who lay it down little consider what a wound they are giving to that establishment for which they pretend so much zeal.  However, as this is a consideration, not of general justice, but of particular and national policy, and as I have reserved a place expressly, where it will undergo a thorough discussion, I shall not here embarrass myself with it,—­being resolved to preserve all the order in my power, in the examination of this important, melancholy subject.

However, before we pass from this point concerning possession, it will be a relaxation of the mind, not wholly foreign to our purpose, to take a short review of the extraordinary policy which has been held with regard to religion in that kingdom, from the time our ancestors took possession of it.  The most able antiquaries are of opinion, and Archbishop Usher, whom I reckon amongst the first of them, has, I think, shown, that a religion not very remote from the present Protestant persuasion was that of the Irish before the union of that kingdom to the crown of England.  If this was not directly the fact, this at least seems very probable, that Papal authority was much lower in Ireland than in other countries.  This union was made under the authority of an arbitrary grant of Pope Adrian, in order that the Church of Ireland should be reduced to the same servitude with those that were nearer to his see.  It is not very wonderful that an ambitious monarch should make use of any pretence in his way to so considerable an object.  What is extraordinary is, that for a very long time, even quite down to the Reformation, and in their most solemn acts, the kings of England founded their title wholly on this grant:  they called for obedience from the people of Ireland, not on principles of subjection, but as vassals and mesne lords between them and the Popes; and they omitted no measure of force or policy to establish that Papal authority, with all the distinguishing articles of religion connected with it, and to make it take deep root in the minds of the people.  Not to crowd instances unnecessary, I shall select two, one of which is in print, the other on record,—­the one a treaty, the other an act of Parliament.  The first is the submission of the Irish chiefs to Richard the Second, mentioned by Sir John Davies.  In this pact they bind themselves for the future to preserve peace and allegiance to the kings of England, under certain pecuniary penalties.  But what is remarkable, these fines were all covenanted to be paid into the Apostolical Chamber, supposing the Pope as the superior power, whose peace was broken and whose majesty was violated in disobeying his governor.  By this time, so far as regarded England, the kings had extremely abridged the Papal power in many material particulars:  they had passed the Statute of Provisors, the Statute of Praemunire,—­and, indeed, struck out of the Papal authority all things, at least, that seemed to infringe on their temporal independence.  In Ireland, however, their proceeding was directly the reverse:  there they thought it expedient to exalt it at least as high as ever:  for, so late as the reign of Edward the Fourth, the following short, but very explicit, act of Parliament was passed:—­