number of the Tablet Newspaper, in which the able Editor, Mr. Lucas, has promised to give a full and true account of what he, and I, and others have witnessed at the Asylum, and have led to the "indiscreet decision" censured by your Correspondent.

"May I add, that I should not have noticed the affair at all, if the Rev. Mr. Foley had not "pronounced and published an authoritative opinion on the subject," and also rebuked rather sharply the incredulous visitors who presumed to differ with him in opinion. When the venerable and learned Bishop of the diocese, or a competent tribunal appointed by bim, shall have pronounced a judicial opinion on the case, I will bow respectfully to that decision. In the meantime, Sir, I am at perfect liberty to maintain and proclaim my own.

"I am, Sir, your obedient and obliged servant,

EDMOND SCULLY."

In the first notice of the transaction which occurs in the Tablet, that of 4th February, we find no expressed intention of giving publicity to details, or more than an individual opinion, "unauthorised," and therefore only of qualified "validity."

From the Tablet of 4th February.

ADDOLORATAS IN YOUGHAL.

"The Waterford Chronicle of last Saturday states, that more than one case, resembling those of the Tyrol, was supposed to have occurred in the Magdalen Asylum of this town. The Waterford Chronicle is inaccurate in some particulars, but is perfectly right in expressing his disbelief of the whole story. We had intended to have observed a strict silence on the subject to avoid scandal; but as the matter has been thus brought before the world, we think it right, after personal examination, to say that so far as an unauthorised examination can have any validity, there is little doubt that the director of the Asylum has allowed his unsuspecting piety to be imposed on by a gang of wretches, who, if they had their deserts, would indeed bear on their persons the bloody Stigmata of cart whips, as a fit punishment for their blasphemous and diabolical impieties. We give this of course as nothing more than the personal conviction of an individual, founded on his own use of his own eyesight; and without wishing for a moment to prejudge the judgment of better qualified persons. are glad to learn that the exhibition which was beginning to excite a good deal of local curiosity has been closed, by the prompt interference of the Ordinary, on the representation of some of the neighbouring Clergy."-[ED. TABLET.]

We

In the mean time, however, the Protestant demand for investigation was put forward in the public papers. The clerical witnesses, therefore, of the detection of 27th January, found, that if any credit was to be claimed for the Church of Rome or her Ministers, volunteering an exposure, no time was to be lost; and accordingly the coup de grace was given, in the

detailed account of the visit paid by Mr. Lucas, accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Russell and the Rev. Mr. Scully, appearing with the following introductory article in the Tablet.

FROM THE TABLET OF THE 18th FEBRUARY.

THE YOUGHAL BLASPHEMIES.

"It may be recollected that, in the Tablet of a fortnight ago, we very unequivocally expressed our firm conviction that the pretended miracles of Youghal were no other than gross and blasphemous deceits. Our readers, we hope, will do us the justice to believe that, in speaking thus strongly, we spoke, not wantonly and rashly, but from clear and irresistible proof. We did not then feel at liberty to lay before the world our budget of proof, because other names are mixed up with it besides our own. But we were resolved, as the matter appeared to be making way before the public, to take upon ourselves the disagreeable responsibility of protesting in the strongest terms against the horrible machinations of "the Castle" of Youghal-in order to deprive any malignants, who might wish to make a handle of these matters against the Church, of the least shadow of pretence for saying that by them the fraud had been detected. The Waterford Chronicle was the first to avow its disbelief in these miracles. It did so in expressions which involved several inaccuracies, attributable, we suppose, to its having received the story from some viva voce narrator, from whose lips it was inaccurately recorded. But in substance, and for all practical purposes, the editor of that paper was perfectly justified in his expression of disbelief, and in the contempt which he poured on the whole business. He has, indeed, been since called to account in not the most seemly manner, by a Reverend Gentleman, who, after the handling he has met with from his intended victim, must, we are sure, regret that he ever entered the field from which he has had to retire with tarnished and inglorious arms. Subsequent to this skirmish, the Rev. Mr. Scully has had the manliness to publish his utter disbelief of the fraud, as may be seen by the following paragraph from the Dublin Evening Post:

"We have the authority of the Rev. Mr. Scully, of Phibsborough, who, with other Catholic Clergymen, made a personal inquiry on the subject, for stating that the case of "Estatica" in Youghal, described in the Newspapers, is a gross fraud practised upon an amiable and benevolent clergyman, by an artful impostor.

We are glad to find that this public denunciation has had its effect, and that it has compelled the Orange papers, both of Dublin and London, to put the matter on its true basis;-to treat it not as a fraud of the Church of Rome, but as a case-common in all times and in all Churches-in which some credulous persons have been deluded by what men of sense denounce and reprobate.

Anterior, however, to this denunciation, and even anterior to our denunciation of the 4th of February, the founder of Youghal College and

• This admission is of some importance connected with the introductory observation above.

C

Magdalen Asylum-Father Foley (facetiously called by one of his admirers the Very Rev. Dr. Foley)-published in the Cork Examiner a letter, dated the 1st of February.

[Here follows the letter already given, page 15.]

"It is generally understood that the persons marked out in this odd effusion as "a certain class of persons," are the party who, on Friday, the 20th of January, visited Youghal from Cork-one of them on the express invitation of Father Foley-and inspected the wonders of the Castle, for at least four hours, as closely as it was possible to do in the teeth of a studied and systematic opposition on the part of Father Foley and his subordinates (superiors and mistresses, we should rather say)--to everything like investigation. This party consisted of the Rev. Mr. Russell, late Prior of the Dominican Convent at Cork; the Rev. Mr. Scully, and the Editor of this Journal. Which of these three is intended to be marked out by the civil phrase, "the man who got two peeps at the humbug"-we cannot tell. We rather imagine the civility must have been intended by Father Foley for his brother clergyman, Mr. Russell, because of all the party, Mr. Russell was, as became his priestly character and station in the Church, the most forward in making his examinations-because he was the first to detect the clear evidences of fraud-and because, at the time Mr. Foley's letter was written, Mr. Russell had been at least as conspicuous as either of his companions, in denouncing and exposing the loathsome imposture.

"We have given, under our usual head of Catholic Intelligence, the notes drawn up at the time by the Editor of this Journal, containing a tolerably minute detail of what passed during our visit. These notes were at once submitted to both the Reverend Gentlemen whose names we have just mentioned, and by them confirmed and sanctioned. If our readers will do us the favour of perusing these notes, they will see at once what we mean above by Father Foley's "studied and systematic opposition" to investigation. Father Foley's rooted objection to all inquiry was by him avowed and defended on principle. He refused to put to his "dear and virtuous," but rather blasphemous relative, a theological question, suggested by Mr. Russell, a clergyman who, as every one knows, is by far Father Foley's superior in intellectual endowments, who is remarkable for the gentleness and courtesy of his demeanour, and for the union of great talents, shrewdness, and penetration, with a most unaffected simplicity of character. A pertinent theological question by such a clergyman, and stated, as we are ready to testify, in no sceptical or captious spirit, but at a time when we were all strongly disposed to believe in the genuineness of the miracles, Mr. Foley refused to put to his miraculous relative; and he based his refusal on a system, He said he thought it wrong to try her; it was sinful to doubt about her revelations; and the impropriety of putting inconvenient questions, he told us, had been suggested to him by his virtuous relative herself. Every clergyman to whom we have mentioned this circumstance, has assured us that this is sufficient by itself to determine Father Foley's character as "an enlightened director of souls."

"But in the letter now before us, the Reverend Gentleman goes much further.

"In his conversation he thinks it wrong to inquire into the miracles; but in his letter he treats them as certainties, as matters of faith; and he

deliberately damns every one who suggests even the bare possibility of deception. Those who say, "Perhaps she had a nail or needle," &c., "I leave to the awful judgment of an angry God." Respect for Father Foley's station in the Church alone restrains us from saying what we think and feel in regard to this horrible language, which, with the leave of M. Aubert, we shall at least take the liberty of declaring to be equally at variance with the dictates of common sense, and the very first principles of theology. We shall not say all that we think about it, but we shall take leave to note it down as mark the second of Mr. Foley's "science," and of his character as "an enlightened director" (God help us!) of souls.

"In contrast with this unutterably extravagant judgment of Father Foley's on these "family miracles"-in the establishment of the truth of which he has every interest (not pecuniary) from his own connexion with the girl, whose celestial favours would of course exalt his house, and also from the rash manner in which he has mixed up his own individual character in every part and parcel of the transaction-we shall venture to reprint from Father Bouhours's "Life of St. Ignatius," a memorable passage to which attention has recently been drawn by a writer in the "British Critic."

"In the year 1553, a religious man of the order of St, Dominick, called Father Reginald, venerable for his age and his piety, came one day to see the General of the Society, and told him in the presence of Ribadeneira, that there was at Bologna a religious woman of their order, endowed with an extraordinary gift of prayer; that she had frequent raptures, and that during her ecstacies she had no feeling, not so much as of fire when applied to her but that she always came to herself when her superior commanded her anything. He moreover said, that this nun had sometimes the stigmata in her feet, her hands, and her side, and that the blood trickled down from her head, as if she had been crowned with thorns. He added, that not believing the common report of all these things, he went himself to be ascertained of the truth with his own eyes, and that after what he had seen he could no longer doubt of it. Then he asked Father Ignatius what he thought of so wonderful a thing. Of all that you tell me (said the Saint) nothing seems to me less suspicious, than that ready obedience: and farther he would not explicate himself.

"When the religious man was departed, Ribadeneira desired Father Ignatius to tell him what he thought of that saint of Bologna. The Father told him, that God Almighty did operate in the soul, and infuse into it the unction of his spirit, sometimes in so great abundance, that in a manner it overflowed, and wrought outward effects upon the body; but that this happened very seldom, and only to persons much in the favour of God. He added, that the Devil, who could act nothing within the soul, had a custom to counterfeit outwardly Divine operations, and by such appearances to impose upon the credulous. Ribadeneira understood by this discourse, that the nun might be deceived with her raptures and stigmata; and in conclusion it was found out, that all her pretended holiness was but an illusion of the bad spirit.

"The reader sees at once that, if the Saint had visited Youghal Magdalen Asylum, and had given the smallest hint about the devil, and the

illusions of a bad spirit, Father Foley would have damned him without

remorse.

"But the above extract supplies us with a third note of Father Foley's "science" and "enlightenment." He tells us that our Saviour will 66 never permit the infernal spirit to meddle with the representation of his "glorious stigmata." Where Mr. Foley picked up this very important information he does not vouchsafe to communicate; but St. Ignatius tells us directly the reverse, in language exactly applicable to the present case. According to the Saint-not him of Youghal-the devil does meddle with these things, and for the very purpose which he has so completely attained in Youghal-namely, "to impose upon the credulous."

"In concluding this part of the subject, we beg leave most respectfully to inform Father Foley-what he seems to have entirely overlookedthat every human being is at perfect liberty, if an honest judgment so teaches him, to believe these miracles of his to be blasphemies just as be is to believe them real; and that there is about as much danger of damnation in shutting one's eyes to evidences of fraud from motives of spiritual pride, love of importance, the reputation of sanctity, and family affection, as in shutting one's eyes to God's wonders from a culpable scepticism. Perhaps the danger is greater in the former case. How far this truth may be applicable to the present instance we cannot venture to pronounce. But we must say that there is something very suspicious in the earnest manner in which Mr. Foley puts forward the girl's relationship to himself; and we cannot but compliment him on the high estimation in which, as he tells us, he holds his own "sanctity," " piety," "science," and spiritual "enlightenment." We see in these things great guarantees against the possibility of self-deception!

"Come we now to the particulars of our visit, which Father Foley has rather referred to than stated completely. A general narrative of the visit is given in another column, but a few explanatory particulars suggested by the Reverend Gentleman's letter may not be out of place here. The "miraculous virgins" (Magdalen included) of Youghal are three in number. The principal show-girl is Father Foley's relation, Mary Roche, a "virtuous girl," were it not for her little impieties in this singular case. The second is a relapsed Magdalen, who is shown indeed, but makes much less show then her virtuous sister. The third is of a more retiring disposition, and being equally favoured, internally, with the others, has made it her prayer to Almighty God, that he would be pleased not to make His favours public by any external marks. To do justice to this girl's common sense, her prayer has been most punctually attended to, and the Almighty has readily gratified her in this particular. The great sight, however, is the first of the three. She is marked with the stigmata on her hands and feet, and is dotted over her body with other stigmata, and with miraculous representations of a sacred heart, and of a seraph with six wings. She is supposed to go through, in a tolerably continuous state of ecstacy or contemplative rapture, the stages of our Lord's passion, &c., from Thursday night 'till-we believe-Sunday morning. On Thursday night and Friday morning, when our Lord's hands are supposed to be bound, her hands are miraculously bound together, without cords; and when our Saviour is supposed to be loosed again, her hands are loosed, and her wrists bear the miraculous impression of cords, as if they had been so fastened.

"The rumour of these girls had been heard of through the surrounding