forcing his lieutenant into a fubmiffion to his enemies; and at least affected a folicitude for preventing it, by renewing their overtures for an accommodation. But, as the nuncio ftill influenced their councils, the terms offered by the agents were infolent and extravagant. They ferved, however, to give the marquis fome respite until his treaty with the parliament should be concluded. Lord Inchiquin now regarded him as a friend, fent him fome fupplies, and confulted him on his operations against the Irish in Munfter. This lord was at the head of five thou fand foot, and fifteen hundred horfe, and was reinforced from England. He took feveral places from the Irish, and threatened Waterford with a fiege. To oppofe his progrefs, Prefton was recalled from his petty expeditions in Leinster; for O'Nial would obey no orders, not even of the nuncio, though his rapacious followers called themselves the pope's army. This refractory leader had lately been made general of Connaught; he was in poffeflion of fome counties of Leinfter, and in all the Irish quarters through the northern province abfolute commander. His affectation of independency, his fubtle, dark, and enterprising temper, with the infolence of his followers, who claimed the whole island as the property of the old Irifh, filled the confederates with great apprehenfions and difcontents. Thofe of Leinfter, and all the Catholics of the English race, dreaded extirpation from thefe favages; fo that the Irish infurgents, who had extorted the most abject conceffions from the king, and prefcribed law to his lieutenant, were now on the point of breaking into virulent factions, and declaring desperate war against each others.

Apparently, however, they continued fo powerful, and were fo infatuated by an ambitious and ignorant clergy, that no inteftine diforders could abate their extravagance. A.D.1647. The propofitions of the marquis of Ormond were accepted by the parliament, and their treaty commenced: but before it was concluded, and when Ormond, by the delay of the fuccours which had been promifed in the mean time, was ftill at liberty to recede, Leyburne, one of the queen's chaplains, arrived in Ireland under the fictitious name of Winter Grant. He was fent with expedients for promoting a peace, and directed to act entirely in concert with the marquis of Ormond. The Irish had

• Cox

now

now a fair opportunity of correcting their errors, and treating, by means of this agent, on moderate terms. They, indeed, offered their propofitions by Grant; but they were the fame that had formerly been rejected, and were again rejected with disdain. Nothing now remained for Ormond but to conclude his treaty with the parliament. Four hoftages, among whom was his fecond fon, afterwards earl of Arran, were fent to England for the performance of his ftipulations. A confiderable force marched out of Ulfter to Dublin, where reinforcements from England were alfo admitted. On the 19th of June the articles were figned: Ormond engaged to deliver up Dublin, and all the king's garrifons, his ordnance, ammunition, and ftores, with the fword of ftate, and other enfigns of government, on the 28th of the fucceeding month, or fooner, if required by the parliament, on notice of four days. The commiffioners on their part promifed, that Proteftants fhould be protected; that all who chose to attend the marquis out of Ireland fhould have free liberty to depart; that popish recufants, who had not been engaged in the rebellion, might reft fecurely on the favour of the parliament, according to their future behaviour; and that the marquis of Ormond fhould have liberty to refide in England, on condition of fubmitting to the ordinances of the parliament. They acknowleged that the fum expended by him in the king's fervice, amounted to thirteen thoufand eight hundred and feventy-feven pounds. They engaged to pay three thousand of this fum before his departure, and to fecure the remainder by bills of exchange.

The parliamentarians were now complete mafters of Dublin, where they scorned to delay the exercise of their authority until Ormond should depart'. Scarcely had the treaty been figned when the commiffioners, by their own authority, without any ordinance of parliament, prohibited the use of the liturgy, the only form of worship eftablished by law, and obtruded the directory in its room. The Irish Catholics had already refused the leaft toleration of the established worship in any place fubject to their power; and, in the extravagance of their expectations, had difputed whether the king fhould be allowed one chapel in the capital, when their dominion should extend over the whole kingdom. With the fame fpirit of bi

: Carte.

gotry

gotry theft zealous reformers rejected the remonstrance of the clergy, and thundered their menaces against the heinous guilt of worshipping God in any other form than their own. They were impatient for the departure of Ormond, who had delayed the refignation of his authority until the 28th of July, in hopes of obtaining permiflion to tranfport five thousand men for the fervice of France. But this overture was rejected by parliament, though the troops were to be formed of their enemies. On the 16th of this month their commiffioners fummoned him to remove from the caftle, and deliver the regalia within four days. He could not oppofe their demand; but as his prefent removal was inconvenient, he contented them with refigning the caftle to the cuftody of their own guards; and the ceremonial of delivering his fword was by agreement deferred to the day mentioned in the treaty.

now

The moderate among the confederates were thrown into the utmost confternation; convinced, at laft, of their own errors, and the extravagances of their party". Owen O'Nial became every day more terrible: he was with difficulty reftrained by the nuncio from feizing Kilkenny; and the Catholics of Munfter were every moment under the apprehenfion of being expofed to his depredations. Their new general, Glamorgan, difcovered too great an inclination to concur with this leader of the papal army. Lord Muskerry, the rival of this earl, and the enemy of the nuncio and O'Nial, at the moment that his deftruction was meditated, fled to the Munfter army, was received as their leader, and Glamorgan depofed. It was, however, ftill apprehended, that the turbulence of the nuncio muft increase, and that, on the departure of the marquis of Ormond, O'Nial would attempt fome desperate purpose. Some of the principal confederates, and even Prefton himself, were now convinced, that their prefervation depended on a union with Ormond; and, in a private conference with lord Digby, they earnestly entreated that the marquis would delay his departure from Ireland; but their application was too late, and their fincerity too juftly fufpected. He left the regalia to be delivered to the commiffioners, embarked on the day appointed, and landed at Bristol.

* Carte.

СНАР.

CHA P. VII.

From the Departure of the Marquis of Ormond, to the Refloration of Charles II.

RELAND, on the departure of the marquis of Ormond, feemed reduced to its ancient ftate of anarchy and diftraction. In the capital, colonel Michael Jones was appointed governor by the parliament, and commander of their forces in Leinfter. The inhabitants, who had been accustomed to the state and decorum of Ormond and his court, were at once fhocked at the vulgar manners of this republican and his train, and provoked at his feverity. Thefe foldiers plundered the citizens, infulted their officers; and Jones, who could not supply their neceffities, found it neceffary to connive at their outrage. Three different armies of Catholics were quartered in different ftations. Owen O'Nial, and his barbarous followers, were equally enemies to king and the English parliament, profefling an entire obedience to the pope and his nuncio. The army of Preston, and that of Munfter, feemed at length convinced of the error and obftinacy of their party, wifhed for the return of Ormond, and were inveterate enemies to the parliamentarians. The Scots of Ulfter were offended at the late proceedings of England, and averfe to the prefent government. In Mun fter, lord Inchiquin was incenfed at fome attempts to remove him from his command, during the time that lord Lifle refided in this province with the infignificant title of the parliament's chief governor. On the fame principle which had feduced him from the fervice of the king, he was now difpofed to abandon his present masters. Such was the state of confufion in which the affairs of Ireland were now involved.

Lord Digby, who fill refided near Dublin, was indefatigable in practising against the parliamentarians, and to effect the return of Ormond. His dependence was on the catholic armies of Munfter and Leinfter; and with their leaders he concerted his defigns. The Munfter army was now entrusted to the command of lord Taȧfe, with the confent of Muskerry, that the latter might have leifure to attend the fupreme council, and fupport the interests of their party in this affembly. That of Prefton confifted of feven thousand foot, and one thousand horse,

8

ready

ready for action; and with this force he advanced into the English quarters, where he foon reduced Naas, and fome other inconfiderable places, and had the honour of repelling Jones in two fkirmishes. By invefting Trim, he again called out this general; and, by the advice of lord Digby, refolved to feize the advantage of his abfence from the capital, where the garrifon was weak, and many of the inhabitants difaffected to the parliament. By a forced march, Preston advanced towards Dublin, in full hope of furprising it. Jones purfued with equal alacrity; and, at a place called Dungan-hill, the armies came to an engagement. The English general having been reinforced by some northern troops, his numbers were nearly equal to those of Prefton. They rushed upon the Irish with intrepidity, inflamed by an enthusiastic hatred; and, though they fought without regard to orders, they foon obtained a complete and bloody victory. As Jones could not improve this advantage, from the want of provifions, he returned to Dublin poffeffed of the enemies arms, cannon, and baggage, with a number of prisoners, several of diftinguished rank and confequence; while Preston fled with his horfe to Carlow, where he collected the shattered remains of his infantry.

The nuncio, and his creatures, were apprehenfive, that, if Preston got poffeffion of Dublin, he would refign it to Ormond, and invite the prince of Wales into Ireland; a measure which might end in the fubversion of all their fantastical projects. They received with joy the intelligence of his defeat; and recalling O'Nial from fome petty hoftilities which he carried on in Connaught, entrusted him with the defence of Leinster; while Preston had the mortification of receiving from the fupreme council an order, to refign most of his remaining forces to his rival.

ge

The prefervation of the Munfter army, under lord Taafe, became now of greater confequence; and the neral seemed determined to act with proportionable circumfpection. Lord Inchiquin was obliged to exert himfelf with vigour against the Irish, not only to fupply the neceffities of his troops, but to allay the fufpicions of the English parliament. He over-ran fome counties, and took feveral forts, among which was Cahir, an ancient castle of great strength. By the poffeffion of this place, a way was opened for his famished troops to range freely over the fertile county of Tipperary; where, without any oppofition from Taafe, he continued his progrefs, and advanced against the city of Cafhel. The inhabitants fled to

their