please God to restore me to the other two; or be a safe retreat for myself." b "It plainly appears that Ormond had received from the king this letter of the 26th of March, before the 26th of April, 1646, when he was actually treating with the parliament commiffioners, from the following paffage in his letter to Lord Digby of that date: "My Lord Byron is in great distress and hazard (in Wales), and though the king seems to forbid the fending of men thither, yet if I can get them seasonably fent, I will venture at it." Carte's Orm. vol. iii. f. 461. And before that, on the 4th of the fame month, he wrote to Lord Digby," that although the time for fending of the (Irish) fupplies was elapfed, for want of fhipping, yet he was confident the men had been, and were still ready." Id. ib. f. 459. Yet he afterwards, to evade the proclaiming of the peace, which the confederates preffed him to, alleged their not having fent off these supplies, as a breach of their engagement, as we shall just now see. The confederates still prefs the Marquis of Ormond to take the command of their forces upon him against the violaters of the cellation. THE Marquis of Ormond still continued the ceffa tion with the confederate catholics, as a measure absolutely neceffary for the fubfiftence of his army; and the confederate catholics, in hopes that the peace would be foon proclaimed, patiently bore that army's frequent breaches of it. But these breaches now be a came a "It was privately affirmed to me with fome confidence," fays the Earl of Clanrickard, in a letter to Ormond, May 11th, 1646," that upon your lordship's publication of the peace, the generality of the whole kingdom would declare themfelves to be folely and entirely under your lordship's government." Carte's Orm. vol. iii. fol. 466. It came fo very grievous and extenfive, especially in Ulfter, that the fupreme council renewed their intreaties to his excellency, " to unite his forces with theirs,' in order to refift the attempts of the Scots of Tyrconnel, and other parts of Ulfter, his majesty's now open and avowed enemies; and fo to manage the war, that the fervice might not fuffer, through the want of due correfpondence, for the little time the entire fettlement of the kingdom was fufpended. They informed · him, that they had received intelligence that Monroe, with a numerous army, was going to fall upon Newry, Dundalk, and other maritime towns within his excellency's quarters; and that the Scots of Tyrconnel were gathering in a body of three thousand foot, and five hundred horfe, to invade Connaught, where they were fure to be joined by Sir Charles Coote's forces." They added, "that if his excellency would agree, that they might, on all fides, fight to clear the kingdom of the common enemy," their councils in civil and military matters fhould be managed by his advice. And the council having understood, that the want of money to prepare for the field, was what chiefly retarded this conjunction, they promifed to fend his excellency three 'Belling's MSS. Carte. It appears from Lord Digby's public declaration foon after in the privy council of Ireland, "that his majefty had redoubled his pofitive orders to the Marquis of Ormond, both immediately before his coming from Oxford, and fince his being at Newcastle, for the immediate perfecting of the peace in Ireland, according to the articles agreed on. Upon his difpenfation with the condition alfo of the confederate Roman catholics of Ireland fending the men undertaken for by them; and this his lordship (Digby) was commanded to attend his majesty's fervice in Ireland, upon his majesty's confident fuppofition that the peace already agreed upon, would have been proclaimed before his arrival there." Cart. Orm. vol. iii. fol. 491. b"It is true," fays Lord Digby, in a letter to Ormond on this occafion," that his majefty did promise, that you fhould join with them (the confederates) against the Scots, when a peace or ceffation should be concluded." Ib. fol. 346. three thousand pounds; two thousand of which they foon after fent him." C On the conclufion of the peace, promises of mutual affiftance,3 (in cafe either of their quarters were attacked before the time appointed for the publication of the articles) had paffed between the confederates and the lord lieutenant, who promised to engage in actual fervice, where it was neceffary; and, as he fhould find himself enabled, would further prosecute those that should not fubmit to the peace, as enemies and rebels to his majefty, in fuch a way, as he should judge moft for his majefty's fervice." But he now told them, in answer to their above-mentioned folicitations, " that, indeed, he understood very well the neceffity of an union; but that he might not join with any party, not deriving authority from his majesty, that nothing further could be done towards a union, till the articles of peace were published, about which he had not received his majefty's pleasure, nor had they performed the engagagements made at figning them." 66 The chief of these engagements was, as we have feen, the fending of ten thousand of the confederates forces to the king's affiftance in England or Wales; which was, on many accounts, impracticable, precisely within the time ftipulated by the articles." If his excellency 2 Belling's MSS. Cart. Orm. vol. i. fol. 567. Mr. Carte teftifies, "that the confederates kept their word in fupplying the Marquis of Ormond (at this juncture) with three thousand pounds, for the relief of his forces in Dublin. And they very readily furnished the Lord Digby with three hundred men, under Milo Power, and other commanders named by his lordship, for the defence of the Prince of Wales, who had retired to Scilly, upon the reduction of the weft by the parliament. Carte's Ormond, vol. i. f. 567. d Befides, as the Marquis himself afterwards owned, "the failure of the confederates, with respect to that condition, was, by an inftrument figned by himself, and drawn up by the commiffioners of the confederate catholics, difpenfed with; he be ing f excellency had not yet received his majesty's order of the 26th of March before-mentioned, for stopping these forces, he certainly could be no ftranger to the reasons which induced him to fend it. With thefe reafons Lord Digby had acquainted him, five or fix days after the conclufion of the peace; and the Marquis of Ormond himself, four days after that, informed the king, "that he had fent to Lord Byron,' to know the state of North Wales, and whether three thoufand men, for whom there was fhipping, might be ufeful, and fafely difpofed of there. And that although the time for fending of the fupplies was elapfed, for want of fhipping, yet he was confident the men had been, and were ftill ready." And Lord Digby, at the fame time, affured the marquis," " that he found in these men, fuch an univerfal, not only difpofition, but paffion, to be under his excellency's government, that he thought it would be impoffible for any to hinder them from it, almost upon any |