d the see of Ross in 1582, but
subsequently annexed to it the dioceses of Cork and Cloyne. The
following extract contains the local tradition regarding the reception
given to this Protestant Bishop, and has been kindly supplied by a
priest of the diocese, whose parish was, in early times, the theatre of
the apostolate of many a distinguished saint of our Irish Church:--

"Lyons was an apostate from the beginning; he went to England and
acknowledged the Queen's supremacy, and was left in quiet
possession of the revenues of the diocese till his death, a period
of about thirty-five years. On his return from England he was
deserted by his clergy, who secreted all the plate connected with
the cathedral and monastery, as also the bells, and chimes of
bells, all solid silver, which were then valued at L7,000. The
commissioners subsequently hanged all the aged friars that
remained, on pretence that they knew where the above-named property
was concealed, and refused to reveal it. At all events, the plate
remained concealed, and to this day it never has been found.
Tradition says it was all buried in the strand, which contains two
or three hundred acres of waste, covered by every tide, having
three feet of sand in most places, and underneath a considerable
depth of turf mould".

The account here given of the diocesan plate is certainly confirmed by
the consistorial record already cited in the beginning of this article.
Whilst, however, the clergy thus resolved to remove the sacred plate at
least from the grasp of the Protestant prelate, the people were
determined that the old Catholic episcopal mansion should not be
contaminated by his presence. The commissioners of the crown in 1615,
report that he found no house on his arrival in his see of Ross, "but
only a place to build one on". They further add, that he, without delay,
built a fine house for himself which cost L300, but even this "in three
years was burnt down by the rebel O'Donovan"--(_Records of Ross_, etc.,
iii.-50). It will suffice to mention one other fact connected with his
episcopal career. In Rymer we find a patent dated 12th June, 1595, and
amongst others it is addressed to our Protestant dignitary,
commissioning him "to consider and find out ways and means to people
Munster with English inhabitants".--_Rym._, tom. 16, pag. 276.

P.F.M.

THE RULE OF ST. CARTHACH. (OB. A.D. 636.)