luxury, after the usual fate of all human institutions. The popes, who had already aggrandized themselves, laid hold of the opportunity to subject all religious houses with their priors and abbots, to their peculiar authority; whereby these religious orders became of an interest directly different from the rest of mankind, and wholly at the pope's devotion. I need say no more on this article, so generally known and so frequently treated, or of the frequent endeavours of some other princes, as well as our own, to check the growth, and wealth, and power of the regulars.

In later times, this mistaken piety, of erecting and endowing abbeys, began to decrease. And therefore, when some new-invented sect of monks and friars began to start up, not being able to procure grants of land, they got leave from the pope to appropriate the tithes and glebes of certain parishes, as contiguous or near as they could find, obliging themselves to send out some of their body to take care of the people's souls; and if some of those parishes were at too great a distance from the abbey, the monks appointed to attend them, were paid, for the cure, either a small stipend of a determined sum, or sometimes a third part, or what are now called the vicarial tithes.

As to the church-lands, it hath been the opinion of many writers, that, in England, they amounted to a third part of the whole kingdom. And therefore, if that wicked prince abovementioned, when he had cast off the pope's power, had introduced some reformation in religion, he could not have been blamed for taking away the abbey-lands by authority of parliament. But, when he continued the most cruel persecution of all those who differed in the least arVOL. XVI.

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ticle of the popish religion, which was then the na tional and established faith, his seizing on those lands, and applying them to prophane uses, was absolute sacrilege, in the strongest sense of the word; having been bequeathed by princes and pious men to sacred

ases.

In the reign of this prince, the church and court of Rome had arrived to such a height of corruption, in doctrine and discipline, as gave great offence to many wise, learned, and pious men through most parts of Europe; and several countries agreed to make some reformation in religion. But, although a proper and just reformation were allowed to be necessary, even to preserve Christianity itself, yet the passions and vices of men had mingled themselves so far, as to pervert and confound all the good endeavours of those who intended well: And thus the reformation, in every country where it was attempted, was carried on in the most impious and scandalous manner that can possibly be conceived. To which unhappy proceedings we owe all the just reproaches that Roman Catholicks have cast upon us ever since. For when the northern kingdoms and states grew weary of the pope's tyranny, and when their preachers, beginning with the scandalous abuses of indulgences, and proceeding farther to examine several points of faith, had credit enough with their princes, who were in some fear lest such a change might affect the peace of their countries, because their bishops, had great influence on the people by their wealth and power; these politick teachers had a ready answer to this purpose: "Sir, your majesty need not be in any pain or apprehension: take away the lands "and sink the authority of the bishops: bestow

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"those

"those lands on your courtiers, on your nobles, and your great officers in your army; and then you "will be secure of the people." This advice was exactly followed. And, in the protestant monarchies abroad, little more than the shadow of episcopacy is left: but, in the republicks, is wholly extinct.

In England, the reformation was brought in after a somewhat different manner, but upon the same principle of robbing the church. However, Henry VIII, with great dexterity, discovered an invention to gratify his insatiable thirst for blood, on both religions,

A LETTER,

GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF A PESTILENT NEIGHBOUR.

SIR,

You must give me leave to complain of a pesti» lent fellow in my neighbourhood, who is always beating mortar, yet I cannot find he ever builds. In talking he useth such hard words, that I want a druggerman to interpret them. But all is not gold that glisters. A pot he carries to most houses where he visits. He makes his prentice his galley-slave. I wish our lane were purged of him. Yet he pretends to be a cordial man. Every spring his shop is crowded with country-folks; who, by their leaves, in my opinion, help him to do a great deal of mischief.

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chief. He is full of scruples; and so very litigious, that he files bills against all his acquaintance: and though he be much troubled with the simples, yet I assure you he is a jesuitical dog; as you may know by his bark. Of all poetry he loves the dram-a-tick best. I am, &c.

A LETTER TO THE EARL OF PEMBROKE,

MY LORD,

1709, at a conjecture.

IT is now a good while since I resolved to take some occasions of congratulating with your lordship, and condoling with the publick, upon your lordship's leaving the admiralty; and I thought I could never choose a better time, than when I am in the country with my lord bishop of Clogher, and his brother the doctor; for we pretend to a triumvirate of as humble servants and true admirers of your lordship, as any you have in both islands. You may call them a triumvirate; for, if you please to try-um, they will vie with the best, and are of the first rate, though they are not men of war, but men of the church. To say the truth, it was a pity your lordship should be confined to the Fleet, when you are not in debt. Though your lordship is cast away, you are not sunk; nor ever will be, since nothing is out of your lordship's depth. Dr. Ashe says, it is but justice that your lordship, who is a man of letters, should be placed upon the post-office; and my lord bishop adds, that he hopes to see your lordship tossed

from

from that post to be a pillar of state again; which he desired I would put in by way of postscript. I a am, my lord, &c.

A LETTER TO THE EARL OF PEMBROKE Pretended to be the Dying Speech of Tom Ashe, whose brother the Reverend Dillon Ashe, was nicknamed Dilly.

[Given to Dr. Monsey by Sir Andrew Fountaine ;

and communicated to the Editor of these Volumes by that ingenious, learned, and very obliging gentleman.]

TOM ASHE died last night. It is conceived he was so puffed up by my lord lieutenant's favour, that it struck him into a fever. I here send you his dying speech, as it was exactly taken by a friend in shorthand. It is something long, and a little incoherent; but he was several hours delivering it, and

• See Journal to Stella, June 30, 1711.

+ Thomas Ashe, Esq. descended from an ancient family of that name in Wiltshire, was a gentleman of fortune in Ireland. He was a facetious pleasant companion, but the most eternal unwearied punster that ever lived. He was thick and short in his person, being not above five feet high at the most, and had something very droll in his appearance. He died about the year 1719, and left his whole estate, of about a thousand pounds a year, to his intimate friend and kinsman Richard Ashe, of Ashefield, Esq. There is a whimsical story, and a very true one, of Tom Ashe, which is well remembered to this day. It happened, that, while he was travel[ing on horseback, and at a considerable distance from any town, there

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