oxious clauses; and on the 9th of July, 1544, these clauses were
again omitted, when several grants in Dublin, including 140 acres of the
beautiful "Grange of Clonliffe" (_Morrin_, i. 103), were made to the
earl of Desmond. These examples sufficiently prove that the government
in 1543 was anxious to conciliate the Irish princes, and hence was not
particular in exacting the obnoxious declaration of supremacy.

4. That a portion of the diocese of Down and Connor was subject to the
English government in the beginning of Elizabeth's reign, admits of no
doubt; but it is equally certain that the greater portion of it remained
under the control of O'Neill. Hence, a Vatican paper, written about
1579, adds to a list of the Irish sees, the following important note:

"Ex praedictis Dioecesibus duae sunt in quibus libere et
sine periculo possunt Episcopi vel Vicarii; residere. Una
est Ardfertensis, quod sita sit in ea Desmoniae parte quae
Kierri nominatur in qua Comes Desmoniae omnino liber est et
jus plane regium habet. Altera est Dunensis et Connorensis
quae in ditione est O'Nellorum qui continenter contra
reginam bellum habent, suntque Catholicissimi
principes".--_Ex Archiv. Vatican._

5. As regards the year of Dr. Macgennis's demise, the letter of the
Queen, dated 6th of January, 1564, appointing his successor, though at
first sight it seems so conclusive an argument, nevertheless, is far
from proving that our bishop had died in 1563. For at the period of
which we treat, January was not the first month of the year 1564, but
was rather one of its concluding months; according to our present manner
of reckoning it would be the 6th of January, 1565. (See Shirley,
_Original Letters_, page 132).

6. The last and weightiest remark of the esteemed correspondent
concerning Dr. Macgennis is, that he "_assisted in consecrating by the
vitiated rite of king Edward_" the unfortunate John Bale of Ossory.
However, we must remark that Dr. Macgennis is certainly not responsible
for the appointment of this unworthy apostate to the see of St. Canice;
and the antecedent character of Bale seems to have been wholly unknown
in Ireland, especially in the _Irish_ districts of the island. Much less
is the bishop of Down responsible for the use of the new-fangled
vitiated rite; for, it was Bale himself that at the very time of the
consecration insisted on the new liturgy being employed:[4] and this
event supplie