pastor of Lesmoghan, who received possession of the temporalities of the see on the 1st of July, 1305, and died in 1313. The chapter of St. Patrick's, according to their no-longer disputed privilege, made choice of Thomas Bright, prior of the cathedral, who received consecration at the hands of Roland De Jorse, Archbishop of Armagh, in 1314. He was, in 1322, nominated by the Holy See to inquire into the various accusations which had been made against the Primate by the English government and others. He died in 1327, and was buried in his own cathedral of St. Patrick.

Reeves commemorates as his successor John of Baliconingham, rector of Arwhyn, and there is no doubt that this prelate was chosen by the English king, and held for some time possession of the temporalities of the see. However, he never was Bishop of Down. Ralph, or Rodulfus, of Kilmessan, in the diocese of Meath, a Franciscan friar, was appointed by Pope John XXII. on the 12th of December, 1328, and consecrated in Avignon by Bertram, the Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum. Even the English government made no opposition, and he received the temporalities of the see on the 1st of April, 1329. The above pastor of Arwhyn was, however, promoted by the same pontiff to the See of Cork, and when, towards the close of 1329, both bishops petitioned the Holy Father to be allowed to exchange their sees, a letter was addressed from Rome to the Archbishop of Armagh, dated the Nones of January, 1330, empowering him to grant this favour to these bishops, should they persist in desiring it, and should he deem it beneficial to their respective sees—(Mon. Vatican., pag. 249). Stephen Segrave then held the primatial see, and he seems to have judged such an exchange of dioceses inopportune or unnecessary, and hence Bishop Rodulfus continued to hold the See of Down till his death in 1353.

In the first year of Pope Innocent VI. (1353) it was represented that the See of Down was vacant by the death of Rodulfus: "dicta Ecclesia per obitum Rodulphi, qui in partibus illis, Praedecessore nostro vivente, debitum naturae persolvit"; and hence Gregory, provost of Killala, was appointed bishop on the 29th January, 1353, and was consecrated at Avignon by Cardinal Peter, Bishop of Palestrina. The infirm Bishop Rodulfus, however, was not yet deceased, and Gregory was immediately promoted to some titular bishopric. When Rodulfus finally passed to a better world, in August, 1353, the clergy and chapter of Down petitioned to have Richard Calf, who was prior of the monastery, advanced to the vacant see. This petition was readily granted, and the appointment of Dr. Richard was registered on the 2nd of the Nones of December, the same year. A few days later he was consecrated in Avignon, by order of his Holiness, and on the 23rd of December the following beautiful letter was addressed to him by the Holy Father:

"Pridem Dunensi Ecclesia Pastoris solatio destituta, Nos ad personam tuam claris virtutum titulis insignitam nostrae mentis aciem dirigentes, te de fratrum nostrorum consilio eidem Ecclesiae in Episcopum praefecimus et pastorem, curam et administrationem ipsius Ecclesiae tibi in spiritualibus et temporalibus plenarie committendo prout in litteris nostris inde confectis plenius continetur. Cum autem postmodum per ven. fratrem nostrum Petrum Episcopum Bottentonensem tibi fecerimus apud Sedem Apostolicam munus consecrationis impendi, fraternitati tuae per apostolica scripta mandamus, quatenus apostolicae sedis beneplacitis te conformans, ad praedictam Ecclesiam cum nostrae benedictionis gratia te personaliter conferens, sic te in administratione ipsius, diligenter et sollicite gerere studeas, ut utilis administratoris industriae non immerito gaudeat se commissam, ac famae laudabilis tuae odor ex tuis probabiliter actibus latius diffundatur, et praeter aeternae retributions praemium nostrae benevolentiae gratiam et favorem exinde uberius consequaris"—(Mon. Vatic., p. 306).

Dr. Richard governed the diocese till his death in 1365. His successor, the Archdeacon William, hold the see only three years, and died in August, 1368. Ware and subsequent writers commemorate John Logan as the next bishop. However, the bull of appointment of Richard, prior of the Benedictine monastery of Down, which is dated 19th February, 1369, styles him the immediate successor of William, and thus leaves no room for Dr. Logan. The chapter was unanimous in presenting the name of Richard to the Holy Father, and the proofs which were added "de religionis zelo, litterarumque scientia", rendered delay unnecessary in appointing him to the vacant see—(Mon. Vatic., p. 332). He ruled the diocese till his death on the 16th of May, 1386. Joannes Rossensis, from being prior of the monastery, was next elected by the chapter, and confirmed by the Holy See. He died six years after his consecration, and had for his successor John Dougan, who, in 1394, was translated to this see, not from Derry, as Ware imagined, but from the diocese of the Isle of Man, the Latin name for which see, i.e. Sodorensis, led the learned author into this error. The Archives of Rome preserve several documents connected with this prelate, some of which were published by my esteemed friend Professor Munch, in his learned notes to the Chronicle of Man, edited for the Royal University of Christiania, in 1860. The first letter which we find regarding him is a brief of Urban V., dated January 23rd, 1367, which commences: "Probitatis et virtutum merita super quibus apud nos fidedignorum commendaris testimonio, nos inducunt ut tibi reddamur ad gratiam liberales". It subsequently addresses Dr. Dougan as Pastor of Camelyn, in the Diocese of Down, and appoints him Archdeacon of the see, the former Archdeacon, William, having been elevated to the episcopacy early in the preceding year. The office of Archdeacon of Down is further described as having attached to it the care of souls, and as usually conferred on persons not belonging to the cathedral chapter. Its annual revenue, too, is described as not exceeding forty marks. Soon after, we find this Archdeacon appointed Apostolic Nuncio for Ireland, and on 13th March, 1369, the privilege was granted to him of choosing as his confessor any member of the secular or regular clergy. The brief according this privilege thus begins: "Benigno sunt tibi illa concedenda favore per quae sicut pie desideras conscientiae pacem et salutem animae, Deo propitio consequi merearis. Hinc est quod nos tuis devotis supplicationibus inclinati tibi Apostolica auctoritate indulgemus ut quamdiu nostri et Ecclesiae Romanae servitiis institeris aliquem idoneum et discretum in tuum possis eligere confessorem, etc." (Dat. Romae ap. S. Petrum, 3º ld. Martii, Pontif. N. an. septimo).

The Bull appointing John Dougan, Archdeacon of Down, to the See of Man, is dated November 6th, 1374, and addressed to "Joanni electo Sodorensi". It mentions as a chief motive for this appointment, that the clergy and people of Man had earnestly solicited it: "pro quo etiam dilecti filii, clerus civitatis et Dioecesis Sodorensis per eorum patentes litteras nobis super hoc humiliter supplicarunt". The Cardinal who consecrated Dr. Dougan was the celebrated Simon de Langham, who held successively the posts of Prior and Abbot of Westminster, Bishop of London and of Ely, Chancellor of England, Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Priest of S. Prassede, and at the time of which we speak was Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina. Of our prelate, it is recorded in the Chronicle of Man that he was elected Bishop on the feast of Corpus Christi, was confirmed by the Pope on the feast of St. Leonard, and was consecrated on St. Catherine's Day. When returning to his diocese he was arrested and thrown into prison in the city of Boulogne, and only after several months was liberated on the payment of a fine of five hundred marks. The motive of this imprisonment has not been