were Protestants, and then meet the awkward question since what date. For the parliamentary authorities had noticed that since 1652 quite a number of landowners had been struck with the advantages of the reformed religion.
Ministers were therefore directed to hold Godly converse with such people whose Protestantism was of a recent date, and to endeavour to judge how far the conversion was real, how far it sprung from a desire to hold on to landed estates. If real they were to be dispensed for a time. But having proved that he was not a Papist the landlord was not yet out of his difficulties. Had he ever served his king against the forces of the Parliament? If so, he must go off to Athlone and there seek for lands in Connaught equivalent to one-third of his former estate. Or if he had never fought for the King he might have paid taxes or helped in some way to support his army. If so, a portion of his lands were to go, even if he had not to seek a new assignment in Connaught. Perhaps, however, he came safely through all these toils and showed good affection—an occasional lapse into loyalty was condoned in the case of Protestants—then he could keep his estate or recover it if it had already been given away to some follower of Cromwell's.
However the Parliament soon found that it would be impossible to move even all the Irish Catholics before May 1st, 1654, so by a special grace all these delinquent Protestants were allowed to compound for their estates by paying a sum of money, and were apparently allowed to settle directly with the authorities without having to go off to Athlone in the depths of winter.
