CHAPTER XXIV. WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT-THE OATHS OF EXCLUSION. HE agitation for so-called Catholic emancipation arose entirely THE out of special legislation for maintaining Protestant ascendancy, and chiefly from the oaths which from time to time had been devised for the exclusion of Catholics. These oaths were first prescribed after the Reformation, in the time of Henry VIII., and they were renewed during the reign of Edward VI.; but, so far, they were abolished during the reign of Mary, and we have therefore to look exclusively to subsequent times for a real history of the questions at issue. The very first Act passed under Elizabeth was for the purpose of restoring the oaths of the date of Henry and Edward (that were repealed in the time of Mary), with additional securities. This Act of the first year of Elizabeth, chapter 1, was "An Acte restoring to the Crowne the ancient jurisdiction over the state ecclesiasticall and spirituall, and abolyshing all foraigne power repugnaunt to the same." It is graphically illustrative of the ideas that prevailed at that time (1559), and clearly indicates the objects in view. It commences, "Most humbly beseeche your most excellent majestie, your faithful and obedyent subiectes, the lordes spirituall and temporall, and the commons in this your present parliament assembled, that where in tyme of the raigne of your moste deare father of worthye memorie King Henrye the eyght, diverse good lawes and statutes were made and established, as wel for the better extinguishment and putting away of all usurped and foreigne powers and aucthorities out of this your realme, as also for the restoring and uniting to the imperial crowne of this realme, the ancient jurisdictions, authorities, superiorities, and .... preheminences to the same of ryght belongyng and apparteynyng, by reason whereof, we your most humble and obedient subiectes, from the xxv yere of the raigne of your said deare father, were continually kept in good order." The Act goes on amongst other things to provide that all archbishops, bishops, clergy, judges, mayors, officers, and ministers, "and everye other person having your hyghnesse fees or wages within this realme, or any your hyghnesse dominions, shall make, take, and receave a corporal othe upon the Evangelist, before such person or persons as shall please your hyghnesse, your heyres or successours, under the greate seale of Englande, to assigne and name, to accepte and take the same accordyng to the tenour and effecte hereafter followyng that is to saye, 'I, A B, do utterlye testifie and declare in my conscience, that the Queenes hyghness is the only supreame governour of this realme, and of all other her hyghness dominions and countreys, as well in all spirituall and ecclesiasticall thinges or causes, as temporal, and that no forraigne prince, parson, prelate, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superioritie, preheminence, or aucthoritie, ecclesiasticall or spirituall, within this realme, and therefore I do utterlie renounce and forsake al forraigne jurisdictions, powers, superiorities, and aucthorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall beare fayth and true allegiance to the Queenes hyghness, her heyres and lawfull successors, and to my power shall assiste and defend all jurisdictions, privileges, preheminencies, and authorities, graunted or belongyng to the Queenes hyghnes, her heyres and successors, or united and annexed to the imperiall crowne of this realme, so help me God, and by the contentes of this booke.” The aforesaid Act, though drawn with so much evident labour and exercise of the spirit, contrived to omit members of both Houses of Parliament, as they, as such, received no "fees or wages," and were not otherwise included in the descriptions of persons enumerated. It was very soon perceived, therefore, that persons who were suspected of being Catholics, and otherwise disloyal, were not barred already by the aforesaid oath, and that it would be convenient to bar them by it. At this crisis, the Queen expressed her entire confidence in the perfect OATHS OF SUPREMACY AND ALLEGIANCE. 171 loyalty of all the peers, and her desire that no additional obligations should be imposed upon them; but she agreed with her ministers that an additional check was required upon the admission of members of the House of Commons. This agreement resulted in the passing of the first Act of the fifth year of Elizabeth, “An Acte for the assurance of the Quenes Maiesties royall power over all states and subiectes within her highnesse dominions;" which Act, after imposing the aforesaid oath upon all persons in holy orders, so as not to omit any of the clergy, and also upon barristers, solicitors, and sundry other persons, goes on to say, " And be it further enacted, that every person whiche hereafter shal be elected or appoynted a knyght, citizen, or burgesse or baron for any of the four portes for any parliament or parliamentes hereafter to be holden: shall from henceforth before he shal enter into the Parliament House or have any voyce there, openly receaue and pronounce the sayde othe before the Lord Steward for the tyme beyng, or his deputie or deputies for that tyme to be appoynted. And that he which shall enter in to the Parliament House without takyng the said othe shall be deemed no knyght, citezin, burgesse, nor baron for that parliament, nor shall have any voyce; but shall be to all intentes, constructions and purposes as if he had never been retourned nor elected, and shall suffer such paynes and penalties as yf he had presumed to sytte in the same without election, retourn, or aucthoritie." Thus was imposed upon all members of the House of Commons what is usually called the "Oath of Supremacy." A further oath, usually called the "Oath of Allegiance," was introduced by the fourth chapter of the third year of James the First, by "An Acte for the better discouering and repressing of popish recusantes;" which recites that "Forasmuch as it is found by daily experience that many of his maiesty's subiects, that adhere in their hearts to the popish religion, by the infection drawen from thence, and by the wicked and devilish counsell of jesuites, seminaries and other like persons dangerous to the church and state, are so farre peruerted in the point of their loyalties and due allegiance unto the king's CHAPTER XVIII. FAMINE AND RENEWED OUTRAGES-DEATH OF GEORGE III. HE wars of Napoleon, in their tendency to increase the prices of THE food, operated upon English markets, and created what were called war prices. This very much affected Ireland, in consequence of the large proportion of the Irish who depended upon the produce of small farms. For several years previously to Waterloo, the continuing rise of prices was made the excuse for raising rents. With that excuse, rents were considerably raised, and most of the outrages arose from that cause. Soon after Waterloo, prices rapidly fell. Tenants universally claimed reductions of rent; landlords universally declined to entertain the proposal. In the emergency an Act was passed to facilitate evictions, and evictions were resorted to as they never had been before. Hundreds of tenants were turned out upon the highways; their dwellings, such as they were, were destroyed to prevent the possibility of re-occupation. The Suppression Act of 1814 had been kept alive by repeated renewals. In 1816 it was in full vigour, filling the gaols with wretched outcasts, and transporting great numbers. Prices of food were down. Those who still held their farms suffered from the reduction. To those who had been evicted the low prices were of no advantage, for they had no money. So the Irish starved and pinched, for the only means of paying rent was to export to England produce for which Ireland produced no customers. The natural result was that large quantities of land fell out of cultivation, and 1817 brought a terrible famine. Multitudes of the people tried to subsist by gathering wild kale, nettles, and various weeds. Typhus broke out |