learned correspondent lays special stress on the bulls being
described as "obtained from _Paul, Bishop of Rome_, not _His Holiness_".
However, it is in the letter of the king that this form of expression is
used (_Morrin_, i. 91), and any insult which it may involve must be
referred to the good taste of Henry VIII., and not to the bishop of
Down.

3. It is added: "_It is an oversight to suppose that about 1541 and 1543
the northern chieftains who submitted to Henry VIII. were exempted from
all pressure in matter of religion_". The statement which we made on a
former occasion (p. 268) had reference only to 1543; and it was not
without historic grounds that we asserted that, "the northern chieftains
who _then_ submitted were exempted from all reference to religion when
professing their allegiance to the government". It is true that in 1541
O'Donnell and O'Neil, and other chieftains, acknowledged the king's
supremacy; but it is equally true that this submission of the Irish
princes was an illusory one, and their profession was so lavish of
loyalty that even the government felt that no reliance could be placed
on such declarations. To similar professions, made in 1537, the King
"replied by his letter to the lord deputy, that their oaths,
submissions, and indentures, were not worth one farthing". (_Cox_, p.
253, ad. an. 1537). In fact, we find O'Donnell, in 1542, sending to Rome
a commissioner (whom we shall have to commemorate again as bishop elect
of Raphoe), humbly asking pardon for the guilt of perjury which he had
incurred. However, in 1543 it was far different. The government feared
the reconstruction of the confederation of the Irish chieftains; and
hence, when _the great O'Neil_, as he is styled by Cox (p. 257), sailed
in this year for England and surrendered his estate to the king, the
conditions imposed on him, howsoever humiliating to his national pride,
were wholly silent in regard of religion. These conditions are given in
full by Cox (p. 275).[3] About the same time, O'Brene made also his
submission, and the articles exacted from him omit all reference to the
royal supremacy or other matters of religion. The letter of the King,
March 5th, 1543 (_Morrin_, i. 99), giving instructions to the Deputy
regarding O'Neil Connelaghe, nephew of the earl of Tyrone, in like
manner makes no mention of the religious articles. On the 24th of May an
agreement was made with the Magennises, as Cox informs us, yet without
the obn