f the sufferings of the religious orders in Ireland during the reign of
Henry VIII., in a rare and valuable work, entitled, _Noticias Historicas
de las tres florentissimas Provincias del celeste Ordem de la Ssma.
Trinidad_.[398] I shall give two instances from this history, as a
sample of the fashion in which the new doctrine of the royal supremacy
was propagated. In 1539 the Prior and religious of the Convent of
Atharee were commanded to take the oath of supremacy, and to surrender
their property to the crown. The Superior, Father Robert, at once
assembled his spiritual children, and informed them of the royal
mandate. Their resolution was unanimous; after the example of the early
Christians, when threatened with martyrdom and spoliation by heathen
emperors, they at once distributed their provisions, clothing, and any
money they had in hand amongst the poor, and concealed the sacred
vessels and ornaments, so that not so much as a single emblem of our
redemption was left to be desecrated by men professing to believe that
they had been redeemed by the cross of Christ. Father Robert was
summoned thrice to recognize the new authority. Thrice he declined;
declaring that "none had ever sought to propagate their religious tenets
by the sword, except the pagan emperors in early ages, and Mahomet in
later times. As for himself and his community, they were resolved that
no violence should move them from the principles of truth: they
recognized no head of the Catholic Church save the Vicar of Jesus
Christ; and as for the King of England, they regarded him not even as a
member of that holy Church, but as head of the synagogue of Satan." The
conclusion of his reply was a signal for massacre. An officer instantly
struck off his head with one blow. As the prisons were already full of
"recusants," the friars were placed in confinement in private houses,
some were secretly murdered, and others were publicly hanged in the
market-place. These events occurred on the 12th and 13th of February,
1539.

An almost similar tragedy was enacted in the Trinitarian Convent of
Limerick, where the Prior was coadjutor to the Bishop of that city. He
also assembled the brethren, exhorted them to perseverance, distributed
their few poor possessions, and concealed the sacred vessels. On the
feast of St. John Baptist, 24th June, in the year of grace 1539, he
preached in his cathedral against the new heresy, and exhorted his flock
to persevere in the faith.