Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/156

 they doe goe and live like lay men, follow all kinde of husbandly, and other worldly affaires, as other Irish men doe. They neither read scriptures, nor preach to the people, nor administer the communion, but baptisme they doe, for they christen yet after the popish fashion, onely they take the tithes and offerings, and gather what fruite else they may of their livings, the which they convert as badly and some of them (they say) pay as due tributes and shares of their livings to their Bishops, (I speake of those which are Irish,) as they receive them duely.

Eudox. But is that suffered amongst them? It is wonder but that the governours doe redresse such shamefull abuses.

Iren. How can they, since they know them not? for the Irish bishops have their clergy in such awe and subjection under them, that they dare not complaine of them, so as they may doe to them what they please, for they knowing their owne unworthynesse and incapacity, and that they are therefore still removeable at their bishops will, yeeld what pleaseth him, and he taketh what he listeth: yea, and some of them whose diocesses are in remote parts, somewhat out of the worlds eye, doe not at all bestow the benefices, which are in their owne donation, upon any, but keep them in their owne hands, and set their owne servants and horse-boyes to take up the tithes and fruites of them, with the which some of