52
AN GAODHAL.
bith níos mailísighe nó níos cliste a chu¬
madh le sgrios spioradálta ar anam¬
naibh na n-daoineadh, nó na cuibhreacha
sgiúrsacha a cuireadh ar bun le creid¬
eamh bheannuighthe Naomh Phádhraic a reub¬
adh as croidhthibh cinidh na nGaodhal; acht
buidheachas le Dia & leis an Maighdean
Mhuire & le eidirghuidhe Naomh Pádruic,
ní rabh sluaighte ifrinn nó Sacsan ion¬
ann leis an g-creideamh Caitil¬
iceach a reubadh ó chroidhthibh dílis na n-
Éireannach.
An ceathramhadh dlighe sgiúrsachacha in
aghaidh cléir & bráithreach na h-Eaglaise.
Ar réir an dlighe seo deunadh díbirt
ar na sagairtibh amach as tír na h-Éir¬
eann, & dá bh-fillfeadh aon acu go deo,
bhí sé faoi bhreith bheith crochta, tarraing¬
the & geárrtha ó chéile. Cia 'n chuma ar
chuir na tioránuighe an dlighe malluighte
sin i bh-foirm? Mar seo: chuir siad
spíodóiridhe ag cuartughadh & ar thóir
na sagart; insin anuair a gheibhthuighe a¬
mach dá m-beidheadh maoin ar bith saogh¬
alta aige, 'sé sin le rádh, capall, bó nó
caora, bhí an mhaoin sin le bheith roinnte
eidir an spíodóir & an righ no an bhain¬
rioghan, & mar a m-beidheadh nidh ar bith
eile ag an sagart, bhí a chloigeann aige
ar a laighead, & ar an g cloigeann sin
beo nó marbh, gheibhtheadh an spíodóir
chúig phunt, sé sin cúig dollair ar fhichid,
an luach ceudna bhí ar chloigeann faol¬
chon nó mactíre Faoi 'n dligheamh mal¬
luighthe sgiúrsaidhe sin dá d-tarlóchadh
Naomh Pádhruic é féin go h-Éirinn ins
an aimsir anróidhte sin ghabhfadh siad é
& gheabhthadh an spíodóir chúig phunt ar a
chloigeann beannuighthe.
Mar shompla ar an trócaire a thais¬
beán na rópairidhe Sacsanacha d' easb¬
ogaibh & do shagartaibh, aithrisim an dún¬
mharbhadh a tugadh ar Dhiarmad Ó' h-Iar¬
fhlaithigh, árd easbog mór-uramach Chais¬
il. Agus, ar d-tús, fiafruighmís cia'n
choir a rinne sé? Freagramuid ar an
nós go rabh sé cionntach in gach dligheamh
sgiúrsaidhe air ar labhair mé cheana;
acht go h-airighthe mar chúis bháis mar
aobhar nach n-admhóchadh sé fomós an
Phápa thabhairt do 'n mhnaoi sin i dtug-
could not invent fetters more galling
or more active for the spiritual des¬
truction of the peoples' souls than the
scourging shackles which were forged
to wrest the holy religion of St Pat¬
rick from the hearts of the Gael.; but
thanks be to God and to the Virgin
Mary, and to the intercession of Saint
Patrick, the hellish hordes of England
were not able to banish the Catholic
Faith from the faithful hearts of the
Irish.
The fourth scourging laws were
against the clergy and friars of the
Church. According to this law the
clergy were banished out of Ireland,
and should any of them return for ever
he was condemned to be hung, drawn
and quartered. In what manner did
the tyrants put this cursed law into
effect? Thiswise: They sent spies
to hunt up and capture the priest,
Then if it were discovered he possess¬
ed any earthly means, that is to say,
if the priest possessed a horse, a cow
or a sheep — that means was to be divi¬
ded among the informers and the
king or queen ; and if tho priest had
nothing else, he had his head, at least,
and on that head, dead or alive, the
informer got five pounds, that is, twen¬
ty five dollars — the same price that
was on the head of a wolf. Under
that cursed, scourging law, if St. Pat¬
rick himself sojourned in Ireland at
that time of tribulation they would
seize him and the informer would get
five pounds for his holy head.
As sample of the mercy which the
English robbers extended to bishops
and priests, I relate the murder of
Dermott O’Herily, the esteemed arch¬
bishop of Cashil. And, at first, let us
ask, What crime had he committed?
We answer in a manner that he was
guilty of every scourging law of which
I have already spoken, but partiular¬
ly, as a death penalty, that he would
not consent to give the obedience
due to the Pope to that woman called
queen Elizabeth, that is to say, Betty
