484
AN GAODAL.
not be predicated of the whole Irish nation at that
time, nor even of a majority of it, but of the rul¬
ing potentates, the powerful classes, and of those
warlike chiefs, who on account of the peculiar nat¬
ure of the Irish governmental polity, always exer¬
cised an undue influence over the minds of their de¬
pendent clansmen. It was in order to check interni¬
cine feuds, put an end to sacrilege, to cause a more
becoming observance of religious duty, and a more
faithful regard to the marital obligation, that in¬
duced Pope Adrian the Fourth to hand over the I¬
rish people to be scourged and lacerated by the
torturing scorpions of British power. But this is
not the first time that the many have been punish¬
ed for the crimes of the few for the poet Hesiod
informs us that one man's crimes may bring ruin
on a nation, and Homer in the beginning of the I¬
liad says that, "For the king's offence the people
died." And in holy writ we find it stated that for
two crimes of Saul and David many thousand in
Israel suffered death by famine and pestilence.
The celebrated cattle prey of Cooley, the redoubt¬
able animal which Finn Mac Cumhail brought in¬
to Ireland after the great cattle murrain, and the
celestial white Taurus whose faultless symmetry
anciently charmed the beautiful Europa have ne¬
ver become as prominent in controversy as the lit¬
erary bull of Pope Adrian the Fourth, which has
often lent its doubt horns to the confounding dil¬
emmas of logic.
The authenticity of this document has
been stoutly denied by many orators and writers
who have been zealous to maintain the good name
of the said pope. MacGeoghegan in the narrative
portion of his history of Ireland gives currency to
the validity of the document as others have done;
but in a long special discourse upon the subject
has endeavored to make it appear spurious. He
further tries to prove that a subsequent bull issued
by Pope Alexander the Third confirming the for¬
mer is a forgery; but he admits that Pope Lucius
the Third, who succeeded the two mentioned pon¬
tiffs, refused to grant a third bull sustaining the
two former, although solicited thereto by the off¬
er of a large sum of money by King Henry the
Second. I think this should end the controversy,
for if the two former instruments could have been
with false impudence produced, it is not easy to
perceive why a third one could not with equal fa¬
cility be manipulated. The same author against
his will tacitly admits the transference of the Irish
sovereignty when he states that Pope John the
XXII. remitted and forgave to the kings of Eng¬
land the payment of the Peter's pence which they
were bound to pay to the popes of Rome as a stip¬
ulated tribute on account of every inhabited house
in Ireland. He also might have admitted with o¬
ther writers that no sovereign of England had ev¬
en assumed the title of king of Ireland until after
the apostacy of Henry the Eighth, for previously
they governed the latter country as lords of Ire¬
land, holding their titles as deputies or vassals of
the popes of Rome. Some historic authors who
have given their unqualified credence to the con¬
troverted commission of Adrian, are Stowe and Dr
Lingard in England and in Ireland Stanihurst,
Ware, Wright, Keating, Comerford, and I incline
to believe to the best of my recollection that
Halloran, Moore and McGee may perhaps be pla¬
ced in the same category: while the only refracto¬
ry author I have found is the one whose opinions
I have endeavored to refute, and who wrote his
history of Ireland in France, and it may be to suit
the predeliction of the French nation.
Cardinal Baronius in the twelfth volume of his
writings, according to Dr. Keating, has inserted a
copy of the controverted diploma, but because it is
without date some zealots have asserted that it can
be of no valid authority; but they have not per¬
ceived that such an argument, if generally admit¬
ted, would render null, void und valueless the date¬
less Gospels and Epistles written by the apostles
of Christ. In Pinnock's Goldsmith's England,
(page 79) there occurs a very remarkable passage
wherein it is shown that King John on his knees
upon oath gave up to Pope Innocent the Third
and his successors the kingdoms of England and
Ireland and all the prerogatives of his crown and
only received them back from the pope's legate on
condition of paying into the papal exchequer year¬
ly the sum of three hundred marks for Ireland and
seven hundred marks for England. From this last
transaction and from other facts which I have above
exhibited, it will appear evident to any discerning,
candid, faithful mind that the present pope of
Rome has the power to bestow both the sovereign¬
ty of England and Ireland upon whom soever he
pleases. And this right or power according
to the most deliberate conclusions of my
mind, contains the secret of restoring
to Ireland her lost autonomy of over
throwing European heresy and Asiatic infidelity;
of elevating the announced Charlovingian to
the highest pinnacle of worldy renown, and of ren¬
dering Christ's church universally triumphant up¬
on earth. In conclusion —while compelled to res¬
erve many interesting views connected with my
subject, and claiming indulgence for this prolong¬
ed trespass on your valuable space, and promising
important prophetic interpretations in my next
communication.
Believe me yours most patriotically,
GÆL GLAS.
So as to secure the continuance of old sub¬
scribers we hold back Prof. ROEHRIG's Essay for
the next volume — An open confession!
The Gael being a little late this month it is
dated October, The number of the Volume al¬
ways shows the consecutive order
