CARMELITE FRIARS: 
 
 Father Thomas Aquin^Tof Jesus, 
 
 0 
 
 Brother Angelus of the Conception, 
 Brother Peter of the Mother of God, 
 
 PUT TO DEATH BY HERETICS 
 
 In 1642—43, 
 
 IN DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA. 
 

THREE 
 
 CARMELITE FRIARS: 
 
 Father Thomas Aquinas of Jesus, 
 Brother Angelus of the Conception, 
 Brother Peter of the Mother of God, 
 
 PUT TO DEATH BY HERETICS 
 
 In 1642—43, 
 
 IN DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA. 
 
 DOLLARD, PRINTINGHOUSE DUBLIN. 
 1887. 
 
211.T5 
 
 C\'ht 
 
 APPROBATIONS. 
 
 Being delegated by our Very Rev. Father-General, Father 
 Jerome of the Immaculate Conception, to give in writing 
 the permission to print the work entitled ‘‘Three Carme- 
 lite Friars/’ by the Rev. Father Albert (Callanan), O.D.C., 
 and finding that it contains nothing objectionable, I hereby 
 grant the required permission. 
 
 Br. Edward (Holland), O.D.C., 
 L. S. V, Provincial, 
 
 Nihil Obstat, 
 
 Pnprimatui^ 
 
 D. Murphy, S.J., 
 
 Censor Dep, 
 
 CuLiELMUS J. Walsh, 
 
 Archiep. Dublin. 
 
 AUTHOR’S PROTEST. 
 
 In obedience to the Decrees of the Holy See, I hereby 
 declare that the following narrative lays no claim to any 
 authority beyond what arises from human testimony alone. 
 
 P. A. Callanan, O.D.C. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 We are indebted to the Annalists of the Carmelite 
 Order for the interesting and touching narrative 
 roughly set forth in the following pages. At the 
 period in which the events therein related occurred, 
 the vine of Carmel, but recently planted in Irish soil, 
 was already vigorous and flourishing ; and had not the 
 disastrous occurrences of that time impeded its further 
 growth, there is little reason to doubt that in very few 
 years it would have received very extensive develop- 
 ments among a people at all times devotedly attached 
 to the ancient Order of Our Lady. 
 
 In October, 1625, the first Irish house of the Dis- 
 calced Carmelites was established in Dublin by FF. 
 Edward and Paul, both natives of that city, who had 
 joined the Order in Belgium, in which country they 
 had been distinguished professors of Theology. Soon 
 after convents were established in Kilkenny, Limerick, 
 Kinsale, Loughrea, Galway, Athboy, Ardee, and 
 Drogheda. In 1638 these houses were erected into a 
 province, with the title of St. Patrick. The Irish 
 province was destined to enjoy no very lengthened 
 existence, for it did not survive the troubles of the 
 
6 
 
 fierce Puritan persecution. With the exceptions of 
 Dublin and Loughrea, the Irish houses were, one by 
 one, broken up and abandoned. The province ceased 
 to exist in 1653, and the Friars who escaped captivity 
 or death, retired to different places on the Continent. 
 
 Of the history of the rise and fall of the Irish pro- 
 vince, we possess but too scant details, which is in 
 great measure due to the regrettable occurrence men- 
 tioned at the end of this narrative, and, doubtless, not 
 a little also to the favourite wholesale destruction of 
 our libraries by the intensely civilizing torch of our 
 enlightened Protestant reformers — fire. 
 
 There is a fine old oil-painting of the three Friars at 
 present in the possession of the Carmelites of Linz, in 
 Austria, the work evidently of a master-hand, which 
 shows how world-wide was become their celebrity 
 in those days. 
 
 Their family names are not known, except that of 
 Brother Angelus — George Halley. 
 
THREE CARMELITE FRIARS. 
 
 Father Thomas Aquinas of Jesus. 
 
 Father Thomas Aquinas was a distinguished 
 preacher and a zealous missionary, who, in conse- 
 quence, earned for himself the hatred of the heretics, 
 by the assiduity and successful results of his preaching 
 and labours in confirming the oppressed and perse- 
 cuted Catholics in the faith, and in winning several 
 back who had fallen into the errors of heresy. He 
 was captured, while engaged in his apostolic work, in 
 the house of a noble family recently converted by 
 him. The Puritans, having obtained information of 
 his whereabouts, through the treachery of a servant, 
 invested the house on all sides, like wolves raging for 
 the blood of the priest, and threatened all manner of 
 excesses and cruelties to the inmates if the Papist 
 priest were not given up to them. They searched the 
 house in every part, but having searched in vain re- 
 tired, and prepared to set it on fire. Seeing the 
 impending danger. Father Thomas, more solicitous 
 for the safety of others than for his own, came forth 
 freely, and surrendered himself into the hands of his 
 pursuers, by whom, in their savage exultation, he was 
 most cruelly beaten, bound with cords, and in that 
 state brought almost lifeless to Drogheda, and there 
 
8 
 
 cast into prison, where he was suffered to languish for 
 a considerable time. Under treatment so harsh he 
 suffered no expression of complaint to escape from 
 his lips ; but he bore all with joy, rejoicing to suffer for 
 Christ, and meditating on the words of the Apostle — 
 I am apprehended by the Lord, 
 
 Among many others imprisoned for the same cause, 
 was a priest of the Order of St. Francis, and Guardian 
 of the Franciscan community in Drogheda. By him 
 Father Thomas was received with extreme joy, and 
 with his assistance succeeded in procuring the sacred 
 habit of the Order, with which he invested himself in 
 prison. To prepare himself for the conflict, he care- 
 fully confessed to this Franciscan Father the faults of 
 his whole life, celebrated Mass daily, thus fortifying 
 himself with the Bread of the Strong. The remainder 
 of the day he spent in comforting and encouraging 
 the Catholic prisoners in company with the good 
 Franciscan. He devoted the greater part of the night 
 to mental and vocal prayer ; he fasted continually, 
 and chastised his body with great severity, in order to 
 detach it from the love of the present life, and lest it 
 should impede his spirit from union with its Lord, to 
 whom he frequently offered the sacrifice of his life, 
 and besought the blessed Mother of God, and all the 
 heavenly citizens, to succour him in his struggle. 
 
 Early on the morning of the 6th of July, while the 
 Father was offering the Holy Sacrifice, a messenger 
 from the governor of the town announced to him that 
 he was condemned to be hanged within an hour. 
 Father Thomas received the announcement of his 
 fate unmoved by the fear of death. Fie thanked God, 
 confessed again, and prepared himself for death. 
 When the hour had elapsed, he took last leave of his 
 fellow-captives, implored the assistance of their prayers, 
 and then resigned himself into the hands of the Puritan 
 
9 
 
 satellites. These men, strange to say, notwithstanding 
 their abhorrence of all religious garbs and symbols, 
 suffered him to retain his religious habit to the last. 
 Holding a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the 
 other, he went forth to execution, joyously chanting 
 the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. On his way the 
 heretical ministers sought to persuade him to adopt 
 their views ; but they were repulsed by the good 
 Father, who, fixing his eyes on his crucifix, required 
 them to say what might be the true faith of heretics, 
 who believed or disbelieved according as each one 
 liked for himself? '' Rather return,” he said to them, 
 “ to the old faith, taught by the Apostles, and hitherto 
 professed by your own nation.” A minister notified 
 to him that by authorization of the governor he could 
 give him a choice of offices in the army, provided 
 only he would repent and not perish.” To this offer 
 F'ather Thomas answered, that his office should lie 
 in not hesitating to die for the faith. Towards the 
 end of the journey, the Father was met by an 
 unhappy woman condemned to death for her crimes. 
 Being promised pardon on condition of renouncing 
 her religion, she was grievously tempted to aposta- 
 tize, when a few earnest words of exhortation from 
 Father Thomas confirmed her in the faith, with the 
 happy result that, having previously made public 
 profession of the true faith, she cheerfully faced her 
 doom. 
 
 Having reached the scaffold, Father Thomas was 
 commanded to ascend, which he accordingly did, pro- 
 fessing the faith in the meantime aloud, and earnestly 
 conjuring all the Catholics present to contend for it 
 manfully unto death. But the commander, fearing a 
 tumult among the people, ordered the executioner to 
 hasten his work. Not without the intense amazement 
 of the spectators, the rope, although a stout one. 
 
lO 
 
 snapped, letting Father Thomas fall to the ground — not* 
 dead, but unconscious. The Catholics attributed this 
 extraordinary circumstance to the intervention of 
 divine Providence, that thus the cause of one unjustly 
 condemned might be vindicated before the vast mul- 
 titude of people. Scarcely had he revived, when the 
 commander again ordered him to mount the scaffold ; 
 but here again the divine Power showed itself, for the 
 holy confessor ascended without difficulty, and speak- 
 ing without the least trouble, he appealed to the 
 Puritan leader to state the cause for which he had been 
 condemned to die, protesting that his conscience was 
 his witness that he had done wrong to no man, nor 
 committed any crime deserving of death. The Puritan 
 angrily replied : “ Why do you ask of me the cause 
 of your condemnation ; are you not a Papist, a priest, 
 and a monk ? ” '' It is so ; it is enough,'' the Father 
 
 replied ; '' I am guilty of no crime. Let it therefore 
 appear to all men that I die for the Catholic faith and 
 the religious profession, for which I also die gladly." 
 The Puritan now reminded him of the governor's 
 promises ; that they yet remained good ; that yet time 
 enough remained in which he could change his mind. 
 But when he understood that he was offering sugges- 
 tions to deaf ears, he ordered the executioner to 
 accomplish his work. 
 
 Not only were Catholics profoundly grieved by the 
 death of the servant of God, but many Protestants as 
 well, who, since that they had dissented from the ancient 
 faith under pretext of liberty, considered that to put 
 anyone to death merely on account of his religion 
 was to destroy liberty. 
 
 The confessor s body was taken away and interred 
 by the Catholics in the cemetery adjoining the Augus- 
 tinian convent, recently wrecked by the Puritans. 
 God, to show that He has ever at heart the care of the 
 
II 
 
 honour of His servants, caused a brilliant heavenly 
 light to shine over the Carmelite’s grave on the follow- 
 ing night. The light was visible to the soldiers stationed 
 at one of the gates of the town opposite, as well as to 
 many other persons in the neighbourhood about. The 
 soldiers, being of opinion that the light was brought 
 thither by Catholics burying their dead, proceeded, 
 forty strong, to the spot in which they thought the 
 light had appeared. In the cemetery they could see 
 no light ; all was utter darkness ; they were much 
 terrified, and fled. They saw it again when they re- 
 turned to their station at the gate. The captain him- 
 self next proceeded in the direction of the mysterious 
 light, taking with him fifty men, but only to discover 
 the same utter darkness. He immediately fled from 
 the cemetery, terror-stricken, himself bravely leading 
 the way for his equally terrified warriors. Having 
 thus failed as a brave soldier, the captain next, assum- 
 ing a more Puritanical frame of mind, declared with 
 due solemnity that that light must have issued from 
 hell with the devil, who had come to carry off the 
 Papist’s body along with his soul. This not over 
 reverent pronouncement having received but scant ap- 
 plause from his comrades — who had not yet quite 
 recovered from a certain nervous trepidation — aban- 
 doning his infernal theory, the captain now swore by 
 his Puritan soul that the Papist was not there buried 
 at all. The event showed that in this, too, he was 
 woefully mistaken, for next morning he visited the 
 grave, and found the body of the friar there calmly 
 reposing. He divested the body of the white mantle 
 and scapular, carried both away with him, and went 
 about relating to all he met his wondrous visions and 
 experiences of the previous eventful night. Another 
 soldier took away the friar’s crucifix, which he re- 
 fused to sell to the Catholics for any price, declaring 
 
12 
 
 earnestly that he would cherish it all his life time as a 
 most precious memorial of a man who had been un- 
 justly put to death. 
 
 Brother Angelus of the Conception. 
 
 Brother Angelus of St Joseph — George Halley — 
 was born in Herefordshire, in England, of Catholic 
 parents, by whom he was entrusted for his education 
 to the care of a Carmelite missionary. In the year 
 1640 he came to Ireland to join the Carmelite Order, 
 being then in the i8th year of his age. As a happy 
 omen of his future destinies, he received the sacred 
 habit of Our Lady on the 5th of May — feast of St. 
 Angelus, the Carmelite Martyr. 
 
 Having completed the prescribed period of proba- 
 tion in the novitiate, and pronounced the vows of 
 religion, he was sent by his superiors to Drogheda, in 
 the year 1642, to enter upon a course of studies in a 
 house of the Order. It happened that in this year 
 almost all the Catholics were relentlessly driven forth 
 from the town by the Puritan garrison. Br. Angelus, 
 with a few of his religious brethren, contrived to re- 
 main unnoticed for some time, intending to depart as 
 soon as they could do so unobserved. But before he 
 could effect his purpose, he was discovered and thrown 
 into prison, where Protestant ministers left no means 
 unemployed to dissuade him from the Catholic religion; 
 but he remained firm, and continued even to observe 
 the strict abstinence from flesh meat prescribed by the 
 Rule of the Order. He was, in consequence, subjected 
 to injury and insult, and constrained to fast on bread 
 
13 
 
 and water. The ministers persisted long in fruitless 
 attempts to shake his constancy. At length, in order 
 to put an end to the harassing conflict, and to secure 
 himself against danger, he opposed a rigorous and un- 
 broken silence to their vexatious importunities, con- 
 tenting himself merely with occasionally replying — 
 The law of the Lord is immaculate, and the ways of 
 heretics vile.’’ Throughout this distressing encounter 
 with the heretical ministers. Brother Angelus, like the 
 prophet, daily humbled his soul with fasting, and 
 ceased not to beseech the Almighty Giver of gifts to 
 grant him perseverance and constancy. He frequently 
 offered to God the sacrifice of his life, and frequently 
 expressed to his Catholic fellow-captives his ardent 
 desire to shed his blood for the Catholic faith, in order 
 thus to encourage and to sustain them in their hour of 
 trial. All attempts to subdue the constancy of the 
 dauntless friar having entirely failed, Br. Angelus 
 was released from prison. Quitting Drogheda imme- 
 diately, he setoff to join his religious brethren, whether 
 at Ardee or at Athboy, our Annalists do not say. On 
 his way he rested in a certain town, called by one of 
 our Annalists Selanum, probably the present town of 
 Slane ; by another, Charigia, While there, the place 
 was attacked by the Puritans under Lord Moore, on 
 the 14th of August, and being insufficiently provided 
 with gunpowder, was captured by him during the fol- 
 lowing night. Brother Angelus, considering that his 
 death was at hand, assisted at Mass in the morning, 
 together with some nuns — who were also at the time 
 flying from their persecutors — and received the Holy 
 Eucharist ; after which he earnestly exhorted the 
 nuns to continue steadfast in the faith, to faithfully 
 observe their sacred vows, and, if necessary, to defend 
 them by a glorious death. He> then concluded his 
 discourse by offering up his own life to God for the 
 
H 
 
 Catholic faith. In order to prudently await the mani- 
 festation of the divine will in his regard, he refrained 
 from needlessly or rashly exposing himself, but en- 
 deavoured to escape unobserved in the company of 
 the nuns, with whom he appeared before Lord Moore. 
 The nuns were granted their liberty by the Puritan 
 commander ; but not so Brother Angelus ; for him 
 the tyrant reserved his frowns, and informed him 
 that no such mercy would be shown to him, whom, he 
 said, he well knew to be an Englishman, a Papist, and 
 a monk, escaped from prison, but who would not 
 escape his hands. Yet, however, one way was left 
 open to him by which he might save his life, namely, 
 to abandon Papist superstitions and profess the re- 
 formed religion ; if he followed his advice he should 
 have sure and high reward. To this Br. Angelus 
 calmly and boldly replied that he had not left his 
 country in order to desert the orthodox faith, which 
 he had imbibed with his mother’s milk, and that he 
 would not barter his soul for life or liberty. Lord 
 Moore repeated his promises ; but when he found that 
 it was in vain, after holding a hurried consultation 
 with his officers, he pronounced sentence of death 
 against Brother Angelus. The holy confessor received 
 the sentence with joy, glad to suffer death for the faith 
 of his fathers and the religious profession. He only 
 asked as a favour that his execution would not be de- 
 ferred beyond that day — the festival of the Assump- 
 tion of the Blessed Virgin, the special patron of his 
 Order. The Puritan, enraged by the mention of Our 
 Lady’s name and triumph, told him that his wish 
 would be, that day, that very instant, gratified, and 
 immediately gave orders to three of his soldiers to 
 shoot him. Brother Angelus was led forth to the place 
 of execution, singing the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. 
 An heretical minister interrupted him, and pressed 
 
IS 
 
 him to adopt his errors ; but the soldier of Christ bade 
 him retire, saying, “ Get thee behind me, Satan/' Hav- 
 ing arrived at the appointed place, he fell on his knees, 
 and raising his heart to God, he awaited death. The 
 soldiers fired thrice upon him, but he remained unhurt 
 by the bullets ; whereupon, by command of Lord 
 Moore, a soldier despatched him with a sword. The 
 nuns were witnesses of his holy death, and afterwards 
 related all its circumstances to our Fathers. The 
 confessor's body was buried in an obscure spot ; but in 
 the course of time it was transferred by the people to 
 their principal church, where it was interred by them 
 with all the sacred rites of Christian burial. 
 
 Brother Peter of the Mother of God— 
 Lay-Brother. 
 
 The blessed death of Brother Peter of St. Andrew 
 occurred in the early part of the year 1643, in the City 
 of Dublin, where, it is thought probable, he was born. 
 At first he was attached, as a servant, to the residence 
 of the Carmelite Missionaries, to whom he gave his 
 services gratis. After a time, on account of his sin- 
 gular probity and prudence, he was associated to the 
 Order as a lay-brother. The attempt made by the 
 Catholic army to gain possession of Dublin having 
 proved unsuccessful, the fury of the dominant sectaries 
 thereupon burst forth, in revenge and retaliation, 
 against the Catholic inhabitants of the city. The 
 members of the Religious Orders, at all times the chief 
 objects of the hatred of the heretics, were now espe- 
 cially sought for, on suspicion of being concerned in 
 
i6 
 
 the insurrection. Several were seized and imprisoned ; 
 some were put to death. During these events, the 
 Carmelite Fathers, driven from the convent, which was 
 metamorphosed into a theatre, left the city. A few 
 only remained behind to afford, stealthily, what assist- 
 ance and consolation they could to the afflicted 
 Catholics. Brother Peter remained among the num- 
 ber. He succeeded in eluding his pursuers until the 
 commencement of the month of March, when he was 
 apprehended and thrown into prison, together with a 
 number of other Catholics. Here, in a short time, the 
 hardships to which he was subjected brought on a 
 severe illness. During an exchange of prisoners, 
 Brother Peter’s doom was unintentionally accelerated 
 by the great eagerness for his release betrayed by the 
 Catholic side ; for the heretics, thence perceiving that 
 he was regarded by the Catholics as a person of im- 
 portance, instantly resolved on his destruction, and, in 
 tumultuous Puritan fashion, adjudged him guilty of the 
 awful crime of being a monk, and one who should 
 consequently be exterminated. Brother Peter was 
 condemned to be hanged, and forthwith an emissary 
 was despatched to apprise him of his fate. On the 
 25th of March — the festival of the Annunciation — the 
 fatal sentence was conveyed to him, at the time sick 
 in bed. The good Brother received it with incredible 
 joy, and congratulating the Mother of God on the 
 high dignity to which she was on that day elevated, 
 and commending himself to her powerful protection, 
 he at once arose from his bed, saying, “ From the 
 cross, not from the bed, I must go to heaven.” But 
 presently he was convulsed, and overwhelmed with the 
 fear of death, as if the Almighty, who is the strength 
 of the weak, withdrew His arm for an instant, thus to 
 convince His servant how indispensable is the need of 
 His help to weak mortals in the hour of trial. Brother 
 
Peter, prostrate in the agony of his soul before Gody 
 confessed his utter helplessness, and implored the 
 divine assistance. He did not pray in vain. His 
 fellow-captives besought him to return to his bed, in 
 the hope that his jailers might be moved by his malady 
 to defer, or mitigate, if not altogether abandon, his 
 execution in the course of time. But their advice, 
 more apt to soothe than to overcome the natural in- 
 firmity of the flesh, was made use of by God for the 
 perfecting of His work. The Almighty now poured 
 an abundance of His fortifying grace into the soul of 
 His humble servant, and gave new and marvellous 
 speech to his tongue. ‘‘Why, my friends, do you 
 counsel me such things ? ” said Brother Peter. “ En- 
 courage me rather, weak and cowardly man that I am ; 
 urge me to the combat, and pray God in my behalf 
 that He may be pleased to bring me forth victorious 
 from the prison of this rebellious flesh. I must die 
 for Jesus Christ ; I must die now, lest perhaps the de- 
 laying of death should imperil the victory. He will 
 give the victory ; He will anoint His soldier, and I, 
 in the feebleness of my heart, will confess to His name, 
 to whom victory is due.” Having thus addressed his 
 fellow-prisoners, they recited together the Rosary and 
 Litany. He now testified to the tranquillity which 
 possessed his heart by frequent and fervent acts of 
 virtue, and by the voluntary oblation of his life to God. 
 With a cheerful countenance he received the band of 
 satellites who came to conduct him to the place of 
 execution ; and being too feeble to walk thither unas- 
 sisted, he proceeded, leaning for support on their arms, 
 to the scaffold, which was erected in the centre of the 
 city, for the greater confusion of the Catholics. An 
 heretical minister joined himself to him on his way to 
 the gallows, inte-rupted him reciting the Angelical 
 Salutation, and, with fair words, urged him to suffer 
 
i8 
 
 death with equanimity for God ; to invoke Christ, but 
 not Christs Mother, who, he said, hears not prayers : 
 and, finally, to abjure Popish superstitions, thus to open 
 to himself a way to glory. “ I have been reared in the 
 holy Roman and Catholic faith,’' replied the servant 
 of God, “ which is the only true faith ; in it I am re- 
 solved to die. Cease your silly talk about the Mother 
 of God. I agree with all Catholics ; from you and 
 yours I shall ever differ." Having thus spoken, he 
 continued the recitation of his prayer. The minister 
 spun out a web of Scripture texts, after the usual 
 fashion of heretics, only to be interrupted by Brother 
 Peter telling him that he did not know what he was 
 saying, but that he had no doubt he was counselling 
 heresy. I firmly believe," Brother Peter continued, 
 in the communion of saints, which would be vain if 
 they did not hearken to us when invoked. But, be- 
 cause you calumniate the Mother of God, who was on 
 this day saluted by the Angel, tell me, have you ever 
 read her Canticle of the Magnificat ? " “ Come, now," 
 replied the minister, give us some outlandish exposi- 
 tion." “ Either you have not read it, or you have 
 badly read it," said the Brother. The Holy Ghost," 
 he continued, “ predicted, through the mouth of Mary, 
 that all generations of the faithful, and of true be- 
 lievers, would call her blessed ; that is, they would bless 
 her. Hence, you and yours do not bless her, because 
 you are not of them." At these inspired words the 
 minister became silent, and Brother Peter intoned the 
 Canticle, and sang it through. These sublime words, 
 uttered by an illiterate man to confound the vain de- 
 ceits of the prattling minister, were a source of con- 
 fusion to him, but a source of consolation to the 
 Catholics, who beheld the arrogant sectary pierced 
 with the arrows of little ones. 
 
 Having reached the place of execution, fatigued 
 
19 
 
 and exhausted, the valiant soldier of Christ, kneeling, 
 kissed the ground and the scaffold, then climbed the 
 ladder. Briefly addressing the commanding officer, 
 he said to him, “ I am brought to this gibbet con- 
 demned for no crime, nor do I know the cause. Al- 
 though I am a sinner, I have done nothing deserving 
 of death against men. I therefore die for the Catholic 
 Faith and for the Monastic Profession.” “ You act fool- 
 ishly,” the officer answered. We are fools for Christ's 
 sake,” said Brother Peter, who now commenced to 
 make fervent acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, on the 
 scaffold, until, with his last breath, he gave up his 
 spirit to God, being in the thirty-third year of his 
 age. 
 
 The Catholics carried away the body, and gave it 
 Christian burial in a place apart, giving thanks to God, 
 who had been thus pleased to confirm the faith by a 
 new testimony, and thus to open to the humble a way 
 to His kingdom. 
 
 In the year 1647, a general Chapter of the Order 
 was held in Rome for the election of Superiors, at 
 which three Irish Fathers were to be present, but only 
 one of whom — Father Cyril of St. Joseph, the Socius — 
 arrived, after having narrowly escaped being captured 
 by the heretics. Besides historical documents relating 
 to the Irish province, he also carried with him, leaving 
 Ireland, the juridical acts relating to the glorious death 
 of the Carmelite Friars. Having fallen into the English 
 enemy’s hands, by whom he was pursued across the 
 seas, he was constrained, in order to save himself, to 
 not merely disguise his sacred profession and nation- 
 ality, but also to throw all his precious papers over- 
 board. The Fathers assembled in Rome, learning 
 
20 
 
 what had occurred, at once commissioned the Irish 
 Provincial to again procure juridical informations re- 
 specting the death of the three friars from surviving eye- 
 witnesses ; but the turbulence of those times rendered 
 impossible all attempts to ever execute the commission 
 entrusted to the Provincial. The eye-witnesses of their 
 noble conflict passed away one by one ; nor did 
 the succeeding years bring peace to Irish Catholics, 
 who, about this time, had to suffer trials and persecu- 
 tions of the most galling kind, and to drink the bitter 
 cup of Calvary to the dregs. The Puritan wolves were 
 then abroad amongst them, ferociously flaying and 
 devouring them. About this time, too, the storm of 
 persecution may be said to have assumed the terrible 
 proportions of a tempest of blood ; the demon of 
 Puritanism swept over the land, revelling in shedding 
 the blood of Irish papists, in burning their homes, and 
 in plundering their property. Bishops and priests, 
 secular and regular alike, were hunted down like wild 
 beasts, imprisoned, driven into exile, or put to death. 
 Our forefathers endured that long and merciless war 
 against their religion and country like true soldiers of 
 Christ, covering both with imperishable glory, and 
 securing for themselves an immortal crown. 
 
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