James I. died on the 27th March, 1625, and left his successor no very pleasant prospects in any part of his kingdom.  He was pronounced by Sully to be “the wisest fool in Europe;” Henry IV. styled him “Captain of Arts and Clerk of Arms;” and a favourite epigram of the age is thus translated:—­

    “When Elizabeth was England’s King,
    That dreadful name thro’ Spain did ring
    How altered is the case, ah sa’ me! 
    The juggling days of good Queen Jamie.”

On the accession of Charles I., in 1625, it was so generally supposed he would favour the Catholic cause, that the earliest act of the new Parliament in London was to vote a petition, begging the King to enforce the laws against recusants and Popish priests.  The Viceroy, Lord Falkland, advised the Irish Catholics to propitiate him with a voluntary subsidy.  They offered the enormous sum of L120,000, to be paid in three annual instalments, and in return he promised them certain “graces.”  The contract was ratified by royal proclamation, in which the concessions were accompanied by a promise that a Parliament should be held to confirm them.  The first instalment of the money was paid, and the Irish agents returned home to find themselves cruelly deceived and basely cheated.  Falkland was recalled by the Puritan party, on suspicion of favouring the Catholics; Viscount Ely and the Earl of Cork were appointed Lords Justices; and a reign of terror was at once commenced.

The Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Bulkely, was foremost in commencing the persecution.  He marched, with the Mayor and a file of soldiers, to the Franciscan[470] church in Cook-street, on St. Stephen’s Day, 1629, dispersed the congregation, seized the friars profaned the church, and broke the statue of St. Francis.  The friars were rescued by the people, and the Archbishop had “to take to his heels and cry out for help,” to save himself.  Eventually the Franciscans established their novitiates on the Continent, but still continued their devoted ministrations to the people, at the risk of life and liberty.  Their house in Cook-street was pulled down by royal order, and three other chapels and a Catholic seminary were seized and converted to the King’s use.  Wentworth assembled a Parliament in July, 1634, the year after his arrival in Ireland.  Its subserviency was provided for by having a number of persons elected who were in the pay of the crown as military officers.  The “graces” were asked for, and the Lord Deputy declared they should be granted, if the supply was readily voted.  “Surely,” he said, “so great a meanness cannot enter your hearts as once to suspect his Majesty’s gracious regards of you, and performance with you, when you affix yourself upon his grace.”  This speech so took the hearts of the people, that all were ready to grant all that might be demanded; and six subsidies of L50,000 each were voted, though Wentworth only expected L30,000.  In the meanwhile neither Wentworth nor the King had the slightest idea