Footnotes1.Milton's Prose: A Lecture delivered in the Museum of Irish Industry, St. Stephen's Green, by the Right Hon. Judge Keogh: The Irish Times, June 1, 1865.2.We print the words of the judge as we find them, though it seems irreverential, not to say worse, to compare a regicide, and a man who denied the divinity of Christ, to the apostle of the nations. Though Milton was gifted with the highest natural powers, yet, not having the qualities of a true Christian, he was only like sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.3.Works of Samuel Johnson: Dublin, 1793, vol. v., p. 72.4.TheWorks of John Milton. London: Bickers and Bush, 1863: vol. iv. pp. 411, 412.5.It is entitledA Treatise of True Religion, Heresy, Schism, Toleration, and the best means to prevent the growth of Popery.6.“As for tolerating the exercise of their [the Catholic] religion, I answer, that toleration is either public or private; and the exercise of their religion, as far as it is idolatrous, can be tolerated neither way;not publicly, without grievous and insufferable scandal given to all conscientious beholders;not privately, without great offence to God, declared against all kind of idolatry, though secret”—Milton's Works, already quoted, vol. v. p. 413.7.See Bayle;Dictionnaire Historique et Critique: art. Milton, note o; alsoJohnson's Works, vol. v. pp. 95, 96.8.Quarterly Review, October, 1825, p. 446.9.Milton's Works, Bickers and Bush; vol. iv. p. 428.10.See theEdinburgh Encyclopædia, articles“Copernicus”, and“Gallileo”.11.SeeThe Martyrs of Science, by Sir David Brewster; or theEdinburgh Review, July, 1844, p. 173.12.SeeMartyrs of Science; or theEdinburgh Review, July, 1844, p. 174.13.It is singular that the sufferings of Irish Catholics should meet with more sympathy from an English Protestant clergyman than from an Irish Catholic lecturer. The relations between our country and“our glorious deliverer”are thus described by the Rev. Sidney Smith:—“The war carried on in Ireland against King William cannot deserve the name of a rebellion: it was a struggle for their lawful prince, whom they had sworn to maintain, and whose zeal for the Catholic religion, whatever effect it might have produced in England, could not by them be considered as a crime. This war was terminated by the surrender of Limerick, upon conditions by which the Catholics hoped, and very rationally hoped, to secure to themselves the free enjoyment of their religion in future, and an exemption from all those civil penalties and incapacities which the reigning creed is so fond of heaping upon its subjugated rivals.“By the various articles of this treaty, they are to enjoy such privileges in the exercise of their religion as they did enjoy in the time of Charles II.; and the king promises, upon the meeting of parliament,‘to endeavour to procure for them suchfurther securityin that particular as may preserve themfrom any disturbanceon account of their said religion’. They are to be restored to their estates, privileges, and immunities, as they enjoyed them in the time of Charles II. The gentlemen are to be allowed to carry arms; and no other oath is to be tendered to the Catholics who submit to King William than the oath of allegiance. These and other articlesKing William ratifies for himself, his heirs and successors, as far as in him lies, and confirms the same, and every other clause and matter therein contained.“These articles were signed by the English general on the 3rd of October, 1691; and diffused comfort, confidence, and tranquillity among the Catholics. On the 22nd of October, the English parliament excluded Catholics from the Irish Houses of Lords and Commons, by compelling them to take the oaths of supremacy before admission.“In 1695, the Catholicswere deprived of all means of educating their children, at home or abroad, and of the privilege of being guardians to their own or to other persons' children. Then all the Catholics were disarmed, and thenall the priests banished. After this(probably by way of joke) an act was passed toconfirmthe Treaty of Limerick,—the great and glorious King William totally forgetting the contract he had entered into, of recommending the religious liberties of Catholics to the attention of Parliament”—The Works of the Reverend Sidney Smith.London: Longman and Co., 1854, pp. 272, 273.14.The Life of Milton.By the Rev. John Mitford: prefixed to his Works. London: Bickers and Bush. Vol. i. p. cxlvi.15.Ib., p. cxliii.16.Ap.Usher,loc. cit., p. 47:Villaneuva Synod. S. Patricii, p. 3.17.Poenitentiale, can. 5.18.De Arreis, § 3 and § 4.19.Poenitent., v. 12.20.Ibid., ii. 16.21.Poenitentiale, can. 14 and can. 23.22.Poenitentiale, can. 30.23.Curry MSS.§ 60; and Dr. Reeves onThe Culdees, pag. 209.24.Reeves, loc. cit., pag. 202, seqq. Thecumhalin the Latin documents is expressed byancilla. Its literal meaning isbondmaid, whose equivalent was reckoned at three cows. See O'Donovan,Book of Rights, page 139.25.Page 173.26.“Accedens ad sacerdotem a quo sibi sperabat iter salutis posse demonstrari confessus est reatum suum”, etc.—Bede,H. Eccl., iv. 25.27.“Eadem hora omnia confessus peccata leges poenitentiae flexis genibus se impleturum promisit”—Vita S. Columb., ii. 39,edit. I.A.S., p. 157.28.Ibid., p. 59. See also lib. i. cap. 17, p. 46.29.Vita S. Pulcher,aliasMochoemogue, who lived in the seventh century, cap. xix., ap. Colgan, p. 592:“Videns eum vir Dei visitatum verâ poenitentia, ait ei: confitere peccata tua et esto de caetero fidelis in omnibus”.30.SeeMartyrol. of Donegal, p. 211, andVita S. Maidoc, cap. xx., and liv. ap.Colgan, p. 208, seqq. St. Dubthach of Armagh is also famous in our annals as being the“chief confessor of Ireland and Albany”(Colgan,Tr. Thaum., p. 298); and St. Gormgal of Ardoilean is similarly eulogised by the Four Masters, ad. an. 1017.Conf. Colgan, Act. SS., p. 141.31.Vita, cap. 22,Tr. Colgan, p. 353; Reeves'Columba, p. 213, notek.32.This couplet is quoted by Prince in hisWorthies of DevonfromPaulHarris, c. 5, p. 88, who thus introduces it,“of whose (Fitz-Ralph's) sanctity the common people of Ireland by ancient tradition were wont to chaunt this distich”. In the loose papers prefixed to theMartyrology of Donegal, the verses are quoted fromHenryHarris inApolu. This false reference has led Dr. Todd into a slight mistake, videMartyr. of Donegal, App. to Int. p. xlii.33.Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, vol. iv. London, 1847. Pedigree of the Frechevilles and Musards.34.Danmonii Orientales Illustres, or the Worthies of Devon.35.Theiner,Monumenta, p. 296-594.36.Martyrol. Angl., tom. i. p. 296.37.Huber,English Universities, vol. i., p. 438, Newman's edition.38.Grammar, logic, and rhetoric.39.Arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music.40.Huber,English Universities, vol. i. p. 53.41.Huber, note xx. p. 408, vol. i.42.De Presulibus Hib., pag. 20-21.43.Huber, vol. i. page 132.44.For this reason we have enlarged the present number by a half-sheet.—Edd.I. E. R.45.“Messingham, p. 95. See also Carve, who in hisLyra(edition of 1666), p. 112, gives a plate of the Insula Purgatorii S. Patricii; and adds:—‘Certum est magnam olim hac in peninsula apparuisse devotionem in qua etiam varios viri sancti circulos seu cavernas maceriis introrsum circumdatas condiderunt; atque in iisdem corpuscula sua jejuniis, orationibus, aliisque disciplinis assidue domantes, auxiliumque divinae gratiae sine intermissione implorantes ac insuper Deum pro communi ecclesiae bono, conservandaque inter omnes Christianos vera concordia convenienter deprecantes’.”46.“Commentar., p. 277.”47.“Rothe apud Messingham states, that only nine persons were usually admitted into the cave.”48.“It is matter of dispute amongst our hagiologists, whether the St. Patrick, from whose deeds of penance this island acquired its fame, was our apostle, or another subsequent saint of the same name.”49.“The Reduction of Ireland to the Crown of England, with the Governors, etc., London, 1675, p. 207.”50.“Had he taken the trouble to open the writings of Peter Lombard or Messingham, he would have seen that the limits of the cell were well known, and thatthe confines of Purgatory or Hellexisted only in the distempered imaginations of the persecutors themselves.”51.“This valuable work has been republished, accompanied with an elegant translation and notes, by Rev. C. P. Meehan (Dublin, 1848).”52.“Ibid., 61-63.”53.“The poetical descriptions of‘the Purgatory’abound with fanciful visions. We shall give a real one from a MSS. Relatio of the diocese of Waterford, made by Dr. Patrick Comerford, on 16th Oct, 1632:—‘In dioecesi Corcagiensi est quidam Anglus qui (ut a multis fertur) biduum vel triduum mortuns revixit, et cum ante obitum esset Calvinista, statim atque revixit abjuravit Calvinismum et publice soepius declaravit se vidisse in inferno Lutherum et Calvinum et proinde neminem salvari posse qui eorum dogmatibus adhaereret; hinc excitati Protestantes eum iu carcerem detruserunt’.”54.“Nunziatura, p. 414.”55.“He was appointed in 1707, bishop of Clogher, and, in 1715, was translated to Armagh. The Collections on the Church History erroneously mark his appointment to Clogher in 1708, and his translation to Armagh in 1709.”56.“‘In septentrionali plaga hujus dioecesis Clogherensis, situs est locus ille celeberrimus vulgo dictus Purgatorium S. Patricii in parva insula circumdata lacu, quo ab initio Junii usque ad finem Augusti confluunt ex omnibus regni partibus etiam remotissimis quotannis omnis aetatis et conditionis milleni viri et mulieres ibique conficiunt novenam semel in die solo pane avenaceo et aqua victitantes, ac humi cubantes nudis pedibus semper, et non raro offendiculo cruentatis: ter de die varias stationes visitant per asperum iter acutis stratum lapillis cujus magna pars aquis ultra genua excedentibus obtegitur, donec nona die, pracmissa generali confessione, omnibus vitae noxis expiatis, sacro pabulo refecti ante diluculum ingrediuntur subterraneam foveam quae purgatorium dicitur, ibique viginti quatuor horis continuis semper vigiles et orantes sine ullo cibi aut potus refrigerio perseverant et recurrente eadem hora egressi sequenti die se ter immergunt algidis aquis sicque perficitur peregrinatio cui otiosi fabularum fabricatores malta commenta addiderunt de spectris ac visionibus quae nusquam comparent nisi in vitiato cerebro comminiscentium; tribus mensibus, quibus durat haec peregrinatio ab aurora ad meridiem celebrantur missae, excipiuntur confessiones, fitque concio bis terve de die ad populum qui uberrimis lachrymis, gemitibus aliisque poenitentiae signis cum clamore editis concionantem frequenter interrumpit; tantaque misericors Dominus asperam hanc et plane austeram peregrinationem interioris gratiae suavitate accumulat ut qui antea videbantur obdurati, vitiorum sordibus immersi acerrimos compunctionis stimulos sentiant, nec contenti semel aut iterum accedere ad insulam, reperi in dioecesi qui quatuordecim vicibus peregrinationem perfecerunt. Non leve huic devotorum fervori addidit incrementum a SSmoD. N. Clemente visitantibus concessa indulgentia plenaria quae brevi expirabit et renovatione opus habet. Non absimile prodigio censetur apud omnes quod peregrinatio haec primo loco et nominatim lege parlamentaria sub gravissimus poenis prohibita, nullam vel certe raram patiatur remoram a circumhabitantibus et alias supra modum malignis Calvinistis Scotis. Et cum ipso accederem sub nomine mercatoris Dublinensis (nam sub hujusmodi negotiatoris aut artificis involucris latere necesse habent communiter Praelati et non registrati sacerdotes), ministellus illius districtus satis humaniter me excepit. Dum alibi per totem regnum ingruente persecutione cessant functiones ecclesiasticae in hac insula quasi in alio orbe posita, liberum fit et publicum exercitium quad divinae providentiae hunc locum speciali favore protegenti gratum referunt et meritis S. Patricii. Cum ibi essem haereticus Anglus fama loci et curiositate movente eo accessit qui exemplo poenitentium compunctus haeresim abjuravit. Praeter caeteros ecclesiasticos eo accedentes strenuissimam navant operam Patres Franciscani. Unum in haec peregrinatione deprehendi usum, ne dicam abusum; nam nona die foveam ingressuri audiunt Missam, quae semper est de Requiem, seu defunctorum applicata pro iisdem ingredientibus, quasi jam mortuis mundo, et tradendis sepulturae; quad cum vellem abrogare saltem diebus Dominicis et festivis praesertim majoribus, quibus dicenda est missa conformis officio obtenditur immemorabilis possessio et consuetudo in contrarium, ut fort traditio, ab ipso S. Patricio primitus instituta quod a viris doctis et timoratis constantissime assertum me perplexum reddidit et propterea humillime rogo edoceri ad Eminentiis Vestris quid desuper agendum censeant.’”57.“Hib. Dom., p. 4, not. 6. The same learned writer justly remarks, that it was from the severity of its penitential exercises that this island derived its name:—‘Locus iste luendis peccatorum poenis destinatuspurgatoriumdicitur, non quidem posthumum, sed vitale seu viatorium in praesenti vita’.”58.“Bollandists, March 17, p. 590.”59.“From this, we might, perhaps, conclude, that the cave thus destroyed was not the present sanctuary visited by pilgrims, but was situated on one of the other islands of Lough Derg. In the Ordnance Map, the site of some such deserted cave is marked on the adjoining island, known as Saints' Island.”60.“Messingham,Florileg., p. 125.”61.“Boll., March 17, p. 590.”62.“See notes toCamb. Evers., vol. i. p. 146.”63.“Amongst these we must reckon the narrative inserted in hisHist. Cath. Hib.by O'Sullevan Beare, pp. 18-30. The Work on St. Patrick's Purgatory, published by Mr. Wright (London, 1844), is a mere display of blind bigotry, by which he seeks to identify the teaching of the Catholic Church with the romances about this Purgatory of our saint.”64.Vide P. J. B. De Herdt, Sacrae Liturgiae Praxis, tom. 3, part 6, no. 32. A very useful work, printed in Louvain in 1855.
Footnotes1.Milton's Prose: A Lecture delivered in the Museum of Irish Industry, St. Stephen's Green, by the Right Hon. Judge Keogh: The Irish Times, June 1, 1865.2.We print the words of the judge as we find them, though it seems irreverential, not to say worse, to compare a regicide, and a man who denied the divinity of Christ, to the apostle of the nations. Though Milton was gifted with the highest natural powers, yet, not having the qualities of a true Christian, he was only like sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.3.Works of Samuel Johnson: Dublin, 1793, vol. v., p. 72.4.TheWorks of John Milton. London: Bickers and Bush, 1863: vol. iv. pp. 411, 412.5.It is entitledA Treatise of True Religion, Heresy, Schism, Toleration, and the best means to prevent the growth of Popery.6.“As for tolerating the exercise of their [the Catholic] religion, I answer, that toleration is either public or private; and the exercise of their religion, as far as it is idolatrous, can be tolerated neither way;not publicly, without grievous and insufferable scandal given to all conscientious beholders;not privately, without great offence to God, declared against all kind of idolatry, though secret”—Milton's Works, already quoted, vol. v. p. 413.7.See Bayle;Dictionnaire Historique et Critique: art. Milton, note o; alsoJohnson's Works, vol. v. pp. 95, 96.8.Quarterly Review, October, 1825, p. 446.9.Milton's Works, Bickers and Bush; vol. iv. p. 428.10.See theEdinburgh Encyclopædia, articles“Copernicus”, and“Gallileo”.11.SeeThe Martyrs of Science, by Sir David Brewster; or theEdinburgh Review, July, 1844, p. 173.12.SeeMartyrs of Science; or theEdinburgh Review, July, 1844, p. 174.13.It is singular that the sufferings of Irish Catholics should meet with more sympathy from an English Protestant clergyman than from an Irish Catholic lecturer. The relations between our country and“our glorious deliverer”are thus described by the Rev. Sidney Smith:—“The war carried on in Ireland against King William cannot deserve the name of a rebellion: it was a struggle for their lawful prince, whom they had sworn to maintain, and whose zeal for the Catholic religion, whatever effect it might have produced in England, could not by them be considered as a crime. This war was terminated by the surrender of Limerick, upon conditions by which the Catholics hoped, and very rationally hoped, to secure to themselves the free enjoyment of their religion in future, and an exemption from all those civil penalties and incapacities which the reigning creed is so fond of heaping upon its subjugated rivals.“By the various articles of this treaty, they are to enjoy such privileges in the exercise of their religion as they did enjoy in the time of Charles II.; and the king promises, upon the meeting of parliament,‘to endeavour to procure for them suchfurther securityin that particular as may preserve themfrom any disturbanceon account of their said religion’. They are to be restored to their estates, privileges, and immunities, as they enjoyed them in the time of Charles II. The gentlemen are to be allowed to carry arms; and no other oath is to be tendered to the Catholics who submit to King William than the oath of allegiance. These and other articlesKing William ratifies for himself, his heirs and successors, as far as in him lies, and confirms the same, and every other clause and matter therein contained.“These articles were signed by the English general on the 3rd of October, 1691; and diffused comfort, confidence, and tranquillity among the Catholics. On the 22nd of October, the English parliament excluded Catholics from the Irish Houses of Lords and Commons, by compelling them to take the oaths of supremacy before admission.“In 1695, the Catholicswere deprived of all means of educating their children, at home or abroad, and of the privilege of being guardians to their own or to other persons' children. Then all the Catholics were disarmed, and thenall the priests banished. After this(probably by way of joke) an act was passed toconfirmthe Treaty of Limerick,—the great and glorious King William totally forgetting the contract he had entered into, of recommending the religious liberties of Catholics to the attention of Parliament”—The Works of the Reverend Sidney Smith.London: Longman and Co., 1854, pp. 272, 273.14.The Life of Milton.By the Rev. John Mitford: prefixed to his Works. London: Bickers and Bush. Vol. i. p. cxlvi.15.Ib., p. cxliii.16.Ap.Usher,loc. cit., p. 47:Villaneuva Synod. S. Patricii, p. 3.17.Poenitentiale, can. 5.18.De Arreis, § 3 and § 4.19.Poenitent., v. 12.20.Ibid., ii. 16.21.Poenitentiale, can. 14 and can. 23.22.Poenitentiale, can. 30.23.Curry MSS.§ 60; and Dr. Reeves onThe Culdees, pag. 209.24.Reeves, loc. cit., pag. 202, seqq. Thecumhalin the Latin documents is expressed byancilla. Its literal meaning isbondmaid, whose equivalent was reckoned at three cows. See O'Donovan,Book of Rights, page 139.25.Page 173.26.“Accedens ad sacerdotem a quo sibi sperabat iter salutis posse demonstrari confessus est reatum suum”, etc.—Bede,H. Eccl., iv. 25.27.“Eadem hora omnia confessus peccata leges poenitentiae flexis genibus se impleturum promisit”—Vita S. Columb., ii. 39,edit. I.A.S., p. 157.28.Ibid., p. 59. See also lib. i. cap. 17, p. 46.29.Vita S. Pulcher,aliasMochoemogue, who lived in the seventh century, cap. xix., ap. Colgan, p. 592:“Videns eum vir Dei visitatum verâ poenitentia, ait ei: confitere peccata tua et esto de caetero fidelis in omnibus”.30.SeeMartyrol. of Donegal, p. 211, andVita S. Maidoc, cap. xx., and liv. ap.Colgan, p. 208, seqq. St. Dubthach of Armagh is also famous in our annals as being the“chief confessor of Ireland and Albany”(Colgan,Tr. Thaum., p. 298); and St. Gormgal of Ardoilean is similarly eulogised by the Four Masters, ad. an. 1017.Conf. Colgan, Act. SS., p. 141.31.Vita, cap. 22,Tr. Colgan, p. 353; Reeves'Columba, p. 213, notek.32.This couplet is quoted by Prince in hisWorthies of DevonfromPaulHarris, c. 5, p. 88, who thus introduces it,“of whose (Fitz-Ralph's) sanctity the common people of Ireland by ancient tradition were wont to chaunt this distich”. In the loose papers prefixed to theMartyrology of Donegal, the verses are quoted fromHenryHarris inApolu. This false reference has led Dr. Todd into a slight mistake, videMartyr. of Donegal, App. to Int. p. xlii.33.Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, vol. iv. London, 1847. Pedigree of the Frechevilles and Musards.34.Danmonii Orientales Illustres, or the Worthies of Devon.35.Theiner,Monumenta, p. 296-594.36.Martyrol. Angl., tom. i. p. 296.37.Huber,English Universities, vol. i., p. 438, Newman's edition.38.Grammar, logic, and rhetoric.39.Arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music.40.Huber,English Universities, vol. i. p. 53.41.Huber, note xx. p. 408, vol. i.42.De Presulibus Hib., pag. 20-21.43.Huber, vol. i. page 132.44.For this reason we have enlarged the present number by a half-sheet.—Edd.I. E. R.45.“Messingham, p. 95. See also Carve, who in hisLyra(edition of 1666), p. 112, gives a plate of the Insula Purgatorii S. Patricii; and adds:—‘Certum est magnam olim hac in peninsula apparuisse devotionem in qua etiam varios viri sancti circulos seu cavernas maceriis introrsum circumdatas condiderunt; atque in iisdem corpuscula sua jejuniis, orationibus, aliisque disciplinis assidue domantes, auxiliumque divinae gratiae sine intermissione implorantes ac insuper Deum pro communi ecclesiae bono, conservandaque inter omnes Christianos vera concordia convenienter deprecantes’.”46.“Commentar., p. 277.”47.“Rothe apud Messingham states, that only nine persons were usually admitted into the cave.”48.“It is matter of dispute amongst our hagiologists, whether the St. Patrick, from whose deeds of penance this island acquired its fame, was our apostle, or another subsequent saint of the same name.”49.“The Reduction of Ireland to the Crown of England, with the Governors, etc., London, 1675, p. 207.”50.“Had he taken the trouble to open the writings of Peter Lombard or Messingham, he would have seen that the limits of the cell were well known, and thatthe confines of Purgatory or Hellexisted only in the distempered imaginations of the persecutors themselves.”51.“This valuable work has been republished, accompanied with an elegant translation and notes, by Rev. C. P. Meehan (Dublin, 1848).”52.“Ibid., 61-63.”53.“The poetical descriptions of‘the Purgatory’abound with fanciful visions. We shall give a real one from a MSS. Relatio of the diocese of Waterford, made by Dr. Patrick Comerford, on 16th Oct, 1632:—‘In dioecesi Corcagiensi est quidam Anglus qui (ut a multis fertur) biduum vel triduum mortuns revixit, et cum ante obitum esset Calvinista, statim atque revixit abjuravit Calvinismum et publice soepius declaravit se vidisse in inferno Lutherum et Calvinum et proinde neminem salvari posse qui eorum dogmatibus adhaereret; hinc excitati Protestantes eum iu carcerem detruserunt’.”54.“Nunziatura, p. 414.”55.“He was appointed in 1707, bishop of Clogher, and, in 1715, was translated to Armagh. The Collections on the Church History erroneously mark his appointment to Clogher in 1708, and his translation to Armagh in 1709.”56.“‘In septentrionali plaga hujus dioecesis Clogherensis, situs est locus ille celeberrimus vulgo dictus Purgatorium S. Patricii in parva insula circumdata lacu, quo ab initio Junii usque ad finem Augusti confluunt ex omnibus regni partibus etiam remotissimis quotannis omnis aetatis et conditionis milleni viri et mulieres ibique conficiunt novenam semel in die solo pane avenaceo et aqua victitantes, ac humi cubantes nudis pedibus semper, et non raro offendiculo cruentatis: ter de die varias stationes visitant per asperum iter acutis stratum lapillis cujus magna pars aquis ultra genua excedentibus obtegitur, donec nona die, pracmissa generali confessione, omnibus vitae noxis expiatis, sacro pabulo refecti ante diluculum ingrediuntur subterraneam foveam quae purgatorium dicitur, ibique viginti quatuor horis continuis semper vigiles et orantes sine ullo cibi aut potus refrigerio perseverant et recurrente eadem hora egressi sequenti die se ter immergunt algidis aquis sicque perficitur peregrinatio cui otiosi fabularum fabricatores malta commenta addiderunt de spectris ac visionibus quae nusquam comparent nisi in vitiato cerebro comminiscentium; tribus mensibus, quibus durat haec peregrinatio ab aurora ad meridiem celebrantur missae, excipiuntur confessiones, fitque concio bis terve de die ad populum qui uberrimis lachrymis, gemitibus aliisque poenitentiae signis cum clamore editis concionantem frequenter interrumpit; tantaque misericors Dominus asperam hanc et plane austeram peregrinationem interioris gratiae suavitate accumulat ut qui antea videbantur obdurati, vitiorum sordibus immersi acerrimos compunctionis stimulos sentiant, nec contenti semel aut iterum accedere ad insulam, reperi in dioecesi qui quatuordecim vicibus peregrinationem perfecerunt. Non leve huic devotorum fervori addidit incrementum a SSmoD. N. Clemente visitantibus concessa indulgentia plenaria quae brevi expirabit et renovatione opus habet. Non absimile prodigio censetur apud omnes quod peregrinatio haec primo loco et nominatim lege parlamentaria sub gravissimus poenis prohibita, nullam vel certe raram patiatur remoram a circumhabitantibus et alias supra modum malignis Calvinistis Scotis. Et cum ipso accederem sub nomine mercatoris Dublinensis (nam sub hujusmodi negotiatoris aut artificis involucris latere necesse habent communiter Praelati et non registrati sacerdotes), ministellus illius districtus satis humaniter me excepit. Dum alibi per totem regnum ingruente persecutione cessant functiones ecclesiasticae in hac insula quasi in alio orbe posita, liberum fit et publicum exercitium quad divinae providentiae hunc locum speciali favore protegenti gratum referunt et meritis S. Patricii. Cum ibi essem haereticus Anglus fama loci et curiositate movente eo accessit qui exemplo poenitentium compunctus haeresim abjuravit. Praeter caeteros ecclesiasticos eo accedentes strenuissimam navant operam Patres Franciscani. Unum in haec peregrinatione deprehendi usum, ne dicam abusum; nam nona die foveam ingressuri audiunt Missam, quae semper est de Requiem, seu defunctorum applicata pro iisdem ingredientibus, quasi jam mortuis mundo, et tradendis sepulturae; quad cum vellem abrogare saltem diebus Dominicis et festivis praesertim majoribus, quibus dicenda est missa conformis officio obtenditur immemorabilis possessio et consuetudo in contrarium, ut fort traditio, ab ipso S. Patricio primitus instituta quod a viris doctis et timoratis constantissime assertum me perplexum reddidit et propterea humillime rogo edoceri ad Eminentiis Vestris quid desuper agendum censeant.’”57.“Hib. Dom., p. 4, not. 6. The same learned writer justly remarks, that it was from the severity of its penitential exercises that this island derived its name:—‘Locus iste luendis peccatorum poenis destinatuspurgatoriumdicitur, non quidem posthumum, sed vitale seu viatorium in praesenti vita’.”58.“Bollandists, March 17, p. 590.”59.“From this, we might, perhaps, conclude, that the cave thus destroyed was not the present sanctuary visited by pilgrims, but was situated on one of the other islands of Lough Derg. In the Ordnance Map, the site of some such deserted cave is marked on the adjoining island, known as Saints' Island.”60.“Messingham,Florileg., p. 125.”61.“Boll., March 17, p. 590.”62.“See notes toCamb. Evers., vol. i. p. 146.”63.“Amongst these we must reckon the narrative inserted in hisHist. Cath. Hib.by O'Sullevan Beare, pp. 18-30. The Work on St. Patrick's Purgatory, published by Mr. Wright (London, 1844), is a mere display of blind bigotry, by which he seeks to identify the teaching of the Catholic Church with the romances about this Purgatory of our saint.”64.Vide P. J. B. De Herdt, Sacrae Liturgiae Praxis, tom. 3, part 6, no. 32. A very useful work, printed in Louvain in 1855.
Footnotes1.Milton's Prose: A Lecture delivered in the Museum of Irish Industry, St. Stephen's Green, by the Right Hon. Judge Keogh: The Irish Times, June 1, 1865.2.We print the words of the judge as we find them, though it seems irreverential, not to say worse, to compare a regicide, and a man who denied the divinity of Christ, to the apostle of the nations. Though Milton was gifted with the highest natural powers, yet, not having the qualities of a true Christian, he was only like sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.3.Works of Samuel Johnson: Dublin, 1793, vol. v., p. 72.4.TheWorks of John Milton. London: Bickers and Bush, 1863: vol. iv. pp. 411, 412.5.It is entitledA Treatise of True Religion, Heresy, Schism, Toleration, and the best means to prevent the growth of Popery.6.“As for tolerating the exercise of their [the Catholic] religion, I answer, that toleration is either public or private; and the exercise of their religion, as far as it is idolatrous, can be tolerated neither way;not publicly, without grievous and insufferable scandal given to all conscientious beholders;not privately, without great offence to God, declared against all kind of idolatry, though secret”—Milton's Works, already quoted, vol. v. p. 413.7.See Bayle;Dictionnaire Historique et Critique: art. Milton, note o; alsoJohnson's Works, vol. v. pp. 95, 96.8.Quarterly Review, October, 1825, p. 446.9.Milton's Works, Bickers and Bush; vol. iv. p. 428.10.See theEdinburgh Encyclopædia, articles“Copernicus”, and“Gallileo”.11.SeeThe Martyrs of Science, by Sir David Brewster; or theEdinburgh Review, July, 1844, p. 173.12.SeeMartyrs of Science; or theEdinburgh Review, July, 1844, p. 174.13.It is singular that the sufferings of Irish Catholics should meet with more sympathy from an English Protestant clergyman than from an Irish Catholic lecturer. The relations between our country and“our glorious deliverer”are thus described by the Rev. Sidney Smith:—“The war carried on in Ireland against King William cannot deserve the name of a rebellion: it was a struggle for their lawful prince, whom they had sworn to maintain, and whose zeal for the Catholic religion, whatever effect it might have produced in England, could not by them be considered as a crime. This war was terminated by the surrender of Limerick, upon conditions by which the Catholics hoped, and very rationally hoped, to secure to themselves the free enjoyment of their religion in future, and an exemption from all those civil penalties and incapacities which the reigning creed is so fond of heaping upon its subjugated rivals.“By the various articles of this treaty, they are to enjoy such privileges in the exercise of their religion as they did enjoy in the time of Charles II.; and the king promises, upon the meeting of parliament,‘to endeavour to procure for them suchfurther securityin that particular as may preserve themfrom any disturbanceon account of their said religion’. They are to be restored to their estates, privileges, and immunities, as they enjoyed them in the time of Charles II. The gentlemen are to be allowed to carry arms; and no other oath is to be tendered to the Catholics who submit to King William than the oath of allegiance. These and other articlesKing William ratifies for himself, his heirs and successors, as far as in him lies, and confirms the same, and every other clause and matter therein contained.“These articles were signed by the English general on the 3rd of October, 1691; and diffused comfort, confidence, and tranquillity among the Catholics. On the 22nd of October, the English parliament excluded Catholics from the Irish Houses of Lords and Commons, by compelling them to take the oaths of supremacy before admission.“In 1695, the Catholicswere deprived of all means of educating their children, at home or abroad, and of the privilege of being guardians to their own or to other persons' children. Then all the Catholics were disarmed, and thenall the priests banished. After this(probably by way of joke) an act was passed toconfirmthe Treaty of Limerick,—the great and glorious King William totally forgetting the contract he had entered into, of recommending the religious liberties of Catholics to the attention of Parliament”—The Works of the Reverend Sidney Smith.London: Longman and Co., 1854, pp. 272, 273.14.The Life of Milton.By the Rev. John Mitford: prefixed to his Works. London: Bickers and Bush. Vol. i. p. cxlvi.15.Ib., p. cxliii.16.Ap.Usher,loc. cit., p. 47:Villaneuva Synod. S. Patricii, p. 3.17.Poenitentiale, can. 5.18.De Arreis, § 3 and § 4.19.Poenitent., v. 12.20.Ibid., ii. 16.21.Poenitentiale, can. 14 and can. 23.22.Poenitentiale, can. 30.23.Curry MSS.§ 60; and Dr. Reeves onThe Culdees, pag. 209.24.Reeves, loc. cit., pag. 202, seqq. Thecumhalin the Latin documents is expressed byancilla. Its literal meaning isbondmaid, whose equivalent was reckoned at three cows. See O'Donovan,Book of Rights, page 139.25.Page 173.26.“Accedens ad sacerdotem a quo sibi sperabat iter salutis posse demonstrari confessus est reatum suum”, etc.—Bede,H. Eccl., iv. 25.27.“Eadem hora omnia confessus peccata leges poenitentiae flexis genibus se impleturum promisit”—Vita S. Columb., ii. 39,edit. I.A.S., p. 157.28.Ibid., p. 59. See also lib. i. cap. 17, p. 46.29.Vita S. Pulcher,aliasMochoemogue, who lived in the seventh century, cap. xix., ap. Colgan, p. 592:“Videns eum vir Dei visitatum verâ poenitentia, ait ei: confitere peccata tua et esto de caetero fidelis in omnibus”.30.SeeMartyrol. of Donegal, p. 211, andVita S. Maidoc, cap. xx., and liv. ap.Colgan, p. 208, seqq. St. Dubthach of Armagh is also famous in our annals as being the“chief confessor of Ireland and Albany”(Colgan,Tr. Thaum., p. 298); and St. Gormgal of Ardoilean is similarly eulogised by the Four Masters, ad. an. 1017.Conf. Colgan, Act. SS., p. 141.31.Vita, cap. 22,Tr. Colgan, p. 353; Reeves'Columba, p. 213, notek.32.This couplet is quoted by Prince in hisWorthies of DevonfromPaulHarris, c. 5, p. 88, who thus introduces it,“of whose (Fitz-Ralph's) sanctity the common people of Ireland by ancient tradition were wont to chaunt this distich”. In the loose papers prefixed to theMartyrology of Donegal, the verses are quoted fromHenryHarris inApolu. This false reference has led Dr. Todd into a slight mistake, videMartyr. of Donegal, App. to Int. p. xlii.33.Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, vol. iv. London, 1847. Pedigree of the Frechevilles and Musards.34.Danmonii Orientales Illustres, or the Worthies of Devon.35.Theiner,Monumenta, p. 296-594.36.Martyrol. Angl., tom. i. p. 296.37.Huber,English Universities, vol. i., p. 438, Newman's edition.38.Grammar, logic, and rhetoric.39.Arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music.40.Huber,English Universities, vol. i. p. 53.41.Huber, note xx. p. 408, vol. i.42.De Presulibus Hib., pag. 20-21.43.Huber, vol. i. page 132.44.For this reason we have enlarged the present number by a half-sheet.—Edd.I. E. R.45.“Messingham, p. 95. See also Carve, who in hisLyra(edition of 1666), p. 112, gives a plate of the Insula Purgatorii S. Patricii; and adds:—‘Certum est magnam olim hac in peninsula apparuisse devotionem in qua etiam varios viri sancti circulos seu cavernas maceriis introrsum circumdatas condiderunt; atque in iisdem corpuscula sua jejuniis, orationibus, aliisque disciplinis assidue domantes, auxiliumque divinae gratiae sine intermissione implorantes ac insuper Deum pro communi ecclesiae bono, conservandaque inter omnes Christianos vera concordia convenienter deprecantes’.”46.“Commentar., p. 277.”47.“Rothe apud Messingham states, that only nine persons were usually admitted into the cave.”48.“It is matter of dispute amongst our hagiologists, whether the St. Patrick, from whose deeds of penance this island acquired its fame, was our apostle, or another subsequent saint of the same name.”49.“The Reduction of Ireland to the Crown of England, with the Governors, etc., London, 1675, p. 207.”50.“Had he taken the trouble to open the writings of Peter Lombard or Messingham, he would have seen that the limits of the cell were well known, and thatthe confines of Purgatory or Hellexisted only in the distempered imaginations of the persecutors themselves.”51.“This valuable work has been republished, accompanied with an elegant translation and notes, by Rev. C. P. Meehan (Dublin, 1848).”52.“Ibid., 61-63.”53.“The poetical descriptions of‘the Purgatory’abound with fanciful visions. We shall give a real one from a MSS. Relatio of the diocese of Waterford, made by Dr. Patrick Comerford, on 16th Oct, 1632:—‘In dioecesi Corcagiensi est quidam Anglus qui (ut a multis fertur) biduum vel triduum mortuns revixit, et cum ante obitum esset Calvinista, statim atque revixit abjuravit Calvinismum et publice soepius declaravit se vidisse in inferno Lutherum et Calvinum et proinde neminem salvari posse qui eorum dogmatibus adhaereret; hinc excitati Protestantes eum iu carcerem detruserunt’.”54.“Nunziatura, p. 414.”55.“He was appointed in 1707, bishop of Clogher, and, in 1715, was translated to Armagh. The Collections on the Church History erroneously mark his appointment to Clogher in 1708, and his translation to Armagh in 1709.”56.“‘In septentrionali plaga hujus dioecesis Clogherensis, situs est locus ille celeberrimus vulgo dictus Purgatorium S. Patricii in parva insula circumdata lacu, quo ab initio Junii usque ad finem Augusti confluunt ex omnibus regni partibus etiam remotissimis quotannis omnis aetatis et conditionis milleni viri et mulieres ibique conficiunt novenam semel in die solo pane avenaceo et aqua victitantes, ac humi cubantes nudis pedibus semper, et non raro offendiculo cruentatis: ter de die varias stationes visitant per asperum iter acutis stratum lapillis cujus magna pars aquis ultra genua excedentibus obtegitur, donec nona die, pracmissa generali confessione, omnibus vitae noxis expiatis, sacro pabulo refecti ante diluculum ingrediuntur subterraneam foveam quae purgatorium dicitur, ibique viginti quatuor horis continuis semper vigiles et orantes sine ullo cibi aut potus refrigerio perseverant et recurrente eadem hora egressi sequenti die se ter immergunt algidis aquis sicque perficitur peregrinatio cui otiosi fabularum fabricatores malta commenta addiderunt de spectris ac visionibus quae nusquam comparent nisi in vitiato cerebro comminiscentium; tribus mensibus, quibus durat haec peregrinatio ab aurora ad meridiem celebrantur missae, excipiuntur confessiones, fitque concio bis terve de die ad populum qui uberrimis lachrymis, gemitibus aliisque poenitentiae signis cum clamore editis concionantem frequenter interrumpit; tantaque misericors Dominus asperam hanc et plane austeram peregrinationem interioris gratiae suavitate accumulat ut qui antea videbantur obdurati, vitiorum sordibus immersi acerrimos compunctionis stimulos sentiant, nec contenti semel aut iterum accedere ad insulam, reperi in dioecesi qui quatuordecim vicibus peregrinationem perfecerunt. Non leve huic devotorum fervori addidit incrementum a SSmoD. N. Clemente visitantibus concessa indulgentia plenaria quae brevi expirabit et renovatione opus habet. Non absimile prodigio censetur apud omnes quod peregrinatio haec primo loco et nominatim lege parlamentaria sub gravissimus poenis prohibita, nullam vel certe raram patiatur remoram a circumhabitantibus et alias supra modum malignis Calvinistis Scotis. Et cum ipso accederem sub nomine mercatoris Dublinensis (nam sub hujusmodi negotiatoris aut artificis involucris latere necesse habent communiter Praelati et non registrati sacerdotes), ministellus illius districtus satis humaniter me excepit. Dum alibi per totem regnum ingruente persecutione cessant functiones ecclesiasticae in hac insula quasi in alio orbe posita, liberum fit et publicum exercitium quad divinae providentiae hunc locum speciali favore protegenti gratum referunt et meritis S. Patricii. Cum ibi essem haereticus Anglus fama loci et curiositate movente eo accessit qui exemplo poenitentium compunctus haeresim abjuravit. Praeter caeteros ecclesiasticos eo accedentes strenuissimam navant operam Patres Franciscani. Unum in haec peregrinatione deprehendi usum, ne dicam abusum; nam nona die foveam ingressuri audiunt Missam, quae semper est de Requiem, seu defunctorum applicata pro iisdem ingredientibus, quasi jam mortuis mundo, et tradendis sepulturae; quad cum vellem abrogare saltem diebus Dominicis et festivis praesertim majoribus, quibus dicenda est missa conformis officio obtenditur immemorabilis possessio et consuetudo in contrarium, ut fort traditio, ab ipso S. Patricio primitus instituta quod a viris doctis et timoratis constantissime assertum me perplexum reddidit et propterea humillime rogo edoceri ad Eminentiis Vestris quid desuper agendum censeant.’”57.“Hib. Dom., p. 4, not. 6. The same learned writer justly remarks, that it was from the severity of its penitential exercises that this island derived its name:—‘Locus iste luendis peccatorum poenis destinatuspurgatoriumdicitur, non quidem posthumum, sed vitale seu viatorium in praesenti vita’.”58.“Bollandists, March 17, p. 590.”59.“From this, we might, perhaps, conclude, that the cave thus destroyed was not the present sanctuary visited by pilgrims, but was situated on one of the other islands of Lough Derg. In the Ordnance Map, the site of some such deserted cave is marked on the adjoining island, known as Saints' Island.”60.“Messingham,Florileg., p. 125.”61.“Boll., March 17, p. 590.”62.“See notes toCamb. Evers., vol. i. p. 146.”63.“Amongst these we must reckon the narrative inserted in hisHist. Cath. Hib.by O'Sullevan Beare, pp. 18-30. The Work on St. Patrick's Purgatory, published by Mr. Wright (London, 1844), is a mere display of blind bigotry, by which he seeks to identify the teaching of the Catholic Church with the romances about this Purgatory of our saint.”64.Vide P. J. B. De Herdt, Sacrae Liturgiae Praxis, tom. 3, part 6, no. 32. A very useful work, printed in Louvain in 1855.
It is singular that the sufferings of Irish Catholics should meet with more sympathy from an English Protestant clergyman than from an Irish Catholic lecturer. The relations between our country and“our glorious deliverer”are thus described by the Rev. Sidney Smith:—
“The war carried on in Ireland against King William cannot deserve the name of a rebellion: it was a struggle for their lawful prince, whom they had sworn to maintain, and whose zeal for the Catholic religion, whatever effect it might have produced in England, could not by them be considered as a crime. This war was terminated by the surrender of Limerick, upon conditions by which the Catholics hoped, and very rationally hoped, to secure to themselves the free enjoyment of their religion in future, and an exemption from all those civil penalties and incapacities which the reigning creed is so fond of heaping upon its subjugated rivals.
“By the various articles of this treaty, they are to enjoy such privileges in the exercise of their religion as they did enjoy in the time of Charles II.; and the king promises, upon the meeting of parliament,‘to endeavour to procure for them suchfurther securityin that particular as may preserve themfrom any disturbanceon account of their said religion’. They are to be restored to their estates, privileges, and immunities, as they enjoyed them in the time of Charles II. The gentlemen are to be allowed to carry arms; and no other oath is to be tendered to the Catholics who submit to King William than the oath of allegiance. These and other articlesKing William ratifies for himself, his heirs and successors, as far as in him lies, and confirms the same, and every other clause and matter therein contained.
“These articles were signed by the English general on the 3rd of October, 1691; and diffused comfort, confidence, and tranquillity among the Catholics. On the 22nd of October, the English parliament excluded Catholics from the Irish Houses of Lords and Commons, by compelling them to take the oaths of supremacy before admission.
“In 1695, the Catholicswere deprived of all means of educating their children, at home or abroad, and of the privilege of being guardians to their own or to other persons' children. Then all the Catholics were disarmed, and thenall the priests banished. After this(probably by way of joke) an act was passed toconfirmthe Treaty of Limerick,—the great and glorious King William totally forgetting the contract he had entered into, of recommending the religious liberties of Catholics to the attention of Parliament”—The Works of the Reverend Sidney Smith.London: Longman and Co., 1854, pp. 272, 273.