ral, a Major, and three Lieutenant Colonels, all certify by signing their names at the foot of the Affidavit.

George Taylor, of Ballywalter, deposed, that Michael Murphy, another Priest, attended the Rebel Camp at Gorey; and his Affidavit may be consulted for much valuable information respecting the atrocities committed by the Rebels on the Protestants at Wexford and elsewhere.

Bleakney Ormsby, of Garrane, in the County of Wexford, deposed, that the same Priest Michael Murphy, who was chief in command on the march from Gorey to Arklow, halted very frequently on the road, and offered up public prayers for the success of the Rebels, who on those occasions knelt down, and often kissed the ground; and his Affidavit supplies further information on the nature of the contest, and shews that it had every character of a religious war. This witness's father and two brothers were murdered, and another brother died of grief.

Sir Richard Musgrave observes, that the Rebels were supplied with lists of the Protestant Inhabitants of every Parish; and mentions one instance, in particular, of a Rebel, who, on being solicited to save a boy's life, declared that " he could not "release him consistently with his own safety:" which shewed (says Sir Richard Musgrave) "that he acted by the orders ❝ of his superiors.”

Richard Grandy, of Ballyshan, in the County of Wexford, deposed, that he obtained a pass from Edward Murphy the parish Priest of Bannow, to pass and repass through his district for the purpose of curing the wounded; and that he attended mass celebrated by him, after which he heard him preach a Sermon, in which he said, "Brethren, you see you are "victorious every where-that the balls of the Heretics fly "about you without hurting you-that few of you have fallen, "whilst thousands of Heretics are dead, and that the few of

you that have fallen was from deviating from our cause, and "want of faith-that this visibly is the work of God, who "now is determined that the Heretics, who have reigned up

"wards of an hundred years, should be extirpated, and the "true Catholic religion be established"-and that this Sermon was preached after the battle of Ross, and that he heard several Sermons preached by the Priests to the same effect; and that he likewise heard many Rebels who had been at the battle of Enniscorthy and elsewhere, declare, that Roche the Priest, a Rebel General, constantly caught the bullets that came from His Majesty's arms, and gave them to his men to load their pieces with: that every Protestant that was admitted into the Rebel corps, was first baptized by a Priest; and that every Protestant that refused to be baptized was put to death; and that many, to save their lives, suffered themselves to be baptized.

Sir Richard Musgrave also gives a copy of the horrid Oath which was taken by all the Rebels, printed copies of which were found upon numbers who were slain, particularly at the battles of New Ross and Ballicanew, and which oath is as follows: "I A. B. do solemnly swear by our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for us on the Cross, and by the blessed "Virgin Mary, that I will burn, destroy, and murder all He"retics, up to my knees in blood. So help me God."

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In further proof that the great object of the Irish Re-bellion in 1798, was the destruction of the Protestants, the deposition of William Fleming on oath is very material. This Affidavit opens with the following paragraph, viz. that he was a Yeoman in the Taghmon cavalry, was taken prisoner by the Rebels, at Kilburn near Taghmon aforesaid, on the thirty-first May, 1798, by a man of the name of Brien, who was a captain of Rebels; and that the said Brien asked him whether he would be baptized? On which he replied, that he was baptized before, and that he did not think a second baptism necessary that Brien asked him, whether he knew that this was a religious war? to which he replied, he did not; on which Brien told him, that no person would be suffered to live but he that was a true Roman Catholic.

David Neville swore an Information, the 2d of July,

1798, before the Rev. John Kennedy, and in presence of General Fawcett, that John Cody, Michael Devereux of Battlestown, John Devereux of Dungulph, and David Walsh of Ballygo, in the county of Wexford, were busy in promoting the Rebellion; and said, that the object of the Rebellion was to murder such Protestants as would not turn to mass.

James Murphy, a Papist, deposed on the 2d June, that the object of the Rebellion was to murder all the Protestants, and to have the Kingdom to themselves.

John Fitzgerald, of Black Hill, deposed the same the 3d July, 1798.

Charles Reilly deposed, 5th July, 1798, that he saw Fathers Byrne and Shaillow, at the camp of Carrickbyrne, active and busy in promoting the Rebellion.

Joseph Kelly, a Protestant, deposed, 5th July, 1798, that he was baptized by Bernard Downes, a Priest, along with many more; as he heard and believed, that every Protestant was to be put to death. He also deposed, that brakes of furze were set on fire by the Rebels, in expectation of finding Protestants hid in them.

Andrew Shepherd, and Patrick Dungannon, of the Royal Irish Artillery, who were taken prisoners at the mountain of Forth, on the thirtieth of May, deposed, that the Rebel Generals Roche, Fitzgerald, and Murphy, informed them, that John Colclough, Esq. of Tintern, in the county of Wexford, was at the head of six hundred Rebels, at Tintern aforesaid, ready to cut-off the retreat of the thirteenth regiment of foot; and that the Priests Dixon, Cavanagh, Murphy, and several other Priests, were very busy and active at the Rebel Camp at Gorey, promoting and forwarding the Rebellion. Dixon endeavoured to persuade the Rebels to march to Dublin, for the purpose of taking it, and that they would be joined by twenty thousand Rebels, in the county of Wicklow.

The Affidavit of Elizabeth Edwards states that her neighbours who were Roman Catholics, informed her that all. the Protestants would be put to death on the 10th June, 1798;

in consequence of which, she went to the Catholic Chapel, where she was baptized by one Brae the Priest, who afterwards demanded his fee, which she paid him accordingly.

In further proof of the war being a religious war, James Rowson, of a Parish in the County of Wexford, a farmer, swore, that the Rebel Commander at Gorey shot him in the head, and broke his jaw, and that he was "fully convinced "that he had no other reason for shooting him, than that he "was a Protestant." He further deposes, that his house, outhouses, furniture, and farming utensils were burnt, and his cattle stolen by the Rebels.

Thomas Cleary was executed the 8th of March, 1800, for the murder of his master, Edward Turner, Esq. on the Bridge at Wexford. Just before his execution, he made the following confession, in presence of Joshua Nunn, Esq. High Sheriff, three magistrates, and many others: That he was guilty of the said murder. On his being asked, Did he not think it a sin to kill his master? he replied, that he often heard the people say, it was not a sin to kill him, and that since the murder of his master, he received absolution from two Priests, Edanus Murphy, of the Parish of Kilrush, in the said county, and Ryan, who had done duty for the Priest Redmond, of the Parish of Ferns. He was also asked, did they order him to do any thing for committing so horrid & crime? He answered, they ordered him to fast from meat, three days in each week for three months, as a penance. And this confession was signed by Joshua Nunn, High Sheriff, and three Magistrates.

Elizabeth Crane, of Wexford, widow, deposed on oath, that just before the dreadful massacre of the Protestant Prisoners, in cold blood, which took place on the Bridge of Wexford, on the 20th June, 1798, she saw Doctor Caulfield the Popish Bishop, and Roche the Priest, together in the street of Wexford, and that the Bishop publicly gave his benediction to a multitude of Rebels (who knelt to receive it) armed with Pikes and other weapons, as they were on their way from the

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Gaol, where they had been engaged in the work of death, to the Bridge, where a more awful sacrifice was preparing; and that very shortly after the men who had been so blessed by the Bishop, had gone on to the Bridge, two Rebels armed with Pikes entered her house, who told her "they were then slaughtering on the Bridge; that they would never draw bridle till "they put them all on a level, and that by that time to-mor"row there would be neither buying nor selling in Wexford." We further learn from the Affidavit, that this act of the Bishop was no occasional or ordinary affair, since he was nearly an hour engaged in the benediction, during which time the witness heard the shot by which Matthewson was killed at the Gaol. This Bishop appears to have given a Faculty or Power of Attorney to the Priest Bryan Murphy, who ordered the massacre at Scullabogue, enabling him to forgive sins, which, however, he withdrew about two years after the Rebellion. At all events, this or some other circumstance led to a quarrel between these two worthies at that time, and the Letter which follows may afford a fair specimen of Episcopal authority in Ireland.

1

"Rev. Bryan Murphy!

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Being well and truly informed, that you have t impiously and sacrilegiously dared to attempt to administer "sacraments, without having any faculties so to do, nay, that

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you have had the diabolical audacity to attempt to hear sa"cramental confessions, and to give the unfortunate penitents absolution, which was absolutely not in your power to give, thereby heaping coals on your own head, leaving the un"happy sinners in their sins, and, as was your practice, lead❝ing them to utter perdition, &c. &c. Wherefore, in the necessary discharge of our pastoral and indispensable duty, and for the safety of the faithful committed to our charge, we now again repeat, and hereby declare you absolutely and sto all intents and purposes deprived of all priestly functions whatsoever, except the recital of the divine office, in cano4.❝nical hours, and saying one mass daily, and that privately,