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rienced, himself was their man, and would give them satisfaction. His courage was too well known to tempt any body to make a trial of it; the nobleness of his family, and his own personal merit, procured him respect from all the world, as well as from his pupil. No quarrel happened; the earl was reclaimed, being always very observant of his governor. He left Paris, and passing down the Loire went to the south of France, received in all places by the governors of towns and provinces with great respect and uncommon marks of honour and distinction. From thence he went into Italy, making an handsome figure in all places, and travelling with as much dignity as any nobleman whatever at little more than one thousand two hundred pounds a year expense; so easy is it to make a figure in those countries with virtue, decorum, and good management.

The lady Thurles, the duke of Ormond's mother, had died in May 1673 at Thurles, being eighty-six years of age, a lady of admirable sense, virtue, and piety. Her death made little alteration in his grace's fortune, but he had been so long absent from his estate, that his presence was deemed very necessary in Ireland, and likely to bring him some advantages. He had now for some years together tasted the inconveniences of court coldness, and of London expense, which were too uneasy to be borne at once. As he had never failed to pay punctual attendance on his majesty's service, it appeared but a melancholy sight to those who were his friends, and loved the constitution of their country, to see him pass the galleries at Whitehall with his white staff all alone, which was often the case. He would frequently smile himself at the variety of the scene, and at the great industry used to avoid him as well as to make court to the men in power. But it was still a very disagreeable affair, and not apprehending that he could be any longer useful to his majesty, (as his friends had still flattered him that he might,) he deter

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mined to retire to his habitation in Ireland, and look after his own affairs. He acquainted the king with his intentions in a letter, the beginning of which expresseth his situation at this time so very feelingly, that it cannot be better described than in his own words:

"It is," says he, "about a year since I begged your majesty's leave to go into Ireland, which you were pleased to give me; but the war being then in the heat, and there seeming to 446 me a possibility that in some conjuncture I might be of some use to your service, I delayed it: but now you have peace, and have given a long recess to the parliament, I have so far presumed upon the permission you then gave me, as to prepare for that journey, as soon as the season will permit me. It is now six years since I came over last; a great part of that time I have passed more uneasily than I made show of, or than I ever thought I should do in your majesty's court and presence; having had many reasons to believe your favour was at least very much abated towards me. The circumstances were too many and too little pleasing to me to reckon them up; but they were such as seemed to evidence to the world, that it was rather the remembrance of some old service I had endeavoured to do the crown, than anything else that preserved me from the utmost disgrace due to a faulty and insignificant person. How grievous soever this was to me, I have borne it with duty, and more temper than I am naturally master of," &c.

The duke of Ormond left Clarendon-House in the beginning of June, and with the duchess and his family went to Bath, the waters of which place were advised as likely to be beneficial to his health, and particularly serviceable in the case of the gout, with which he now used to be troubled every winter. After a fortnight's stay there, he proceeded to Minehead, and embarking on June 27 had a fair passage from thence in twenty hours to the river of Waterford. As soon as he arrived at Kilkenny, he paid his compliments to the earl of Essex (who had been made lord lieutenant, and received the sword from lord Berkeley in August 1672) in a letter, signifying his arrival and readiness to obey his excellency's com

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mands. How little soever he liked the person whom the king was pleased to honour, he was always careful to pay him that respect which was due to his place; but he really thought the government was much better placed in the earl of Essex's hands than it had been in those of either of his predecessors. He resolved to wait upon him in person, and accordingly set out on July 14 for Dublin, where the lord lieutenant gave him a reception scarce worth his journey. It was so remarkably cold, that all the world took notice of it, and expressed their indignation upon that occasion. Various reports were spread upon the subject, and carried into England, where it was confidently averred that the duke, speaking his sense of that matter, had said, the lord lieutenant had received him according to his breeding and understanding; but this his grace denied, nor indeed was it his manner to express a resentment (whatever reason he had for it) which might lessen the character of any man whom the king had placed in so important a government, and consequently take off from that authority which was necessary for the successful discharge of his office. He was likewise sensible that the earl of Essex had measures to keep with the ministry in England, and imputed all the defect of ceremony in regard to himself to the fear which the other had of disobliging the then lord treasurer.

There might possibly too be a little jealousy mixed in the affair; for if the duke of Ormond's reception from the lord lieutenant was less, that which he met with from the city of Dublin was much more than he expected; and absolutely refuted the notion which his enemies at court were continually suggesting, that his grace was not beloved in Ireland. He had abundant reason to be satisfied with the respect paid him in that country. The news of his arrival was received with the greatest delight in all places, and all persons of distinction thronged to Kilkenny to welcome him thither. From the time of his

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coming thither till he went to wait on the lord lieutenant, he had not less than two hundred gentleman every day at his table; and yet he found the expense of his living there considerably less than it had been in England. His journey to Dublin was in a manner necessitated, for else all Dublin would have come to him; which he ima-447 gined might give umbrage to the lord lieutenant, with whom he desired to be well. His excellency's coldness perhaps was the reason of his grace's short stay in that city, for he spent but a week in going and returning. At Kilkenny he enjoyed better health than he had done for some years in the winter, as well as a rest and quiet which he had scarce ever known before. It was a new manner of life, and to a person always used to a multiplicity and constant flow of business, apt to encourage the spleen; yet he found nothing in it but what was agreeable, and would have been glad to have continued it longer than he was allowed to do; being called off from the exercises of hunting and hawking (which were his chief amusements in this time of retreat) early in the year following to attend the king's service in England.

Whilst the duke of Ormond was in Ireland, his son the earl of Ossory was sent on a particular commission to Holland. The king had a mind to make up matters with the prince of Orange, and thought that the contracting a nearer alliance with him would be a proper means to restrain him from entering into measures with any discontented party in England to the prejudice of the crown and distress of his majesty's affairs. With this view he proposed to give him the lady Mary, the duke of York's eldest daughter, in marriage ;- but it was proper the motion should first come from the prince. For this reason it was resolved to send over a person without any public character to sound the prince's inclinations; and lord Ossory was deemed the most proper person for that employment. The earl of Arlington was to go along with

him to treat and settle every thing for removing the misunderstanding and jealousy that had been for some time between them with regard to each other's designs and measures. When the king broke the affair of the match to the duke of York, his royal highness did not seem fond of it; but determining to submit to his majesty's pleasure, he gave his consent, with this compliment to the earl of Ossory, that he would rather trust his nearest concerns in his hands than in any other's whatever. The two earls embarked on Nov.10, and having finished their negotiation, returned to court on Jan. 6, being very well received by the duke as well as the king, though the negotiation did not at that time take effect; and some mistaken accounts coming over before them had put his royal highness into a great heat upon the occasion, which though he had been too hasty to express, yet he readily laid down upon being informed of the truth of the matter. The prince had in discourse with lord Ossory expressed his desire of the match, and said, it was the height of his ambition, when the war was over, to contract such an alliance, but that at present he could neither leave the war, nor think it very agreeable to a lady to bring her where the noise of war then was. The earl of Ossory writing this account to the duke, whose real sentiments were for deferring it till peace was made, and not having been exact enough in the stops of his letter, use was made of it to countenance the idle uncertain reports transmitted from Holland of that affair, as if the prince had rejected the offer. Whereas in fact he had first expressed his desire of it; and when lord Ossory returned, he wrote to his royal highness to that effect; who after all still thought his alliance slighted, because it was not pressed immediately. The prince of Orange had a great affection to lord Ossory, so that when he embarked he conducted him on board his ship, and having returned at night on shore, but observing the vessel had made no way by the