An Address Given in to the Late King James by the Titular Archbishop of Dublin: From the General Meeting of the Romish Bishops and Clergy of Ireland, Held in May Last, by That King's Order. Wherein Several Things Relating to the Popish Designs upon These Three Kingdoms, Are Discovered. The Original Whereof Was Found in the Late King James's Closet, in the Castle of Dublin, at His Leaving That City: And the Copy Whereof Was Found in the Titular Archbishop's Lodgings. Now Publish'd with Reflections on Each Paragraph

In Short

This text serves as a polemical exposé, published in 1690, centered on a document discovered in the private quarters of the deposed King James II. It features a formal petition from the Titular Archbishop of Dublin and the Irish Catholic clergy, outlining a systematic plan to restore Roman Catholicism and seize ecclesiastical property in Ireland. By providing the text of this "Memorial" alongside sharp, paragraph-by-paragraph commentary, the anonymous editor provides a primary-source case for the necessity of the Revolution of 1688, framing the document as definitive proof of a broader, existential threat to Protestant sovereignty.

The Story

The narrative begins with a bold assertion: that King James II was not a misunderstood sovereign, but a willing instrument of Rome determined to eradicate the Protestant religion. To demonstrate this, the editor reveals the existence of a high-level correspondence found in Dublin after the King’s flight. This document, a memorial presented by the Irish Catholic hierarchy, details the exact steps the clergy urged the King to take to solidify a Catholic state.

The argument progresses through the specific demands of the Irish bishops. They call for the total repeal of the Penal Laws—the statutory barriers protecting the Protestant interest—and the immediate restoration of all church livings, properties, and jurisdictions to their Catholic successors. The bishops argue that the King’s previous hesitation to act was merely a matter of political convenience, suggesting he had been trying to avoid alienating English Protestants until he was strong enough to bypass them entirely.

As the text moves through the memorial, the tension shifts from local Irish reform to a global agenda. The bishops explicitly advise the King that he need not "humour" the Protestants of England, whom they dismiss as inherently disloyal. They contend that because Protestant leaders had previously sought to exclude James from the throne, he owed them no further consideration. The "story" of this document is thus one of betrayal and counter-betrayal: the clergy urge the King to drop the mask of tolerance and openly consolidate power, using the Irish situation as a prototype for the rest of the three kingdoms.

The narrative reaches its climax in the editorial "Reflections," where the author contextualizes the memorial as part of a grand European design. By including a secondary document—a memorial from the French Ambassador to the Pope—the author broadens the scope to show that the French King was a central, coordinated partner in this effort to suppress heresy across the British Isles. The arc concludes not with the success of these designs, but with their total collapse. The author celebrates the "late happy Revolution" as the saving grace that prevented the implementation of these secret, radical plans. The final pages shift into a warning for posterity, asserting that while some contemporary skeptics deny these designs ever existed, the physical evidence of these recovered documents proves that the survival of the Protestant state was a narrow, providential escape from a conspiracy that would have subjected the entire nation to a foreign religious and political yoke.

How It Unfolds

The Discovery The author introduces the recovered Memorial, framing it as the smoking gun that exposes the late King’s true intentions. By detailing exactly where these copies were found—the King’s closet and the Archbishop’s lodgings—the author establishes the authenticity of the threat.

The Clerical Petition The text presents the specific proposals of the Irish clergy, who systematically outline how to remove legal obstacles to their faith. They argue that poverty has hindered their spiritual authority, and they demand the return of Church livings to restore their status.

The Political Justification The bishops counsel King James to abandon his attempts at appeasing Protestants, arguing that such "humouring" of heretics has only encouraged treason. They insist that since the Protestant population cannot be trusted, the King should move immediately to establish Catholic control over the government and military.

The Reflection and Critique The editor interjects with sharp commentary after each paragraph of the Memorial, dismantling the logic of the clergy. These rebuttals highlight the arrogance of the conspirators and point out the contradictions between their stated goals and the political realities the King faced.

The European Context The final section expands the scope by linking the Irish clergy’s plans to the broader interests of the French monarchy and the Papacy. This global view serves to validate the author’s warning that the threat was not merely local, but an organized, international project to reshape the religious landscape of the entire region.

The People

The Titular Archbishop of Dublin and the gathered Irish Popish Bishops act as the primary agitators. They are depicted as single-minded, uncompromising zealots who view the law as a mere obstacle to be cleared. They want total ecclesiastical supremacy and believe the King’s power is the only tool needed to seize it.

King James II is portrayed as a misguided, subordinate figure. While the clergy view him as their champion and the "Eldest Son of the Church," the author of the book views him as an unfortunate, gullible leader who traded his country’s long-term stability for the empty promises of Rome. His ending is one of failure and exile, leaving his closet full of damning evidence that proves he was a pawn in a much larger, more dangerous game.

The French King looms in the background as the architect of this grand design. He is represented by his Ambassador, who serves as the voice of a larger, more aggressive ambition. For these figures, the British Isles are merely pieces on a chessboard of European power, and they represent the cold, calculated opposition to the Protestant cause. Finally, the Protestants of England are the intended victims, characterized by the author as people who narrowly avoided a "French model" of absolute, state-enforced religious and political subjugation.

In Its Own Voice

"That the late King James was induc’d by the Emissaries of Rome, to trample upon the Laws and Liberties of the Subjects of these Three Kingdoms, there is no body who enjoys the use of their Reason, can deny."

The author sets the tone for the entire volume by framing the late King's actions as an obvious assault on national liberty.

"And we know the word Incouragement, is a very extensive one; as including not only promises to assist, but means and power to bring about."

The editor dissects the deceptive language used by the King when promising his support to the Irish clergy.

"And that just at the very instant of time, we were to expect all good and great things for the Catholick Church from that King’s Zeal and Affections to it."

The author quotes the French Ambassador’s memorial to the Pope to prove that foreign powers were actively counting on James to complete his religious revolution.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book is a defense of the Revolution of 1688, intended to silence those who claimed the deposed King James II had no intention of forcibly converting the nation. It explores the tension between royal prerogative and the rule of law, arguing that the protection of property and civil liberty is inextricably linked to the preservation of the Protestant religion. The questions it raises are ones of legitimacy and betrayal: To what extent does a monarch forfeit his right to rule if he uses his power to subvert the established laws of his people? It is an argument about the nature of power, asserting that the "toleration" offered by the King was merely a mask for a systematic dismantling of the state.

Why Read It Today

This book is a fascinating artifact for those interested in the raw, polemical spirit of late seventeenth-century political debate. It provides a rare, immediate look at how the victors of the Glorious Revolution justified their cause, showing how they utilized the physical evidence of their predecessors' papers to secure public opinion. Readers will find it captures the atmosphere of extreme distrust and paranoia that defined the era.

However, the reader must be prepared for the dense, polemical style common to 1690s pamphlets. The prose is thick with long, baroque sentences and a vocabulary that assumes a deep familiarity with the religious and legal disputes of the time. The author writes with a biting, often sarcastic tone that reflects the intense sectarian anger of the post-revolutionary period. It is not a neutral history; it is a document of its moment, saturated with the prejudices and urgent anxieties of a country trying to make sense of a radical change in leadership. It stays with you as a reminder of how propaganda and political necessity often weave together, and how even the most intimate personal effects of a king can be turned into the most powerful weapons of his successors.