of Spain, wherein they would not have so much as the Irish Priests and Jesuits, that are descended of English blood, to be trusted, but would have you and yours to be accounted enemies to the designs of Spain. In the Declaration published about the beginning of the insurrection of James FitzMorice, in the South, the Rebels professed, it was no part of their meaning to subvert "Honorabile Anglorum solium;" their quarrel was only against the person of Queen Elizabeth, and her Government: But now the case is otherwise, the translating of the throne of the English to the power of a Foreigner, is the thing that mainly is intended, and the re-establishing of the Irish in their ancient possessions, which by the valour of our ancestors were gained from them.

"This you may assure your self, manet altâ mente repostum, and makes you more to be hated of them than any other of the English nation whatsoever. The danger thereof being thus common to us all, it stands us upon to joyn our best helps for the avoiding of it; only the manner how this may be effected is in question. It was wont to be said, Iniquum petas, ut æquum feras, and such, perhaps, might be the intent of the project the other day propounded unto you; but now I observe the distaste you have conceived against that hath so far possessed you, that hardly can you be drawn to listen to any equal motion. The exceptions taken against the Project, are partly general, made by all; partly special, that toucheth only some particulars: Of the former there are two, the quantity of the sum demanded, and the indefiniteness of the time, which is unlimited. For the proportion required for the maintenance of 5000 Foot, and 500 Horse, you alledge to be so great, and your means so small, that in undertaking that which you are no ways able to perform, you shall but delude his Majesty, and disappoint the army of their expected pay. And although the sum required were far less, and for a time able to be born by you; yet are you fearful that the payment, being continued for some number of years, may afterwards be continued as a constant revenue to his Majesties Exchequer, with which perpetual burden you are unwilling to charge your posterity.

"The exceptions of the second kind, are taken against the Grants annexed unto the former demands: the granting whereof seemed rather to hinder than further the service, as not so agreeing with the rules of equity. For first, some have the full benefits of the grants, and have their charge little augmented, as the countries which pay compositionrents, which by those grants during the time of the new payments are suspended. Secondly, others that have the charge of the payment imposed upon them to the full, are not partakers at all of the benefit of the grants, as the British planted in the six escheated counties of Ulster. Thirdly, such as are the most forward to further his Majesties Service; and to contribute with the most, are troubled in conscience for yielding thereto upon the terms proposed, especially for that condition, whereby the execution of the Statute against Recusants is offer'd to be forborn.

"Wherein, if some of my Brethren, the Bishops, have been thought to have shewed themselves more forward than wise, in preaching publickly against this kind of toleration; I hope the great charge laid upon them by your selves in the Parliament, wherein that Statute was inacted, will plead their excuse. For there, the Lords Temporal, and all the Commons, do in God's name earnestly require and charge all Arch-Bishops and Bishops, and other Ordinaries, that they shall endeavour themselves, to the utmost of their knowledge, that the due and true execution of this Statute may be had throughout their dioceses; and charged, as they will answer it before God, for such evils and plagues as Almighty God might justly punish his people, for neglecting these good and wholesome laws. So that if in. this case they had holden their tongues, they might have been censured little better than atheists, and made themselves accessary to the drawing down of God's heavy vengeance upon the people.

"But if, for these and such like causes, the former project will not be admitted, we must not therefore think our selves discharged from taking farther care to provide for our safeties. Other consultations must be had, and other courses thought upon, which need not be liable to the like

exceptions. Where the burden is born in common, and the aid required to be given to the Prince by his subjects that are of different judgments in religion; it stands not with the ground of common reason, that such a condition should be annexed unto the gift, as must of necessity deter the one party from giving at all, upon such terms as are repugnant to their consciences. As therefore on the one side, if we desire that the Recusants should joyn with us in granting a common aid; we should not put in the condition of executing the Statute, which we are sure they would not yield unto; so on the other side, if they will have us to joyn with them in the like contribution, they should not require the condition of suspending the Statute to be added, which we in conscience cannot yield unto. The way will be then freely to grant unto his Majesty, what we give, without all manner of condition that may seem unequal unto any side, and to refer unto his own Sacred Breast, how far he will be pleased to extend or abridge his favours: of whose lenity, in forbearing the executing of the Statute, our Recusants have found such experience, that they cannot expect a greater liberty, by giving any thing that is demanded, than now already they do freely enjoy.

"As for the fear, that this voluntary contribution may in time be made a matter of necessity, and imposed as a perpetual charge upon posterity, it may easily be holpen with such a clause as we find added in the grant of an aid made by the Pope's Council, Anno 11 Hen. 3, out of the Ecclesiastical profits of this Land, Quod non debet trahi in consuetudinem, of which kinds of grants, many other examples of later memory might be produced: And as for the proportion of the sum, which you thought to be so great in the former proposition, it is my Lord's desire, that you should signifie unto him, what you think you are well able to bear, and what your selves will be content voluntarily to proffer. To alledge, as you have done, that you are not able to bear so great a charge as was demanded, may stand with some reason; but to plead an unability to give any thing at all, is neither agreeable to reason or duty.

"You say, you are ready to serve the King, as your

ancestors did heretofore, with your bodies, and lives, as if the supply of the King's wants with monies, were a thing unknown to our Fore-fathers. But if you will search the Pipe-Rolls, you shall find the names of those who contributed to King Henry the Third, for a matter that did less concern the subjects of this Kingdom, than the help that is now demanded, namely, for the marrying of his Sister to the Emperour. In the Records of the same King, kept in England, we find his Letters Patents directed hither into Ireland, for levying of money to help to pay his debts, unto Lewis the Son of the King of France. In the Rolls of Gascony, we find the like letter directed by King Edward the Second, unto the gentlemen, and merchants. of Ireland, of whose names there is a list there set down, to give him aid in his expedition into Aquitaine, and for defence of his Land (which is now the thing in question.) We find an ordinance likewise made in the time of Edward the Third, for the personal taxing of them that lived in England, and held lands and tenements in Ireland.

"Nay, in this case you must give me leave, as a Divine, to tell you plainly, that to supply the King means, for the necessary defence of your Country, is not a thing left to your own discretion, either to do, or not to do, but a matter of duty, which in conscience you stand bound to perform. The Apostle, Rom. 13. having affirmed, That we must be subject to the higher powers, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake, adds this as a reason to confirm it; For for this cause you pay tribute also, as if the denying such payment, could not stand with a conscionable subjection: thereupon he infers this conclusion, Render therefore to all their due, tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom is due; agreeable to that known lesson which he had learned of our Saviour, RenderP unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, and unto God the things which are God's where you may observe, as to with-hold from God the things which are God's, man is said to be a robber of God; whereof he himself thus complaineth in the case of

Matth. chap. xxii. ver. 21.

Mal. chap. iii. ver. 8.

substracting of tythes and oblations: So to deny a supply to Cæsar of such means as are necessary for the support of his Kingdom, can be accounted no less than a robbing of him of that which is his due; which I wish you seriously to ponder, and to think better of yielding something to this present necessity, that we may not return from you an undutiful answer, which may be justly displeasing to his Majesty."

A copy of this speech was sent over by the Lord Deputy to the King, who expressed in strong terms his approbation of the zeal and fidelity which it displayed. The speech, though no unfavourable specimen of political talents, failed in the accomplishment of the end proposed, a failure which, as Dr. Parr remarks, was attended with the most important consequences to the country, for had the army been increased to the full establishment, it is most probable the disastrous rebellion of 1641 would never have taken place.

In addition to these political anxieties, the Primate was greatly occupied by the affairs of Trinity College. The disputes between the Provost and Fellows, to which allusion has already been made', still continued, and it appeared that the removal of the Provost in some quiet manner, was evidently the only method of preserving the discipline and good order of the College. Archbishop Ussher seems to have persuaded the Provost to resign, for he states, in a letter to Archbishop Abbot: "The time is now come, wherein we have at last wrought upon Sir William Temple to give up his place, if the other may be drawn over." That other was Mr. Sibbes, the preacher of Gray's Inn. However, all difficulty about the resignation was unexpectedly removed by the death of Sir William Temple, who expired on the 15th of January, 1629, five days after the date of the Primate's letter. When the vacancy occurred, he wrote a second time to Archbishop Abbot, renewing his recommendation of Mr. Sibbes, but, in case of his refusal to accept the office, suggesting Mr. Bedell or Dr. Featley. The Archbishop of Canterbury sent over Mr. Sibbes, with a letter not very

See pag. 33.

Sec vol. xv. pag. 361.