"the army: and that his majefty intended to have two feffions of that par"liament, the one for himself, the other for them: fo as if they without "conditions fupplied the king in this, they might be fure his majefty would go along with them in the next meeting, through all the expreffions of a "gracious and good king." It is painful to acknowledge that the king himself must have combined with Wentworth in deceiving his Irish fubjects: he acknowledged* that a free gift of 120,000l. had been given to his majefty for the proclamation and royal promise to get it confirmed in the first parliament that should fit; and that in the year 1631, 106,280l. 16s. 24d. had been paid towards it. It was determined however to break through the promise at all events, and fhould the deputy not have the address to get the fupplies voted before the performance of the condition entered into with the Irish nation, to diffolve the parliament, and raise the fupplies in fome other manner. The king under this impreffion, affured his deputy, "that it would "not be worse for him, though that parliament's obftinacy fhould make him "break with them, for I fear, fays his majesty, that they have some grounds "to demand more, than it is fit for me to give." The deputy however, took uncommon pains to perfuade the parliament, that in case of their unconditional grant of the fupplies, the king would confirm the promised graces; for furely, faid he "fo great a meanness cannot enter your hearts, as once to fufpect his majesty's gracious regards of you, and performance with you, "where you affie yourselves upon his grace." We can more readily conceive, than exprefs that determined diffimulation, which dictated this infidious fpeech to parliament, when Wentworth had not only advised the king to break his folemn promise, but had engaged to take upon himself all the obloquy, infamy, and danger of this breach of faith with the nation; and for which the king foon after thanked him in a letter written in his own hand.f The * St. Let. 1. vol. P. 68. t " WENTWORTH, " BEFORE I answer any of your particular letters to me, I must tell you, that your last dispatch has given me a great deal of contentment, and especially for the keeping off the envy of a neceffary negative from me, of those unreasonable graces that people "expected from me." St. Let. 1 vol. p. 331. That it was the concerted and fettled plan both of Charles and his deputy, to deceive and defraud Q 2 The commons relying upon the promises of the deputy, voted fix entire fubfidies, amounting to 240,000l. a fum far exceeding his moft fanguine 'expectations, and in return they drew up a remonftrance* concerning his majesty's promifed graces, particularly in relation to the enquiry into defective titles, and deputed Sir George Radcliffe, mafter of the rolls, Sir James Ware, and nine other refpectable members to prefent it to the deputy. Soon after the meeting of the fecond feffion of this parliament, (12th of November 1634) the commons were ordered into the prefence chamber to receive the lord deputy's anfwer. By this he informed them with fullen imperiousness,† that he would not tranfmit to England the ftatute 21 Jacobi; but that fuch refufal was his own; their requeft never having been so much as sent over by him: that paffing this act to prevent enquiry into defective titles, was not good and expedient for the kingdom at that time, and fo they were to reft fatisfied without stirring any more as to that particular, as a thing, which could not, nor would not be departed from. It is obvious, from their vaft preponderancy both in numbers and property at this time, that this anfwer was chiefly, if not folely intended to affect the Catholics, who from it, fays Wentworth,§ were fo ill to please, that they loft all temper, and broke forth into fuch froward fulleness, as was strange; rejecting hand over head every other bill, that was offered them "from his majefty and the ftate." defraud the Irish, who had upon the faith of the king, purchased thefe graces for 120,000l. is not only evident from their own words, but is further proved by the admiffion of our own hiftorians. Carte (Orm. p. 61.) fays, " he was not without apprehenfion, that the parliament might prefs for a confirmation of all the graces given the 24th of May, 1628, in inftruction to Lord Faulkland; many of which, if established by a law, would not fort either with his majesty's prefent profit, (for that of limitting the title of the crown to fixty years, would alone lofe him 20,000l. per "annum) or with the power requifite to be upheld for the future in the kingdom." Vide Rufhw. 2 vol. p. 210. * Quod vide App. No. XX. + Wentworth tells us, that he had already resolved to give them an " and fuch as would ftifle all replication." (St. Let. 1 vol. p. 338.) anfwer round and clear, This affertion was a direct falsehood: for he fays in a letter to Coke of the 6th of October 1634, "that he fends the petition of the lower house, relative to these graces: and that the ground of denying all, may be set upon him and the council: "declining in any part of that which they expected. § St. Let. p. 304. and fo his majesty preferved from all colour of St. Let. p. 304. The *The fubfequent conduct of the deputy clearly explained what he meant by the inexpediency to the kingdom, which the observance of the king's promife would at that time create. For he inftantly fet about his grand and favourite plan of inquifition into the king's title to the whole province of Connaught of which Leland thus speaks."† "Wentworth was impatient "to fignalize his administration, by a fervice of immediate and extenfive "emolument to his royal master. His project was nothing lefs, than to "fubvert the title to every estate in every part of Connaught, and to estab"lish a new plantation through the whole province. A project, which "when first propofed in the late reign, was received with horror and amazement, but which fuited the undifmayed and enterprizing genius of Lord "Wentworth. For this he had oppofed the confirmation of the royal graces tranfmitted to Lord Faulkland, and taken to himself the odium "of fo flagrant a violation of the royal promife. The parliament was at "an end, and the deputy was at leifure to execute a fcheme, which as "it was offenfive and alarming, required a cautious and deliberate pro"cedure." 66 The daring efforts of mercenary informers, the penetrating researches of rapacious adventurers, and the overftrained ingenuity of court lawyers, were all employed by Wentworth in forwarding his darling project. He proceeded at the head of the commiffioners of plantation to the western province. He had previously intimidated the county of Leitrim into a voluntary recognition of the king's title and fubmiffion to a plantation. He next entered upon Rofcommon: and there the king's title was unexceptionably found without fcruple or hefitation. If we give credit to Wentworth's own accounts of the preparations and difpofitions he had made * One particularity attended the administration of Wentworth, which is to be traced in no other either before or fince his time: namely a disregard to every description of perfons, who were not fervilely devoted to his defpotifm. He convened a national fynod or convocation of the Protestant clergy, in which he forced upon them the thirty-nine articles of the Church of England, more as Leland obferves (3 v. p. 28) by the influence of his authority, than the "inclinations of a great part of the clergy, although but one member of the convocation ventured publickly to avow his "diffent. These regulation, in the ecclefiaftical system were followed by an establishment too "odious, and therefore too dangerous to be attempted during the feffions of parliament, that of an high commiffion court, which was erected in Dublin after the English model, with the fame for "mality and the fame tremendous powers." † 3 Lel. P. 30. 31. to to fecure the fuccefs of this project, we fhall agree with Leland's obfervations, that the prefence and interpofition of a lord deputy, and a deputy whofe character and temper were fitted to operate on men's paffions, had probably their full effect on this occafion.* He told the juries, that his majesty's intentions in establishing his undoubted title, was to make them a rich and civil people; that he propofed not to deprive them of their juft poffeffions, but to invest them with a confiderable part of his own: that he needed not their interpofition to vindicate his right, which might be established in the ufual course of law, upon an information of intrusion; but that he wished his people to share with him in the honour and profit of the glorious and excellent work he was then to execute. To his majefty it was indifferent, whether their verdict should deny or find his title. If they were inclined to truth and their own interefts, they were to find the title for the king: if to do that, which was fimply beft for his majesty, without regard to their own good, the deputy advised them roughly and pertinaciously to deny to find any title at all. Mayo and Sligo followed the example of Rofcommon, and found for the king. But the Galway jury lefs pliant, did not find the king's title; and we learn from the deputy's own words how he treated them, the fheriff and council on this account. "We bethought ourselves, fays he, on this occafion, of a courfe to vindicate "his majesty's honor and justice, not only against the perfons of the jurors, "but also against the sheriff for returning fo infufficient, indeed we conceive, "fo packed a jury, and therefore we fined the fheriff in a 1000l. to his "majefty. The jury were fined 4000l. each; their eftates were feized and "themselves imprifoned, till the fines were paid." Such was the fentence pronounced against them in the caftle chamber,§ to which his lordship had * St. Let. 1 v. p. 443. + St. Let. 1 v. p. 442. Wentworth adds, that after this speech to the jury, "there I left them "to chant together, as they call it, over their evidence, and the next day they found the king's title "without fcruple or hesitation." St. Let. 1 v. p. 451. § This appears to have been the practice of his predeceffors on fimilar occafions, which evidently was not the most effectual mode of reconciling the affections of the Irish to the humane laws, and mild government of England. "The ftar chamber, (faid Lord Deputy Chichester in 1613) is the proper place to punish jurors, that will not find for the king upon good evidence." Def. Cur. Hib. 1 v. p. 262. bounden bounden them over, and where he conceived, "*it was fit that their perti"nacious carriage fhould be followed with all juft feverity." And, "fas "for the counfellors of the law, fays he, who fo laboured against the king's " title, we conceive it is fit that fuch of them as we shall find reafon to pro"ceed withall, be put to take the oath of fupremacy, which if they refuse, "that then they be filenced and not admitted to practice." However ready the deputy had at first been to bear the perfonal odium of the king's breach of promife and faith to his Irish fubjects, yet latterly there appears to have been a mutual engagement between the king and deputy to affume conjointly the blame and infamy of each other's conduct towards that unfortunate nation. Wentworth affures us, that upon his making a report to the king and council of thefe proceedings, his majefty faid, "it was no feverity, wifhed him to go on in that way; for that if he ferved him otherwife, he should not "ferve him as he expected. So I kneeled down," adds he, "kiffed his majefty's hand, and the council rofe." 66 It * St. Let. ubi fupra. + St. Let. 1 Vol. 454. Were it not for thefe avowals by the partics themselves, one could be scarcely induced to credit the grounds upon which the commons of England voted the following amongst other grievances under Strafford's administration, to be real: viz. "That jurors who gave their verdi& according "to their confciences, were cenfured in the caftle chamber in great fines; fometimes pillored, with " lofs of ears, and bored through the tongue, and fometimes marked in the forehead, with other in"famous punishments." We have indeed his own teftimony for the various cautionary practices he was wont to use on these occafions. In a letter to the secretary, he says (St. Let. 1 vol. 353.) "This houfe is very well compofed, fo as the Proteftants are the majority; and this may be of great "ufe to confirm and fettle his majesty's title to the plantations of Connaught and Ormonde ; for "this you may be fure of; all the Proteftants are for plantations, all the other against them: fo as "these being the greater number, you can want no help they can give you therein. Nay, in cafe "there be no title to be made good to these countries in the crown, yet fhould I not despair "forth of reasons of state and for the strength and security of the kingdom to have them paffed to "the king by an immediate act of parliament." And in the fame letter he adds, "that he confi"dered that majority of the Proteftants in the house of commons as a good rod to hold over the Pa"pifts." And (St. L. 442) he further informs us, that he had given fpecial directions to have men of fortune returned upon the juries in Connaught, for the first trials of the defective titles, because "this being a leading cafe for the whole province, it would set a value in their eftimation upon the goodnefs of the king's title, if found by thofe perfons of quality. And on the other hand, if the "jury fhould prevaricate, he would be fure then to have perfons of fuch means, as might answer to "the king in a round fine in the castle chamber: and because the fear of that fine would be apter to 1 ། |