THE IRISH FRANCISCANS IN PRAGUE 1629–1786

JAN PAŘEZ

HEDVIKA KUCHAŘOVÁ

KAROLINUM

The Irish Franciscans in Prague 1629–1786

Jan Pařez, Hedvika Kuchařová

Reviewed by:

doc. PhDr. Ivana Čornejová, CSc.

Dr Joseph MacMahon, OFM

PhDr. Jiří Mikulec, CSc.

doc. Ondřej Pilný, PhD.

Published by Charles University in Prague

Karolinum Press

www.karolinum.cz

ebooks@karolinum.cz

English translation by Jana Stoddart and Michael Stoddart

Edited by Jan Sušer, Martin Světlík and Linda Jayne Turner

Cover by Jan Šerých

First English edition

© Charles University in Prague, 2015

Text © Jan Pařez, Hedvika Kuchařová, 2015

Translation © Jana Stoddart, Michael Stoddart, 2015

ISBN 978-80-246-2676-5

ISBN 978-80-246-2709-0 (pdf)

ISBN 978-80-246-3037-3 (ePub)

ISBN 978-80-246-3038-0 (Kindle)

CONTENTS

1. Cover Page

2. Title Page

3. Copyright Page

4. Contents

5. Illustrations

6. Authors’ acknowledgements

7. Translators’ acknowledgements

8. Introduction

9. Introduction to the English edition

10. Translators’ note on terminology

11. Translators’ notes on names

12. 1. The Irish and Bohemian Society – An Irish Island in a Bohemian Sea

1. The road to emigration

2. The Irish Franciscans and soldiers

3. The Irish Franciscans and doctors

4. The Irish Franciscans and other Irishmen

5. The Irish Franciscans and the nobility

6. The Irish Franciscans and their Prague neighbours

13. 2. Between the Emperor and the Archbishop (1629–1636)

1. The Irish province of the Order of Franciscans of the Stricter Observance: from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the Baltic

2. Fallon’s mission

3. Patrick Fleming and his death

4. The college statutes: a view of the household

14. 3. The Irish Franciscans in the Service of the Archbishops of Prague (1636–1692)

1. The seminary of Archbishop Harrach

2. Anthony Bruodin: the double exile of the Scotist scholar

3. The church by the Powder Gate

15. 4. The Involuntary Path to Seclusion (1692–1730)

1. Prolonged tension in the college

2. “The Hibernians, for money”

3. Sapientia aedificavit sibi domum

16. 5. The Disunited Crew of a Forgotten Ship (1730–1786)

1. The course of events

2. The protagonists: views from within

3. A vague resolution: the question of education and authority

4. The fading flame of Scotism

17. 6. Ite, Missa Est

1. Conventus

2. Bona: mobilia et immobilia

18. 7. Archives and Libraries

1. Manuscript sources

2. Period publications

3. Literature

19. Members of the Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Prague (1629–1786)

20. Guardians of the Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Prague (1629–1786)

21. Abbreviations

22. Index

Illustrations

Authors’ acknowledgements

Translators’ acknowledgements

Introduction

Introduction to the English edition

Translators’ note on terminology

Translators’ notes on names

1. The Irish and Bohemian Society – An Irish Island in a Bohemian Sea

The road to emigration

The Irish Franciscans and soldiers

The Irish Franciscans and doctors

The Irish Franciscans and other Irishmen

The Irish Franciscans and the nobility

The Irish Franciscans and their Prague neighbours

2. Between the Emperor and the Archbishop (1629–1636)

The Irish province of the Order of Franciscans of the Stricter Observance: from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the Baltic

Fallon’s mission

Patrick Fleming and his death

The college statutes: a view of the household

3. The Irish Franciscans in the Service of the Archbishops of Prague (1636–1692)

The seminary of Archbishop Harrach

Anthony Bruodin: the double exile of the Scotist scholar

The church by the Powder Gate

4. The Involuntary Path to Seclusion (1692–1730)

Prolonged tension in the college

“The Hibernians, for money”

Sapientia aedificavit sibi domum

5. The Disunited Crew of a Forgotten Ship (1730–1786)

The course of events

The protagonists: views from within

A vague resolution: the question of education and authority

The fading flame of Scotism

6. Ite, Missa Est

Conventus

Bona: mobilia et immobilia

7. Archives and Libraries

Manuscript sources

Period publications

Literature

Members of the Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Prague (1629–1786)

Guardians of the Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Prague (1629–1786)

Abbreviations

Index

1. i

2. ii

3. v

4. vi

5. vii

6. viii

7. ix

8. x

9. xi

10. xii

11. xiii

12. xiv

13. xv

14. xvi

15. 1

16. 2

17. 3

18. 4

19. 5

20. 6

21. 7

22. 8

23. 9

24. 10

25. 11

26. 12

27. 13

28. 14

29. 15

30. 16

31. 17

32. 18

33. 19

34. 20

35. 21

36. 22

37. 23

38. 24

39. 25

40. 26

41. 27

42. 28

43. 29

44. 30

45. 31

46. 32

47. 33

48. 34

49. 35

50. 36

51. 37

52. 38

53. 39

54. 40

55. 41

56. 42

57. 43

58. 44

59. 45

60. 46

61. 47

62. 48

63. 49

64. 50

65. 51

66. 52

67. 53

68. 54

69. 55

70. 56

71. 57

72. 58

73. 59

74. 60

75. 61

76. 62

77. 63

78. 64

79. 65

80. 66

81. 67

82. 68

83. 69

84. 70

85. 71

86. 72

87. 73

88. 74

89. 75

90. 76

91. 77

92. 78

93. 79

94. 80

95. 81

96. 82

97. 83

98. 84

99. 85

100. 86

101. 87

102. 88

103. 89

104. 90

105. 91

106. 92

107. 93

108. 94

109. 95

110. 96

111. 97

112. 98

113. 99

114. 100

115. 101

116. 102

117. 103

118. 104

119. 105

120. 106

121. 107

122. 108

123. 109

124. 110

125. 111

126. 112

127. 113

128. 114

129. 115

130. 116

131. 117

132. 118

133. 119

134. 120

135. 121

136. 122

137. 123

138. 124

139. 125

140. 126

141. 127

142. 128

143. 129

144. 130

145. 131

146. 132

147. 133

148. 134

149. 135

150. 136

151. 137

152. 138

153. 139

154. 140

155. 141

156. 142

157. 143

158. 144

159. 145

160. 146

161. 147

162. 148

163. 149

164. 150

165. 151

166. 152

167. 153

168. 154

169. 155

170. 156

171. 157

172. 158

173. 159

174. 160

175. 161

176. 162

177. 163

178. 164

179. 165

180. 166

181. 167

182. 168

183. 169

184. 170

185. 171

186. 172

187. 173

188. 174

189. 175

190. 176

191. 177

192. 178

193. 179

194. 180

195. 181

196. 182

197. 183

198. 184

199. 185

200. 186

201. 187

202. 188

203. 189

204. 190

205. 191

206. 192

207. 193

208. 194

209. 195

210. 196

211. 197

212. 198

213. 199

214. 200

215. 201

216. 202

217. 203

218. 204

219. 205

220. 206

221. 207

222. 208

223. 209

1. Cover Page

2. Begin Reading

3. Copyright Page

4. Contents

5. Illustrations

6. Introduction

7. Abbreviations

8. Index

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURES

1 The assassination of Albrecht of Valdštejn in Cheb (Eger), 1639.

2 The last page of Walter Deveroux’s last will, 28 December 1639.

3 The last page of Richard Buttler’s last will, 21 November 1642.

4 Jeremy O’Donovan’s letter asking for restoration of the golden chain, late 1680s.

5 Franz Anton, Count Sporck with a depiction of his own architectural foundations as well as his father’s military victories, 1698.

6 A true image of St. Peter of Alcantara, post 1669.

7 Ferdinand II, 1630s.

8 A Franciscan of stricter observance, 1711.

9 Archbishop Harrach invites believers to give Irish Franciscans alms, 18 April 1629.

10 The foundation chart of the Irish Franciscan college in Prague, 19 November 1629.

11 The Prague college’s seal matrix of 1631.

12 The first page of the college statutes of 1655.

13 Hugh Burke sends A. Farrell and F. Duin to Prague, 14 August 1641.

14 Ernest Adalbert, Cardinal Harrach, Archbishop of Prague, 1646.

15 Lectures of Anthony Farrell from the years 1662–1664.

16 Irish Franciscan college on Huber’s plan of Prague, 1769.

17 The title page of Corolla oecodomiae by A. Bruodin, 1664.

18 A. Bruodin’s Corolla oecodomiae in the Index librorum prohibitorum, Rome, 1758.

19 The title page of Propugnaculum catholicae veritatis by A. Bruodin, 1669.

20 Armamentarium theologicum by A. Bruodin, the title page, 1676.

21 A panel with an inscription about laying the foundation stone.

22 The first page of the Catalogue of Irish professors in archiepiscopal seminary, 1697.

23 The title doublepage of Philosophia Scoto-Aristotelico-universa, 1710.

24 The Irish Franciscan church and its vicinity, post 1685.

25 Ignác Karel of Šternberk’s super ex libris.

26 A page from the catalogue of the Irish Franciscans, post 1752.

27 F. B. Werner’s drawing of the Irish Franciscan church and the college, before the mid-18th century.

28 Patrick Taaffe’s utterance in the visitation protocol of 1737.

29 The title page of the work about the descent of the MacAwley family, 1736.

30 The superiors testify to the noble descent of the MacAwley family, 1736.

31 A portrait of Rudolph O’Neill, 1725–1731.

32 An engraving with scenes from the life of St. Patrick, after the mid-17th century.

33 The title page of the copy of Index librorum prohibitorum, 1758.

34 A protocol of interrogation from the year 1786.

35 The interior of the Irish Franciscan church between the two world wars.

PHOTOS

Jan Pařez (1–9, 12–20, 22–25, 28–34), Národní archiv (10–11), Národní knihovna (26), Národní památkový ústav (21, 27, 35)

COVER

A view of the Irish Franciscan church and college in Prague. Coloured engraving by Johann Balzer and Joseph Anton Scotti, 1781 (SK). Photo Jan Pařez.

The publication of this book has been supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland; the Franciscan Province of Ireland; and the Centre for Irish Studies, Charles University, Prague.

Sincere gratitude is due to the Embassy of Ireland in Prague, and in particular to H.E. Richard Ryan, for ongoing support of the English-language translation of the present volume.

AUTHORS’ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank in particular:

Ivana Čornejová of the Institute of History of Charles University in Prague for many valuable comments,

Jiří Mikulec of the Historical Institute of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic likewise for his valuable suggestions and for his information concerning documents on the Fraternity of St. Patrick,

also

Thomas O’Connor of the Department of History of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, for enabling us to obtain literature from Ireland,

Mícheál MacCraith of the National University of Ireland, Galway, and St. Isidore’s College, Rome, for providing written version of his conference speech from autumn 2000 in Maynooth,

Dáibhí Ó Cróinín of the National University of Ireland, Galway, for providing literature,

Harriett Fennell for important assistance in mediating contacts,

Helga Robinson-Hammerstein of Trinity College, Dublin, for much photocopying and advice,

Jaroslava Kašparová of the National Museum Library for drawing our attention to certain prints from the “Hibernian” library in the National Library and to the related bibliographical data,

Helena Klímová and other officials at the First Department of the National Archives in Prague for the extraordinary willingness with which they bore our often time-consuming requests,

Zlatuše Kukánová for the provision of data from the book of ordinands by Šimon Brož,

Anthony Lynch for providing literature,

Petr Maťa of the Institute of Advanced Study, Central European University, Budapest for data from the “Martinic Testament” (scenes from the Old Testament in the Martinic Palace in Prague),

the Strahov librarian, Father Evermod G. Šidlovský OPraem, for the provision of normally inaccessible literature from Rome and for permission to reproduce the Strahov materials,

the Embassy of Ireland in Prague for the loan of literature,

Ignatius Fennessy OFM of the Franciscan Library, Killiney for his very kind reception and for providing invaluable assistance and literature,

Ladislav Zápařka for the provision of historical documents,

Zdeněk Kalvach, who was in at the beginning of everything,

Jana and Michael Stoddart for translating this book into English,

Father Joseph MacMahon of the Franciscan Friary in Dublin for reviewing the text and for many valuable suggestions,

Linda Jayne Turner for copy editing,

and, finally, Ondřej Pilný, Director of the Centre for Irish Studies at the Department of Anglophone Literatures and Cultures, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, for all his assistance, language support and making this English edition possible by coordinating the translation.

TRANSLATORS’ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We must express our grateful thanks to Father Joseph MacMahon of the Franciscan Friary, 4 Merchant’s Quay, Dublin, for his resolution of many knotty problems and for his great enthusiasm for the project.

INTRODUCTION

When Queen Elizabeth of England banished the Franciscans from Ireland at the very end of the sixteenth century, she very clearly had no idea that she was indirectly responsible for one of the most intensive contacts between two small European lands – Ireland and Bohemia. Apart from the activities of the Irish Franciscans, who in Bohemia were called “hyberni” after the Latin name of their homeland, the Irish significantly affected Bohemian history in two further areas; in the less fortunate instance, this concerned the Irish officers who participated in the murder of Albrecht Valdštejn in Cheb and their successors who served in the Imperial forces, and in the happier instance, this concerned the Irish students and, above all, teachers of medicine who worked at Prague University and in Bohemia generally.

This study is an attempt based primarily on archive sources to define the place which the College of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary of the Irish Franciscans of the Stricter Observance in Prague occupied in Bohemian history and to document the activity of its members. Because we were dealing with a hitherto largely neglected theme, we concentrated mainly on domestic sources. We believe that it is only after the wealth of material present in the Czech archives has received appropriate attention that research should address the material in archives abroad.

As is evident from the survey of sources and literature and ultimately from the further text, too, it was extremely difficult to present the history of the college in the form of a simple chronological description of events. On the one hand, we had at our disposal a wealth of material relating to the period of the blossoming of the college in the second half of the seventeenth century as well as documents connected with its dissolution. On the other hand, there are long periods in the eighteenth century for which there are no written records. Some periods cannot be revealed without a study of personalities such as Anthony Bruodin or events such as the dispute about tuition at the archiepiscopal seminary, but this would lead to a serious imbalance in our study. We therefore decided that we would present the history of the Franciscan college in the form of research into various time periods. To those we have added the necessary accounts of a biographical, prosopographical and political nature.

Chapter 1 with its survey of sources and literature is followed by a summary essay on the Irish in Bohemian society, and then a chapter describing the Irish province of the Franciscans of the Stricter Observance, and the founding and first years of the college. This is linked with a section on the most famous period of the college after the middle of the seventeenth century, then a chapter describing the withdrawal of the Irish Franciscans from public life. The sixth part is a look at the ranks of the turbulent community in 1737. The final chapter deals with the dissolution of the Irish Franciscan college and the secularisation of the buildings and property in the 1780s.

Finally, a list of all the known members of the college and of the guardians is appended.

Strahov, 1 October 2001

The authors

INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

When we set about preparing the English edition about eleven years after publishing our monograph on the Irish Franciscans in Prague, we faced a difficult set of issues. These concerned, not only the current developments in research, but also decisions pertaining to translation or adaptation. To begin with, we had to consider our recent work that has focused on documents related to the dissolution of the friary and the departure of the members of its community, since this information needed to be added to the English edition. As regards new publications by Czech historians, these have centred mainly on the artistic heritage of the Irish Franciscans, the legacy left by renowned artists working both in Prague and other parts of Bohemia in the seventeenth century in particular. Similarly, the excellent edition of the diaries of the Prague Archbishop Ernst Adalbert, Cardinal Harrach, as well as recently published studies dedicated to the ecclesiastical history of mid-seventeenth century Bohemia gave us more specific or marginal information, but nothing of major import.

The extensive historiographical literature in English that had been published during those eleven years meant more difficult decisions for us. Works like the magisterial The Irish Franciscans 1534–1990, edited by Edel Bhreathnach, Joseph MacMahon and John McCafferty (2009) placed the Prague convent in an eminently mobile and flexible Irish Franciscan community that moved across the continent from Louvain to Rome. For the members of this community, Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, was one of the hubs of a dense network connecting their insular homeland with Catholic centres in continental Europe and with other emigrants who had settled on the mainland. Many an important personality passed through the Prague college. This permanent state of flux of the community, the nature of life in exile and on a mission might be surprising, not only for the general reader, but also for many a Central European historian. However, we felt that the intended Anglophone audience of the present volume would be sufficiently familiar with this perspective, and also able to readily access these remarkable studies in English.

The same holds for more recent interpretations of the history of Ireland in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. We are acutely aware that our coverage of the area is sketchy, and is based only on the sources available to us in the 1990s. Therefore, we must beg the reader for indulgence: the primary aim of having our history of the Prague college of the Irish Franciscans translated has always been to make the copious and invaluable material from Czech and Central European archives available in English. Adapting the Czech text so that it organically incorporated the recent research of Irish historians would essentially have meant to write a new book, and address issues such as the current debates pertaining to Irish history for which we lack the expertise. The present volume thus includes updated information pertaining to discoveries made in local archives but, as regards international research from the same period, limits itself to merely referencing the most important essays by way of pointers. It is our modest hope that our work will still be found useful, and will help to fill the gaps relating to what is known internationally about the Irish Franciscans in Prague.

Strahov, 10 May 2014

The authors

TRANSLATORS’ NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY

The Czech original, when referring to the Irish Franciscan institution in Prague, uses the words “klášter,” “konvent” and “kolej.” Based on present-day usage and taking into account Benignus Millett’s comments on nomenclature,[1] we have adopted “college” wherever the reference is to the Prague institution in accord with, for example, St. Isidore’s College in Rome, “friary” where appropriate for other Franciscan institutions and “monastery” where appropriate for other, non-mendicant, orders.

Also, as pointed out by the authors, the word “hybern,” from the Latin “Hybernia” (or “Hibernia”) meaning Ireland and thus “Hybernus” (or “Hibernus”) meaning an Irishman, was used by the Czechs to denote primarily (if not exclusively) an Irish Franciscan. However, to use this word in English did not seem appropriate as the word is rarely used today in English, nor does it have such a specific, relevant historical meaning. Therefore, we have translated the original title, “Hyberni v Praze,” as “The Irish Franciscans in Prague” and “Hyberni” usually as “the Irish Franciscans.”

1 Benignus Millett, The Irish Franciscans 1651–1665 (Rome: Gregorian University Press, 1964) 66.

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Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Illustrations

Authors’ acknowledgements

Translators’ acknowledgements

Introduction

Introduction to the English edition

Translators’ note on terminology

1. The Irish and Bohemian Society – An Irish Island in a Bohemian Sea

2. Between the Emperor and the Archbishop (1629–1636)

3. The Irish Franciscans in the Service of the Archbishops of Prague (1636–1692)

4. The Involuntary Path to Seclusion (1692–1730)

5. The Disunited Crew of a Forgotten Ship (1730–1786)

6. Ite, Missa Est

7. Archives and Libraries