34 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 



which he declared to have been discovered among the muniments of 

 Eichard and Christopher Pagan, who had been aldermen and mayors 

 of Dublin, and who held lands and houses from the gild of S. Anne. 

 Amongst these documents was found what purported to be a Eull^ 

 of Pope Pius Y., promulgated in the third year of his pontificate 

 {circa 1568-9), which commanded trustees, masters, overseers, and 

 brethren of hospitals, gilds, and other religious institutions in England 

 and Ireland, to let lands to none but members of the ancient 

 apostolic faith. Lowe asserted that, in obedience to this, the property 

 of S. Anne's gild, which was a special trust, was being devoted to 

 improper uses, and that the fraternity divided the profits between 

 its own members, Jesuit priests, and popish friars. ^ 



The archbishop delivered up all the documents to Wentworth, the 

 lord deputy, who in council decided that a breach of trust had been 

 committed; and on 11th February, 1635, a commission under the great 

 seal issued to John Bramhall, bishop of Deny, sir James Ware, 

 knight, John Atherton, d.d., and Eichard Fitzgerald, esq., empowering 

 them to inspect the records of the gild, to investigate the sums 

 expended on pious uses since 1603, and to inquire as to leases and 

 fee-farms on foot, with the considerations paid for same. These 

 inquiries were to be preliminary to an order for establishment of six 

 priests, who were to be in possession of the college house belonging 

 to the fraternity, which had been granted away for a term of years. 

 The college and grounds were to be restored, and the Eev. Thomas 

 Lowe preferred ; new brethren to be appointed, and a principal roem 

 in the college reserved for meetings of the gild, and as a place for 

 safely keeping its muniments. 



In a return (dated 20th June, 1637) to the above commission, the 

 commissioners reported that they had, on search, discovered a large 

 number of houses within and without the walls of Dublin, as well as 

 several townlands and farms in the counties of Dublin and Meath, the 

 property of the fraternity, which were concealed. 



Prom the date of Lord Strafford's recall matters lay dormant, and 



1 See Hunting of the Romish Fox, and the Quenching of Sectarian Firebrands, 

 <fec., collected by sir James Ware, out of the memorials of eminent men both in 

 church and state ; published for the public good by Eobert Ware, gent. Dublin : 

 printed by J. Eay for Will. Norman, 1683. I am indebted to Mr. E. E. McC. 

 Dix for the loan of his copy of this quaint volume, one of the few known to be 

 in existence. In it appears a translation of this Bull. 

 Gilbert's Dublin, vol. i., p. 288. 



