222 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 59. Dublin, who had changed with every change, un- doubtedly gave his countenance to the revolution. The Bishops of Meath and Kildare refused, and were de- prived ; and but one other bishop in all Ireland who was in office at Queen Mary's death can be proved either to have accepted the reformed Prayer-book, or abjured the authority of the Pope. But for the question of religion, the towns would have been loyal, for their prosperity depended upon the maintenance of order, while the native chiefs, however turbulent, would never have seriously desired to transfer their allegiance to Spain, for Philip, they well knew, would have been as intolerant of anarchy as the English Viceroy at Dublin. The suppression of the Catholic services, enforce^ wher- ever the English had power, and hanging before the people as a calamity sure to follow as the limits of that power were extended, created a weight of animosity oath because they remained in their places. The English Government, unfortunately for themselves, had no such opportunity as Dr Mant's argument supposes for the exercise of their authority. The Archbishop of Dublin, the Bishops of Meath and Kildare, were alone under English jurisdiction. When Adam Loftus was made Archbishop of Armagh, the Primacy became titularly Pro- testant. But Loftus resided in Dublin, the See was governed by a Bishop in communion with the Pope, and the latter, and not the former, was regarded in Ireland, even by the correspondents of the English Go- vernment, as the laAvful possessor of the See. In a survey of the country sup- plied to Cecil in 1571, after death and deprivation had enabled the Go- vernment to fill several Sees with English nominees, the Archbishops of Armagh, Tuam, and Cashel, with almost every one of the Bishops of the respective provinces, are described as Catholici et Confcederati, The Archbishop of Dublin, with the Bishops of Kildare, Ossory, Ferns, and two others, are alone reckoned as 'Protestantes.' MS8. Ireland, Rolls House.
