Some writers, sickened with the state of things in Ireland, and impatient of the inaction of our rulers, and of the tedious forms of constitutional government, have exclaimed:  ’Oh for one day of Oliver Cromwell!’ Well, Ireland had him and his worthy officers for many years.  They had opportunities, which never can be hoped for again, of rooting out the Irish and their religion. ‘Thorough’ was their word.  They dared everything, and shrunk from no consequences.  They found Dublin full of Catholics; and on June 19, 1651, Mr. John Hewson had the felicity of making the following report on the state of religion in the Irish metropolis:—­

’Mr. Winter, a godly man, came with the commissioners, and they flock to hear him with great desire; besides, there is in Dublin, since January last, about 750 Papists forsaken their priests and the masse, and attends the public ordinances, I having appointed Mr. Chambers, a minister, to instruct them at his own house once a week.  They all repaire to him with much affection, and desireth satisfaction.  And though Dublin hath formerly swarmed with Papists, I know none (now) there but one, who is a chirurgeon, and a peaceable man.  It is much hoped the glad tidings of salvation will be acceptable in Ireland, and that this savage people may see the salvation of God.’

Political economists tell us that when population is greatly thinned by war, or pestilence, or famine, Nature hastens to fill up the void by the extraordinary fecundity of those who remain.  The Irish must have multiplied very fast in Connaught during the Commonwealth; and the mixture of Saxon and Celtic blood resulting from the union of the Cromwellian soldiers with the daughters of the land must have produced a numerous as well as a very vigorous breed in Wexford, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Cork, East and West Meath, King’s and Queen’s Counties, and Tyrone.  But these were not ‘wholly a right seed.’  This was to be found only in the union of English with English, newly arrived from the land of the free.  The more precious this seed was, the more care there should be in bringing it into the field.  This matter constituted one of the great difficulties of the plantation.  There were plenty of Irish midwives:  they might have been affectionate and careful, possibly skilful; but if they had any good quality, the council could not see it.  On the contrary, it gave them credit for many bad qualities, the worst of all being their idolatry and disloyalty.  It was really dreadful to think of English mothers and their infants being at the mercy of Irish nurses.  Consequently, after much deliberation, and ‘laying the matter before the Lord’ in prayer, it was resolved to bring over a state nurse from England, and to her special care were to be entrusted all the accouchements in the city of Dublin.  Endowed with such a monopoly, it was natural enough that she should be an object of envy and dislike to those midwives whom she had supplanted.  She was therefore annoyed and insulted while passing through the streets.  To put a stop to these outrages, a proclamation was issued from Dublin Castle for her special protection, which began thus:—­