Wicklow. Indeed, it was more like England than any part of Wicklow, having in abundance all the elements of beauty which are so profusely scattered over England,—wood, water, diversified surface, and rich cultivation. If it were transported to Kent or Surrey, this little district would hardly seem alien to the land.

Before advancing further into ULSTER, and so leaving behind us the provinces which are much more entitled to the name of CATHOLIC than Ulster is to the name of PROTESTANT, it seems expedient to place on record the results that have presented themselves to my observation and inquiries respecting the character and the ecclesiastical and social position and relations of the Roman Catholic clergy; and also respecting some of the practices in their Church which bear most strongly on the condition, habits, and resources of the great body of the people. In making this brief survey, I shall concentrate all my memorandums relating to the subject, whether made before or subsequently to my visit to Enniskillen ; and I shall, as usual, make no attempt to present my materials in any other than the fragmentary and imperfect form in which they originally came to me. My book professes to do no more than to report what the writer himself did, saw, and heard. For anything like a complete view of more important aspects of Ireland and the reader must seek other authorities.

any of the

her people,

I will also

here repeat what I have already stated in a former chapter, that in recording matters relating to religion or its ministers, I profess myself to be purely an historian of facts, not a commentator or critic, except in so far as such facts have an obvious bearing on the social, political, or moral condition of the people. I profess, for the time, to ignore all special religious doctrines, as to their abstract rightness or wrongness.

And, first, as to the number, social position, revenues, and character of the clergy.

Roman Catholic Ireland is divided into four Ecclesiastical Provinces, which correspond with the Civil divisions, viz., Ulster, Leinster, Munster, Connaught. There are four Archbishops, one to each province, designated respectively-of Armagh, Dublin, Cashel, Tuam. There is also a Dean and VicarGeneral to each province. There are twenty-four dioceses, each having its Bishop. According to the Irish Catholic Registry of the present year there are in Ireland 1013 parish priests, and 1307 curates or coadjutors, besides 65 others not specially placed, making a total of 2385 of working clergy, exclusive of the Dignitaries and the Regulars.

The emoluments of the Archbishops and Bishops are derived from the ordinary revenues of one or more parishes of which they are rectors; from fees for marriage licenses and other official acts; and from the individual contributions of the clergy of their respective dioceses. These contributions are, for

the most part, confined to parish priests, who usually contribute two guineas annually; in some dioceses the curates also contribute. The average

amount of a Bishop's income may be stated at about 500l. per annum. This was the average given in by the Bishops examined before the Committee of the House of Commons in 1825, and it is presumed that there has been no material alteration since.

There are two classes of working priests in Ireland—parish priests and curates, or coadjutors as they are more usually called, corresponding to our beneficed clergymen and their curates. The Roman Catholic parishes being frequently very large, there are not seldom two curates, or even three, in one parish.

The priests derive their incomes entirely from their parishioners, who contribute the amount in various modes and forms. The following are the principal sources available for this

purpose, and

their ordinary amount in country parishes:

1. Easter and Christmas Offerings, varying from 1s. to 2s. 6d., 5s., 7s., and 10s., according to the means of the parties. None but the heads of families pay; and the poor generally content themselves with paying at one of the seasons only, generally Christmas, and usually contribute only 1s. The amount of income from these voluntary offerings is supposed to be at least one half of the priest's whole revenue. The remaining revenue is derived from the perform

Of

ance of the various ceremonies of the Church. these by far the most lucrative are marriages and funerals.

on.

2. Marriage. The ordinary fee for marriage, even for the poor, is a guinea, sometimes 30s., and it is generally rigidly exacted. In very poor parishes, a less sum is, however, often taken, as 10s., and even 58.; but the higher charge is the more general. Sometimes when the priest has insisted on the larger sum, say 30s., he will return a third or fourth part of it, in the shape of a present, when he pays a visit to the newly-married couple. But this is not reckoned Besides the regular fee, it is customary to make a collection for the priest at the house where the ceremony is performed, all the guests, often numerous, contributing more or less, according to their means, from 1s. to 5s. or 10s. By this means, 5l., 10l., 201., are sometimes collected; and the sum has been even known to reach 407.: and all this not merely at the weddings of the rich, but even at those of common farmers. It is to be remarked that, in Ireland, the ceremony of marriage is almost always performed in private houses, and by licence; banns being very rarely published in the chapel.

3. Funerals.-Properly speaking there is no fee for funerals; but as every person, however poor, demands the presence of the priest, to say prayers in the house before the corpse is removed to the churchyard, a fee is exacted for this service. Very frequently, more than one priest is invited; some

times four, five, or even six, according to the devotion of the survivors, and the capacity to pay the fee, which is always 10s. to each clergyman in attendance at the funeral, and double this sum to the priest of the parish. The same priests that attend in the house of mourning to say the prayers, usually follow the corpse to the grave, where prayers are again said; but this is not always the case. Very poor persons, having only one priest, pay him 10s., or 15s. if he is the priest of the parish.

4. For Baptism, the usual fee varies from 18. to 2s. 6d.; and this fee is understood to include that for Churching the mother.

5. Prayers for the Dead are constantly said in the chapels, and are repeated annually, often for many years, even for the poor. The usual fee for this service among the poorer classes is 18.; among those above the poorer class it may be 1s. 6d., 2s. 6d., or 38.; and may be more, and is usually more, when the deceased belongs to the richer classes. These payments are for special services. Prayers for the dead on Sunday, in the ordinary offices of the Church, are not paid for.

6. Confession. No fee is ever paid for this in chapels, nor, indeed, elsewhere; but when what are called "stations" for receiving confessions are held in private houses, in remote places of the parish, then the head of every family attending them is expected to make a compliment to the house in the form of a small fee to the priest. This fee is usually 1s.