536 • Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acaderay. 



actyvyte, and affeccion to travail in our affayres for the benefyte of 

 tLe lande." In token of this good opinion, the Deputy was notified 

 of the royal pleasure that "immediately after his cummynghome" 

 he should " swere hym of our Privy Counsail there, and so use his 

 advise in all occurrentes accordingly." 



In June, 1542, on the elevation of Sir John Alen to the Woolsack, 

 Cusake became Master of the Rolls. It does not appear whether his 

 appointment to this office interrupted his discharge of his Parlia- 

 mentary duties ; but as the Mastership of the EoUs in Ireland at this 

 time, and long subsequently, did not involve the discharge of judicial 

 functions, he probably retained his seat in the House of Commons, and 

 continued to preside over its deliberations. Cusake continued in this 

 post for eight or nine years, until in 1551 he in turn succeeded to the 

 Chancellorship. In 1550 he was temporarily appointed to the custody 

 of the Great Seal, in the absence of Sir John Alen, and a year later 

 was confirmed in his office. The patent appointing him recites the 

 King's approval of "the wisdom, learning, good experience, and grave 

 behaviour" exhibited by Cusake. 



Cusake's elevation to the Chancellorship took place in the thii'd 

 year of Edward the Sixth's reign, and was doubtless the reward of 

 his devotion to Kef ormation principles. He had asserted his allegiance 

 to Henry the Eighth's views of the ecclesiastical supremacy of the 

 Crown in his address to the Deputy on his appointment as Speaker; 

 and on the dissolution of the monasteries the Abbey of LismuUen had 

 been assigned to him. Under Henry's successor the Chancellor 

 became a principal pillar of the Reformation in Ireland, and in 1552 

 was nominated a Lord Justice in the absence of the Deputy. In this 

 capacity he became in effect the principal governor of Ireland for the 

 remainder of the reign. On May 8, 1552, he despatched to the Duke 

 of ^Northumberland a "boke of the present state of Ireland," contain- 

 ing a minute account of the condition of Ireland. This important 

 State Paper, which has been printed in the Calendar of Irish State 

 Papers^ gives us perhaps the best account extant of the state of 

 the provinces and the disposition of the septs during Edward's reign. 

 More than one copy was made of it ; and being known to Sir James 

 Ware, it earned for its author the distinction of being included among 

 that great antiquary's Writers of Ireland. 



On the accession of Mary, Cusake was for a time continued in the 

 Chancellorship. But he had been too closely identified with the 

 policy of Edward the Sixth's advisers to be suffered to remain in 

 power; and in 1555 he had to give place to Sir William Fitzwilliam. 



