xpert in the
spiritual profession, and by theological considerations to allay those
religious terrors with which their patients were so generally haunted.
Learning itself, which tends so much to enlarge the mind and humanize
the temper, rather served on this occasion to exalt that epidemical
frenzy which prevailed. Rude as yet, and imperfect, it supplied the
dismal fanaticism with a variety of views, founded it on some coherency
of system, enriched it with different figures of elocution; advantages
with which a people totally ignorant and barbarous had been happily
unacquainted.

From policy, at first, and inclination, now from necessity the king
attached himself extremely to the hierarchy: for like reasons, his
enemies were determined, by one and the same effort, to overpower the
church and monarchy.

While the commons were in this disposition, the Irish rebellion was the
event which tended most to promote the views in which all their measures
terminated. A horror against the Papists, however innocent, they had
constantly encouraged, a terror from the conspiracies of that sect,
however improbable, they had at all times endeavored to excite. Here
was broken out a rebellion, dreadful and unexpected; accompanied with
circumstances the most detestable of which there ever was any record;
and what was the peculiar guilt of the Irish Catholics, it was no
difficult matter, in the present disposition of men's minds, to
attribute to that whole sect, who were already so much the object of
general abhorrence. Accustomed in all invectives to join the
prelatical party with the Papists, the people immediately supposed this
insurrection to be the result of their united counsels. And when they
heard that the Irish rebels pleaded the king's commission for all
their acts of violence, bigotry, ever credulous and malignant, assented
without scruple to that gross imposture, and loaded the unhappy prince
with the whole enormity of a contrivance so barbarous and inhuman.[*]
[8]

* See note H. at the end of the volume

By the difficulties and distresses of the crown, the commons, who
possessed alone the power of supply, had aggrandized themselves; and it
seemed a peculiar happiness, that the Irish rebellion had succeeded at
so critical a juncture to the pacification of Scotland. That expression
of the king's, by which he committed to them the care of Ireland, they
immediately laid hold of, and interpreted in the most, unlimited sense