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having favoured or abetted, or having been so "much as acquainted with the designs or proceeding of the rebels*.

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Lord Chesterfield † mentions, that, "the catholic

clergy co-operated with their protestant brethren "to maintain order and tranquillity, Their pastoral "letters, public discourses from the pulpit, and private admonitions, were equally directed for "the service of government."

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It is painful to state, that in return for these meritorious services, the protestant clergy excited public animosity against the catholics by their sermons; and that the earl of Chesterfield §, the lord lieutenant, recommended, in his speech to parliament, their taking into consideration, whether "something further might not yet be done for repressing popery, either by new laws, or by the more effectual execution of those in being."

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"The Irish administration under George the "second is stained," says Mr. O'Conor |," by desolating famines, by the encouragement of in"formers, the transportation of priests T, the decay " of every branch of industry, and a great decrease "of population, new penal statutes were enacted,

Curry's Review, vol. ii. p. 261.

+ Chesterfield's Works, vol. i. p. 150. Irish edition. + Curry's Review, vol. ii. p. 259.

§ Maty's Life of Lord Chesterfield.

History, p. 200.

¶ The average annual amount of premiums for transporting priests, for sixteen years preceding 1745, was 127 l. 17s. 4 d. The premiums ceased after 1745. Newnham's View of Ireland, p. 195.

" and the last spark of catholic freedom was extin

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The famine mentioned by Mr. O'Conor is described by him in terms, which it would shock the humanity of our readers to peruse, and which, on this account, we omit. He declares*, that "the sufferings of the Irish under it surpass all that history has recorded or imagination can repre"sent."

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"This was the fifth or sixth famine, that in the "course of twenty years, desolated a country gifted "with the most luxuriant soil, indented with in"numerable bays and harbours, presenting unri"valled advantages for trade and manufactures, "and capable of maintaining treble the number of "its people, under any tolerable system of governAll orders were struck with horror at "this fatal calamity, but neither the Irish government, nor rich individuals, were able to relieve the public distress. Immense drains to absentees, and "annual remittances to Poland for corn, restric"tions on the woollen trade, and an embargo on "beef, the staple commodity of the kingdom, left "the country destitute of specie, disabled the better "orders from relieving the lower classes, whose "miseries were aggravated by the immense stores "of beef then in the country, but heaped up for "the foreign markets, and denied to them by the "inhuman avarice of mercantile speculation. The 66 English people remained insensible to the mise"ries of their fellow christians, and fellow subjects, * Page 223.

"who adored the same omnipotence, and recog"nized the same sovereignty. Their philanthropy "would not embrace men, whom they considered as rivals and idolaters.

"The visitation of famine and pestilence dis"armed the rancour of religious intolerance, and humanity shuddered at the wide prospect of de"solation. After the reduction of one fifth of the

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population, a productive harvest put an end to "these distresses. THE SYSTEM OF PERSECUTION

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REVIVED WITH THE REVIVING STRENGTH AND

GROWING PROPERTY OF THE COUNTRY. The "catholics were everywhere disarmed, domiciliary "visits were made in quest of priests and friars, "the chapels were shut up, and a cruel persecution "commenced in every quarter of the kingdom. "From the interior, many fled to the metropolis, "as affording, by its extent and population, great facility of concealment; others fled to caverns " and mountains, to elude the pursuit of priest"catchers. The Irish catholics were thus, by a "wicked administration, under the mild sway of "the house of Hanover, deprived of the enjoyment "of the private exercise of their religion, a privilege "not denied to them by the worst of the Stuarts.

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"In the country parts, the catholics frequented, "on Sundays and festivals, the retreats of their

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clergy, and in the metropolis the citizens attended "the celebration of divine service in stable-yards, "or warehouses, garrets, and such obscure places "as sheltered them from. the pursuit of the magis"trates. On one of these occasions, when the

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congregation was rising to receive the benedic"tion, the floor gave way, and all were buried in the ruins; the priest and several others were killed, and most of the rest were so bruised and "maimed as to remain for years living monuments "of the crue.ty of that administration. The dead, "the dying, and the wounded were conveyed on

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cars through the streets amidst the deep anguish "and solemn silence of an horror-struck multitude. "The sad spectacle excited the sympathy of the protestants, and relaxed the obduracy of the "government; leave was given to open the chapels, "and the private exercise of the catholic worship "was again restored *."

The acts of parliament which we have mentioned to have been passed in the reign of George the second, consummated the misery of the Irish catholics: it may be truly said, that at this time, there did not exist in Europe a population which exhibited such a scene of wretchedness and oppression.

But, according to Hume's just observation †, there is an ultimate point of depression, as well as of exaltation, from which human affairs naturally return in a contrary progress, and beyond

Here the writer must take his final leave of Mr. Charles O'Conor, from whom he has transcribed this passage, and to whom he has before acknowledged his obligations. His History is the work of a gentleman, a scholar, a man of liberal principles, and a true catholic. It is much to be wished that he should bring it down to the present time: he will confer, by doing it, a great favour on his brethren in religion. + Hist. of England, vol. ii. p. 441.

which they seldom pass, either in their advancement or decline.

The year 1757 may be considered as the era, from which the amelioration of the condition of the Irish catholics and their successful exertions to obtain a repeal of the penal code may be dated. The duke of Bedford was sworn in that year into the office of lord lieutenant. Ten days after his arrival, the catholic clergy in Dublin read a loyal exhortation to their respective congregations. It obtained no regard from persons in power; but it was received by the public so favourably, that, on the recommendation of Dr. O'Keefe, the titular catholic bishop of Kildare, the chiefs of the catholic body signed a declaration of the principles of their church in respect to allegiance and civil duty, and transmitted it to Rome as the act and deed of the roman-catholics*.

In 1759, when the French force under the command of Conflans was collected to invade Ireland, the catholics presented to the lord lieutenant an address, expressing their attachment to his majesty's person and government. Some catholic individuals offered to assist the state with money, and the catholics of Cork, in a body, presented an address, professing their indignation at the invasion, by an enemy flattering himself with an imaginary co-operation on their part; they assured his grace that they would, to the utmost exertion of their abilities, defend his majesty's person and govern

* Both documents are inserted in sir Henry Parnell's History, pp. 52 and 55.

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