A letter to the Right Honorable A. Earl of Essex, from Dublin Declaring the strange obstinacy of papists, (as here, so) in Ireland; who being evidently convict and condemn'd for criminal causes, yet at their death, and upon the gallows, absolutely deny the fact; and the erroneous and impious motives, given by their priests, by which they are deluded to do it. 1679 Approx. 8 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 4 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A23600 Wing L1747A ESTC R222064 99833301 99833301 37777

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A23600) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 37777) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2173:10) A letter to the Right Honorable A. Earl of Essex, from Dublin Declaring the strange obstinacy of papists, (as here, so) in Ireland; who being evidently convict and condemn'd for criminal causes, yet at their death, and upon the gallows, absolutely deny the fact; and the erroneous and impious motives, given by their priests, by which they are deluded to do it. Essex, Arthur Capel, Earl of, 1631-1683, recipient. [2], 4, [2] p. Printed by Tho: Newcomb, London : 1679. Dated at end: Dublin, Mar. 5. 1678/9. With "Postscript" on final leaf. Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

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 eng Anti-Catholicism -- England -- Early works to 1800. Catholics -- Ireland -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Confession -- Catholic Church -- Early works to 1800. 2006-11 Assigned for keying and markup 2006-11 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-12 Sampled and proofread 2006-12 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

A LETTER To the Right Honorable A. Earl of Eſſex, FROM DUBLIN.

Declaring the ſtrange Obſtinacy of PAPISTS, (As here, ſo) in IRELAND;

Who being evidently Convict and Condemn'd for Criminal Cauſes, yet at their Death, and upon the Gallows, abſolutely deny the Fact; And the erroneous and impious Motives, given by their Prieſts, by which they are deluded to do it.

Joſhua VII. xix, xx.

My Son, give glory to God, confeſs to him, and tell me what thou haſt done.

And Achan ſaid, Indeed I have ſinned, &c.

LONDON, Printed by Tho: Newcomb. 1679.
A LETTER To the Right Honorable A. EARL of ESSEX, FROM DUBLIN. Declaring The ſtrange Obſtinacy of PAPISTS, (as here, ſo) in Ireland, &c. May it pleaſe your Lordſhip,

ON Sunday laſt I received yours of February the 25th, and have inquired into the Truth of the Story of an Iriſh Papist Executed in this Countrey, who at the Gallows denied the Fact for which he was to ſuffer; but after he had Hanged awhile, the Rope by accident breaking, and the Malefactor comeing to himſelf, confeſs'd it to be true.

The perſon was one John Curphy a Papist, who, this Lent Aſſizes will be Seven years, was Tryed before Mr. Baron Hene (then His Majeſties Serjeant) for Burglary in the County of Monaghan, and being found Guilty, was condemned to dye. At the Gallows this Curphy denied the Fact with great Confidence and Aſſeverations of his Innocency, and was turned off the Ladder, perſiſting in his denial; but after he had hanged ſome little ſpace, the Rope by chance breaking, and he falling down a little ſtunn'd, came again to himſelf, and fell to his prayers, thanking God that he had given him time to declare the Truth, and not to go out of the World with a Lye in his mouth, and then confeſſed himſelf Guilty of the Fact for which he was Condemned.

Afterwards this Curphy was brought back to the Gaol by the Sheriff Mr. Lucas, and application made to Baron Hene to Reprieve the Priſoner; but he telling the Sheriff that the Judge had done his duty, and the Sheriff muſt do his, Curphy was Executed.

This Account I write from Mr. Baron Hene's own mouth, this very morning, who perfectly knows this Narrative to be true, and was the Perſon who acquainted your Lordſhip with it, at your firſt coming into the Government.

He alſo tells me, that to the beſt of his remembrance, this Curphy owned, That the Priest had given him Abſolution, upon condition not to diſcover any thing, or declare his Accomplices: And that he need not doubt his Salvation, the Fact not being committed against Gods People, meaning (as he ſuppoſed) the Papiſts, or to that effect. Lucas the then Sheriff, lives in Monaghan, and the Records of this Tryal are there, wherefore I have waited upon Mr. Juſtice Johnſon, who goes that Circuit, and left with him a Memorial of theſe Particulars, who will inquire into them, and give me an atteſted Account thereof, which when they come to my hands, I will tranſmit to your Lordſhip.

Mr. Juſtice Johnſon alſo told me another Relation, ſomething of this nature There was a ſpecial Commiſſion lately directed to himſelf, to try ſeveral Malefactors for Murthers and Robberies, committed in the County of Cavan. The Perſons Indicted, were two of the Duffies, and one Plunkett, all Iriſh Papists. The Duffies when they were firſt apprehended, Confest that they were Guilty of the Crimes laid to their Charge, and gave the ſame Evidence alſo againſt Plunkett at his Tryal, upon which, with other moſt undeniable Circumſtances, Plunkett was Condemned. The Duffies were afterwards tryed for the ſame Facts, and Condemned alſo.

I ſhould likewiſe have told your Lordſhip, That Plunkett upon his firſt Apprehenſion, owned to Sir John Edgworth, that he was Guilty.

After the Sentence was paſt upon them, one Brady a Prieſt, came to theſe Duffies in Priſon, and uſed Arguments to induce them to Recant their Evidence; but they perſiſting in the Truth, would not be prevailed upon.

Mr. Juſtice Johnſon hearing this, ſent for Brady, who, upon his Examination, could not deny, but that he had been with the Duffies, to perſuade them to Renounce their Teſtimony againſt Plunkett.

Whereupon the Judge Committed him. The Concluſion was, That one of the Duffies (the other being Reprieved) ſuffer'd, confeſſing the Fact, and perſevering in his Accuſation of Plunkett. And Plunkett dyed as obſtinate, on the other ſide, utterly denying, that he was Guilty, with Curſes upon himſelf, and Renunciations of Salvation, if he were not innocent.

I muſt alſo crave leave to trouble your Lordſhip with another Narrative of this ſort, which I had from Sir Richard Reynell, one of the Judges of the Kings Bench.

About October laſt was Twelvemonth, there was tryed before him, upon a Commiſſion of Oyer and Terminer, one Neile-O-Neile, an Iriſh Papiſt, for a Murther committed at Rathdrum in the County of Wicklow.

This Neile-O-Neile in Priſon, and at his Tryal, owned to ſeveral Perſons, (amongſt which I hear my Lord of Strafford then in Ireland was one) That he was Guilty, and was ſo found by the Jury, the Fact being clearly proved againſt him: But at the Gallows, he utterly denied it.

Theſe three Particulars being averr'd to me this very day, by the three aforementioned Judges, I humbly preſume to ſend them your Lordſhip as true.

I fear I have tyred your Lordſhip with this long Letter, but I thought it my Duty to give you the fulleſt Account I could of your Commands: who am,

Your LORDSHIPS Moſt Obedient and Faithful Servant Dublin, Mar. 5. 1678/9.

Poſtſcript. It is thought reaſonable to ſuppreſs the Name of the Perſon that wrote this Letter, for fear of expoſing him to danger, from the Party concerned in the Information.

 A Poſtſcript in the ſame Letter.

My Lord Chief Juſtice Booth, my Lord Chief Baron, and the Three Judges named in this Letter, all tell me, That the Criminals that dye in the Romiſh Perſuaſion, although apprehended in the very Fact, yet never confeſs; for after they have had Abſolution from the Prieſt, the Crime is (according to their Doctrine) totally taken away; and it having, as it were, never been, they may with a ſafe Conſcience deny it.

 FINIS.