n "graces." The
contract was ratified by royal proclamation, in which the concessions
were accompanied by a promise that a Parliament should be held to
confirm them. The first instalment of the money was paid, and the Irish
agents returned home to find themselves cruelly deceived and basely
cheated. Falkland was recalled by the Puritan party, on suspicion of
favouring the Catholics; Viscount Ely and the Earl of Cork were
appointed Lords Justices; and a reign of terror was at once commenced.

The Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Bulkely, was foremost in
commencing the persecution. He marched, with the Mayor and a file of
soldiers, to the Franciscan[470] church in Cook-street, on St. Stephen's
Day, 1629, dispersed the congregation, seized the friars profaned the
church, and broke the statue of St. Francis. The friars were rescued by
the people, and the Archbishop had "to take to his heels and cry out for
help," to save himself. Eventually the Franciscans established their
novitiates on the Continent, but still continued their devoted
ministrations to the people, at the risk of life and liberty. Their
house in Cook-street was pulled down by royal order, and three other
chapels and a Catholic seminary were seized and converted to the King's
use. Wentworth assembled a Parliament in July, 1634, the year after his
arrival in Ireland. Its subserviency was provided for by having a number
of persons elected who were in the pay of the crown as military
officers. The "graces" were asked for, and the Lord Deputy declared they
should be granted, if the supply was readily voted. "Surely," he said,
"so great a meanness cannot enter your hearts as once to suspect his
Majesty's gracious regards of you, and performance with you, when you
affix yourself upon his grace." This speech so took the hearts of the
people, that all were ready to grant all that might be demanded; and six
subsidies of L50,000 each were voted, though Wentworth only expected
L30,000. In the meanwhile neither Wentworth nor the King had the
slightest idea of granting the "graces" and the atrocious duplicity and
incomparable "meanness" of the King is placed eternally on record, in
his own letter to his favourite, in which he thanks him "for keeping off
the envy [odium] of a necessary negative from me, of those unreasonable
graces that people expected from me."[471] Wentworth describes himself
how two judges and Sir John Radcliffe assisted him in the plan, and how
a p