fubfequent proceedings tended only to increase and extend it, for their own iniquitous private purposes.' Sir Robert Talbot of Castle-Talbot, in the county of Wicklow, repaired to Dublin, in the beginning of the troubles; and offered to Sir William Parfons, in the prefence of Dean Bulkely, who lived to atteft it after the restoration, to fecure the chief heads of the Byrnes, Tooles,

1 Carte's Orm. vol. i.

lion in Ireland, as he was informed, was received by them with total difregard. Dr. Borlafe informs us, that "this letter of Sir Henry Vane was delivered to Lord Juftice Parfons, and fince his death found in his ftudy; and by Sir James Barry, Lord Baron of Santry, prefented to his majesty Charles II. who looked upon it as a precious jewel, difcovering his father's royal thoughts towards the prefervation of his proteftant fubjects and people. But how far (adds he) it was at first communicated is uncertain." Hift. of the Irish Rebel. f. 7, 8.

It is also certain, "that on the 11th of October 1641, an express from Sir William Cole, a gentleman of Enniskillen, informed thefe juftices of an unufual and fufpicious refort of various Irish to the houfe of Sir Phelim O'Neil; of many private journeys made by Lord Macguire; of dispatches fent to their different friends; of an extraordinary folicitude for levying men; and other circumstances alarming to the friends of government. That even on the 21st of that month, Cole difpatched a full account of the confpiracy, which had, by this time, been revealed to him by two accomplices: yet that this Taft inftance of his zeal proved as ineffectual as the former." Lel. Hift. of Irel. vol. ii. fol. 107.

"About the beginning of the English parliament in 1640, the independents infifted openly to have the papifts of Ireland rooted out, and their lands fold to adventurers." Walker's Hift. of Independency, p. 200.

And if we reflect on the intimate connection between these lords juftices, and that parliament, no doubt will remain but that a combination between them, at first lighted up, and afterwards fpread abroad, the flames of this rebellion." Ib.

The above difcovery was made to Sir William Cole by Bryan Macguire, probably of the fame family with Lord Macguire, the principal leader in this infurrection; for which Bryan's grandfon, in the year 1662, was, by the interpofition of parliament, restored to his grandfather's eftate; which, notwithftanding that memorable fervice, had, it seems, been forfeited." See Com. Jour. vol. ii. fol. 163.

Tooles, and other fepts in that county, who, as their lands had been planted fome years before, were the likelieft men to rife and begin a rebellion in Leinster, if he would give him commiffion to do fo; infifting, that they would not stir while their chiefs were in cuftody, as fo many hoftages for their fidelity. But Sir William Parfons abfolutely refufed to give him a commiffion; and these fepts foon after breaking out into rebellion, Sir Robert engaged against them, in defence of the English in that, and the adjoining county of Catherlogh; and conveyed most of thefe English with their goods and flocks fafe to Dublin. He had. indeed, the lords justices thanks for this service, but it coft him dear; for in revenge thereof, two of his best houses, Cartan and Lifcartan, were burned by the Irifh."

The Earl of Ormond's early offer to fupprefs these tumults in their beginning, met with no better reception from their lordships; for that nobleman having undertaken to pursue the rebels, then in no respect confiderable, if he might be allowed meat and drink for the foldiers in his march, his propofal was rejected. "The only reafon affigned by the juftices for this refufal, viz. the want of arms, was," fays Mr. Carte,2 a pretence fo notoriously falfe, that it could only be made

2 Ib. fol. 194.

"The Byrnes in the county of Wicklow did not begin to ftir till November 12th (1641), nor the Tooles and Cavanaghs in that and the adjacent counties of Wexford and Catherlogh, till the 21ft; nor thofe of any other province but that of Ulfter." Cart. Orm. vol. i. f. 210.

"Had the lords juftices," fays Dr. Warner, "acquitted themselves like men of probity and understanding, there was time enough given them to fupprefs an infurrection, which for fix weeks almoft was confined to the province of Uifter, without any chief that was fo confiderable as Sir Phelim O'Neil. But it was the great misfortune of that unhappy country, to be then governed by a man (Sir William Parfons) that had not one qualification for fuch a poft, at fuch a time; and to thofe defects was added, great obliquity of heart towards both the king and the Irish. Hift. of the Irish Rebel. p. 130.

made use of to cover motives, which they were afhamed to confefs; for there was, at this time, in the stores of the castle, a fine train of artillery, ammunition of all forts, in great quantities, arms for above ten thousand men, tents, and neceffaries of all kinds for the march and provifion of an army; all which had been prepared by the Earl of Strafford for the Scots expedition."

What thefe juftices real motives were, foon after appeared.' "In the before-mentioned fhort feffion of November 16th, both houfes had drawn up a letter to the king, which was fent by the Lords Dillon and Taaffe; and in which they offered of themselves, and without any aid from England, to put an end to this infurrection." Immediately upon this, the juftices,* and their party in the council, privately wrote to the Earl of Leicester, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; and after telling him, they expected and hoped for his fecrecy, and that they could not open themselves with freedom at the council-board, they befought his lordship that no fuch overture fhould be accepted; and among other reasons, because the charge of fupplies from England, would be abundantly compenfated out of the estates of those who were actors in the rebellion." From this information, the Lords Dillon and Taaffe, with their papers, were seized at Ware, by order of the English house of commons; and detained in cuftody feveral months, till they made their escape

3 Carte's Orm. vol. i. fol. 194. 4 Id. ib.

to

Borlafe himself confeffes, that upon the lords justices having taken into the army a great number of proteftants, who then fled from all parts of the country to Dublin, "the state, at that time, had store of arms and ammunition, by which the foldiers, and the reft, were feasonably furnished." Hift. of the Irish Rebel. f. 45.

"Whatever," fays Dr. Leland, "were the profeffions of the chief governors, the only danger they really apprehended, was that of a too fpeedy fuppreffion of the rebellion. Extenfive forfeitures was their favourite object, and that of their friends." Hift. of Ir. vol. iii. p. 160-1.

to the king, then at York; but it was then too late to offer a remedy, as the infurrection was become in a manner general.

CHA P. XII.

The nobility and gentry of the pale banished from Dublin.

THE lords juftices had lent a few arms to Lord Gormanstown, and fome gentlemen of the pale, for the defence of their houfes in the country; which, however, they foon after recalled,' "thereby renouncing all confidence in them, though nothing had happened to give occafion to any further fufpicion of them, than when the arms had been entrusted to them. The arms particularly affigned to Mr. John Bellew, high fheriff and knight of the fhire for the county of Louth, were fo quickly demanded back, that they were not delivered. Their habitations being thus rendered defenceless, they quitted the country and came up to Dublin, to put themselves, as they thought, under the eye and protection of the government; but the juftices, instead of allowing them fuch an afylum,* on the next day after fending for the arms, published a proclamation requiring these noblemen and gentlemen, with others not having neceffary caufe of refidence in the city or fuburbs of Dublin, and the places within two miles about the fame, to be approved of by a council of war, to repair to their respective homes in twentyfour hours, after the publication of the proclamation," upon pain of death."

Sir

* It appears from Borlafe, that thefe juftices publifhed two proclamations of that kind, even before the end of October, 1641. For that writer, after having faid that they had iffued a proclamation, "in his majesty's name, commanding all perfons, not dwellers in the city and fuburbs, to depart within an hour

after

3

Sir Robert Talbot, whofe houses had been burned by the Irish, on account of the service he had rendered the English, "found it neceffary, at this time, to bring his lady and family to Dublin; where he again tendered his fervice to the lords juftices, offering to raise men, if they would furnish him with arms, to fight against the rebels; but thefe were denied him, nor could either his offers, or his late fervices, prevail for leave to continue in Dublin. He was forced, by the proclamation on pain of death, to leave the city in twenty-four hours; and having no fure place of retreat, he was obliged to fculk and live privately, for a long time, for fear of the Irish, till the breach between the king and the parliament of England, when he entered into the Roman catholic confederacy; doing however, during all the time of the troubles, all the good offices in his power, fometimes with the hazard of his life, to preferve the English, and dispose the Irish to submit to the ceffation, and afterwards to the peaces of 1646 and 1648, to which he constantly adhered." And yet his family had the mortification to fee his great estate given to the Cromwellian adventurers and foldiers, by acts of parlia

ment.

CHA P.

Carte's Orm. vol. i. fol. 238.

after publication, on pain of death," adds, "that the state, on the 28th of October, publifhed a proclamation to the fame intent with the former, with the penalty of death to such as wilfully harboured them.". Irish Reb. fol. 44.

Another proclamation of the like tenour, and on the penalty. of death, was iffued by thefe juftices, on the 11th of November following. Ib. fol. 49.