HISTORY OF: EUROPE, 
of Ireland, throwing aside ae Te 
- Tigious animosities, unitedinadeter- 
‘mination to place, shemales ona 
footing of entire independence. on 
Great Britain, without breaking, 
however, the connexion. that,-held 
ie tH kingdoms together by thé 
acknowledgment of one sovereign, 
This resolve was partly carried in- 
to execution; and. diiring, some 
years, the controul of in British 
administration over, Ireland, re- 
mained uncertain and_ precarious, 
But. the differences, between the 
Roman Catholics and the Protest- 
ants, gradually diminished the cor- 
diality with which they, had united 
for their mutual security, in the hour 
~ of common danger; and the sup- 
port of England being indispensabie 
‘for the preservation of the Protest- 
ants, these of course renewed their 
adherence to this country, which 
soon recovered its former ascendan- 
cy, and felt.at the same time the ne- 
cessity of affording the, strongest 
countenance to that party ; which, 
rtly from religious, partly from 
political motives, looked upon itself 
as bound for its own safety to make 
one common cause with Britain. . 
_ The population of Ireland is cal. 
eulated at near four millions: three 
of these consist of Roman Catholics, 
the other million of Protestants, 
one half of whom. adheres to the 
Church of England, . the other to 
that,of Scotland, from which coun. 
try the majority of the people of 
that .persuasion are originally de. 
scended, But, though the antipa- 
thy of the Presbyterians to the 
wrch of Rome far exceeds. that 
the Episcopalians, the exclusive 
4 44. wee | 4 
ileges enjoyed by those in al 
ters relating; to . government, 
have by {ide 5 tat idk £0 Te. 
eoncile the Roman Catholics with 
~~ 
[228 
therdissenters» from; the Ohurch of 
England, and to connect them, to. 
gether in the pursuit of their,politi- 
cal.interests. i 
.. The superiority ,of numbers, on 
the side of the Catholicsand Dissen. 
fers, amounting, according to their 
representation, to, seven-erghths of 
the whole nation, naturally excited 
their, discontent, at their. subjection 
to so inferior a proportionjof their 
countrymen... The. Roman Catho- 
lies,..an particular, ..whose-religious 
zeal wasinflamed by: the» exaction 
of tythes and. other ecelosiastieg} 
dues, enforced upon them usually 
with greavstri¢tness,' frequently, re. 
sistedthe collectors, and treated them 
with unmercifulvidlences.,.45 «7 
_Uhe moderate party in the Irish 
parliament, «fearful..of. the, conses 
quences that might.ensue ifrom, this 
hostile disposition in .so.vast-a mas 
‘jority-of the inhabitants, thought it 
prudent to frame such regulations in 
the colle¢tion of .tythes and church 
dues, as..might remove. the caine 
plaints of those who deemed : thems 
‘selves aggrieved; but theirvendeas 
vours to obtain from the legislature 
the establishment-of such ‘arranges 
ments, as might prove less onerous 
were entirely frustrated ; the ruling 
party dreaded that, by complying 
with these demands, ‘othérs: would 
follow, attended with.more danger 
either in the grant or thetrefusal. + 
. This repulse of an attempt which 
was thought equally. consistent with 
justice and good ,policy,.: deeply 
exasperated all those who. were af. 
fected by it. . Assemblics. of the 
principal Roman. Catholics! were 
held, wherein it waswesolvedto ap. 
ply tothe king himself, fomaredress. 
of those hardships, and of otherdes 
gal oppressions ; and. to.petition him, 
at the same time, for a participation 
in 
