:,.,.-,; THE REV? Arthur. O'Leairy, Fid>lLf?i£d y,'\ ''j3'ii.by /.iTiUDuui L-O-: kKciituM k Brrn-n.!.,'/-!,]',.'/ THE LIFE OF THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY, SfC. S^x, c§r. INCLUDING HISTORICAL ANECDOTES, MEMOIRS, AND MANY HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED DOCUMENTS, ILI.USTR.4TIVE OP THE CONDITION OF THE IRISH CATHOLICS, DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. By the Rev. THOMAS R. ENGLAND. Ipsa virtus pervincit, ne in ullo genere hominum inhonorata sit Liv, lib. x. Non pigebit vel incondita ac rudi voce memoriam priorie servitutis ac testimo- njum prsesentium teraporum composuisse. Tacit. Agricol. c. iii. LONDON: PRINTED FOa LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. AND KEATING, BROWN, AND CO. DUEE-STREET, GROSVEKOR-SQU.\RE. 1822. London : Printed by A. & R. Spotiiswoode, New-Street-Square. TO FRANCIS PLOWDEN, Esq. LL.D. SjC. «fc. fe. THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE DEDICATED, AS A TOKEN OF ESTEEM, VENERATION, AND GRATITUDE, BY HIS DEVOTED HUMBLE SERVANT AND FRIEND, THE AUTHOR. A 2 GENERAL CONTENTS. INTRODUCTORY Letter to the Roman catholic bishop of Charlestown, explanatory of the author's purpose and materials of the work. - page xiii The first years of Rev. A. O'Leary's life ; and obstacles at that period to the education of catholics, arising from the restrictions of the penal laws. - 1 — * Substance and effects of these laws, which compelled catholic parents to send their children to foreign countries for education. - - - 4 — 16 O'Leary engages in a religious life, in France. - 16 His conduct there to the English prisoners, during the seven years war. - - - 17 Returns to Ireland. - - - - 18 His attention for several years confined to his pro fessional duties in Cork — Character of his ser mons. - - - - 19 Undertakes to refute a deistical work of Dr. Blair, published in 1775. - - - 21 Interview with the protestant bishop of Coi-k on that subject; with characteristic anecdotes. - 22 — 26 Review of the controversial writers among the catholics during the earlier part of the eighteenth century, with biographical accounts of them, in note. - ibid. Mr.O'Leary publishes a Series of Letters in defence of Christianity, addressed to Dr. Blair ; - 27 Followed by his work in vindication ofthe Irish catholics, entitled Loyalty Asserted. - - 28 A S VI CONTENTS. Historical narrative of the political and religious dis sensions of the Irish ; and of the origin, progress, and consequences of the penal laws. - page 28 — 52 Causes of the mitigation of the penal code ; with per sonal anecdotes of the chief agents. - 53 Statement of the oath first proposed by parliament to the catholics. - - -55 Division of sentiments thereon in that body. - 60 Br. Burke, catholic bishop of Ossory, and author of the Hibernia Bominicana, opposes the oath. ibid. Memoirs of that prelate, and anecdotes of the book. 61 Provincial synod held near Cork in 1 775, followed by a declaration of the bishops, in favor of the oath. 63 Their disapprobation of Dr. Burke's work. - 64? Proceedings at Rome on the subject. - 65 — 68 Memoirs of Dr. James Butler, archbishop of Cashel ; of Dr. Egan, bishop of Waterford ; and of Dr. Moylan, bishop of Cork — the advocates of the oath. - - - - 69—79 American war. - - - - 80 Steady loyalty of the catholics — O'Leary publishes An Address to the common People, which is productive of the happiest effects. - - 81 John Wesley. - - ibid. His character and enmity to the catholic religion 82, 83 Answered by O'Leary. - - - 84> O'Leary's book' produced in the British parliament by Lord George Gordon. - - - 85 Extracts therefrom. - - - 86 Meeting of O'Leary and Wesley. - - 88 Arrival of Howard the philanthropist in Cork, and in troduction to O'Leary. - - 89 — 90 Transcript of Mr. Shear's elegant little essay on the relief of persons confined for small debts — O'Leary publishes an -Essay on Toleration : and Extracts therefrom. - - - - 9* CONTENT S. Vll Thuanus quoted on that subject. - - page 94' Circulation and diffused influence of O'Leary's essay. 99 Elected, in consequence, a member of the " Monks of St. Patrick," — an association composed of Lords Charlemont, Avonmore ; Messrs. Flood, Grattan, Curran, &c. - - - 100 O'Leary dedicates to them the collection of his works, published in 1781. - - - 101 Letters from Mr.Welbore Ellis and the late Marquis of Hertford. - 102—104- Volunteer association. - - 104 O'Leary elected honorary chaplain of the Irish brigade. - - - - 105 Visits the National Convention, held in Dublin in 1783 — His honorable reception - - ibid. Lord Kenmare's message, as stated by Mr. George Ogle, to that Convention. - - - 107 Discussions thereon, and Lord [^Kenmare's declara tion. - - - 109 Sir B. Roche's letter thereon. - ~ 110-114 State and feelings of the catholic body at that period. . _ . 115 — ng Efforts of administration to engage O'Leary to write in defence of their measures, or to be silent — his re fusal — offer of .^150 yearly pension — annulled by change of administration. - - 118,119 Solicited to write a history of the London riots of 1780 — declines, and wherefore. - - 119, 120 Anecdotes of that occurrence. - ibid. Distinction between the secular and regular clergy at tempted to be introduced into the act of parliament ; but prevented by O'Leary - - 121—128 Eulogy of O'Leary by Grattan, Curran, &c. in parlia ment. - ... 135—138 He is presented with an appropriate medal by his fellow citizens of Cork. - - 139,140 A 4 Vlll CONTENTS. Publishes a Review of the controversy between Dr. Carroll and Messrs. Wharton and Hawkins, relative to the Jesuits - - page 141 Biographical anecdotes of Dr. Carroll, &c. - 142 Causes of the suppression of the Jesuits. 143 — 146 Consequences. - - - - 147 Their revival. ... ibid. Aversion of O'Leary to controversial writing. 149 Anecdote. - - 150—152 Condition of the Irish peasantry in 1786. 153 Rack-rents, tithes, and other causes of griev ance. . _ _ 154 — 157 Whiteboys — addressed by O'Leary. - 159 His exertions to reclaim those deluded people. ibid. Controversy with Dr. Duignan, and Dr. Woodward, protestant bishop of Cloyiie, in defence of the catholics and of their religion. - - 160 — 166 Dr. Butler's correspondence with Dr. Woodward on the principles imputed to the catholics. 166 — 174 Dr. Butler's pamphlet on that subject. - 175 Letters from Lord Kenmare to Dr. Moylan on the same topic, and on the whiteboys. - - 176 — 181 O'Leary publishes A Befence, 8)-c. against Theophilus ( Br.Buignan), and Br.Woodisvard. - 182 Popular effects of that work, which is opposed by the established, and supported by the dissenting clergy. - - 183, 184 Extracts, and celebrated allusion to purgatory. 185, 186 Praised by Mr. Grattan in parliament, and by Mr. Cur ran. - . . . 187 — 189 O'Leary removes to London in 1/89, and becomes chaplain to the Spanish embassy, with Dr. Hussey, of whom a biographical account is given. 190 — 207 O'Leary's acquaintance with Edmund Burke. 208 His social qualities, and occasionally gloomy contem plations. - - - 209 CON T E N T 8. IX Acquaintance with D. Danser, the celebriited miser — anecdotes. - - page 210— 212 Character and portrait of O'Leary by Mr. Charles Butler. - - - 214 O'Leary's sentiments on the dissensions in the English catholic body. - - - 215, 216 Letter to Dr. Moylan, on the efforts then making for the relief of the catholics. - - 217 — 219 Letter to a public print on his supposed change of religion. - - - 220 — 223 Lord Dunboyne, catholic bishop of Cork, conforms to the established church ; and memoirs of that noble man. - - - - 224—232 O'Leary quite unfettered by the pension which govern ment allowed him during the latter years of his life. .... 233 Conversation with the secretary of Lord Sydney on the subject. - - 234 St. Patrick's chapel, where O'Leary officiated, account of. - - - - 236—238 Fruits of his ministry there. •- - 239 His private habits. ... 240, 241 Effects of his preaching. - - 242 Shocked by the indifference lo the sanctity of an oath during the Westminster election, he writes a Treatise on Perjury ; but it has not been published — Allusion to the Blue-book controversy. - - 244 French revolution. - _ _ md^ O'Leary's sentiments thei'eon, and efforts in favor of the French emigrant clergy and laity by appeals to the public. Sec. _ _ _ 245 Sermon on that event. - - 246 — 250 Pope Pius VI his death and character. - 250 O'Leary pronounces his funeral oration. - 253 — 257 Letter of Lord Petre relative to Dr. Geddes, with the character of the latter. - 258—264 X C () N 'F E N T S. O'Leary writes " A Memorial " in behalf of the fathers of La Trappe, and " An Address to the House of Lords, on the subject of religious Ladies residing in Convents." - - - page 265—267 Relaxation of the penal laws — causes and progress thereof. - _ . - 267, 268 First mention of the veto, and proceedings in favor of the catholics; with letters and anecdotes. 269 — 273 Bill of 1782; with Lord Kenmare's letters on that occasion. - - - 274—283 Abstract of that bill. - - 284—286 O'Leary intended to refute Sir R. Musgrave's work — preparations for it — its execution prevented by de clining health. - - 287, 288 Transfers the materials to Mr. F. Plowden. - 289 O'Leary's ill health — proceeds, in consequence, to France. - - 290 Returns to London — his death. - - 291 Burial, and funeral ceremonies. - - 292 Monument and epitaph at St. Patrick's chapel. 293 Description of his person and character. - 294 — 295 Character by Mr. Pratt. - - - 296 Appendix A. Extract from Abbe Henegan's Essai sur Vhistoire d'Ir lande, stating the substance of an interview between the Duke of Orleans, regent of France, and the Roman catholic bishop of Waterford, on the perse cution of the Irish catholics, &c. page 301 Appendix B. Archbishop Butler's defence of the oath of allegiance, addressed to the congregation Be propaganddjide — Latin extracts from it. CONTENTS. XI Appendix C. Dr. Hussey's pastoral letter in 1797. - 315 Mr.Burke's letter to Dr. Hussey. - - 326 Appendix D. Pope Pius VI.'s admonitory letter to Lord Dunboyne, bishop of Cork. _ . . 332 Appendix E. Mr. O'Leary's memorial in favor of the Fathers of La Trappe. - - - - 835 Appendix F. laws 710110 in fc tholics. - - - - 343 An abstract of the laws 7Wm in force against the ca- ERRATA. Page 193, line 11, for Jlfazinano read Jlfazareno. 215, — 3 (from bottom), for Stourgkton read Stourton, a73, — 4 (from bottom), for thousund read thousand, 308, — 3, for nimium read nimirum. ib, — 17, for longam read longum. 33^» — 2 (from bottom) , for perturbationere j^crire read peTtur hatione reperire. 333) — 13> fox pdEuitere read jtcenitere, 334, — iij for Cisno read ccejw. INTRODUCTORY EPISTLE. To the Right Reverend John England, D.D. &c. &c. Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina, North America. My dear Brother, Before you quitted Ireland in 1820, and Avent to fill the arduous and important station which you now occvipy in the Ame rican church, you had reason to think that I intended employing my few leisure hours in the composition of a work like the pre sent. With various interruptions, having at length brought it to a conclusion, I have to regret the impossibility of submitting it, before publication, to your perusal and judgment ; but as some prefatory elucida tions are always expected from an author, I shall indulge myself in the inclination which I feel to address them to you. Amongst those ofour countrymen, whose exertions in the cause of religious liberty deserved the reward of public gratitude, XIV Arthur O'Leary stands deservedly promi nent. He laboured well and usefully in support of virtue and humanity ; and, therefore, the feeble effort now made, to rescue the memory of his name from pre mature oblivion, will, it is hoped, meet with some share of indulgence. The old assertion, that the lives of literary men furnish in general but scanty materials for the pen ofthe biographer, does fortunately not apply strictly to him ; and, in the pre sent instance, by aiming in an humble sphere, to adopt the system of useful bio graphy recommended by Dr. Priestly, an attempt is made, to render the life of O'Leary subservient to more general and valuable purposes, than could be expected to follow from the barren detail of his habits and opinions, whether of a political or religious character. To this circum stance is owing, principally, the introduc tion of the historical details which diversify the following pages, and which are calcu lated, without interrupting the main object of the book, to excite interest, and commu nicate information on some subjects of na tional and political importance. XV In recording my sentiments of toleration and liberty of conscience, I am aware that I only express those which animate your breast, and regulate your conduct as a Christian bishop ; and you must reflect upon it as a pleasing coincidence, that when you left this country, in compliance with the wishes ofthe Holy See, you found a congenial principle of liberality pervading every class of persons in the extensive and flourishing republic where you now reside. There are religious associations connected with Araerica, which you cannot have over looked; and it must have been a matter of honest pride to you, to reflect, that a catholic was the first to give the example of liberty of conscience as a legislator, and that America, your adopted country, fur nishes the first and most striking instance of its diffusion in the person of Lord Bal timore. He was speedily followed in the same career by a great and good man^ — I mean William Penn. Their principles on the subject were the same ; the results similar ; and the influence of their bright example shines down, even to our times, with cheering and undiminished lustre. xvi Humanity and religion are indebted to both ; but in the merit of precedence, the palm will be freely and justly ceded to the catholic legislator of Maryland. The materials from which I was enabled to compose such historical details as I found necessary or useful to introduce into the life of O'Leary, were principally drawn from the voluminous and invaluable manu script collection of our late venerated Bishop Moylan, which you placed in my hands, with occasional aids from the papers committed to my care by our respected friend Mr. F. Plowden. From these sour ces, perhaps the most authentic and abun dant in the kingdom, a valuable history of the Irish catholics during the last century, could, with some care, be easily deduced ; and, if the specimen of such a detail, to which I have given a place in the present volume, meet approbation, I may, in some time, be led to enter into a much more minute and interesting history of that body. The biographical sketches which I have occasionally introduced, must plead their own cause. I thought them necessary tp xvu the completion ofthe work ; and they may, perhaps, be found otherwise interesting. The only portion of these pages which I could wish more full, is that part which regards the disturbances in Munster during the year 1786, in the quieting of which O'Leary took so conspicuous and successful a part. Evils of a like nature unhappily exist at this moment, arising too, from the same alleged causes. The painful duty of assisting, within the last month, preparatory to their death, sixteen wretched victims to the just vengeance qf the law, for taking a share in these tumults, has fully confirmed in my mind, the opinions which I have there uttered ; and the only regret I feel, arises from my not having entered more diffusely into a detail of the grievances, of which the lower classes of the Irish peasantry have too much cause to complain. The benevolent anxiety of the greater part of the resident gentry, for the prevention and removal of these evils, is above praise ; but the per manent and effectual remedies, are beyond their competency. They rest with the legislature ; and is it too much to hope, that they will speedily find that considera- a XVlll tion, which they so much invoke and de serve .'' Amongst the kind friends to whom I am indebted for aid in the arrangement of these pages for the press, I should be vingrateful indeed, if I did not offer the tri bute of sincere gratitude to James Roche, Esq. — a gentleman, whose extensive and profound literary knowledge,is only equalled by the anxiety Avhich he uniformly mani fests for the advancement of science, and the best interests of the history and litera ture of his native country. The resources of his enlightened mind, and the aid of his classical pen, were freely afforded to me ; and some of the barren spots of my manu script, which he patiently perused, were improved and corrected by his friendly con descension. To my respected Bishop, Dr. Murphy, Rt. Rev. Dr. Milner, and Mr. George Keating of London, I am indebted for the kind encouragement and valuable information, which ihey communicated to mc in the proseciition of my design ; and I respectfully offer to them my grateful ac knowledgments. In coiicKision, I shall only add, and xix there is sincerity, and not affectation, in the acknowledgment, that in their execu tion, the following pages fell much short of what I originally contemplated, or what the subject deserves. For their imperfections, many causes could be assigned, which it would be idle, or perhaps impertinent, to offer in apology to the public. I remain, with respect and affection. My dear Lord and Brother, Yours, THOMAS RICHARD ENGLAND. Cork, March 17tb, 1822. THE LIFE OF THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY, S^c. ^c. ^c. Arthur O'Leary was born in the year 1729, in the western part of the county of Cork in Ireland. His parents were undistinguished amongst the industrious and oppressed peasantry, who at the time of his birth, and for years afterwards, suffered under the terror and operation of the penal laws against Roman catholics. The family from which he descended was early distinguished in Irish history ; but if his immediate ancestors ever enjoyed a higher rank in the social scale than that which is derived from successful industry, their circurastances had changed long be fore his birth, as a name whigh excited the B 2 THE LIFE OF respect of his countrymen, and a mind worthy the possessor of such a name, were the only inheritance of which he could boast. Nothing is now recollected of the days of O^Leary's youth, nor does it fall to the lot of his biographer to embody those evan escent traits of genius which are generally said to characterise the first expansion of a great mind. The humble sphere in which his early days were passed renders any notice of them impossible ; and even ifthe eye of friendship had marked the progress of the thoughtless and playful hours of early youth, their delineation may possibly possess neither interest nor instruction. The developement of character is in some persons so slow, and in others so dependent upon circumstances of time and place, that little of future fame can be guessed at from the silly freaks of boyhood, or the dark indications of youthful propensity. Pre cocity is not always the harbinger of genius ; and in our progress through life we not unfrequently recognize in some dull uninteresting character, him, whom we knew to have been once the boast of his THE REVERE^fD ARTHUR O'LEARY. 3 preceptor, and the envied hero iti acade mical rivalry. O'Leary was fond, in his mirthful moments^ of giving ludicrous re presentations of scenes of his yoitth ; but the humour which imparted such charm and effect to his writings no less enlivened his conversation ; and the friends, wl:!0 en joyed the innocent gaiet}' of his social houi'S, could not ahvays determine how far these delineations of his boyish years were em bellished by the playfulness of a luxuriant fancy. In one of his writings he alludes to his early education, and it would appear from the few words which he says of it, that it must have been defective. Unfortunately in Ireland, at the time of his birth, there was no alternative between religious apos tacy and partial ignorance. It was ren dered perrai by a special act of parliament for a Roman catholic " to teach a school publicly or in a ]DTivate house, or as usher to a protestant;" all public schools were under the immediate superinten dance of the protestant minister of the parish in which they were situated ; and by the statutes of the national university, it was B 2 4 THE LIFE OF rendered impossible for a catholic to avail himself of the opportunities of education, professional or scientific, which that esta blishment was intended to bestow. At a period like tlie present, when these illiberal and impolitic regulations no longer exist, or are at least sinking into disuse and ob livion, it may appear unnecessary to dwell for a moment upon their effects. Their connection, however, with the state of society in Ireland, and the evil influence which for more than a century they shed over literature, the sciences, and politics, render them matters of public enquiry, and entitle them to developement and con sideration. The professed object of the legislative enactments against education in Ireland, was the extermination of the Roman catholic creed. The measures pursued for this purpose were to remove every medium through which a knowledge of that creed might be conveyed, and by compelling parents in humble life to send their chil dren for instruction to schools attached to the established church, to insure their con version to protestantism. To the accom- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 5 plishment of this object the anxiety of the legislature and of the nation appeared for many years to be directed ; but in its pur suit the end only — the means never were attended to. Calumny and misrepresen tation, aided generally by force, were the instruments most frequently made use of Pubhcations, in which truth, justice, and religion were sacrificed to the dictate of an envenomed and interested bigotry, were put into the hands of young children as sources of moral and religious instruction ; preservatives against popery, in which falsehood contended with absurdity for pre eminence, were widely circulated amongst the people; and the pulpit from which the mild virtues of Christianity, mutual kind ness, charity, and forbearance ought to have been preached, and where, if truth and justice had been banished from the earth besides, their influence ought to have been felt and inculcated, became a theatre for political declamation, and an instru ment of incitement to religious persecution. To these fertile means was added the esta blishment of the charter schools. The horrible and revolting system pursued of B3 6 THE LIPE OF forcing away the children of the poor, and placing l^iem in these schools, often gt>ve rise to incestuous marriages, and always sent forth upon society a succession of beings held to it by no recognised tie of kindred, and imbued with the most fake and degrading aotions of the histojfy, c\m- racter, and principles of their catkoKc brethren. Except from s^uch sources as these, the legislature admitted no means: of acquiring the common elements of early education. In, this crusade against the education ofthe catholics, the clergy were prominent to a degree, which it is now painfull to thimk of; bi*t their motives were not always dignified with the merit which their zeal a|)peared to. claim, and the ac knowledgment made by a prelate of much notoriety for his exertions: in the founda tion of the charter schools, justified, in some degree at least, this qualification of the principle which influenced their conduct.* * " I assure you that the papists are here so nume rous, that it highly concerns us, in point -of interest as well as of concerai for the salvation of these poor crea tures, to try all possible means to bring thenj and theirs over to the knowledge of the true religion." — Boulter's Letters, May 5, 1730. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 7 The following extract from " the methods agreed upon by both houses of Convocation for converting the papists of Ireland to the established church," forms a pretty correct summary of the measures acted upon for nearly half a century, and will also fully justify the assertions which have been just made. " Whereas by the goOd and Wholesome laws aud statutes of this realm, it is not only provided that there be no succession of popish priests, but also all persons of the communion of the church of Rome, are for ever made incapable of teaching in any school, or being tutors in private fami lies-, whereby great ignorance of moral arid christian duties must ensue amongst the popish natives in the succeeding gene'- rations, if due care be not taken to pre^ vent it;. " Resolved, That it will be necessary that, besides the schools already provided by law, such other school or schools as the bishop and ministers shall judge conveni ent be appointed in every parochial cure or union of this kingdom, where the chil dren of such natives may be taught gratis B 4 8 THE LIFE OF to speak and read the Enghsh language, and be instructed in the principles of the Christian religion. " And to the end that the charitable design of such schools may not be defeated by the obstinacy of popish recusants, and that in time the Irish language may be utterly abolished : " Resolved, That all popish natives of this kingdom, who are not possessed of some real or personal estate to the value of «&50, or who do not hold by lease lands to the value of e^lO per annum rent, be obliged, during four months of every year, to send their children, after they have attained to the age of seven years till they arrive at the age of twelve years, to such public schools, to be taught and instructed as aforesaid, under the penalty of — r per month, to be levied by warrant from a justice of peace, and paid to the minister and churchwardens of the respective pa-- rishes, to be disposed of by them as they shall think fit for the better encouragement of the said school ; likewise, that all mas ters of the schools aforesaid be obliged to attend, the minister of the parish, four THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 9 times in the year, at such times and places as the minister shall appoint, within the said parish, with the children committed to his care, to be publicly examined in the church catechism and the English lan guage ; at which times such children as have been already educated in the said schools shall also attend till they have passed the age of sixteen, if they continue in the parish. " That also this method of instructing the children of popish recusants may be rendered general : " Resolved, That all popish inhabitants of this kingdom, some who are not com prised in the above resolve, shall be obliged, during six months of every year, to send their children, after they have attained the age of seven years till they have attained the age of twelve years, to some protestant school under the penalty of on the refractory person. And that it may not be in the power of any popish recusant to evade the force of the said law, that every popish recusant in this kingdom be obliged, in ten days after the baptizing of any child or children born to 10 THE LIFE OF him or in his house, to signify the name or names of such child or children, and the name of the person who baptized such child or children, to the curate of the pa rish, to be registered in the parish book ; and whosoever neglects or refuses so to do, to forfeit the sum> of shillings, to be levied in the manner afore-mentioned, and distributed in the manner aforesaid/'* * This extract is taken from a book, entitled, " A short history of the attempts that have been made to con vert the popish natives of Ireland to the established re ligion, with a proposal for their conversion 5 and a vin dication of archbishop Usher's opinion concerning the performance of divine offices to them,; in' their own lan guage: by John Richardson^ rector of Annalt,; alias Belturbet, in the diocese ofKilmore, in Ireland, and chaplain to' his Grace the Buke of Ormond and' tlie Lord Bishop of Clogher." London^ 1713. Richardson appears to have been a man of persever ance in the design which he recommended. Whether his success in conversion was answerable to the zeal By which hi.s efforts would seem to have been prottipted'is not- appareat. Not so the temporal blessings by which it was rewarded. A recommendation of the House of Commons to the Lord Lieutenant procured for him a gift of .^200; and the exertions of Primate Boulter vi^erfe, after some delay, successful in procuring for hira a deanery. In the preface to the above-mentioned work, he say& *' It is now the space of one hundred and sixty years since the protestant faith first appeared publicly in Ire land ; and yebit hath made much smaller progress among REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 1 1 Notwithstanding the detail into which these measures descended, and the exact ness with which they were enforced, catho lic teachers found, in many parts of the country, protection and support. The clergy of that church, although incessantly employed in tbeir missionary duties, and living in a state of the utmost insecurity as objects of continual pursuit, frequently became themselves the instructors of chil dren, and generally patronised and encou raged schoolmasters. The influence of these limited sources could not, however, the nattives. than could be wished, there being still, as it is generally believedi, six papists at least to one protest ant in that kingdom, although we have had many ad vantages which might help to facilitate this work;, for we have scripture and reason at our side beyond all con tradiction ; we have loyal and peaceable principles to in gratiate our religion with the higher powers, and to in duce them to promote it ; and, some short interruptions excepted, we have had the examples of our monarchs and the legal establishments, with many other temporal advantages, to recommend it tathe people, so that there must! be some great impediment, in this matter which ought to, betaken away." This obstacle,, according to Richardson, was the existence of popish priests in the country ; andthe remedy, on their expulsion, (which he loudly preached up), was to give the Irish peeple reli gious, insifcr,uction& in their native toHgue. 12 THE LIFE OF extend far ; and, as it was found impos sible to compel the great mass ofthe people to hand over their children for education to interested bigots, the majority of the peasantry grew up in a state of extreme ignorance and neglect. The sad effects of this evil continue to be felt even at this hour of comparative improvement ; and it is much to be feared that another genera tion must pass away before the country can exhibit the fruits of a more liberal system of government, and the benefits resulting from the early education of the people. In his letter to an Irish peer, Mr. Burke alludes to these impolitic and destructive laws, in the following indignant terms : " Whilst the restraint of foreign and do mestic education was part of an horrible and impious system of servitude, the mem bers were fitted to the body. To render man patient under a privation of all the rights of human nature, every thing wiiich could give him a knowledge of these rights was naturally forbidden. To render huma nity fit to be insulted, it was fit that it should be degraded." What, if under the THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 13 checks and restraints just described, Burke himself had been born of catholic parents ? Is it improbable that even his great mind would have sunk in some degree under such discourageraents ; or, if buoyant by its native energies, instead of giving laws to erapires, and wielding the thunders of his astonishing eloquence in the cause of hu raanity, raight he not have dwindled into the village statesman or unambitious priest, and instead of enlightening a world, been corapelled to rule in a haralet ? But to fol low up a train of such probabilities would be to open a wide field for fancy, though a gloomy one for serious reflection. We shall therefore hurry forward to the subject of the memoir, trusting the interruption given by the foregoing hasty sketch will find araple apology in the interesting reflections to which it is calculated to give rise. One connection at least it possesses with the life of O'Leary — it serves to shew the diffi culties with which he had to contend at the onset of his career, to " the hUl where fame's proud temple shines afar." In the year 1747, after having acquired such share of classical literature as the 14 THE LIFE OF times just described would permit, O'Leary went to France, with the intention of de voting himself to the service of the cathohc church ; his literary acquireraents at that period could not have been very extensive. The English language formed no part of the preparatory studies for entrance into the colleges where candidates for the priest hood were then received ; and it conse quently sometimes occurred, that persons were admitted to orders in those establish ments, whose knowledge of that language was extremely limited. A striking instance of this was the late venerable and learned dean of Maynooth College, Doctor Ferris. Few of this gentleman's contemporaries were more intimately conversant with the elegant literature of France and Italy than he was ; tbe classical treasures of Greece and Rome were sources of delightful recrea tion to him ; and to tlie investigation of the various theological and scientific questions which engaged the attention ofthe learned world during his residence on the continent, no man brought a better combination of extensive learning, enlarged views of philo sophy and religion, and profound thought. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 15 than he did. In biblical criticism he ex celled, and his high raoral and religious character entitled him to the distinguished honour of being vice-general of the Laza- rites, a respectable missionary congregation to which he belonged. His merits were recognized even in the capital ofthe chris tian world, and he enjoyed the friendship and regard of the Pope Clement XIV. (Ganginelli) ; yet notwithstanding all these high endowraents and distinctions, he wrote and spoke the English language with great difficulty and reluctance. To a reader unacquainted with the his tory ofthe country, these facts raust appear strange and revolting ; but to him who re collects the state of Ireland during the greater part of the last century, the cause raust be obvious. Driven for education by unjust, tyrannical, and impolitic laws, frora their native country, the catholic clergy were necessarily indebted to strangers foa- their literary a»d scientific acquirements. The language, the literature, the manners, and the character of those amongst whom the spring time of their lives was passed, had attractions which gained a permanency 16 THE LIFE OF from the gratitude that mingled with their reraembrance ; and many of them had ad vanced into years before they returned to the obscurity and degradation to which they were conderaned by their doraestic tyrants. Not a few renounced home and kindred, the scenes of infancy and endear ment, that they raight enjoy liberty of con science abroad, and have their merits re cognised and rewarded by strangers ; whilst they who returned to their native country, were obliged to wear out their days amidst a peasantry ignorant through necessity, and degraded because of their ignorance. A convent of Capuchin friars at St. Maloes in Brittany was the school where O'Leary imbibed the principles of the learning, virtue, and philanthropy, which, during a long life, formed the prominent traits in his character. After having made vows amongst these religious, and received holy orders, he continued to live in the monas tery : not indulging in the sloth which ignorance thinks inseparable fi'om a mo nastic life, but engaged with his brethren in the acquirement of knowledge, and in the exercise of the Christian duties of THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 17 charity and devotion- He was soon called to a life of more active beneficence, and one more suited on raany accounts to his cha racter and disposition. In the course ofthe war between England and France, which commenced in 1756, many of the British soldiers who had been made prisoners were confined at &t.Maloes; numbers of them were natives of Ireland, and for the greater part catholics. O'Leary was, with the approbation of his religious superior, appointed chaplain to the ]^risons; and the duties which in consequence de volved on him, were discharged with such humanity and attention as at an after period of his life called forth the gratitude and acknowledgments of some officers of rank who had experienced his kindness and friendship. The valour displayed by the Irish troops during the war, together with the attachraent which the catholics were said to have for the faraily of Jaraes the Second (some members of which were then in France), led the rainister (the Due de Choiseul) to hope, that if means were adopted to induce them to join the French standard, the task would not be difficult, 18 THE LIFE OF nor the consequences unimportant. To insure success the chaplain was applied to for his co-operation. He indignantly spurned the proposal : " I thought it" says he, in his reply to Wesley, " a crime to engage the King of England's soldiers and sailors into the service of a catholic mo narch against their protestant sovereign. I resisted the solicitation, and ran the risk of incurring the displeasure of a minister of state, and of losing ray pension ; and ray conduct was approved of by the divines of a monastery to which 1 then belonged, who unanimously declared, that in conscience I could not have acted other wise." This situation he continued in till the war was put an end to by the arrival of the Duke of Bedford in Paris in 1762. Amongst other highly distinguished in dividuals whose intimacy he enjoyed at this tinae in France, may be reckoned Cardinal de Luynes Archbishop of Sens, who fa voured him with many marks of con fidence and esteem. In the year 1771 be returned to Ireland, and became resident in the city of Cork. Shortly after his arrival there,^ he con- THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. lJ» tributed to the erection of a small chapel, in which he afterwards officiated, and which until lately was generally known in Cork as " Father O'Leary's chapel." Here he preached on the Sundays and principal festivals of the year to persons of different re ligious persuasions, who crowded ittoexcess when it was known that he was to appear in the pulpit ; his serraons were chiefly re markable for a happy train of strong moral reasoning, bold figure, and scriptural allu sion. Religious controversy sometimes en gaged him ; but it was always more of a defensive than offensive nature. He was a lover of truth, and he sought to vindi cate it frora misrepresentation ; a friend to charity and good-will, and he ever enforced their dictates. The kindness of his nature harmonized with the precepts of the gospel to make him tolerant of the errors and mis takes of his neighbour : the folly which he could not correct he pitied ; and, if the flashes of his fervent imagination sometimes exposed to light the recesses of the dark and gloomy bigotry, which he combated, the im pulse was ever controlled by truth, and never yielded to, but as necessary for the defence, c 2 20 THE LIFE OF and conducive to the interests, of Chris tianity. Five years passed over O'Leary in these pursuits, without any incident of conse quence occurring to disturb the peaceful tenor of his life. If he was unmolested in the discharge of his clerical duties, he was indebted for that circumstance raore to the forbearance of the raagistrates than to any relaxation of the laws against catholic priests, which existed at the time in full vigor. The dawn, however, of more en lightened times was then gradually open ing upon Ireland ; and, as circumstances of a very trivial nature frequently give rise to lasting and important changes, a trifling occasion led his fellow-citizens to appreciate and esteem the virtues and abilities of the humble follower of St. Francis. Some time in the year 1775, a book was published under the title of " Thoughts on Nature and Religion ;" which, along with much absurd scepticism, contained some very gross blasphemy. Its author, a Scot tish physician of the narae of Blair, resid ing in Cork, undertook to be the charapion THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 21 of free -thinking in religion ; and, under the plausible pretext of vindicating the conduct of Servetus in his controversy with Calvin, this writer boldly attacked some of the most universally received articles of the Christian creed. The work attracted, as all such atterapts will, some share of pub lic attention. From the middle classes of society, by whom it was principally read, it soon found its way to readers even in the humblest walks of life ; and, despicable as the calumnies against Christianity were which it contained, they nevertheless found sorae advocates. A poetical effusion in verse, of no great raerit, was addressed to Blair in reply ; and the rainister of an anabaptist congregation entered the lists with a very miscellaneous, and nearly as sceptical a pamphlet as that which he pro fessed to answer. The persuasions of O'Leary's friends, who thought his style of controversy better fitted to silence the Doctor than that of either of the tried opponents, led him to undertake a reply ; but as, under the exist ing laws, a catholic clergyman was suffered rather than warranted to remain in the c3 22 THE LIFE OF kingdom, he thought it advisable to obtain some sanction to the undertaking before he sought notoriety in religious controversy. * * The controversial writers in Ireland, during the eighteenth century, were few ; for as persecution was the inevitable consequence of notoriety, it was no easy mat ter to find acontrovertist hardy enough to risk his safety by rendering himself conspicuous. Perhaps the only instances, from the revolution to the year 1770, wherein professed catholic writers were heard with patience, ap pear in the indulgence, shown to the Rev. CorneUus Nary and the Rev. Timothy O'Brien. Cornelius Nary was born at Naas, in the county of Kildare, in the year 1660. He was educated at the university of Paris 5 and his acquirements in languages, science, and theological learning were looked upon by his contemporaries as very considerable. After his re turn to Ireland he resided principally in Dublin, and was at the time of his death, which took place in 1 738, parish priest of Mary's-lane chapel, in that city, and archdeacon of the metropolis. He enjoyed the friend ship and intimacy of Dean Swift, to whom he was assi milated for various learning, ready wit, and high conver sational talents. He lived for some time in the family of a catholic peeress. Lady Clanbrazil, aunt to Lord Bel- lew (a title now extinct) ; and in the year 1 707 he underwent an examination of some length before a com mittee of the Irish House of Commons, on the validity of some deeds regarding property, which was litigated between the catholic aunt and the apostate nephew. In 1719,he published, in one volume, 8vo., an Enghsh trans lation of the New Testament, from the Greek. It is very respectably executed, and has deserved the notice of some of the most distinguished biblical critics of the THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 23 To this end he waited on Doctor Mann, the protestant bishop ofthe diocese, for his permission to enter the lists. O'Leary present day. He gave to the press in the. following year (1720), a work published by subscription, entitled, " A new history of the world, from the Creation to the birth of Christ." The chronology of this book is ar ranged agreeably to the Septuagint translation of the Bible, which Nary underta;kes to prove to be that ofthe ancient Hebrew scriptures. The work he declares to be written, not so much for the conveyance of historical knowledge, as " to silence the cavils of modern liber tines, deists, atheists, and pre-adamites, who, grounding their arguments on the present Hebrew text, make the kings of the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Egyptian mo narchies to have reigned some hundreds of years before the deluge." The arguments by which he supports his preference of the Septuagint computation are ably and ingeniously put forward, and reflect high credit on his learnuig and research. He also about this time printed a short history of Ireland, the copies of which are now very scarce. These productions of Nary's pen prove him to have been a very general and profound scholar ; but it is to his controversial writings that he is principally indebted for his celebrity. On this dangerous, and, in general, hard contested field, he encountered no mean adversary. His opponent was Doctor Synge, the protestant arch bishop of Tuam. The dispute had its rise from the mis representation and specious reasoning contained in what was entitled by the prelate, « A Charitable address to the Roman catholics of Ireland." This book Nary answered in a printed letter. The archbishoi^^ replied— Nary re- c4 24 THE LIFE OF introduced himself at the episcopal palace ; and the interview is said to have been humorous in the extreme. A coarse, un joined ; and the subject, after having been agitated for some time with becoming temper, was suffered to die away, each party, as usual, claiming the palm of victory. Nary was, after some time, so convinced ofthe superio rity of his side of the question, that he collected his tracts into an Svo. volume, which was printed at Dublin, in 1727. His Grace of Tuam, manifesting more good sense in the conclusion than in the provocation of the contest, permitted his share in the dispute to lie in obli-^ vion, without making one effort towards its resuscita tion. Tliat Doctor Nary did not always exercise his eccle siastical functions with impunity, appears from a procla mation issued by the Lords Justices of Ireland, dated September 20th 1712, for " the apprehension of Doctor Nary, Doctor Byrne, and John Burke, popish priests, who presumed to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction con trary to the laws ofthe kingdom." Timothy O'Brien was a native of the county of Cork. In 1691 he went to the Irish college at Toulouse, where, at the termination of his studies, he took the degree of doctor in divinity. He was afterwards, for nine years, superior of that seminary. In 1715 he returned to Ire land, and became parish priest of Castlelyons, in the then united dioceses of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross. Araongst other theological tracts. Doctor O'Brien published, in 1725, " An explication of the Jubilee, in two parts." His principal works were on religious con troversy. His first essay in this troubled scene was a xeply to " The truly catholic and old Religion ;" by th^ THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 25 couth figure, joined to an originality of manner in which the graces had no share, sterling wit, and an imagination which gave a colour to every object on Avhich it Rev. Rowland Davies, the protestant dean of Cork. It gave rise to a controversy of some continuance, in which O'Brien was generally considered the victor. A more lengthened and certainly a more interesting discussion took its origin from the publication of a work by O'Brien, entitled, " A brief, historical, and authentic Account of the beginning and doctrine ofthe sects called the Vaudois and Albigeois," printed at Cork in 17'i3. This was a hardy and artful attack on protestantism ; and as it ex cited to a very high degree the attention of the public, it was replied to by Doctor Robert Clayton, the bishop of Cork. The dispute was warmly carried on through four or five publications, until the year 1745, when it was given up. In the progress ofthe controversy, the bishop more than once hinted very distinctly at a means of closing the discussion not very creditable to his patience or toleration. O'Brien remained nevertheless unmo lested till his death, which took place in 1747. During his life-time he was highly respected ; and appears, from some letters of his to Doctor M'Carthy, Mabagk, the catholic bishop of Cork, which are printed in the Jour nals of the Iriish House of Commons, to have had a large share in the administration of the three dioceses, Cork, Cloyne, and Ross, as they were then governed by one bishop. The present division took place at Doctor M'Carthy, Rabagh's death, about the year 1750. The following are the titles of the controversial tracts of Doctor O'Brien and the Bishop of Cork : — " A brief historical account of the beginning and doctrine of the 26 THE LIFE OF played, rendered the friar a visitor of no common kind ; and, as the bishop was him self not cast in the raould of " handsorae orthodoxy," the raeeting was long remera- sects called Vaudois and Albigeois," by T. B. " The Bishop of Cork's pastoral letter to the clergy and laity of the two dioceses of Cork and Ross." " The Bishop of Cork's pastoral letter answered," by T. B. " A reply to a pamphlet, entitled, the Bishop of Cork's pastoral letter answered, &c." " A rejoinder to the reply made to the answer of the Bishop of Cork's pastoral," by T. B. " A replication to the rejoinder ; being a state of the cas^ together with a history of popery, containing an account of its rise, progress, and decay." (This piece was said to have been the joint production of the Bishop and some of the most learned fellows of the Dublin university). " Truth triumphant in the defeat of a book, entitled A replication to the rejoinder, &c." by T. B. " Remarks on a pamphlet entitled. Truth triumphant, &c." Some of the Bishop's pamphlets were printed in Dublin, more in Cork ; but to those of O'Brien no printer's name appears, as the printers of catholic books were as liable to the penalties of the laws as the writers. The Rev. Rowland Davies, the early antagonist of Doctor O'Brien, followed the fortunes of William the Third to Ireland, by whom he was presented to the deanery of Cork. A manuscript in his hand-writing, now in my possession, proves him to have been credulous enough to indulge in the mystic dreams of astrology. A series of astrological observations are in it, arranged with the coincident circumstances of his life, from which he attempts to justify his predilection for this absurd though fascinating pursuit. THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 27 bered by both parties. After some expla nation. Doctor Mann gave his consent to the undertaking ; in consequence of which the public were soon gratified by the ap pearance ofa series of letters frora O'Leary addressed to Blair. From the style in which he coraposed thera, they were fitted for every class of readers ; and seldom, on alike occasion, did a writer obtain an easier or higher triumph. A bold and nervous eloquence, glowing with the effusions of an iraagination, which, without the raost distant personal offence, exhibited in an extremely ludicrous point of view the absurdities and errors of his opponent, distinguished this production. The controversy was soon over ; but the letters, afterwards corrected and abridged by the author, are still read with interest and gratification. Once before the public as an author, the active mind of O'Leary soon led him to exert in a raore enlarged sphere the powers as a writer, of which he now becarae conscious. His next publication was about the year 1777 '¦> " I^ojalty as serted ; or the test oath vindicated and 28 THE LIFE OF proved by the principles of the canon and civil laws, and the authority df the raost eminent writers ; with an inquiry into the Pope's deposing power, and the groundless claims ofthe Stuarts ; in a letter to a pro testant gentleman." This tract took its rise from the state of the catholics at the raoment ; and is, perhaps, one of the ablest of the productions of O'Leary's pen. But to enable the reader to determine its value and importance, it will be requisite that we glance back once more at the condition of the Irish catholics during the greater part of the eighteenth century. This sketch will be found to possess interest in another point of view ; as it will contain an outline of the penal laws against the catholics, and detail likewise the origin and history of the oath of allegiance, which they are now required to take. The condition ofthe Irish catholics, from the period of the religious innovations which distinguished the sixteenth century, and which, by the distractions to which they gave rise, shook every throne in Europe, and deluged sorae of its fairest states in the blood of contending sectaries, was, down THE REVEREND .ARTHUR O'LEARY. 29 to the reign of the late benevolent King George the Third, truly lamentable. The introduction ofthe new creed into Ireland was attended with circurastances, the effects of which have unfortunately been heredi tary. At that inauspicious period the national denoraination of Irish and English, which had long served to distinguish the native inhabitants of the island, and their successful invaders, was lost in the more odious appellations o^ papist undprof estant ; and the cruelties and injustices mutually perpetrated before, under the plea of poli tical security, were thenceforward sheltered under the much insulted riame of religious zeal. From this, as from a fountain of bit terness, have flowed many of the evils and norrors which disgrace the annals of the country. As, however, the portion of Irish history connected with the present memoir does not cal! for an exposure of the humi liating spectacle which the efforts to intro duce the protestant creed into Ireland exhibited, we shall corainence the sketch that will suffice for our purpose at the memorable era of the revolution. The expulsion of James the Second from 30 THE LIFE OF the British throne, was to the Irish catholics an event fraught with evil. By the tole ration extended to all his subjects of what ever religious persuasion by him, he had broken down the spirit of tyranny and exclusive political power, which for a long time was exercised by the protestant party in Ireland, From a people of fervent feel ing and unbounded gratitude, even the restoration of a right calls forth an enthu siastic return. Hence, when forced by necessity to make his last effort, James came to Ireland, his reception was such as under circumstances like his was to be ex pected. Unacquainted with the refine ments of political science, the Irish knew little, and cared less, about the distinctions of "a king dejure," and "akingde facto :" of " the social compact " and the " sove reignty of the people," they were equally ignorant ; and thrust out of an hereditary throne by the ingratitude of false friends, and the unnatural ambition of his daughter and son-in-law, the persecuted raonarch found a welcome of the most ardent kind from his Irish subjects. His misfortunes and his religion, perhaps, heightened the THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 31 colour of their loyalty ; but the Stuarts were a devoted family, and the son of Charles and the descendant of Mary Queen of Scots was destined to close the line of their monarchy in defeat and exile. At the Boyne, James shewed himself to be a coward, and deserted his enthusiastic fol lowers. His flight did not seem to weaken their loyalty, and up to the capitulation of Limerick, the Irish soldiery exhibited a firraness, valour, and devotedness that under like circurastances have seldom been equalled. The articles of capitulation agreed upon at the surrender of that im portant fortress, promised peace to the besiegers, and toleration, justice, and im munity to the brave people whora they pretended to conciliate. That these happy effects would have speedily followed the conscientious fulfil ment of the treaty of Limerick, cannot reasonably be doubted. Tired of civil bloodshed, and the gloomy vicissitude of oppression and retaliation, the nation, though in some deo;ree divided, as must necessarily be the case after nearly five centuries of desultory warfare, would have 32 THE LIFE OF readily grasped at even the shadow of peace. Add to this, that the pusillanimity of James had much weakened the popular regard towards him ; and in the enjoyment of religious toleration, and in the partici pation of the civil power to which they were promised admittance, the catholics would soon have forgotten the hereditary claim to the throne as well as the religion which distinguished the exiled raonarch from his unamiable though valorous suc cessor. But -the policy of the English ministry, and the interests of a bigotted and monopolizing aristocracy in Ireland, forbade the fulfilment of the articles of that treaty. The conquest of Ireland was never complete till the era ofthe revolution. Hence England enjoyed at that time a triumph, the attainment of which had cost her much blood and treasure. The happi ness of the Irish, and their union would lead, it was feared, to notions of indepen dence contradictory to the designs of the rulers on the other side of the channel. Division was therefore necessary to insure rule ; and the pretext of religious difference was an unchangeable and inflexible prin- THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 33 ciple of discordance. The raen who were raade use of to effect this abominable pur pose, came to their task with all their bad passions excited, and smarting under, what they considered, the persecutions inflicted on them by James and his adherents. The justice, perhaps in some instances the par tiality, of that weak monarch, in selecting sorae of his favourites from the catholics, and his having raised that body to equality of privilege with his other subjects, were termed by the revolutionary party a per secution. Who amidst the tumult of poli tical, much more of religious contests, can keep his mind untinged with the colour of the reigning prejudices ? The catholics, when raised from a state of mean bondage and degradation to power and consequence, shewed perhaps that undeserved cruelty had not extinguished in their breasts the passions of human nature. To say that they abused the share of power which had been intrusted to them, would be to con tradict the truth of history ; in no instance did they violate the dictates of the severest justice. The restoration of a few churches to their ancient proprietors, from whora D 34 THE LIFE OF they had shortly before been wrested, the recognition ofthe catholic clergy in the face of theirformer persecutors, andan equal ad ministration ofthe laws to catholics and pro- testants indiscriminately, were sorae of the instances selected by the revolutionists as grounds of retaliation. The two first of these charges are strenuously denied, and with much force and reason, by the advocates of the catholics ; but whatever ground there existed for urging them, they were termed persecutions, and as such, on the accession ofthe friends ofthe revolution to power, they were bitterly avenged. In the retaliation, however, no measure was observed, and what followed was justly described by Mr. Grat tan as " to the catholics a sad servitude — to the protestants a drunken triumph." There were other causes in addition to these which, although not apparently so general, had nevertheless very powerful in fluence in originating the penal laws against the catholics. The iraraediate descendants of the catholics who had been stripped of their properties under the Charles's and Cromwell, were alive and known ; and the decisions ofthe court of claims under which THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 35 their rights were said to have been deter mined, were arraigned by the general voice of the people as tyrannical and unjust. In other and more recent instances, the an cient proprietors ofthe soil had been driven from their homes by the revolutionary ad venturers ; and as it was feared, that if truth could obtain a hearing, justice might decide, every means by which the rightful claimants could be debarred from appeal or attention, was anxiously adopted and acted upon. Thus, exclusive political power, and the security of doubtfully ac quired property, and not zeal for the cause of true religion, formed, in a great degree, the principle of hostility to the catholics. Fanaticism, to be sure, had its share in the work of persecution. The total exter mination of catholicity in Ireland, was said to be a measure highly meritorious in the sight of heaven, and one not very difficult of accomphshment. This motive secured to the cause ofthe enemies of the catholics, numbers of persons who were not other wise interested in promoting persecution, and who were the more zealous in their efforts, from the consciousness which they d2 36 THE LIFE OF had of the apparent purity and disinter estedness of the incitement to which they yielded. Such revealings of human infir mity are painful and humiliating ; but their exposure is valuable to the cause of truth ; and justice requires, that the mild spirit of Christianity should not be rendered ac countable to the unbeliever, for the cruel ties and the follies of a cold and merciless fanaticism. In the enactment ofthe penal laws, this motive of religious zeal had no small share of effect ; and in their history a contest for pre-erainence in the race of in tolerance, will be found to obtain between the unholy zeal of one party, and the poli tical sagacity of the other. We corae now to the penal laws them selves, and in the very imperfect outline of them which shall be presented to the reader, it will be clearly perceived, that no exagge ration could add to their ferocity, nor could any terms of indignation sufficiently depict their opposition to good government, na tional prosperity, domestic happiness, and the mild spirit, as well as the plainest dic tates of the christian religion. From the report of a committee of the THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 3'^ House of Commons, appointed in 1697 to consider what penal laws were in force against the catholics, we learn that the fol lowing acts had effect at the period of the revolution. An act against the authority of the see of Rome, by which, if any persons attribute any jurisdiction to the see of Rorae, they shall be subject fo a prcemunire '^ , and all * The punishment of pnemunire is thus summed up by Sir Edward Coke, ( 1 st Institutes) : — " That from the conviction, the defendant shall be out of the king's pro tection, and his lands and tenements, goods and chattels forfeited to the king; and that his body shall remain in prison at the king's pleasure, or (as other authorities have it) during life." So odious. Sir Edward Coke adds, was this offence oi preemunire, that a man that was attainted ofthe same, might have been slain by any other man without danger of law ; because it was provided by law that any man might do to him as to the king's enemy ; and any man may lawfully kill an enemy. To obviate this last notion, the statute, 5th Eliz. c. 1., pro vides that it shall not be lawful to kill any person at tainted in preemunire, any law, &c. to the contrary not withstanding. But still such delinquent, though pro tected as a part of the public from public wrong.s, can bring no action for any private injury, how atrocious soever; being so far out ofthe protection of the law, that it will not guard his civil rights, nor remedy any griev ance which he, as an individual, may suffer. And no man, knowing him to be guilty, can with safety give him comforbl aid, or xeXi&V —Blackstone, b. 4. c. 8. d3 38 THE LIFE OF who have any office from the king, or who take degrees in the university, shall take the oath of supremacy. An act restoring to the crown its ancient jurisdiction over the state, ecclesiastical and spiritual : it like wise enacts, that every person entering into office shall take the oath of supremacy. An act for the uniformity of public prayer requires that every person having no law ful excuse to be absent, shall every Sunday resort to sorae place of worship of the established church, or forfeit ] 2d. An act by which the chancellor may appoint a guardian to the child of a catholic. An act by which no catholic schoolraaster can teach in a private house without license from the ordinary ofthe diocese, and taking the oath of supremacy. By what were called the new rules, no person could be adraitted into any corporation without taking the oath of supremacy. It need scarcely be noticed here, that the oath of supremacy above-mentioned was an abju ration of the spiritual authority of the church, and a recognition of it in the tem poral ruler, which no catholic, consistently with his belief, could take. & THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 39 These acts were enforced with an exact ness which found its excuse only in the anxiety of the magistrates to manifest their hatred of jacobitisra by their severity against the catholics. As soon, however, as the Irish pariiaraent under William met, their ingenuity was exerted to render their zeal against popery raore effective, and their disregard of justice raore apparent. By the 7th of Williara III., chapters 4 & 5, it • was declared in the preamble, that by means of popish schoolmasters, many of the natives continue ignorant of the principles of true religion, and they are a cause of their not using the English lan guage, to the great prejudice qf the public weal. By these acts the raeans of educating their children at home, or sending them to foreign countries for that purpose, are taken away from the catholics, and they are raoreover debarred the right of being guar dians to their own or any other person's children. By the act 7th WiUiam IH,, _chap. 5. the privilege of carrying or having arms in their possession, was taken away from the »4 40 THE LIFE OF catholics. The manufacturers of fire arms were debarred under heavy penalties from taking catholic apprentices, and the fol lowing is a clause introduced into the act : " Be it further enacted, that no papist shall be capable to have or keep in his posses sion, or in the possession of another person for his use, or at his disposition, any horse, gelding, or raare, of the value of ^5 or more ;" any protestant making discovery to a magistrate, and offering or depositing with the magistrate jf5 5s. shall become owner of such horse, gelding, or mare ; and if the papist owner conceal such horse, &c. he shall forfeit three times the value. If a magistrate refused to enforce this law when applied to, he subjected himself to a fine of J^50, and was disabled from acting as a ra.agistrate in future. By the 7th & 9th Williara IIL, chap. 25. &c. " all popish archbishops, bishops, vicars general, deans, Jesuits, raonks, friars, and all other regular popish clergy, and all papists exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction, shall depart this kingdora (Ireland) before the first of May 1 698. And if any of them shall be at any time after the said day THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 41 within this kingdora, they shall be irapri- soned, and reraain there without bail till they be transported beyond the seas out of the king's dorainions. And if any so trans ported shall return again into the kingdom, these to be guilty of high treason, and to suffer accordingly." And from the 29th December 1697, no popish archbishop, &c. shall come into this kingdom from any parts beyond the. seas, on pain of twelve months imprisonment, and then to be trans ported in manner aforesaid ; and if after such transportation any of them return again into the kingdom, they shall be guilty of high treason, and suffer accord ingly." By these acts, any persons con cealing or entertaining such archbishops, &c. &c. forfeited for the first offence j^20, for the second double the sum, and for the third all his lands and tenements of free hold or inheritance during his life ; and also all his goods and chattels ; one moiety not exceeding .^100 to the inforraer, and the surplusage to the king. OnthelstDeceraberl697, the Coraraons resolved, that " that part ofthe act 2 Eliz. c. 2. which obliges every person not having 42 THE LIFE OF a lawful excuse to be absent, to resort every Sunday to church, and there abide during the tirae of coraraon prayer, preaching, and other service of God, to be there rainistered, under pain of forfeiting for every neglect twelve-pence, ought to be put in exe cution." By the 9th William IIL, chap. 3. it was enacted, thatif a protestant woraan, having an estate or interest in lands, or .^500 per sonal estate, shall marry without first hav ing had a certificate signed by the minister of the parish, the bishop of the diocese, and a justice of peace, or any of them, that the person to whom she is to be married is a known protestant, she is rendered inca pable to hold such estate or interest, or personal property ; and said estate, &c. shall go to the next in kin, being a protestant, to whom it would have descended if all the interraediate catholic heirs were dead, and both she and her husband are rendered in capable of being executors or administra tors, or guardians to any protestant what ever. With the genuine spirit of malignant injustice, the effects of this act are rendered retrospective, and all protestant woraen THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 43 who at the time of its enactment were mar ried to catholics, carae under its operation. By an act passed at this time likewise, ca tholics were prevented from being solici tors ; and in an act for the better preserva tion of game, a clause was introduced pro hibiting thera from being employed as gamekeepers. By the 2d Anne, c. 6. the converting a protestant to popery subjects both the convert and his instructor to preemunire ; bv the 3d ch. of the same, the child of a papist, on his becoming a protestant, can, by filing a bill in chancery, compel his father to provide him with a suitable main tenance and portion. It was likewise then enacted, that no papist could take a house in the towns of Limerick or Galway ; sea men, fishermen, and labourers in the suburbs excepted. On the 4th of March 1704, the royal assent was given to " a bill to prevent the further growth of popery." The following are araongst the clauses of xKis ferocious act, as it is terraed by Mr. Burke. A catholic father, possessed of any hereditary or ac quired property, is debarred the right in 44 THE LIFE OF case one of his sons becorae a protestant, to sell or raortgage, or otherwise dispose of it, or to leave out of it any portions or legacies ; he is prevented, under a penalty of J&500, frora being guardian to, or having the custody of, his own children ; but if the child, however young, pretend to be a pro testant, it is to be taken from the father and put into the hands of a protestant re lation. No protestant shall marry a papist having an estate either in, or out of the kingdom. Papists are rendered incapable of purchasing any manors, tenements, here ditaments, or any rents or profit arising out of the same, or of holding any lease of lives, or any other lease whatever, for any terra exceeding thirty-one years. Even under this latter restriction, if a farra pro duced a profit greater than one-third of the amount of the rent, the right in it was iraraediately to cease, and to pass over entirely to the first protestant who shoukl discover the rate of profit. Papists are deprived of such inheritance, devise, gift, reraainder, or trust of any lands, &c. of which any protestant was or should be seised in fee-simple absolute, or fee-tail. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 45 which, by the death of such protestant or his wife, ought to have descended to his son or other issue in tail, being papists ; they are to descend to the nearest pro testant relation, as if the popish heir and other popish relations were dead. The estate of a papist, for want of a protestant heir, is to be divided share and share alike araongst all his sons ; in default of sons, araongst all his daughters, and for want of daughters, araongst the collateral kindred of the father. No person shall vote at elections without taking the oath of alle giance and abjuration. By the subsequent acts, catholics were excluded from voting at vestries, acting as sheriffs or under- sheriffs, grand jurors, magistrates, or even constables, and sitting in parliament. In 1709 another act passed, which, among other severities had the following :— Papists were rendered incapable of taking any annuity for life ; and " it was further enacted, that where and as often as any child or children of any popish parent or parents hath or have heretofore professed him, her, or theraselves to be of the protestant re ligion as by law established, and enrolled 46 THE LIFE OF in the high court of chancery, a certificate of the bishop of the diocese, testifying that he, she, or they being protestant, and conforming to the church of Ireland, it shall and may be lawful for the high court of chancery, upon a bill founded on this act, to oblige the said popish parent or parents to discover upon oath the full value of all his, her, or their estate, as well personal as real, before the enrolment of such certificate, and thereupon to make such order for the support and maintenance of such protestant child or children by the distribution of the said real and personal estate to and among the said protestant child or children for their present support ; and also to and for the portion and future maintenance of such protestant child or children, as said court shall judge fit." All converts in public employments, mera bers of pariiaraent, barristers, attornies, &c. shall educate their children protestants : the wife of a papist, if she conforra, shall have such provision not exceeding the power of her husband to make a jointure as the chancellor shall adjudge : a papist schoolmaster or usher, shall be prosecuted THE REVEREND ARTHUR 0'LEAR\'. 47 as a popish regular convict : popish priests converted shall have .^30 per annum to be paid by grand juries : informers against popish archbishop, bishop, or vicar general, shall receive .^'50 reward *, for each priest ^20, and for each schoolmaster or usher j?l 0, to be levied on the popish inhabitants : (see Appendix A.) : two justices may sum mon any papist of eighteen years of age, and if he refuse to inform where he heard mass celebrated, and who and what persons were present, and likewise of the residence of any priest or popish schoolmaster, may * In the year 1743, a proclamation was issued by the Privy Council of Ireland, for the detection of catholic priests ; by which, in addition to the rewards issued by act of parliament, the following were held forth to in formers : — For the conviction of an archbishop, bishop, or vicar general, the sum of .^150; for every priest or other person exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction, j^^'SO ; for any person having property to a certain amount, and entertaining, concealing, or relieving a priest, .^^00. The following are the signatures to this proclamation : — John Hoadly, archbishop of Armagh ; Lord Newport, chancellor ; Charles Cobbe, archbishop, Dublin ; Lords Besborogh, Molesworth, Boyne, Kinsale, Southwell ; the Bishop of Meath (Price) ; the Speaker of the House of Commons, Henry Boyle, (afterwards Lord Shannon) ; Judges Marly, Carter, Singleton, Bowes, and the vice treasurer, Luke Gardiner. The proclamation is trans lated in Burke's Hibernia Dominicana, p. 717. 48 THE LIFE OF corarait him to gaol without bail for twelve raonths, or impose a fine of .^20. Any pro testant may file a bill in chancery against any person concerned in any sale, lease, or mortgage, or incumbrance in trust for papists, to compel him to discover the sarae ; and all issues to be tried in cases founded on this act, shall be tried by none except known protestants. By the act of 6th George I., chap. 3 & 4, levies by presentraent shall be raade on the Papists of the county, of 20*. per day for the refreshraent of each troop of railitia while drawn out. * * In the debate on the cathohc bill of 1782, Mr.Bushe expressed a desire that a clause should be inserted in the bill, easing the catholics of a most oppressive law. The following circumstance resulting from this law occurred to his own knowledge. By a statute, the catholics were compelled to make good the depredations committed by robbers in the county where they resided. A number of villains, under the denomination of White-boys, assembled some time since, in the county of Kilkenny, and did considerable mischief. The grand jury, from the affidavits of the sufferers, granted a presentment accordingly. A short time afterwards one of the offenders was apprehended, who proved to be a protest ant, and was executed for the offence. Mr. Bushe stated that no other proof was required by this iniquitous act to obtain a presentment against the Roman catholic in- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 49 By the 12th George I. ch.3. it is made felony without benefit of clergy for a popish priest to marry a protestant to a papist ; and by the 19th George II. ch. 13., the marriage by a popish priest of a papist to a person who was a protestant within twelve months, is declared null and void, and the priest subject to the penalties of the former law. (The party having been seen in church within twelve raonths has been deeraed evidence sufficient of their pro testantism.) By the 7th George II. chap. 5. any bar rister, attorney, or solicitor, by marrying a papist, is disqualified from following his profession ; and by 13th George II. ch. 16., any protestant educating his child under the age of 14 years a papist, is deemed a papist, and subject to all the laws against papists. habitants, than to swear that the plunderers spoke with an Irish accent. Another member mentioned a gentle man in his neighbourhood, which was SO miles from the place where an offence of a like nature as that stated by Mr. B. was perpetrated, on whom the amount of the loss was levied, by virtue of an execution taken out of the crown office ; and this person and his family were beggars about the country ever after. 12 50 THE LIFE OF It remained only to have a civil existence denied to the catholics ; and, tlierefore, in the year 1759, a catholic gentleman was assured from the bench " that the laws did not presurae a papist to exist in the king dom ; nor could they breathe without the connivance of government."* Such is an outline, imperfect certainly, of the penal code against the catholics of Ireland, as it existed during the greater part of the eighteenth century ; and enough of it still remains to degrade that body, and to distract the country. That the penal code was not a dead letter is known to every reader of Irish history ; for it un fortunately was devised with a raalicious ingenuity. It was a self-working raachine of destruction ; and when directed to its ends by fanaticisra and policy, the inroads which it raade upon the best and genuine feelings of huraan nature, and its paralyzing effects on national prosperity and industry, were truly laraentable. Perhaps its raost fatal and revolting consequences were those which regarded doraestic and individual * Vide Mr. Plowden's Historical Review, p. 322. vol. 1 . IHE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 51 quiet. It placed the foundation of deadly enmity between father and son, between wife and husband, between the brethren of the same family. It held out rewards to the most heartless species of treachery. There was no tie of kindred that it did not weaken — no source of domestic bliss that it did not poison. From the sanctuary of religion to the cradle of infancy, every gradation of society, every rank of life, every step and degree were beset with motives of interested baseness and villany; and the instances where they had effect Were too frequent and disastrous not to fill the mind with suspicion, anxiety, and alarm. Unsupportable as these grievances were, and unsettled as the state of society was which they produced, the victims on whom they pressed dared not complain. Mur mur was construed into the bodings of rebellion ; and lurking treason was detected in the silence of despondency. This was a state of things not to be endured; nor indeed could it long have continued. It was fitted only for the men who had pro duced it ; and the succeeding generation, more enlightened and less revengeful, alle- E 2 52 THE LIFE OF viated the wrongs which had been com mitted, and, in some degree, sought to atone for the inhuman and disgraceful system pursued by their fathers. The last act against the catholics which has been noticed in the foregoing short sketch was passed in the 13th George II, , 1740 ; and although no legal recognition of them, other than as objects of perse cution, took place till 1770, still on the accession of the late benevolent monarch George the Third, they were cheered with the prospect of brighter days. The way to be sure had been smoothed for them. A milder tone had been adopted towards them in the last years of George the Second's reign : their addresses of congra tulation and their professions of loyalty had been graciously received ; and the wealth which many of thera, in consequence of their inability to purchase or retain landed property, had acquired in the sure and silent progress of mercantile specula tion, gave thera a weight, consideration, and influence of a very extensive nature. The first glearas of legislative favor which they experienced was by the passing of the THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 53 act in 1774, whereby they were admitted to certify their allegiance to the king. That act is said to have originated from the following occurrence. The celebrated Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry, whilst at dinner one day with the professors in one of the Irish colleges in France *, feelingly lamented the hard necessity, which his learned and amiable countryraen were under, of spending in foreign countries the most valuable portion of their lives ; " still he could not see," he added, " why they refused to their native sovereign that alle giance and fidelity which distinguished their conduct towards the continental monarchs, in whose dominions the Irish colleges were situated. For his part, he wished the catholics to enjoy freedora of conscience ; but until they were found to renounce the opinions generally enter tained by them, — opinions which militated against the fives ofthose whom they terraed heretics, the safety of the throne, and the obligations of an oath — he could not so far forget what he owed to the peace and se- * Toulouse. e3 54 THE LIFE OF curity of the country, as to shew them any countenance there." This declaration gave rise to a conversation of some length ; in the course of which, the noble guest learned the willingness of the catholics, as stated to him, to afford every proof of teraporal allegiance that could be required from subjects ; and, moreover, their hearty abhorrence of the opinions imputed to them of holding no faith with heretics, and of being prepared, at every intimation from their religious superiors, to trample upon the awful obligations of an oath. These statements were, on his return home, circulated by his lordship amongst his political friends ; and, as the catholics were gradually growing on the good-will of &ome merabers of the adrainistration, the subject was very generally and freely canvassed. The late venerable Lord Taaffe, Charles O'Connor (a man whose name will ever be dear to Ireland), Doctor Curry, Mr. Wise of Waterford, Mr. R. Dermott, and some other gentleraen who acted as a comraittee for the catholic body, after con sulting with the catholic archbishop of Dublin, drew up the forra of an oath. THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 55 which they professed their willingness and anxiety to take, as an evidence of their loyalty, and of the undivided temporal allegiance which they acknowledge to be due to the raonarch. After some consider ation on the subject, leave was given in the House of Coraraons, on the 5th March 1774, to bring in the heads of a bill " to enable his raajesty's subjects, of whatever persuasion, to testify their allegiance to him ;" and it was at the sarae time resolved, " that Mr. Robert French and Sir Lucius O'Brien do prepare the same." These gentlemen, on the 15th of March, reported the heads of a bill agreeably to the leave given ; and it received the royal assent on the 2d of June following. The oath, as given in the act of parliament, is as follows : " I A. B. do take Alraighty God and his only son Jesus Christ my redeeraer, to witness, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to our most gracious sovereign Lord George the Third, and him will de fend to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatever that shall be made against his person, crown, e4 56 THE LIFE OF and dignity; and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to his majesty and his heirs all treasons and traiterous conspiracies which may be forraed against him or them ; and I do faithfully promise to raaintain, support, and defend to the utmost of my power the succession ofthe crown in his majesty's family, against any person or persons whatever; hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obe^ dience or allegiance unto the person taking upon himself the style and title of Prince of Wales in the life-time of his father, and who, since his death, is said to have assumed the style and title of King of Great Britain and Ireland, by the name of Charles the Third, and to any other person claiming or pretending a right to the crown of these realms : and I do swear, that I do reject and detest as unchristian and impious, to believe that it is lawful to murder or destroy any person or persons whatsoever^ for or under pretence of their being heretics ; and also that unchristian and impious prin ciple, that no faith is to be kept with here tics: I further declare, that it is no article of my faith, and that I do renounce, rejec^ THE REVEItEND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 5/ and abjure the opinion, that princes ex coramunicated by the pope and council, or by any authority of the see of Rome, or by any authority Avhatsoever, may be de posed or murdered by their subjects, or by any person whatever ; and I do promise, that I will not hold, maintain, or abet any such opinion, or any other opinion con trary to what is expressed in this decla ration : and I do declare, that I do not believe that the pope of Rome, or any other foreign prince, prelate, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm ; and I do solemnly, in the pre sence of God, and of his only son Jesus Christ ray redeemer, profess, testify, and declare, that I do make this declaration in the plain and ordinary sense of the words, without any evasion, equivocation, or men tal reservation whatever, and without any dispensation already granted by the pope^ or any authority of the see of Rome, or any person whatever, and without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or raan, or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope or any 58 THE LIFE OF other person or persons or authority what soever, shall dispense with or annul the same, or declare that it was null and void from the beginning. So help rae God." However favorable this opportunity ap peared for a gradual opening of the way for the catholics to the further attentions of pariiaraent, obstacles of a nature that could not well have been foreseen, sorae what retarded the designs of the framers of the oath. The name, occupation, or profession, and place of residence of the catholics who testified their allegiance, were required by the law to be recorded in the sessions court of each town or county; and to be by the presiding magistrates transmitted forthwith to Dublin. The clergy were still objects of legal hatred; and the laws against them existed in all their native and unmitigated severity. A difficulty was therefore started how far it was safe for them, anxious as they were to manifest their allegiance, to take the oath under these circumstances. The magis trate, by the acknowledgment of their pro fession and place of abode, acquired a legal cognizance of their existence in the coun try ; and he was required, as welji by various THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 59 acts as by frequent resolutions of the houses of parliament, to carry the laws against priests into iraraediate effect. With some reason, therefore, was reference had to the governraent on the subject; by whose explanation these fears were quieted, and vast numbers of the clergy and people fi"eely took the oath. As soon as these fears were put to rest, obstacles of a more serious nature, and which were not so easily overcome, began to manifest themselves in another quarter. The test oath had, before its adoption in parliament, been assented to by the catholic committee in Dublin ; there appeared in its detail nothing except what related to the temporal allegiance, which subjects owe to their constituted rulers in every state ; and in the parts where it in any way alluded to spiritual matters, it was as guarded as the raost scrupulous theologian could require. Notwithstanding all this, to the friends of toleration it appeared unaccountable, that tardiness and hesitation in taking the oath raarked the conduct of many cathofics, who before the passing of the act of parliament, were apparently sanguine in their support 60 Jthe life of of the measure. Those araong the catho lics who kept back frora taking the test, stated as their reason for so doing, certain theological objections against clauses in the bath, which had been pointed out to thera by sorae respectable friars, and the public conderanation of a forraer oath of exactly a like nature, by the Right Rev. Doctor Burke, in his book entitled " Hibernia Dominicana." Doctor Thoraas Burke, catholic bishop of Ossory, whose narae is thus introduced, was a native of Dublin, which city he left a,t an early age, and when but sixteen years old raade vows araongst the Dominican friars at Rome. His proficiency in theo logical and scholastic learning was rapid and distinguished, and he attained in some years to all the honors of his order. He served in the rainistry in Dublin after his return home, and was once clothing him self in the sacred vestments for the celebra tion of mass, when the chapel was entered by a guard of soldiers, a clergyraan of the narae of English torn away frora the altar and conveyed to Newgate, and Burke with some other friars only escaped by one of the reverend ARTHUR OLEARY, 61 the doors of the vestry room. Whilst at Rome, during the Carnival in 1729, he at tracted in a peculiar raanner the friendship and regards ofthe PopeBenedict XIII. who then entered into a religious retrea.t along with the friars of the convent of St. Sixtus, and to whora Burke was afterwards iudebted for the mitre. The Hibernia Dominicana was published by Dr. Burke in ] 762, and a supplement of it in 1772. Many years raust have been spent in the composition of this work ; and a journey which the author made to Rorae for the purpose of collecting documents, proves the anxiety which he felt to render it worthy of the subject, and of the care bestowed upon it. Few books contain more raiscellapeous in forraation connected with the ecclesiastical history of Ireland than the Hibernia Domi^ nicana; the political details which diversify it, though occasionally neither prudent nor temperate, are interesting and correct. It is moreover an invaluable and exact de positary of family history ; and the raere theologian will derive frora the perusal of sorae of its chapters rauch pleasure and instruction. It had, however, its faults. 62 THE LIFE OF Besides sorae political expressions of an offensive nature contained in the work itself. Dr. Burke had occasion, in the sup pleraent, to notice the form of an oath, similar in many particulars to that required by the bill of 1774 ; and these clauses were by him unreservedly and clamorously re probated. For the raore effectual circula tion of his sentiraents on this important and delicate subject, he had copies of the work and supplement presented in his name to some of the protestant bishops of the king dom, and to the university of Dublin, at that time extremely hostile to the extension of any favor or protection to the Roman catholic body. The effects of these ill- judged and injurious measures were deeply regretted by the prelates and clergy of the kingdom, and particularly by the bishops of the province of Munster, a body then, and always, looked up to with respect, as well by the holy see, as by their brother bishops in Ireland and England.* * The following distinguished testimony ofthe merits of the Munster bishops and clergy is contained in an official communication from the then prefect ofthe con gregation De propaganda fide, to Bishop Moylan ; 12 THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 63 To remedy this evil as far as lay in their power, and to express at the same time their judgment of the test oath, a provin cial synod ofthe Munster prelates was held near Cork, on the 15th of July 1775, where the following declaration was unanimously agreed to. " We, the chiefs of the Roman catholic clergy of the province of Munster, having met together near Cork, have unanimously agreed, that the oath of allegiance proposed by act of pariiaraent, anno regni decimo tertio & quarto Georgii tertii regis, con tains nothing contrary to the principles of the Roman catholic religion." James But ler, Daniel O'Kearney, John Butler, Mi chael Peter M'Mahon, Mathew M'Kenna, Williara Egan, F. Moylan, Not satisfied with this declaration of their opinions on the oath itself, they entered on " Gaiideo rumores illos qui de Hybernorum Prssulum negiigentia, deque prolapsa apud vos ecclesiastica dis ciplina vehementer percrebuerunt ad Casiliensem pro vinciara nullatenus pertinere : cujus clerus non pietate solum & doctrina, sed moderatione etiam & temperantia prae caeteris floret." Never was praise better deserved or more justly bestowed than what is contained in these few lines. 64 THE LIFE OF the 28th of July into an unaniraous reso lution, marking, in the strongest terms, their entire dissent from the doctrines put for ward on the oath of allegiance by Doctor Burke in his Hibernia Dominicana, and at the sarae time expressing " their firm and unshaken loyalty and gratitude to his ma jesty King George the Third." The de claration of the prelates was transmitted by Doctor Butler, the archbishop of Cashel, to his agent at. Rome, the late bishop Belle w, by whom the substance ofthe act of parlia ment, and an exact translation of the oath, were laid before the Pope. The holy father read them with much attention, and ex pressed his ardent hope, " that the kind ness of the legislature would shortly be further extended to his suffering children," Notwithstanding these expressions of his hofiness, and the conviction which must have existed in the mind of any enlightened, or well informed theologian, that there was nothing contained in the oath which was in any degree adverse to the doctrine of the cathohc church ; still the bishops had much to contend with from the narrow de signs of a party in Rome, who sought to THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 65 procure by every means in their power a censure of the oath, and, consequently, of the approvers of it in Ireland. These per sons found for a while a willing agent in Doctor Carpenter, the catholic archbishop of Dublin. He agreed with his friends at Rome that, although he held as his fixed opinion that the Pope had no temporal power or authority, direct or indirect, in the kingdom, the denial upon oath of such a power, in as much as it was at former periods claimed for the Pope by theologians of celebrity, was harsh and presumptuous. Hi.s opposition to the sentiments of the other prelates Avas to them a subject of pain and regret ; but with principle for their guide, they finally secured the appro bation of Rorae, and had also the gratifi cation, in a short tirae, of seeing Dr. Car penter himself yield to reason, and take the oath of allegiance. The Congregation De propaganda Jide, a tribunal always emi nent for the prudence, wisdora, and justice which govern its councils, intimated to the Munster prelates that, though the oath was by the congregation considered unobjec tionable, still the cardinals could not 66 THE LIFE OF forbear expressing their opinion that the conduct of the approvers of the test in Ireland was blameable : 1st; Because that they had not, before expressing their opi nion of the test, consulted Rome. 2dly ; That they were the authors and fraraers of the oath, and raight therefore have drawn it up in a forra less liable to mis construction ; and 3dly, That there did not appear to have been any pressing necessity for the framing of such an oath at all. The vindication of the prelates was not a task of much difficulty. Archbishop Butler replied in their narae by a memoir of some length, in which the history of the oath is given, the objections to it ably refuted, and its supporters justified and defended. (For this document see Appen dix B.) The coraplaints of the sacred congregation were raet by the following reasons : viz. 1st, The prelates had not consulted the holy see previously to their having approved of the test oath, because they saw nothing obscure or intricate in it upon which it should be necessary for bishops in synod to have recourse to Rorae. So entirely were they satisfied of the law- THE RE\^REND ARTHUR OLEARY. 6'J' fulness and orthodoxy of the oath, that they would not have consulted the univer sity of Paris, as they had done, had it not been necessary to silence the quibbles of sorae persons in Ireland by the authority of scholastic divines. To the second charge it was answered, that the Munster prelates were not the framers of the test : it had been drawn up by the catholic comraittee of Dublin, under the sanction of the arch bishop (annuente archiepiscopo') : and more over, that the holy see was the first itself to give occasion to the catholics manifesting their allegiance, by the honors paid to the King of England's brother in Rome, and by the encyclical letter of Clement XIV. : and to the last charge a reply was given, that there did exist the greatest necessity for framing and taking the oath — the good of religion, and the salus populi ofthe pro vince. " Parts of Munster," the arch bishop said, " had been long the theatre of ihe greatest tumults, such as excited alarm in the government, and were by the ene mies of the catholics said to be fomented and promoted by thera. To free them selves entirely from these suspicions, no F 2 68 THE LIFE OP other way was left, nor could any be more effectual, than their approval ofthe test." This statement was favorably received at Rome : the oath was generally taken by the clergy and people in Ireland; and thus was the way opened to the amelioration of a class of persons who suffered more for conscience sake than history records of any other people, and whose inflexible loyalty at moments of extreme danger was the best criterion of the principles that governed their religious and political con duct. The persons most conspicuous in producing these happy results were' Dr. Butler Archbishop of Cashel, Dr. Egan Bishop of Waterford, and Dr. Moylan Bishop of Cork, men whose raemories should not be soon forgotten in Ireland, and who were equally distinguished for genuine patriotisra, pure political conduct, and sincere and ardent piety. Doctor James Butler was descended frora the Ballyragget branch of the noble house of Ormond. He was born in Dublin on the 29th of March 1743. His early education was received araongst the Jesuits, and his ecclesiastical studies were gone THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARV. 69 through with distinguished success, at St. Oraers. When only thirty years of age, he was, on the postulation of his prede cessor and namesake, consecrated his coadjutor, under the title of Episcopus Germanico-polita?ius in partibus, on Sunday the 4th of July 1773- He received the episcopal consecration from the venerable Bishop of Amiens De la Motte D'Orleans, who entertained a paternal affection for him, and who always spoke of him under the endearing title of " my Benjamin." He succeeded to the sees of Cashel and Emiy in May 1774 ; and died on the 29th July 1791, after a life too short for his friends and religion, but full of truly apostolic labours. Incessant and unwearied in the care of the trust coraraitted to him, he was *' a sleepless centinel in Israel." The only hours vvhich he abstracted from the duties of his episcopacy were those which he gave to the sanctification of his own life, in the practices of that fervent piety and saintly devotion, which, in a peculiar manner, marked his character. No man of his day in Ireland was more respected by every class of persons than he was. His friend- f3 70 THE LIFE OF ship was courted by the distinguished raembers of every successive adrainistra tion of the governraent of the countrj^; and the dignitaries of the established church paid to him, in public and private, that tribute of admiration and respect, which the sterling and unassuming virtue of his life and principles uniformly inspired. In the French court his name was not un known ; and a marked regard was paid to his recomraendations in the capital of the Christian world. As a prelate. Dr. Butler was the centre round which, at various distances, the bishops of the province moved ; and their attachraent to hira was in every instance more the spontaneous tribute and respect for the virtues which adorned his character, than the raeasured and reluctant deference challenged by ec clesiastical superiority. He entered into all their various feelings, whether of do raestic affliction or public suffering : his counsel, his friendship, and his influence belonged to thera ; and he appeared to feel that, as he advanced their respectabi lity, comfort, and security, he only added to his own personal pleasures and enjoy- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 71 ment. It can excite, therefore, little sur prize, that the premature death of such a raan should be laraented with extreme sorrow by those to whom he was thus united in the bonds of valuable and inter esting friendship ; and that the letters which passed between them, after their good archbishop was separated from them, should breathe sincere and raelancholy regret. In the following terras was the intiraation of Dr. Butler's death conveyed to Dr. Moylan of Cork, by Bishop Egan of Waterford. " My raost honoured and ever dear fi-iend, " The enclosed, with others for Dr. Tehan and Dr. Coppinger, and one for myself, reached rae by express this morn ing, just as I was setting out to some distant parishes to give confirmation ; but I have sent to countermand the appoint ment, as I mean to go this day, please God, (and with a heavy heart. He knows) to assist at our dearest friend's interment, which J am informed will be to-morrow. God grant that I be able to atterapt the journey ! The shock I feel frora the r 4 72 THE LIFE OF dismal intelligence overwhelms me beyond expression; and I ara the raore sensible of it, as a letter I had yesterday gave rae the hope that the Almighty God would still spare the precious life of hira we were so anxious about — but he was found, I con fidently trust, fitted for a better world : yet his loss to us is truly irreparable. I am so borne down as not to be master of my cool reflection, or of ray reason. Depressed as I ara, I can now say no raore than, in the deepest affliction, to join my prayers to yours for the soul of our most worthy friend, and to beseech Almighty God to lend you to me for a comfort during the short remainder of my days — that I may not, a raiserable, forlorn, old raan, survive every one that was dear to rae !" Dr. Butler was the corapiler of the cate chism now generally taught to children in Ireland. It is a valuable and correct epi tome of the religious and moral duties of Christians, and comprises, in a small cora pass, as complete a developement of the Christian religion as any book of the same size in any language. Another not less good and valuable THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 73 man Avas Dr. Egan, who governed the united dioceses of Waterford and Lis- raore. Dr. Egan resided principally in Clonraell, and was the first catholic clergy raan in Ireland, since the Revolution, who was perraitted to assist crirainals under sentence of death, previously to their exe cution. He was not excelled by any of his contemporaries in the extent of his theo logical learning, the correct views which he took of every subject that was brought under his consideration, and above all, in the extreme interest which his society and conversation were always known to inspire. Among his intimate friends in the political world, he reckoned the late Lord Avon- more, the late Earl of Shannon, the Chan cellor Ponsonby, Mr. Grattan, John Hely Hutchinson, Mr. Cvirran : in ,a word, his acquaintance was anxiously courted by the various judges and lawyers who visited Clonraell at the season of the assizes ; and it was no unfrequent circurastance that the judges, discarding the porap and pageant which surrounded them at all times whilst on the circuit, retired frora state and bustle to the private and interesting circle which 74 THE LIFE OP was always to be found in the catholic bishop's hurable parlour. By these visitors, and they were raen able to distinguish between raerit and pretension. Dr. Egan was admitted to be one of the most uni versal scholars and one of the clearest reasoners of his day. His death took place in I797,whilsttheassizes were holding in Clonraell ; and on the day of his inter ment the courts were adjourned by desire ofthe Judges, that opportunity may thereby be afforded to the gentlemen of the bar and of the grand jury to pay the last sad tribute of respect to the memory of a man universally esteemed and respected. The concourse of persons of every class and description, who crowded to join in the melancholy procession which accorapanied his remains to the grave, was without ex ample, and bespoke the deep and sincere feeling of regret which his death excited, and the recollection of his virtues deserved. To the raeraory of Bishop Moylan, the present writer has, in another place (Me moirs of Abbe Edgeworth), paid a tribute of gratitude and respect, which, however im perfect, he feels pleasure in transcribinghere. 16 THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 75 " Doctor Moylan was descended from a respectable Roman catholic family in Ire land. His father, Mr. John Moylan of Cork> was extensively engaged in mercantile pur suits ; and two of his brothers who, at an early age, had emigrated to the American colonies, served Avith valour and success, as general officers, in the eventful contest which terrainated in the freedora of the United States. At an early age. Dr. Moylan de clared his predilection for an ecclesiastical life; and his deterraination was strengthened and matured by the example and encou ragement of a near relative, a Jesuit, then residing in Cork. The preparatory eccle siastical studies were successfully gone through, at Toulouse and Paris, by Dr. Moy lan. Whilst an inmate of the university of the former place, a friendship commenced between him and the celebrated confessor of LouisXVI., the Abbe Edgeworth, which continued during the Abbe's life-time, and which was equally honorable to the dis cernment, the sincerity, and piety of both. " After Dr. Moylan's ordination, in the year 1761, he served, for sometime, as a vicar in the parish of Chatou in Paris ; in 76 THE LIFE OF which situation he deserved and enjoyed the regards and attentions of the Archbishop Christophe de Beaumont. He shortly after wards returned to his native city, and, in a few years, was consecrated Bishop of Ard- fert and Aghadoe. " It was during the period in Avhich Dr. Moylan governed these sees that his exer tions commenced for founding an asso ciation of ladies, under the peculiar sanction of religion, for educating the female children ofthe poor. This valuable object he lived to effect in the most splendid and permanent manner, by the establishment ofthe religious order ofthe Presentation Nuns. He was, in ] 786, translated to his native diocese, Avhere, for raore than thirty years, he lived re-r spected, beloved, and revered by persons of every class of society, and of all religious persuasions— the benevolent friend of all Avho sought his assistance or counsel, and, in a peculiar raanner, ' the guide, the father, and the friend ' of his own numerous and respectable flock. He was one of those good men whose lives are the best vindi cation of the principles they profess ; and whose conduct, exclusively of the adA'en- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 77 titious circumstances of rank or station, Avould excite A^eneration and respect in the mind of even the most inattentive observer. Few men, in any walk of society, lived more universally esteemed and venerated than he did ; and even in mature old age, at the advanced period of eighty years, he sunk into an easy grave : fcAV men departed from the stage of life more immaculate in public estimation, or regretted with more affec tionate remembrance, in the extensive circles of his domestic and ecclesiastical relations. "Dr. Moylan's person Avas as interesting almost as his character was amiable. In youth and raanhood he was remarkably handsome ; and, in old age, his appearance was such as to engage undivided atten tion." To this very imperfect outline of the character of this good bishop, the Avriter will be perraitted to add that, frora an attentive perusal of Dr. Moylan's corres pondence, for the space of half a century, with some of the most remarkable men of his times, as well politicians as ecclesiastics, he is enabled to say, that no one of his 78 THE LIFE OF contemporaries was a more sincere patriot, or a more valuable friend to the interests, iraproveraent, and happiness of Ireland than he was. Ln the following pages his name will frequently occur ; and it will always be found in conjunction with some measure of utility to his country, or of benefit to mankind. He died in February 1815, and is buried in the cathedral which he had erected a short tirae before his death. A beautiful marble raonuraent, designed and executed by Turnerelli, is placed over the «pot where his ashes repose. To these valuable raen was, on their own postulation, shortly added in the spiritual governraent of the province a prelate, who to bland and courtly raanners, and elegant literature, joins the enlightened raind of a philanthropist, the profound erudition of the cloyster, and the unbroken energies and piety of apostolical zeal : one, whose writ ings advance the cause of that church to which he is a boast and ornaraent, and whose patriotisra is as pure as the raotives fi'om which it has its origin. Is the name of CoppiKGER requisite that his country men should recognise the original of this THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 79 outline ? With reason was it said by a good raan speaking of Bishop Coppinger's nomi nation to the diocese of Cloyne in 1787, " It is a happy appointment ! The diocese, the province, and the hierarchy will be blessed and benefited by it." (Letter of Archbishop Butler to Dr. Moylan.) To join in the efforts made by these valuable and patriotic raen in favor of the test oath, was the object O'Leary had in view in the publication of " Loyalty asserted." He alone appeared araongst the body to Avhora he belonged, a privileged writer. The oath had found some of its most strenuous ppponents both in Ireland and at Rome amongst the friars ; and he therefore felt hiraself called upon to utter his opinion freely and with energy. The work Avas widely circulated, and called forth as well the acknowledgments of the friends of the government to the writer, as the warra gratitude of his catholic fellow countryraen. Frora the manner in Avhich Ireland was ruled previously to the successful vindica tion of her legislative rights in ]782, every appearance of foreign invasion Avas reason- 80 THE LIFE OF ably dreaded by the ministry. The situa tion of the catholics tended to justify those fears ; for, although no people under like degradation, insult, and tyranny could give less cause to suspect their allegiance ; still the vast wealth which, as has been before remarked, raany of that body had accumu lated in trade, and their extensive and powerful continental connections, rendered them very formidable in the kingdom, and drew the eyes of government, in a very anxious raanner, upon them. In addition to this, the progress which, notwithstanding the laws against education, intellectual cul tivation had begun to make araongst the catholics, and the consciousness their rulers must have had of their own injustice, haunted their minds, and filled them with doubt and suspicion. Hence, when in 177^ the hostile French and Spanish fleets rode menacing and unopposed in the Channel, much anxiety prevailed regarding the ca tholic body. Their conduct, however, at that as well as at every other crisis of the political affairs of the country, vindicated the sincerity of their professions of loyalty. The claims of the American war had lite- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 81 rally drained Ireland of her armies ; and the inhabitants, unaided by their usual bulwarks of naval and railitary defence, Avere left to guard their own coasts against a forraidable and deterrained enemy. No attempt at invasion Avas indeed made ; but had any design of the sort been manifested, there exists little doubt but that the catho lics would have been foremost to hazard their lives in the defence, of their country. At this critical moment " An address to the comraon people" from O'Leary, was productive of the happiest results. Like his previous publications, it was in style bold, nervous, and eloquent, and incul cated and explained the obligation and duties of undivided allegiance. His next appearance before the public as a Avriter, was as the antagonist of the celebrated John Wesley. To a spirit of deep and enthusiastic fanaticism, Wesley joined a profound calculating policy, Avhich enlightened his progress as a religionist, though it, at times, led him into the foul and miry paths of worldly stratagem and cunning. If he was not imbued in a higher degree Avith intolerance than the religious G 82 THE LIFE OF sect who ciaira hira for their founder, he was, at least, raore unhesitating in its avowal ; and, strange as it would appear, (were not the sarae raoral contradiction exemplified in almost every other reformer), he, who clairaed for hiraself the right of conscientious opposition to the dictate of the established church of the country, was the raost illiberal denier of the sarae right to the nuraerous . and oppressed body of his catholic countrymen. His conduct in this instance Avas a striking coraraentary on the words of Tacitus — Eo immitior quia toleraverat. There was a policy of no common kind in Wesley's enmity to the catholics. He was himself a raore insidious adversary to the established church than any of his conteraporaries. His early efforts were directed to its overthrow ; and the cor rosive influence of his doctrines and system on the fabric of English protestantism are at this day felt and exclaimed against by the best friends to the establishraent. It is no wonder, therefore, that he should seek to divert the too intense and scru tinizing gaze of the guardians of ortho- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 83 doxy frora his pursuits and designs. An opportunity of doing so presented itself; and, satisfied Avith the motive, he aAT^ailed hiraself of it, reckless of consequences. " The protestant association," whose object Avas, by acts of violence, to terrify the legislature frora extending any relief to the catholics of England, Avas a raeasure of popular and fanatical institution. Hoav- ever iraposing it Avas in point of physical strength, it stood much in need of literary defence against able and powerful antago nists ; and Wesley conciliated the favor and ensured the applause of the multitude by " A letter concerning the principles of Roman cathofics," and " A defence of the protestant association;" which he printed in January 1780. The aim of these publi cations was to prove " that no government, not catholic, ought to tolerate men of the Roraan catholic persuasion ;" and to " ex cite the protestants to join hand in hand, and unite as one raan in their opposition to popery — a cause in which their present and future welfare was so nearly concerned." It would appear, frora the tenor of Wesley's attacks on Catholicism, that he Avanted but g2 84 THE LIFE OF the torch, the sword, and the followers of John Knox, to atterapt " the exterraina- tion of popery " by physical force. The spirit which actuated both these reforraers was the same : their vieAVs of catholicity were similar ; and the temper of the times, and not of the individuals, Avas the discre pancy which saved a -peaceful, loyal, and inoftensive people from destruction. O'Leary, who Avas in Dublin when these inflammatory productions issued from the press, immediately replied to them in what he termed " Remarks on the Reverend John Wesley's letter on the civil principles of Roraan catholics, and his defence of the protestant association." With the candour of a lover of truth, he prefixed the letter and defence to his OAvn remarks ; and thus put under the public eye at the sarae tirae, the charge and its refutation. Few of his writings were raore successful or better received than this reply. It was at once witty, arguraentative, and eloquent ; and most effectually exposed to censure and rebuke the illiberal, unjust, and persecut ing spirit of the hoary patriarch of me- thodism. Wesley repfied : but the reply THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 85 was soon forgotten ; whilst " the arch and lively production " (as he termed it) of his antagonist, was widely circulated and ad mired, as well for the liberal and tolerant sentiraents which it contained, as for the illvuninations of a wit which mingled with every thing he wrote or said ; and which, in even the most serious moments of his life, it Avas impossible for him entirely to control. The "association" writhed under the inflictions of the chastisements and ridicule to which they were subjected by O'Leary ; and on a petition being pre sented from the town of Rochester to the English House of Commons in April 1780, for the repeal of Sir George Saville's bill in favoi of the catholics. Lord George Gordon produced O'Leary's " Remarks," from which, to the arausement of the members, he read some extracts, and con cluded that another massacre of protest ants, sirailar to that related in Irish his tory, was to be dreaded, if the wishes of the petitioners were not attended to. In the course of his " Reraarks" O'Leary introduces what he entitles " An humble remonstrance to the Scotch and EngUsh G 3 86 THE LIFE OF inquisitors, by way of apostrophe." It is an admirable piece of arguraent and elo quence. One or two short extracts will shew its object and value. " Gentlemen," says O'Leary, " you impose on the igno rant by your cant of words of violation of faith tvith heretics. Like Boileau's heroes, you are ransacking old books, canvassing legends of exaggerated massacres ; and like scholars who, after repeating their lecture, fling about the bones and sculls piled up in charnel houses, you haunt the living Avith the images of the dead." After an exposition of the heartless and un christian designs of the association, he proceeds : — " Mention no longer violation of faith with heretics. You violate all the laws of civil society : in dissolving the ties of friendship, and pointing out your fellow subjects as the victims of legal severity, you split and rend the nation ; you weaken its power, and trespass upon the respect due to your rulers, Avhom, instead of being the fathers of their people, you would fain force tp become the heads of a faction. " You violate the sacred rights of nature. Her bountiful Author declares that ' He THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 87 makes His sun to shine on the just, and on the unjust.' The fight of the sun, the brilliancy of the stars, the sweetness of fruit, and the balsamic effluvia of the flowers, are dispersed with a liberal hand to the heathen and the idolater. Must you depriA^e your neighbour of gifts common to all Adam's children, because they hold a religion which all your forefathers pro fessed ; and which, if Avrong, can hurt none but theraselves." Contrasting the in tolerance and spirit of the association with the moral, intellectual, and political im provements of the age, he concludes : — " Your transactions shall be recorded in the appendix to the history of Jack Straw and Wat Tyler, and your chaplains and apologists shall be ranked with James Nailer and Hugh Peters." Wesley's reply was noticed by O'Leary in a few pages usually printed Avith the " Remarks," and entitled " A rejoinder to Mr. Wesley's reply." In a short tirae after this controversy had concluded, the parties met at the house of a mutual friend. Their different publications were mentioned ; but kindnes%' and sincere good feeling towards each g4 88 THE LIFE OP Other, softened down the asperities of sec tarian repulsiveness ; and after an evening spent in a manner highly entertaining and agreeable, they parted, each expressing his esteem for the other, and both giving the example that public difference on a reli gious or political subject, 'is quite con sistent with the exercise of the duties of personal kindness and esteem. Wesley is said, in this instance, to have relaxed into a raost agreeable companion ; and O' Leary by his wit, archness, and information, was an inexhaustable source of delight, enter tainment, and instruction. Mr. Southey, in his life of Wesley • — a book remarkable for nothing more than the illiberal and un warranted abuse of Ireland and catholicity contained in it — clairas much merit for his hero frora this intimacy Avith his triumphant antagonist ; but the laureate must know little of O'Leary's temper and disposition, if he thought for a moment that he did not appreciate benevolence too much, not to avail hiraself of every opportunity which offered for its more extensive diffiision, or its more unalloyed and uninterrupted enjoyment. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 89 About this time it Avas, that the philan thropist Howard, led by his benevolent enthusiasm to fathom dungeons, vindicate the wrongs, and alleviate the suflerings of the lonely and forgotten victim of vice and crime, arrived at Cork. A society had for some years existed in that city " for the relief and discharge of persons confined for smaU debts," of which O'Leary was an active and conspicuou^s member. This association had its origin in the humane raind of Henry Shears, Esq., the father of two distinguished victims to the political distractions of their country in the year 1798 : and a literary production of that gentleman, which in its style and matter emulated the elegance and morality of Addison, strengthened and matured the be nevolent institution.* During Mr.Howard's * The following is a transcript of the beautiful little essay alluded to : " It is to be feared that there are some who, from considering the Lord's Prayer only as it stands in our liturgy, have been led into an imperfect idea of the petition for forgiveness. In the Greek of St. Matthew it runs thus, " Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors;" and to this St. Luke corresponds: — " Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive those who are indebted to us." 90 THE LIFE OF stay in Cork, he Avas introduced to O'Leary by their comraon friend Archdeacon Austin. Two such minds required but an oppor tunity to adraire and venerate each other ; and frequently, in after tiraes, Howard " Why any deviation should have been made from words so sacred, I do not know. The literal construc tion debts, takes in all that is intended in trespasses, and more. In its first and immediate sense, it means those obligations relative to property which arise from the intercourse of society ; and extends also to the great circle of duties which man owes to man, and every man to his Creator. " Existence, reason, immortality, a profusion of temporary, and an offer of endless blessings, form a debt too great to be discharged. The warmest aspirations and gratitude are faint ; and the most vigorous exertions of service imperfect. But our efforts may reach to man, though they fall short of Heaven. The Great Uni versal Creditor takes to Himself what we do for others. Pity, patience, and benignity are His favorite offerings ; and the prevailing petition of His command is — that we make each other happy. " He, who stooped to instruct us how to ask forgive ness, makes the remitting of the debts of others the express condition of our hopes. This is the first step of the scale ; and he who will not rise so far above his passions, can never expect to go higher. To remember injuries with kindness, to repay evil with good, and become the cheerful benefactor of an enemy, are heights beyond the reach of unenlightened ethics. Yet to these must every one aspire who would avail himself of the THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 91 boasted of sharing the friendship and esteem of the friar. The success which had uniforraly at tended the efforts made by O'Leary in favor of toleration, led his friends about sufferings or intercession of the Teacher, But the rudiments of philanthropy must be learned before we can feel its elevations. Until pity unbars the heart, refinement can meet no entrance ; nor can we dream of soaring to angelic heights, while we lie sunk below the common standard of humanity. " To deprive a fellow being of every comfort, and cover him with every misery, merely for his incapacity of paying, would evince a malignity too diabolical, I hope, to be human. Yet, little better is the relentless creditor's motive — a wretched pride of appearing acute and prudent in the eyes of others, mixed with a little grovelling resentment at the idea of a real or pretended imposition on his understanding ! For this he showers woes upon the head of poverty ; and denies to his bro ther of the dust a little portion of the mercy, which, if our common Maker did not unlimitedly possess, the first — the only wish of every thinking being would be, to shrink out of existence. " To the misplacing of our passions we owe most of our errors. Ambitious of eminence, where in fact we are most restrained, we are more jealous of our intellec tual than our moral merit. We are content to be thought cruel, provided we are thought sagacious ; and, to support the fancied stateliness of worldly wisdom, descend below the rank of the common executioner. We catch at a revenge not palliated by the plea of pro- ' 92 THE LIFE OF this time to think that he ought not to be suffered to remain inactive. They thought that as he had noAV gained on the attention and confidence of the public, an oppor tunity was afforded for a raore bold and vocation, nor dignified by the shew of spirit ; — a re venge within the reach of the most abject being in the community — at which a man should blush, and a Christian should tremble. " Real pre-eminence is bestowed by the hand of gene rous forbearance ; and the most thrilling flattery is the voice of misery relieved . To see the tear of gratitude swelling in the eye ; and the features throbbing with the emotions of a blessing heart : — to see happiness, hke a new creation, brightening up at our touch ; and feel ourselves rising in the estimation of the Source of being — these create a pride which humility may avow, and a superiority which will survive the fleeting phantoms of distinction. " The eye that reads this paper must close. The hand that holds it must rot. Nor is the hour far off! Business seeks in vain to subdue, or levity to repel the thought. It has a voice of thunder, and will be heard. WTien that which is dreadful is also inevitable, to disarm it of its terrors is all that is left us. Religion points to the means ; and reason urges us to embrace them. " When aid is vain, and joy is fled ; when the soul begins to disentangle, and feel the presages of the ap proaching future from a consciousness of the past — when the stage of life is darkened, and the great much talked of scene begins to realize and open to' the view. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 93 raanly advocacy of the principle of liberty of conscience than had hitherto existed ; and, in consequence, they Avere urgent with him to corae forward in its defence once more. On such a subject he required little persuasion ; and the publication of his best and ablest work was the evidence of his reverence for freedom of conscience. It Avas entitled " An essay on toleration, or the debts we have remitted, the wrongs we have for given, and the miseries we have relieved, will play with cherub faces round the fancy, and turn to rapture the pangs of dissolution ! " To such joys, and prospects some hearts have made themselves insensible; but from the dominion of terror none are exempt. The Great Former of our nature, therefore, intimidates while he allures ; and denounces a reverse, from which the imagination revolts in terror. " In the catalogue of transgression, inexorability stands dreadfully distinguished. To every other offender, though he may shudder at the justice of the Almighty, there still is some resource remaining in His mercy. But he who denies mercy, forfeits mercy. He disclaims the saving attribute, which softens the terrors of Omni potence, and quits the last hold that hangs from Heaven over the gulph of eternity ! " If death and judgment be not chimeras ; ifthe Son of God knew the will of His Father ; if that will be founded in immutable truth — he that does not forgive, will not be forgiven ! " AGRICOLA." 94 THE LIFE OF Mr. O'Leary's plea for liberty of con science." The style of this essay is pure, nervous, and eloquent ; and the reasoning every way worthy so noble a subject. That the question which O'Leary undertook to discuss in this work, had formed a prcA'^ious subject of his meditation, may be gathered frora the following passage in the intro duction, " Cartesius in his stove, by reraarking the motion of the smoke which rolled from his pipe, gave the first shock to Aristotle's barbarous philosophy, which kept the world in ignorance for so many ages. Succeeding geniuses improved upon the new plan, till Sir Isaac Newton dispelled the mist, and made the light shine forth in its full lustre. I, in ray cell, reflecting on the revolutions that religion has occasioned, not for the good but for the destruction of raankind — revolutions in their morals by inspiring them with rautual hatred and aversion, by raaking thera believe that they were dis pensed with the unchangeable laws of love and huraanity, and deluding th^ra into a persuasion that the death or oppression of a fellow creature on account of his error, 12 THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 95 was an agreeable sacrifice to the Divinity. I also, by a feeble atterapt to overthrow the altars of an idol that has put Jesus Christ on a level with Moloch, and whose false oracles persuaded raankind that the ears of a god of corapassion and tenderness were pleased with the groans of victims tied to the stake, or famishing in dungeons or hovels, may induce others to enlist under the banners of benevolence, and pave the way for abler hands to raise the structure of human happiness on the ruins of reli gious frenzy." The position which he defends in his " Plea" is, " that the supreme power in the state has no right to vindicate the Deity by fines, forfeitures, oppression, or the death of raen whose only crirae is an erro neous religion*," which does not disturb * With what strengtii of eloquence and philosophy is a similar opinion put forward by one of the ablest and earliest advocates for liberty of conscience in Europe ! — " Experientia satis edocti sumus " says the president De Thou, in the dedication of his History to Henry the Fourth of France, " ferrum, flammas, exilia, proscrip- tiones irritasse potius quam sanasse morbum menti inhe- rentem; ad quam proinde curandum, non iis quae in corpus tantum penetrant, sed doctrina & sedula institu tione quae in animum leniter instill ata descendunt opus 96 THE LIFE OF the peace of society : — whether they be jcAvs, mahometans, christians, heretics, or catholics, provided they befieve in a su preme being, and rewards and punishraents in a future state." His reason for intro ducing this latter qualification, he intiraates to be " because all people exclude frora civil toleration those who confound vice esse. Alia quippe omnia pro arbitrio civilis magistratus atque adeo principis sanciuntur : sola religio non impe- ratur, sed ex precepta veritatis opinione, accedente divini numinis gratia, bene preparatis mentibus infun- ditur. Ad eam cruciatus nihil valent : quin obfirmant potius animos quam frangunt aut persuadent." Thuan. Hist. Dedicat. p. 2. vol. 1. ed. Parisis, 1604. Would to God the justness of these opinions were always recognized by civil and religious legislators ! The spirit of Christ abhors the intrusion of temporal powers into the sanctuary of religion. They who take the sword for the advancement of the christian creed, shall, perish with the sword : and they who invoke the vengeance of Heaven on their erroneous brethren, know not qf what spirit they are. The meek sanctity of true religion is always its best protection; its purity and morality its best vindication ; and patient forbearance and boundless charity are the great features by which it should be most known amongst mankind. They who believe, with the apostle, that now we see into futurity through a glass darkly, should seek to enlighten the path to a more per fect vision by benevolence rather than by the torch of fanaticism or the faggot of persecution. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 97 and virtue in the horrors of the grave : — for the links of society are dissolved when vice loses its horror, and virtue its attrac tions ; when the heart is steeled against the fear of an invisible judge, and the con science is unshackled frora its bonds." Never were the grounds on which rests the inalienable right possessed by every man to worship God, uncontrolled by human legislation so far as regards speculative opinions, more clearly stated or more ably enforced, than in this essay. The declarations of the first teachers of Chris tianity regarding the means of inculcating religion and correcting error, as adduced by O'Leary, are clear and conclusive ; and the reasonings by which he upholds the proposition which he lays down, are, at once, luminous and incontrovertible. Re ligious persecution, he says, is the offspring of lawless rule : " tyranny begot it, igno rance fostered it ; and barbarous divines have clothed it in stolen garraents of re ligion." In the course of the book, the folloAving deserved tribute is paid to the founders of the society of quakers in H 98 THE LIFE OF America : " The quakers, to their eternal credit, and to the honor of humanity, are the only persons who have exhibited a meekness and forbearance Avorthy the imi tation of those who have entered into a covenant of raercy by their baptism. Wil liam Penn, the great legislator of that people, had the success of a conqueror in establishing and defending his colony amongst savage tribes, without ever draw ing the SAVord ; the goodness of the most benevolent rulers in treating his subjects as his own children ; and the tenderness of a universal father Avho opened his arms to all raankind, without distinction of sect or party. In his republic it was not the religious creed, but the personal raerit that entitled every raeraber of society to the protection and emoluraents of the state." He concludes this just eulogy by the fol lowing bold apostrophe :¦ — "Rise frora your grave, great man ! and teach those sove reigns, who make their subjects raiserable on account of their catecliisras, the raethod of making thera happy : they, whose do minions resemble enormous prisons, where THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 99 one part of the creation are distressed captives, and the other their unpitying keepers." After paying this tribute of respect to the raeraory of a great and good raan, O'Leary does not orait to notice that Lord Baltimore, a Roman catholic, and the founder of Maryland, Avas equally tolerant with Penn in his settlement; and had, raore over, the raerit of anticipating the quaker in the career of benevolence. The priority of Lord Baltimore's claim is admitted by Mr. Clarkson, the biographer of Penn ; and as it was the raost striking instance in modern times of enlightened legislation on the subject, it is, at once, a source of pride and triumph to the catholics. This essay had a circulation almost un equalled at the time in Ireland, and was the means of extending the author's repu tation as a philanthropist, in a degree that was highly valuable to his religion, and creditable to hiraself One pleasing con sequence of its publication was his being elected a meraber ofthe " Monks of Saiint Patrick." This was a political association h2 100 THE LIFE OF which took its rise under the auspices of that great lawyer Lord Avonraore, then Mr. Yelverton. Many of the raerabers of the whig club belonged to it. " Both societies," says Mr. Hardy, in his life of Lord Charleraont, " were forraed in tiraes very interesting to the Avelfare of Ireland ; and their general object was a co-operation of men who held, or professed to hold, a general similarity of political principles, and resolved to raaintain the rights and con stitution of their country. At the tirae of the forraation of the whig club, the monks of Saint Patrick had, as a body, ceased to exist. When they first asserabled in \77^> the deraand of a free trade for Ireland had been raade, and, in the course of that session, wisely coraplied with. Mr.Grattan's celebrated speech and raotion for a decla ration of rights, followed in 1780 ; and in 1782 that motion was, with a change of ministry, entirely isuccessfiil. How long after the splendid era of 1782, the monks of Saint Patrick continued their meetings, I knoAv not." Amongst the distinguished members of 17* THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 101 the monks of St. Patrick may be reckoned Messrs. Flood, Grattan, Curran, Father O'Leary, Lord Charlemont, Judges Day, Metge,and Chamberline, Lord Chief Baron Burgh, Bowes Daly, George Ogle, Lord Viscount Avonmore, Mr. Keller, &c. &e. — a constellation sufficient to enlighten any page in the history of Ireland ; and men whose powers of mind starap a character of greatness upon the tiraes in which they flourished. The unsolicited admission of O'Leary into this association speaks equally for his merits and their discernraent. As a return for the honor thus conferred on him, he took the opportunity of expressing his gratitude in the dedication of his various productions ; which, in 1781, he collected together, and published in one volurae 8vo. It is gratifying, on this occasion, to re cord the liberality of the English Catholic Committee, who, on the appearance of the work, caused above 100 copies, at their expense, to be presented in O'Leary's name to various distinguished individuals. Ofthe effect produced, the following letters, selected frora several complimentary ac knowledgments, will be sufficient evidence. * H 3 102 THE LIFE OF (From the late Right Honorable Wel- bore Ellis, afterwards Lord Mendip.) " Reverend Sir, " A person has left at ray door a volume of your tracts, accompanied by an obliging card, explaining the great object and end to which these tracts are to lead. When wit, learning, and benevolence, who do not always travel in corapany, do rae the favor to corae to my door, if I did not receive such guests with satisfaction and respect, I should little deserve a dwelling among a learned and civilized people. I beg, therefore, to trouble you with ray best acknowledgraents for this obliging raark of your notice ; and to assure you, that I feel as I ought this instance of your favor towards rae. I should be very glad, when your occasions call you to this part of the world, to raake these acknowledgraents in person, which I now do by letter ; and to repeat to you the sentiraents of gratitude and esteera, with which I have the honor to be, " Reverend Sir, ** Your raost obedient, and « i^ondon, " most humble servant, « May 30th, 1782. " W. ELLIS ."" 13 THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 1 03 (From Lord Beauchamp, late Marquis of Hertford.) " Reverend Sir, " I received a few days ago the present of your works, which you have been so obliging as to send me ; and am very happy at the opportunity it procures me of ex pressing my sincere esteera for the author. I most ardently wish that the principles of toleration which your heart dictates, and your pen enables you to express with so much eloquence, may have a proper effect on the rainds of our countrymen ; as 1 am satisfied the popery laws have operated as much to the prejudice of Ireland, as the restraints imposed by the jealousy of this kingdom on its trade. I have at last seen the doAvnfal of the latter system with infi nite satisfaction ; but I shall despair of seeing Ireland what 1 Avish her to be — an opulent and happy country, — until the bulk of the people are raised from that abasement into which it has been the mis taken policy of former reigns to throw them, by the foundation of a better sys tem. I heard with pleasure of Mr. Gar diner's bill ; but I regretted much, on H 4 104 THE LIFE OF reading the provisions of the act, to find it so inadequate to the great purpose I before alluded to, and to the expectations we had formed of it. But I am insensibly getting into an argument, when my only purpose in troubling you is to assure you ofthe respect Avith Avhich I remain, " Sir, " Your very faithful and «' Stanhope Street, " hnmble servant, « 29th May 1782. " BEAUCHAMP."* It was impossible that the high and dis tinguished claims to respect and esteem which O'Leary possessed, should escape unnoticed by the volunteer association. Never was a more glorious sera in the his tory of Ireland, than whilst the wealth, valour, and genius ofher inhabitants became corabined for the welfare of their country — whilst every citizen Avas a soldier, and every paltry political or sectarian difference and distinction was lost in the full glow and fervour of the great constitutional object, Avhich roused the energies and fixed the * This nobleman, afterwards Marquis of Hertford, died very lately. THE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 105 attention of the people. It Avas a spectacle worthy the proudest days of Greece or Rome ; but it passed away like the sudden gleam of a sumraer sun. O'Leary was ex ceeded by none of his contemporaries as a patriot : but, though the coarse and mis shapen habit ofa " poor friar ofthe order of Saint Francis," forbade his intrusion into the more busy scene of national politics, his pen was not inactive in enlightening and directing his countrymen in their con stitutional pursuits. A highly respectable body of the volunteers, the Irish brigade, conferred on him the honorary dignity of chaplain; and many of the raeasures dis cussed at the National Convention held in Dublin had been previously submitted to his consideration and judgraent. On the 11th of November 1783, the same day on which the message said to be firom Lord Kenraare, was read at the National Con vention then holding its meetings in the Rotunda, Father O'Leary visited that cele brated assemblage. At his arrival at the outer door, the entire guard of the volun teers received hira under a full salute, and rested arms : he was ushered into the raeet ing amidst the cheers of the assembled 106 THE LIFE OF delegates ; and in the course of the debate which folloAved, his name was mentioned, in the most flattering and complimenting manner, by most of the speakers. On his journey frora Cork to the capital on that occasion, his arrival had been anticipated in Kilkenny, where he remained to dine ; and in consequence, the street in which the hotel at which he stopped was situate, was filled from an early hour with persons of every class, who sought to pay a testimony of respect to an individual, Avhose Avritings had so powerfully tended to promote the Avelfare and happiness of his countrymen. The message delivered to the National Convention in the name of Lord Kenmare, and which has been just alluded to, was the source of much obloquy to that nobleman ; and, as the cause of catholic freedom in Ireland was more deeply indebted to him than to many of his contemporaries, it is but an act of justice to rescue his memory from an undeserved imputation. The mes sage will appear, frora the following facts, to have been one of the many efforts made by the administration of the day to divide the catholic body, and to distract the councils ofthe National Convention. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 107 On the 11th of Noveraber 1783, whilst the Convention Avas engaged in a debate on the propriety of introducing into the raea sures of reforra which they conteraplated, the privilege of catholics voting at elections for raembers of Parliament, a message Avas delivered to the assembly by Mr. George Ogle, purporting to be from Lord Kenmare, and setting forth, that the catholics were satisfied with the privileges which they had already obtained, and desired no more. Lord Kenmare Avas understood to raake this acknoAvledgraent in the name of his fellow catholics, and by their authority. The sensation which such a communication produced in the raeeting raaybe raore easily conceived than described. The delegates gazed at each other with surprise and astonishraent. The friends ofthe catholics, who had been in the course of the debate anxious and ardent in support ofthe mea sure, werestruck dumb; whilst their enemies became exultingly triumphant. The ques tion was of course dropped; but the delusion was of only a short continuance. On the 14th of the same raonth, the Convention held its next raeeting; and the Bishop of Derry 108 THE LIFE OP after a speech of some length and remark able for the liberality of its sentiments, read the following resolutions, which he was au thorised to present to the Convention. " At a raeeting of the comraittee of the Roman catholics of Ireland, held on Tues day, Nov. 1 Hh ; " Sir Patrick Bellew in the chair ; " The following resolutions were unani mously agreed to : " Resolved, That the message given in this day to the National Convention, rela tive to the Roman catholics of this king dora, was without any authority whatsoever of theirs : " That we do not so widely diflfer from the rest of raankind, as by our own act to prevent the reraoval of our shackles : " That we shall receive with gratitude every indulgence that raay be extended to us by the legislature ; and that we shall be thankfiil to our benevolent countrymen for their generous efforts in our behalf: " That our chairman do present these resolutions to the Bishop of Derry, to be laid before the National Convention at their next meeting." THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 109 It was impossible that Lord Kenraare, whose narae and influence had been thus made use of for the lowest purposes of party, could long reraain silent. The noble lord was, during the entire period of the angry discussions which followed this un principled assuraption of his authority, in the quiet enjoyraent of his doraestic plea sures at Killarney ; but, as soon as he learned the history of a matter in which his honor and integrity were so deeply concerned, he sent forward the folio Aving declaration : " I utterly disavow having given the least authority to any person for making use of my name before the National Con vention, now assembled in Dublin. I never was consulted, nor did I ever consult with any person on the expectation of future indulgences to the Roman catholics this session ; being resolved to abide contented by whatever the wisdom of the legislature should in that case determine, grateful for the past, and resigned to future events. "Kil.„„,y, , "KENMARE." "Nov. 20th, 1783.'' 110 THE LIFE OF This positive and unequivocal denial of what was so deliberately given by Mr. Ogle as an authorized coramunication from the nobleman, who Avas then, deservedly, the most prominent indiAddual amongst the catholics ofthe kingdom, brought from that gentleraan an acknowledgment that he had not, as Avas stated, received a letter from Lord Kenmare on the business ; and that the share he had taken in the transaction Avas at the instance of a gentleman who, he imagined, had been authorised to act as he had done. The public voice soon gaA^e the merit of having effected these strange and painful contradictions to the well known Sir Boyle Roche, who was a near friend to the Kenmare family, and chara berlain to the lord lieutenant. The follow ing letter, copies of Avhich were sent to sorae of Sir Boyle's intiraate catholic fi"iends, will tend to elucidate the subject, and confirm the opinion, already expressed, of the motive Avhich led to the misrepre sentation of Lord Kenmare's sentiments : " Dear Sir, " As much has been said in regard to the message I delivered in the name of THE REVEREND ARTHUR 0'LE,\RY. Ill Lord Kenmare, and many of my near connections of the same persuasion, to the armed Convention ; uoav that that assembly has for some time broken up, and the vio lence of party in some measure subsided, I think it incumbent on me to explain my conduct on that occasion to my friends, and to yourself in particular. " I had long observed the court which was paid by a certain party to the Roman catholics ; and had remarked, with concern, the facility with which the lower sort suf fered themselves to be duped by the in sidious pretences of those who, I believe, meant thera no other favor but that of being last devoured. The Bishop of Derry and his associates had made them believe, that the resolutions of the Convention were to be the law of the land ; and they were taught to look up to that assembly for those future favors which the legislative body, from whora they had already received so many indulgences, had, alone, a power to grant ; but these indulgences they were encouraged to forget, and to found their future hopes of success on the wild projects of the Bishop of Derry and his associates, " On the evening ofthe 9th of November 112 THE LIFE OF last, I had certain intelligence that the Bishop of Derry had leagued himself with some ofthe unthinking part ofthe catholics, who were in town for the purpose ; and that the adraission of that body to the rights of voting for raerabers of pariiaraent Avas to be the first raatter agitated in the Convention. I now thought that the crisis was arrived in which Lord Kenraare and the heads of the body should step forth to disavow those wild projects, and to profess their attachraent to the lawful powers. Unfortunately, his lordship Avas at a great distance; and most of my other noble friends were out of the way. I, therefore, resolved on a bold stroke; and authorised, only, by a knowledge of the sentiments of the persons in question, I entered the Con vention on the first day of its raeeting, and there delivered that raessage to Lord Charleraont, of which you have seen so full an account ; and confirmed the sarae the Friday following, having obtained per mission to address the assembly.* * In all the public printed reports of this transaction, there is no mention made of Sir B. Roche. Mr. George Ogle is the gendeman who is stated to have delivered the message, and afterwards to have made the explanation. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 113 " At first, I was elated to the greatest degree at the apparent success of my undertaking. I found that I had entirely disconcerted the raeasures of the leaders of the Convention ; and though I was dis avowed by the Roraan catholic coraraittee, I received the thanks of many of ray noble friends. I was applauded by the lord lieu tenant, the secretary, and all the men in power ; and I found by their discourse, that there was nothing consistent with the con stitution, that the Roraan catholics, for the sake of Lord Kenmare and his friends, might not expect from parliament. *' But unhappily, the clamour of the de luded populace induced his lordship to disown me. I cannot blame him — he had, in strictness, a right to do so. This made me miserable, not only because I had dis pleased him, but because I feared that he and the rest of the catholics had by this means forfeited the advantages I had ob tained for them : however, in these mor tifying circumstances, it was still a con solation to me to find that his lordship, in the very words of his disavowal, had ac knowledged the same sentiments I had de clared in his name ; and as I know he and 114 THE LIFE OF his friends still adhere to the same moderate opinions and wishes, I flatter myself that their wisdora will prevail over the deluded multitude, and that government will, for their sake, farther extend its indulgences to the Avhole body ; especially if the heads of the sect could be induced, on the arrival of a new lord lieutenant, or on the establish ment of the present one, to join in an address, not only of loyalty to the king, but of attachment to the present consti tution, without ijinovation. " It would be flattering in the highest degree to me, if I should find that my conduct was not disapproved by yourself and friends, and that you joined me in opinion, that it is to the pariiaraent alone that the Roraan catholics should apply for future favors ; and as I have again the honor to be a raember of that assembly, ray endeavors shall be at all times, as before, exerted in their behalf, and I hope not without success. " I have the honor to be, " my dear Sir, " your very obedient, " Castle of Dublin, " humble servant, " uth Feb. 1784. " B. ROCHE." THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 1 1 5 That this Jetter was dictated by the Irish ministry, and not the effusion of Sir Boyle Roche's political speculations, will be readily admitted by those who recollect that indivi dual's claims as a statesman or politician. To keep the catholics in a state of depen dency and expectation, and to have them allured, by the hints and promises of the government, from giving the aid of their voice to the friends of popular freedora, was a system too long pursued in Ireland, and fatal in its consequences to the unity and welfare of the great body of the people. This systera of deceit and treachery, which had coraraenced at an early period of the governraent of the country, triuraphed at the consumraation of the legislative union ; and the continued bondage and degrada tion under which the catholics labour at the present hour, are the raatured fruits of this detestable policy. In the history of these countries, there was never, perhaps, given a more striking justification of the remark, " that individuals generally learn frora ex perience, a people seldora," than is to be found in the history of the Irish catholics. A jealous, irritated, and divided body, the i2 116 THE LIFE OF instruments or victims of successive state parties, they have been alternately deluded by hope and goaded by injustice. The confidence they had so often misplaced, they knew no longer where to repose : insult and despair lent arms of terror even to a few deluded individuals of that body, at a subsequent period of excited political ferment ; but formidable indeed, and irre sistible as is the justice of their cause, would have been the power and resentment of so mighty and so aggrieved a mass, had not that religion, Avhich exposed them to persecu tion, controlled their feelings, and taught them to resist every incitement to violence and insurrection.* Such werethecatholicsof * The Irish rebellion, in 1798, was a struggle for the introduction ofthe principles of the French revolution, made by men who cared little for religion, under what ever denomination it appeared. The principal leaders and fomenters of that memorable insurreetion were presby- terians and protestants; and the lower orders ofthe ca tholics were induced to rank under their banners by promises of a more equitable government, uncontrolled liberty of religious worship, release from the tyranny of the Orangemen, and an immunity from the grinding effects of the tithe system. It is easy to conceive how, with topics of such popular hatred, an ardent and op pressed people could be excited to join in any measure leading to such results. There was nothing of a reli- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 117 Ireland at that time : such, with little al teration, have they continued to be : the lessons of experience have been effaced, the voice of prudence unheeded, and they remain now, as then, seeking relief raore frora the patronacy of arabitious statesraen, than frora the union, firmness, and perse verance of their own body. At the early period of concession, they were indebted for success more to the influence of their wealth, than to a consideration of the justice of their cause : to check, or rather to anticipate a rising revolutionary spirit, was at an after time a motive with the Irish government; and the benevolent recom mendation of a humane and just raonarch, whose name the catholics must ever pro nounce with veneration and gratitude, Avas what gave life and success to the last legis lative enactment in their behalf. Thejust- gious nature in the objects contemplated by the revolu tionists. The truth is, had it been a rebellion originating with the catholics as such, or justified by the morality of their doctrines, it must have been successful. Its failure is the best evidence that it was not a catholic revolution ; and if proof were necessary how abhorrent its principles were to the religion of that body, it would be found in the exhortations and conduct of iheir clergy at the time. i3 118 THE LIFE OF ness of their clairas, the wisdora of the senate, and the paternal regard of a great king for his people, are the security on which their hopes of speedy redemption from undeserved political slavery now rest. Shortly after the publication of the vo lume of his tracts, and during his visit in Dubfin, O'Leary was waited on by a gen tleman in the confidence of the ministry ; who, after some general praise of his merits as a writer, and an acknowledg raent on the part of the governraent, that rauch good to the country had followed from his various productions, intimated a wish that he should write something in de fence ofthe measures then acted on by the administration. This Avas met by a plain and unhesitating refusal. It was then inti mated that his silence would be agreeable to ministers. " I never Avill be silent," re plied O'Leary, with warmth, " whilst my exertions can be of the least service to my country or my religion." He Avasthen told that a pension of ^£^150 per annum was to be offered for his acceptance ; and that no condition, repugnant to his feelings as an Irishman or catholic, Avas to be annexed to IHE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 119 it. A change in the administration took place shortly afterwards ; and the promise remained unfulfilled. O'Leary was anxiously solicited, at this period, to write a history of the disgraceful London riots under Lord George Gordon. For a short tirae he entertained the notion of doing so ; and had even collected some materials for the purpose, when he sud denly gave up the intention. The follow ing is the short statement which he put forward in justification of his conduct : " Several persons requested I would give a history of the London riots : I promised to undertake the task ; and in consequence began to digest my materials. I afterwards reflected that the duty of the historian bound hira to arraign, at the irapartial tribunal of truth, both men and actions ; unmask the leading characters; examine into their raotives ; lay open the hidden springs of proceedings, whether worthy of applause or deserving to be doomed to censure ; embellish his narrative with suit able reflections ; and, by spreading the wide theatre, without respect of tirae or persons, inforra the living, and becorae the monitor 1 4 120 THE LIFE OF of the unborn. I afterwards considered my own state exposed, in consequence of the penal laws, to the insult of every ruffian ; and, coraparing the defenceless situation of the priest with the duty of the historian, I dropped the atterapt. *' No person is obliged to write a his tory ; but when he writes it, he raust tell the truth : and when he tells the truth in talking of the living, it is hard to avoid giving offence. " If ray correspondents be not satisfied with this apology, let thera point out a raethod whereby I can remove the diffi culty ; and I shall publish a history of the riots in London itself, with my name to it ; for I disclaim ' anonymous productions.' ' •*" * The following ludicrous circumstance was related to the present writer by a gentleman of veracity, who was himself a sufferer by the fanaticism of the " Protestant Association." An Italian, who had come to London for purposes of trade, and whose notions of an English mob were not much tempered by common sense or ex perience, was anxious, during the heat of the riots, to get safe to his lodging from a distant part of the city ; but as he feared lest his being a catholic and his iano- rance of the English language should subject him to in sult, if not to a chance of being knocked down, he pre vailed with an ac(|uaintance of his to teach him some THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 121 In all the persecutions which the catholic clergy of Ireland had to endure, the reli gious orders, or, as commonly called, the friars, were peculiarly distinguished. In the acts of parliament and proclaraations against ^OjOer?/, their title oi popish regulars closely followed the terrific narae of Jesuits; and, even Avhen it was proposed to register the clergy of the kingdora, as a raeasure of state precaution and apparent indulgence, vulgar and popular denunciation of pqpen/. After some very successful repetitions of this pass word, he ventured into the streets. He had not, however, proceeded a hundred yards on his way, when he perceived eight or ten athletic fellows, armed with bludgeons, and apparent ly under the influence of intoxication, coming towards him. These he guessed to be members of Lord G. Gor don's association ; and, of course, he immediately took off his hat, waved it in the air, and vociferated, in a painful screech, *' Bamn the Pope and piopery." His uncovered head was too tempting an object not to attract the leader of the party, (which consisted of Irish chair men, who, taking courage from despair, and who, fully charged with gin, had sallied forth, the devoted champions of Pope and popery); a blow ofa cudgel felled the recreant to the earth, which was quickly followed by others, at every effort of " Damnation," till their victim was res cued from his assailants by an Irish gentleman, to whom he was fortunately known ; and whose influence with his infuriate countrymen probably saved the life of his Italian friend. 122 THE LIFE OF the regulars were pointedly and distinctly excluded. The feeling that dictated these measures, was not confined to the early enemies ofthe catholics ; for, in more recent instances the legislature expressed their fears of the increase of friars in the king dora ; and even seriously conteraplated their exclusion frora any participation in the favors which it Avas intended to hold out to the catholic body at large. For these proceedings and prejudices raany causes were stated. By the privileges and iraraunities from episcopal jurisdiction, which it was always in the power and fre quently the practice of the holy see to extend to the friars; and also by their vows of obedience, it was argued, that they were raore under the dominion of what was termed foreign infiuence, than the secular clergy of the kingdom — in a word, that the opposition given to the test oath by some of the regulars, and particularly by Dr. Burke, as has already been seen, and the reluctance of the great body of friars to take it, were symptoms of a very unaccommodating spirit in that class, and not very creditable either to their loyalty THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 123 or temper. It was no task of difficulty to answer satisfactorily these insinuations. Their obedience to the church in the per son of their religious superior was not a temporal subraission that sought to inter fere, in even the slightest degree, with their allegiance to the state : it was of purely a spiritual nature, and, by no raeans, con nected with their duty as loyal and peace ful citizens. With regard to the test oath, its ablest defender was found araongst their body, in the person of O'Leary; and the best proof which they could give of their conderanation of Dr. Burke's political opinions, was apparent in their having generally taken the oath of allegiance theraselves, and recommended the same, by every means in their power, to those over whom they had either influence or control. Notwithstanding these evidences of the falsity ofthe insinuations against the peace ful and loyal principles and demeanor of the friars, the evils which forraerly threatened thera revived, with renewed energies, in 1779 ; ^^d in the heads of a bill 124 THE LIFE^F which was sought to be introduced into pariiaraent, their destruction was pointedly aimed at. The first intelligence of the raeasure came to the religious orders through O'Leary ; and they were in con sequence filled with consternation and dis may. As a body, they had no recognized existence in the country ; and few, if any, of the members of the legislature were known to them by private friendship. In these critical and appalling circumstances, their only hope rested in the influence, Aveight, and regard which their " brother " O'Leary every where, and amongst all classes of his countrymen, deservedly pos sessed. In compliance with their wishes he visited Dublin, and was as successful in his endeavors as could be desired. * The fol- * During his visit to Dublin, at this period, the follow ing circumstance, quite characteristic of O'Leary, is said to have taken place. He accidentally met, in the lobby ofthe House of Commons, thelate Lord Avonmore, then Mr .Yelverton, and two gentlemen, members of the legis lature ; who, on his appearance, entered into a friendly altercation to determine with which of them O'Leary should, on the next day, share the splendid hospitality which reigned in the metropolis during the sessions of parliament. It was at length decided, that the prize of THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 125 loAving letter, Avhich he wrote at that time to as worthy a man as ever lived, the late very Reverend Lawrence Callanan of Cork, will give sorae notion of what his views and opinions on this subject were. No change has been made in any part of this honest, sincere, and unaffected effusion of his pen. It Avas written for private, but it is not un deserving of public perusal. his unrivalled wit and sociability should be determined. by lot. O'Leary was an amused and silent spectator of the contest. The fortunate winner was congratulated on his success ; and the rivals separated to meet on the mor row. When the hour of dinner was come, O'Leary for got which of his three friends was to be his host. It was too late to: make formal inquiries ; and, as he was the honored guest, he dared not absent himself. In this diffi culty, his ready imagination suggested an expedient. His friends, he recollected, lived in the same square, and he therefore, some short time after the usual dinner hour, sent a servant to inquire at each ofthe houses, " If Father O'Leary was there .¦"' At the two first, where applica tion was made, the reply was in the negative ; but at the last, the porter answered, that " He was not there ; but that dinner was ordered to be kept back, as he was every moment expected." Thus directed, *' Father Arthur's " apology for delay was a humorous and detailed account of his expedient : the evening flew quickly away on the wings of eloquence and wit, and the laughable incident was long remembered, and frequently repeated, by the noble lord and his guests. 126 THE LIFE OF (To the Rev. Lawrence Callanan, Broad Lane, Cork.) " Rev. Sii-, Dublin, April 1st, 1780. " I am in no great humor to write to Cork, after the gross insult which has been offered me. A sheepish modesty and ill- timed delicacy, wrested out of ray hands the arras of retafiation, Avhich long ere now would have been turned against their proper objects, if the honor of religion did not suppress in ray breast those emotions so natural to an injured man. Another cause of my past silence and present discontent, is the deep stab given to my character in proclaiming that I carae hither to renounce a religion for which I ara ready to spill ray blood, and which I always vindicated frora the foul aspersions of its eneraies, whilst others were enjoying the emoluments an nexed to the rainistry. If a poor friar, buried between salt houses and stables*, * This is literally a description of the situation which O'Leary's chapel occupies. Its neighbourhood has, latterly, become more decent, and less objectionable. Yet it was the theatre of his earliest exertions in behalf of religion, in his native country ; the retirement where he planned and executed some of his ablest works, and where he indulged in a happy and peaceful retirement 14 THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 127 and poring over his books in the city of Cork, has been, on his arriA^al in the metro polis ofthe kingdom, caressed by all ranks of people, and admitted into the intimate society of Reverend Protestant Doctors, and the most erainent characters who shine in the senate, what evil could arise there from to his religion or its professors ? Or is it a sufficient plea for traducing hira as an apostate from the faith of his fathers * ? Such, notAvithstanding, is the rumour that prevailed in your city as well as in Water ford, if I ara not raisinformed by gentlemen who spent some time in both places, and Avho were surprised to see rae bless myself at table in Dublin. But let the din of calurany die away with the tongues that sounded it ; and let us pass to a point of raore iraportance than the injured character of an individual. from the world, which was the boast of his after life ; and a renewal of which formed, perhaps, the last wish, connected with home, that lingered in his memory. * A report, equally groundless and insidious, was cir culated at this time, that O'Leary intended speedily to shake off his habit, and assume the more graceful cassock of the established church. His letter is an answer to the calumny. 128 THE LIFE OF " The Storm that is ready to burst over the heads of the regular clergy, has been gather ing these two years past ; and let the blame lie at your own doors, if you resemble a Jonas plunged in his slumbers, whilst the lot is casting to throw him overboard. It is to be presumed, that the cathohc gen tleraen of your part of the world have too rauch candor, and too great a regard for the honour of religion, to blame a part of their ministers, for using every precaution that prudence can suggest, in order to avert the danger with which they are threatened. It reflects no honor on their religion, nor on us, to have the characters of ecclesiastics lacerated and torn by virulent declama tions in a protestant senate, and painted in the high colourings, of rebels to the state, nuisances to the public, and papal spies ; which will be the language used when de bates will ensue on the propriety or impro priety of banishing the regular clergy, or dissolving their institutions, by transferring their obedience frora their own„sup(griors to others, and decreeing, that after the de cease of the present generation no raore of them shall be adraitted into the kingdora. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY 129 which is the purport of the bill — the more dangerous as the roughness of its features is softened by the air of lenity shewn to the secular clergy — the more dangerous, as the person who is to introduce it will not lay it before the comraittee of the cathohc laity, nor even before that of the bishops. " It will take its rise in the House of Lords. The mine is already worked ; but we cannot yet discover the hand that is to give it vent. It may possibly take its origin in the Coraraons ; but in whichever Of the two the scene is to be exhibited, the play will be the raore disagreeable to us, as the characters have it in rehearsal this long tirae past, and really imagine that they will speak the sentiraents of the raajority of the catholics, in giving full scope to their own prejudices against persons whom, from the principles of their religion, they were taught to view in inverted attitudes. " Some ofthe raembers theraselves make no secret of what you have heretofore deemed a.pbantom; and Mr. Dillon, a sanguine advocate for the Roraan catholics, told rae the whole affair last Easter Sunday, in presence of Robert Caldwell, Esq., father K 130 THE LIFE OF to the two young ladies in the Louth Nun- nery. He was kind enough to tell me, that as for my part, I had nothing to fear; that I had gained the affection ofthe head protestants of the kingdom, &c. ; but that the friars were an obnoxious set of men, who must be either removed, or put under the control of the bishops during the lives of the present generation, with absolute prohibition to admit any more of them. What astonished me most, was this gentle man's eagerness to promote the welfare of the catholics in general, his particular friendship for me, but still, his unshaken resolution to co-operate in the plan for the destruction of the religious orders. 1 thanked him for his civility tOAvards me; but declared that I would either stand or fall Avith my brethren, who must have been misrepresented to him : I pointed out to him the example of Great Britain, and the protestant powers of the continent, who extend the protection of the laAvs to the regulars as Avell as seculars. I told hira that we were of use to the people, without being any incumbrance to the public, whereas we hve upon little, and that this little is got 18 IHE REVEREND ARTHUR OLEARY. 131 without compulsion : that protestant magi strates have no room to complain of us: they do not contribute to our support ; nor even catholics, as it lies at their option either to give or refuse : that a vow of leading a poorer life should never expose a clergyman to the censure or animad version of the laws, as the clergy are never more exposed to the censure of their flocks than when they seek to lead a parapered life, and to accumulate riches : and that, in extending his views to future tiraes, and prohibiting any raore regulars, he only fabricated chains for religious liberty, and hindered raan from serving God in the manner he would think more acceptable to hira. I argued Avithout persuading, and retired without convincing him. *' Two of the members in whom I could repose an entire confidence, were consulted as to the plan Ave should adopt. They advised, 1st. That immediate application be made to all the catholic bishops for their signatures in favor of our usefulness to the public : the same application to be made to the raost respectable ofthe catholic laity, wherever we have establishments. k2 132 THE LIFE OP 2dly. That a short meraorial be printed, and copies of it given to every member in both houses, in order to prevent the bill from being introduced, if possible ; or, if it be introduced, to point out the ground on which our friends (if any should speak in our favor) may go. These resolutions have been adopted in a raeeting of the regular superiors in Dublin ; and I ara ordered to forward thera to you and the other superiors in your city, as they are forwarded to all other cities where we have convents. You are then, iraraediately, to convene the regular superiors of Cork, who are to send two, or as raany as they think fit, in their naraes, to Dr. Butler, for his signature to the following attestation. " We certify that the regular clergy are useful to the public by their instructions, and by instilling the principles of good morals ; and, therefore, think them worthy of being protected in their own institu tions. " You are to transmit the sarae to the Bishops of Cloyne and Kerry, and get two gentlemen to procure the signatures of the laity. Let the application be made to the THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 133 bishops, whether they sign or not, for reasons too obvious to mention. I waited yesterday morning on Lord Kenmare, Avho approves of the plan suggested by the two gentlemen above alluded to. To-mor row the superiors are to wait on Dr. Car penter. " I repeat it again, no bill relative to the regulars is to appear before any of the committees ; therefore, be not lulled asleep ; but proceed immediately, and let the sig natures of the citizens of Cork be on a fine skin of parchment, and your answer irarae diately addressed to us. " Yours, Sec. " ARTHUR O'LEARY. " A private hint. — Sir Lucius O'Brien waited two days ago on Dr. Carpenter, with the joyous tidings that \Sx borough) inquired of him what news from Ireland? But on Dr.Husse}^ stating some instances of the despotic and sanguinary rule Avhich prevailed at the time, the in quirer turned aAvay Avithout hearing the conclusion. The press, as avcU in England as in Ireland, poured forth abuse in abun dance upon hira ; and that heterogeneous mass of libel, greek, and intolerance, the " Pursuits qf Literature," proclaimed' him a rebel to the state, and an inveterate enemy to the church establishment of the country. * The man, who Avas thus assailed, rose superior to resentment ; and religion si lenced the murraurs which occasionally awoke in his bosom. Little more is ne cessary to finish the imperfect sketch, Avhich it is intended to give of his character in this place. After laying the foundation, in his diocese, of many useful and religious institutions, and devoting the principal part of his ecclesiastical income to the establish ment of schools, he spent some time in London ; from which city, during the short * See " Pursuits of Literature," preface to the fourth dialogue. 206 THE LIPE OF peace of 1802, he went to Paris. At the period of Bishop Hussey's arrival in the French capital, the details of the concordat between the Pope and Bonaparte were negotiating. Amongst those Avho were entrusted by the Holy See with the ar rangement of this difficult and delicate concern, Avere the Cardinal Gonsalvi and the Archbishop of Corinth ; Avho anxiously availed themselves of that talent for diplo macy, which, in a peculiar manner, dis tinguished the Bishop of Waterford ; and they associated him to themselves, as an able, wise, and experienced counsellor and adviser. At an early stage of the negotia tion, Dr. Hussey attended a meeting ofthe commissioners named by both sides ; at which the First Consul was hiraself pre sent. The countenance of the Bishop of Waterford Avas fitted to engage attention, and attract regard. It did not escape the searching and discerning eye ©f Bonaparte : and he addressed hiraself during the entire conference to Hussey, with a warmth, earnestness, and enthusiasm, characteristic certainly of that great man, but seldom excited to any degree, except Avhen roused THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 20/ in the conflict of opinion with some mind of congenial or rival poAvers. He was afterwards heard to speak in terms of respect of Hussey ; who, in his turn, paid the tribute of admiration to the Avarrior and the statesman, whose talents and atchieve- ments seeraed then to have fixed the aber rations, and to have closed Avith glory the course of that raighty event, Avhich had shaken the thrones of Europe to their centre ; and which, until forced to bend before his commanding genius, had baffled all calculation, and derided all control. In such hands as these, the terms of the con cordat were soon arranged ; and to the cleverness of Dr. Hussey it was in a great degree OAving, that some very objectionable measure, on which Bonaparte had fixed his mind, Avere not persevered in, and forced on the adoption of the Holy See. The Bishop of Waterford returned to his diocese in the close of the year 1802 ; and in July 1803, while bathing in the sea at Tramore, he was seized with an apoplec tic fit, which soon terminated his life, at an advanced age. " He closed," says a writer 208 THE LIPE OP already quoted, " A long and useful life- rauch loved and much respected. • " With a sigh, to find " The base ingratitude of low mankind." Pope. Such was the associate O'Leary had in the duties of the ministry, whilst he re mained attached to the Spanish embassy. On his arrival in London, he was anxiously sought after by his countryraen residing in that capital, who all felt gratified by every opportunity which offered itself, of paying respect to one who had done so much honor to religion and their country. Mr. Edmond Burke was very raarked in the regard Avhich he raanifested to O'Leary : he introduced him to the Duke of York, and some other members of the royal family ; and always spoke of the good effect of his writings Avith his character istic enthusiasm. It was, in fact, impossible, after an evening spent in his society, not to seek at every future opportunity a renewal ofthe delight which his wit, pleasantry, and Avisdom afforded. He could be grave Avhen occasion required it; but the element in THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 209 which he lived, and without Avhich his mind languished in comparative depression, was innocent rairth. His jokes were inoffen sive, and his puns were such, as raade the hearer alraost question the justness ofthe classification, by which they are assigned the last rank in the efforts of imagination. Notwithstanding, however, the joy which he diffused amongst others, and CA^eii whilst his voice was heard fearlessly plead ing the rights of humanity, his oavu mind was not always the dwelling place of con tentraent. He frequently revicAved life through a gloomy medium, and drcAv his conclusions of its value, more from Avhatby possibility raight occur, than from Avhat Avas actually taking place around him. He conteraplated the evening of his days as a season peculiarly to be dreaded : his fertile imagination peopled it Avith threatening spectres ; and he often expressed his fears of helplessness and want under the pressure of old age. The voice of reason, and the soothings of friendship, sometimes dissi pated these shadoAvy bodings : but they often returned; and, as he expressed him self to an acquaintance in Avhom he rauch p 210 THE LIFE OF confided, " they poisoned his hours of in nocent amusement." Amongst other traits of humour that distinguished his residence in England, his acquaintance Avith the Avell known Daniel Danser, of penurious notoriety, is not the least remarkable. The retired habits, and low cautious avarice Avhich characterised that strange man, rendered an introduction to him difficult, and an intimacy of any continuance a matter almost out of the range of possibility. The obstacles to both Avere overcome by O'Leary. During a visit Avhich he made in the neighbourhood where Danser resided, he found means to gain admittance into the ruined dwelling where the miser passed his life. Some strange communication, Avhich he contrived to have conveyed to the object of his search, got him admittance to a filthy apartment, where the haggard lord of the mansion anxiousl}^ awaited his arrival. O'Leary introduced himself as a relative of the Danser family, and in a most amusing strain of brilliant and delightful detail of the origin of the narae, and the exploits of the early founders of the race from THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 21 1 David, Avho danced before the Israelites, he traced the progress of their descent to the collateral branches, the ^e\ch jumpers, then conteraporaries of dancing notoriety. His wit triumphed : for a moment the sallow brow of avarice became illumined by the indications ofadefighted mind, and Danser had courage enough to invite his visitor to partake of a glass of wine, which, he said, he would procure for his refresh ment. A cordial shake hands was the return made for O'Leary's polite refusal of so expensive a compliment ; and he came from the house followed by its strange tenant, who, to the arausement of O'Leary, and the astonishment ofthe only other per son who witnessed the scene, solicited the favor of another visit. The " two-edged sword of Avit," as that faculty has been termed, was wielded by O'Leary in the raore serious circumstances of life, as well as in its playful hours. An instance where the painful exercise of this talent was happily spared, occurred at one of the meetings of the English catholics, during the celebrated blue hook controversy. One of the individuals Avho was expected , p2 212 THE LIFE Of to advocate the objectionable designation of " protesting catholic dissenters," au appellation equally ludicrous and unneces sary, Avas remarkable for an affected mode of public speaking. What in dress is termed foppish, Avould be appropriate as applied to his oratory. He Avas no admirer of O'Leary, and the feeling of dislike was as mutual as could Avell be conceived. Hira, therefore, O'Leary selected as the opponent with whom he meant to grapple. Those to whom he communicated his intention, and Avho knew his powers, looked forAvard with expectation " on tiptoe," for a scene of enjoyment that no anticipation could ex aggerate. Disappointment Avas, however, their lot. The meeting passed over quietly, and neither the objectionable matter nor speaker Avas brought forAvard. HoAvever much his friends regretted this circum stance, O'Leary Avas himself sincerelv pleased ; for he never desired to 2;ive unnecessary pain. The gentlemen in con cert with Avhom he acted, dined together after the meeting, and the conversation happening to turn on the disappointment Avhich they had experienced in the result of "^I'HE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 213 the debate, one of them Avho knew OXeary intiraately, inquired Avhat line of argument he had intended to pursue, if the meeting had assumed the objectionable aspect which was dreaded — this Avas applying the torch to gunpowder : he commenced an exhi bition of the ludicrous so like Avhat would have taken place, so true in manner and matter to Avhat every one Avho knew the parties could anticipate, that the assem blage vvas convulsed with laughter to a degree that raade it memorable in tlie recol lections of all who witnessed it. Mr. Butler in his Historical Memoirs of the English catholics, already quoted, de scribes O'Leary's person and mode of argu ment exactly, in the following words : " The appearance of Father O'Leary was simple. In his countenance there was a mixture of goodness, solemnity, and drollery, Avhich fixed every eye that beheld it. No one Avas raore generally loved or revered ; no one less assuraing or more pleasing in his manner. Seeing his external simplicity, persons with Avhom he Avas arguing, Avere sometimes tempted to treat him cavalierly; but then the solemnity Avith Avhich he Avovild r3 214 THE LIFE OF raystify his adversary, and ultimately lead hira into the raost distressing absurdity was one of the raost delightful scenes that conversation ever exhibited." At one of the meetings of the Englisb catholic board, whilst O'Leary was ad dressing the chairman, the late Lord Petre, it was suggested by the noble president that the speaker was entering on topics not calculated to promote the unanimity of the assembly. O'Leary, however, per severed ; on which Lord Petre intenupted him, adding, " Mr. O'Leary, I regret rauch to see that you are out of order." The reply Avas equally quick and characteristic — "I thank you for your anxiety, ray lord; but I assure you / never was in better health in my life." The archness of raanner with which these words were uttered was triura phant, and every unpleasant feeling was lost in the rairth which was necessarily excited. His sentiraents regarding the disputes which then agitated the catholic body of England, and the effects of Avhich are still felt even at this distance of time, may be gathered from the letters which he Avrote to his friends at that period. In a com- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 215 inunication, dated June 16, 1789, the fol lowing passage occurs, " We expect that our bill will come on to-day, though Ave much doubt its success. The general opinion is, that as our demands are confined to an equality Avith the other dissenters, who are disqualified from holding any offices, civil or military, the chance is in our favor. Should it succeed, it will be but a small return for the humiliating steps that have been taken in order to obtain it. The petitioners call themselves catholic dissen ters, and to gratify the framers of their absurd protestation, become the implied accusers of all the catholics upon the earth, in the following Avords, ' we are not an swerable for any wicked doctrine ivhich may be held by other catholics !' Their maxim is not to quarrel about words." In a letter, dated 5th April 1791, he writes — " The bill for the refief of the English catholics is to be read in the House of Commons for the last tirae on Thursday next the 7th instant. The catholic com mittee, headed by Lord Petre, Lord Stourghton, Bishop Berrington, Rev. Mr. Wilkes of Bath, and many highly respect- p4 216 THE LIPE OP able individuals, have appealed from the decision of the three apostolical vicars, on the oath to all the catholic churches of Europe, but especially to the apostolical see; and they have done so, in ray opinion, in terins that bespeak rauch impropriety and acrimony. They set forth, that the bishop's condemnation of the oath is sub versive of the rights of society, and other words, which fall little short of charging the prelates Avith high treason 1 At least a protestant, who reads their appeal, would be apt to think so. This justice, however, must be done to the coraraittee, that in their explanation of the oath they shew themselves as orthodox as their opponents, and profess not to deviate one tittle from any article of the catholic faith. Differ ence of loyalty between the parties, there is none. The opposers laid before the House of Coraraons their reasons for not taking an oath in which the letter seeras to clash with the spirit, though it be taken in the obvious sense of the words. This turned the scales : Pitt behaved in a raan ner which does hira honor, by moving the expunction of such words as gave offence THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 217 to those who differed from the committee, and declaring that government did not wish to interfere in their religious opinions. Thus, after a violent contest between the catholics theraselves, and an inundation of paraphlets for and against a crude jumble of words, they are to be taken under the protection of the laws, unless opposed in the House of Peers by the bishops. His Grace of Canterbury is for vis, and respect for the metropolitan will, I trust, induce the suffragans to be moderate." To the Right Rev. Dr. Moylan, Cork. " My Lord, London, July 12th. " The fluctuating state of affairs here, and the uncertainty of the fate of the bill in favor of the English catholics, have pre vented me hitherto from Avriting any thing with certainty. Now, at last, the die is cast ; and, while the other nations of Eu rope enjoy the sunshine of toleration, England remains clouded with the darkness of fanaticism and intolerance ! The little share a religious spirit has in these pro ceedings is manifest (the clamor against popery excepted), from their general heed- 218 THE LIFE OP lessness of pure religion or morality. The efforts of the catholics Avere directed to wards obtaining the moderate privilege of being classed with the numerous sectaries who differ from the religion of the state. In the raidst of their expectations of success, and when the business was brought to a crisis, Mr. Pitt declared, that he would give no support whatever to any bill in their favor during the present session — ' ivhat- ever he may do in the next.' " The opportunity, however, was favor able ; as, at the same time, a bill passed in favor of the Scotch episcopalians, who were in the sarae predicament with the catholics. Even the nation had not, as on all forraer occasions, taken the alarra ; nor Avere paraphlets and lying essays against popery scattered abroad, according to the old systera. " As for Earl Stanhope, from whom the catholics expected so much, he is an en thusiast who was reared in Geneva. He imagines that an English catholic and a papist are beings diametrically opposite. He is so averse to the latter, that in his famous heads of a bill for exonerating his 15 THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 2] 9 majesty's subjects from the fines and pe nalties decreed by the statutes of Elizabeth against such as eat flesh on fish days, he excludes the papists ; who alone, by this bill, if they eat flesh on forbidden days, raust pay the fine. " I know your lordship to be such a lover of discipline, that, however unsociable Earl Stanhope raay be to a papist, yet I suspect that you would be glad to have a dozen justices of the peace or bailiffs of his stara}) in your diocese. They would keep your popish beefsteak-eaters on Fridays and Saturdays under greater control, than if you had twelve vicars general ! " My friend, Mr. David Rochfort, is two letters in ray debt. I shall not increase the burden ; for I always raake a rule, never to trouble a silent correspondent with a third claira. " With respect and veneration, " Your Lordship's hurable servant, " ARTHUR O'LEARY. " A letter, of which the following is a transcript, was sent by O'Leary to the editor of a London newspaper : 220 THE LIFE OF " Sir, London, June 5th, 1790. " A confusion of names gave rise, some months ago, to a mistake, copied from the Dubfin Evening Post into the Bath Chro nicle, and other papers, in this kingdom ; viz. " that I had read my recantation in St. Werburgh's church in Dublin." Thus a mistake has changed me into a conform ist, though I never changed my creed. " If, in reality, the tenets of my church Avere such as prejudice and ignorance pro claim thera : — if they taught me, that a papal dispensation could sanctify guilt, sanction conspiracies, murders, the extir pation of my felloAv creatures, on account of difference in religious opinions, perjury to promote the catholic cause, by pious breaches of allegiance to protestant kings, or rebellion against their government : — if it were an article of my belief, that a priestly absolution, without sorrow for my sins, or a resolution of amendment, had the power ofa charm, to reclaim me to the state of unoffending infancy, and enable me, like Milton's devil, to leap from the gulf of sin into paradise, Avithout purifying my heart, or changing my affections : — THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 221 if it Avere an article of ray faith, that the grace of an indulgence could give me the extraordinary privilege of sinning without guilt, or offending Avithout punishment : — if it inculcated any raaxim evasive of moral rectitude : — in a word, ifthe features of my religion corresponded with the pic tures drawn of it in flying pamphlets and anniversary declamations, I AvoUld consider myself, and the rest of my fraternity, as doAvnright idiots, wickedly stupid, to re main one hour in a state which deprives us of our rights as citizens ; Avhereas, such an accommodating scheme would make them not only attainable, but certain. " Your correspondent does me the ho nor to rank me with Lord Dunboyne, for merly titular Bishop of Cork, and with Mr. Kirwan. If they have changed their reli gion from a thorough conviction of its falsehood, they have done Avell. It is the duty of every sincere inquirer after truth, to comply with the immediate dictates of his conscience, in embracing that religion which he believes raost acceptable to God. Deplorable indeed must be the state of the man avIio lives in Avilful error. For, hoAv- 222 THE LIFE OP ever an allwise God may hereafter dispose of those who err in their honesty, and whose error is involuntary and invincible, surely no road can be right to the wretch Avho walks in, or takes it against convic tion. A thorough conviction, then, that I am in the right road to eternal life, if my moral conduct corresponds with my specu lative belief, keeps rae Avithin the pale of my church, in direct opposition to my tera poral interest : and no protestant nobleraan or gentleraan of ray acquaintance dis- esteeins me the more for adhering to my creed, knowing that a catholic and an honest man are not contradictory terms. " I do not consider Lord Dunboyne as a model after whora I should copy. With his silver locks, and at an age when per sons who had devoted themselves to the service of the altar in their early days, should, like the Emperor Charles the V., rather think of their coffins than the nup tial bed, that prelate married a young Avoman. Whether the glowing love of truth, or Hymen's torch, induced him to change the Roraan pontifical for the book of Common Prayer, and the Psalms he and THE REA'EREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 223 I often sung together, for a bridal hymn, his own conscience is the best corapetent to determine. Certain, however, it is, that if the charms of the fair sex can captivate an old bishop to such a degree as to in duce him to renounce his breviary ; similar motives, and the prospect of aggrandise ment, may induce a young ecclesiastic to change his cassock. " Having, from my early days, accus tomed myself to get tbe mastery over ambi tion and love, the two passions that in every ' age have enslaved the greatest heroes , your correspondent may rest assured, that I am not one of the trio mentioned in his letter. " I have the honor to be, &c. " ARTHUR O'LEARY." The conversion to the protestant church, of Lord Dunboyne, as alluded to by O'Leary in this letter, was the only instance in Ireland, of an apostate catholic bishop* ; and as that nobleman's conduct excited no * Brown, the Archbishop of Dublin, was the first ec clesiastic in Ireland who took the oath of supremacy to' Ehzabeth. That, and the adoption of the Common Prayer, were the only prodfs given by him of his hatred of popery. They were, certainly, enough to separate him from the catholic church. 224 THE LIFE OP ordinary degree of attention at the time, we shall briefly notice his history. John Butler, the twelfth Lord Dunboyne, had for twenty-three years filled the Roman catholic see of Cork, when he renounced his creed and mitre. In his early days he had devoted himself to the service of the church ; but in consequence of his having lost an eye, his ordination was delayed till the canonical impediment which that cir cumstance induced, had been dispensed Avith at Rome ; Avhere, in the presence of two cardinals appointed for that purpose, he Avas obliged to go through the cere monies usual in the celebration ofthe divine mysteries. The dignity of his birth, and the interest of some very poAverful friends, led, in sorae years, to his appointment to the diocese of Cork. His learning Avas not ex tensive or profound, and his moral conduct, in the latter years of his episcopacy, was said not to be of that strict and exemplary nature which his station as a Christian bishop demanded. * His change of creed * This assertion is authorised by the testimony of some most respectable persons, protestants as well as catholics, who were intimate acquaintances of Lord Dunboyne. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 225 was not a circurastance calculated to inflict rauch injury on the body with whom he had so long lived as a superior ; and with whom, in the end of his life, he sought re conciliation and forgiveness. The motive of his apostacy was undisguised faraily ambition. Change of religious principle, there was none ; and he carried about the hypocritical mask in too slovenly and hesi tating a way, not to give rise to doubts of his sincerity, even in the rainds of the least observant persons. By the death of his brother Pierce, and his nephew Pierce Edniond Creagh Butler, an infant, the title and estates devolved to him. He had ahvays been a slave to family importance ; and he grieved to find himself the last barren link of a long and distinguished race. He expected from Rome a dispensation frora the obligations of his episcopal character, and perraission to raarry. The hopes of perpetuating his narae and family, led him into these raelan choly raistakes. His application to the Holy See was answered by the language of stern rebuke, and araazeraent at the strange supplication. But he was not to * Q 226 THE LIFE OF be turned aside frora the purposes on which he had deterrained; and in a short time, and at an advanced age, he went through the cereraony of marriage, in the town of Clonraell, with a young lady, a relative of his own, and daughter to Theobald Butler, Esq., of Wilfordj in the county of Tip- perary. Lord Dunboyne never officiated in the protestant church. After his apostacy, he frequented the services of that religion on Sundays; and on one or two occasions, when ordinations were held in the chapel of Trinity College during his residence in Dubfin, he was invited to assist at the im position of hands, but he studiously and anxiously declined doing so. On the pain ful intelligence being conveyed to Rome of his marriage, the pope addressed to him a letter, of which the following is a trans lation :* * The original will be found in the Apppendix D. I am indebted for the translation to my valued friend Janjes Roche, Esq. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 227 *« The letter of Pius the VI. Sovereign Pontiff, to John Butler, Baron of Dun boyne, and Bishop of Cork. " Pius VL " To our venerable brother, John Bishop of Cork, greeting : " It is not to be believed, venerable brother, with what consternation and an guish of raind we have been seized and overwhelmed, ever since we received au thentic inforraation, that such was the height of infatuation which your raisconduct had reached, that you intended to espouse a certain protestant female ; and dare, even now, to live with her in a state of most dis graceful concubinage. It seeraed unto us, like sorae portentous visitation from heaven, that a person, who had for above three and twenty years filled the station of a bishop, should, at this moment, so far disregard the holy laws — so far degrade the episcopal character and his own, as to involve him self in such a depth of sharae, to inflict on the church so gross an outrage, and con sciously and voluntarily, to plunge his own soul into utter perdition. Truly, we shud- q2 228 THE LIFE OF dered with horror at this flagitious pro ceeding ; nor can we now, frora the intense agitation of our feelings, find words com petent to express our indignation, at such an excess of depravity. Yet, araidst the variety of painful eraotions Avhich it has excited — of grief, amazeraent, detestation, aUxiety, and affliction ; far ascendant above the rest, and predorainant in our bosora, is a truly paternal commiseration for yourself, and an ardent longing to rescue you, if possible, from such an abyss of profligacy and wretchedness. " With this view, our first irapulse is, to iraplore for you the raercy of God, and earnestly to intreat, and through his son onr Lord Jesus Christ, to supplicate of hira, to recall you to your genuine feelings, to inspire you with contrition and penitence for your transgression, and, in his pity, to grant you the desire of emerging from your debasement ; a heartfelt sorrow, and an abundant flow of tears, wherewith to wash away your iniquities, and repair your scan dals ; and, finally, to withdraw you from the paths of perdition, by a sincere con version. THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 229 " Wherefore, we summon, we address, and beseech you, brother, fairly to view your condition ; to abhor and bewail your wickedness, lest in the end, you draw on yourself that raost dread of all Goo's judgraents, which yet remains suspended ; and, meanwhile, expose yourself to the hea viest chastiseraentof your offence,naraely — to be abandoned' by the divine grace in the midst of your delinquency, and when sunk deepest in guilt, to be least sensible of its enormity. " Recollect what you were when dis charging the functions of a bishop, and what even now you are, clothed, as you still continue to be, with that dignity which you so much dishonor and pollute. With all the warmth of zeal, therefore, which our pontifical character cafis upon us to exert, WE exhort and beseech you, brother in the Lord, to awaken and arise. We admonish, we reprove, and rebuke you, and bring to our aid every office and ministry of paternal love, solicitude, and correction to rouse, to elevate, and inflarae you — raiserably prostrate as you are, to the thoughts of salvation and the necessity of repentance. q3 230 THE LIFE OP " But, if — which God forbid! you slight the stings of conscience : — if you remain deaf to the invocation of this warning voice, and persist in the raire and turpitude of so opprobrious a life, it will be our iraperative duty, of which we give you this denuncia tion and soleran notice, to assume the part and enforce the raeasures prescribed by the sacred canons — raeasures with Avhich, after having so long exercised the office of a bishop, you cannot be unacquainted. " In conclusion, we reiterate our suppli cation to God, to imbue you with the spirit of amendraent and compunction ; and in the auspicious confidence that his mercy will be extended to you, we most cordially, venerable brother, bestow on you the apostolical benediction. " Given at Rome, this 9th day of June 1787, in the 13th year of our pon tificate." This feeling appeal fell coldly on the mind of the unhappy raan to whom it was addressed. He had overstepped the boun dary beyond which every resolve is heart less ; and every act led hira further from THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 231 the reproaches of religion. Still he had friends who looked after him Avith fond solicitude and deep regret; but their anxieties were thrown away upon a raan who had so implicated himself, that whichever way he looked, he found difficulties alraost insurraountable presenting theraselves to his view. Archbishop Butler had claims to his regard, as well on account of near relation ship, as of ecclesiastical superiority. To him the above letter was transraitted by the Holy See : he coraraunicated the cir curastance to Lord Dunboyne ; and, in consequence, a raeeting was held between them. The following is the archbishop's account of this interview : — "I have been this day," August 11th, 1787, " with Lord Dunboyne. The interview was, by his own appointment, at Dr. Fogarty's ; and we were alone. He read the brief, with great attention ; and appeared somewhat, I can not say much, affected by it. Fle promised me an answer for his holiness, after the assizes. He still thinks that a dispensation may be obtained ; and that it is cruel to refuse it to one circumstanced as he is ! I said a great deal to hira ; but in a perfect q4 232 THE LIFE OF spirit of fraternal charity, gentleness, and mildness — not to extinguish the smoaking jlax." The good archbishop's heart, and the kindly feelings of his OAvn amiable dis position, led him to think that the interfer ence of Bishop Egan's enlightened mind and holy admonitions might be effectual in recalling Lord Dunboyne to a sense of his situation ; and he therefore urged hira to seek an interview : but the hope was vain ; and it was not till towards the close of a painful and protracted life, that the un happy nobleraan sought forgiveness and reconciliation frora that church, the raem bers of which he had so deeply scandalised, and the superiority and truth of whose doctrines he penitently acknowledged, when raotives of Avorldly arabition and de grading passion had ceased to influence his raind and heart. O'Leary enjoyed, during the latter years of his life, a pension frora the Irish go vernraent. As the terras, under which this gift was accepted, have formed matter for various conjecture, it raay be necessary, for the sake of doing justice to his cha racter, that, on this subject, Ave go some- THE REVEREND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 233 what into detail. Frequent offers had been made to O'Leary before he left Ireland, by the ministry, to lead him to write some thing in support of the measures which they pursued, in the government of the country ; and induceraents were ultimately held forth, for the purpose of engaging him as the supporter of a governraent newspaper of much celebrity. These at tempts were uniformly unsuccessful ; and, whatever feelings of restraint his receiving a pension may have induced on his con duct, there is little doubt that his accept ance of it was unaccorapanied by any terras offensive to his principles, either as a native of Ireland or a raan of the strictest political integrity. The history of this pen sion is as follows : — Soon after he had fixed his residence perraanently in London, one day whilst dining with his attached and valuable friend Mr. Keating the bookseller, he Avas inforraed that Lord Sydney's secretary was in the adjoining parlour, and had a cora raunication to raake to hira. He imme diately left the table ; and when in a short time he returned, he related the substance 234 THE LIFE OF of the interview. The secretary stated to hira that governraent had observed with rauch satisfaction the good effects which Mr. O'Leary's writings had produced in Ireland — peace, good order, and unaniraity araongst all classes of his countrymen, had been proraoted and advanced by his exer tions ; and that, in consideration ofthe ser vices thus rendered to the erapire, it was determined to manifest the approbation of such conduct, by offering him a pension suitable to his circumstances, and Avorthy of his acceptance — that with a delicacy arising from the ignorance of his means of subsistence, they had as yet hesitated fixing on any specific sum, choosing rather to learn from hiraself what would answer his expectations, than to determine on what might be insufficient for his clairas. The secretary took the liberty of asking a question, to which, at the sarae time, he did not insist on receiving an answer— -whether in the event of any popular comraotion in Ireland, as it was dreaded would be the case frora the diffusion of Araerican re publican notions, O'Leary would advocate, as formerly, principles of loyally and alle- 14* THE REVERIiND ARTHUR O'LEARY. 235 giance ? To this latter ^question an un hesitating reply was given confirmatory of the known inflexibility of O'Leary's poli tical conduct : with regard to the pension, he never had sought for one ; though at a former period of his life something of th