INTRODUCTION. and the Mayor of Dublin, with a file of musqueteers, given them by order of the Lord Justices,* entered the house of the Capuchins in Cook-street, but the congregation rose against them, and they narrowly escaped with their lives.*' This was about Christmas (according to some on St. Stephen's day), 1629, and an account of the riot was at once transmitted by the Lords Justices to the Privy Council in England, who sent an order, dated the 31st of January following, that all such disaffected Houses should be demolished or converted to some public uses, for the King's service. •= In pursuance of this order several convents and " Mass- houses," as they were then irreverently called, were seized by the Government. On the 19th of February, i6|^, the College petitioned the Lords Justices for one of the suppressed " Mass
- "A fraternity of Carmelites"
[read Capuchins] *' appeared in the habit of their order, and publicly ce- lebrated their religious rites in one of the most frequented parts of Dublin. The archbishop of the diocese, and the chief magistrate of the city, whose indignation was roused at this defiance of law and government, led a party of the army to their place of worship, and attempted to disperse the as- sembly. The friars and their con- gregation repelled the attack by force, and obliged the assailants to consult their safety by a precipitate flight. The incident was represented in Eng- land in the most offensive manner, and seemed to reproach that mis- taken lenity, which had encouraged the recusants to this outrage. It was deemed neither safe nor politic to connive at such insolence ; by an or- der of the English Council fifteen re- ligious houses were seized to the king's use, and the Popish college. erected in Dublin, was assigned to the University, who for the present converted it into a Protestant semi- nary."— Leland,S'i5^ of Ireland^ vol. iii. (8vo, Dublin^ 1814), p. 7. The " Popish College," spoken of by Le- land, was probably the Jesuit College in Back-lane. Gilbert {Hist, of Dub- lin, vol. iii., p. 299,) speaks of this event as having occurred in the church of the Franciscans, Cook-street. But the Capuchins were a branch of the Franciscans. See Dr. Moran, Archbishops of Dublin, L, pp. 316, 317. •= Rob. Ware, Foxes Sf Firebrands, part ii., pp. 72-77, Elrington's Life of Ussher, p. 105, where we should read " Capuchins " for Cannelites, and "Cook-street" for Cork-street. ^ The Lords Justices at this time were Sir Adam Loftus, Viscount Ely, Lord- Chancellor ; and Sir Rich. Boyle, Earl of Cork, Lord High Treasurer.
