tended meeting, resolved to try what cruel and perfidious actions would do. For on the 13th of March, (five days before the appointed time) they gained the consent of the council to an act," which," says Mr. Carte," could only serve to exasperate the confederates, and produce a retaliation that might inflame matters to such a degree, as to put a stop to all further treaty. Sir Richard Grenville had taken, at Longwood, Mr. Edward Lisagh Connor; and in the battle of Rathconnel, on February the 7th, he had also taken one Dowdal, another gentleman named Betagh, and one Aylmer, son of Garret Aylmer, a lawyer eminent in his profession, all gentlemen of considerable families. Sir Richard, though very severe in the prosecution of the war, was a man of great spirit and honor, and not likely to violate the quarter he had given. The lords justices, therefore wrote to him that they had occasion to examine said prisoners, and ordered him to send them for that purpose to Dublin, under a safe guard. They signed, at the same time, another order to sir Henry Tichbourne,* to examine only, if these prisoners were so taken, and to cause them immediately to be executed by the martial law. But even this detestable expedient to prevent the appointed meeting, proved as unsuccessful as the former. For, "on the before-mentioned 18th of March, 1642, by virtue of his majesty's commission, the earl of St. Alban and Clanrickard, the earl of Roscommon, sir Maurice Eustace, and others, the king's commissioners, met the commissioners of the confederate catholics, at Trim." These latter were, lord Gormanstown, sir Lucas Dillon, knt. sir Robert Talbot, bart. John Walsh, esq. and others; at which time they produced a remonstrance by the title of a remonstrance of the grievances presented to his majesty,f 3 Cart. Orm. vol. i. fol. 407. 4 Carte, ubi supra. * Sir Henry Tichbourne, soon after made lord justice, on Parson's re moval, informs us, "that the cessation intended was so disagreeable to the Irish privy-council, that most of them desired to run any fortune and extremity of famishing, rather than yield unto it."-History of the siege of Drogheda. †This remonstrance has been already opened in this Review, and will hereafter be quoted as authentic evidence, as well on account of the solemnity of its delivery and acceptance, as because of the severe examinations it underwent in the Irish house of commons, (from which all the Roman ca in the name of the catholics of Ireland. Which remonstrance was accordingly received in due form by his majesty's commissioners. and by them transmitted to his majesty.* The marquis of Ormond, though first named in the commis. sion, seems to be the only commissioner that did assist at this meeting. His lordship instead of going to Trim on that pacific business, marched towards Ross,' with 'an army of about two thousand five hundred foot, and five hundred horse. In his tholic members had been expelled) from the 8th to the 12th of April, 1644, and then dismissed without the least disproof or contradiction of any of the numerous grievances it complains of; and without any resolution or motion, after a debate of, so many days, that bears the slightest appearance either of a censure or denial of the facts it contains.-See Append. to the Jour. of the Commons. (See this Remonstrance, Appendix No. V.) There is the following remarkable passage in Borlase on this occasion."Upon the 8th and 9th of April, 1643, this remonstrance came to be considered in the commons house of parliament in Ireland, seemingly disliked by all, though with that artifice by some, as the remonstrants themselves could not have insinuated more in its defence; inasmuch as these, at last, brought into discourse the solemn league and covenant, the more colorably to take off the dispute concerning the remonstrance, whereby the business growing hot, the house was prorogued till the 6th of May.”—Irish Rebel. fol. 155. * “ This remonstrance (says Borlase) was solemnly received by his majesty's commissioners, and by them transmitted to his majesty."-History of the Irish Rebel. fol. 154. + This expedition was undertaken by Ormond, at the desire of a committee of the English parliament, then sent to direct and superintend the affairs of Ireland, expressly against the king's command. See Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 142-3.—" It being desired by the officers of the army, on a certain occasion, that major Wodowes might repair to his majesty to express their service, this committee demonstrated, that the parliament would certainly withdraw their supplies on notice of such an address, upon which the ships were stayed; yet the business was so argued as the major had licence to proceed in his journey," Id. ib. fol. 144.—“ But with this the English parliament was so much displeased, that they for some time withheld those scanty supplies which they before used to send them.”—Id. ib. føl, 145. "This expedition was set on foot by a committee of the English parliament; Mr. Robert Goodwin and Mr. Robert Reynolds, members of that parliament, sent against the king's express command, over in the depth of winter to Ireland, to seduce privately the officers and soldiers of his majesty's army there, to engage with the English parliament against him; for which purpose this committee had prevailed on many of them unwarily to subscribe their names in a book; but some officers having at length disco way thither, he took the castle of Timolin; and although he had promised quarter to the garrison, on account of their gal lant defence, yet he suffered them to be cut in pieces by the soldiers, after they had surrendered their arms. And on his return from Ross to Dublin, the 18th of March, (the day on which the other commissioners were receiving the remonstrance at Trim) having met and attacked an army of the confederates, under General Preston, he entirely routed it;s killing above five hundred of their men, among whom were many officers and gentlemen. The justices, in a letter to the speaker of the English house of commons, take particular notice of this action, as a satisfactory proof," that the king's commission for hear ing the complaints of the confederate catholics, gave not the least interruption to the proceedings of the war agains them."‡ 7 Belling's MSS. 8 Id. ib. Carte's Orm. vol. iii.` vered the real design, in detestation thereof rent the book of subscriptions in pieces." Borl. Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 143-4.-At the same time with them, was sent captain Tucker, by the city of London. "The army (says Borlase) came to Timolin, where finding two castles possessed by the rebels, our cannon compelled them to submit to mercy, very few of them escaping with their lives there being about an hundred of them slain."-Irish Rebel. fol. 148. The lords justices in their account of this battle say, "wherein were slain about three hundred of the rebels, and many of their commanders,and others of quality, and divers taken prisoners; and among these prisoners colonel Cullen, a native of this city (Dublin), who had been a colonel in France, and was now a lieutenant-general in the rebel army; and on our side about twenty slain in the fight and divers wounded.”—Borl. Irisk Reb. fol. 146. "And in his return to Dublin (says Mr. Carte) he burnt and spoiled the enemy's country without the least opposition."-Ormond, vol. i. fol. 407. They observe, however, in the same letter, that their poverty, and want of all things was such, " that although the rebels were not able to overcome his majesty's army, and devour his other good subjects, yet both his army and good subjects were in danger to be devoured by the want of needful supplies forth of England. And that the miseries of the officers and soldiers for want of all things, even of food, were unspeakable; that by the insupportable burthen then laid on the city of Dublin, for their maintenance, many housekeepers were daily breaking up house, and scattering their families, leaving still fewer to bear the burthen. In the end, therefore, (adds they) we were enforced to fix on our former way, and to see who had any thing left untaken from him to help us; and although there were but few such and some of them poor merchants, whom we have now CHAP. IV. Sir William Parsons displaced from the government. IN consequence of the remonstrance delivered at Trim, his majesty informed the lords justices," that he had given com, mand and authority to the marquis of Ormond, to treat with his subjects of that kingdom, who had taken arms against him; and to agree with them on a cessation of arms for one year; which, as it was a service of very great concernment to his majesty, and his present affairs in both kingdoms, so he willed and commanded, that they would therein give the most effectual assistance and furtherance to advance the same, by their industry and endeavors, as there should be occasion." Not long after the arrival of this order, « sir Francis Butler landed from England, with a supersedeas for sir William Parsons's government, on account of his being a principal opposer of the intended cessation, and with a commission to sir John Borlase, and sir Henry Tichbourne, to be lords justices; who, accordingly, on the 1st of May, 1643, were instituted in the government. And on the 12th of the same month, major Warren and sir Francis Butler, came to the council, the lords sitting, and presented a petition to the lords justices, accusing sir William Parsons of high misdemeanors, and other treasonable matters, and requesting that his person and goods. might be secured." After many needless delays, and a second command from the king, the lords justices appointed the marquis of Ormond to meet the commissioners of the confederate catholics, at Castle-Martin, on the 23d of June, and to enter upon a treaty with them for a cessation of arms. The marquis, as we have seen, had shewn but little inclination to be concerned at all in such a 2 Id. vol. i. 1 Carte's Ormond, vol. iii. by the law of necessity utterly undone and disabled from being hereafter helpful to us, yet we were forced to wrest their commodities from them."-Borl. Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 146-7. "Lord justice Parsons doubted whether he should stop the execu tion of the king's commission, to hear the grievances of the insurgents."Lel. Hist. of Irel. vol. iii. p. 193. We learn from Mr. Carte, that "this commission was concealed from August to February following."-Orm. vol, iii. p. 132. treaty; and he discovered much less to be instrumental in concluding it. For on the day before he set out for Castle-Martin, having caused the principal citizens of Dublin to be summoned before the council-board, he delivered a motion in writing, that, if ten thousand pounds might be raised, the one half in money, the other in victuals, and to be brought in within a fortnight, he would in that case proceed in the war, endeavor to take Wexford, and break off the treaty for the cessation." But the principal citizens of Dublin, not being able to advance that sum, (such was their extreme poverty at that junc ture*) sir Henry Tichbourne, who upon the supposition of his favoring the cessation, was appointed lord justice in Parsons's room," moved the board (there being then one and twenty counsellors present,) that every one for himself, out of his peculiar means and credit, should procure three hundred pounds; which, among them all, would raise six thousand three hundred pounds; for even with that," says sir Henry himself, "he (the marquis) offered to undertake the work, and that there should be no further mention of a cessation among them. But this motion of mine," proceeds he, " finding no place,* 3 Cart. Orm. vol. i. 4 Hist. of the Siege of Drogheda. Temple informs us, "that when, in the beginning of the insurrection, the justices sent for the mayor and aldermen of Dublin, and laid before them the high necessities of the state, desiring to borrow a considerable sum of money for the present, which they undertook to repay out of the next treasure that should arrive from England, they returned this answer, after a most serious consultation and very solemn debate among themselves, that they were not able to furnish above forty pounds, and part of that was to be brought in in cattle."-History of the Irish Rebel. p. 47. + There is an odd passage in Borlase, which shews the extremely neces sitous condition of the protestants of Ireland about this period, more than any thing else I have any where met with. Upon the English parliament's neglecting to send them any part of that money which had been subscribed and paid in, in England, solely for their relief (and which, as we have seen, they perfidiously employed against the king himself) yet, (says my author) that something might seem to be done, there was an order of the commons house of parliament, the 3d of August, 1642, that the ministers about the city of London should be desired to exhort the people to bestow old garments and apparel upon the distressed protestants of Ireland; in reference to which, the 19th of September following, the lord |