Philip Ellis, one of ye monks of the royal Benedictine convent, was consecrated bishop of Aureliapolis, and had Wales for his district, æt suæ anno 36, profess. 17. professed at Douay. From his retirement at Mount Cassin, he was called in 1708, by pope Clement IX. to Rome, and given to the see of Signey, near Rome, having been long before assistant and prelate domestic to ye popes; for after ye revolution of the Prince of Orange, he at last thought it most convenient to betake himself to Rome." (Weldon's Chron. Notes.)

"Ann. 1686, Jan. 1, S. V.-The bishops and superiors of the regulars in England, were ordered to attend his majesty at nine o'clock, who made them all a most admirable speech to persuade them to love and unity amongst themselves, as being all concerned for ye public good, assuring them, that for his part, he would do as mnch as lay in him, and as he could do by law, to propagate ye Catholic faith, and that he would be a most obedient child of his Mother, the Holy Apostolic and Roman Church; and desired their advice and counsel from time to time as to what might be most expedient to be done, desiring their conversation might be such as might give no ill example to ye enemies of ye Church, not only in their manners, but doctrine. For, said he, there are some, who out of ambition to be counted great and learned, hold erroneous principles contrary to the Catholic Faith, and have had many followers, and yt by name Mr. Blacklow, and advised them not to admit of his principles ; and many other things he said with much freedom, begging their prayers, yt he might prosper in his designs, his only aim and design being ye honour and glory of God, and advancing Catholic religion." (Weldon's Chron. Notes.)

"October 25, 1688-The baptismal ceremony of ye Prince of Wales was performed at ye said Chappel, for as to the sacrament of baptism, it was conferr'd on him ye next day after his birth.

In December following, ye Revolution of ye Prince of Orange bereav'd our F. F. of their royal Chapel and Convent of St. James's, and ye House was profaned by ye wickedness, wch in the depths of God's judgment was then permitted to prerail." (Weldon's Chron. notes.)

"Not satisfied with securing to his popish subjects within

the precincts of his palace, the free exercise of their religion, at a time when the most limited degree of that religious toleration now so liberally enjoyed by every British subject, was considered as a contrivance at heresy. James most imprudently instituted a "popish College in the Abbey of Holyrood," and published rules for it on the 22nd March 1688, inviting children to be there educated gratis. He also appointed one Wat

popish printer, who had availed himself of the protection of the sanctuary, to be king's printer in Holyrood-house. This Watson also obtained a right from the privy Council, to print all the prognostications at Edinburgh; which accounts for several books bearing in their title pages to have been printed at that period in Holyrood-house.

"On the 22nd November, 1686, the king's yatch arrived from London at Leith, with the altar, vestments, images, priests, and their appurtenances, for the celebration of popish worship in the Royal Chapel. On St. Andrew's day, (30th November) the Chapel was consecrated by holy water, and a sermon by Wederington. The effects of this imprudence soon became manifest; for in December 1688, the populace of Edinburgh meditated revenge, and being joined by the students of the University, proceeded to Holyrood-house, to accomplish their design upon the unconscious structure. They were indeed opposed by the guard; who fired upon them under the direction of Captain Wallace; but having surmounted this obstacle, they forced the doors of the Chapel, and after destroying the ornamental parts of the building, carried off the furniture to the cross, where it was burned in zealous triumph." Historical description of Holyrood-house.

"Fanatical fury, and political apostacy, even went further. They violated the sacred habitation of the dead, and profaned the sepulchres of their kings. They outraged its sanctity, by tearing open the coffins that held the mouldering ashes of James V. of Magdalene of France, his first queen, of the Earl of Darnley, once their monarch, and of others who had held the Scottish sceptre. Avarice maintained divided empire with religion over their minds. They sold the lead of which the coffins were made! and left the bodies an unseemly spectacle, and a degrading memorial of popular frenzy." Border Ant. No. viii. p. 78.

ties were incurred not only by refusing to be present at the Protestant Church, but by refusing to take the oath of supremacy, which implies, as worded, a solemn abjuration of the Catholic Faith; this oath might be tendered by any two justices of the peace, without any previous information or complaint of any other person; by this means a Catholic, who had attained the age of 16, and who did not in six months after take this oath, was rendered incapable of possessing lands under any form whatever, which during his Recusancy came into the hands of the next Protestant heir, who was not obliged to account for any of the profits; he was incapable of purchasing; and all estates, terms, interests, or profits out of lands made, done or suffered, to his use, or in trust for him, were made void. Catholics being of the age of 18 years, and not having taken this oath, were subject to a double land tax. Other laws excluded Catholics from every office, even the most trivial, unless they made, contrary to their own conviction, the declarations against Transubstantion and Popery.

The Penal Laws enacted against Roman Catholics in England, were merciful, when compared with the laws framed against them in Ireland. The Irish Penal Laws were aggravated with this circumstance, that they were made in open defiance of a most solemn treaty, called The Treaty of Limerick, by which King William secured to the Irish Catholics the undisturbed exercise of their religion, with a solemn promise on his part, to procure the said Roman Catholics such further security in that particular, as may preserve them from any disturbance upon account of their said Religion. (Treaty of Limerick, Art 1.) Yet 12 years only elapsed before the Catholics were deprived of every right and privilege which was solemnly guaranteed to them by that treaty.

"A History of the Penal Laws against the Irish Catholics, from the Treaty of Limerick, to the Union," has been published by Henry Parnell, Esq. M. P. In this work is found an account of laws the most cruel and unnatural; and a detail of sufferings, perhaps, unequalled in the history of human calamity, and endured with a patience, which nothing, it should seem, but a deep-felt sense of religion on their parts, and a due submission to their pastors, did or could inspire. Penal

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it. All was instantly in confusion within the Church, and the authority of the king alone prevented the exasperated populace from laying violent hands upon the culprit, who was conveyed to a place of security; and afterwards tried and executed for the fact. So much for this godly martyr, in whose praises, the annalist is more than ordinarily diffuse. We now come to the martyrs and confessors in queen Mary's reign; and really their cases are each one so similar to those of the same era, which have been already noticed in similar months, that it is difficult to point out any circumstance worthy of notice regarding these, which has not been already related of others. Of the first fifteen, one is said to have died of sickness, and fourteen to have suffered death in the year 1555. In the following year, six martyrs are recorded, of whom Fox seems to have known very little; they, with the former, were all from the lowest classes of society, poor, illiterate, and obstinate. For the year 1557, fifteen martyrs occur, ten men and five women; of some of these, Fox writes very little; of others, he relates long examinations, supposed to have been written by themselves, from which he would have his readers conclude, that the bishops in the days of queen Mary, were confounded in argument by the very dregs of the people; were, however, these examinations authentic, they would still prove that these martyrs were endowed with any other spirit rather than with the meek and humble spirit of christianity. Of the last fifteen, Fox gives the palm to the women; one of whom, Joyce Lewes, was stout even in death; for just as the sheriff was about to cast her into fire, says her annalist, "she took the cup into her hand, and said, 'I drink to them all that unfeignedly love the gospel, and wish for the abolishment of papistry.' Her friends drank with her, and so did a great number of women of the town, which were afterwards put to open penance for the same." Of another woman, Margery Anstow, he writes, "especially the woman the Lord had given the greater knowledge, and more ferventness of spirit." Of the last martyr, the martyrologist admits, that he cannot certainly find out whether he was executed or died in prison. Thus much for September.

is offered for the discovery of Catholic Clergy; £50. for discovering an archbishop, bishop, or vicar general; £20. for discovering a regular clergyman or secular clergyman not registered; £10. for discovering a Catholic schoolmaster or usher. By the 21st clause of the second act, two justices of the peace might condemn every Catholic of 18 years of age, who refused to declare where and when he heard Mass, who were present, or of the residence of any priest or schoolmaster, to 12 months imprisonment, or till he paid £20. Every trust undertaken in favour of a Catholic was forbidden by law; and every Protestant was enabled to file a bill in Chancery against any person concerned in any sale, lease, mortgage, or incumbrance in trust for Catholics, and to compel him to declare the same. All issues to be tried in an action founded upon this act, were to be tried by none but known Protestants. Under Geo. I. several acts were passed against Catholics: among many other oppressive regulations, it was enacted, that the horses of Catholics might be seized for the militia, and that they should pay double towards the militia. They were forbidden to be high or petty constables. During the reign of Geo. II. almost every year added to the severity of the penal laws. By the 9th of George II. chap. 6, sec. 5, persons robbed by privateers during a war with a Catholic prince, were to be reimbursed by a levy made on goods and lands of Catholics only, though they themselves or children were shedding their blood in fighting against that prince! The 19th Geo. II. annuls all marriages between Protestants and Catholics. By the 23rd of Geo. II. every priest celebrating marriage contrary to the 12th of Geo. I. is condemned to be hanged. In the 21st and 22nd of of Geo. III. an act was passed, by the 3rd clause of which, all statutes made in England or Great Britain, which relate to the taking of oaths or subscribing any declaration in Ireland, or to any penalty for omitting the same, shall be accepted, used, and executed in Ireland. Thus by one stroke of the pen, the whole weight of the English Penal Code, as connected with oaths, was added to the enormous burden of the Irish nation, and the Catholics were thus excluded by law from sitting in the Irish Parliament, which, till then, no law had prohibited.

This is only a slight sketch of the Penal Statutes, under which the Catholics of Ireland so long and so patiently languished; "Statutes." as Mr. Parnell says, p. 64, un