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ing of which he afterwards showed the rich effect in his masterly summarizing arguments. Having concluded that the priesthood calling, on the 31st of August, 1803, he entered the College of The energy and untiring zeal of the man developed early. "Wor it is day, for the night cometh, when no man can work," was his Procuring the establishment of a female penitentiary, and schools f boys and girls; delivering discourses in the parish chapel; laboring the militia stationed in Carlow-these are the glimpses we get of years of study in college. A curious incident happened in his missionism. The officer in command was persuaded, by misrepresen to bring the soldiers who attended bis instructions to court-martial; the discomfiture of the fanatics, the trial ended with the acquittal men, the officer even encouraging them to continue in their course. old age and in far-away America, the bishop never tired of recalli incident and of expressing his delight that his mission, like that Francis de Sales, began amongst the military.

Besides th

In 1808 he returned to Cork for the purpose of receiving holy He was made deacon on October 9, and the following day was ordai the priesthood, by dispensation, as he had not reached the canonica Immediately appointed lecturer at the cathedral, he delivered there a of brilliant discourses on the Old and New Testaments. preached sermons in the small chapel of the Presentation Convent, was always crowded by persons eager to hear his magical words. N he pause at words. His zeal expressed itself in practical works. present Magdalen Asylum, built at the expense of Mr. Therry, was i cess of erection, and always being touched with a peculiar pity for th outcasts of the world, he turned his attention to this institution a largely instrumental in making it a success. In the May of 1808 he lished a monthly periodical, Religious Repertory, conducting it for years, and gaining here the first experience of that journalism which wards was of so much use. A free circulating library in the parish Mary's, Shandon, was another of his works.

His next labor was visiting the city jail, for the purpose of carrying solation to the unfortunate prisoners. Here he toiled, unpaid, except own conscience, for many years; especially among the poor fellows, "political criminals," destined to be sent out into that bleak world of tralia, with little chance of seeing a priest in the bushes of an uns country. One of his adventures while on this mission, together with

North Cork Chapel," says Mr. Wm. Geo. Read; but I am inclined to b from the strongest evidences, that the cathedral was the right place.

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others too horrible to describe, co..firmed in him that undying hatred, which every Irishman cherishes with sacred care, of the despotism sitting like an incubus upon unhappy Ireland. A prisoner, buried in a fetid dungeon, had given way to frantic despair. Soothed by the gentle ministrations of Father England, the man confessed he had been an emissary of the government. What was, and is, the business of an "emissary of the government?" Listen. An emissary of the government" made up conspiracies, and then betrayed them. Possessed at length of too many secrets, the government distrusted him, and entrapped him on an occasion of usual felony. This was the reason of his despair. Father England assured him that steps would be taken for his relief, and promised to come back next day. He did so, but the prisoner was gone. Now for the sequel of this tragic story. Years afterwards a man called on the Bishop of Charleston, and told him he had seen the unfortunate wretch in an obscure prison of India. The man told the narrator his dreadful history and its end. The coldblooded, cruel, heartless miscreant who ruled Ireland then, had become alarmed at England's interference, and had spirited the culprit away.

Rays of light, penetrating the dark night behind us, reveal this indefatigible man still at work. In 1812 he was president of the College of St. Mary, teaching pupils their theological course. In the same year his first recorded experience in politics took place. He was fond in after life of dilating on this feat. For the two Parliamentary seats of Cork there were three candidates-one Liberal and two wealthy Tories who were also malignant Orangemen. Most of the electors were tenants of the two Tories, and it was feared that if they dared to vote in two Liberals, the result would be materially disastrous to the voters. But it was determined to elect one Liberal. But how to do so? Father England doffed his professor's gown for the day, and, under pledge not to be interfered with in any way nor pestered by the usual swarm of political advisers, took dictatorial charge of the matter. The result, instead of being a tragedy, was a rich comedy. He organized a large body of voters, sworn to cast their ballots as he directed, and whose prudence he could rely on. These he posted, on the day of election, in a position apart, strictly binding them to hold no intercourse with any One but himself. Then he sent for the Tory agents and chatted with them in this pleasant manner: "A great many of our party are willing to vote for one or other of your respective candidates, but they fear that their right to vote for the Liberal candidate will be interfered with. Now, gentlemen, I warn you! I shall have you and your associates nar* Byron's line.

rowly watched, and every instance of intimidation or attempt at it I will instantly punish by voting ten men for your Tory adversary." They apprehended the situation; they were caught. The polling began. Very soon a Catholic voter was threatened by his landlord's agent. The case was reported to the chairman. In terror the agent rushed to Dr. England, explaining and apologizing; but nothing would do; the ten votes were promptly deposited for the rival Tory and the Liberal. There was no trouble after this. When the Liberal candidate was so far ahead that defeat was impossible, the professor, merrily telling them they had behaved very well, left the Tory agents to canvass the remaining voters.

In 1813 a jubilee, in which Dr. England took a leading part, was granted by the Pope to the Catholics of Cork, on the completion of their new cathedral. Another anecdote is related of Dr. England as occurring in the following year. Traveling from Cork to Dublin, on important diocesan business, the fall of snow during the night prevented the coach from going beyond Carlow. He, with some others whose business was urgent, set out to walk the rest of the way. Sinking exhausted in the icy cold, his companions abandoned him to his fate. A countryman, who had great difficulty in awakening him, found him in a comatose condition. "I am a priest," was all he could say, but it was enough. The faithful Kelt at once put forth all his energies and conveyed him to the shelter of his cabin nearby.

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Destiny preserved him for the doing of great things. That very year there was need of his voice and his pen in the land, and his voice was raised, his pen set to work. Of all the vile acts of which the miserable Castlereagh was guilty in the course of a shameful life ended by his own hand, that of trying to subsidize the Catholic clergy, and thereby enslave them to the State, was perhaps the most vile. The nature of the attempt may be learned by turning to the last passages of Epochs of Irish History," and the result of the civil power dabbling in Church affairs is most powerfully shown in the sketch of the Greek Schism, which is one of the best and most compact studies of that terrible ecclesiastical disaster extant. The government was willing to grant Catholic emancipation, provided a veto upon ecclesiastical nominations was allowed to the crown, and in order to gain the clergy offered to pay them salaries. The heartless aristocracy and gentry were willing to give in. Some of the hierarchy gaped also for the gilded bait in the centre of which was a deadly poison taint. But the noble priests of Ireland stood firm. Nevertheless, there was danger in the air. England borrowed money on his own responsibility, and, in opposition to the wishes even of his dio

cesan, assumed editorial charge of the Cork Mercantile Chronicle, the failing organ of the Liberal party. In the columns of this journal he so clearly and forcibly showed the evil character of this step, at once treason to their country and heresy to their creed, that the whole nation as a solid unit rejected the scheme with scorn.

He then showed the grounds upon which the agitation for true Catholic emancipation should be carried on, and when O'Connell began his crusade he had no abler backer than England. The value of his assistance to the great Agitator could not be better told in a hundred tomes than in the pithy exclamation of O'Connell later in life: "With Bishop England at my back. I would not fear the whole world before me."

It was not to be expected that the fearless journalist which England proved himself to be would escape the rigors of tyrannical laws. On one occasion he scathingly commented on the corruption of the judges and the iniquity of packed Orange juries. Earl Talbot, the Tory Lord Lieutenant, was down on him at once. A fine of five hundred pounds was his reward for telling the truth, in default of which-for he could not pay it he took his place in the cell of the jail his father had occupied. Again: O'Connell went into the newspaper office while the editor was absent, and wrote a scorching article. Proceedings were begun. The only person in the office who could identify O'Connell's caligraphy was the journeyman-a Protestant-who had set the piece, but he was true as steel. The real offender not being found, the editor was responsible; but, as chance would have it, the official certificate of editorship had been cancelled that very day, and thus the charge could not be brought home to England. Then the poor journeyman was clapped into prison, and during many months the Catholics supported his family. At last it leaked out that he was only detained to annoy the Liberals; supplies ceased, and the journeyman was allowed to go free.

On severing his connection with the paper, Dr. Murphy, who had succeeded Bishop Moylan, appointed England in 1817 to the parish of Bandon. This was the celebrated town over whose entrance gate was written the inscription welcoming "the Turk, the Atheist, and the Jew," but banning "the Papist." Much of the bigotry still remained. For three years Father England labored to overcome it, working, preaching,

Dean Swift, on seeing the inscription, extemporized the following retort: "He who wrote this wrote it well,

For the same is writ o'er the gate of hell."

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+ Mr. Read says six years," but this could not be, for he received the appointment in 1817 and left for America in 1820.

and lecturing, until finally he brought the factions together in a genial social band. While here an attempt to assassinate him failed. A great Hand was guarding that life destined for an arena of noble toil.

The call came. After being twelve years a priest, he was nominated to the just created See of Charleston, S. C. He was consecrated at St. Finbar's Cathedral September 21, 1820. * Characteristically, he refused to take the usual oath of allegiance, having resolved never to wear a mitre under the British flag. "As soon as I reach my see," he said, "my first step will be to renounce this allegiance; therefore, the form is now idle and useless." Sailing from Belfast, he arrived in Charleston December 30, 1820. He was accompanied by Father Corkery, the first priest he ever ordained, two or three students, and his sister, Johanna Monica England. †

The new Diocese of Charleston comprised the three States of North and South Carolina and Georgia. It embraced an area of 127,500 square miles, and contained a white and black population of 1,063,000, of whom about 1,000 were Catholics.

This was the prospect the young bishop had to face. There were two apologies for churches-mere shanties-with congregations torn by scandals, and two priests, who fled on his arrival. Father Corkery died soon after, and he was left alone. Never perhaps since the time of the Apostles, except in the case of missionaries to heathen lands, was a bishop reduced to such a state before. There was scarcely a shelter to cover his head, and the great Protestant Tradition of England was in a most virile and flourishing condition. Ignorance of the truths of the Church made his task dangerous as well as arduous. There he was, to hew out and build up a diocese, while he struggled to beat down the tradition of bigotry. He was like a pioneer of the West, holding the plow with one hand and the rifle with the other. Nothing daunted, he bravely put his hands to work; ay, and head and heart, too.

For that same head had in it thoughts destined to live, and in that heart flowed placid streams of poetry and rushing torrents of eloquence, which would, when unpent, carry everything before them from end to end of the land.

An extensive lot at the upper extremity of Broad street, then on the outskirts, but now in the heart of the city, was purchased; a tem

*Bishop Murphy, assisted by Bishops Moran, of Ossory, and Kelley, of Richmond, Va., performed the ceremony.

+ This estimable lady died in a few years,

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