The Graces

In the midst of all this inquietude king James I. died in 1625, and was succeeded by his son Charles 1. Tills king was in perpetual straits for money : and the Catholics hoped that by granting him subsidies he would have the penal laws relaxed. The Protestants also had their troubles, for many of them -as well as the Catholics-were threatened with the loss of their estates through the knaveries of the discoverers

Accordingly the Irish gentry, Catholic and Protestant, encouraged by Falkland, offered to pay 120,000 pounds in installments to the king, who agreed to grant certain concessions or ” graces ” as they were called.

There were altogether fifty-one graces, of which the most important were: (l) Defects of title were not to be searched for farther back than sixty years; so that those who could prove sixty years title without a flaw were to be secure. Previous to this the discoverers had often gone back to the time of Henry II. This grace affected Protestants as well as Catholics, (2) Recusants were to be required to take an oath of allegiance only (which any subject might take): not an oath of supremacy (which no Catholic could take). (3) The people of Connaught to have their titles confirmed : and (4) the exactions and op- piessions of the soldiery on the people, which had by this time grown intolerable, to be restrained.

The graces could not be granted without the confirmation of the Irish parliament. But though the people continued to pay the installments, the king and Falkland dishonestly evaded the summoning of parliament; and the graces remained unconfirmed. Mean- time, the Catholics were allowed some toleration for the time; and never suspecting any duplicity, they hoped that the next parliament would make matter; right.

But the Dublin council were so provoked to see the Catholics openly practicing their religion, and building churches and schools, that they pressed lord Falkland to put a stop to it. So Falkland issued proclamation forbidding such practices, which ended in nothing. For he was a mild tolerant sort of man who did not wish to persecute any one; and though the proclamation was there, he did not attempt to enforce it; so that things went on the same as before, At last the king had to recall him in 1629: and then the government was committed to the hands of viscount Ely, lord chancellor, and Richard Boyle, earl of Cork, lord high treasurer, a man who had made himself rich and great by cunning and fraud : these held office for four years.

This was an evil change for the Catholics; for the two new justices proceeded to enforce the laws, especially that which compelled attendance at Protestant worship. By their orders a file of soldiers entered a chapel where some Carmelites were celebrating Mass, and carried off the priest in his vestments, who, however, was immediately rescued by the congregation. This so incensed the authorities, that they seized sixteen Catholic religious houses in Dublin, and closed them up; and suppressed the Catholic college. But the king at last bethought him that he could get more money by milder treatment, and ordered the justices to desist.