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qui fuit lector illius in philosophia Toleti. Redux igitur in patriam verbo et exemplo vineam Domini mirifice excoluit, prioratibus sui nativi conventus bis et Lorrhensis semel perfunctus. Deinde provincialis, capitulum generalissimum Romæ 1644 indictum adiit, ubi a novo Ordinis Generali, M. Fr. Thoma Turco, pro meritis ac pro zelo intrepido quem in tuendo Ordinis unitatem ostenderit, laurea magistrali decoratus est. Paulo post ab Urbano VIII. ad Imelacensem episcopatum assumptus, in eo cura ejus fuit, ut episcopali dignitati inviolabilem sui Ordinis tenorem constanter conjungeret et Ecclesiæ esset tutamen, tunc et maxime in Hibernia, tali indigenti heroe qui auctoritate, consilio, ac vigilantia ei indefesse succurreret. Quod cum ageret anno 1651 in civitate Limericensi, quam tunc Henricus Ireton, Cromwelli gener, obsidione valida stringebat, præclarum suæ heroicæ constantiæ testimonium exhibuit, quod nullius seræ posteritatis delebit oblivio. Noster enim præsul, tentatus seorsim et fortiter a præmemorato Ireton, duce generali istius hæretici exercitus, per oblationem quadraginta millium aureorum et licentiam emigrandi quocumque vellet cum salvo conductu, si exiret de civitate ejusque deditionem non impediret, ille fortissime renuit, eligens potius Catholicis civibus usque ad mortem assistere, quam hæreticorum salvo conductu, et auro alias fulgere aut secure deliciari. Unde urbe expugnata, demum apprehensus ac vinctus et ad forum pertractus, in vigilia Omnium Sanctorum publice in furcam actus, agonem suum gloriose pro Deo, Ecclesia et Patria consummavit. Lætabundo ac sereno

vultu ad supplicii locum pergens, conversus ad Catholicos turmatim confluentes et collacrymantes inconsolabiliter, postrema hæc verba quæ præsentium hæreticorum corda penetrabant, fecit dicens: "Habete fidem, servate

at Toledo. Returning home he worked in the vineyard of the Lord by word and example, and was prior twice of his own convent and once at Lorrha. Then as provincial he attended the general chapter held at Rome in 1644, where Father Thomas Turco, the new general of the Order, conferred on him the degree of master of theology, on account of his merit and the intrepid zeal which he showed in defending the unity of the Order. Some time afterwards, Father O'Brien was made bishop of Emly by Urban VIII. His first care was to combine the episcopal dignity with the observance of his rule, as the Church at that time, especially in Ireland, was in want of such a champion to zealously help her by his authority, counsel, and vigilance. While engaged in this great work, in 1651, in the city of Limerick, which at the time, Ireton, Cromwell's son-in-law, was besieging, he gave such testimony of his heroic constancy as will be remembered for all time. Though tempted secretly and sorely by Ireton with a promise of £40,000 and permission to leave the country and go wherever he liked with a safe-conduct, he firmly resisted, choosing rather to succour the Catholic citizens until death than to have security and riches in another place. Wherefore after the surrender of the city, he was arrested on the vigil of All Saints and brought securely bound to the market-place, where he died on the gallows, a glorious martyr for his God, his church and his country. As he was on his way to the place of execution, showing a joyous and serene countenance, he turned to the Catholics who followed in a crowd weeping bitterly and uttered these words which reached even the hearts of the Protestants who were present:-"Keep the faith; observe the commandments; do not complain of the ways of Providence; if you do all this you will possess your

mandata, adversus Dei dispositionem ne quæremir quod facientes possidebitis animas vestras: pro m autem nolite flere, sed orate ut in hoc mortis torment firmus ac infractus cursum meum feliciter absolvam."

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Persecutor Ireton, cui Albertus vicinam Dei ultionen diserte prædixerat, paulo post lue ac phrænesi percussu furiisque dire exagitatus, palam astantibus suæ militia primipilis fassus est, innocentis episcopi cædem sib jam fatalem esse; et sæpius repetebat hæc verba Nunquam ego meo consilio ad necem illius episcopi cooperatus sum. Nunquam! nunquam! Prætorium hoc fecit—consilii opus fuit-ipsi viderint." Item: "Utinam papisticum hunc episcopum nunquam ne a longe quidem vidissem." Inter hæc et similia verba profunde gemens animam in orcum expuit. Caput martyris, stipiti infixum ac regiæ arcis pinnaculo superimpositum, multo post recentem videbatur adhuc stillare cruorem, aspectu integro, carne, cute pilisque non mutatis, quasi in tesseram incorruptionis. Constans enim fama est, eum usque ad extremum vitæ finem, virginalem munditiam integre conservasse; ita ut inde pie liceat conjectare eum ut virginem, doctorem, episcopum et martyrem non unica jam corona fulgere in cælo. Altissimus per Jesum Christum dignetur Hiberniæ afflictissimæ indulgere tranquillitatem, cujus opportunitate evulgari queat diffusa enarratio non hujus tantummodo magni præsulis, verum etiam plurium aliorum, qui agonizaverunt pro veritate et justitia usque ad mortem.

R. A. P. Fr. Jacobus Wolfe, prædicator-generalis, venerabilis senex qui diversis prioratibus sancte perfunctis, jamque pridem in diuturno carcere factus Christi confessor, eodem anno 1651 et in eadem urbe, mortem pro Christo Salvatore nostro sustinuit. Passim usque ad hæc ultima persecutionis tempora ministerium suum

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The persecutor Ireton, to whom Albert had plainly Cussoretold the coming vengeance of God, a short time aftermilwards struck with fright and deeply agitated, confessed sippenly to his military captains standing around him, that the execution of the innocent bishop would prove fatal Discuto him, and he often repeated these words: "I never mh counselled the death of that bishop; never! never! the tina council of war did it—it was the work of the council-let them see to it." He also exclaimed "Would that I had never seen that Papist bishop even from a distance." While uttering these and similar words he breathed his last. The head of the martyr, fixed on a high stake and placed on a spike on the king's castle, was seen for a long time to drop fresh blood, the countenance, the flesh, the skin and the hair remaining unchanged, as a sign of incorruption. The general report is that to the end of his life he had preserved his baptismal innocence, so that we may well conjecture that as a virgin, a doctor, a bishop and a martyr, he enjoys more than one crown in heaven. May Almighty God through Jesus Christ give peace to afflicted Ireland, and the opportunity of writing a more extended account, not only of this great prelate but also of others who suffered unto death for truth and justice.

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Father James Wolfe, also in 1651 and in the same city, died for Christ our Saviour. This venerable man was a preacher-general and had been prior several times. Already become a confessor of Christ by long imprisonment, he exercised his ministry with unceasing zeal and firmly defended the authority of the Apostolic See. At

infatigabili ardore complevit, et pro S. Sedis Apostolicæ auctoritate validum se murum opposuit; tandem Limerici sub ipsa incruenti Sacrificii oblatione captus, post aliquas horas accepta mortis sententia in forum adductus est, et pronuntiata Catholicæ fidei professione in omnium auribus, hortatus est fideles ad constantiam in avita fide servandam. In supremo scalæ gradu positus ac mox præcipitandus, hilariter exclamans ait: "Spectaculum facti sumus Deo, angelis et hominibus; Deo ad gloriam, angelis ad lætitiam, hominibus autem ad ludibrium." Quibus dictis, mox a patibulo pendulus exspiravit.

R. adm. P. Fr. Cornelius O'Heyne, theologiæ magister, ex eodem conventu, studuit Romæ apud S. Mariam super Minervam, et docuit Pragæ in Bohemia philosophiam ac theologiam multis annis cum laude pon exigua. Factus ibi magister et profectus in Angliam, socius fuit et commensalis reverendissimi P. M. Fr. Christophori de Rosario, confessarii serenissimæ reginæ Angliæ, quoadusque coactus fuerit a sæva persecutione inde abire. Quadam requie lucescente ibi, denuo reversus est Londinium, ubi pie obiit anno 1685. Fuit vir valde candidus et doctus et proficuus Catholicis Anglis.

R. adm. P. Fr. Thaddeus O'Heyne, frater prædicti patris, studuit pariter in Minerva, docuitque longo tempore in nostro collegio Ulissiponensi. Creatus theologiæ magister, fuit ibidem rector, et profectus est in Hiberniam ad quærendas virgines induendas in conventu nostrarum monialium ibi, sed mortuus est antequam posset redire.

R. P. Fr. Joannes Burke studuit in Hispania et redux ædificavit verbo et opere, et fuit prior, et quidem gratiosus, Limerici anno 1667. Vixi cum eo per mensem

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