holy Pontiff who sent such a man amongst us, as likewise for all who concurred in his promotion, amongst whom we do not hesitate to reckon your Ex- cellency, whose most obedient servants we shall ever remain. " Patbick Daly, Vic-Gen., of Armagh. " Patrick Moldeeo, Vic-Gen., Down and Connor. " EoFAN Magin, Dean and Vic-Gen., Dro- more. " Eugene Connall, Vic-Gen., Derry and Eaphoe. " Thomas Fitzstmons, Archdeac and Vic- Gen., Kilmore. " Pateick Colltn, Vic-Gen., Clogher. " To the Most Illustrious Monsig. Baldeschi^ &c, &c, &c " Armagh, 8th Oct., 1670. ' One of the crowning deeds of Dr. Plunket's APOSTOLIC LABOUBS OF Episcopate was another Provincial Synod, which, despite the fury of the persecution then let loose against the Catholics, was convened in Ard- patrick, in August, 1678. Once more the assembled Prelates and Clergy resolved to tes- tify their affection for this worthy successor of St. Patrick, and their admiration of his untiring zeal. Their letter is addressed to the Cardinals of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, and is dated 97th August, 1678 : — " We, the undersigned, have assembled in Provincial Council, being convoked by the Most Illustrious and Kev. Oliver Plunket, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of all Ireland, and our Metropolitan, for the purpose of correcting many and grave abuses. " How great was the necessity for this Coun- cil, is proved by the Decrees which we have enacted, and which our Metropolitan will trans- mit to your Eminences to be examined, and, should you so judge, approved, as calculated to remedy the abuses, and suited to the circum- stances of the times. " Moreover, to silence those who speak ev'' things, we have deemed it our duty to make' known to your Eminences the manner of govern- ment of the same Most Illustrious and Eev. Metropolitan, who was sent amongst us about nine years since by his Holiness and your Eminences. "We, therefore, declare that the aforesaid Most Illustrious Metropolitan has laboured DE. PLUNKET. 93 much, exercising his sacred functions, not only in his own, but also in other dioceses ; during, the late persecution he abandoned not the flock entrusted to him, though he was exposed to ex- treme danger of losing his life : he erected schools, and provided masters and teachers, that the clergy and youth might be instructed in literature, piety, cases of conscience, and other matters relating to their office : he held two Provincial Coimcils, in which salutary decrees were enacted for the reformation of morals : he, moreover, rewarded the good and punished the bad, as far as circumstances, and the laws of this kingdom allowed : he laboured much, and not without praise, in preaching the word of God : he instructed the people by word and ex- ample : he also exercised hospitality, so as to excite the admiration of all, although he scarcely received annually 200 crowns from his diocese : and he performed all other things which became an Archbishop and Metropolitan, as far as they could be done in this kingdom : in fine, to our great service and consolation he renewed, or rather established anew, at great expense, cor- respondence with the Holy See, which for many years before his arrival had been interrupted, or rather become extinct. For all which things we gratefully acknowledge ourselves indebted to his Holiness and to your Eminences, who, by youi- solicitude, provided for us so learned and vigilant a Metropolitan : and we shaU ever pray the divine Majesty to preserve his Holi- ness and your Eminences. 94 APOSTOLIC LABOUES OF " From the Provincial Council, held in Ard- patrick, the 27th day of August, 1678, we, your most humble and obsequious children and ser- vants, " Sf Patbick, Bishop of Meath. " SI Fr. Patrick, Bishop of Clogher, and Administrator of Kilmore. " Patrick O'Mulderg, Vicar-General of Connor. " Luke Plunket, Vicar-General of Deny, and Procurator of the Diocese of Eaphoe. "James Cusa.ck, Procurator of the Vicar Apostolic of Ardagh. " Patrick O'Bruin, Vicar-General of Dowri, and Procurator of Eev. Henry Mackey, Vicar-General of Dromore. " Christopher Plunket, Archdeacon of Meath. " Henry Hugo, Procurator of Chapter o Armagh. ' ' ' Patrick Plunket, Vicar-General of County Louth. " Bernard Magorke, Dean of Armagh, an ' Consultor in the Council. " Arnold Matthews, Archdeacon of Clog- her." The date of this letter brings us within a fe months of the imprisonment of Dr. Plunket and during this interval he was engaged, as w learn from his subsequent correspondence, in DR. PLUNKET. 95 laborious visitation of the Suflfragan Dioceses of Armagh, as had been determined on by the assembled Prelates at the Council to which we have just referred. In the letter addressed from the Synod of Clones, mention is made of the blessing he con- ferred on many Catholic families, by obtaining their pardon from the Government. They were the descendants of those whose lands and pro- perties had been seized on in the Confiscation of Ulster. Vowing revenge on their oppressors, they had formed themselves into predatory bands, and sought subsistence by making inces- sant im-oads on, and plundering the holders of their foi-mer possessions. They were known as Tories, and were proclaimed outlaws by the Go- vernment, whilst all who harboured them were subjected to fines and imprisonment, and some- times even to death. "Whosoever was guilty of any crime, and fled from justice— all who could escape from prison, or might prefer to peaceful labom- a bandit career, were received with welcome by the Tories. Degenerating, too, from their original purpose, they often levied taxes on whole districts, and, plundering whither- soever they went, involved innocent and guilty m one common ruin. Those who escaped from the Tones were sm-e to feel the hand of the mili- tary sent m pursuit of them, and the guilt of bemg favourers or harbourers of bandits was often deemed sufficiently proved by the fact of bemg spared m their devastations. Thus many 94 APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF " From the Provincial Council, held in Ard- patrick, the 27th day of August, 1678, we, your most humhle and obsequious children and ser- vants, " * Patrick, Bishop of Meath. " m Fr. Patrick, Bishop of Clogher, and Administrator of Kilmore. " Patrick O'Mulderg, Vicar-General of Connor. " Luke Plunket, Vicar-General of Derry, and Procurator of the Diocese of Raphoe. "James Cusa.ck, Procurator of the Vicar Apostolic of Ardagh. *' Patrick O'Bruin, Vicar-General of Dowri, and Procurator of Rev. Henry Mackey, Vicar-General of Dromore. " Christopher Plunket, Archdeacon of Meath. "Henry Hugo, Procurator of Chapter o Armagh, ' " Patrick Plunket, Vicar-General of County Louth. " Bernard Magorke, Dean of Armagh, an' Consultor in the Council. " Arnold Matthews, Archdeacon of Clog her." The date of this letter brings us within a few months of the imprisonment of Dr. Plunket, and during this interval he was engaged, as we learn from his subsequent correspondence, in a DE. PLUNKET. 95 laborious visitation of the Suffragan Dioceses of Ai-magh, as had been determined on by the assembled Prelates at the Council to which we have just referred. In the letter addressed from the Synod of Clones, mention is made of the blessing he con- ferred on many Catholic families, by obtaining their pardon from the Government. They were the descendants of those whose lands and pro- perties had been seized on in the Confiscation of Ulster. Vowing revenge on their oppressors, they had formed themselves into predatory bands, and sought subsistence by making inces- sant inroads on, and plundering the holders of their fonner possessions. They were kno^vn as Tories, and were proclaimed outlaws by the Go- vernment, whilst all who harboured them were subjected to fines and imprisonment, and some- times even to death. Whosoever was guilty of any crime, and fled from justice— all who could escape from prison, or might prefer to peaceful labour a bandit career, were received Avith welcome by the Tories. Degenerating, too, from their original purpose, they often levied taxes on whole districts, and, plundering whither- soever they went, involved innocent and guilty m one common ruin. Those who escaped from t he Tones were sure to feel the hand of the mili- tary sent m pursuit of them, and the guilt of bemg favourers or harbourers of bandits was otten deemed sufficiently proved by the fact of bemg spared in their devastations. Thus many 96 APOSTOLIC LABOUES OF districts, especially of Armagh, were kept in con- tinual terror, and none could devise means for establishing tranquillity and peace. Dr. Plunket, immediately after his arrival in his diocese, went in person to seek out these bands of Tories in their hiding places : having found them, he made known to them the wickedness of their career, and exhorted them to desist from their guilty course. They listened to the voice of their Pastor, and promised obedience. He then hastened to the Viceroy, and did not cease his solicitations till he was himself the bearer of a Proclamation announcing pardon to all who should submit. Those who were most guilty, and were looked up to as the leaders of the bands, he himself conducted to Dublin, and placed on board of vessels bound for France. The names of many of these outlaws soon became illustrious in the military service of France or Spain. This was not the only occasion in which Dr. Plunket procured the peace of the northern dis- tricts. In the province of Ulster there was a numerous family which for years had received the opprobrious name of Magonna. They were descended from the ancient sept of the O'Keillys, and had received that surname on account of some members of the family who apostatized from the faith of their fathers in the time of Elizabeth. In vain did the descendants of these families, when they returned to the bosom of the CathoUc Church, seek to resume their ancient DB. PLUNKET. 97 name. The O'Keillys refused to acknowledge them as members of their illustrious sept, and continued to address them as a dishonoured branch by the epithet Magonna. Many quarrels and continual disputes and recriminations hence arose, and the whole Catholic body seemed split into two irreconcilable factions, some defending the apostate family, others continuing its re- proach. The Primate long sought to reconcile the conflictingparties, and terminate this quarrel. At length, in 1672, he published a decree, which he caused to be privately printed in Dublin, and afterwards communicated to all the contentious leaders, by which he prohibited, under pain of censure, the future application of the opprobrious epithet to the converted family, commanding that their original name of O'Eeilly should be restored to them. All parties respected this solemn decision of the Primate, and thus this controversy disappears from our history. There were some indeed who deemed this decree im- prudent, and even made it a subject of accusation against Dr. Plunket, as if he had usurped the King's prerogative, to whom was reserved bylaw the privilege of changing family names ; but the decree of the Primate was dictated by zeal for the welfare of the flock intrusted to him, and whilst ^® ^"ys liealed their dissensions, and re-estab- lished charity and peace, he merely restored to prodigal but repentant children the inheritance F 98 APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF Another occasion presented itself, about the same period, for displaying his pastoral love for his suffering people. We shall present it in the words of the Primate, from his letter of the 14th of May, 1673 :— " In part of my diocese, and in all the diocese of Clogher, the Chancellor of the Protestant Bishop frequently molested, and still molests, in a most tyrannical manner, the poor Catholic farmers, as also some of the priests of that diocese. It is the custom here that for the baptism of Catholic children two giulj-i^ should be paid to the priest, and four giulj to the Protestant minister. This latter payment is commanded by law, and although a great grievance, yet it has been tolerated and paid. But in addition to this, the said Chancellor, whose name is John Linsy, cited to the tribunals and prosecuted the poor Catholics for bringing their children to the priests to be baptized, and thus procured the ruin of many poor Catholic families in the diocese referred to. I yesterday drew up a memorial to the Viceroy and Supreme Council against this extortion, and I showed it to the Protestant Primate and to the Protestant Bishop of Clogher. Both besought me not to present the memorial to the Viceroy, and promised that within fifteen days the Chancellor would be com- pelled to desist from this tyrannical manner of proceeding, by which he impoverished more than three hundred Catholic families." • A giuUo was at this time equal to 6d. ; a scudo to 5s. ; four scudi to £1. DR. PLUNKET. 9^ Surely no people ever suflfered more for their i-eligion, and with more Christian patience, than the Irish. What was originally presented by Catholic parents, as a free and religious offering, for the support of their devoted clergy, was now insisted on as a legal right by the ministers of the Protestant Establishment, and an action at law was granted to them for the recovery of such fees even from the Catholics. Curry, in his "Eeview of the Civil Wars in Ireland," states, in the words of Sir Edward Walker, that in the reign of Charles I. the Catholics of Ire- land prayed " to be relieved from those exor- bitant sums which they were obliged to pay for their christenings and marriages to the Protes- tant clergy, and particularly to have the extra- vagant surphce fees, and the extraordinary warrants for levying them, abohshed." The Irish Commons, too, in a Eemonstrance in 1640, distinctly charge the Ecclesiastical Courts of that period as guilty of " barbarous and unjust exactions" and give the following particulars of the extortions which were practised by the Pro- testant clergy : — " In Connaught and elsewhere, sixpence per annum of every couple is paid for holy-water clerk ; of every man that dies, a multue, by the name of anointing money ; from a poor man that has but one cow they take that cow for mortuary ; from one that is better able, his best garment tor mortuary. If a woman, her best garment for mortuary ; and a gallon of drink for every brew- 100 APOSTOLIC LABOUKS OF ing by the name of Mary-gallons ; for every beef that is killed for the funeral of any man, the hide and tallow, and they challenge a quarter besides ; fourpence or sixpence per annum from every parishioner for soul-money ; a ridge of winter corn, and a ridge of oats, for every plough, by the name of St. Patrick's ridges ; for portion- canons, the tenth part of the goods, after debts paid, &c." Thus, whilst they stigmatized the Catholic doctrines and practices as superstitious and idolatrous, they nevertheless insisted on receiv- ing ten-fold the offerings which in Catholic times were wont to accompany Catholic devo- tions.* The Chancellor Linsy, however, was not content with these exactions ; he wished that, besides paying the Parson, Catholics should * From the character of the Protestant clergy, given in the preceding chapter, these exactions cannot sur- prise us. In this same Eemonstrance of the House of Commons (Commons' Journal, vol, i., pp. 258-261), it is added that " the exorbitant and barbarous exactions of the Protestant clergy were levied especially on the poorer sort." Indeed the Protestant mission was carried on as a mere money-making speculation. Burnet tells us that " the Chancellor bought his place, and hence thought he had a right to all the profits he could make out of it;" and this writer adds that "in the Bishop's Court bribes went about almost barefaced." — (Life of Bedel. See also Mason's Life of Bedel). The statement of Usher confirms Burnet's testimony, for writing to Archbishop Laud he says, that "such is the venality of aU. things sacred here (in Ireland) that I fear to mention anything about them," DR. PLUNKET. 101 become Protestants into the bargain, and because they resolved to listen to God rather than man, this so-called Minister of the Gospel of charity, till checked in his ruthless career by the true pastoral zeal of our Primate, succeeded in reduc- ing to abject misery and ruin more than three hundred poor families ! Dr. Plunket, writing to Eome on the 18th June, 1670, estimates the number of those to whom he had already administered the sacra- ment of Confirmation at about ten thousand; and adds, that no fewer than fifty thousand per- sons yet remained to receive it. By frequent visitations he sought to place within the reach of all, the consolations of that holy sacrament; and so untiring were his labours that on the 15th December, 1673, he announces to the Secretary of Propaganda :— " During the past four years I confirmed^ forty-eight thousand six hundred and fifty-five." And what renders this more sur- prising is, the many toils he had to undergo in order to administer this sacrament to them; for often, with no other food than a little oaten oread, he had to seek out their abodes in the mountains and in the woods, and often, too, was this sacrament administered under the broad canopy of heaven, both flock and pastor being alike exposed to the winds and rain. Ihe SjTiodical letter which we have cited reters also to the zealous solicitude of the Pri- mate in instructing the faithful, and announcing f3 102 APOSTOLIC LABOUES OF to them the saving doctrines of eternal life.* He allowed no motive to excuse him from this pastoral duty, and even when suffering from bodily sickness he continued to pursue the same career of love. Writing on the 2nd of August, 1678, he thus makes known to the Sacred Con- gregation his labours during the preceding months : — " The past two months were spent in a fatiguing and most laborious visitation of my diocese, of which I shall shortly give a full account to your Excellency The distillation from my eyes, w^hich was greatly increased by the laborious visitation in the mountains of the northern districts, scarcely allows me to write or read letters even as large as a snuff-box, but still it did not impede my tongue from preaching in both the English and Irish languages." We shall afterwards have occasion to com- memorate his sacrifices, in order to maintain the schools which he opened for the education of the youthful portion of his flock, and which he intrusted to the Jesuit Fathers. It will suffice at present to quote a few words from his letter of the 92nd September, 1672, in which, speaking of these schools, he says : " Oh ! what labours, what expenses did I sustain in * The Internunzio, Airoldi, on the 19th Septemher, 1671, acknowledges the receipt of a Brief from the Holy See through the Sacred Congregation, congratulating Dr. Plunket on his zeal and labours. DB. PLUNKET. 103 order to support tliem : how many memorials were presented against me, and against the Viceroy, even to the Supreme Council. ... I solemnly avow, Monsignore, that I expended for them, during the past two years and two months, more than 400 scudi : and, moreover, they and I are in debt 200 scudi. I dressed in cloth of two shillings a yard: I had but one servant, and a boy to look after the horses, and I kept a most sparing table, in order to aid them." Elsewhere Dr. Plunket details the vast labour and expense which he incurred in corresponding with the Holy See ; whilst he also declares that in the commissions which he received from Home it was his fii-m resolution to face all dangers, and to submit to calumny and per- secution rather than betray the cause of justice which was entrusted to him. His letter is as follows : — " I have received your most welcome letter, and I can avow to your Excellency that I toil night and day in the affairs of my mission, and that I give no rest to my brows, or repose to my eyes, and let all be for the greater glory of God, and the service of the Apostolic See— that is, tlie propagation and preservation of the Faith, lor the future, however, I shall not have to labour so much, as I now live with the Fathers ot the Society in the house which I built near -Uundalk ; they assist me in resolving difficult cases, and in writing letters to different parts of 104 APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF the kingdom when necessary : hitherto, whilst living in the house of a friend, I was without any assistance. The schools, too, succeed so well that even Protestant gentlemen send their children to them, and defend them when some ministers seek to molest us And I shall ever be, your most affectionate and obliged servant, " * Oliver of Armagh. " 7th June, 1671." The spirit of i-eligion — the desire to promote God's glory and propagate the blessings of our holy faith — which was the moving spring of all Dr. Plunket's labours, is here transparent in every line. In another letter addressed to the Internunzio, on the S8th September, 1671, he again avows these holy desires, and presents in detail the motives which spurred him on to toil incessantly in guarding the flock intrusted to him : — " The despatches which I received (he says) were accompanied by a most kind letter from your Excellency, dated the 12th of August, and full of such courteous expressions, as would suffice to move the very travertine to activity and action. I will not fail to work with the pen, with the tongue, with all my slender energies, and this for three motives — 1st, To serve the Divine Majesty; 2nd, Through gratitude and the reverence which I owe to the Apostolic See for the education and honours which it conferred DE. PLUNKET. 105 on me; 3rd, Because God commands me to obey and serve the Holy See, and its service is inseparable from that of Christ." During the years of persecution which pre- ceded the arrival of Dr. Plunket in Ireland, the priesthood had been so thinned by exile and the sword that many districts were left wholly destitute of pastors. Dr. Patrick Plunket, Bishop of Meath, was, for a time, the only Bishop in the country able to confer ordination, and during his Episcopate of Ardagh alone, no fewer than 950 priests received at his hands the sacrament of Holy Orders.* In the list of Irish priests registered in the year 1704, and pub- lished by the Government,! there were yet living more than ninety who represented them- selves as ordained by this Prelate. It is certain, however, that some of these must be referred to the Primate, as the date of ordination is more than once subsequent to the demise of the Bishop of Meath ; and about 120 others of the registered clergy refer their ordination to Dr. Plunket, Archbishop of Armagh. From the letters of the Primate, which we have already quoted, it is certain that, immediately on his arrival in Ireland in 1670, he held two ordina- tions ; and from the synodic al letters of Clones and Ardpatrick, it is sufficiently clear that he continued without intermission, duiing the sub- * Letter of Dr. Patrick Plunket to Sacred Congrega- tion, 16C9. ° + See reprint in Battersby's Directory for 1838. 106 APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF sequent years of his Episcopate, to promote worthy ministers to the holy order of priest- hood. The Holy Sacrifice seems to have heen at this period for the most part celebrated in private houses, and such was the fury of the persecutors, that it was deemed a criminal offence in Catholics to seek to erect a public edifice for the service of God. Hence but few chapels were to be met with through the country, excepting those which, with the con- nivance of Ormond, had been erected by the Valesians. He wished by this privilege to win for Walsh and his fellow-Eemonstrants special favour amongst the Catholics ; but the people of Ireland were too devoted to the See of St. Peter to offer insult to his successor, no matter what might be the bribe held out to them. The Eemonstrants soon ceased to hold any position among the Catholics, and the churches they erected passed into the hands of their orthodox opponents. We shall allow the Archbishop to describe the happy result as to his diocese in the following extract from his letter to the Intemunzio, dated Dublin, 26th September, 1671 : — " To say the truth, our just and good God has drawn good from the evil deeds of Walsh. This man, about eight years ago, anxious to make a display of zeal, and thus more easily gain followers and attract the people, obtained from Ormond a toleration for chapels and i DB. PLUNKET. 107 convents in Dublin, and many other cities, but he wished that all the convents, and even all the provinces should be governed by his own adherents. Ormond being removed from the Viceroyalty, through the mercy of God, no other Viceroy molested or molests either the chapels or the convents." Before the close of 1673 the storm of persecution was once more let loose upon our country. I'he bishops and regular clergy were those against Avhom its fury was chiefly levelled. Incredible were the privations and sufferings which Dr. Phmket was compelled to endure ; but what most afflicted the tender heart of the good shepherd was to see his fold laid waste by the devouring wolves, and all the institutions, the fruits of years of unceasing toil, reduced to ruin. He seems, indeed, in the zealous labours of his early Episcopate, to have foreseen the coming perse- cution, and in his letter of 29th September, 1671, he thus expresses himself: — "I pray your Excellency to expedite the matters which I wrote to you about. This is the time for doing good whilst the present Viceroy is with us. We must act as the mariners at sea, who, when the wind is favourable, unfurl all their sail, and sweep the ocean with great velocity, but when the wind becomes contrary, they lower .sails, and seek some little port for refiige. AVhilst we have the present Viceroy, we mmj sail, and I will do all in my power to advance our spi- ritual mterests, instruct the clergy, and educate them in science and theology." 108 APOSTOLIC LABOUKS OF His anticipations were too soon to be realised, and, writing on the 15th of December, 1673, he draws a vivid picture of the sufferings he had then to undergo, and the poverty to which he was reduced : — ■ "Matters here have been very severe, the more so as the meeting of Parhament is at hand on the 7th of January next, so that I am in con- ceahnent, and Dr. Brennan is with me. The lay Catholics are so much afraid of losing their property that no one with anything to lose will give refuge to either ordinary or regulars, and although the regular clergy have some con- nivance to remain, yet the Catholics dread al- most to admit them to say Mass in their houses. The priests,' too, give nothing to the bishops. Hence I sometimes find it difficult to procure even oaten-bread, and the house where I and Dr. Brennan are, is of straw, and covered or thatched in such a manner that from our bed we may see the stars, and at the head of our bed every slightest shower refreshes us, but we are resolved rather to die from hunger and cold than to aban- don our flocks. It would be a shame for spiritual soldiers, educated in Rome, to become merce- naries. We shall take no step without the or- der of your Eminences. " There is nothing that occasions me more inward grief than to see the schools which were instituted by me, now destroyed after so many toils. Oh! what will the Catholic youth do, which is both numerous and full of talent? The DB. PLUNKET. 109 schools continued till the close of November last, and commenced about the beginning of July, 1670 : so that they lasted three years and five months, and indeed the Fathers of the Society behaved well, and toiled exceedingly in them, and they generally had about 150 Catholic boys. I procured also a Master to instruct the young Priests of the Province of Armagh in cases of conscience, and in the manner of teaching the catechism, &c. The Sacred Congregation as- signed 150 scudi per annum to the Fathers. . . . Modesty prevents me from speaking, but never- theless, as it is the truth, I will say it, I gave more ' Eeports ' to your Eminences, and corres- ponded better than all the Prelates of Ireland for the past 30 years, and Monsignors Baldeschi, Airoldi, and Falconieri can testify to the truth of this : I gave no rest to my brows and pen, or even to my horses, duiing the past four years, in a vast Province of eleven Dioceses, in all of which, besides myself, there was only one. Bishop, and he old and half decrepit. Dr.* Plunket, Bishop of Meath, until the arrival, a shoi;t time ago, of the Bishop of Clogher, and of the Bishop of Down a little before him. I con- finned, during the past four years, forty-eight thousand sLx hundred and fifty-five, of whom I have kept the list, and there are some Dioceses here that have not seen a Bishop for forty years, tiiough the Catholics are numerous in them. . . bince the di-ead of the Parliament commenced in the month of February last, I did not receive G 110 APOSTOLIC LABOUES OF 10 scudi from my Diocese, and at present, since the publication of the edict, not a coin is to be seen : with difficulty can a piece of oaten-bread be found, and a hut of straw. May the Lord God be ever praised, and the most holy Mary. — I am, &c., " * Oliver of Aemagh. " 15th December, 1673. " To Monsignor Cerri, i " Secretary of Propaganda." ] Dr. Plunket, in many of his letters, had al^j ready announced this coming storm, and he rd^ ceived in return a consolatory letter from thl Sacred Congregation, exhorting him to couragj and fortitude of soul.* The letter of Dr. Plunket; to which this consolatory brief was more imme- diately sent as a reply, is as follows : "I have received your letter of the 3rd inst., and I am rej oiced that your Excellency was pleased with the ' Report ' Avhich I sent regarding the state of Catholic affairs in this kingdom ; but I am sorry that this is far worse now than here- tofore. The Bishops are all now proscribed, as also the Vicars-General, and all the heads of the clergy. No Catholics can keep or carry fire-arms ; and they would not have been allowed even to retain their swords, were it not that the Viceroy was resolute, and at the same time in- clined to clemency. It is now expected that no * So we find recorded amongst the Diaries of the Con- gregation, held 26th February, 1674. DE. PLUNKET. Ill Catholic will be allowed to live in the feities. You must have heard from London with tthat audacity the Parliament sought to prevent the marriage of the Duke of York with a Catholic, although the marriage contract had been made with the consent of the King. The House of Commons also wished that no Catholic lord — that is, no marquis, earl, or baron — should have a vote in Parliament ; and, moreover, it refused supplies for carrying on the war against the Dutch. It also desired that no Catholic should reside within five miles of London, and that all Catholics should have some distinctive mark, as the Jews in Kome. Similar were the beginnings of the Parhament in 1640 and 1641, which, with unheard of tyranny, beheaded the father of the present King, who is a wise and clement sovereign. These unreasonable demands obliged the King to prorogue the Parliament till the 7th of January, and he would have dissolved it alto- gether were it not for two counsellors who dis- suaded him. The Government here dare not moderate in any way our sentence of banishment, or give us a longer respite than the 1st of De- cember, through di-ead of the Parliament, which is so severe against the Catholics. I ex- hort my brethren to constancy, and not to aban- don their flocks, but imitating the pastors of the three first centuries, to retire to some comer of their districts tiU the storm shall have passed. 1 shall retire to some little hut in the woods or mountains of my diocese, with a supplv of can- 113 APOSTOLIC LABOURS OF dies and books. Nevertheless, you can continue to send your letters as usual, and I wiU try oc- casionally to send some account to you Since May, I only received 80 scudi from my diocese, and were it not for Sir Nicholas Plunket, who gave me lodging and support, I would be rather a pilgrim than a Prelate. The poverty of the Catholics, occasioned by the many taxes, and by the last war with the Dutch, is incon- ceivable and indescribable, and the priests are poor, having nothing but the offerings of the faithful to support them: the poverty of the priests occasions the poverty of the bishops, for they have nothing but their proxies — that is, four or five scudi from each priest — but since the edict was published, the bishops cannot make any visitations, or receive any proxies, and hence they are in a most miserable condi-| tion. I " * Oliver of Armagh. 1 " 19th J^ovember, 1673." 1 " P.S — The Bishop of Waterford wiU come to my district to conceal himself, as his own city is full of fanatics and furious Presbyterians. The Bishop of Meath is old, and attacked witli the gout, and unable to move about. I think the Viceroy will have compassion on him, on account of the esteem he has for Sir Nicholas, brother of the Bishop." The alarm consequent on the renewal of the persecution lasted till the close of the following DR. PLtNKET. 113 year. During this time Dr. Plunket, with the Bishop of Waterford, lay concealed in the woods and mountainous districts. He found oppor- tunity, however, in the beginning of 1674, to undertake a journey to the Province of Tuam, having been commissioned by the Holy See to confer the Pallium on Dr. Lynch, the Arch- bishop of that Province ; in this excursion he penetrated as far as Galway; and in his letter to the S. Congregation he extols the devotion and hospitality of the people of that fine old Catholic town. Calumny seems to have been added to the suffer- ings of our Irish Bishops, and some individuals represented to the Holy See that the Pastors of the Irish Church were abandoning their flocks, and that no fewer than fourteen Bishops had left that island on their way to Kome. Nothing could be more false than this calumnious assertion. Dr. Plunket expresses his surprise how such a tale could be invented ; and writing on the 15th of September, 1674, whilst he repeats his sohci- tations for assistance, and details the sufferings to which he and Dr. Brennan were exposed, he declares, at the same time, their firm resolve to nin all risks, and to endure imprisonment and torture sooner than abandon the flocks entrusted to their charge. "Dui'ing the past month, he says, I received two of your letters, but the judges of assizes oemg on circuit in my district, I retired to my usual place of concealment in the most remote 114 APOSTOLIC LABOUBS OF parts of the province, and hence I was not able to correspond as I desu^ed, nor can I even at present do so, for during the past two months and a-half I ceased to correspond with my friends in Dubhn and London, as also with those in the provinces of Casliel and Tuam, so that I can give no ' reports ' except in regard of my own diocese, and the cause of all this is the lightness of my purse. I declare to your Excellency that all I have in this world does not exceed 80 scudi, and the usual charities of the faithful have ceased since the edicts, nor is there any chance, as far as I see, that the sums which 1 expended in serving their Eminences will be repaid to me, so that I find myself in a do plorable condition ; but let all be for the glor} of God and the salvation of my soul. Had I served the Duke of Mirandola, in correspon- dence and otherwise, as I served the Sacred Congregation these five years past, the baker's account would have been long since settled; had I the means I would spare no labour or industry in serving their Eminences, being- obliged to it by every law of justice iuul gratitude; but what is out of my powc: 1 cannot do " God knows that I gave no rest to my brow^. to my pen, or to my horses, in serving their Eminences, and I should ever continue to do ?f> with alacrity and joy were it possible for nic, but, as I have no means, how can you expec'^ that I should do so? I was in Rome for twenty DB. PLUNKET. 115 five years, and for twelve of these I served the Sacred Congregation in the Chairs of Theology and^Conferences. . . Then their Eminences des- tined me to the principal Church in this king- dom, and God knows in what manner I laboured, and Avith what toils I promoted and preserved the cause of the Church. I moreover wrote to some of their Eminences, as to Cardinals Bar- berini, Azzolini, and others, concerning the persecution and the misery of this country, which was so great, that in my diocese, more than 500 Catholics > died from stan-ation,* and the Bishop of Waterford and I were glad to get a morsel of oaten-bread. But enough of these matters. "As to the subject of your letters, I sent a copy of the last edict through two different channels, that is, by the post, and by a friend who was going to London. As to the story you heard of our Prelates being on their way to Eome to take up their residence there, I cannot understand it; there is no Bishop here who knows the language of Eome, or has friends there, excepting the Bishop of Waterford and myself, and we will not abandon our flocks till we are compelled to do so; we will first sufi'er imprisonment and other torments; we have already suffered so much on the mountains, in huts, and caverns, and Ave have acquired such Internunzio, writing in August, 1674, announces la&t a dreadful famine had set in in Ireland, and laid tbe whole country desolate." 116 APOSTOmc LABOUES OF a habit of it, that, for the future, suffering will he less severe and less troublesome." From the facts incidentally mentioned in this letter, we may form some idea of the misery to which our country was now reduced by con- tinued oppression and the renewal of the per- secution. In one diocese alone, more than five hundred persons fell victims to famine, choosing rather to suffer death itself than to barter, for the mess of pottage which was held out to them, the precious inheritance of their faith. Amidst all their sufferings, however, the good Shepherd clung to his sheep, their sorrows were his sorrows, their trials were his trials. In the following years, though the Catholics at intervals enjoyed a partial calm, yet their sad condition and misery continued unabated. A little while before his arrest in 1679, Dr. Plunket wrote to the Secretary of Propaganda, that all he possessed in this world did not ex- ceed 50 scudi ; and in another letter written at the same time, he attests the desolation of his flock, occasioned by famine and the sword, and declares his resolution to sell even the sacred vessels themselves in order to relieve their misery. The continuance of persecution pro- duced no change in his holy resolve to cling in- separably to his flock, and on the 15 th of May, 1679, in his letter to the Internunzio, he calmly announces to him, " so many are the spies in search of me, that I am morally certain I shall DB. PLUNKET. 117 "be apprehended ; but, nevertheless, I wilL re- main with my own, nor will I abandon them till I be dragged to the sea-shore." Many were the calumnies which, from time to time, were published against our Primate. However, they only caused his true merit to shine forth with renewed brilliancy and lustre. We shall more than once have occasion to refer to these accusations hereafter : for the present we will merely cite a few testimonies of those best acquainted with our Irish Church as to his zeal and untiring labours. Thus, the Inter- nunzio, Falconieri, writes to the Sacred Congre- gation on the 9th November, 16T3 : " I cannot here omit to rejnesent to the Sacred Congregation the zeal with which the Archbishop of Armagh la- hours for the propagation of the Catholic religion in his diocese, of which I have received most indu- bioiis proof s froyn various quarters ; and again, on 24th February, 1674, transmitting to Kome a letter of the Primate, he adds : " Chiefly by his zeal are the affairs of the Catholic religion maintained in the kingdom of Ireland." Peter Creagh, who %vas so distinguished towards the close of the 17th century, as Archbishop of Dublin, also expresses himself in the same strain in his letter of the 24th January, 1671, to Dr. Brennan, the agent of the Irish clergy in Rome : — " I w^as in Dublin (he writes) during the As- sembly of our Bishops, and though there was some diflference between the Ai-chbishops of G 2 118 APOSTOLIC LABOUES. Armagh and Dublin as to the order of signature to the decrees, nevertheless this controversy was carried on so peaceably that its echo was scarcely heard beyond the precincts of the place of assembly. We experience great benefit from the formula of allegiance which the Prelates presented to the Viceroy, and we are allowed to enjoy great liberty. " All that has been written against the Arch- bishop of Ai'magh is mere calumny, proceeding from envy. He administers his province with great zeal and devotedness : he has put an end to many quarrels and scandals, and he has re- duced to submission certain bands of outlaws, who were a perpetual annoyance to the Catholics of the province. Now, thanks to God, there is nothing to disturb our tranquillity and peace." The Archbishop of Cashel, too, in his letter of 6th April, 1677, after rejecting several calumnies with which Dr. Plunket was assailed, thus briefly adds his own invaluable testimony as to the zealous labours of the Primate : — " In my opinion, the present Archbishop of Armagh has attended more to the spiritual administration of that province than any of his predecessors for many years ; and I say this without wishing to lower in any way the merit of the preceding Primates." And again, after the glorious martyrdom of Dr. Plunket, the same Archbishop, when trans- mitting to Eome a narrative of his imprison- ment and execution, writes : — DE. PLUNKEt's zeal. 119 " In truth, his holy life merited for him this glorious death ; for during the twelve years of his residence here, he showed himself vigi- lant, zealous, and indefatigable above his pre- decessors, nor do we find within the memory of any of the present century that any Primate or Metropolitan visited his diocese and province with such solicitude and pastoral zeal as he did, refonning depraved morals amongst the people, and the scandalous lives of some of the clergy, chastising the guilty, rewarding the meritorious, consoling all, and benefiting, as far as was in his power, and succouring the needy : wherefore he was applauded and honoured by the clergy and people, with the exception of some wicked enemies of virtue and religious obsen'ance." CHAPTEE VIII. DR. PLUNKET's zeal IN COBEECTING ABUSES. From the zeal displayed by Dr. Plunket in ad- vancing the cause of God, and promoting the spiritual welfare of his flock, we may easily conclude with what ardour he would seek to root out any prevailing abuses, and bring back to the right path the straying sheep of his fold. Considering the circumstances of the times, these abuses were indeed but few ; and very many of the Irish people in the fohiess of ISO DB. PLUNKEt's zeal IN faith, and simplicity of heart, received with submission the teaching of their pastors, and realized in their lives, amidst the afflictions of this world, and the trials of persecution, all the sublime perfection of the Gospel. Neverthe- less, there were those who neglected the prac- tises of faith — prodigal children in the spiritual household, and these became the special objects of the good Prelate's care. Several instances of this kind have already presented themselves in the preceding pages ; and we have also seen, when attempts were made to sow dissensions amongst the faithful, with what zealous ardour he laboured to reconcile his children and to preserve amongst them the blessings of peace. In some districts of his province. Dr. Plun- ket found that drunkenness— that accursed vice which for so many centuries has brought disgrace and ruin on our people — had cast deep root, and immediately all the energies of his soul were directed to eradicate it, and introduce holy temperance in its place. The better to effect that object, he resolved to propose in his own life a model of abstemiousness, which all might imitate, and not only did he avoid all excess, but, moreover, even at his meals he abstained altogether from the use of every intoxicating drink. All excesses in the clergy were, in like manner, most strictly prohibited, and he interdicted, under the severest censures, their frequenting di-inking-houses ; his exhor- tations, confirmed by his own example, and by COEEECTING ABUSES. 131 tliat of Ms clergy, were happily successful in converting many of the people from their evil ways, and in winning them hack to the ohser- vance of the precepts of the Gospel. No words can better attest his zeal in correcting this abuse than his own letter to the Sacred Con- gregation — from which, too, we learn how suc- cessfully he strove to present in his own life, and that of his clergy, a model of temperance to the faithful : — " Whilst visiting six dioceses of this province," he writes, " I applied myself especially to root out the cursed vice of drunkenness, which is the parent, and the nurse of all scandals and contentions. I commanded also, under penalty of privation of benefice, that no priest should frequent pubhc houses, or drink whiskey, &c., &c. Indeed I have derived great fruit from this order, and, as it is of little use to teach without practising, I myself never drink at meals. Give me an Irish priest without this vice, and he is assuredly a saint." Dr. Plunket was also untiring in his endea- vours to introduce regularity and discipline into those houses of the Eeligious orders, where . mobservance had crept in during the years of persecution. No spiritual labourers had culti- vated with greater zeal this portion of the vineyard of the Lord than the children of St. ^rancis. Not only had many illustrious mem- bers of the Irish hierarchy come forth from their ranks, but in the days of Ireland's peril, 193 DE. PLUNKET's zeal IN when the sword was unsheathed to smite the shepherds of the fold, the convents of St. Francis, scattered through the Continent, sent to our shores, hand after band of devoted cham- pions of the cross, who kept ahve the flame of faith, and often, too, seahng their testimony with their blood, led on their faithful flocks to martyrdom. The glory of these heroic soldiers of Christ, is nowise obscured by the corrupt lives of some few apostates, who sought to make this holy habit a mask for their ambition. At the time of which we speak, it cannot at all surprise us that the seed sown by Peter Walsh and Taafe should bear its evil fruits ; and that, whilst the learning of Wadding in Kome, and the evangelical labours of Dr. Tyrrell in Ireland, added new glories to the pages of the Francis- can annals, some unworthy brethren bringing contumely upon that name, and violating their most sacred vows, should, Judas-hke, consum- mate their wickedness by renouncing their saving faith, and even hesitate not to persecute the most zealous of their fellow-labourers in the ministry, and bring their saintly chief-pastor to the scaffold. The superiors of the Franciscan order were, indeed, no less desirous than the Archbishop that these disorders should be checked; and when, in 1669, the first measures were taken by the Holy See to re-establish the purity of religious discipline in Ireland, we find that the then Guardian of the Franciscans in Louvain addressed a letter, in the name of his CORRECTING ABUSES. 193 fellow-religious, to the Secretary of tlie Sacred Congregation, thanking him for his solicitude and watchfulness in promoting that holy work : " When the Irish Franciscan province," he says, " weakened hy so many assaults, tossed about by so many contrary winds, lacerated by the dissensions of the wicked, disturbed by the ambition of some, was hastening to its ruin, and seemed even on the brink of destruction, our good God, who rejects not, nor despises those who hope in Him, but from on high looks on them with an eye of mercy, and protects and defends them with his omnipotence, at length was pleased to stretch forth to us His assisting hand ; and you were the chief instrument he nlade use of, by whose energy and prudence the waves were calmed, the clouds scattered, and peace restored, our province was re-estabhshed, rehgion promoted, the lovers of observance com- forted, the contumacious repressed and humbled. Wherefore, in most humble sentiments, pros- trate before your Excellency, mindful of so great a blessing, whose remembrance shall be undying amongst us, we render to you all the thanks that are in our power ; and we offer up our pi ayers to God that He who is omnipotent may deign to long preserve your Excellency for the propagation of his Holy Church and the pre- servmg of our province." The persecution, however, which soon burst upon the country, blasted at once all the hopes ot the re-establishment of discipline, and in a 134 DE. PLUNKEt's zeal IN postscript to his letter of the 15th December, 1673, Dr. Plunket briefly remarks that " all the convents and novitiates are destroyed, and the novices are scattered throughout the country." Whilst the good Archbishop zealously laboured to efi"ect these reforms, the enemies of our Church deemed it a fit opportunity to bring reproach upon the Irish Catholics, and heap calunmy upon the Primate himself ; and thus, whilst on the one hand the evils were exaggerated, on the other, the manner of acting of the Archbishop was represented as most arbitrary and oppressive. To one of the accusations made against him Dr. Plunket thus alludes, when Avriting to the Internunzio on the 36th of September, 1673 : — " Your letter of the 8th inst. wisely ad- monishes me to avoid all occasions which might give pretext to the threatened persecution. I will be sure to carry it out to the letter, and, indeed, during the whole past year, I took care that no Synods or Provincial Councils, or assem- blies of the Clergy should be held by the Bishops, which indeed proved of great advantage to those who conformed to my council " As to the dissensions of the Catholics, of which you speak, I see here, on the contrary, great concord ; nor do I see any divisions what- soever amongst ecclesiastics, and did such exist I should know it, as I receive letters every week from all the Archbishops and Bishops, and when any discord arises, they write to me at once, and you may rest assured that, of all COERECTINa ABUSES. 125 tliat happens, you shall have a sincere and perfect account, without any partiality or passion." The zeal of Dr. Plunket was tempered by prudence and charity, and even those who were most irregular and disorderly in their conduct were, on their conversion, treated by him with special kindness and regard. We have an illus- trious example of this in his receiving back to the bosom of the Church a wretched apostate named Martin French. This man had been a member of the Augustinian order, but setting aside all laws, ecclesiastical and divine, had refused to listen to the voice of his legitimate superiors, and even summoned the Archbishop of Tuam before the secular courts, accusing him under the statute, of praemunire — that is, of exercising foreign jui-isdiction in the British dominions. In consequence of these accusations the Arch- bishop was detained for many months in prison, and even for some time was in great danger of being led to the scaffold. Dr. Plunket, on the 24th of April, 1671, thus refers to the sufferings of this Archbishop : — " The good Archbishop of Tuam was im- prisoned aneAv during the past Lent, on the ac- cusations of Martin French, and was found guilty of ^jraemttmVe— that is, of exercising foreign jui-isdiction, but now, having given security, he IS aUowed to be at liberty till the next sessions ol August ; but Nicholas Plunket, who is the best lawyer in the kingdom, and the only aeiender that the poor ecclesiastics have in such 126 DK. PLUNKEt's zeal IN circumstances, writes that he should appeal from the courts of Gal way to the supreme jurisdiction of Dublin, in which there is greater equity." On the trial being sent to Dublin, French did not appear to prosecute, and soon afterwards, touched by repentance, petitioned the Primate to pardon him his guilt and re-admit him to the bosom of the holy Church. The good prelate, moved by his prayers, and still more by the tears which testified his horror for the course of crime he had pursued, absolved him, in the name of the Holy See, from the censures he had in- curred, and wrote most pressing letters to the Archbishop of Tuam, praying him to receive bade the prodigal child, and reinstate him in the household of God. It was thus Dr. Lynch himself wrote, on the 17th of September, 1671, to the Intemunzio in Brussels. After stating that French had repented of his crimes, he adds : — "He had recourse to the most illustrious Lord Primate, who freed him from censures, and more than once notified the same to us by letters, praying also and beseeching us that we would admit to our communion this man, no longer subject to censures or irregularities, and that we would cast every fault, if there were any, upon his own shoulders ; and to this tes- timony we have given every credence." Thus, the interests of religion and the glory of God were the sole springs of every action of the Primate, and a paternal affection was sure CORRECTING ABUSES. 127 to greet the sinner on his repentance. This truly divine, not human, zeal, implied another feature, which is not less clearly recognized in the actions of Dr. Plunket, namely, that when he discovered himself in error he did not hesitate to avow it, and retract the injury which, per- chance, he might have done. A noble instance of this Is presented in his letter of 21st Septem- ber, 1678 :— "Some time since you asked me for an ac- count of Dr. Cornelius Daly, but as he was then in Paris, I besought you to write to that city, and soon after I received information that he was a Jansenist, factious, &c. I now find that the information thus conveyed to me was false, for as he at present is here in Ireland, I con- versed with him ; and I find him wholly opposed to the Jansenists, and he subscribed in my presence the formula condemnatory of Jansen- ism ; and I find him well versed in theology, and in the canons, and in cases of conscience, and he is, in my opinion, a modest, exact, and exemplary ecclesiastic, of grave and good deport- ment, being about forty years of age ; and to say the truth, I saw but few returning from Paris with better ecclesiastical qualities ; and in my humble opinion he is deserving of any dignity that he may be promoted to. I pray your Excellency to write to Monsignor Cerri in his favour, that he may be appointed Vicar Apos- tolic of Ardfert and Aghadoe, which two small dioceses have been united for forty years, as 128 EFFOETS OF DB. PLUNKET also to send this letter to Monsignor Cerri. Dr. Daly can effect great good in these dioceses ; he is a good preacher, and can labour well in propagating and preserving the faith." CHAPTEE IX. EFFORTS OF DB. PLUNKET TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. The thirst for knowledge ever displayed by the people of Ireland, from the first era of their enlightenment by Catholic faith, is proverbial. During her ages of peace and prosperity, Semi- naries and other Institutions of learning were everywhere scattered throughout the land. Science, exiled from the Continent, found a secure asylum on our shores ; and from the Monasteries and Schools of Ireland went forth an innumerable host of holy and learned men, to rekindle in the kingdoms of Europe the lamp of knowledge, and to confer on them the bless- ings of civilization and religion. St. Bernard writes that " from Ireland, as from an overflow- ing stream, crowds of holy men descended on foreign nations ;" and a Saxon writer, Aldhelm, describes our country as " rich in the wealth of science," and " as thickly set with learned men as the poles are with stars." The German his- TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 129 torian, Gorres, contemplating the Irish Church at that period, cries out; — " while flames of war were blazing round her, the green isle enjoyed the sweets of repose. When we look into the ecclesiastical life of this people, we are almost tempted to believe that some potent spirits transported over the sea the cells of the valley of the Nile, with all their hermits — its monas- teries, with all their inmates, and had settled down in the Western Isle ! — an Isle which in the lapse of three centuries gave eight hundred and fifty saints to the Church — won over to Christianity the north of Britain, and soon after a large portion of the yet Pagan Germany ; and Avhile it devoted the utmost attention to the sciences, cultivated with special care mystical contemplation in her religious communities as well as in the saints whom they produced." Eric, of Auxerre, and other waiters, speak with rapture of the learned men who, in the reign of Charlemagne, hastened " in swarms " to the shores of France ; and even as late as the eleventh century, we find that Sulgen, the holy Bishop of St. David's, went to Ireland to cul- tivate the pursuits of literature ; " for that country," adds his cotemporary biographer, " is renowned for its wondrous wisdom." Six centuries of devastation, of plunder, and of ruin ensued ; religious persecution was added to national strife, and soon the garden became as a wilderness, and learning seemed exiled from the land. In the year 1581, it was enacted by Parliament, that — 130 EFFORTS OF DE. PLUNKET " Any person keeping a schoolmaster who shall not repair to the Established Church, shall forfeit £10 per month." Other acts of Parliament followed in quick succession. We shall give but a brief epitome of them : — " If a Catholic kept a school, or taught any person — Protestant or Catholic — any species of literature or science, such teacher was, for the crime of teaching, punishable by law by banishment ; and if he returned from banish- ment, he was subject to be hanged as a felon." " If a Catholic, whether a child or adult, at- tended, in Ireland, a school kept by a Catholic, or was privately instructed by a Catholic, such Catholic, although a child in its early infancy, incurred a penalty of all its property present or future." "If a Catholic child, however young, was sent to any foreign country for education, such infant child incurred a similar penalty — that is, a forfeiture of all right to property, present or prospective." " If any person in Ireland made any remit- tance in money or goods for the maintenance of any Irish child educated in a foreign country, such person incurred a similar forfeiture."* All this, however, did not suffice ; and British * " Memoirs of Ireland, &c.," by D. O'Connell. TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK- 131 legislation was said to have attained its perfec- tion, and pacified Ireland, only when all our Catholic inhabitants were pent up in the various precincts of Connaught ; — when emigration from the immediate districts assigned to them was made punishable with death, without trial or form of law ; when it was commanded that all priests should be hanged without merty ; that all the inhabitants should take the oath of ab- juration, if presented to them, under penahy of forfeiting two-thirds of their goods and chattels ; and when, in fine, its legislature enacted regard- ing education — " that all Catholic children at- taining the age of twelve years were to be taken from their parents and educated in England in the principles of the Protestant religion.* Thus nothing remained for our forefathers but to renounce the pursuit of learning, or to drink in, at poisoned sources, the waters of knowledge. The eager desire of some to penetrate the depths of science induced them to frequent Protestant schools, and imperil the precious treasure of their faith. Often, however, even during this period of persecution, did the Pastors raise their warning voices to make known to their flocks the snare which was laid for them ; and often did they lament the dread evils which * See O'Conor's " History of the Irish Catholics." The Jast ordinance of Parliament referred to was sanctioned in 1057. 133 EFFOBTS OF DB. PLUNKET threatened our country, and which it seemed beyond their power to avert. Thus the bosom, friend of our Primate, Pr. Brennan, then Bishop of Waterford, giving a " Eeport" of his Diocese to the Sacred Congregation, on the 20th Septeipber, 1675, wi'ites :— " A gooa education and instruction is much wanting- for the Catholic youth of this country, for, in consequence of the penal laws, no Catho- lic is allowed to act as schoolmaster ; so that'our yoath are obliged to seek instruction from Pro- testant teachers — a sad misfortune indeed, which will one day produce great evils." When he was transferred to Cashel his senti- ments remained unchanged, and in another " Eeport" to the Holy See, dated from Kilcash, 9th November, 1687, he thus writes :^ " By the penal laws Catholics are prohibited to keep schools, in order that our students may be compelled to frequent the schools of Luthe- ran masters, to be there imbued with Protestant doctrine and morality. To repel this danger, some Catholic masters kept private schools, to instruct the Catholic children in letters and in the principles of faith — not without their own great risk ; and many of them, on this account, have suffered imprisonment and pecuniary fines." Dr. Plunket lamented no less than the Arch- bishop of Cashel the dangers arising from irre- ligious instruction. In one of his letters he writes that " Irish talent is excellent and acute^ TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 133 especially that of Ulster ;" and adds, " but what does this avail when it cannot be cultivated ; the richest land without the plough-share or the spade can yield but little fruit ; and here, in consequence of the penal laws, we can have no rixed Catholic schools ;" and again, writing to the Internunzio on the SQnd September, 1672, he states that before the opening of his schools the Catholics were obliged " to send their children to Protestant masters, and thus incur great danger as to their faith ; for you can well understand how easily young shoots receive a wrong bent, unless they be properly trained from the commencement." In a preceding letter, too (36th April, 1671), when praying for some assistance to support Catholic teachers, he adds — " Let us aid the poor children, many of whom have been perverted h soing to Protestant schools." ■^^ every interval of peace and toleration, it was the first thought of the Catholic prelates to estabhsh colleges and schools. Thus, in 1641, +1? T^' *ireats of extermination compelled the Irish to risa in arms, and plunged once more om- country into the horrors of invasion and cml strife, the Jesuit Fathers had opened schools, to the great joy of all the Catholics in l^ublm, Drogheda, Kilkenny, Ross, Wexford, Clonmel, Waterford, Cashel, Cork, Limerick, and Galway. -From a paper written not long after by Father William Salinger, S.J., and entitled "An 134 EFFOBTS OF DR. PLUNKET Answer to some Calumnies against the Jesuit Order," we learn that Dr. Hugh O'Keilly, Arch- bishop of Armagh, had resolved on the estab- lishment of two colleges, one of which should be placed at Armagh. Dr. Thomas "Walsh, Archbishop of Cashel, founded one College, and collected a large sum of money for the establish- ment of another, but the sums collected by him were appropriated to other objects in conse- quence of the war. Dr. John De Burgo was engaged preparing for a like foundation ; the Bishop of Meath had already opened one such institution, and contemplated the establishment / of another. Dr. Francis Kirwan, Bishop of Killala, had promoted the foundation of another seminary. ^ A like spirit seems to have animated the la;- leaders of the Catholic party, and the renowned General of Ulster, Owen Koe O'Neil, who. for his martial spirit and continual life in tb^ camp, and struggles in the field of battle, ■'fe should suppose would have little leisure for reflecting on the necessity of Catholic instruction, had resolved on the establishment in Ulster of four|| colleges, " that from them, as he alleged, might proceed the reformation of morals, and the due and sufficient Christian education of the youth! and people." He even had marked out the! place and site for these colleges, and ofteJi| publicly spoke of them. It cannot, then, surprise us that one of thej first thoughts of Dr. Plunket on his arrival ii TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 135 Ireland should be to procure such Catholic schools, and to realise, at least in part, the pro- ject of the great Ulster leader of the Catholic interests. Before the month of July, 1670, he had completed a college for three Jesuit Fathers, and it soon numbered no fewer than 150 pupils within its walls. To maintain this college, the good Prelate often deprived himself even of the necessaries of life, and clothed himself in the plainest raiment. The Sacred Congregation of Propaganda soon came to his aid ; and till the time when a new outburst of persecution s>.-'+- tered to the winds this noble work of the Pri- mate, 160 scudi were allowed each year for the maintenance of his teachers. The Lord Lieu- tenant gave a tacit consent to the erection of this college, and many of the Protestant gentry, on witnessing its fruits, became its warm advo- cates, and even sought for their children the benefits of its instruction. But the happy re- sults and success of J;hese schools will be best learned from the letters of the Archbishop him- self. One of the most interesting of these letters is addi-essed to Father Oliva, General of the So- ciety of Jesus, and in it he acquaints him with the establishment of the college, and the happy fmits which were there produced by the zealous members of his order. It is a curious incident that the original of this letter is now preserved m the library of Trinity College ; it seems to have never reached its destination, having been, 136 EFFOETS OF DE. PLUNKET probably, intercepted by the Government. It is as follows : — " Veey Eeveeend Fathee. — Dr. Creagb, the agent of tbe Prelates of this kingdom in the Eoman court, has written to me declaring his many obligations to your Paternity for your affability, kindness, and patronage in his regard, which is of great assistance to him. By long ex- perience in Kome, I learned how great a bene- factor you were, and your kindness has been experienced in like manner by all my fellow- countrymen in Eome ; each and every one of whom attest your anxiety in their regard, and as they cannot otherwise correspond with this kindness, and prove their gratitude, than by loving and doing good to the members of your Order in this kingdom, I can assure you that in this they are not cold or negligent, and the Fathers, on the other hand, by the great good which they do, merit to be thus loved, praised, and caressed. I have three Fathers in the dio- cese of Armagh, who by their virtue, learning, and labours, would suffice to enrich a kingdom. " The founder of the Armagh residence is Father Stephen Kice, a learned man, successful in preaching, prudent in his labours, and of profound religious virtue, nor is he ever weary of teaching, instructing, and attending to the pupils and to the young priests, of whom he is the examiner and director. Oh ! how much he had to suffer during the past two years and fom' months, in founding that residence, and yet he TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 137 is so modest and so reserved, that he seems as though he had come on yesterdayfromthe novitiate of St. Andrew's. He was educated in Flanders, where, indeed, he was imbued with the true spirit of the society ; he retains that spirit, and. is a son worthy of such a Father as St. Ignatius; in a word, Father Eice is another Father Young.* " In the schools there are 150 boys, for the greater part children of the Catholic nobility and gentry, and there are also about 40 chil- dren of the Protestant gentry. You may ima- gine what envy it excites in the Protestant mas- ters and ministers to see the Protestant children coming to the Catholic schools. "In the city of my diocese, where their resi- dence is, there are also houses of the Domini- cans, Franciscans, Augustinians, and Capu- chins ; the city is called Drogheda, or Dreat in our English and Irish languages, and Pontana in Latin : it is distant from Dublin as far as Tivoli from Kome; it is a maritime port, situ- ated on the noble river Boyne, or Boina, and from its bridge (pons) it derives its Latin name Pontana. It is well supplied with corn, with flesh of every description, and with fish. The country around is for the most part inhabited by orthodox noblemen and gentlemen, and in the city there are rich merchants and respecta- ble artisans. * A. distinguished Irish Jesuit, who had heen Rector of the Insh CoUege in Eome. H 2 138 EFFOETS OF DR. PLUNKET " When I introduced the Fathers to my dio- cese, and the schools commenced to flourish, Dr. Talbot reprehended the undertaking as rash, imprudent, precipitous, and vain, and said that it would he short-lived, especially in such a busy city But be this as it may, whilst the wind is favourable, we must raise the sails and pursue our course, and when it becomes contrary or tempestuous, we shall lower them and seek shelter in some small port beneath a mountain or rock. " Your most affectionate and obliged servant, " Oliver op Aemagh, " Primate of Ireland. " Dublin, 22nd Nov., 1672." At the date of this letter the schools had lasted two years and four months, and the fifth month was hastening to its close ; for another year they continued to flourish and diffuse through the diocese of Armagh the blessings of Catholic education. But on the renewal of the persecution, towards the close of November, 1673, this work, the fruit of so much toil, was levelled to the ground, and the good Primate was forced to cry out in anguish of soul, " What shall the Catholic youth now do entrusted to my care?" So well had these schools suc- ceeded, that even Protestant gentlemen sent their children to them, and defended them when they were assailed by the ministers of the Estab- TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 139 lislied Church. (Letter of 7th June, 1761.) In his letter of the 13th November, 1673, Dr. Plunket mentions that when at first the Viceroy and those of the court took umbrage at the es- tabhshment of the schools, the more moderate amongst them were satisfied on his making kno^vn to them that the only object he had in view in instituting these schools "was to imbue the youth with a knowledge of the Christian doctrine, and to communicate instruction to them; and thus render them useful for the State and the service of the King, whilst other- wise they would become noxious members, rogues, highway robbers, and disturbers of the peace and social order." A promise of an annual sum of 800 scudi for these schools had been held out to Dr. Plunket by the court, probably as a sort of bait to win his favour for the doings of the Government ; but finding that all the efforts of the Primate's zeal were directed to promote the glory of God and the interests of the Church, and that he ■was resolved to fearlessly denounce all obstacles to these holy ends, no matter whence they might proceed, this sum soon ceased to be paid to him. He had mainly relied on this Govern- ment aid for the maintenance of his schools ; but when this hope was blasted, incredible were the privations that he endured, and the efforts which he made to carry them on, till at length the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda granted to the Jesuit Fathers connected with the schools 140 EFFORTS OF DR. PLUNKET the annual sum of 160 scudi, to be dated from theii' first establishment in his diocese. When soliciting this aid from the Sacred Congregation, by letter of 26th April, 1671, Dr. Plunket gives many interesting details as to the manner in which the schools were carried on : — " The nobility and gentry of the whole pro- vince of Ulster, excepting three, are deprived of their lands, and from being proprietors, have become tenants ; they have now no means to educate their children. The young priests who were ordained during the past seven years, in order to fill the places of those who were de- ceased, are very backward in learning, as they had no proper master to instruct them ; in fact Catholic teachers were not at all tolerated. "I undertook an arduous work: I invite the Jesuit Fathers to my diocese ; I built fro the foundation a commodious house for them as also two schools, where about 150 boys ar educated, and 25 ecclesiastics ; and during th past nine months I supported two very learne and laborious Jesuits, with one lay-brother, an. one servant. One of the Fathers instructs, for an hour in the morning and another hour in the afternoon, the ecclesiastics in cases of mo- rality, as also in the manner of preaching and catechising ; the same Father teaches the rhe- toricians for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening ; on the feast days and vacations he teaches the ceremonies and the manner of administering the sacraments, &c. TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 141 The other Jesuit is occupied in teaching syntax and grammar, &c. Both, moreover, are engaged in preaching. For nine months I have sup- ported them, and I had to purchase even the smallest articles of furniture for them." On the long- wished for aid being granted. Dr. Plunket thus commences his letter of thanks- giving, addressed to the Internunzio, on 92nd September, 167S : — " I have received your most welcome letter of the 2nd September, and this whole kingdom is indebted to you for the stipend procured for the Jesuits. They do a great deal of good: they have in Drogheda, in my diocese, 160 stu- dents. Oh ! what toils had I to undergo, what efforts had I to make, to sustain them ! how many memorials were forwarded to the Viceroy and Supreme Council against me and against them ; and they give the more annoyance to our adversaries because they are in Drogheda, only four hours' journey from Dublin, where no Catholic school is allowed. And then to have there the Jesuits, whom they hate above all others, was the greatest eye-sore possible ; but now the very adversaries caress both me and them, in order to have permission for their children to come to them ; and in reality many Protestant boys come to them belonging to the principal famiUes, who afterwards assist us in defending them I dressed in cloth of one-half scudo a yard, I kept only one servant, and a boy to look after my horses, and 142 EFFORTS OF DR. PLUNKET my table was most sparing, in order to assist the Jesuits. The Viceroy gave me half a pro- mise that he would not disturb them, but as the money promised by the King was not granted, I confess that I found myself in diffi- culty to carry them on, and I was overwhelmed with melancholy ; but now your letter imparts great consolation The Catholic gentry lost their possessions and estates in this kingdom, and for the most part have become tenants ; it would be impossible for them to send their children to the Catholic kingdoms. Hence it is a great relief to them to have Ca- tholic masters here. Before my arrival they were obliged to send their children to Protestant teachers, exposing their faith to great risk ; for, as you will well understand, young plants easily receive a bad direction unless they be attended to from the beginning The money can be sent to Mr. Daniel Arthur, an Irish Ca- tholic merchant in London, and it may be con- signed to Father Perez in Brussels, or to the Provincial of the English Jesuits, to be sent to Mr. Daniel Arthur, and thus I shall receive it here with. some advantage, to compensate the difference of exchange between Brussels and London." It was not, however, the local schools alone that engaged the attention of the zealous Pri- mate. When visiting his own diocese, and the other dioceses of his province, he found many of the clergy lamentably deficient in those TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 143 higher studies which should render them fitted to discharge the office of chief pastors, and rule with wisdom the Church of God. It was, in- deed, impossible that our country, so continu- ally disturbed by wars and persecutions, could supply these studies, and hence Dr. Plunket turned his eyes to the continent, and especially to Kome, earnestly soliciting the Sacred Con- gregation to have students sent to him from its colleges ; and praying, at the same time, that the number of students and efficiency of our national college in that city might be increased. This esteem for education in Rome was not a mere abstract sentiment in our Primate; we have seen that he was imbued with the convic- tion that his being educated at the fountain head of Catholic truth, was a special blessing which he had received from God, and which imposed many special obligations on him ; and hence, when overwhelmed by afflictions and persecutions, he was accustomed to re-awaken his courage by the reflection : " it would be a shame for spiritual soldiers, educated in Rome, ever to become mercenaries." (Letter, 16th December 1673.) Writing on the 27th of September, 1671, Dr. Plunket thus declares to the Sacred Congrega- tion the wants of his province and diocese, and his anxious desire to receive some priests from Home : — " I am now in this kingdom for one year and seven months, and I think I presented so many 144 EFFOETS OF DE. PLUNKET relations of the spiritual affairs of my province that their Eminences may almost touch with their hands, and see with their ejes the condi- tion in which it is, and the state of matters here ; it is in many parts infirm, and there is danger that the malady will go on spreading and increasing, if their Eminences, the chief physicians, do not give some healing and pi-e- servative remedies. The ignorance, in general, is great, although the Irish talent is excellent and acute ; but what does this avail when it cannot he cultivated ; the best soil without the spade or plough can produce hut little fruit, and in consequence of the penal laws we can- ^ not have fixed schools, and are in continual alarm. . . . Before the war, the Catholic gentry ' of Ulster held their properties and estates, but now only a few of them retain anything, such as the Marquis of Antrim, whose property ex- tends for about thirty miles, and embraces vast estates and many castles, such as the Orsini and Savelli in Latium, but even as these, so is he also up to his eyes in debt : Sir Henry O'Neile re-acquired about 4,000 scudi per an- num, and a certain Maginis about 2,000 scudi ; these are the only three Irish Catholic gentle- men who re-acquired their property; all the others must seek as a favour to be allowed to hold by lease a small portion of their former estates, and it is deemed a great favour when this is granted to them. The people, that is, those who cultivate the land, are well off, and TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 145 I it is from these that the priests and friars re- ceive their maintenance, and the same persons give some relief to those upon whom they were once dependent : but as to the nobility and gentry, they are wholly ruined, so that they can no longer maintain the children in Catholic Universities, and, what is still more deplorable, they cannot give them even the necessary means to go to the Continental Colleges without great difficulty, and hence their condition merits compassion and assistance, for they lost all in order not to lose their faith in God, or ' their reverence in spiritual things for the Apos- tolic See. " In my humble opinion it would be a great charity to aid the children and grant them aiL education in Catholic countries, and especially in Eome. Those who are educated there are less suspected by government, Kome being a neutral country, neither attached to Spain nor to France, and, moreover, they are more faith- ful to the spiritual interests of the Holy See. It is seen by experience that no priest or friar educated in Eome ever became an adherent of Walsh or any other schismatic, but only such as received their education in France, Spain, or Louvain. Moreover, those educated in Kome are better acquainted with the desires of the Apostolic See, they know its principles, and are better able to correspond with it, the ' Piazza di Spagna,' the Propaganda, and, in a word, all Borne is a great book : how many nations with 146 EFFOBTS OF DE. PLUNKET their various customs are seen. Poles, Ger- mans, Spaniards, French, Indians, Turks, Ethi- opians, Africans, Americans, are met with, and one learns in what manner and with what judg- ment the varying opinions and conflicting in- terests of so many contrary nations are har- monized. A great deal, too, is learned in the, changes of government : thus, one day it is seen with what modesty and wisdom and moder- ation those deport themselves who, the day before, or under another Pontiff, ruled every- thing, and were honoured by every one. I especially remarked the prelates, Cajetan Mas- simi and another from Modena who was gover- nor of Eome in the time of Alexander the 7th, of happy memory, and many others in the time of Innocent and Urban. One treats with Car- dinals and Prelates of great wisdom and pru- dence, well versed and experienced in spiritual matters, and in the temporal affairs of so man^i monarchs and princes; and it is impossible that a person of moderate talent would not de- rive great pix)fit, as well in science as in ex- perience. And, indeed, to educate a missionary priest, there is no college in the world better suited than the Propaganda, where they are in-' structed for two hours every morning in theology^, and after dinner for one hour in controversy,' and afterwards, for half an hour or an hour, ia^ cases of conscience. They learn to preach, and become masters of the Hebrew and Greek; they officiate in the Church, and are also exer- TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 147 «ised in Gregorian Chant: they receive, in a word, an education better suited for mission- aries than that of any other college. And hence, I anxiously supplicate that I may he allowed to send half a dozen of the most talented young priests that I can find to he educated in that col- lege, that thus my miserable province of Ulster may have persons able to govern its churches, for if it pleased God to remove from us three who are in Ulster, Thomas Fitzsymons, Dr. Conwell, and Dr. Eonan Magin, there would be no others who, either by their learning or ex- perience, would be adapted for, or capable of governing these chui'ches. If you do not grant me this favour, we shall be without leaders, without pastors, and the wolves will devour our flocks." Not long after the Primate addressed another letter to the Internunzio, in which we find detailed many particulars connected with the various colleges scattered through the Continent : — " la your last letter you commanded me to give you some account of the Irish Colleges in the kingdoms governed by the orthodox princes, and I now obey in the best manner I can ; but I must imitate the painters of scdnery, who present some objects most vividly and clearly, and others only in outline and obscurely ; or the historians, such as Guicciardino and others, who described matters, and especially the wars in Tuscany, and, indeed, of all Italy, in a most vivid manner, but not in so prominent a manner, 148 EFFORTS OF DR. PLUNKET the victories of Spain and France. Had I now the notes which I left at home, I would be able to give a more precise narrative, but I beheve I shall err in very few points of any importance. " And to begin with the Irish College in Eome, it was founded by Cardinal Ludovisi, nephewof Gregory the Fifteenth : he bequeathed to it a thousand scudi a year, besides a good house and a good vineyard in Castle Gandolfo, and it maintains about seven or eight students, three Jesuits, and two servants. But in a se- parate letter, I shall write more particularly about the College, Its revenue is capable|of supporting twelve students, who would be better prepared for this mission than they now are. In Spain there are four Colleges, all directed by the Fathers of the Society ; one of them is in St. Jago, which supports at one time six, at another seven students ; another in Salamanca of the same kind, and another in Lisbon, which maintains eight or ten students. These three Colleges were founded by Philip the Second, and in doing so he proved himself a zealous Catholic and a good politician ; by this means he won the affection of the Irish, and when the students returned to Ireland, they won for the Spaniards the hearts and the esteem of all their friends ; in a word, they could speak of nothing but Spain, whence it happens that the Irish go more freely to serve the King of Spain than any other Prince. " In France there is a College at Bordeaux TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 149 which, maintains twenty-four students, as I have heard, founded hy the Arehhishops of Bordeaux and others ; but contrary to the in- stitution and intention of the founders, this College does not admit any excepting from Cashel and Munster; and the colleges of Spain do not willingly receive students from Ulster, which is a serious injury and a manifest injustice. It truly moves one to compassion to see high families of the house of O'Neil, O'Donnel, Maguire, MacMahon, Maginnis, O'Cahan, O'Kelly, OTerrall, who were great Princes till the time of Elizabeth and King James, in the memory of my father, and of many who are yet living ; it moves one to compassion, I say, to see their children without property and without maintenance, and without means of education, and yet for the faith they suffered joyfully the loss of property : but it is intolerable that they should be excluded from College education, for the Colleges were not founded for this or that province, but for the whole Kingdom. " There is a College at Seville which main- tains sixteen students, and is supported by alms. " The Bishop of Ferns can give better infor- mation about the Colleges in Spain, and per- haps, also, about that in France. There is a College, as I hear, in Toulouse, but I do not know in what state it is ; I believe it is of little importance. " * Oliveb Plunket. " 30th September, 1671." 150 EFFORTS OF DK. PLTJNKET In another letter written on the same day, he adds a postscript, in which he says : — "I forgot a College founded in Alcala, by George de Passe Silviera, a Portuguese; he left 5,000 scudi a-year, hut a great deal has been expended in building." It was about this period that another college first sprung into existence, which was destined in after times to hold an important position in our Irish Church. I refer to the College of our nation in Paris. We mainly owe the foun- dation of this college to the Eight Eev. John O'Molony, Bishop of Killaloe. Before his appointment to that See in May, 1671, he had been for many years a distinguished student and professor in the seminary of St, Sulpice. The schools of that seminary were frequented by many youths from Ireland, anxious to prepare themselves for the ministry of the altar ; and Dr. O'Molony had frequent occasions to lament the many distractions and dangers to which they were exposed, living scattered through that gay and populous city, which, too, at this period, numbered amongst its clergy many warm advocates of the condemned doctrines of Jansenius. After his consecration, he con- tinued for many months to reside in Paris, anxious to organize a special college in that city, into which his countrymen might be re- ceived. The Sacred Congregation of Propa- ganda, however, repeatedly urged him to hasten to his flock, and share v/iih them the threatened TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 151 dangers of persecution, and dispense to them the bread of life. Positive orders to that effect were sent to him on the 2nd of August, 1673 ; and in reply, the good prelate expressed his readiness to obey, hut petitioned at the same time to be allowed to remain some time longer, as his labours were all directed to obtain this college for the Irish Church. This petition was seconded by letters of Dr. Plunket of Armagh, and Dr. Brennan of Waterford, as we find com- memorated in a minute of Propaganda. Never- theless, the Sacred Congregation remained inexorable, and we find Dr. O'Molony before the close of this year zealously labouring in many parts of our island. The Irish bishops, however, had warmly entered into his views regarding the establishment of a National Col- lege in Paris, and early in the following year they deputed Dr. O'Molony to return as their deputy to that city, and urge the authorities there to patronize the institution of such a college. No one was more zealous than Dr. Plunket in promoting this great work, and though the college was not opened till after his glorious martyrdom, yet our Irish Church owes in great part to his active co-operation and untiring zeal, that the chief obstacles were overcome, and that those difficulties were removed, which at first seemed to destroy all hopes of its future realization. His letter of the S4th of March, 1673, sufi&ciently evinces the interest which he 159 EFFORTS OF DE. PLUNKET took in the institution of this college, and how earnestly he co-operated with Dr. O'Molony in seeking to effect its estaWishment ; he thus writes : — " All the prelates of this kingdom have suh- scribed an authorization for the Bishop of Killaloe to proceed to Paris, and procure for us a college ; and it is certain that no one could be selected better suited to treat this matter, for he is a great friend of the Archbishop of Paris, and of the Ambassador of the King of France in London, and there are strong reasons and just grounds for hoping that the college will be founded. If so, it will be a great semi- nary for the missions of this kingdom, being in a city so rich, so desirous of procuring the pro- pagation and maintenance of the faith, as their charity sufficiently proved during the late per- secution of Cromwell, when the Parisians sup- ported hundreds and hundreds of the ecclesi- astics and students exiled during that tempest. It is certain that the Bishop of Killaloe will do more good by procuring for us that college, than he would did he remain in his diocese during his whole life-time ; and hence I pray your Excellency to treat this matter with the Holy Father and the Sacred Congregation in such a manner that they may not be dis- pleased with the Bishop of Killaloe for this journey to Paris, since he travels at his own cost, and with the desire of procuring so great an advantage for us. He is a great Mend of TO EDUCATE HIS FLOCK. 153 Colbert, the first Minister of state, and of the Archbishop of Paris, who will be the more favourable to him should he be allowed to exercise his functions (for the Archbishop will surely request him to do so on various occasions), and hence I pray you to procure from His Holiness and the Sacred Congrega- tion permission for Dr. O'Molony, during his stay in Paris, on account of our ecclesiastical matters, to exercise the episcopal functions as often as he may be requested to do so by the Archbishop of that See. Monsignor, your Ex- cellency has always favoured, in every emer- gency, this poor and afflicted Church, and we hope that there is no means conducive to the attainment of this great blessing, or tending to facilitate it, which you will not favour; and therefore I beseech you with the most urgent entreaties to lay this before the Sacred Congre- gation in such a manner, that it may allow the Bishop of Killaloe to remain in Paris while this matter is pending, and to exercise his epis- copal functions when requested by the Arch- bishop, for it is on the aid of the Archbishop and the communications which he presents, that the success of this undertaking must in a great measure depend.'" i3 154 COUNCILS CONVENED CHAPTEK X. COUNCILS CONVENED BY DB. PLUNKET. A National Council of the Irish Church began its deliberations in Dublin on the 17th of June, 1670. It was convened by Dr. Plunket for a twofold purpose ; first, to correct some abuses which had crept in during the preceding persecutions ; and" secondly, to draw up an address to the king. At this period the Irish Church numbered but six bishops in its hier- archy, and all hastened to take part in the deli- berations of the Synod. The six bishops then in Ireland were Dr. Plunket, Archbishop of Armagh ; Dr. Peter Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin ; Dr. Burgatt, Archbishop of Cashel ; Dr. James Lynch, Archbishop of Tuam ; Dr. Patrick Plunket, Bishop of Meath; and Dr. Phelan, Bishop of Ossory. The Vicars-General of the other Sees were also present, and since the days of Binnuccini, this was the first assembly of clergy that merited the name of a national council. On the 17th of June, 1670, these prelates assembled in Dublin, under the presidency of Dr. Oliver Plunket. Their deliberations were protracted for three days ; and a note of the BY DE. PLUNKET. ISS archives of Propaganda describes the Synod as having been held "in Bridge-street, in the house of Mr. Reynolds, at the foot of the bridge." We shall see just now how the decrees of this council were adopted in the Provincial Synod of Clones, and republished amongst its statutes ; for the present it will suffice to give a few of its enactments from the original paper transmitted to the Holy See. "As we have been informed that the bodies of some deceased laymen, in various parts of this kingdom, have been laid out in public, on a bier, clothed in religious habits, we decree, and command, that for the future no corpse shall be thus laid out , " We command abstinence from flesh-meat on the feast of St. Mark ( as also on the thi"ee days preceding the Ascension), except when it falls on Sunday, or in Easter week. " We command all the Parish Priests to use every endeavour to prevent the clamour and vociferations of the women who accompany the funerals of the deceased. " We, moreover, decree that all the ordinaries shall command, in their respective dioceses, the Parish Priests and preachers to admonish and warn, under threat of the divine vengeance, the people subject to their charge, to give no favour, aid, or assistance to robbers, highwaymen, and other disturbers of the public peace, who are tnown as Tories. " Since the Apostle commands supplications 156 COUNCILS CONVENED and prayers to be oflfered up for all men, for kings, and for all who are placed in authority, let the parish clergy, and also the regulars in their convents, admonish the people on Sun- days, that all should pray to God for the most serene Charles the Second and Catherine, our king and queen, that God may deign to grant to them prosperity and oflfspring, as also for our most excellent lord, the Viceroy of Ireland ; and, moreover, for the good government of England, Ireland, and Scotland, and with the same in- tention let the Litanies of the Blessed Virgin be recited on the said days either before or after Mass." Another matter which engaged the attention of the Bishops in the Synod, was the drawing up of an address to be presented to the Viceroy. Precisely four years had now elapsed since the Irish Prelates, convened in Dublin, at the desire of Ormond, had presented to the Crown a de- claration of loyalty and allegiance. On the occasion they even appended to their address three propositions,* which one would suppose any government hostile to the Holy See would be glad to find pi-esented to them. Yet that address was rejected with disdain, and the * We may here remark that it was only by a deceptive explanation of these propositions that the Primate, Dr. Edmund O'Reilly, and the other members of the Synod, were induced to subscribe to them. Perhaps on some future occasion we may give further particulars regarding this assembly. BY DE. PLUNKET. 167 Viceroy ordered, without delay, the imprison- ment of the assembled Bishops ; and renewed hostility against the Catholic Priesthood seemed to be the only result of their well-intentioned deliberations. But what could not be obtained by petition, was won by the unflinching spirit of the Irish hierarchy, which, encouraged by the Holy See, refused to sacrifice to court-favour one jot of Catholic principle ; and though the Primate died in exile, and the other Prelates were compelled to endure sufferings and persecutions, yet the cause for which they combatted was sure to triumph, and the English ministers were glad in 1670, to receive from the Irish Bishops that very address, which, even with its un-Irish appendix, they had disdainfully rejected four years before. Some writers, confiding too much on the authority of historians who were alike the enemies of Ireland and of our Catholic faith, have broached assertions regarding this Synod which are wholly repugnant to truth, and are alike discreditable to the Archbishop of Dublin and to the subject of these memoirs. Thus, it is gravely asserted that Dr. Talbot, on arriving in Ireland, found the Prelates assembled in Dublin (and this, too, in 1669)— that he at once introduced himself amongst them, announcing that the King had appointed him to oversee them all : that Dr. Plunket, " considering this an unwarranted assumption, desired to see the authority on which it was advanced, alleging 158 COUNCILS CONVENED that if there was in fact such an authority, he would submit to it. The other answered that he had not it under the great seal. To which Dr. Plunket replied, that the little seal would serve his turn, but until one or other was pro- duced, he would take care to oversee Talbot, and expected to be obeyed."* All these assertions are most unfounded, and are as litt4e consonant to truth as is the date 1669, which some of these writers assign to the National Synod. It was Dr. Plunket, indeed, that convoked this Synod, but Dr. Talbot, who was long in Ireland before the Synod, was th chief Bishop with whom he made arrangements for its convocation. The question of th ' Primacy being as yet undecided, and the presi dency of the Synod depending on who was to b considered the Primate, Dr. Plunket propose that the decision of the question should be lef to the assembled Prelates; but Dr. Talbo chose rather to refer it to the decision of the Holy See ; to which the Archbishop of Armagh' readily assented ; and in the' meantime, with the protest which is usually made in such cases,: that the rights of the respective parties should receive no prejudice from the order of sub- scribing to the decrees, &c., the presidency was- ceded without any opposition to Dr. Plunket ; and the Bishops proceeded with their delibera- * These assertions have been repeated, almost in the very words of the text, hy most of the modern writer* on our Irish history. BY DK. PLUNKET. 159 tions in a most perfect spirit of unity and peace. On the second of day the Synod, a petition was drawn up and despatched to the Holy See, soliciting the appointment of some new Bishops to the vacant dioceses, and presenting at the same time the names of the clergymen whom they deemed most deserving of the episcopal dignity. Favours and dispensations are also solicited from the Holy Father, regarding the practice of abstinence as it then prevailed in Ireland, and various questions affecting the interests of our Church. The dispensation as to the abstinence from meat on Wednesdays and from eggs on Fridays, which long usage had established in our Irish Church, was readily granted by the Sacred Congi-egation ; and on the 3rd of August, 1671, we find a brief addressed to the Irish Bishops, absolving those who had violated the law for ^ the past, and empowering the respective ordinaries, at any future time (perpetuis futuris temporibus), to dispense with such abstinence. The indulgence for the feasts of Patron Saints was also granted ; and, in compliance with the desire of the Council to have new members added to the Irish hierarchy, we find, * m the following year, no fewer than six Bishops and five Vicars-Apostolic appointed to the Irish sees, viz. : — Dr. John Brennan, to the united dioceses of Waterford and Lismore. 160 COUNCILS CONVENED Dr. John O'Molony, to Killaloe. Dr. Patrick Duffy, to Clogher, Dr. Thaddeus Keogh, to Clonfert. Dr. Dominick De Burgo, to ElpMn. Dr. Daniel Mackey, to Down and Connor. Ronan Magin, Vicar-Apostolic of Dromore. Eugene Conwell, Vicar- Apostolic of Derry. Patrick Dempsey, Vicar- Apostolic of Kildare. John De Burgo, Vicar- Apostolic of Killala. Michael Lynch, Vicar-Apostolic of Kilmac- duagh. One of the first cares of Dr. Plunket, imme- diately on landing in Ireland, was to visit the different dioceses of the province of Ulster, convening their respective clergy, and delibera- ting on the reforms which it might be necessary to introduce ; and afterwards, before the close of 1670, he summoned a general Synod of the whole province, to be held in the historic town of Clones, in the diocese of Clogher. Many of the Vicars-General who assisted at this Synod assembled soon after in the town of Armagh, and testified by letter their gratitude to the Holy See for having appointed so indefatigable a prelate to the Primatial see, and as we have seen, briefly stated the principal works which he had performed since his arrival in Ireland. The Synod of Clones was held on the 23rd i of August, 1670; and, in addition to our Archbishop and Dr. Patrick Plunket, Bishop of Meath, there were present at it — Patrick BY DR. PLUNKET. 161 Daly, Vicar-General of Armagh ; Oliver Dease, Vicar-General of Meath ; Terence O'KeUy, Vicar- Apostolic of Derry ; Cornelius GafFney, Vicar-General of Ardagh ; Patrick O'Mulderig, Vicar-General of Down and Connor; Eonan Magin, Dean and Vicar-General of Dromore ; Thomas Fitzsimons, Archdeacon and Vicar- General of Kilmore ; Patrick Cullen, Vicar- General of Clogher ; Edmund Jange, Vicar- General of Clonmacnoise ; Eugene Conwell, Vicar-General of Eaphoe, and then elected Coad- jutor Vicar of Derry. There were also present Father John Byrne, Superior of the Dominicans, and Father John Brady, Superior of the Fran- ciscans. Dr. OHver Dease was appointed Procurator of the Synod, and Dr. Thomas Fitzsimons its Secretary; and after the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice and the invocation of the Holy Ghost to guide them in their deliberations, the assembled Prelates formally protested that their only object in this Council was to promote the glory of the Almighty, the interests of the Cathohc Church, and the tranquillity and peace of the kingdom ; that thus, whilst they rendered to Caesar the things which were Caesar's, they might render to God the things which were of God. The decrees which were enacted, are twenty- eight in number, and are all directed to the removal of every scandal from the Sanctuary, the sanctification of the faithful, and the cele- 163 COUNCILS CONVENED bration of the Holy Mysteries and Kites of the Church with due solemnity and decorum. The Parish Priests were commanded to have a fixed place of residence ; the Vicars-General were prohibited to be absent from their dioceses, without special leave of their Metropolitan, for more than two months ; and to all the clergy, it was interdicted to frequent public taverns and market-places, and after the third admonition, such as refused to obey, should be deprived of all ecclesiastical benefices. . . . All drinking at wakes, and all night-wakes again were prohibited. The decrees of the Council of Trent were de- clared to be received, as they had been hitherto received, in all the dioceses, and, in fine, the assembled Prelates gave their sanction to the various statutes which had been enacted in the Episcopal Synod of Dublin, in the month of June the same year. Succeeding years bring with them new ex- igencies regarding the disciplinary laws of the Church ; former decrees may be neglected, or perhaps have fallen into oblivion ; new social circumstances may have arisen to require new arrangements in the outward discipline of the Church ; and perhaps, too, abuses may have crept in to call for the pruning hand of the pastor, or demand the enactment of canonical punishments to chastise the guilty and check the vicious in their criminal career. Hence, wisely has the Church decreed that her pro- vincial Synods should be renewed at state(? BY DB. PLUNKET. 163 intervals, and that her pastors, assembled in the spirit of God, should deliberate together on the spiritual necessities of their flocks. Though the year 1678 already presented fore- bodings of the approaching tempest which was soon to render desolate so many of our Irish sees, yet Dr. Plunket resolved not to defer any longer the celebration of his second provincial synod, and he accordingly convened it for the month of August, 1678. One Bishop had been added to the province of Armagh since its pastors had last assembled at Clones, viz.. Dr. Patrick Tyrrell, Bishop of Clogher and Ad- ministrator of Kilmore, a man renowned, even on the Continent, for his knowledge of ecclesias- tical jurisprudence, and at the same time a zea- lous co-operator with the primate in carrying into execution the disciphnary laws of the Church. Dr. Conwell had in the interval passed to a happy eternity, and his successor Luke Plunket, bore in the present synod not only the title of Vicar-General of Derry, but also of Pro- cui-ator of the diocese of Eaphoe. Dr. James Cusack, who took part in this synod as Pro- curator of the Vicar-Apostolic of Ardagh, had already been appointed Coadjutor of the Bishop of Meath, but was not as yet consecrated ; and we find three others also present, Edward Dromgole, Henry Hugo, and Bernard Magork, whose names were afterwards transmitted to Piome as worthy to be successors of the mar- tyred Primate, and the first of whom governed I 164 COUNCILS CONVENED the Church of Armagh for three years, as Vicar-Apostolic of that See. This synod was opened with all solemnity ; first, the Litanies of the Saints were chanted ; then an exhortation was addressed to the assem- bled Prelates, and with the hymn of the Holy Ghost, Veni Creator Spiritus, they invoked the Father of heavenly councils to guide them in their deliberations. Afterwards was renewed the protest of the former council, that their only object in thus assembling was " to promote the glory of God, and promote the advancement of the Catholic faith, the salvation of souls, the tranquillity of king and kingdom, rendering to Caesar the things which are of Cajsar, and to God the things which are of God." It was then decreed by the assembled Pre- lates : — That the clergy should warn the faithful against aiding or countenancing the bodies of lawless bandits who were called Tories, and who, under the pretence of defending the na- tional rights, then infested the country ; and that they should likewise make known to their flocks what dishonour the deeds of these wicked men brought upon their religion and country. That the doctrine which declared that the appointments of the Holy See to particular dioceses, required for their validity the accept- ance of the clergy and laity of these dioceses, was erroneous, and that the oaths taken not to acknowledge any who would not be thus ac- BY DR. PLUNKET. 165 cepted were damnable and not binding before God. That, whilst they lament the ignorance of some who would fain affirm that the poslulation of the clergy or laity, or of both, or the presen- tation of the lay nobility, is binding on the Holy Father when appointing bishops to the vacant Sees, they at the same time declare " such practise and doctrine to be schismatical and contraiy to the canons," and decree that " such as, in consequence of similar presentations or postulations, impede the appointments made by the Holy See, are subjected to censures reserved to the Supreme Pontiff." The fourth decree condemns " as perverse and eri'oneous, the ravings of those who affirm that it belongs to the people to choose their own pastors, and to fix for them, independently of the ordinary, the stipend to be given them." That teaching is declared erroneous and contrary to the Scripture, which would affirm that no stipend is due by the faithful to their lawful pastors. The doctrine is likewise condemned which declared it lawful to take the goods of Protes- tants, or of any others whosoever, the owners not being cognizant or willing ; and, it is added, that such persons are obliged to restitution. The clergy are prohibited to admit those pupils who are called Dallas; and the violators of this decree incurred the penalty of deprivation of benefice or office. 166 COUNCILS CONVENED It was prohibited to priests to drink wliiskey in any public house or public assembly, and any one guilty of this crime should be subjected to a fine of ten solidi* to be given to the Vicars- General, and Vicars-Forarie of the diocese. No priest should frequent the public markets without the permission of the ordinary, and the transgressors of this law were also subjected to a fine of ten solidi None of the laity should receive the aspersory , but only be sprinkled with holy water, accord- ing to the rite of the Church. Each Parish Priest was commanded to have within three years, at least one silver chalice of the value of fifty solid i, with decent vestments, all which should be left to the parish on the demise or departure of the Parish Priest. Those who should contract marriage within the prohibited degrees, without having re- ceived a dispensation, were to be excluded from the holy sacrifice, and the sacrament of the altar. When controversies should arise between different dioceses, or between adjoining parishes of the same diocese, as to their respective limits, the Ancient Register should be followed. The decree of the Council of Trent regarding clandestine marriages is enacted, that is — all marriages are declared null which should be celebrated without the presence of the parish priest, and of at least two witnesses. . . . * The solidus was equal to one shilling. BY DE. PLUNKET. 167 The Primate was requested to undertake a general visitation of the whole province. In fine, it was decreed that all the clergy, whether present or absent, should unceasingly ofier up their prayers to the Divine Majesty for the safety of the most serene King Charles II., of the Queen and Koyal family, and especially of the then Viceroy, for the tranquillity of the nation, and for peace amongst Christian princes, and that they should command their flocks to offer similar prayers ; and all these decrees are declared to be directed to the greater glory of God, of the Blessed Virgin, and of St. Patrick (the patron of Ireland), and St. Augustine, on whose feast, and under whose invocation, this holy Synod was concluded. CHAPTEE XL VISITATION OF DIOCESES BY DE. PLUNKET. One of the Synodical Decrees just cited reveals to us the important fact that the labours of Dr. Plunket were not confined to his own immediate diocese. According to the canonical legislation ot those times it was a privilege attached to the dignity of Archbishop and Primate that he might perform a visitation in the dioceses sub- ject to his Primacy ; and Dr. Plunket, partly 168 VISITATION OF DIOCESES resting on this privilege — partly through a special commission received from the Holy See, and sometimes, too, at the request of the local diocesan authorities — repeatedly made visita- tions of the dioceses of the province of Ulster. Indeed, this seems to have been one of the earliest cares of our Primate ; and in his letter of the 16th of April, 1671, he speaks of the visitation which he had already made of six of his suffragan dioceses ; in which visitation, as he in the same place informs us, he had prin- cipally directed his efforts to the rooting out of the cursed vice of drunkenness. The items of his Keport, regarding the united dioceses of Down and Connor, are the only record of this visitation which we have been able to discover. The Relation is dated the 1st November, 1670, and is directed to Monsignor Baldeschi, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Pro- paganda : — " Relation concerning the canonically united Dioceses of Down and Connor. " These united dioceses are about fifty miles in length and fifteen in breadth : they are more mountainous than level ; they abound in milk, oats, and barley. Great peace is enjoyed there. " There are about two thousand five hun- dred Catholic families. The Marquis of Antrim, a good Catholic, is very powerful and very BY DB. PLUNKET. 169 zealous ; there is no other Catholic that has property there. Thanks to God, the Catholics enjoy great toleration. " There is no Bishop, but a Vicar-General, by name Patrick O'Mulderig, an old man sixty years of age, a good and practical priest, though not distinguished for literature; he lives with his brother in a private house, and has converted many to the faith. " The cathedral churches of Down and Con- nor are now roofless, but that of Down is very celebrated as being the burial place of Saint Patrick, Columba, and Bridget, according to the old distich — 'es in Duno, tumulo tutnulantuT in uno Brigida, Patritius atque Columba pius.'^- In Down, also, was born the celebrated Doctor, Scotus. " In the diocese of Down there is a convent of Dominicans, but the friars live at lodgings. There are five Dominicans ; only one is of great fame, viz., Clement O'Byrne, who is a good preacher, and produces much fruit. " There is also a convent of Franciscans, who are twelve in number, and amongst them Paul O'Bym, Paul O'Neill, and James O'Hiny, are the most distinguished for their preaching and spiritual fruit. B*,-;? ^'^^'l *]j^f =5aints are buried in one grave, Patrick Budget, and Columkille. K 170 VISITATION OF DIOCESES " In the convent of Carrickfergus, in the dio- cese of Connor, there are ten Franciscans, of whom only five are priests ; amongst these Hugh O'Dornan and Daniel O'Mellon are dis- tinguished in preaching. There is also a certain Paul O'Haran, who is well versed in literature. " The Dominicans have a convent in Culra- han, in which there are only four friars, and of these only two are priests, one of whom, James Crolly, is a good preacher " There are many hoys well suited for study, hut there is a great want of Catholic schools, as the Protestants do not allow Catholic mas- ters. There is, nevertheless, a certain William Flaherty, a priest, a good rhetorician, who keeps a school in Down. " There are no nuns, excepting four of the Franciscan order. " At the time of Cromwell there was a violent persecution, and whosoever brought in the head of a priest received 20 scudi (£5), hut under the present King there is great toleration and sufficient connivance." It seems to have been during this first visit- ation that the Primate appointed a Vicar-Ge- neral to administer the diocese of Eaphoe, and also delivered to Eugene Conwell a Brief from the Holy See, constituting him Vicar-Apostolic of Derry. The latter wrote as follows to the Secretary of the Propaganda on the 1st of November, 1671 ; — " A few years since, having completed ray BY DE. PLUNKET 171 studies in Brabant, and read the course of philosophy and theology, his Eminence Cardinal Kospigliosi, then Internunzio at Brussels, sent me to this kingdom, granting me the privilege of missionary Apostolic, and I, obeying his commands, laboured in this vineyard, instructing and preaching, not impelled indeed by any deSu'e of promotion or impulse of ambition. Yet it pleased our most illustrious Primate to appoint me to the government of this diocese, about the end of August last year I confess that I laboured much in this diocese, with the sole hope of an eternal reward ; but see how, even in this world, the few labours which I sustained are rewarded beyond their merit by the Brief of the Holy Father. And not only the Brief, but also the letters of Car- dinal Anthony Barberini, signed also by your Excellency, were handed to me by our Primate, who indeed undertook a long and difficult jour- ney to this northern district of this countiy, to be himself the bearer of this Brief and Letters, and the whole clergy of the Diocese being assem- bled, he read the Apostolic Brief and Letters together It cannot be said or im- agined how great a benefit this Province has received from his continual labours— the erec- tion of schools—the correction of the Clergy, whom he instructs both by word and example— his many journeys— and the decision of so many controversies, so that all this province enjoys peace and tranquillity. May I also mention 173 VISITATION OF DIOCESES that lie is so esteemed by the ProtestantSj that even the Protestant nobility vie with each other in receiving him as their guest, and enjoying his society ; whence it happens that for his sake they do not molest our clergy. He had also a conference with the Protestant Bishop of Derry,* who is eminent amongst his own for learning : they discussed several points of controversy, and the Primate so solved his doubts, that this Protestant Bishop afterwards declared that he had never received such satisfaction from any one ; nor did he afterwards cease to extol him, and in my own hearing he declared that as he was first in dignity, so too was he first in learning amongst the Papists. I, as far as is in my power, will work and labour to walk in his footsteps, and I will strive to fulfil the duty imposed upon me. In the meantime I return to your Emi- nence all the thanks in my power, for whose safety and welfare all Ireland is bound to pray to the Most High, and above all others, " Your most hufaable and devoted servant, " Eugene Conwell, Vic. Ap. of Derry. "Derry, 1st November, 1671." A letter of the Vicar-General of Eaphoe, bearing the same date, is not less important, and details many interesting particulars regard- ing that ancient diocese : — " For nineteen years I cultivated in France * Dr. Eogor Boyle, who in the following year (lfi72), WAS transferred to Clogher. BY DR. PLtJNKET. 17S and Italy the studies of speculative and moral divinity, as also those appertaining to ecclesias- tical Jurisprudence ; and whilst I was in Kome, Alexander VIII., of happy memory, granted to me, in commendam, the Abbey of St. Thomas, in Dublin. Six years since, I received the dare of souls in the diocese of Meath, but I was not long allowed to remain in that diocese. For our most illustrious Primate called me to his diocese, and conferred on me the Priory of Eath, which had annexed to it the care of souls. How I would have wished that the Primate had alloAved me thus to live in private, and attached to the service of one particular Church, and not place me on the eminence of an entire diocese. I was obhged to obey his Grace and accept the Vicar-Generalship of the diocese of Eaphoe ; and in order thatlmight obtain peaceable possession, the Primate himself accompanied me through these rugged paths, truly like to those of the Alps or Apennines. Here the spiritual harvest is great, and these districts, though otherwise abounding in sterile mountains, yet are ripe for the sickle, but the labourers are few, and even these are but little acquainted with the art of arts — that is, the guidance of souls. There are about fourteen priests, of whom one alone passed the boundaries of this kingdom. . . . The diocese itself is, for the most part, sterile,, and produces only barley and oats, and its riches, consist in oxen, horses and swine. The whole diocese does not annually yield more than £15. K 2 174 VISITATION OF DIOCESES of English money — that is, 60 Itahan scudi. But the Primate promises me a better support, and has already given me in advance 30 scudi. Impelled solely by spiritual motives have I em- braced this province in a region so sterile, rough, and rugged. I confess, too, that the exhor- tations of the most illustrious Primate, confirmed by his own example, moved me very much : for often has he confirmed the children in these mountains and woods, and often, too, has he had no other food than oaten bread, salt butter, and stirabout, and no drink but milk. We are all amazed how a man of such a delicate con- stitution, and so delicately (as I myself have known) reared in Eome, should be able to un- dergo so many labours, so many journeys, so many rugged and difficult things. Assuredly, unless he adopt another manner of living and acting, he will lose his health, and will become useless to himself and to others. Stimulated, therefore, by his example I will reside on these mountains, that thus I may merit our Eedeemer's grace, and the esteem of the Holy See and the Sacred Congregation. I will make your Excel- lency acquainted with whatever occurs. One thing I forgot to mention, that the Presbyterians possess the better and more fertile part of this diocese, whilst the poor Catholics hold the mountains and woods, and have no other posses- sions than their flocks. According to the civil nomenclature, this district is called Tyrconnell, iind its chieftain was a famous prince, the Earl BY DK. PLUNKET. 175 of Tyrconnell, of the illustrious family of O'Donnel, who, about the beginning of James the First's reign, after a long war, fled to Rome, where, if I mistake not, he died a youth of seventeen years of age. A scion of that so illus- trious family yet remains, and is supported by his kinsmen and friends, all his possessions having been confiscated to the crown, and thus he is reduced to great straits. This being my first letter, I shall not detain your Excellency, and I ask your blessing, &c." On the 28th of September, 1671, Dr. Plun- ket despatched a long letter to the Internunzio acknowledging the receipt of the nominations for Derry, Dromore, and Ardagh. One extract from it will suffice. " I will not cease to work with the pen, with the tongue, and with all my slender faculties, and this for three motives : — 1st. To serve the Divine Majesty. 2nd. Through gratitude and the duty which I owe to the Apostolic See for the education and honours which I received from it. 3rd. Because God commands that I should obey and serve the Holy See, its service being inseparable from that of Christ. I cannot complain of slowness in the despatch of business in Rome, knowing, as I do, by certain and attested experience, that more resolutions have been made since Monsignor Baldeschi was ap- pointed Secretary, and your Excellency Inter- nunzio, than during the twelve preceding yesxs. 176 VISITATION OF DIOCESES During the months of Fehruary and March of 1674, Dr. Plunket left his place of conceal- ment in the remote parts of his diocese, and, despite the storm of persecution which then raged through the country, wished to he him- self the hearer of the Pallium to the illustrious Archhishop of Tuam. In this visit the most distinguished ecclesiastics of that province hastened to welcome him amongst them, hut he does not seem to have penetrated far into the country, probahly not beyond the city of Galway, the religion and hospitality of whose inhabitants he especially extols. On the 10th of March, 1674, he sent the following narrative of this visitation to Monsignor Baldeschi, Secretary of Propaganda : — " From the beginning of February to the 10th of March, I have been travelling in the Provinc of Tuam, to which I went in order to give th Pallium to the Archbishop of Tuam, who is prelate most prudent and ecclesiastical, spoke also with the Bishop of Clonfert, who i ' a grave and prudent man, and beloved by all I saw Dr. Michael Lynch, Vicar-Apostolic o Kilmacduagh, a learned and grave man, and famous preacher. I had also in my compan for ten days, Maurice Durcan, the Vicar-Gener of Achonry, who is doctor in theology, and grave man. I enjoyed the society, too, fo fifteen days, of Dr. J. Dowley, who was Vicar General of Tuam for thirty-five years, durin the whole time of the persecution, and suffer BY DE. PLUNKET. 177 very mucli, and as tlie Catholics of the diocese inform me, despite the terrors of the persecu- tion, kept alive the spark of religion in the diocese, and in the whole province, and he is the hest theologian of the entire province, as I learned from the Archhishop. The city of Gal- way, although small, is very heautiful, and two- thirds of the inhahitants are Catholic, hut they are poor, having lost all their property. Oh ! what a devout and hospitahle people. They support no less than three convents, one of the Dominicans, another of the Augustinians, and a third of the Franciscans. The Dominicans have the hest and most ornamented church that is in the entire kingdom. All three convents live with the greatest regularity and decorum. The city is exceedingly strong, and is a mari- time port. It was the last place in the kingdom attacked hy Cromwell, and it resisted a long time. The Superior, or, as they call him, the Warden of the Secular Clergy in the city of Galway, and in nine or ten adjoining parishes, pretends to exemption from the jurisdiction of the Archbishop, and on this head disorders fre- quently arise; hut as far as I could see, the Warden is in the wrong, and is not exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary, hut re- garding this matter I leave all to the Arch- bishop, as it is his business. " The Parliament gave liberty of conscience to the Presbyterians, Protestants, Anabap- tists, &c., but would not grant it to the Catholics ; 178 VISITATION OF DIOCESES nay more, it seeks to induce tlie king to retract the declaration made in favour of the Cathohcs. The king, however, is firm, and does not wish to consent to the desires of parliament on that head, and we hope that he may continue in this good resolution, although some are of opinion that the want of money will oblige him to do what he would not otherwise consent to. I pray you to excuse this besmeared letter,* as the servant, when making my bed, upset the ink-bottle, and as the post leaves in two hours, and is at a distance from me, I have no time to re-write the letter." The only other Relation of the visitations per- formed by the Primate is dated 6th March, 1675. It regards the entire Province of Armagh, and is as follows : — "1. The first diocese is Armagh, seventy miles in length, and about twenty in width. In it there are about forty Parish Priests, three con- vents of Franciscans, and two of Dominicans, one Augustinian, and one Carmelite convent, and a residence of the Capuchins. It is divided into three counties, Louth, Tyrone, and Armagh, and there are two Vicars-General, Patrick Plunket and Phelim O'Connogan. "2. The diocese of Meath, which is the first suffragan diocese, is sixty miles in length and *The latter sheet of the original letter is all he- smeared with ink, hence the remark in the text. The ink seems to have been wiped oflf whilst it was yet fresh, and thus the text is perfectly legible. BY DE. PLUNKET. 179 thirty in width ; it has seventy Parish Priests, two convents of Dominicans, two of Franciscans, one of Augustinians, one of the discalced Car- mehtes, and two residences of the Capuchins. The Bishop is Dr. Patrick Plunket — an excel- lent and ecclesiastical prelate. The Catholics possess more property in this diocese than in aU the other dioceses of the province. "3. The diocese of Clogher is ahout fifty miles long, and sixteen wide ; it has thirty-five Parish Priests, two convents of Franciscans, and one of the Dominicans. The Bishop is Dr! Patrick Duffy, formerly a Franciscan friar. No CathoUc has any property in the diocese, and all are tenants under Protestant or Presby- terian landlords. "4. The diocese of Derry is about fifty-five miles in length, and twenty in breadth ; it has thirty Parish Priests ; it has for Vicar-General, Luke Plunket, a man of learning, who governs it admirably. There are two convents of Dominicans. All the Cathohcs in it are tenants. " 5. The diocese of Kilmore is fifty miles in length, and twenty in breadth ; there are in it about twenty-six Parish Priests, and two convents of Franciscans. All the Cathohcs, with the ex- ception of two, are only tenants. The Vicar- General IS Thomas Symons, a very learned and eloquent man. He was professor of theology in Belgium. *' 6. The diocese of Eaphoe is aboutforty miles 180 VISITATION OF DIOCESES long, and sixteen wide ; it has eighteen Parish Priests, and there is in it one convent of Fran- ciscans. The Vicar-General is Bernard Ma- gorck, a learned and exemplary man. " 7. The diocese of Connor is ahout thirty- miles long, and fifteen wide; it has about twelve Parish Priests, and a convent of Francis- cans ; all its Catholics, with the exception of three, are tenants. The Vicar- General is Terence O'Mulderig, of fair learning, and of exemplary life. " 8. The diocese of Dromore is twenty miles long and twelve in breadth ; there are sixteen Parish Priests, but no regulars. All the Catholics, with the exception of one, are tenants. The Vicar-General was appointed by Apostolic Brief, and is sufficiently learned; he studied theology and received the doctorate in Borne. His name is Eonan Magin. "9. The diocese of Down is about thirty miles long, and fourteen wide ; it has a convent of Franciscans, and one of Dominicans. All the Catholics, excepting one, are tenants ; there are fourteen Parish Priests, and on account of its great vicinity, and of its having no one suffi- ciently qualified, it is administered by the afore- said Konan Magin. " 10. The diocese ofArdagh is about forty miles long, and sixteen wide; there are twenty-four Parish Priests, two convents of Franciscans, and one of the Dominicans. There are only four CathoMc gentlemen of property, all the others BY DE. PLTJNKET. 181 are tenants. The Vicar is Gerard Ferrall, -who was appointed by Apostolic Brief. "11. The diocese of Clonmacnoise is about twenty miles in length, and sixteen in width; it has seven Parish Priests, and one convent of Franciscans ; all the Catholics there are tenants, with the exception of four. The Vicar-General is Dionysius Coffey, and although he does not possess great learning, he is, nevertheless, a man of saintly life. " The Protestant Bishops and Ministers pos- sess all the churches and ecclesiastical revenues ; the Catholic Priests and Bishops have only the alms and offerings which are made by the poor Catholics ; they are, indeed, like those of the eaiiy Church. All the above-mentioned dioceses, with the exception of Meath and Clonmacnoise, are in the northern division of Ireland, called Ulster. There are various sects in it, Protest- ants, Presbyterians (who reject episcopal govern- ment), Anabaptists, and Quakers. The Presby- terians prevail both in numbers and influence over the other three ; they do not frequent the Protestant churches ; they have their ministers chosen by the elders, or senior laymen of their sect, and they do not admit ordination from bishops ; they hate the sign of the cross — they do not aUow any fixed prayer, but only that which is dictated at the moment by the Holy Ghost — they do not even allow the ' Our Father' — they have churches of their own, but use no bells." I. 182 VISITATION OF DIOCESES In his letter, of 27tli October, 1678, Dr. Plunket informs us that, at the request of the assembled prelates of Ardpatrick, he had again undertaken a visitation of his province ; that he commenced with the Diocese of Meath ; thence he proceeded to Clonmacnoise, and, whilst engaged in the visitation of this diocese, the news first reached him of the persecution having burst forth anew, and of the arrest of the Arch- bishop of Dublin. The months of June and July of the same year were spent in the visitation of his own immediate diocese, though at this time the Archbishop was suffering from a painful malady in the eyes. In his letter to the In- temunzio, announcing this visitation, he details many further particulars regarding the diocese of Ardagh, Meath, Derry, Clogher, and Kilmore. It is dated the 9nd of August, 1678, and is especially interesting, as disclosing to us how little Dr. Plunket allowed himself to be biassed by family interests, when the cause of our holy religion was at stake. " During the past two months I was engaged in a fatiguing and most laborious visitation of my diocese, of which I shall soon send a further narrative to your Excellency. After my return I received two letters of your Excellency of the 11th of June, and of the 16th of July, from which I learn that the Bishops of Meath and Kildare, and Dr. Cusack, have received your favours, and these favours have been conferred on truly worthy persons, and hence our whole BY DE. PLUNKET. 183 nation is obliged for them to their Eminences in Eome and to your Excellency. To his Emi- nence Cardinal Altieri and to Monsignor Cerri I shall reply in a few days ; but the inflammation of my eyes, which was much increased by the laborious visitation of the northern mountains, scarcely allows me to write, or to read even letters as large as a snuff-box. It did not, how- ever, prevent my tongue from preaching, in both the English and Irish languages. " Christopher Ferrall, a Dominican,* is a relative of mine; but, nevertheless, flesh and blood shall not guide me, contrary to the good of rehgion, and of the mission. He is not dis- tinguished either by his learning or personal quahties. Moreover, the diocese of Ardagh has not a revenue of 80 scudi a year, and I think the resolution of their Eminences is wise, not to multiply our bishops without necessity. With every submission I state my humble opinion on this subject. The diocese of Ardagh is contiguous to and in a manner intermixed with the diocese of Meath, and has been for many years without a bishop, Avithout confirmation, &c. Their Emi- nences might grant the administration of that diocese to Dr. Cusack, the coadjutor of the Bishop of Meath; thus the two difficulties pru- dently referred to by your Excellency would be removed, and that diocese would be provided •with an active and learned superior. I do not * He had lately been petitioned for as Bishop by the V icar-ApoBtohc and the clergy of Ardagh . 184 VISITATION OF DIOCESES think that any further bishops are required for the province of Armagh, excepting in the diocese of Derry, which is very far to the North, and has been without a bishop for eighty years. Luke Plunket, the Vicar of Derry, during the past spring, when coming to me for the conse- cration of the chahces and altars, during the dif- ficult journey, fell from his horse and broke his right arm in four places ; now, however, thanks be to God, he is better. He is renowned for his labours, and by his good administration in six years he brought that uncouth people to great discipline and order. " Dr. Tyrrell, by his last visitation restored the diocese of Clogher to such peace, concord, and ecclesiastical discipline, that he is deserving of every praise. He laboured very much, and also took possession of the diocese of Kilmore, and after performing a visitation of it, he wil give a relation to your Excellency." In many of his letters Dr. Plunket refers t the great poverty which prevailed in several dioceses of Ireland, and this was the chief motive^ which impelled him, at different intervals during his episcopate, to urge on the Holy See the necessity of not adding new members to ouf hierarchy. As early as the 16th of March, 1672, he addressed a letter to the Internunzio most earnestly commending this matter, and sugges- ting, at the same time, an easy remedy for th© administration of the vacant churches : — " I have heard from different quarters (h BY DB. PLUNKET. 185 says) that Bishops are to be appointed for this province. I deem myself obliged in conscience to express my sentiment on this matter. There are in this province about ten dioceses, and it is as large as the provinces of Tuam and Dublin together. This province can afford competent support to five Bishops if they be distributed in a proper manner, and agreeably to the wants of the province. The Bishop of Meath can easily govern his diocese, and hold, at the same time, the administration of Clonmacnoise ; the Bishop of Kilmore can, in the same way, ad- minister the diocese of Ardagh ; the Archbishop of Ai-magh that of Clogher; the Bishop of Derry that of Kaplioe ; and the Bishop of Down and Connor can administer Dromore ; and thus five Bishops will suffice. The five Bishoprics which are given in administration are small and poor, and have but few priests." Succeeding years did not produce any change in this sentiment of Dr. Plunket. In his letter of the 15th of September, 1677, he not only insists with greater earnestness on this measure, but more fully also declares to us the poverty to which the Bishops of Ireland were subject : — " Neither in Munster nor in any other province is there a Bishopric now vacant that has an annual revenue of 100 scudi, with the exception of Derry. In Munster, that is the province of Cashel, two Bishoprics are vacant, namely, Ardfert and Emly. The richer of these does not annuaUy yield 80 scudi ; now you yourself will 186 VISITATION OF DIOCESES judge, how could a Bishop (why do I say a Bishop, how could his servant) support and clothe himself with 80 scudi a year ? They are obliged to support themselves here with shame and ignominy to the mitre and pastoral. You will be good enough to pay particular attention to what I am now going to say. No Bishop in Ireland has two servants, and it is one and the same that acts- as his servant and stable-boy, and it is the stable-boy that serves the Bishop's mass. Moreover, none of them have their own house: to procure food they go to-day to the house of one gentleman, and to-morrow to the house of another, not without their shame ; and indeed the gentry are now tired of these visits. Whether or not this be a humiUation of the pastoral, I will leave it to be decided by the prudence of your Excellency. From this it also arises that the poor Prelates are the servants of the gentry, and if they do not give the parishes according to the wishes of the gentry to persons often undeserving, they will incur their displea- sure : and indeed poverty compels the Bishops to perform things unbecoming their dignity. " These things being so, I beseech you, through the love of Christ, to represent to their Eminences what I write, with all reverence, as being well acquainted with all the diffej-ent parts of this kingdom. I have three servants, but my friends support them, and give hay and oats to my horses : however, were it not for their charity, the stable-boy would also be the server of my BY DR. PLUKKET. 187 mass. I have never had 200 scudi of revenue, and the third part of that revenue (and even more) goes in the expense of correspondence within the kingdom and with foreign parts. Letters are sent to me from all parts, because they know that I alone keep a fixed and regular correspondence in Dublin, &c., and that my dio- cese is only half a day's journey from Dublin. I charge the Canon Joyce with many letters to be sent to Eome, and I do not pay him any- thing in return; I only apply all my masses during the year for his intention. Were their Emiuences thoroughly acquainted with the state of the kingdom and the poverty of the Catholics, they would make no Bishops here excepting such as are absolutely necessary. In the pro- vince of Cashel there are at present living, be- sides the Archbishop, four suffragan Bishops, that is, in the sees of Killaloe, Kilfenora, Cork, and Limerick: they are sufficient, and more than sufficient." Even when detained in prison, and awaiting his trial on a charge of high treason. Dr. Plunket had his thoughts fixed on the churches entrusted to him; and fearful lest new dangers might beset his spiritual charge, more than once ad- dressed to the Sacred Congregation his ardent request that no new Bishops should be created for some time. The following extracts from his letters of the 19th and 24th of June, 1680, not only express this sentiment of the Primate, but, moreover, present some particulars connected 188 VISITATION OF DIOCESES with other Prelates of our Irish Church, and the most distinguished of the clergy of Ulster at this period: — " I declare and solemnly consider that no- thing more injurious to the spiritual interest of the kingdom could be done, than to appoint new Bishops in these disastrous times ; for this would provoke the government to enact more rigorous decrees, and would give further pretext to a renewal of the persecution, and all, as well the laity as the clergy, would exclaim that their Eminences were ,the cause of their tribulations ; and it would seem that it was done on purpose to defy and goad on the Protestants. . . . Seek for further information on this subject from the Archbishop of Cashel and Dr. Forstall of Kil- dare, who are Prelates remarkable for their learning, prudence, gravity, and sanctity of life, and who would be not only fit, but would even deserve to be appointed to such sees as Toledo or Paris, and you will surely find that they share in my sentiments." He next assigns the subjects whom he deems most worthy to be chosen, should the Sacred Congregation deem it expedient to make any appointment to the vacant sees : — " We have here Dr. Edward Dromgole, a preacher, and famous theologian and canonist; Bernard Magorke, Vicar of Armagh, a grave, learned, and exemplary man ; Dr. Henry Hugo, my Vicar- General, who taught philosophy here, and also was educated at Rome; Luke Plunket, BY DE. PLUNKET. 189 a renowned canonist, and moral theologian, who suffered imprisonment and exile, and being full of zeal, returned to this country about six months since. All these bear the burden of the day and the heat; they defend the flock and feed it; they suffer in its defence ; they toil and labour in the vineyard of the Lord." The letters of Dr. Patrick Tyrrell, Bishop of Cloglier, fully corroborate the statement of Dr. Plunket. On the 14th of February, 1677, he thus writes : — "In a few days I start on the visitation of my diocese, that thus I may be able to detail more minutely its present state. Up to the pre- sent it was impossible to do so, partly on ac- count of the disorders, and partly because the winter was exceedingly severe in these parts. I understand, however, that the diocese is very extensive and very poor. I have not received as yet, the value of one pin from it ; and though I should receive all that is usual granted to the Bishop, it would not suffice for the maintenance of one priest, and much less for the support of a Bishop, who is obhged to keep, at least, one sei-vant and a chaplain, no matter how poor he may be. I hear all the prelates lamenting the misery that they endure ; may God compen- sate it by the abundance of His heavenly graces. " The Parliament of England keeps us in ap- prehension of new persecutions, but the mercy of God comforts us with the firm resolution to either suffer or die for our spiritual flocks. " Clogher, 14th Feb., 1677." l 3 190 VISITATION OF DIOCESES The name of Dr. Patrick Plunket, Bishop of Ardagh, and afterwards of Meath, has more than once been introduced in these pages. He it was that trained the opening intellect of his relative, the future Archbishop of Armagh: for many years he was almost the only Bishop in Ireland exercising episcopal functions, and if, at the time of his consecration, sunshine seemed to smile upon our island, the close of his event- ful Episcopate was darkened by a gathering storm which, whilst he hastened to his eternal rest, held men's minds in suspense, and soon after burst forth in all its fury. The Primate, on 13th November, 1679, thus communicates to the Holy See the intelligence of the demise of this Holy Prelate: — " To your most kind letter of the 10th of October I did not send an answer, not having any news of importance to communicate. But now I must give you the sad intelligence of the death of Dr. Patrick Plunket, Bishop of Meath, a Prelate distinguished by his birth, sincerity, integrity of life, his skill and experience in ec- clesiastical matters, and his great watchfulness over his pastoral charge during the long space of thirty-three years ; and although he was son of one of the first nobility of the kingdom, yet he never pursued any of the vain pleasures of this world. He was at first Abbot of St. Mary's, near Dublin. About thirty-three years ago In- nocent the Tenth honoured him with the mitre of Ardagh, and Clement the Tenth transferred him to the diocese of Meath. For many years BY DE. PLUNKET. 191 there was no other Bishop in Ireland, all having fled in consequence of the fiery persecution of Cromwell. He continually enjoyed the protec- tion, or, at least the connivance, of the state, on account of his birth and moderation; he was an enemy to all temporal and political intrigues, and his nephew being married to the niece of the Duke of Ormond, our Viceroy, and vice versa, one of his nieces having for husband the nephew of the Viceroy, he had a written protection dur- ing the two late persecutions. He died poor because he lived rich, and devoted to alms-deeds ; his right hand knew not what his left hand per- formed; he never denied an alms to a poor man, .and he gave many secret charities to the bashful poor, respectable men and widows, of whom we have now a large number, since the massacre of Cromwell. He had no more than 1,000 scudi dying. All the ornaments of his chapel, and his books and pontificals, he bequeathed to me during my life, and on my death to the diocese of Meath. He died on the 18th of this month, the day dedicated to the consecration of the Ba- * silicas of SS. Peter and Paul (for whom he en- tertamed a most ardent devotion), and in the seventy-sixth year of his age; and I recommend the soul of this great Prelate to your Excellency when offering the most holy sacrifice. . . . " It is gradually becoming manifest that all this con^iracy, the cause of the shedding of so much Catholic blood, was got up by the Presbyterians, who are hostile both to the monarchy and to 193 VISITATION OF DIOCESES the hierarchy. By the next post I shall write to Monsignor Cyho. His uncle acquired great fame for skill and goodness, and integrity, which makes us hope that his nephew, in an office so important for the Propagation of the Faith, shall be imitator of the heroic virtues of his uncle." Letters of Dr. Conwell and of the Vicar-General of Eaphoe, have been aheady given in the chap- ter on the zeal and apostolic labours of Dr. Plunket. Dr. Conwell is spoken of in the con- temporary records as a man of distinguished zeal and leai-ning, but his delicate constitution did not long sustain the incessant labours of the vast and important diocese of Derry. On his demise. Dr. Plunket transferred the Vicar-Gen- eral of Eaphoe, Dr. Luke Plunket, to the diocese, and when in 1677, a momentary calm seemed to smile upon om^ Irish Church, we find a petition presented by the Primate, that this Vicar- Gen- eral should be consecrated Bishop for that ancient see. A letter of the Nunzio, of 91st August, 1677, besides referring to this desire of the Arch- bishop of Armagh, presents many interesting particulars connected with this diocese : — " The Vicar of Derry infoi-ms me, that through the mercy of God, great peace is enjoyed in that diocese, and that order is maintained there, not only by his own exertions, but by the union of the clergy, who, moreover, are not called on to contribute much for his support, as he possesses a sufficient private patrimony. For two years BY DR. PLUKKET. 193 he exercised the function of Vicar-General of Kaphoe, and is for five years in his present posi- tion ; he was twice cast into prison by the Pro- testants, and accused of acting with authority delegated by the Holy See, yet he was each time set at liberty, and declared innocent through the want of evidence against him. He laments his being at the distance of one hundred miles from the residence of the nearest Bishop, and this in a mountainous country, so that not being visited by other Bishops, and Derry itself being without a Bishop more than a hundred years, almost the whole mass of the people is without the sacrament of Confirmation, and deprived of those advantages which the presence of a Bishop would confer on it. He requested me to grant him the faculty of consecrating altars and chalices, but as I had no such power, I answered that I would petition your Excellency, as I do now to obtain it for him. " All the preceding statements are confirmed by the Archbishop of Armagh, who, morover, writes that he administered Confirmation in that diocese to old men sixty years of age ; and after passing a high eulogy on the learning and merits of the Vicar-General, he declares that if the Sacred Congregation is desirous of appoint- ing a Bishop to the see of Derry, he would be the best quahfied both in regard of his own talents, and on account of his having sufficient private means : he adds that he has very few equals in Ireland, and that the only defect is liis deUcate constitution." 194 VISITATION OF DIOCESES We have also a letter of Dr. Plunket himself written on the 4th of August, 1677, to the Se- cretary of the Sacred Congregation, which gives some further details on the same suhject : — " It is my duty to represent to their Excel- lencies whatever may tend to promote the pro- pagation of the faith, and ecclesiastical discipline in this Idngdom, and especially in the province of Armagh. Now it is certain that great ad- vantage would accrue to our holy religion by granting a Bishop to the diocese of Derry. This diocese is the most remote in this kingdom, and has about thirty Parish Priests and about six thousand Catholic families. These are at a distance of more than a hundi-ed miles from me and from every other Bishop ; and hence, for the . consecration of chalices and altar-stones, as well as for the ordinations, they are obliged to make a long and difficult journey ; and as there was no Bishop there for more than a hundred years, many persons are met with at a very ad- vanced age who never received the sacrament of Confirmation. It was with difficulty that I found a proper Vicar who would undertake the mis- sion in these remote districts, till about five years ago God moved Luke Plunket, a learned and exemplary man, to accept the burden of the government of that diocese : he passed nineteen years in Italy and France ; he is rich in earthly wealth, but still more so in zeal for the glory of God : he suffered much in the exercise of his ministry: he was imprisoned and prosecuted by the Protestants, but his defence was so pru- BY DB. PLUNKET. 195 dent that he was liberated. On one occasion,- though sick, he was dragged at midnight two miles away to prison ; yet such was his zeal,, that no persecution could force him to abandon^ his flock." The plan proposed to the Holy See by the Primate could not be realised, for scarce were these letters received in Kome when intelligence was brought that the long-threatening storm of persecution had burst, with all its fury, upon our afflicted island ; and from subsequent re- cords we learn that the Yicar of Derry was one of those who enjoyed the happy honour of sharing mth the Primate the sufferings and chains of his imprisonment. In the letter of the Primate, 2nd August, 1678, mention is made of the requested favours having been granted, not only to the Bishop of Meath and Dr. Cusack, but also to Dr. Forstall, the Bishop of Kildare. The favour solicited by Dr. Plunket for this prelate was the adminis- tration of the adjoining diocese of Leighlin. Dr. Forstall was a prelate of great virtue and learn- ing, and, before his appointment to the see of Kildare, had held high ecclesiastical offices in Vienna, in which he won for himself the esteem and favour of the Imperial Court. He was, however, a member of the Order of St. Augus- tine, all whose convents had been destroyed or impoverished throughout the kingdom ; and, as the diocese of Kildare presented at this period no means of subsistence, yielding to the Bishop 196 VISITATION OP DIOCESES a revenue of only 56 scudiper annum, tliat is to say, little more tlian £1 per month, lie was obliged to have recourse to Eome, the common mother of all, soliciting aid in his distress. Dr. Plunket was mainly instrumental in procuring for him the administration of the diocese of Leighlin, and in his letter of the 20th of August, 1677, whilst suggesting the means by which this worthy prelate (whom he elsewhere declares fit to govern the most important dioceses of the world) might be relieved, he especially com- mends this provision for the diocese of Leighlin, as it not only succoured the indigence of the Bishop, but would at the same time, be a source of great spiritual blessings to that venerable see. The following is the letter of the Primate : — " The great affection which your Eminence has ever displayed for me and for this nation, is the cause of my so often inconveniencing you, both for myself and for my friends, amongst whom is Dr. Forstall, a grave and learned prelate, and here esteemed by all ; he is Bishop of Kildare, which diocese is amongst the poorest of this kingdom, having only fifteen priests, and yield- ing no more than £15, that is about 56 scudi of Eoman money. It is certain that many of the chaplains of the 'Madonna dei Monti'* receive a great deal more. The manner of succouring this worthy Prelate is either to destine an annual _* A churcli not far from the old Irish College in Eome ; it is also at present the parochial church of our national college in that city. BY DB. PLUNKET. 197 sum for him from the Sacred Congregation, such as is granted to the Bishops of the East, or if not, to grant to him the administration of the diocese of Leighlin, adjoining that of Kildare, which, although it has no more than fifteen or sixteen priests, and gives a revenue of only 50 or 60 scudi, nevertheless will be a great re- lief to Dr. Forstall. This measure would be of great spiritual advantage to the Leighlin dio- cese, since the said Prelate could administer there the sacraments of confirmation and orders, and consecrate chalices or altars, &c.; and it is certain that it would be a source of greater profit and spiritual consolation to this diocese to be administered by a Bishop (since it cannot support a Bishop for itself), than by a Vicar-General, who with difficulty can be found with such learning, and cannot enjoy so great authority. "I therefore pray your Eminence to propose to his Holiness and to the Sacred Congi-egation either to assign an annual sum to Dr. Forstall, or otherwise to grant him the administration of Leighlin diocese, which is contiguous to and ad- joining the diocese of Kildare : this is a matter worthy of your charity ^nd great zeal, and I re- main, &e." This favour was soon accorded by the Holy See, but the diocese of Leighlin was not allowed to enjoy long this administration. Before the close of the year 1679, Dr. Forstall was cast into prison; and even after his liberation the 198 VISITATION OF DIOCESES , fiiry of persecution compelled him to seek for safety in the woods and mountains, till, in 1683, he closed his earthly career an exile in the dio- cese of Cashel. On the 22nd of January, 1647, Dr. Andrew Lynch was elected by the Sacred Congregation Bishop of Kilfenora. His episcopate embraced one of the saddest epochs in the history of our Church. During the persecution consequent on the invasion of Cromwell, he fled to France, and acted for many years as suffragan or As-' sistant-Bishop to the Archbishop of Kouen. In 1671 the Sacred Congregation deliberated on the propriety of transferring this Prelate to the then vacant see of Cork, and of uniting his small diocese with the adjoining see of Killaloe. The opinion of Dr.Plunketwas solicited through the Nunzio as to the propriety of this union; and the following fragment of a letter, written by him in reply, was transmitted to the Sacred Congregation before the close of 1672: — " 31st Jan., 1672. — As regards the union of the diocese of Kilfenora with Killaloe, I think it would be well; for Kilfenora has no more than, four or five priests." In the preceding months the Internunzio had presented a similar recommendation to Rome. His letter of 17th October, 1671, is as follows:— " The Bishop of Kilfenora, who is now in France, and, though sixty-five years of age, is nevertheless robust and strong, was obliged to abandon his diocese, on account of its being so BY DE. PLUNKET. reduced and impoverished, and retire to France to acquire subsistence, acting as suffragan of the Archbishop of Eouen. Moreover he had but httle duty in his own diocese, as it is only ten Italian miles in extent, and even in the most flourishing times of the Church had only nine priests, that number being now reduced to four. It forms as if a corner of the diocese of Killaloe, and adjoins the diocese of Kilmac- duagh, so that it would be well to have it incor- porated with either of these dioceses, not to have a Bishop confined to so small a district, which is wholly insufficient for his support ; for in Ireland the Bishops subsist by the charitable offerings of the people, and the voluntary con- tributions of the poor Priests. Should the Sa- cred Congregation adopt this plan, the present Bishop of Kilfenora might be transferred to the see of Cork, which is in the same province of Cashel, and is very extensive and rich, whilst it is, at the same time, very remote from the residence of the other Bishops who are now in Ireland. This sentiment has been approved by Dr. O'Molony (Bishop of Killaloe), the Bishop of Ferns, and Dr. Dempsey, who also requested me to supplicate your Excellency for this favour, as the Bishop of Kilfenora is most anxious to return to labour in Ireland, whilst it would be impossible for him to return to his former resi- dence. The account I have received of this Bishop represents him as a man very learned and vu'tuous." 90Q DB. plunket's mission to The good Bisliop of Kilfenora, however, de- clined the proffered translation to the see of Cork, and continued to reside in France, some few years later, the diocese which had yielded him a refuge, gave him also a tomb. CHAPTEE XII. DR. plunket's mission TO THE SCOTO-IEISH OF THE HIGHLANDS AND HEBRIDES. For some years before the departure of Dr. Plunket from the Eternal City, the missions in the Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland had engaged the attention of the Sacred Congrega- tion; and he had not as yet reached Bel- gium, when, by order of the Holy Father, he was deputed, on the 17th of September, 1669, the superior of these missions, with an injunc- tion to procure spiritual pastors for that deso- late flock. At an early period of the persecution against the Catholics of Great Britain, all priests were compelled to fly from the Scottish islands, and as these were too poor to attract the attention of the reformed ministers, their inhabitants were left almost wholly immersed in the grossest ignorance. We find at intervals, however, some heroic priests, especially from the neighbouring THE HIGHLANDS AND HEBKIDES, 201 shores of Ireland, fearlessly risking their lives in order to administer to these poor islanders the sacraments of the Church, and break to them the bread of life. The records of the Jesuit missions, as well as those of the Orders of St. Francis and St. Vincent,* present illus- trious examples of such true Christian heroism. We shall take one from the Annual Letters of the Jesuit Fathers. About the year 1650 Father David Galvins was renowned throughout the Irish province for his piety and zeal; three times did he set out for the missions of Scot- land. On the first occasion he travelled as a merchant, yet could convert none of the islanders to the profession of the Catholic faith, such was their terror of the Duke of Argyle, a bitter enemy of the Catholics, and lord of that terri- tory. When returning to Ireland, all sad for the bad success of his journey, the Scotch sailors, who themselves were imbued with Calvinism, surprised that though he styled himself a mer- chant, yet he had purchased no goods, asked him for what object he had undertaken so long * In the Life of St. Vincent, 1. ii. c. 1, sect, xi., there is an account of the missionary labours of the Lazarists in the Hebrides, and of the success which they obtained. St. Vincent, it is there stated, selected two Irish priests for the mission of the Hebrides, to whom a third was added, Scotch by birth. There is an interesting letter inserted in the same chapter, written by one of those missionaries, the Eev. Mr. Duignin or Duggan, which gives an accurate account of his labours in the Western Highlands. ■Q02 DB. plunket's mission to ,a journey? The good father replied that he ■was, indeed, a merchant, but of merchandize far more precious than all earthly goods, and that he sought for souls redeemed by the most pre- ^ cious blood of Jesus Christ. The sailors, rea- . soning amongst themselves, declared with one accord that that religion should be true which could inspire such a desire for the salvation oi souls; and before the vessel reached the Irisi coast, he had the consolation of receiving these straying children into the fold of Christ. On his second and third mission his labours were, crowned with abundant fruit : in some districts, whole towns, parents as well as children, re^ ceived the sacrament of Baptism ; and on one occasion, so incessant was his toil in instructing the poor mountaineers, that for five months h( never changed his garments, though often com polled to rest at night exposed to the rain and the inclemency of the weather. Such was the hatred conceived against him by the heretics, that they publicly sent round his likeness in order to secure his arrest. But the good father safely passed through their hands, though not without a manifest interposition of Providence ; and sometimes, too, employing the artifice of declaring himself a merchant, and bringing around some sacks of corn, as if they were sam- ples, the better to disguise his true mission. In 1663 Alexander Winster was appointed prefect of all the Scottish missions, and in his " Keport to the Sacred Congregation he states THE HIGHLANDS AND HEBEIDES. 203 that there were six thousand Catholics in Scot- land, and that the Highlanders used the Irish language ; the clergy consisted of eleven Jesuits, three Dominicans, two Franciscans, and; six secular Priests, all being maintained by the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda. These priests, however, were, for the most part, con- fined to the Lowlands, and but few could be found who would embrace the mission of the Scoto-Irish, as they called the inhabitants of the Hebrides and Highlands. We have seen in the second chapter how the Irish Bishops urged, as a motive for the establishment of the Irish College in Eome, that thus they might be the better able to supply missions for the Scotch districts. Dr. Burgatt, too, when agent of the Irish Clergy in Eome, petitioning the Holy Father, in 1668, that Bishops might be destined to the vacant sees in Ireland, assigns this, amongst other reasons, that thus the Scottish Church might be succoured, which was almost wholly destitute of Pastors. " The Scotch (he saysj have but few ecclesiastics of their own na- tion; fniitful missions, however, were often given there from Ireland : for they freely receive instruction from the Irish priests on account of their having the same language as well as the same origin. AU, but especially the Scottish islanders, so hate the EngUsh that they even seem to abhor all who speak the English lan- guage." As soon as Dr. Plunket had expedited mat- 204 DR. pltjnket's mission to ters more immediately connected with his own diocese, he resolved to visit and procure pastors for this scattered portion of Christ's fold : — " The visitation of the Hehrides yet remains," he thus writes on the 23rd Fehruary, 1671, "but if the Sacred Congregation does not write a letter to the Marquis of Antrim, we shall be able to effect nothing. This nobleman has great influence in these islands, but he is in every respect not unlike Mgr. Albrici, good and prudent, but slow and scrupulous in everything. I remember that Mgr. Albrici could not find in all Italy a servant to suit him: the Florentine was too talky ; the Milanese was giddy ; the Eomagnese was stupid ; the Neapolitan was quick with the fingers ; the Eoman was too sad. And so it is very difficult to find people to suit the Marquis of Antrim. I proposed to him no fewer than twenty priests, but he had something to say against every one of them ; and in regard to Eonan Magin — a man truly suited for the task — he remarked that he seemed too hasty and pre- sumptuous, and proud. The chief cause of the delay, however, is the treaty of union between Scotland and England, as I mentioned in a for- mer letter. The Marquis sent three priests to these islands to administer the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist during the Lent ; after Easter they returned, and they would not consent to remain in them for the whole year, as they have good parishes in the county An- trim. Moreover they are very old, and but THE HIGHLANDS AND HEBRIDES. 205 ill-suited for the labour of these islands. A courteous letter to this nobleman, commending his piety and his zeal for the spiritual profit of these souls, and commemorating also the piety of his ancestors, will be very effacious in promoting this matter. I was with him for three days at his house in Dunluce ; it is a noble building ; the palace is perched on a high I'ock, which is lashed on every side by the sea ; it is only twelve miles distant from the largest of the Hebrides. Mgr. this letter is necessary, as the Marquis is the only Catholic nobleman who can assist me in this mission, and without his aid I shall have to run many risks." This letter of the primate was read in the Congregation of 13th of July, 1671, and at the same time that the wished-for letter was directed to the Marquis of Antrim, a missionary stipend was decreed to three priests whom tire Arch- bishop of Armagh should destine for these missions. "Whatever may have been the judgment of the Marquis of Antrim in regard of the subjects proposed by Dr. Plunket for the Scottish mission, it is manifest from the letters of the primate, that he omitted no diligence, in choosing mis- sionaries well suited for that holy work. Thus, he writes in 1670, immediately after his arrival in Ireland : " When I assemble the vicars of the province, I shall send to your Excellency the names of the missionaries for the Scottish islands ; three so 6 DR. plunket's mission to have already offered themselves for that mission, but before I accept them, I will examine them as to learning, and I will go to their own district, in order to see what is the tenor of their lives. You may rest assured that those that I Avill send shall be men of sufficient learning and of holy life. Their stipend might be the same as is given to the other missionaries of Scotland, • especially as these islands are even poorer than Scotland itself. When I transmit to you their names and the attestation of their merits, I am sure that your Excellency, in the fulness of your zeal, will do all that is necessary for the advance- ment of this holy work. There is one mission- ary in these islands named White, who is sup- ported there by Daniel Arthur, an Irish merchant of London." Before the above-mentioned decree was enac- ted by the Sacred Congregation, Dr. Plunket had addressed another letter respecting his for- mer demands, and soliciting pecuniary aid to enable him to execute the commission entrusted to him by the Holy See. " I need some assistance," he says, in his letter of 7th June, 1671, "to enable me to visit the Scottish islands, that is, the Hebrides ; without your assistance I can do nothing. It will be necessary for me to bring a priest and a ser- vant with me, and to dress after the manner of these people, which is very different from that •of every other part of the globe." In his subsequent letters, Dr. Plunket makes THE HIGHLANDS AND HEBEIDES. 207" no fiirtlier petition for any aid; nevertheless, reference is made at a latter period to a Re- lation of these islands presented about this time by the Archbishop of Armagh ; and hence we may conlude that before the close of 1671 he performed this visitation, and consoled the de- voted children of that abandoned portion of Christ's flock, by appointing pastors to attend to their spiritual care. Indeed this mission seems to have been most dear to him; and writing to the Secretaiy of the Sacred Congre- gation on the 29th September, 1671, he thus earnestly recommends it to theh- care : — " I recommend to you the Scottish islands. The poor creatures are dying from spiritual hunger, having none to break to them the bread of Christ ; let us reap the harvest whilst it is ripe, and let us gather in the vintage before it is destroyed by the hail and the tempest." In the absence of any fragments of the " Relation" of Dr. Plunket, we may present some extracts from two other narratives of these missions, presented to the Sacred Congregation in the year 1669. One of these was written by Dr. Winster, who, as we have seen, was for many years Prefect of the mission in the Scot- tish islands. He states that :— " The mountainous districts are barren, and during five or six months of the year, scarcely yield to the inhabitants sufficient oaten or barley- bread ; towards the sea there is an abundance offish, and everywhere there are large flocks of 208 DE. plunket's mission to sheep and cattle ; the people live on cheese, milk, and butter ; the lower classes, however, are often without bread. " The Highlands have no commerce with foreign nations, but sell their cattle to the in- habitants of the Lowlands, and are thus enabled to purchase flour ; this is the reason why the missionaries who visit these districts are obliged not only to bring with them bread and wine for the Holy Sacrifice, but also food and every other necessary, not without very great inconvenience. " There are no post-offices, and no means of sending letters unless a person sends them by hand to the chief city of the kingdom. " The language of the inhabitants is the Irish, wherefore only natives of Ireland are suited for these missions, till such time as priests from the districts themselves be educated in the colleges on the Continent. " The CathoUcs live in peace in the district of Glengarry, under Earl MacDonnell; also in those mountain districts which belong to the Marquis of Huntley, and in the islands of Uist, Barra, and Morar, which are the most remote from the government residences. " Such is the severity of the laws, that the practice of the Catholic religion is not allowed ; in the Highlands, however, and remote islands, these laws are not carried into execution. " The present missionaries are two Franciscan friars, viz.. Father Mark and Father Francis MacDonnell, sent thither by the Sacred Con- THE HIGHLANDS AND HEBEIDES. 309 gregation; there is also one secular priest (a mis- sionary of the Sacred Congregation), whose name is Francis White,* and a schoolmaster in the Glengarry district named Eugene MacAlaster, The Father White whom I have mentioned, often visits the islands and the lands of Glen- garry and all the mountain districts, as far as he is able, and in doing so he endures great fatigue and suffering, willingly, however, on account of his great zeal for the salvation of souls ; hence all this country is greatly indebted to him, and he is a native of Ireland. " The schoolmaster is scarcely tolerated in Glengarry, despite the protection of the lord of that territory ; and there is but httle hope of another master being found to succeed the pre- sent one in that toilsome position. " There was also another Irish missionary in the Highlands, named Duigen; he, however, has left that mission, and now Father White alone remains. " The few missionaries who are in the moun- tainous districts, are wholly insufficient for the wants of the CathoUcs, especially in winter, when the roads are almost whoUy impracticable; wherefore we pray that other Irish priests may be sent thither, and Father White undertakes * In a letter written 25th September, 1679, Dr. Winster announces the death of this missionary, and ^ds, that "he might justly be styled the Apostle of the- Hebrides and neighbouring districts.'' M 2 210 DR. plunket's mission to to find such piiests through his brother,* who is Vicar in the diocese of Limerick, in Ireland ; this is the more necessary as the Franciscans, on account of their bad health, cannot long continue on that mission." The second Eeport was made by a Scotch priest, after visiting all the districts of this mission. He writes : — " The Highland families are, for the most part. Catholic, or prepared to be so, if they had priests to instruct them ; those, however, of the Lowlands are most fierce heretics, and hate the Highlanders on account of their religion. " The Highlanders are of an excellent dis- position, quick of intellect, and taking a special delight in the pursuit of knowledge ; they are fond of novelties, and have an unbounded passion for ingenious inventions, so that no greater favour can be conferred on them than to educate their children, and render them suited to become priests or ecclesiastics. " Their untiring constancy in all matters is truly surprising, and is admitted and extolled even by their enemies, particularly in regard of religion, which they continue to profess, as much as the severity of the persecution, and the total want of priests permit. " Their arms are, two-edged swords, large shields, bows and arrows, which they still con- * This was Dr. Gaspar White, Vicar Capit. of Limerick, till the appointment of Dr. Dowley as Vicar- Apostolic in 1669. THE HIGHLANDS AND HEBEIDES. 211 tinue to use, adding to them, however, fire-arms, which they manage with admirable dexterity. " They still retain the language and costume of their earliest forefathers, so that their dress is not very dissimilar from that of the ancient statues in Eome, loosely covered from the waist to the knee, and a bonnet on the head. "Almost all the famihes are Catholic, or disposed to receive the CathoHc faith, if, for no other reason, at least to imitate their ancestors, who were so zealous in the cause of religion. Nay more, many of these families have suffered, and actually suffer for this sole reason, not only in Parliament, where the nobility of the Low- lands have a large majority, but also in the Courts of Justice, where they are oppressed by the greater number and authority of their enemies ; and the heretic judges give sentence against them, even though their cause be most just, deeming them rebels for not conforming to the established Keligion. "The remaining Scoto-Irish are heretics, more thi-ough ignorance than malice; they cease not, however, to cherish a great esteem for the Catholics, as appears in many things. " If a priest visits them they show him more respect, and honour him more than their own ministers.* In fact, the heretics amongst the * In an addition to this "Eeport," made, I presume, by the agent of the Scottish Church in Eome, it is said, the priest is styled by the islanders, and known by tne name coronatus ; they venerate and caress him much more than their own preachers." 312 DR. PLUNKET's mission. Highlanders surpass in reverence for our priests the very Catholics of the Lowlands. " They, moreover, retain many Catholic usages, such as making the sign of the Cross, the invocation of Saints, and sprinkling them- selves with holy water, which they anxiously ask from their Catholic neighbours. " In sicloiess they make pilgrimages to the ruins of the old churches and chapels which yet remain, as of the most noble monastery of lona, where St. Columba was Abbot, also of the chapels of Ghierlock, and Appecrosse, and Glen- garry, which were once dedicated to the saints. They also visit the holy springs, which yet retain the names of the saints to whom they were dedicated ; and it has often pleased the most High to restore to their health those who visited these ruins or drank at these springs, invoking the aid of the Saints. " The enmity of the Lowlanders has been a source of great injury to the Scoto-Irish, es- pecially since heresy began to domineer in Scotland ; for the inhabitants of the Lowlands being most furious heretics (with the exception of some few whom the Catholic missionaries restored to the bosom of the Church), and seeing the Highlanders most constant in the faith, and that there is no hope of alienating them from the Catholic Church, seek, by all possible means, to excite odium against them, designating them barbarians, impious, enemies of the reformed creed, &c. ; and they hesitate not to affim of them everything that can be suggested by de- THE KEVENUE OF THE IBISH SEES. 213 traction and their own excessive hatred; and they even deem it a glorious deed to show contempt for, or cast ridicule on a Highlander."* CHAPTEE XIII. THE EEVENUE OF THE IBISH SEES. One of the first acts of the reformed Church in Ireland was to appropriate to itself everything that the piety of our forefathers had offered to God for the support of the ministers of the altar. Nor did this suffice ; taxes were levied, new ap- propriations made, new government grants sanc- tioned, in order to advance the interests of the Protestant Church ; however, all was fruitless ; the ministers of that church could never say enough; when they were upbraided with the failure of their mission and preaching, they always imputed it to the want of sufficient means ; but despite every additional increase, the cui-se of barrenness ever weighed upon their ministry. As early as 1576, Sir Henry Sydney, who had six times been at the head of the Irish Go- vernment, in a report to the Queen, declares, * Lord Macaulay has manifested this same spirit in our own times, never omitting any opportunity to blacken the character and reUgion of the Scoto-Irish. 214 THE EEVEKUE OF " your Majesty may believe it, that, upon the face of the earth where Christ is professed, there is not a church in so miserable a case, the misery of which consisteth in these three particulars — the ruin of the very temples them- selves, the want of good ministers to serve in them, competent living for the ministers." Thirty years later we find another report from Sir John Davies to Eobert, Earl of Salisbuiy. Speaking of the Diocese of Kilmore and Ardagh, he says — " The vicarages are so poorly endowed that ten of them being united, will scarce suf- fice to maintain an honest minister. , . . But the incumbents, both parsons and vicars, did appear to be such poor, ragged, ignorant creatures, as we could not esteem any of them worthy of the meanest of these livings." Never- theless, in the same page he informs us that " the Bishop, Eobert Draper, is a man of this country birth, worth well nigh £400 a-year. He doth live now in these parts, where he hath two bishoprics ; but there is no divine service or sermon to be heard within either of his dio- ceses." (Davies' Tracts, page 266.) Again, when Bishop Bedell complained to the Lord Deputy that " in this kingdom of his Majesty, the Pope hath another kingdom far greater in number" (Strafford Letters, i. 147,) in other words, that Protestantism had been as yet unable to make any progress in Ireland, the Parliament, without delay, " passed several acts for improving the temporal estates of the THE IRISH SEES. 215 church,"* so much so, that the prelates and clergy assembled at Dublin presented an ad- dress to the King (Charles I.), in which, after commemorating how they had lately been " de- jected and depressed to the lowest degree of miseryf and contempt by the wars and con- fusion of former times, having their churches ruined, their habitations left desolate, their pos- sessions ahenated, their persons scorned, their very lives subject to the bloody attempts of rebellious traitors," they declare "that the bounty and piety of his sacred Majesty, and of his blessed father, had not only made restitution of that which the iniquity of former ages had robbed them of, but also emnched them with new and princely endowments, which favours did become more sweet whilst entertained by them as pledges of his futui-e unexhausted good- ness." The benevolence of the crown did not even stop here, and a httle before Dr. Plunket's appointment to the see of Ai-magh, we find a large portion of the forfeited property of those who had lost their lives in defence of the royal cause, and who, nevertheless, were designated vnth an unheard-of ingratitude, Irish Papists, rebels, and enemies, allotted to increase the reve- * See Mant, i., 482. A A Moygne, Protestant Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh, m 1625, when giving a general prospect of the insh establishment, declares that "inconsequence of the poverty of the clergy, the church wiUsoon be brought to decay. (See « Parr's CoUections," page 322.) 216 THE EEVENUE OF nues of the ministers of tlie Protestant church. (14 & 15 Chas. II., chap. 2.) In one of his letters Dr. Plunket values the revenues of the Protestant Archbishop of Armagh at 20,000 scudi, or £5,000. In 1539 the valua- tion of the see amounted to only £183 17s. 6^d.; in 1618 it had increased to £400 ; in 1635, as we learn from Sir James Ware, the rents amounted to £736 4s. M. per annum, and thus they gradually swelled, until, at the present day, we find the gross amount of the yearly re- venues of the see, as stated in the Eeport of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, to be £17,669 16s. 7d. Whilst, despite all human efforts, and this ever-increasing revenue, the Protestant Church in Ireland was seen subject to a gi-adual decay, we are supplied by Dr. Plunket with accm^ate intelligence as to the earthly means with which the Catholic Priests and Bishops were sup- ported whilst they cheerfully led on their flocks to martyrdom, and overcame in an unceasing victory, all the powers of this world leagued against them. In many of his letters, the Primate will be found to dwell upon this subject ; but we shall select two as sufficient for our present purpose; in one of these, whilst he petitions the Holy See to succour the Bishop of Kildare, he draws a general picture of the povei-ty of the Irish Church, and in the other he presents in detail the individual revenues of our various sees. THE IlilSH SEES. 217 The first letter is dated from Dublin, the 13th of August, 1677 :— " Since the beginning of the heresy and schism in this kingdom, no parish priest or prelate of the orthodox creed had any possessions, lands, or fixed revenue, the churches, with all their emoluments, being seized on by the Protestant ministers, who continue to enjoy them to the pre- sent day; so that our ecclesiastics are obliged to depend for their support on the oblations of the poor Catholic families, who, according to their means, make certain offerings to their parish priests, and, generally speaking, the bishops have no other revenue than the offering of del which is annually made by each of the parish priests, so that the greater the number of the parish priests, the larger will be the re- venue of the bishops. Some dioceses have sixty priests; others forty; others thirty; others fifteen; others only seven, as Clonmacnoise, Kilfenora, &c. Hence it arises that in some dioceses it is impossible for a bishop to have sufficient revenue to support a clerk of S. Girolamo della Carita.* It is certain that Dr. Forstall, of Kildare, whose little diocese is only five or six miles from Dublin, and, having only fifteen priests, yields him no more than £15 per annum, has not sufficient revenue to main- tain a servant, even of a low grade. I don't * The Church to which Dr. Plunket was attached wist in Eoine. 218 THE REVENUE OF know how poor religious subsist when they are appointed bishops, for such revenue cannot suffice to support a bishop's servant ; and this extreme poverty renders their dignity despicable with Catholics as well as Protestants. The Viceroy on one occasion said to me that he was not, and never would be, a persecutor of eccle- siastics; but that he was surprised how bishops were sent to this kingdom without having suf- ficient means for their support. I told his Ex- cellency in reply, that our prelates imitated those of the primitive Church. ' Yes,' he said, ' but they are far different from those of France and Spain.' 'But,' I replied, 'the bishops of France and Spain, when it may be necessary, are ready to act in the same manner.' " Besides this general picture of the extreme poverty of our Irish sees, we have another letter of Dr. Plunket, in which he presents in detail the precise revenues of nealry all the various dio- ceses. It was written about the close of the year 1673, and is as follows : — "On the Vigil of Christmas, Mgr. Daniel Makey, Bishop of Down and Connor, most per- fectly obeyed the last edict, and departed not only from Ireland, but also from the world, to enjoy now, as we hope, a country and a king- dom, where he will be free from the Parliament of England and its edicts. He was a good theologian, educated in Spain, and chaplain for many years of D. Pedro, of Aragon. At his death he had no more than thirty-five bajocchi THE IRISH SEES. 919 (eighteen pence), so that to have even a private funeral it was necessary to sell a part of his goods. " I take the present opportunity of sending to the Sacred Congregation an account of a matter of some importance, and the effect of this report will be, I hope, to prevent, for some time, the appointment of any more bishops for this kingdom, and my opinion is based on the poverty of the various dioceses, which is, indeed, astounding. The following is the annual reve- nue of all my suffragan sees : — The Primatial See of Armagh ... ...£69 0 The Diocese of Meath, ... 70 0 „ „ ofClogher, 45 0 „ „ ofDerry, .... 40 0 „ United dioceses of Down and Connor, 25 0 „ The Diocese of Eaphoe 90 0 .,, „ ofKilmore, ... ... 35 0 „ „ of Ardagh, 30 0 „ „ of Dromore, ... ... I7 10 „ „ Clonmacnoise ... ... 7 10 These are all the sees, with their revenues, in the province of Armagh. You may hence reflect and ponder how little it becomes the dignity of the episcopal character to be bishops in dioceses which cannot yield a sufficient support. "Moreover, I know for certain, that the Metropolitan sees of Dublin, and Cashel, and Tuam, do not yield £4.0 per annum. It is true that the diocese of Elphin, which is a suffragan 220 THE REVENUE OF see of the Archbishop of Tuam, yields about £50, and the diocese of Killaloe, in the province of Cashel, yields about £55; but of the other dioceses not one exceeds £25. " The churches of Ireland, however, as they are in the hands of the Protestants, are very rich; for instance, the Protestant Primate de- rives from the lands and possessions of the church of Armagh £5,000 per annum, and the Protestant Archbishop of Dublin has about £3,000. But the Catholic Primate and Arch- bishop have only the revenues which I men- tioned above ; whence you may conclude how inexpedient it is to appoint any more bishops in this kingdom : and should any such be ap- pointed, it will be necessary for the Sacred Con- gregation to supply them with revenues, as it does for the bishops in the Indies and the East. . . . " From this report a question of curiosity will, perhaps, suggest itself to your Excellency, how it is that I and the other prelates succeed in making out these few shillings ? Each parish priest gives us per annum for proxy one pound sterling, which is equal to twenty shil- lings, or four scudi. But, you will ask, how is the parish priest maintained ? I answer, that each family, or each head of a family, gives four juli, that is, two shillings per annum, to the parish priest ; then for his trouble in baptism he re- ceives one shilling ; for every matrimony, onQ shilling and sixpence, or three juli. From THE IRISH SEES. 231 Avhich it follows, that where there are most Ca- tholic families, there the parish priest is richest; I should rather say, less poor and miserable. In the diocese of Down and Connor, as also in many other dioceses, there is a large number of Presbyterians (who are especially numerous in Ulster), of Anabaptists, and Quakers, and hence, these dioceses are exceedingly poor. And it must here be remarked, that the Presbyterians, who are an offshoot of Pi'otestantism, are more numerous than Catholics and Protestants to- gether. "You thus see the state of the ecclesiastical riches of the Catholic bishops of this kingdom, and I assure you that during the past four years I would have been reduced to beggary were it not for a few pence that I had set aside, but which are now wholly exhausted. "I pray you to send this letter to Mgr. Eavizza, who is the present Secretary of Propaganda, as I have been informed. I already requested you to direct your letters to me thus — For Mr. Thomas Cox, Dublin, and they will surely reach me without being intercepted. I now make my reverence to you from my hiding place, on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, 1673. I wish you a most happy new year, replete with every felicity." The revenue of £69 for the diocese of Armagh was the normal sum which the Archbishop should receive, considering the number of clergy in the diocese; but Avhen the persecution was 932 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF let loose with redoubled fury against our Church, many of the priests were scattered, and all were reduced to such poverty that few could contri- bute anything to the support of their Chief ' Pastor; and hence, we more than once find ' Dr. Plunket, in his subsequent letters, declaring that at intervals he did not receive twenty scudi, that is, ^5, per annum from his diocese, and, whilst a small thatched hut was his only resi- dence, he eat oaten bread with avidity, which, with a little milk, was often his only sus- tenance. CHAPTEK XIV. SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF DE. PLUNKEt's EPIS- COPATE. 1670. During the j&rst months of his episco- pate, whilst the Primate was visiting his diocese, and administering Confirmation, and convening diocesan synods, the sword of persecution was all the while suspended over his head, and he was obliged to disguise himself under the dress and manner of a layman, "I was obliged," he says in one of his letters, " to conceal my self by assuming the name of Captain Brown, wearing a sword and a wig and pistols ; this lasted two or three months." A little later, in consequence of some repre- sentations made in Eome, unfavourable to the DE. plunket's episcopate. 223 Primate, the Secretary of the Sacred Congre- gation deemed it his duty to convey to him a friendly admonition. This elicited the heautiful answer of Dr. Plunket, dated 23rd February, 1671:— " I received your most welcome letter of the 20th of December, and I assure you that though it was conceived in strong terms, yet when I reflected on all the circumstances, it afforded me much more comfort than affliction ; for I knew that the correction was truly fraternal, given by one who loved me with sincere affection, for I ever loved and revered your Excellency as my benefactor, and as the promoter of the spiritual good of my country, as is well known to all in this northern world. Moreover, I was well aware that all that was said against me was false, and that it proceeded merely from those who envied me ; everything that I under- took as to the removal of abuses and the pro- motion of the spiritual good of my country being blessedwith success by God; and this, although many of the things that I undertook were arduous, such as the opening of public schools, the holding of a Provincial Synod in the celebrated town of Clones, and especially the obtaining pardon for a large number of outlawed gentlemen, and for hundi-eds of Catholic families who were pro- secuted by government for having intercourse with them. "The Earl of Charlemont has not molested even one ecclesiastic since my arrival here ; he 234 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF is also so friendly with me, that on one occasion, seeing me somewhat afraid, he said to me, * Have no fear, no one shall dare touch yon ; and when you want to administer confirmation don't go any more to the mountains, but come to the court-yard of my palace.' He made me a present during my life of a garden and ex- cellent orchard, Avith two fields and a fine house.- It is in an excellent position. As to the Viceroy,' it is notorious that he has such an esteem for me, as even to conciliate in my behalf the favour of the King. Suffice it to say that he granted me the lives of three Catholics who had been prosecuted and condemned in the city o Enniskillen. The Earl of Drogheda allows' me to have a public church, Avith bells, &c., in m^- diocese, within his districts, which are exemp from the royal jurisdiction. No fewer than nine times have I been accused before the Viceroy' on account of the schools, and for exercising foreign jurisdiction. This nobleman, however always brought the charges to his own co: and thus they were quashed. " In the province of Munster the Earl of Orrery has prohibited assemblages for Mass : the Earl of Kingstown, too, has expelled the clergy from the city of Galway, the capital of the province of Tuam. In Dublin, the schools which were commenced at Saggart have been upset, and the Kemonstrants give annoyance to the Archbishop and others, summoning them before the court of the Viceroy. Yet in my DR. PLUNICEt's episcopate. 226 province I have had no annoyance, nor has any accusation been admitted either against me or against any of my clergy, although I drove away all the Kemonstrants, so that not one of them remains." Another letter of Dr. Plunket, written on the 30th December, 1670, and addressed to Dr. Brennan, then agent for the Irish clergy in the Eternal City, gives the following additional particulars as to the events of this year : — " The magistrate of the city of Armagh having made an order to the effect that all Catholics should accompany him to the heretical service every Simday, under penalty of a half crown per head for each time they would absent themselves, I appealed to the president of the province against this decree, and he cancelled it, and com- manded that neither clergy nor Catholic laity should be molested." 1671. The letters of the Primate commemo- rate many interesting facts connected with this year. Thus he writes on the 20th May, 1671 : — " The Earl of Inchiquin, a Cathohc and in- fluential nobleman, has a relative named Thady O'Brien, who is a good and learned man. All the Bishops of Ireland have prayed that this man might be promoted to the see of Cork, a lavour for which the Earl is most desirous. " This morning a serious accident occurred here (Dublin). The house within the Castle, in \vhich the armour was deposited, took fire, and about 24,000 scudi worth of arms was consumed. N 2 996 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF Our Viceroy did not merit this misfortune. Even his own palace ran great risk." In another letter he writes (Oct., 1679): — " You place reliance on the moderation of our future Viceroy, Essex. Up to the present we have enjoyed great peace, and I sailed along with the favourahle wind with sails unfurled ; but for the future, till I find what winds will blow, I will steer very cautiously. In a certain emergency, when an outburst of persecution was feared in Armagh, I had to hum all my foreign letters, even the Brief of my Consecration. This happened last June twelve months, on the Vigil of St. John's, ivhen it ivas circulated by the Presbyte- rians that the Catholics had conspired to murder on that night all the Protestants. The Viceroy Avas then in London." Writing on the 2nd August, 1071, he adds : — " The good Archbishop of Tuamhas suffered, and yet suffers, more than can be conceived ; and it grieves the poor man more that he is not able to attend to the government of his pro- vince on account of so many summonses before the courts, than all his other sufferings. " We are here awaiting from day to day the arrival of our Viceroy, Berkeley, which is wished for by all : those whom he left at the head of the Government acted with great moderation. The poor Cathohc gentry laboured hard with their load of taxes this year ; every one had to pay to the King an entire year's income ; this reduced them to the straitest circumstances, DR. plunket's episcopate. 927 and also impoverished our clergy, which has no other revenue than the voluntary offerings of the faithful : we are here as in the primitive church. It is said that a similar tax will not be levied for the future. God grant it may be so." Again, on the 9th of August, he writes to the Internunzio : — " The Earl of Orrery, President of the pro- vince of Cashel, has published a most annoying edict against the clergy, in the cities of Cork and Limerick, prohibiting their saying Mass in these cities, and hence they have to go out to the country to celebrate Mass. "As the Koman climate is not agreeing with Dr. Brennan, and he is, consequently, obliged to return to Ireland, the bishops of this king- dom send as their Agent to the Eoman Court Dr. Peter Creagh : he studied in Kome, and knows the Italian language; he is a gentle- manly man, and I am sure that he will be es- teemed by your Excellency, and that he will well discharge the office entrusted to him." On the 17th of the same month he again writes : — " A most painful event happened in the town of Koss, in the diocese of Ferns. A certain Nicholas Nugent, of the Society of Jesus, chal- lenged the Protestant minister to a dispute. Amongst other things the Protestant minister asked him did he admit that the King was the head of the Church in this Ilingdom. Father 298 SOMK SPECIAL EVENTS OF Nicholas replied that the King was master in temporal or civil things, but that the Pope was head in spiritual matters. During the dispute Father Nicholas also called the Bible used by the Protestants a false Bible, full of errors, and hence not to be styled the word of God. The polite minister cited the good father in the month of July before the assizes of Boss. He was there tried for having used the above lan- guage, as also for having said Mass publicly, and was condemned to pay 130 scudi, as well as to one year's imprisonment, and the confis- cation of all his goods. I must confess that the Father might have kept out of these ques- tions, and avoided these odious disputes, from which little good ever results, as experience has convinced us. When a person is found guilty of prcBmimire, the King only can pardon him." On the 9nd of October Dr. Plunket further informs the Internunzio : — " Dr. Brennan wrote to me more than once that Monsignor Baldeschi would receive in Pro- paganda two youths of noble birth from my dio- cese : one is of the family of O'Neal, the noblest of this kingdom ; the other is nephew of the Earl of Fingall and of Sir Nicholas Plunket, a most zealous Catholic, as all allow : and as our Agent, Dr. Creagh, is about to start for Eome. and in two days will embark for Bordeaux, and as he knows the French and Italian well, and is of most gentlemanly deportment, they will travel in his company, and I hope that they will DE. plunket's episcopate. 229 become learned and prudent and good labourers and prelates in this kingdom, at their own good time." 1672. Early in Februarys 1672, the Papal Bull, granting a Jubilee to the faithful, in order to conciliate the aid of heaven in favour of the kingdom of Poland, was i-eceived by the Arch- bishops of Ireland. And though our records merely commemorate its having been received and published by them, yet we may rest assured that the heroic constancy which that nation dis- played, and the severe persecutions which it endured, awakened a lively interest, and enkin- dled an ardent devotion in the faithful people of Ireland. Before the close of this year the Internunzio Airoldi was promoted from Brussels to Flo- rence. Dr. Plunket, whilst he rejoiced at his promotion, laments the loss of his services to the Irish Church, which had been productive of so much good : — " I have received your letter," he says, " of the 6th of December, and it occasions consola- tion at the same time and affliction, — joy and sadness; and it gives occasion of congratula- ting your Excellency, and of condoling with this nation, which you found disturbed and agitated in spiritual matters, whilst you leave it in tranquillity and peace ; and now that Coppinger has submitted, and that the Arch- bishop of Dublin and I are reconciled, I do not see what there is to disturb the kingdom. Even 230 SOME SPECIAL EVEKTS OF the Dominicans and Franciscans are now at peace, of which matters I shall give a detailed account to Cardinals Altieri, Eospigliosi, and my other masters in the Eternal City, " So then your Excellency goes to Florence, where Galileo and the Crusca are all the fashion ; thence to Venice ; afterwards to Madrid, and then to the Purple, which brings with it many other consequences. As hitherto I have been one of your most annoying corres- pondents from this kingdom, with my long and tedious letters, so I do not know if you will entirely get rid of me in Florence, and I wilL continue my correspondence, together with my affectionate devotedness to your Excellency." 1673. On the 8th of October, 1673, the Archbishop of Armagh thus wrote to the Inter- nunzio in Brussels : — "Before my arrival in these northern king- doms, there were but few Irish prelates that kept up correspondence with your predecessors ; and I do not hesitate to say that I wrote more letters during the last four years than the Irish bishops during the preceding thirty years. I moreover stimulated the other prelates to write and to correspond with the Holy See, and I expended about 400 scudi (£100) in this corres- pondence. "I found that the Catholic children were frequenting Protestant schools, and hence I brought the Jesuits hither, who, for three years and three months, have held schools, to the DE. plunket's episcopate. 331 great advantage of religion. In addition to the 500 scudi which I gave them in the first two years, God alone knows all that I expended, in frequent journeys to Dublin, to reply to the memorials which the Protestant ministers and teachers presented to the Viceroy against the Jesuit schools. " The few pence that I put together are now all gone, and my diocese gives me only 240 scudi a year. The Protestant primate has all the revenue, which amounts to £90,000 per annum, so that we are precisely in the same condition as the bishops of the primitive Church. " The whole kingdom, as far as regards ecclesiastical matters, enjoys at present the greatest peace. God grant that the next Par- liament may give us no annoyance. Should anything of that nature happen you shall be informed of it, and in conclusion I make a pro- found reverence." 1(374. The long-threatened persecution against the Catholics was in this year let loose in all its fury. The clergy were everywhere obliged to fly to the woods and mountains to seek a refuge: still, as good shepherds, they did not neglect to visit and console their flocks, and often did they sacrifice their lives in this ministry of charity. The details of this perse- cution, as regards our primate, will be found m another chapter. Early in the year letters were adcbessed to him by the Sacred Congre- 232 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF gation extolling his zeal and courage in braving the threatening stoma, and on the 8th of May, letters were again addressed to him renewing these commendations, and exhorting him to constancy and firmness of soul. Other afflic- tions were added to the sword, aud the Inter- nunzio writes on the 11th of August, 1674 : " I received intelligence from various quarters that a great famine prevails in Ireland, and that the greater part of its prelates are reduced to a most miserable condition, as they endure not only persecution, but also the privation of those emoluments which they usually received from their dioceses." 1675. On the departure of the Internunzio, Falconieri, from Brussels, in the commence- ment of this year. Signer Agretti remained there as acting agent, with the title of Pro- Internunzio. Writing to the Sacred Congre- gation on 20th of April, 1675, he says : — " Father Howard has written to state that the King of England made his excuses with him in regard of the late edict against the Catholics, saying that his intention in publish- ing this edict was to favour the Catholics ; as, had he not published it, the parliament would assuredly have enacted a similar decree, which would be an irrevocable law ; Avhilst, on the contrary, when published by the king, it was in his power to connive at the Catholics, and recall the edict when an occasion presented itself." DE. plunket's episcopate. 233 Whatever may have been the King's inten- tions, the storm of persecution continued to rage against the Irish Catholics, and in conse- quence of the imminent risks to which our bishops were exposed, the visiting of the sacred Limina was dispensed with in their regard for twenty-five years, and faculty was granted them of making this visit through their resident Pro- curator in the Eoman court. A paper presented to the Sacred Congregation in the following year by Father Molloy, of the order of St. Francis, records one of those arts by which the clergy, Avhilst they continued their usual functions, succeeded in eluding the vigilance of their persecutors : — " In Ireland," he says, " we are often obliged to celebrate our chapters in the mountains and woods, when forsooth there is danger in other parts. The last time, however, it was held in a city and on a fair day, for whilst the world was engaged in trafficking, the religious, with a holy cunning, feigned a similar occupation, but far different Avas their business, viz., the holdmg of the chapter ; this happened in the month of August, 1675." 1676. In a note of the archives of Propa- ganda for the Congregation of 10th February, 1675, we find the following reference to a letter of the Archbishop of Armagh, of which we have been unable to discover any further trace : — " The Archbishop of Armagh writes for the 234 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF renewal of faculties for himself and the Bishop of Meath, as these faculties have almost ex- pired. He writes, moreover, that DeBurgo, formerly Vicar-Apostolic, has heen imprisoned in the province of Tuam, and condemned to per-f , petual imprisonment and the confiscation of all his property ; as he has no means of suhsist- ence. Dr. Plunket supposes that he shall receive: assistance from the Sacred Congregation." In the preceding year the general Jubile had heen celebrated with great solemnity i Eome, but so violent was the persecution, s many the afflictions to which the Irish Catholic were subjected, that few could visit the sacre shrines of the Eternal City, and perform th works prescribed for gaining its Indulgences. The Archdeacon of Dublin, Isidore Bertach, had come to Eome, in the year of which we ar now speaking (1676), to perform the visit aA limina, in the name of his venerable bishop;., and the four archbishops of Ireland availed themselves of this opportunity to solicit through: him that a special Jubilee should be granted to ' Ireland, so that all the indulgences of that holy time might be gained by the faithful without . their being obliged to leave the shores of our island. It was in this year, too, that Dr. John Bren- nan. Bishop of Waterford, and the bosom friend of our archbishop, was transferred to the see of Cashel. A little before this translation^ Dr. Plunket went on a visit to some relatives DR. pltjnket's episcopate. 335 in these dioceses, and availed himself of the opportunity thus presented to him to examine the state of ecclesiastical discipline in these parts. " The Archbishop of Armagh, our Pri- mate," thus writes Dr. Brennan, on 16th Sep- tember, 1676, " is at present in this quarter of the world. He inspected the diocese of Cashel and my diocese to his great satisfaction, seeing that ecclesiastical matters were in as great order as the condition of the times will allow." The primate himself, writing on the 1st of October, 1676, gives a detailed account of this visit. This letter is as follows : — " Before i-eceiving yours of the 18th of last month, being already aware, thi'ough another channel, of the death of our glorious common Father and Pastor, I wrote to the suffragan dioceses, inviting both clergy and people, in a pressing manner, to implore the divine mercy for the eternal welfare of the deceased parent of Christendom ; and for the immediate election of a holy successor of St. Peter ; but now, at the request of your Excellency, and in obedience to their Eminences, I shall write again to the different dioceses, nor will I be wanting on my own part to offer my feeble prayers in a matter of such importance. " During the past four weeks I was on a visit with some relatives and friends in Cashel and Waterford, where, through the goodness of God, and the kindness of the Bishop of Waterford, I saw all the clergy ; they are very « ^36 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF orderly, and devoted to the service of God ; and the Catholics, although poor, are rich in spirit- ual consolations. Had I not myself witnessed the poverty of the Catholics, hoth ecclesiastics and laity, in the districts in Cashel, I could with difficulty, have believed it. In the city of Cashel there is not a single Catholic that •could give lodging for one night ; there is but one parish priest in the whole city ; in the surrounding districts the soldiers and officers of Cromwell hold nearly all the lands, having expelled the Catholic tenants ; so that in these districts, and in the whole diocese, there are only twenty priests, who subsist with difficulty, so that the episcopal revenue is no more than 80 scudi per annum ; the late Archbishop had at his death only 90 scudi, whilst his debts exceeded 100 scudi. Hence, I see how justly the Bishop of Waterford refuses to be promoted to this archdiocese ; for, how could a bishop support himself, and also a servant, with 80 scudi a year? To say the truth, there is no one better qualified, either by learning or pru- dence, or the esteem of the people, for the Pallium of Cashel than Dr. Brennan, and perhaps he would accept it without difficulty were he allowed to retain the administration of his present diocese, which, indeed, is not half a quarter of an hour's drive ; what do I say ? it is not even the distance of a Miserere from the archdiocese of Cashel. The diocese which he now governs has no more than thirty priests. DR. plunket's episcopate. 23T so that both dioceses together have about fifty priests, and thus his revenue will reach about 200 scudi per annum. Now the Bishop of Cork has about eighty priests in his diocese ; the Bishop of Killaloe seventy; the Bishop of Meath seventy ; and the Bishop of Elphin fifty, with more extensive districts than the Bishop of Waterford would thus have with his fifty priests. The Archbishop of Cashel had at other times the diocese of Waterford in ad- ministration, or in commendam, and considering the vicinity of the two dioceses, it would be more advantageous for Waterford to be subject to his administration than to be governed by a Vicar-Capitular. The Bishop of Waterford could administer confirmation, perform the visitations, &c., in both dioceses without diffi- culty ; and I know that the Catholics of Cashel and Waterford most anxiously desire this." Amongst the Irish Prelates who were most exposed to persecution during this eventful period, must be numbered Dr. John De Burgo, Vicar-Apostolic of Killala. In his youth he had served for some years as officer in the Austrian army of North Italy, but renouncing the world he dedicated himself to the service of the altar ; and was appointed abbot of Clara, in the West of Ireland. From 1647 till the Bishop's death in 1650he acted as Vicar-General of Killaloe, and we find him three years later arrested by Cromwell, and sent in company with eighteen other priests into banishment. 238 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF Forsomeyears belaboured in the sacred ministry in France and Italy, till 1671, when he received a brief from Eome appointing him Vicar- Apostolic of the ancient see of Killala. Before the close of 1674, he was arrested by order of the Crown, accused of " bringing Pro- testants to the Catholic faith, contrary to the statutes of the kingdom, exercising foreign juris- diction, preachingperverse doctrines, andremain- ing in the kingdom despite the act of Parlia- ment of 28th March, 1674, &c." For two years be was detained in pinson, with irons on his bands and feet. At the assizes he publicly declared that the Pope, as Vicar of Christ, was Head of the Catholic Church; he rejected with scorn a private offer that was made to him of being promoted to a Protestant bishoprick, should he conform to the Established Church. Conducted from Ballinrobe to Dublin, be th6re displayed the same firmness, and was at length sentenced to the confiscation of his goods and perpetual imprisonment. The Earl of Clan- rickard, who was his relative, soon after obtained bis release, which was accorded on condition that be should pay the sum of £80 sterling within one month, and retire to the Conti- nent. During bis imprisonment, De Burgo made a vow to visit the holy places should he re-attain bis liberty. In 1679, be fulfilled this vow; but on his return from Jerusalem was captured by pirates in the Mediterranean, stript of all be DE. PLUNKET's episcopate. 939 possessed, and sold as a slave. He, however, found means to escape to Constantinople, where he took refuge with the Austrian ambassador. He thence proceeded to Venice and Kome, and receiving frequent aid from the Sacred Congregation, seems to have passed in peace the closing years of his eventful life. 1677. The Internunzio, Tanari, on the 4th December, 1677, writes that he had received intelligence from the Archbishop of Armagh of numerous bodies of banditti having organized themselves throughout the kingdom, whilst, on the other hand, troops of soldiery roamed through the country to exterminate them, " so that great prejudice resulted thence to those who profess our holy religion." All that was vile, and worthless, and immoral, joined these bandit corps, and from them the government of the nation chose its perjured witnesses to lead to the scaffold the Primate of our Church, and to cast opprobrium on our holy religion. 1678. A warm controversy had been long carried on between the Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin regarding the primacy of their re- spective sees. Dr. Hugh M'Mahon, in his learned treatise on this subject, assures us that m 1678, Dr. Plunket prepared for the press a reply to the work which Dr. Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin, had published in Lisle in 1674, in defence of the primacy of his see ; however, the storm which was soon let loose on our suf- fering countiy, and the arrest of both arch- 240 SOME SPECIAL EVENTS OF bishops, terminated, at least during their epis- copate, the primatial controversy. In the prison of Dublin, in the following year. Dr. Plunket and Dr. Talbot were side by side (being confined in adjoining rooms), both cap- tives for the faith. Before the glorious end of his earthly career, the Archbishop of Dublin wished to give a final proof to the world that he was moved only by a sense of duty in carrying on this controversy, and that notwithstanding their apparent conflict, the fire of charity ever glowed in his courageous soul; and hence, he addressed from his pi"ison chamber, in which he was soon to die, an humble apology to Dr. Plunket, asking his pardon and forgiveness for any fault into Avhich in the warmth of the dis- pute, he might have fallen. In this holy rivalry of Catholic charity and mutual love, Dr. Plunket was not to be overcome ; and when it was re- ported to him that the Archbishop of Dublin was about to enter on his agony, Dr. Plunket could no longer be restrained, but bursting through his guards, rushed to give a last embrace and absolution to the dying confessor of our holy faith. A letter of the Archbishop of Cashel, dated the 6th of April, acquaints us with some heads of accusations that were at this time made against the Archbishop of Armagh : — " As to the accusation against the Archbishop of Armagh, that he is too familiar with the Pro- testant ministers, to the great scandal of the DR, plunket's episcopate. 341 faithful, I must say, that during the whole time of my stay in this country, I never found traces of any such scandal. Moreover, if they mean by Protestant ministers, ministers of the Pro- testant Church, it is indeed true that he is familiar with one of them who is attached to the court of the pseudo-primate ; and this friend- ship is of great advantage to his flock, for when any lawsuits regarding Catholics, especially in matrimonial cases, are brought to the Protes- tant Episcopal Court, this minister remits them all to Dr. Plunket. I have not received infor- mation of his being familiar with any other minister of the Protestant Church. If by Pro- testant ministers, they understand the magis- trates and other ministei's of the court, it is true that he is familiar with many of them, and he derives great benefit from them ; as when any evil persons, whether lay or ecclesiastical, bring accusations against him before these ministers, they from their own personal knowledge reject them, and it is probable, that were it not for his acquaintance with these persons, he would long since have been banished from the king- dom, like the Archbishops of Dublin and Tuam, so great is the malignity of these informers. " That the Primate is not well disposed to- wards the natives of that province is certainly a calumny. For, in the whole province but one individual received promotion from his own family, and even that one belonged to the province of Armagh. The Bishops of Down and 0 . S43 DB. PLTJNKEt's episcopate. Clogher, who died about two years ago, were both natives of the pi'ovince ; the present Bishop of Clogher, too, tliough indeed Dr. Plunket had nothing to do in his apj)ointment, is a native of one of the suffragan dioceses. Moreover, I know for certain that the Archbishop bears the greatest love for those of his province, and that he seeks to promote their interests both Avithin and without this realm. Indeed, in my opinion, the present Archbishop of Armagh has attended more to the spiritual administration of that province than any of his predecessors for many years ; and I say this without wishing to lower in any way the merit of the preceding primates." 1679. — This year witnessed the renewal of the persecution in all its fuiy. The See of Meath had to lament the demise of Dr. Patrick Plunket, who, in his last moments, was com- forted by the presence of the Primate ; and the whole Irish Church was filled with mourning, her chief prelates being cast into prison, and the remaining clergy being obliged to seek a shelter on the mountain tops, or in the caverns and forests. The occurrences, however, of this and .the two succeeding years will hereafter claim a .more special attention. 243 CHAPTER XV. PERSECUTION OF 1674. TowAEDs the close of 1673,tlie Englishmonarch, yielding to the bigotry of the Parliament, pub- lished an order suspending the few favours which had been granted to the Catholics of Ireland during the administration of Berkeley, and com- manding all the bishops and regular clergy to depart from the kingdom. Thus Avere too soon sadly verified the anticipations of Dr. Plunket, which we have already met with in many of his letters. Indeed, the Catholics had as yet scarce begun to taste the sweets of toleration when this new storm of persecution was let loose against them. The use of arms was interdicted to them: "they were disfranchised in all cor- porations, and deprived of corporate honours and emoluments ; the powers vested in the Lord Lieutenant and Council to regulate corporations were twisted into a legislative authority of new- modelling them, and of imposing oaths and qualifications contrary to law, and subversive of the rights of the subject."* What were the sufferings of Dr. Plunket and of the Bishop of Waterford, who was the com- panion of his flight, will be best learned from ♦History of the Irish Cath., by Mathew O'Conor, p. 105. 244 PERSECUTION OF 1674. the letters of the Primate. Soon after the puh- lication of the King's edict in Ireland, he thus writes to the Internuncio on 27th January, 1674:— " I have received yours of the 19th of Decem- ber, as also the letter sent to the companion of my sufferings, which, indeed, are very great in this first month of the new year ; so that this year begins with a cloud which is truly thicken- ing, and presages a dreadful storm, as you will see from the following narrative. " In the edict published against the bishops and regulars, there was a clause, that whatso- ever bishop or regular would have his name enrolled on the magistrates' list in the maritime forts, with the intention of taking his departure from the kingdom, should suffer no molestation; nay, more, that he should be protected till a vessel would be found ready to sail for foreign countries. Some bishops, as Dr. Plunket, of Meath, and Dr. O'Molony, of Killaloe, entered their names in Dublin ; many of the regulars, with the Archbishop of Tuam, gave their names in Galway, and some others in various other parts of the kingdom, hoping that the storm would pass, and that peace and calm would be soon restored. Quite the contrary, however, happened. The Viceroy, on the 10th, or there- abouts, of this month, published a further pro- clamation that the registered clergy should be treated with the greatest rigour. Another, but secret, order, was also given to all the magia- PERSECUTION OF 1674. 945 trates and sheriffs, that the detectives should seek out, both in the city and throughout the country, the other bishops and regulars. I and my companion no sooner received intelligence of this, than, on the 18th of this month (styl. vet.), which was Sunday, after Vespers, being the festival of the Chair of St. Peter, we deemed it necessary to take to our heels ; the snow fell heavily, mixed with hailstones, which were very hard and large ; a cutting north wind blew in our faces, and the snow and hail beat so dread- fully in our eyes, that to the present we have scarcely been able to see with them. Often we were in danger in the valleys of being lost and suffocated in the snow, till at length we arrived at the house of a reduced gentleman who had nothing to lose ; but, for our misfortune, he had a stranger in his house, by whom we did not wish to be recognized : hence, we were placed in a large garret, without chimney and without fire, where we have been during the past eight days : may it redound to the glory of God, the salvation of our souls, and of the flocks entrusted to our charge. So dreadful was the hail and cold, that the running of the eyes both of my companion and myself has not ceased as yet, and I feel that I shall lose more than one tooth, so frightful is the pain. I have suffered in all my teeth; my companion, moreover, was at- tacked with rheumatism in one arm, so that he can scarcely move it. In a word, we may say with truth, that our flight was in ivinter, and on 0 ^ 246 PERSECUTION OF 1674. the Sabbath, that is on Sunday, which was also the feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Blessed be God who granted us the favour of suffering, not only for the Chair of St. Peter, but on the very day dedicated to the feast of that Chair, which, resting on a rock, will, as I hope, in the end break the violence of these tempestuous waves, " Though I have not as yet heard of the ar- rest of any, except a certain Father Eugene Cogli (Quigley), of the order of St. Dominick, Prior of Tuam, and a Father Francis Brennan, in Mullingar, nevertheless, I fear that for the future room will be wanting in the prisons, so many will be axTested ; for, as I am informed, the sheriffs and magistrates of the king received orders to hunt out the bishops and regulars, searching for them even in private houses. May God assist us." Dr. Brennan added the following lines to this letter : — " On the 14th of December I gave an account to your Excellency of my flight, and of the oc- casion of it. Up to the present God has pro- tected me in the company of my old Eoman companion ; we have been together, sharing the same fate for the last two months, and he has described above its annoyances. The spies, however, occasion still greater anxiety, for we are at every moment exposed to them, espe- cially now that the Lord Lieutenant has avowed his determination to carry the proclamation into effect, and for this purpose has already PEESECUTION OF 1674. 347 published a new edict. We trust, in the mercy of God, that He will give us grace to endure all this, and conform ourselves to His holy will. I will not fatigue your Excellency by detailing the sad news with which our island is full at the present time. May God console us, and grant many years to your Excellency, &c. "John of Waterfobd. " 27th Jan., 1674." Even after these lines of Dr. Brennan, the Primate added another postscript, in which he writes: — "At the moment of closing this, I received two letters from London, one of the 10th of January, the other of the 12th, and they bring but little consolation or hope. The Parliament made an order that no Catholic could lodge within ten miles of London, and they sent away all the Catholics that have a permanent resi- dence there If such rigour is shown against the Catholics in the chief and model city, London, there can be but little prospect of relief for us in this country. No matter ; the mercy of God is greater than all human efforts and machinations." About a fortnight later Dr. Plunket again wrote to the Internunzio : — " We are here still in great fear and trem- bling, for our neighbour's house is on fire. In Scotland, the Parliament enacted that for the future it should be considered high treason to 248 PERSECUTION OF 1674. hear Mass. It would seem that the days of Nero and Domitian and Diocletian have re- turned ; the penalty of this crime of high trea- son is to be embowelled and quartered. So thus we shall have the blood of martyrs in abundance to fertilize the Church It was also commanded, under the strictest penal- ties, that all the sons of Catholics throughout the whole kingdom should be educated in the Protestant tenets. It was even proposed that all the priests of the whole kingdom should be imprisoned for life. The treaty of peace pro- posed by Holland, and favoured by the Spanish ambassador, diverted their attention, and at pre- sent engrosses their thoughts ; in my opinion, however, this peace will not be made, for the Dutch are resolved to fish in the British Ocean, and on the coasts of Greenland, whilst the English are equally determined not to yield these fisheries to them. " In fine, listen to another edict, or procla- mation, which was published on the 24th of last month, and commanded that the 4th of February should be observed as a solemn fast : behold, a general fast now intimated. And for what purpose ? To invoke and implore the Di- vine assistance against the dreadful machina- tions and plottings of the Papists. You may easily imagine in what affliction and confusion we are. These times are like to the primitive church ; and I hope that the church will once more be rendered glorious, and be enriched PEBSECUTION OF 1674. 349 with the sufferings and martyrdoms of its north- em children, who are humble and devoted ser- vants, and imitators of Christ and the Apos- tles, and that the adverse storm will aid us more even than the favouring breeze. " These edicts, and proclamations, and de- crees, do not as yet regard Ireland, for it is not expressly mentioned in them ; but I think there is, as usual, no danger of their forgetting us. Should they come to us, God be praised, we shall welcome them : at least, we will not be mer- cenai'ies ; with the halter round our throat, they shall have to drag us to the vessel, for otherwise we shall not abandon the sheep or the lambs. I beseech you to procure for us the prayers of the servants of God, that thus God may protect us, and may grant to us the gift of holy perseverance." The only provision which had been made by the Primate for this flight and concealment, as he mentions in another of his letters, was a col- lection of books, and with these and his loved companion, this time of persecution, despite its dangers and sufferings, must have been to him one of peace and heavenly calm. He was often obliged to change his abode. If the place of refuge, just described in the preceding letters, was so ill provided with any convenience, that it seemed a prison rather than an abode, the hut to which, at other times, he was compelled to retreat, seems to have likened him still more to the martyrs of the primitive Church. " The hut in which Dr. Brennan and myself have 250 PEESECUTION OF 1674 taken refuge (he writes towards the close of 1673), is made of straw; when we lie down to rest, through the openings of the roof we can see the stars; and when it rains we are re- freshed, even at the head of the bed, by each successive shower." At this period, too, a little oaten bread was their only support ; " yet," the Primate adds, " tve cJioose rather to die of hunger and cold than to abandon our flocks, since it would be shameful for those spiritual soldiers to become mercenaries, who were trained in Borne." (16th Dec, 1673.) The other accounts of the persecution of this year corroborate the narrative of Dr. Plunket. Thus the superior of the Capuchins, Father Patrick Barnewall, writes from London to Car- dinal Spinola : — " I have once more returned from Ireland to England, as the persecution is far more intolei-- able there than it is here. In Ireland no one, under penalty of losing all that he possesses, can receive a religious into his house ; all the convents, as well as all preaching, are rigorously interdicted ; the secular priests alone are tole- rated, in order not to excite public tumults. In London twenty-five scudi are given to whoso- ever discovers a priest; so your Excellency may imagine in what manner Ave are able to live here. Nevertheless the bounty of God dis- plays the wonders of His mercy to the confusion of the persecutors, for every day witnesseth new conversions to truth." DEVOTION TO THE HOL"S SEE. 951 This persecution seems to have continued during the whole of the year 1674 : even in the first months of the following year the Parlia- ment threatened its renewal, with still more ri- gorous edicts, and on the 5th of March, 1075, Dr. Plunket thus wrote to Monsignor Eavizza, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation ; — " You will have already heard how a few days ago, new rigorous edicts were published in Eng- land against the Catholics, so that we are here in fear and trembling. Should they affect us here we must fly once more to the woods and (iaverns, in which we have already, for fifteen months, passed a severe novitiate." However, this new storm seems not to have I'eached the Irish shores, and heaven granted a few years peace, of which the Primate un- tiringly availed himself to visit again the various districts of his province, to correct abuses, and sanction salutary laws of discipline for the safe guidance of the faithful people entrusted to his care. CHAPTER XVI. DR. PLUNKET PROMOTES DEVOTION TO THE HOLY SEE IN IRELAND. Ben 'OTED attachment to the Holy See has * been from the first a characteristic feature of 259 DEVOTION TO THE our Irish Church. St. Pati-ick, before assum- ing his glorious apostolate amongst us, resolved, as we read in his ancient life, " to visit the See of Peter, the citadel and teacher of Chris- tian faith, and the fountain source of every apostolate ; that by its apostolical authority his mission might be sanctioned and con- firmed."=:= Having led our people captive to the sweet yoke of Christ, he bequeathed to them his favourite maxim, " as you are Christians, so be you children of Eome;" and he laid down as the very foundation of the Irish Church, the principle from which its undying life and won- drous fecundity have sprung, that " if questions shall arise in this land, let them be referred to the Apostolic See." In succeeding ages, the Irish Church faithfully clung to these salutary maxims. In every difficulty, "like loving children, the Irish people had recourse to their fond mother."f Eome, as a new Jerusalem, became the centre of their pilgrimages, and at its sanctuaries and shrines they loved to re- kindle their charity and faith. Hence, the great St. Columban, when writing to the Roman Pontiff, styles him "the most beautiful Head of all the Churches of the whole of Europe, the beloved Pope, the exalted prelate, the pastor of pastors, the mystic pilot of the ship spiritual, • See "Essays on the Early Irish Church," by Kev. P. E, Moran, p. 117, seq. t Letter of St. Cumraian, in the year C34. HOLY SEE IN lEELAND. 253 that is the church ;" and of his own country- men he writes, " we are the disciples of SS. Peter and Paul, receiving nothing save what is the evangelical and apostolic doctrine ; none of us has been a heretic, none a Jew, none a schis- matic ; but the faith, just as it was at first delivered by you, the successors of the holy apostles, is held unshaken We are bound to the chair of St. Peter, for although Eome is a great and illustrious city, yet it is only through this chair that she is great and renowned amongst us." And as it was in those ages of Ireland's faith • and Ireland's glory, so was it in later times in the days of our trial and humiliation. No nation of Christendom clung with more instinc- tive affection, more ardent devotedness, to Eome ; and on her part, Bome, as a loving mother, shared in all our sorrows and persecutions, cherished our exiled sons, preserved amongst us the spark of faith, and, as of old, she decreed j to us the distinctive title of " Island of Saints ( and of learned men," so now she awarded to us the still more peerless crown of " the Martyr- Island of Holy Church." These memories are at all times dear to us, but more particularly they rush to mind at the present day, when our bishops have returned in triumph to their devoted flocks, after re- peating in clear and unfaltering accents, beneath the gilded dome of St. Peter's, the doctrine of our early saints, and foremost p 354 DEVOTION TO THE among tlie bishops of the church of God, as- sembled in the Vatican Council, proclaiming the prerogatives of St. Peter's successor, and the unerring privilege of the Vicar of Christ. But to revertto the episcopate of Dr. Plunket: the Church of Ireland was exposed to special dangers at the time when he returned to our shores. About the year 1665, a few students of Paris and Louvain had had their minds con- taminated with the doctrines of Jansenius, and on their return to Ireland sought to disseminate those erroneous tenets in some remote districts. Gerard Ferrall, afterwards Vicar-Apostolic of Ardagh, when agent of the Archbishop of Ar- magh in Eome, had addressed to Clement IX. an earnest appeal to have chief pastors ap- pointed to the vacant sees: — "The continued series of bishops," he says, " was the chief means by which faith was so well preserved, and by their authority, and piety, and counsel, and vigilance, not only was the Irish nation it- self preserved Catholic, but also many foreign heretics, with their children and families, were converted to the faith;" and subsequently he added, as an urgent motive for thus appointing bishops, especially at that period, " that there were some ivho now sought to introduce and dis- seminate Jansenism" throughout Ireland. Peter Walsh, to whose name a sad notoriety must ever be attached in the annals of our country, seems to have been amongst those who cherished the doctrines and principles of Jan- HOLY SEE IN IRELAND. 255 senius. When a member of the Franciscan order in Louvain, he became acquainted with, and an admirer of that broacher of novel doc- trines. To him Walsh dedicated his Public Thesis on Philosophy, and when the heretical work, Augmtinus, was printed, after the death of Jansenius, he boasts of having been the first to read its proof sheets as they came from the press.* All the later efforts of this unfortunate man to induce the Irish clergy to adopt his remonstrance were but an attempt to realize in practice the teaching of Jansenius, for which in early life he had professed so great an esteem. Whilst Dr. Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin, won for himself the title of the hammer of the Remonstrants, by his unceasing opposition to Peter Walsh and his followers, Dr. Plunket was not less actively engaged, in union with Dr. Brennan, of Waterford, in checking the silent current of Jansenism, and in exposing the secret evil which threatened to infect our " sainted isle." Some of the decrees of the synods of Clones and Ardpatrick were directed against the consequences of these erroneous doctrines ; and the necessity of thus enacting special decrees against them sufficiently attests the activity with which the agents of error sought to disseminate these doctrines. On the 27th of March, 1677, Dr. Plunket writes from * "History of Eemonst.," p. 75. 256 DEVOTION TO THE Dublin to Cardinal Altieri, Cardinal Protector of Ireland, detailing the pernicious errors by which the purity of faith was assailed, and asking for some remedy from Kome to check the growing evil : — " Though the Parliament lately held in London fills us with alarm by its edicts, threat- ening to despoil the Catholics of their lands and possessions, yet the Catholics of these kingdoms are far more terrified at the spiritual calamities which seem impending, from the remains of Jansenism, and the novelties which continue yet to spread in France and Belgium: for it is from various parts of these countries that spiri- tual labourers come to cultivate this vineyard. You are already aware of how dangerous the doctrines are which, in their printed tracts, are circulated everywhere, concerning the fallibility of the Koman Pontiff, — the authority of St. Augustine, as if it were superior to the defi- nitions of Rome, — the invalidity of absolution without the perfect love of God, — the necessity of reforming in many things the worship of God, of the Blessed Virgin, and the saints, — re- proving frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Penance, &c. These, and many other things repugnant to the constant teaching and practice of the Church, are a source of much anxiety to us ; but, besides the sad results as regards our faithful people, an occasion also may be given to the heretics of these kingdoms to reprove us, as if HOLY SEE IN IRELAND. 957 we sought to introduce some new reformation •of the Catholic Church. " Hence, in order that the purity of faith may be preserved intact and inviolate in this kingdom, which is placed under the patronage of your Eminence, I pray and beseech you, with all reverence and submission, to lay the aforesaid things before his Holiness and the Sacred Con- gregation, that thus some remedy, embracing all, may be devised, lest this kingdom should become infected with the delirium of the Jan- senists. In the meantime, both I and the clergy entrusted to me will not cease, on our part, to maintain the true purity of doctrine, and to impugn all perverse teaching, I know that this will be in accordance with the desires of his Holiness and of your Eminence, for whose wel- fare I shall ever pray, &c." Without delay the vigilance of the Holy See was awakened to counteract the efforts of the emissaries of error, who thus sought to corrupt the doctrines of faith in our Irish Church. We find in the acts of the Sacred Congregation frequent reference made to instructions given to the Internuncio in Brussels to this effect ; but the most interesting monument connected with the subsequent history of Jansenism at this period is a letter of Dr. Brennan when transferred to the Archiepiscopal See of Cashel. This letter is dated the 15th of October, 1678, and is addressed to the Internuncio, in reply to a Coimnunicaton from Kome, in which some pre- 258 DEVOTION TO THE cise information had been requested regarding the Jansenistical works which were being circulated in Ireland. Dr, Brennan not only gives a minute account of these books, but, moreover, affords sufficient data to attest the complete failure of Jansenism in seeking to obtain any- footing in Ireland. "I have received, with all reverence, the commands of the Sacred Congregation, under date of the 8th of March last, to give a precise account of the books containing the teaching of Jansenius, which have came into these quarters, as also of their authors and partizans. In compliance with these most esteemed commands, I beg to inform your Excellency, that we find here the New Testament, printed in France, in the French language, and having various errors contrary to the Vulgate, and to the Catholic religion. Another work is also met Avith, en- titled 'On frequent Communion,' printed in French, and translated into English, having errors contrary to true devotion, and the prac- tices of Holy Church. . . . " As to the followers of the errors of Jansenius, thanks to God they are but few in this country. There was one regular who was deeply tinged with these errors, but I acted severely with him, and imposed silence on him, so that he retracted, and has become observant. It is for this reason, as also on account of his being a foreigner, that I refrain from mentioning his name, especially as he is neither notorious nor contumacious. HOLY SEE IN IRELAND. For the future, in consequence of the great vigilance and circumspection which are used, we hope that God may he served here in the fulness of pure and sound doctrine." Thus was Jansenism soon repelled from our Irish shores. Our hishops sought at the central source of truth the remedy for the threatened evil, as in the early ages of the Irish Church they looked for aid to that See whence the light of faith had come to them, and, as children who have recourse to their mother, they derived thence counsel, and strength, and consolation. Paris was at this period the great centre of Jansenism, and hence the chief danger of having our Church infected with its errors seemed to impend from that quarter. In fact, Dr. O'Molony, when urging upon the authorities in Eome the necessity of establishing an Irish College in Paris, put forward as a leading motive, the danger which otherwise the Irish students would there incur of having their minds poisoned with the tenets of Jansenism. Moreover, he stated from his own experience that some mem- bers of our Irish clergy then resident in that city were ardent promoters of these erroneous doctrines. This accusation of the Bishop of Killaloe gave occasion to a large number of Irish ecclesiastics then resident in Paris to enter a formal protest against the doctrines of Jansenism, and present it, with their signatures, to Dr. Creagh, Bishop of Cork and Cloyne, and Dr. Tyrrell, of Clogher, who were then hastening S60 DEVOTION TO THE to take possession of their sees, and request them to forward it to Eome. It is now pre- served in the archives of the Sac. Gong, of Propaganda. It is addressed to the Cardinals of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, and is as follows : — " The undersigned, who are Irishmen by birth, and by profession Catholics, through the grace of God, as to orders, priests; in sacred theology, respectively, masters, licentiates, ba- chelors, masters of arts, and scholars ; most humbly lay before your Eminences that they have learned, not without great affliction of soul, that they have been traduced, and, as well in Eome as elsewhere, have been accused of Jan- senism ; whilst, as they solemnly protest, they abhor nothing more than each and every doctrine repugnant to the true faith which the Holy Apostolic Koman See professes, and especially the Jansenistic doctrine combined in the five propositions condemned by the same Holy Koman Church. Wherefore, that your Eminences may be convinced of how unjustly they have been accused of the aforesaid Jan- senism, they now, by this present letter, protest that they never held or taught such doctrine, and that in time to come, whilst reason remains intact, they never will hold or teach it." Such was the vigour of the opposition thus directed against Jansenism, that during the next thirty years, whilst the Churches of France and Belgium were rendered desolate by the HOLY SEE IN IRELAND. 261 ravages of its erroneous novelties, its very- name was almost unknown in Ireland. The subsequent history of that heresy in Ireland is easily told. About the year 1709 some travellers visiting our Irish shores brought with them the con- tagion of its teaching, and by circulating Jan- senistical tracts and books sought to imbue the minds of some with its false maxims. Others, too, in succeeding years, seem to have repeated these attempts, though, happily, without pro- ducing any effect on the sentiments of our faithful people. The vigilance, however, of the Holy See was awakened ; and in 1719, through Mgr. Santini, the Internuncio at Brussels, an admonitory address was transmitted to the prelates of Ireland, exhorting them to earnestly repel these dangers, and, at the same time, expressing a desire that they should, by some public declaration, avow their acceptance of the constitution " Unigenitus." The bishops of Ireland joyfully responded to this call of the Universal Father, and by their letters testified their abhorrence of the pestiferous errors of Jansenius, their acceptance of the above-men- tioned constitution, and their inviolable attach- ment to the See of St. Peter. The letter of the Archbishop of Cashel has been fortunately preserved to us by Dr. De Burgo, in the Ap- pendix to his " Hibernia Dominicana," page 819. The commencement of it is as follows : — "Most Holy Father, — The most reverend p2 263 DEVOTION TO THE and illustrious the Internuncio at Brussels has signified to me, humble as I am, that your Holiness, out of your great zeal for religion, expresses a wish to receive from the bishops of Ireland some testimonial of their obedience to and observance of the constitution usually termed ' Unigenitus.' To this most reasonable desire I am perfectly convinced that all and each of these prelates will accede, agreeably to the obedience which is due to the Holy See and to your Holiness, who so gloriously pre- sides therein ; and that amongst them not one shall be found who will not subscribe to the aforesaid most wise constitution without any tergiversation, cavil, or mental reservation whatever. For, although we are poor in the world, yet are we rich in faith ; if we be deprived of om- episcopal revenues, we have not, however, forfeited that obedience which we are bound to yield to those who are placed over us ; if we suffer under the sword of perse- cution, we shall never create a schism in the body of Christ, or, to the utmost of our power, allow it to be done. We may be despised and oppressed, but we will be ever solicitous to preserve with you, our Head, the unity of spirit in the bond of peace ; in short, although we traverse the plains of our native land in distress and affliction, nevertheless there abides within us, even to this day, that fervent love and veneration towards the Mother and Mistress of all Churches, and that desire HOLT SEE IN lEELAND. 263 to preserve all these divine rights, which, more than thirteen hundred years ago, were established among our ancestors by that glorious Apostle, St. Patrick, whom your pre- decessor, St. Celestine I., commissioned to preach amongst them. With justice do we glory in the fact, that among our predecessors in the hierarchy not one can be found who, in a matter of faith, has dared to manifest resist- ance to any constitution, decree, or Apostolical diploma. Moreover, were it necessary, we have even additional motives in which to glory, inasmuch as neither by us, nor by our clergy, nor by our people, have any of these profane and novel terms, religious silence, or the question of right and of fact been adopted, in contempt of the lawfully constituted authority; nor have those infamous books, which caused so much disturbance and scandal in Catholic countries, been known, unless, perhaps, by name, to the greater part of our nation. That love and reverence for the Roman Pontiffs, which is the first sound that strikes our ears, which in infancy has been planted in our hearts, and, in a manner, forms a component part of our nature, has long since banished these and like novelties from our land." Such were the sentiments of affection and reverence with which the prelates of Ireland ever clung to the See of Peter. 264 CHAPTEK XVII. CORBESPONDENCE OF DR. PLUNKET. On the 98tli of April, 1670, Prince Cardinal Altieri ascended the Papal Throne, as Clement X. To the acclamations of the Catholic nations on the Continent were united those of Ireland, and many addresses were sent from our shores congratulating him on his elevation to this high dignity. Dr. Plunket, though then en- gaged in the deliberations of the Synod of Dublin, hastened to lay at the feet of his Holiness the expression of the heartfelt joy with which the hearts of his faithful children of Armagh were filled, and addressed the fol- lowing letter to him : — " Most Holy Father, — The universal jubi- lee of the Chi'istian world, on the elevation of your Holiness to the Chair of St. Peter, has reached also this kingdom of Ireland, ever attached and devoted to your Holiness and to the Holy See, despite the persecutions and afflictions which it has endured since the intro- duction of heresy into the kingdom of England : wherefore I, as the last of the servants and children of your Holiness, join in this universal COEBESPONDENCE OP DE. PLtJNKET. 265 jubilee, and prostrate at the feet of your Holi- ness, in the name of this province of Armagh, entrusted to my pastoral charge by the favour of the Apostolic See, I pray heaven to grant to your Holiness every necessary aid, together with many years of life, that thus you may be able to correspond to the great hopes which the whole world has conceived from your reign, for the glory of God and the public advan- tage of the Church. . . We all continually pray the Most High to grant to your Holiness His grace and many years of life ; and I, pros- trate at the feet of your Holiness, ask your sacred blessing for the whole Catholic people of this kingdom." This letter was enclosed in another, and addressed to the Cardinal Protector of Ireland, which thus begins : — " Mat it please your Eminence, — Although this kingdom of Ireland be truly poor in worldly riches, yet, nevertheless, is it rich in virtue, and especially in the true faith ; and hence it is meet that the jubilee of the Catholic people of this nation should be made known in Eome on the most deserved exaltation of our Holy Father to the See of St. Peter, to which this kingdom has ever been closely bound and most devoted, despite the afflictions and persecutions which are known to the whole world." The Holy Father, notwithstanding the many cares which pressed on him in his guardianship 266 COBBESPONDENCE OF DE. PLTJNKET. of the universal Church, did not delay to ac- knowledge the congratulations of his Irish chil- dren, and he thus wrote to the Archbishop of Armagh : — " TO OTJE VENEBABLE BEOTHEB OLIVEE, PEIMATE OF lEELAND. " Veneeable Beothee, health, &C. " Your most devoted letters occasioned in us a special delight, and as we learned by them that the Catholics enjoyed peace in these re- gions, we were truly filled with sincere joy in the Lord, for we place all the glory of the Pon- tifical dignity entrusted to us by the Holy Ghost in the increase of the divine worship, and in the propagation of the orthodox faith. Whilst you labour in attaining this noble end, as you truly do in your exalted sentiments of religion, your congratulations on attaining this^ supreme dignity in the Church must be accept- able, whilst you will every day bind us more closely in affection towards you. Go on, there- fore, venerable brother, and in those regions continue with alacrity to carry out, by word and - example, the commission entrusted to you, and seek to aid with every assistance those orthodox children, to whom, in our paternal solicitude, by night and by day, we are ever present. Thus, indeed, wiU you well correspond with your exalted office, and have God the rewarder of your renowned labours. In the meantime we embrace, in the bosom of our Pontifical love. COREESPONDENCE OF DE. PLTJNKET. 267 the devout expressions of your filial affection ; we promise to you all our patronage, and from the very depths of our heart we bestow on you, and on all the Catholics of that Kingdom, our Apostolic blessing. " Given at St. Mary Major's, in Eome, the 11th October, 1670, the first year of our Pon- tificate." After a brief Pontificate of six years, Clement the Tenth was succeeded by Innocent the Eleventh, who, even before his elevation to the papacy, was famed for his sanctity and charity towards the poor. " Whilst I was in Eome (writes our primate on the 11th of August, 1677), I knew by experience the holy life of the Su- preme Pontiff, and the great opinion which was entertained by all of his wisdom, prudence, and sanctity." The primate seems to have trans- mitted to Eome, through the Internuncio, a congratulatory letter on the accession of this Pope to the Throne of St. Peter, and to it he seems to allude in the beginning of the letter already cited, of the 11th of August, 1677, but we have been unable to discover any further traces of it. During the first months of the Pontificate of Clement the Tenth, Cardinal Barberini filled the office of Protector for Ireland ; but in 1671 he wasJiurried away by death to be its protector in the heavenly court. His successor in that important post was Cardinal Altieri, a man 868 COKEESPONDENCE OF DE PLUNEET. distinguished for his virtues and learning.* At the same time Dr. Brennan, the agent of the Irish clergy, was appointed bishop of the united sees of Waterford and Lismore, and Dr. Peter Creagh was chosen by the Irish bishops to succeed him as their agent in Kome. Dr. Plunket availed himself of the departure of this worthy ecclesiastic for the Eternal City to express his joy on the nomination of his Emi- nence to be protector of our country : — " We are obliged to pray unceasingly to God for the long life of his Holiness, in consequence of the favour which he has done us in giving us your Eminence for Protector, for in doing so he has rendered to this nation an exceeding great benefit, and a favour the more agreeable as it was most anxiously desired by us ; for we have learned from our countrymen in Eome, and from Monsignor Baldeschi, and we our- selves now daily experience, the special affec- tion which your Eminence bears to this most afflicted kingdom, so that we cannot but hope for most happy results from the protection of a Cardinal who, for his prudence in the manage- ment of affairs, and for his piety and zeal in * The same learning and exalted virtues shone forth in a pre-eminent degree in our own days in another Cardinal of the same name, who having held the highest offices in the Papal court, offered himself as a holocaust for his flock, and died a martyr of charity whilst atten- ding those stricken with cholera in Albano, during the Summer of 1867. COERESPONDENCE OF DE. PLUNKET. 269 propagating our holy Faith, receives boundless applause, and is esteemed and revered by the whole world. I, therefore, and the whole na- tion, should rather congratulate ourselves than your Eminence on this event, as the whole ad- vantage and honour will be ours, leaving to your Eminence only the fatigue and annoyance, for which you can only look to the divine Majesty for remuneration, as this oppressed nation can- not make any return for the benefits received from your Eminence, or for those which, through your Eminence, they shall receive from others, except by continually praying to God for the long life, health and prosperity of your Eminence : and the more incapable we feel our- selves of meriting the slightest of your favours, the greater merit will the ardent zeal of your charity receive from God, and so much the more glorious will be the results of your innate gene- rosity in relieving, by your patronage, the miseries of this most afflicted nation, which, on account of its Catholic faith and the affection and unfailing reverence for the Apostolic See, has ever been in continual sufferings and trials, from the time that Queen Elizabeth, with her statutes and penal laws, scourged the poor Catholics, as your Eminence Imows far better than I do." One of the subjects most frequently spoken of in the early letters of Dr. Plunket, is the sad consequences of the ambitious scheme of Peter Walsh and his adherents, in seeking to 270 COERESPONDENCE OF DE. PLUNKET. force upon our clergy and people the well-known Eemonstrance ; owing to the zealous labours of the Archbishop of Dublin and Dr. Plunket, their efforts were everywhere baffled, and Walsh him- self was soon compelled to abandon our shores, Eepeatedly Dr. Plunket wrote to the Holy See, detailing the progress of the struggle between the defenders of truth and of error, and laying- open to the authorities in Eome, the iniquitous designs of the Eemonstrants ; and, at length, on the 26th of September, 1671, he was able to inform the Internuncio that their errors had been wholly rooted out from our Irish Church, and that in the whole kingdom more than five or six could not now be found who would avow themselves their partizans. We have already had occasion to refer to this letter, and it con- tains many valuable details connected with this question : — " Since the return of our most benign sovereign to the government of these kingdoms, no question or art of the demon has so impeded the progress of the service of God in these countries, as the perverse efforts and designs of Walsh and his adherents. Oh, how many dissensions, how many scandals had their origin thence; and all this commotion was for the sake of vain titles and emoluments. They used all their endeavours to prevent the appointment j of bishops for this kingdom, that thus there ' might be no superior, no pastor but themselves ; they strained every nerve to attain this great COBRESPONDENCE OF DR. PLUNICET. 271 end, that there might be none to control them, but God provided otherwise, and they are now confounded. . . . "To say the truth, our just and good God, who permits evil in order to draw good from it, has drawn great good from the iniquitous deeds of Peter Walsh. This man, about eight years ago, anxious to make a display of zeal and thus more easily gain partizans, and attract the people, obtained from Ormond a toleration for chapels and convents in Dublin and many other cities ; but he wished that all the convents and even all the provinces, should be governed by his own adherents. Ormond being removed from the government, through the mercy of God, no other Viceroy molested or molests either the chapels or the convents. In the most wealthy and noble city of my diocese and of the whole province, there are three chapels, very beautiful and ornamented: the first belongs to the Capuchins, the second to the Eeformed Franciscans, the third to the Jesuits. There is also one belonging to the Augustinians, but it is rather poor, so that we may well repeat what is said of the sin of Adam, " Oh, happy fault," or again, "Necessary for our good was Adam's fall." The city to which I allude is called Drogheda, at five hours' distance from Dublin; it is, next to Dublin, the best city in Ireland." The correspondence of Dr. Plunket with Eome seems to have been constant even in the times of persecution. Many of his letters are Q72 COBEESPONDENCE OK DK. PLTJNKET. in cipher, but the Internuncio always transmit- ted their key to the Sacred Congregation. His assumed name on these occasions was for some time Thomas Cox, and afterwards Edward Hamon or Hamond ; in fact all our prelates, when cor- responding with Kome, were compelled to as- sume other names ; thus Dr. Tyrrell, of Clogher, signed himself Scurlog, which name he after- wards changed for Stapleton; Dr. Cusack as- sumed the name of Fleming, and Dr. Forstall, Bishop of Kildare, the more German title, M. F. Von Creslaw. Even the Internuncio was seldom addressed by his proper name, and we find him at first styled Monsieur Pruisson, which in 1679, for greater security, was often changed into Picquet. The year 1675 presents fewest letters of Dr. Plunket; he had often complained of the heavy expense which his cor- respondence with Eome entailed on him, and of his inability to continue it, unless aided by the Sacred Congregation. More than one hundred scudi, or £26, were annually expended by him in letters, which was nearly half the entire re- venue of his diocese. Through the Internuncio, about one hundred and fifty scudi were at inter- vals transmitted to him to aid in these expenses, but the Sacred Congregation could not devote a larger sum for that purpose, as its care had to embrace not our island alone, but the missionary countries of the whole world. The Internuncio was well aware of the motives which impelled our Primate to observe this COEEESPONDENCB OP DE. PLUNZET. 273 silence, and on the 91st of December, 1675, he wrote to the Secretary of Propaganda: — "For many weeks I have received no letter from the Archbishop of Armagh, as he, in the present afflictions, finding himself in want of means, abstains from writing, in order not to incur the heavy expense of the post." However, in 1676, Dr. Plunket resumed his correspondence with his usual vigour, and continued it even when detained in his Dublin prison. His last letter from Ireland is dated the 3rd November, 1680, and was written on board the vessel which was about to conduct him prisoner to stand his trial before a London jury. It is directed to the In- ternuncio : — " Six hours before embarking for England I received your letter of the 18th inst., and from shipboard I write these lines to give you intelli- gence, that I communicated, in a few words, to the bishops of theprovincesof Cashel, Tuam, and Armagh, as also to the Bishop of Kildare, who is nearest to me, the privilege accorded by the Sacred Congregation. I pray you, however, to reflect that it would be even more necessary to grant the faculty of dispensing for the rich than for the poor, because the rich, by recurring to their Eminences for a dispensation incur great risk of confiscation of all their property, in ac- cordance with the statute pramunire, 2nd of Elizabeth. ...... " If possible, you will receive letters from Lon- don. In the meantime I recommend myself to 974 COBKESPONDEKCE OF DK. PLTJNKET. your prayers, and I have been, and am, and ever will be, " Your Excellency's most devoted servant, "Edward Hamon." (Oliver Plunket.) For some months so close was the imprison- ment in London that Dr. Plunket could find no means of transmitting letters to his friends. After some time, however, the guard was so struck by his saintly composure, that, moved to compassion, he undertook to be the bearer of an occasional letter ; and as soon as sentence was passed against him, greater liberty was allowed him of communicating with whomso- ever he pleased. We shall have occasion here- ' after to speak at greater length of the corres- . pondence of Dr. Plunket from his London prison : it will be sufficient here to remark, that his letters breathe a true spirit of Christian heroism, and express not only a dauntless courage, but also a heavenly joy on the happy, privilege which awaited him of laying do^vn his; life for the faith. 275 CHAPTER XVIII. BENEWAL OF THE PERSECUTION TOWARDS THE CLOSE OF 1678. In the year 1678 the enemies of Catholicity in England, anxious to make a last assault on the Church of their fathers, entered into a con- spiracy as dark and as hideous as any known in history. The chief agent in this plot was Titus Gates, whose name has been attached to it by posterity. He had been a clergyman of the Established Church, but preferred to his benefice an infamous and vagrant life. Under ever-varying disguises he insinuated himself into some religious houses on the Continent, and made himself sufficiently acquainted with Catholic usages and distinguished Catholic names to be able to give a semblance of circum- stantial accuracy to any anti-Catholic tale which he might devise. Eeturning to England, he found the Protestant populace in a ferment lest a Papist should succeed to the royal throne, and he soon learned that the leaders of the opposition were eager to second and repay each effort to fan the flame. Such was then the dis- position of men's minds, that the monstrous romance which he constructed was hailed with 276 EENEWAL OF THE PERSECUTION applause, and found credence, not only with the vulgar, but even with the most sober members of the King's Council. The Pope, he said, had handed over the government of England to the Jesuits, and these had already, by commissions under the great seal of the society, appointed to all the chief offices in Church and State. Once before, the Papists had burned London : that scene was to be now renewed, whilst in the con- fusion they were to assassinate the King, and, at a given signal, each Catholic should massacre his Protestant neighbours. This tale was not merely greeted with ap- plause. Gates became the idol of the people, and through the influence of his patrons, was raised on a sudden from obscurity and poverty to a position of dignity and Avealth. Hence, he soon found associates and rivals. To give per- jured evidence, and lead Catholics to the scaffold, had proved a good speculation, and many wished to share in its profits and honours. We shall allow a Protestant historian to trace the charac- ter of the principal of these informers. " A wretch named Carstairs, who had earned a living in Scotland, by going disguised to conventicles, and then informing against the preachers, led the way : Bedloe, a noted swindler, followed ; and soon, from all the brothels, gambling- houses, and spunging-houses of London, false witnesses poured forth, to swear away the lives of Eoman Catholics. One came with the story of an army of thirty thousand men, who were TOWAEDS THE CLOSE OF 1678. 277 to muster in the disguise of pilgrims at Corunna, and to sail thence to Wales. Another had been promised canonization and five hundred pounds to murder the King. . . Gates, that he might not be eclipsed by his imitators, soon added a large supplement to his original narrative. , . The vulgar believed, and the highest magistrates pretended to believe such fictions as these. The chief judges of the kingdom v^ere corrupt, cruel, and timid. . . The juries partook of the feelings then common throughout the nation, and vsrere encouraged by the bench to indulge those feelings without restraint. The multitude applauded Gates and his confederates, hooted and pelted the vpitnesses who appeared on behalf of the accused, and shouted with joy when the verdict of guilty was pronounced."* And hence, as the same writer had already re- mai'ked, the courts of justice, " which ought to be sure places of refuge for the innocent of every party, were disgraced by wilder passions and fouler corruptions" than could be found in the annals of England. Such an excitement against the Catholics naturally found a response in the Protestant ascendancy of Ireland. Ormond was, at this time. Viceroy ; his private letters, indeed, prove » that he gave no credence to the accusations against the Catholics, but, nevertheless, with his usual duplicity, he enacted such measures « Macaulay " Hist, of England," vol. i. cliap. 2nd. Q .278 jaENEWAIi OF THE PEKSECUTION and laws as supposed and confirmed tlie belief of the reality of their treasonable designs. The council of Ireland met in the presence of the Viceroy, on the 14th of October, 1678. Their first enactment was, that all officers and soldiers should repair without delay to their respective garrisons. A proclamation ensued, command- ing " all titular Popish bishops and dignitaries, and all others exercising ecclesiastical juris- diction by authority from the See of Eome, all Jesuits and other regular priests," to depart from the kingdom before the 20th of November following ; whilst a rewai-d was offered of £10 for the capture of a bishop, and £5 for that of a regular, after that period. Orders were, at the same time, given, that aU " Popish societies, convents, seminaries, and schools," should be forthwith dissolved and utterly suppressed. To prevent all excuses for not obeying the foregoing proclamation, another was issued on the 16th of November, requiring all owners and masters of ships bound for foreign parts to receive " the Popish clergy" on board, and to transport them accordingly. It was deemed necessary, too, to disarm the Catholics ; and a special proclamation enacted, that " no persons of the Popish religion should carry, buy, use, or keep in their houses any arms without licence ; and that all justices of the peace should search for such arms as were not brought in within twenty days, and bind over the offenders to be prosecuted at the next assizes." TOWABDS THE CLOSE OF 1678; 379 It was feared, however, that some officers were remiss in executing these laws, and hence positive orders were further issued on the 2nd of December, by the Lord Lieutenant and coun- cil, addressed to the sheriffs of the several counties, and to be by them communicated to the justices of the peace, " taking notice of their neglect in not apprehending such of the Popish regular clergy as did not transport themselves, and requiring them to return, not only their names, but the names also of such as received, relieved, and harboured them." They were, moreover, required to return " the names of all persons licensed to carry arms, and to prosecute those who had not delivered in their arms" according to preceding proclamations. These orders were principally directed against the prelates and regulars, but in reality the officers commissioned with their execution pro- secuted alike the secular clergy ; it was enough for them to raise the cry that any one was a Jesuit in disguise to obtain their reward. A proclamation, however, published on the 36th of March, 1679, had the secular clergy for its special object. It commanded " that when there was any Popish pretended parish priest of any place where any robbery or murder was com- mitted by the tories, he should be seized upon, committed to the common gaol, and thence transported beyond the seas, unless within fom-teen days after such robbery or murder the persons guilty thereof were either killed or 280 RENEWAL OF THE PERSECUTION taken, or such discovery made thereof in that time, as the offenders might therefore be ap- prehended and brought to justice." A further proclamation ordered the sup- pression of "Masshouses and meetings for Popish services in the cities and suburbs of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Kinsale, Wexford, Athlone, Eoss, Galway, Drogheda, Youghal, Clonmel, and Kilkenny," these being the most considerable towns in the Kingdom, " in which too many precautions could not be taken." No soldier had for many years been admitted to the army till he had taken the oaths of alle- giance and supremacy. It was now rumoured that some, after entering the service, had em- braced the Catholic religion, and hence a special proclamation offered rewards " for the discovery of any officer or soldier who had heard Mass or been so perverted to the Popish religion." On the same day with this proclamation (20th November, 1678), another order was issued, prohibiting all Catholics, "from entering the Castle of Dublin, or any other fort or citadel," and commanding that "no persons of the Komish religion" should be suffered to reside in the towns of Drogheda, Wexford, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Youghal, and Galway, or in any other corporation, excepting such as " for the greater part of the twelve months past had inhabited them." The result of such stringent measures, though, TOWAKDS THE CLOSE OF 1678. 281 perhaps, it did not satisfy the cravings of those who had anxiously looked forward to the rooting out of Catholicity from the " Island of Saints," yet was such as even to surpass the expectations of moderate Protestants ; and Carte remarks, that though all the clergy were not expelled from the kingdom, "which never was, and never will be, the consequence of a proclamation; yet more had been shipped off than could have been imagined, and the rest lurked in corners, and durst not come near the great towns." The illustrious Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Talbot, returned to England from his exile on the Continent in 1676, and a few months before the present outburst of feehng against the Ca- tholics, through the intercession of the Duke of York, obtained permission to revisit and console his spiritual flock. Though subject to violent disease, and apparently at the close of his eventful career, yet was he chosen by the malig- nant policy of Ormond, to be the first Irish victim of the persecution. Dr. Plunket an- nounces his arrest, writing on the 37th of October, 1678 :— " The matter being proposed and decreed in the Provincial Council that I should make a visitation of the province, I commenced with Meath, which is the first suffragan diocese, and then proceeded to the diocese of Clonmaenoise, where I had scarcely finished when the news arrived by post, that Dr. Talbot of Dublin was arrested and imprisoned in the Castle or Tower Q 2 282 EENEWAL OF THE PERSECUTION of this city. I received this news on the 21st of the past month; immediately afterwards came a proclamation or edict, hanishing all the archhishops, bishops, vicars-general, and all the regulars, commanding them to leave the king- dom before the 20th of November, and threa- tening penalties and fines against any secular who would give them to eat or drink, or other- wise assist them. I was quite astonished at the arrest of the Archbishop of Dublin, the more so, as since his return to Ireland he did not perform any ecclesiastical function." The Archbishop of Dublin being confined in the Castle, the other prelates fled to their retreats in the woods and morasses, whilst the flocks were scattered and filled with dismay. The Internuncio thus writes to the Secretary of Propaganda on the 17th December, 1678 : — " The Archbishop of Dublin continues still in prison ; as far as I have been able to learn, none of the other prelates have been seized on, or compelled to leave the kingdom ; but it is certain that they are all retired to places far away from the public, and the most difficult of access, so that they are no longer able to continue their correspondence with me." In the following year the primate, writing on the 15th of May, makes known the fury of the storm to which the Catholics were exposed, and the extreme poverty to which the prelates, and especially he himself, had, consequently, been reduced : — TOWABDS THE CLOSE OF 1678. 283 " Here matters go on from bad to worse. A proclamation offers £10 for the arrest of a bishop or Jesuit, and £5 for the arrest of 'a vicar-general or friar. The police, spies, and soldiers, are in pursuit of us day and night. Colonel Patiick, an excellent Catholic, and a great protector of the Catholics, although a relative of the Duke of Ormond, was exiled by order of parliament, which is desirous of prose- cuting even the Duke of York, on account of his being a Catholic. The secular priests had some connivance till the present, though in many parts, and especially in the vicinity of Armagh, they had much to suffer. Such is the rigour of the Presbyterians, of whom there is a large number in these parts ; they are now the prevailing faction in the three kingdoms, and are the enemies of all monarchy and hierarchy. One might walk twenty-five or thirty miles in districts and not meet with six Catholic or Protestant families ; for all are Presbyterians and strict Calvinists. "From my diocese, during the past twelve months, I received only 33 crowns (£5 10s.), and for the future my revenue will be still less. I expended a great deal in building schools, and in maintaining masters to instruct the youth and clergy of my province : during the past nine years I gave hospitality to all ; indeed, I was the only prelate in Ireland that had a house of his own. I never would have been able to en- counter such expense had I not been aided by 284 EENEWAL OF THE PERSECUTION the charity of Colonel Patrick, who has been a greater benefactor to me than all the diocese of Armagh, or all my friends and relatives in the whole kingdom ; but he now is exiled. More- over, the severest penalties have been published in proclamations against the lay Catholics who shall i-eceive a bishop or regular in their houses, and thus the rich are afraid of losing their possessions, whilst the poor have nothing to give." The arrest of the Primate was the crowning deed of the diabolical conspiracy of the enemies of our holy faith, but still it did not appease their fury. The storm continued unabated, and the rage of the Protestants against the Catholics seemed every day to become more and more inflamed. The Archbishop of Cashel thus writes on the 30th of June, 1680 : — " From the month of April till the present our affairs have become considerably more per- plexed. The demon excited this tempest prin- cipally by means of an apostate, the chaplain and companion of bandits, who, deserving the scaffold, found a means of obtaining pardon by accusing the Archbishop of Armagh, and many others, of a general rebellion throughout the kingdom, and persons are not wanting in other parts of the country to follow his example. This diabolical invention added greatly to the afflictions of the Catholics, and to the fury of the Protestants against us. These, for the most part, persuaded themselves that the iniquitous TOWARDS THE CLOSE OF 1678. 985 imposture was a reality, and that all the bishops of this kingdom have co-operated in setting on foot this rebellion ; wherefore, the mitres are now more than ever hated by the Protestants, who are convinced that the number of bishops is intended to give offence to the government : and hence, too, the ministers of justice are now more active than ever in searching after them. It has even been resolved on by the govern- ment to pass a most stringent act in the next Parliament (which, it is thought, will be held in September), prohibiting, under penalty of the scaffold, that any bishop should ever again enter this kingdom. God forbid that their Eminences should make any new bishops for the present, as it would only excite more and more their bile against us, and be of great damage in this land, not of pleasure, but of tribulation and persecution, where we eat the bread of afflic- tion. But heaven is above and earth below. We hope, without ceasing, in the mercy of the divine Majesty, that He will free us from these afflictions, and that in His own time he will manifest our innocence of this pretended con- spiracy, a thing which we ever anathematized, never desiring anything save the glory of God and the service of our prince. Be good enough to excuse the necessary shortness of this letter, and the absence of titles : and, as usual, I make to you my reverence. "30th of June, 1680." The enemies of the Catholics in England 286 EENEWAL OF THE PERSECUTION were not content with the slow proceedings of the Irish government. On the 3rd of March, 1680, the Earl of Anglesey wrote to the Lord Lieutenant " that it is his Majesty's absolute and unaltered pleasure (advised by all the council) to have every individual of the Popish clergy seized and imprisoned till they petition to be sent over seas, and promise never to re- turn or practice against the state ; for there is no other way to cure their madness, and there are those in England who will apprehend them all." To which his Excellency characteris- tically replied, that " if any in England would undertake it, they shall have the promised reward, and his thanks besides ; and to tell him of the insolent deportment and signal perfidy of the Popish clergy of Ireland is to preach to him that there is pain in the gout ; and he pro- tests that he would sooner be rid of them than of that disease." Such was their hatred against the Catholic clergy, and such their premeditated plan, which was worthy of a Diocletian or a Nero, to banish the Catholic pastors from our shores, or lead them to the scaffold. We shall conclude this chapter with the words of the impartial Fox : — " The proceedings of the Popish plot must always be considered as an indelible disgrace upon the English nation, in which king, parlia- ment, judges, juries, witnesses, prosecutors, have aU their respective, though certainly not equal shares. Witnesses' of such a character TOWAEDS THE CLOSE OF 1678. 287 as not to deserve credit in the most trifling cause upon the most immaterial facts, gave evi- dence so incredible, or, to speak more plainly, so impossible to be true, that it ought not to have been believed if it had come from the mouth of Cato ; and upon such evidence, from such witnesses, were innocent men condemned to death and executed. Prosecutors, whether attorneys or solicitors-general, or managers of impeachment, acted with the fury which in such circumstances might be expected. Juries par- took naturally of the national ferment; and judges, whose duty it was to guard them against such impressions, were scandalously active in confirming them in their prejudices and inflam- ing their passions."* CHAPTER XIX. ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OB" DR. PLUNKET. Dr. Pltjnket, when rooting out the abuses which had crept into some districts of his diocese, had well foreseen that he had to treat with men who deemed his reforms too great a <3heck on their vicious lives — who would refuse * Historical Works, page 33, seq. 288 ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OP to listen to his words of correction, and pursue him with their hatred even unto death. But he emhraced these consequences of his sacred ministry with joy, and, as a good pastor, offered his life for the salvation of his flock, and the healing of the wounds of his suffering church. He never ceased for an instant to pursue the reforms which the necessities of his church required, and, as he had hoped, the earthly reward of all these labours was martyrdom ; but his death was the triumph of the holy cause for which he combated, and as the Archbishop of Cashel remarked, by his death he effected more towards the rooting out of these abuses than he could possibly have achieved by a cen- tury of anxious toil. A letter of the Inter- nuncio, written whilst Dr. Plunket was yet in prison, expressly attributes all his sufferings to the enmity of those who had experienced his zeal in the cause of church discipline and morality ; it is addressed to Cardinal Cybo, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation de Propa- ganda : — " From the Archbishop of Armagh I received no letter since his arrival in London, when he informed me that his trial had been deferred in consequence of God permitting that his accusers should dispute amongst themselves, imputing to one another most enormous crimes. AH those who have come to England to accuse him are bad Catholics, and even ecclesiastics, re- gular and secular. This is to he attributed to the DE. PLUNKET. S89 wicked hatred conceived against this Prelate; hence, during the past years the various accusations presented against him to the Sacred Congregation. I fondly hope to be able, in a short time, to give more pleasing news. " Brussels, 19th April, 1681." As early as 1678, an apostate religious named John MacMoyer, whom Dr. Plunket had sus- pended for various crimes, and who, as we shall see in the next chapter, was noted for his violence, drunkenness, and immoralities, accused him of conspiracy against the crown. But so notorious was the character of this unfortunate man, that the grand jury refused to receive his testimony, and ordered him to be arrested, and it was with difficulty that he escaped capital punishment. This check did not suffice to make the enemies of the Primate desist from their wicked design. MacMoyer could find no other names for him than Elymas, Simon Magus, and Oliver Cromwell, and often avowed his determination to bring him to the scaffold. The accusations to which the Nuncio refers, as made in Eome against Dr. Plunket, pro- ceeded from some worthy associates of this apostate, and v/ere supposed by the Archbishop to have had for their chief author Anthony Daly, who was the friend and companion of MacMoyer. A letter penned in Dublin prison by the Archbishop, in reply to the accusations pre- S90 ARREST AKD IMPBISONMENT OF sented to Propoganda against him, discloses to ns not only many of these accusations, but also many facts which sufficiently make known the spirit which guided these unfortunate men in seeking the destruction of the Primate. It is the first letter written from prison by Dr. Plunket, and is dated the 17th of January, 1680 :— " May the Lord be praised, who in a twofold way has given me occasion of spiritual joy. And first of all, by these prisons of the tower or royal castle, where I was detained in close confinement from the 6th of December last till yesterday, when they gave me permission to converse with some friends and my servant, and this, because having examined my papers, they found nothing regarding political or tem- poral matters in which I ever took any part. Secondly, I am consoled by hearing of the calumnies of Anthony Daly, the bosom friend of Felix O'Neill. This Anthony sought to take away my life here, instigating the tories to kill me ; they came at midnight about six years ago, to the house of my vicar-general, where I then was ; they broke open the doors and took away all the money from myself, and my vicar- general, and my secretary, Michael Plunket, who is now in Rome, and they held a sword to my throat. The chief of this band was after- wards taken, and before death declared in prison to the parish priest of Armagh, and to his curate, that Anthony told him to kill me- DR, PLUNKET. 291 He afterwards went through the province spreading calumnies against me, and against my vicar-general, Bernard Magorch, Dean of Armagh, a man distinguished by his integrity of life and learning, who had endeavoured to restrain the insolence of this madman ; then before going to Italy, he circulated in Paris all that your Excellency writes to me, and even more, viz., that I had become a Protestant, and had taken the oath of royal supremacy. Car- dinal Howard is well informed of all the deeds of this apostate against me. Under the seventh and eighth heads, he states that I was the cause of the second last persecution, and that in that persecution, as well as in the present, I found favour, because I betrayed the Catholics. From this alone you may learn the malignant inten- tions of this man. In that persecution Dr. Brennan, of Cashel, and I were together on the mountains enduring the cold and the frost. In the present persecution I alone of the pre- lates as yet suffer here, and that solely for communion with Eome and my ministry,, and dependence on my superiors,which I had always held and will hold. This calumniator says that I alone am in favour, whilst others are persecuted, and yet I am in prison and they are free, t declare to your Excellency that there is not a single one of the eight points which is not mere calumny and falsehood. But I bear these calumnies, as I hope with spiritual gain, imitating my Saviour, who sufifered in 293 AREEST AND IMPRISONMENT OF body and in reputation from His adversaries, calling him a magician, a bibber, a glutton, a demon, &c." In the month of November, 1679, Dr. Plun- ket left his place of concealment in the secluded parts of his own diocese, and came to Dublin, to assist his relative, the aged Bishop of Meath, in his last moments. Ten days later Dr. Plunket was arrested in his place of concealment in the city of Dublin, by a body of militia, headed by Hetherington, an agent of Lord Shaftesbury, and, by order of the Viceroy, was committed a close prisoner to Dublin castle. This was on the 6th of December, 1679. For six weeks no communication with him was allowed, but after that term, nothing treasonable having been discovered in his papers, he was treated with more kindness, and permitted to receive visits from his friends. The only crime of which the Primate was as yet supposed to be accused, was that of remain- ing in the kingdom, despite the royal interdict, and of exercising the functions of his sacred ministry. This is more than evident from many sources. All the letters of the Arch- bishop, written for many months after his arrest, never allude to any other accusation. In the letter just cited, he expressly states that this was the only ground for his arrest. A relative, too, of the Primate, named William Plimket, having completed his course of studies in the Propaganda college in Eome, and re- DB. PLUNKET. 293 turning to his native land, in the beginning of 1680, to his surprise learned on landing in Ireland, that the Archbishop had been already for some months in prison. He hastened with- out delay to convey this intelligence to Kome, declaring the affliction which overwhelmed him, and the consolation at the same time which all his friends received, since the Pri- mate was accused of no other crime than that which was a true glory for a good pastor of holy Church ; his letter is directed to the Cardinals of the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda, and is dated 20th of March, 1680 :— "After a long journey, I at length arrived at Nantes, a maritime city of France, in which, though there were many English and Irish vessels, yet none wished to receive me, fearing lest (should they bring ecclesiastics to Ireland during the persecution) their ships and mer- chandise would be confiscated. At length, after three months' stay in Nantes, Providence inspired a Catholic master to give me a place in his ship. The weather was so stormy, and the winds so uncertain or contrary, that with difficulty we reached Ireland towards the beginning of February, although, if the winds were favourable, it should be only four days' sail. Having arrived in Ireland, to my great dismay and grief, I received the news that the Primate was a prisoner in the Eoyal Castle of Dublin. I hastened thither, and having heard 394 ABREST AND IMPRISONMENT OF and learned for certain that he had been im- prisoned only for being a Catholic bishop, and for not having abandoned the flock of our Lord in obedience to the edict published by Parliament, I was somewhat consoled, it being his and our glory that he should suffer in such a came. He was arrested on the 6th of December last, and no one was permitted to speak to him till the middle of January, when his friends were allowed to visit him, and he himself received permission to walk on an open balcony. No sooner was he arrested than the other bishops and prelates fled to their retreats, and are so concealed that few even of their most intimate friends know where they are. Notwithstand- ing all this, I have this moment received intel- ligence of the arrest of Dr. Creagh, Bishop of Cork, and the dread of all is so much the more increased, as it is thought a Parliament will soon be held, when the most rigorous enact- ments will be made against the Catholics, and, after the manner of the English Parliament, no Catholic will be allowed to sit in it. As to the state of ecclesiastics here, all the convents are destroyed and the friars scattered The parish priests have as yet some conniv- ance in administering the sacraments, but in the cities and large towns they are not allowed to have oratories or chapels, and hence they are compelled to travel about and offer the holy Sacrifice, and exercise their sacred functions, now here, now there, in private houses. Would DR. PLUNKET. a95 to God, and to the Blessed Virgin, that this toleration at least may continue." The Primate on his trial declared, " I was a prisoner six months, only for my religion, and there was not one word of treason spoken of against me for so many years ;" and the Attor- ney-General himself avowed that he was arrested "for being an over zealous papist." Nevertheless, another accusation had been from the commencement presented against him, and if it were kept secret and disguised for awhile, it was only that the plans of his ac- cusers might be more matured, and the con- spiracy so arranged in all its parts, as assuredly to lead him to the scaffold. Side by side with the Archbishop of Armagh, in the prison of the Castle of Dublin was the glorious confessor of Christ, Peter Talbot, Archbishop of that see. They had both been pillars of our Irish Church; they had long struggled together, and sometimes, too, had held conflicting views in promoting its welfare and defending its rights ; and God now decreed that they should be united in receiving their spiritual reward, being sharers in the same glorious captivity; and though Dr. Plunket alone was destined to receive the palm upon the scaffold, yet, perhaps, no less glorious was the crown of lengtiiened martyrdom which his feUow confessor received. Dr. Talbot, over- come by the sufferings of prison, died in the beginning of December, 1680. 996 ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OF It was not till the month of June, 1680, that the witnesses had fully arranged their plans. Armed with commendatory letters from the English court, they now returned to Ireland assured of success. Amongst the many pre- cautions taken by the apostate MacMoyer, one was to have a government order sent from Lon- don to the Viceroy, that no Catholic should be a member of the jury: — "Orders had been transmitted to Ireland," says the Primate on his trial, " that I should be tried in Ireland, and that no Eoman Catholic should be on the jury, and so it was in both the grand and other jury ; yet, there, when I came to my trial, after I was arraigned, not one appeared." Dr. Plunket did not object to this arrangement, though in itself most unjust, so conscious was he of his own innocence, and of the known character of his accusers ; and after the words which we have just cited, he again avowed upon his trial : — " If I had been in Ireland, I would have put myself on my ti'ial to-morrow without any witnesses, before any Protestant jury that knew them and me." The Viceroy, however, decreed that the trial should be held in Dundalk, the scene of the re- puted treasonable crimes ; and, as we shall just now see, this alone sufficed to derange all the plans of the witnesses, for they were conscious that their character was well known in that quarter, and that evidence could be, without difficulty, procured there of then* malignity -and DE. PLUNKET. 297 evil designs and pequries. Dr. Plunket writing to the Internuncio on the 25th of July, 1680, the day after his return from Dundaik, gives the following detailed account of the proceedings of this trial : — " Your letter of the 17th of July consoled me in my tribulations and miseries. MacMoyer, as well in the criminal sessions of Dundaik, as after these sessions, presented a memorial that the trial should not be held in Dundaik, where he was too well known, and that it should be deferred till September or March next, but the Viceroy refused. " I was brought with a guard to Dundaik on the 91st of July ; Dundaik is thirty-six mUes from Dublin. I was there consigned to the King's Lieutenant in that distict, who treated me with great courtesy, and on the 33rd and 24th July I was presented for trial. A long process was read, but on the 24th MacMoyer did not appear to confirm his depositions and hear my defence; I had thirty-two witnesses, priests, friars, and seculars, prepared to refute all that had been sworn against me, forsooth, that I had seventy thousand Catholics prepared to murder all the Protestants, and to establish here the Romish religion and Popish superstition; that I had sent various agents to different kingdoms to obtain aid ; that I had visited and explored all the fortresses and maritime ports of the kingdom : and that I had held a Provincial Council in 1678 to introduce the French. He also accused, in his B 2 398 AEEEST AND IMPEISONMENT OP depositions, Monsignor Tyrrell, Eev. Luke Plunket,the Ordinary of Derry, and Dr. Edward Dromgole, an eminent preacher. Murphy (the second witness) no sooner heard that the ses- sions and trial would be held in Dundalk than he fled out of the kingdom ; and hence Mac- Moyer alleged that he himself could not appear, as he awaited the return of Murphy ; and so these sessions terminated, and according to the laws of this country, I must present myself at three criminal sessions before I can be absolved, and as there will be no sessions in Dundalk till the end of March, my counsel and friends recom- mended me to present a memorial to have the cause adjudged in Dublin, at the next criminal ses- sions of All Saints, and that the jury of Dun- dalk should be brought to Dublin, which, perhaps, I may obtain. The sessions being over, I was reconducted, by order of the Viceroy, to the Koyal Castle of Dublin, to my dear and costly apartment ; considering, however, the shortness of the time spent in Dundalk, it was still more expensive, as I had to bring thirty-two witnesses from different parts, and maintain them for four days in Dundalk, and amongst the guards and servants of the Lieutenant I had to distribute about forty crowns. Although the two chief judges are appointed by the crown, the jury is chosen by the Lieutenar^t of the district of Dun- dalk. As there are more Catholics than Pro- testants in the county Louth, MacMoyer fore- seeing that some Catholics would surely be on DR. PLUNKET. 999 the jury, and knowing that the Lieutenant, who, from his office, is called sheriff, was a friend of mine, presented a memorial that no Catholic should be on the jury, and he obtained his pe- tition. I made no opposition, knowing well that all the Protestants of my district looked on MacMoyer as a confederate of the torie^, and hence at the criminal sessions of Armagh, in 1678, he was prosecuted and fined; and I knew, moreover, that they all deemed fabulous the story sworn by MacMoyer against me, and, moreover, his dissolute life was notorious, and he wfes ahvays half drunk when he appeared be- fore the tribunals. Murphy fled, because he well knew that the jury of Dundalk would have hanged him. He had been imprisoned in Dun- dalk and escaped'; he was found in the company of the tories, and he concealed the articles which they stole. It is said that he has gone to England to obtain pardon from the king, that he may afterwards appear against me ; not to accuse me of treason, but of exercising Papal jurisdiction in this kingdom : another witness, Callaghan, accuses me in like manner, and it is an accusation which I deem most glorious. It is more than two years since MacMoyer com- menced his accusations against me, as is clear from the depositions." The scene was now to be soon shifted from the shores of Ireland to the banks of the Thames. Mac Moyer and his associates felt that it would be impossible for them to attain their wicked purpose in a country where their 300 AEEEST AND IMPRISONMENT OF crimes were so public, and the primate so re- vered : they, therefore petitioned the king that the trial should he transferred to London. The suggestion was pleasing to the Court, and about the middle of October Dr. Plunket received a summons to appear in London, to answer the charges imputed to him. The Internuncio announced to the Sacred Congregation the extreme danger to which the life of the Archbishop was now exposed, and how all his own efforts, even though seconded by the mediation of the Spanish Ambassador, had proved fruitless in mitigating the rigour of the Court in his regard. " The Archbishop of Armagh had been con- ducted from the prisons of Dublin to those of England. The rage of the enemies for our faith, and the sad conjuncture of the opening of Parliament, which is furious against the Catholics, occasion gi-eat fears for his life, al- though his innocence of the pretended conspir- acy is most manifest ; nor are witnesses wanting to establish it should the matter be fairly investi- gated. I have implored in his aid the in- tercession of the Catholic ambassador, so much the more, as I have heard that in the persecution during the reign of Charles the First, the then Archbishop of Armagh being condemned to death for exercising pontifical jurisdiction in Ireland, was sent into exile on the promise given by the Spanish Ambassador that he would never again return to the British dominions." We have seen that after six months' close DE. PLUNKET. 301 confinement, in which the prison-guard was his only companion, Dr. Plunket received per- mission to communicate with his servant, and to write some letters to his friends. One of these is now preserved in the Vatican Archives. It is as follows : — " I was hrought from Ireland to this city (London) towards the close of October last, and subjected to the sufferings of a rigorous imprisonment, all intercourse with my friends being interdicted, so that no human being, save the guard of my prison, had access to me ; but as now permission has been granted to write to my relatives and acquaintances, I could not but write to your reverence, to make known and lay open to you how matters now stand with me. About a fortnight ago I was accused and brought to trial for seeking to introduce the^ Holy Catholic and Apostolic faith, and to overturn and destroy the Protestant religion. But the accusation being read, the trial was deferred till next sessions, that I might bring my witnesses from Ireland, who, undoubtedly, will be an intolerable burden on me, and will exhaust my poor purse, unless I be aided by my friends, to whom I wholly confide myself. I caused eight witnesses to be called to refute all that MacMoyer and his colleagues had stated against me. I shall have a severe trial, for neither the jury nor the judges are acquainted with my circumstances and those of my accu- sers. I therefore earnestly pray youi* reverence 302 CHAEACTER OF THE to collect and transmit to me, as soon as pos- sible, whatever my friends can give me, that I may be able to support my witnesses. Each of them will require, at least, £U0, considering their stay here and return to Ireland. Show my letters to my friends, and let Michael Plun- ket know the present state of my affairs." The Internuncio Tanari wrote to Cardinal Cybo on the 31st of May, 1681, conveying the substance of this letter of the Primate, but he erroneously concluded from the passage relative to the accusations against him, that he had not been accused of treason ; for, we shall see at the trial of Dr. Plunket, these two accusations were joined together, and the treason imputed to him was no other than that he sought to overthrow the Government, in order to establish the Catholic religion, and root out Protestantism. CHAPTER XX. CHARACTEB OF THE THREE CHIEF WITNESSES, The character of the witnesses, whose perjured evidence led Dr. Oliver Plimket to the scaffold, most clearly establishes the nature of the con- spiracy which had been entered into against him, and proves that his death was owing to the hatred of those who looked upon him as the THREE CHIEF WITNESSES. 303 pillar of the Irish church, and the dauntless champion of her discipline and teaching. John MacMoyer, of -whom we have often spoken in the preceding chapter, was an apos- tate friar, and the originator of that wicked con- spiracy : and his chief associates were another apostate named Duffy, and Edmund Murphy, a suspended secular priest. MacMoyer and Duffy had studied together in St. Isidore's, and were expelled from that convent on account of their irregularities, hy its venerahle guardian. Father Tyrrell, who, at the period at which we are now arrived, was bishop of the ancient see of Clogher, and who, as he zealously co-operated with the Primate in reforming the abuses of some corrupt members of the clirgy, so, too, was made the object of their enmity and hatred. It was about 1673, that the reforms intro- duced by Dr. Plunket first awakened the fury and enmity of those who sought to maintain irregularity and corruption in the Irish clergy, and whose vicious lives but little corresponded with the sanctity of their profession. Amongst these opponents of the Archbishop none were more violent than the two just mentioned, wha afterwards were destined to crown their impiety and guilt by leading him to the scaffold. When, in 1678, MacMoyer presented to the grand jury in Dundalk heads of impeachment against Dr. Plunket for high treason, not only