The next day after his arrival at Kilkenny, his excellency entered into a treaty of peace with the general affembly; and after he had advanced fo far in it, as that, "he thought, he had good grounds to hope it would be fpeedily concluded, upon the conditions he was empowered to give them, he found it fuddenly interrupted by a very dangerous mutiny, raised by fome leading officers in Lord Inchiquin's army, who endeavoured, not only to hinder the conclufion of the peace, but also to incline thofe under them to a treaty and fubmiffion to the English parliament."

On this occafion, it was thought neceffary by his excellency and Lord Inchiquin, to fufpend the conclufion of the peace," in fuch a manner, as might induce the mutineers to believe it would be wholly laid afide for their fatisfaction." On the other hand, the article concerning the free exercise of religion, was not yet adjusted to the fatisfaction of the affembly; fome of the clergy having much higher expectations, in that respect, than others thought fit to be infifted on. "This was the only point, in which there was danger of the treaty's breaking up unfinished, it being very difficult to give content therein to the Roman catholics, without at the fame time difgufting the protestants." But an incident happening at this juncture, united the differing parties in that affembly, and greatly accelerated the peace. Some copies of the remonstrance of the independent army in England, which had publicly avowed their defign of fubverting every thing, that had been hitherto known for government in these nations, were then brought to Kilkenny, and read with univerfal abhorrence. This s immediately removed all the difficulties which fome of the Roman catholics, in zeal for their religion, had thrown in the way of the peace. The general affembly receded from their demands in that point. And on the 28th of December, upon confideration of his majefty's prefent condition, and their own hearty defires,

2 Carte's Orm. vol. iii.

3 Ib.

5 Id. ib. f. 49.

• Id. ib. vol. ii. f. 43.

fires, fays Mr. Carte, of fpending their lives and fortunes, in maintaining his rights and interests, they refolved unanimoufly, to accept of the Marquis of Ormond's answer to their propofitions for religion. "That defperately wicked remonftrance," fays the marquis himself," "whatever mischief it may do, hath yet done this good, that it put us quite from all difputes upon the neceffity of conditions, and was no fmall caufe of the speedy, and I hope, happy conclufion of the peace."

b

The peace of 1648 concluded and proclaimed.

On the 17th of January, 1648,' the general assembly

N

repaired to the prefence of the lord lieutenant in his castle at Kilkenny, and there, with all folemnity imaginable, prefented to him, fitting on a throne of ftate, the articles of the peace, by the hands of Sir Richard Blake, their chairman, which he received; and having confirmed them, on his majesty's behalf, caufed them to be publicly proclaimed. Nine Roman catholic bishops, present in the affembly, joined, the next day,

6 Cart. Orm. vol. iii. f. 602.

Id. ib. vol. ii. f. 50.

in

"This agreement," fays Borlafe, " paffed with that miraculous confent and unity, that in the whole affembly, in which there were (nine) catholic bishops, there was not one diffenting voice." Irish Rebel. f. 260.

a While the Marquis of Ormond was treating, at Kilkenny, with the confederates on the peace of 1648, the English parliament having had notice of it from Colonel Jones, ordered their commiffioners treating with Charles in the Isle of Wight, to prevail upon him to difavow it. "Whereupon his majefty fignified, that in case other things were compofed by the treaty (with the parliament) the concerns of Ireland should be left wholly to the houses." And in the interim wrote to Ormond, "to require him to defift from any further proceedings in that peace.” Borl. ib. fol. 259.

in a circular letter, which they fent to all the cities and corporations of their party, exhorting them to receive and obey the peace now concluded; which was in fubftance that which had been made in 1646, but rejected by a former affembly." "

b

The lord lieutenant, in a letter to Lord Digby, January the 22d, after telling him, that the peace was concluded, adds, "I must say for this people,' that I have obferved in them, great readinefs to comply with what I was able give them; and a very great sense of the king's fad condition." And in another letter, of the fame date, to the Prince of Wales, he takes notice" of the very eminent loyalty of the affembly, which was not," fays he,' " fhaken by the fuccefs, which God hath permitted to the monstrous rebellion in England; nor by the mifchievous practices of the no lefs malicious rebels in Ireland.”

After the figning of the articles, his excellency made a fpeech to the affembly, wherein he congratulated them, not only on the fcore of what they had already ob tained by that peace, in point of freedom of worship, abatement of penalties, and other advantages; but alfo on the hopes of further indulgence and favour in all these refpects, according to their future merits." For he told them," that, befides the provifion made against their remoteft fears of the feverities of certain (penal)

2 Ib. vol. iii. f. 600. 3 Id. ib. f. 601.

+ Ib. vol. iii.

In that letter they obferved to the people, " that although in their thoughts and occafions, during thefe feven years wars, they had still the fame loyalty, which now made them comply with his majesty in his greatest neceffity, and had often publicly fworn it, yet they lay under the fufpicion of many men; but that by the present agreement, all blemish of that kind was taken away. That, as for their religion, they had received good fatisfaction for the being and fafety of it; that by the temporal articles, their lives, liberties, and eftates were provided for; fo as now," added they," you have a clear quarrel, without the leaft colour of fufpicion; for you fight purely againft fectaries and rebels, for God and Cæfar; and under those banners, you may well hope for victory." Enquiry into the Share, &c. p. 267.

(penal) laws; and befides many other freedoms and bounties conveyed to them, and their pofterity, by thefe articles; there was a door, and that a large one, not left, but purposely set open, to give them entrance to whatever of honour or other advantage they could reasonably wish." And yet, about the fame time that his lordship made this public and folemn declaration to the affembly, he, in a private letter to Sir Charles Coote, a parliamentarian rebel," averred with much confidence,' (they are his own words) that the advantages, which the Romish profeffors were fuppofed to have, in religion or authority, by that peace, were no other but pledges for his majesty's confirmation of the other conceffions, and that they were to determine therewith;" as in truth they did.

b

CH A P.

IV.

Ormond's defeat at

Cromwell's arrival in Ireland.

The happy effects of this peace.
Rathmines.

THERE was, for fome time, great union and harmony between the English and Irish forces, now joined under the Marquis of Ormond's command. His excellency in a letter to the king, June 28th, 1649, acquainted him,' "that the ground of his greatest confidence of future fuccefs was their prefent cordial conjunction against the rebels, their former difaffection to each other appearing, then, only in an emulation rather of advantage than hinderance, to his majesty's

5 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 52.

Id. Carte's Orig. Papers, vol. ii. p. 387.

Yet the king himself, in a letter to the Marquis of Ormond, March 9th, 1648, told him on this occafion, "that he had lately received from Lord Byron the articles of the peace, which he had made in Ireland, together with a copy of his letter to him; that he was extremely fatisfied with both, and would confirm, wholly and entirely, all that was contained in the articles." Cart. Collect. of Orig. Papers, vol. ii. p. 363.

majesty's fervice." a To this union it was certainly owing, that their first operations were extremely fuccefsful; for in the fpace of a few months, they became mafters of Sligo, Drogheda, Dundalk, Waterford, Trim, Newry, and in fhort of all the strong holds and towns in the kingdom, except Londonderry and Dublin. Towards this latter city, therefore, his excellency marched the combined armies; hoping to repair the mischiefs he had done by his late furrender of it to the English rebels, and to reduce it once more under his majesty's obedience. His excellency's excesfive confidence in these united forces, though now in want of almost every neceffary for his enterprife on Dublin, is one of the fuppofed caufes of his fatal difappointment in that attempt. That this confidence was indeed exceffive, appears by his letter of July 18th, to the king, from his camp at Finglas; for there he tells him," that which only threatens any rub to our fuccefs, is our wants, which have been, and are fuch, that foldiers have actually starved by their arms, and many of less constancy, have run home: many of the foot are weak; yet I defpair not to be able to keep them together, and ftrong enough to reduce Dublin, if good fupplies of all forts come not speedily to relieve it. I am confident, I can perfuade one half of this army to starve outright; and I fhall venture far upon it, rather than give off a game, fo fair on our fide, and fo hard to be recovered if given over."

But while his excellency was thus fecurely making preparations for that enterprife at Rathmines, a place three

a

2 Carte's Orig. Pap. vol. ii. p. 389.

And yet Borlafe confidently afferts, from Clarendon, "that from the first hour of the peace (of 1648) these English and Irish had not been without that prejudice towards each other, as gave the marquis much trouble; and that they were rather incorporated by their obedience and fubmiffion to the authority and pleasure of their chief commanders, than united by the fame inclinations and affections to any public end." Hift. of the Irish Rebel. f. 287.