A letter to the Right Honorable A. Earl of Essex, from Dublin Declaring the strange obstinacy of papists, (as here, so) in Ireland; who being evidently convict and condemn'd for criminal causes, yet at their death, and upon the gallows, absolutely deny the fact; and the erroneous and impious motives, given by their priests, by which they are deluded to do it. 1679 Approx. 8 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 4 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A23600 Wing L1747A ESTC R222064 99833301 99833301 37777 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A23600) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 37777) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2173:10) A letter to the Right Honorable A. Earl of Essex, from Dublin Declaring the strange obstinacy of papists, (as here, so) in Ireland; who being evidently convict and condemn'd for criminal causes, yet at their death, and upon the gallows, absolutely deny the fact; and the erroneous and impious motives, given by their priests, by which they are deluded to do it. Essex, Arthur Capel, Earl of, 1631-1683, recipient. [2], 4, [2] p. Printed by Tho: Newcomb, London : 1679. Dated at end: Dublin, Mar. 5. 1678/9. With "Postscript" on final leaf. Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. 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Confession -- Catholic Church -- Early works to 1800. 2006-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-11 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-12 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2006-12 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A LETTER To the Right Honorable A. Earl of Essex , FROM DUBLIN . Declaring the strange Obstinacy of PAPISTS , ( As here , so ) in IRELAND ; Who being evidently Convict and Condemn'd for Criminal Causes , yet at their Death , and upon the Gallows , absolutely deny the Fact ; And the erroneous and impious Motives , given by their Priests , by which they are deluded to do it . Joshua VII . xix , xx . My Son , give glory to God , confess to him , and tell me what thou hast done . And Achan said , Indeed I have sinned , &c. LONDON , Printed by Tho : Newcomb . 1679. A LETTER To the Right Honorable A. EARL of ESSEX , FROM DUBLIN . Declaring The strange Obstinacy of PAPISTS , ( as here , so ) in Ireland , &c. May it please your Lordship , ON Sunday last I received yours of February the 25th , and have inquired into the Truth of the Story of an Irish Papist Executed in this Countrey , who at the Gallows denied the Fact for which he was to suffer ; but after he had Hanged awhile , the Rope by accident breaking , and the Malefactor comeing to himself , confess'd it to be true . The person was one John Curphy a Papist , who , this Lent Assizes will be Seven years , was Tryed before Mr. Baron Hene ( then His Majesties Serjeant ) for Burglary in the County of Monaghan , and being found Guilty , was condemned to dye . At the Gallows this Curphy denied the Fact with great Confidence and Asseverations of his Innocency , and was turned off the Ladder , persisting in his denial ; but after he had hanged some little space , the Rope by chance breaking , and he falling down a little stunn'd , came again to himself , and fell to his prayers , thanking God that he had given him time to declare the Truth , and not to go out of the World with a Lye in his mouth , and then confessed himself Guilty of the Fact for which he was Condemned . Afterwards this Curphy was brought back to the Gaol by the Sheriff Mr. Lucas , and application made to Baron Hene to Reprieve the Prisoner ; but he telling the Sheriff that the Judge had done his duty , and the Sheriff must do his , Curphy was Executed . This Account I write from Mr. Baron Hene's own mouth , this very morning , who perfectly knows this Narrative to be true , and was the Person who acquainted your Lordship with it , at your first coming into the Government . He also tells me , that to the best of his remembrance , this Curphy owned , That the Priest had given him Absolution , upon condition not to discover any thing , or declare his Accomplices : And that he need not doubt his Salvation , the Fact not being committed against Gods People , meaning ( as he supposed ) the Papists , or to that effect . Lucas the then Sheriff , lives in Monaghan , and the Records of this Tryal are there , wherefore I have waited upon Mr. Justice Johnson , who goes that Circuit , and left with him a Memorial of these Particulars , who will inquire into them , and give me an attested Account thereof , which when they come to my hands , I will transmit to your Lordship . Mr. Justice Johnson also told me another Relation , something of this nature There was a special Commission lately directed to himself , to try several Malefactors for Murthers and Robberies , committed in the County of Cavan . The Persons Indicted , were two of the Duffies , and one Plunkett , all Irish Papists . The Duffies when they were first apprehended , Confest that they were Guilty of the Crimes laid to their Charge , and gave the same Evidence also against Plunkett at his Tryal , upon which , with other most undeniable Circumstances , Plunkett was Condemned . The Duffies were afterwards tryed for the same Facts , and Condemned also . I should likewise have told your Lordship , That Plunkett upon his first Apprehension , owned to Sir John Edgworth , that he was Guilty . After the Sentence was past upon them , one Brady a Priest , came to these Duffies in Prison , and used Arguments to induce them to Recant their Evidence ; but they persisting in the Truth , would not be prevailed upon . Mr. Justice Johnson hearing this , sent for Brady , who , upon his Examination , could not deny , but that he had been with the Duffies , to persuade them to Renounce their Testimony against Plunkett . Whereupon the Judge Committed him . The Conclusion was , That one of the Duffies ( the other being Reprieved ) suffer'd , confessing the Fact , and persevering in his Accusation of Plunkett . And Plunkett dyed as obstinate , on the other side , utterly denying , that he was Guilty , with Curses upon himself , and Renunciations of Salvation , if he were not innocent . I must also crave leave to trouble your Lordship with another Narrative of this sort , which I had from Sir Richard Reynell , one of the Judges of the Kings Bench. About October last was Twelvemonth , there was tryed before him , upon a Commission of Oyer and Terminer , one Neile-O-Neile , an Irish Papist , for a Murther committed at Rathdrum in the County of Wicklow . This Neile-O-Neile in Prison , and at his Tryal , owned to several Persons , ( amongst which I hear my Lord of Strafford then in Ireland was one ) That he was Guilty , and was so found by the Jury , the Fact being clearly proved against him : But at the Gallows , he utterly denied it . These three Particulars being averr'd to me this very day , by the three aforementioned Judges , I humbly presume to send them your Lordship as true . I fear I have tyred your Lordship with this long Letter , but I thought it my Duty to give you the fullest Account I could of your Commands : who am , Your LORDSHIPS Most Obedient and Faithful Servant Dublin , Mar. 5. 1678 / 9. Postscript . It is thought reasonable to suppress the Name of the Person that wrote this Letter , for fear of exposing him to danger , from the Party concerned in the Information . A Postscript in the same Letter . My Lord Chief Justice Booth , my Lord Chief Baron , and the Three Judges named in this Letter , all tell me , That the Criminals that dye in the Romish Persuasion , although apprehended in the very Fact , yet never confess ; for after they have had Absolution from the Priest , the Crime is ( according to their Doctrine ) totally taken away ; and it having , as it were , never been , they may with a safe Conscience deny it . FINIS .