his return into France he found his son perfectly recovered, through the merits of St. Thomas, in 1179.

God was pleased to chastise king Henry as he had done David: His son, the young king, rebelled, because his father refused the cession of any part of his dominicons to him during his own life. He was supported by the greatest part of the English nobility, and by the king of Scotland, who committed the most unheard of cruelties in the northern provinces which he laid waste. The old king in his abandoned condition made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St Thomas, walked barefoot three miles before the town over pebbles and stønes so that his feet were all bloody, and at the tomb his tears and sighs were the only voice of his contrite and humbled heart before God. He would receive a stroke of a dicip ine from all the bishops, priests, and capons, and spent there that whole day and the night following without taking any nourishment, and made great presents to the church. The next morning whilst he was hearing Mass near the tomb, the king of Scotland, his most cruel enemy, was taken prisoner by a small number of men. Soon after his son threw himself at his feet, and obtained pardon.→→→ He indeed revolted again several times: but falling sick, by the merits of St. Thomas, deserved to die a true pes snitent. He made a public confession of his sino, put on sackcloth, and a cord about his neck, and would be dragged by it out of bed as the most unworthy of sinners, and and laid on ashes, on which he received the viaticum, and died in the most perfect sentiments of repentance. As to the four murderers, the y retired to Cuare'sburg a house belonging to one of them, namely, Hugh of Morvit in the west of England, were shuned by all meu, and distracted with the remorse of their own conscience, they lived alone, without so much as a servant that would attend Ahem. Some time after they traveiled into Italy to re eceive absolution from the pope. His holiness enjoined them a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where three of the "shut themselves up in a place called Montenigro, as in a prison of penance, as the pope had ordered them, aud lived and died true penitents. They were buried before the gate of the chorch of Jerusalem with his epitaph :

Here

Here lie the wretches who martyred blessed Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury" The other who had given the first wound, deferred a little while to commence his penance, and stopping at Cosenza in Calabria there died of a miserable distemper, in which his flesh rotted from his body and fell to pieces. He never ceased to implore with sighs and tears the intercession of St. Thomas, as the bishop of that city, who heard his confession, testified. All the four murderers died within three years after the martyrdon of the saint.

The body of the martyr was first buried in the lower part of the church: but shortly after taken up and laid in a sumptuous shrine in the east end. So great were the offerings thereat, that the church all round about it abounded with more than princely riches, the meanest part of which was pure gold, garnished with many precious stones, as William Lambarte (7) and Weever (8) assure us. "The largest of these was the royal diamond' given by Lewis, king of France. The marble stones before the place remain to this very day much worn and hollowed by the knees of the pilgrims who prayed there. The shrine itself is thus described by John Stow (9). It was built about a man's height all of stone: then upwards of plain timber, within which was an iron chest containing the bones of Thomas Becket, as also the scull with the wound of his death, and the piece cut out of the scull, laid in the same wound. The timberwork of this shrine on the outside was covered with plates of gold, damasked and embossed, garnished with broches, images, angels, chains, precious stones, and great oriental pearls: the spoils of which shrine in gold and jewels of inestimable value, filled two great chests, one of which six or eight men could do no more than convey out of the church. All which was taken to the king's use, and the bones of St. Thomas by command of Lord Cromwell, were there burnt to ashes, in September 1538, of Henry VIII. the thirtieth." His hair-shit is shewn in a reli

(7) Lambarte in his perambulation of Kent, anno 1365. (8) Weever's Funeral Monuments, p. 202.

(9) Stowe's in Henry VIII.

*

quairy in the English College at Douay, a small part in the abbey of Liege a bone of his arm in the great church of St. Waldetrude, at Mons (10): his chalice in the great nunnery at Bourbourg: his mitre, and limen dipped in his blood at St. Bertin's at St. Omer: vestments, in many other monasteries. &c. in the Low-countries, &c. *.

REFLECTION:- Zeal for the glory of God is the first property or rather the spirit and perfection of his holy love, and ought to be the peculiar virtue of every Christian, especially of every pastor of the church. How is God delighted to shower down his heavenly graces on those who are zealous of his honour? How will he glori fy them in heaven as on this account he glorified Princes even on earth? (11.) What zeal for his father's glory did not Christ exert on earth? How did this holy fire burn in the breasts of the Apostles and of all the saints? But in the exercise of zeal itself,how many snares are to be feared? And how many Christians deceive themselves? Self-love is subtle in seducing those who do not know themselves. Humour, pride, avarice, caprice, and passion frequently are passed for zeal. But the true conditions of this virtue are, that it be prudent, in never being precipitant, and in bearing patiently with the obstinacy and malice of the impenitent. It is a mistake to place holy zeal in an impetuous ardour of the soul which can be no other than the result of passion. Secondly, it must be disinterested or pure in its motive, free from all mixture of avarice, pride, vanity, resentment, or any passion. Thirdly, it must be intrepid. The fear of God makes his servant no longer fear men. John the Baptist feared not the tyrant who persecuted him: but Herod stood in awe of the humble preacher (12). The servant of God is not auxious about his own life; but solicitous that God be honoured. All that he can suffer for this end he looks upon as a recompence. Fatigues, contempt, torments, or death he embraces with joy. By this constancy and, fidelity he conquers and subdues the whole world. In afflictions

(10) Brisseur, Thes. Reliquiarum Hannoniæ. p. 199.
(12) Mark vi.

(11) Numb. 25.

See Hawarden's True Church, pait 3, c. 2. p. 314 where he answers the slanders of Leslie.

and disgraces his virtue makes him magnanimous. It accompanies him in all places and in every situation.— By this he is great not only in adversity, being throughout firm under persecutions and constant in torment, but also in riches, grandeur and prosperity, amidst which it inspires him with humility, moderation and holy fear, and animates all his actions and designs with religion and divine charity.

REMARKS.

Let Irish Roman Catholics read this history of the persecution and martyrdom of St Thomas of Canterbury and ask If Catholic kings of England acted thus towards their Catholic Archbishops-what may we not expect from them when they profess a Religion perfectly at variance with that which we adhere to? In the demand made by King Henry he appeared to have the concurrence of a few corrupt Bishops, who wanted the firmness which qualifies for martyrdom, and who rather than bring upon themselves the fury and persecution of an intermeddling tyrant, would give up the outposts established for the defence of Religion," laying the flattering unction to their souls" that they did not derogate from their dignity nor betray their trust whilst they preserved the essentials. O, the hypocritical cant!O the pretext for They did not chuse to stand "Our duty demands that we shall not permit any of the barriers of Faith to be broken down even tho' the deposit should be preserved safely for the present, for if we now permit this encroachment, at a future period our Successors will not be enabled so well to resist the attacks which will be made upon them: & because we took away the means of defence they will be despoiled; and though in our day the faith may not be lost, yet its future loss will be attributed to us inasmuch as we have left it defenceless; we can therefore allow of no encroachment even though it should not be inmediately vitally destructive, because we see that it will be so ultimately."Such was the reasoning of St. Thomas. He performed his duty and though he lost his life he found it together with an inestimable reward in a better world. He had to endure a lengthened conflict, and pow

erful

erful adversaries,—but the struggle is over-the Faith has been preserved for ages-and his adversaries were defeated and brought to confusion and repentance.

How much better would it be for the Irish Catholics of the present day to hold firmly to their faith and to transmit it safe and guarded to their successors, thus imitating St. Thomas, than to listen to a few wretched purse-proud defaulters, who, blinded by the spirit of the world, are anxious to barter the safeguards of Religion for the honours of the world. They want not to intermeddle with its essentials-But they will strip it of its protection. They will not destroy it,-But they will place it under the care of its enemies-They do not profit of its helps-and they will rob the poor of its comforts. The Pope like as Monsignor Quarantotti may be swindled into an approbation of their schemes, because he may be deceived by cunning and hypocrisy-The enemies of St. Thomas prejudiced his holiness and his legates, for a while against him, yet he was firm and they were undeceived-Irish Catholics imitate the example which is placed before you; do not permit false fiiends to filch from you your Religi on nor your enemies to take it by force-The martyrs forfeited their lives sooner than barter their faith, your forefathers preserved it for you amidst many perils and with enormous losses-They had to contend with force, you have to contend with fraud-The enemies of their creed would not drag the deposit from them; prove that they will not be able to steal it from you: be enabled to say as they could at the close of their career, I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH. For the rest there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me.-Again I repeat it. Be not deceived by the will of him who is a bad Catholic only because he is ashamed to read his recantation.

EDITOR.

From the Orthodox Journal for December, 1813. MR. EDITOR,

In what a learned and enlightened age is it our misfortune to be bou? How would the eyes of good Father