Page images
PDF
EPUB

2

that towns fifty miles distant from him,' declared against the marquis of Ormond;" which provoked his excellency to say, doubtless with more anger than truth, "that the Roman catholics, who stood so rigidly with the king upon religion, and that, as they called it, in the splendor of it, were then with difficulty withheld from sending commissioners to intreat him to make stables and hospitals of their churches." But if, indeed these people were at first so much terrified by this monster's unparalleled cruelties, they soon resumed sufficient courage to reject several more advantageous conditions, from his favorite. and confident, Ireton, even in point of religion, than the marquis of Ormond could ever be prevailed upon, by the most urgent necessity of his majesty's affairs to allow them. For when that regicide, in his march to Munster, sent proposals to the citizens of Limerick,3 offering them the free exercise of their religion, enjoyment of their estates, churches and churchlivings, a free trade and commerce, and no garrisons to be pressed upon them, provided they would only give a free passage to his forces into the county of Clare; these citizens ab solutely rejected the overture."

But Oliver Cromwell, besides his execrable policy of facilitating the conquest of Ireland, by the fame of his cruelties, had taken care, before he left Dublin, to publish a proclamation forbidding his soldiers, on pain of death, to hurt any of the inhabitants, or take any thing from them, without paying for it in ready money. This was so strictly executed, that even in his march from Dublin to Drogheda, where he was guilty of that horrid butchery, and breach of faith before-mentioned, s he ordered two of his private soldiers to be put to death, in the face of the whole army, for stealing two hens from an Irishman, which were not worth sixpence.

Upon this strict observance of the proclamation, together with positive assurances given by his officers, "that they were for

1 Cart. Collect. of Orig. Papers, vol. ii.

2 Id. ib.

3 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 123. Lel. Hist. vol. iii. p. 370.

4 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 90.

5 Doctor George's letter to colonel Hamilton. Append. to Lesley's Ans, to King's state of the protestants under king James.

[ocr errors]

• Carte, ubi, supra,

the liberties of the commons, that every one should enjoy the freedom of his religion, and that those who served the market at the camp, should pay no contribution, all the country people flocked to them, with all kind of provisions; and due payment being made for the same, his army was much better supplied, than even that of the Irish ever had been.”

*

On this occasion, a congregation of twenty catholic archbishops and bishops having on the 4th of December, 1649, as. sembled, of their own accord, at Clonmacnoise, published a declaration, wherein "they admonished all their people, not to delude themselves with vain expectations of conditions to be obtained from that merciless enemy. And they besought the gentry, and the rest of their countrymen, for God's glory, and their own safety, to contribute, with patience, to the ut most of their power, towards the support of the war against him. They, particularly, exhorted those who were enlisted in the army, to persevere constantly in their opposition to the common enemy, as they expected the blessing of God upon their endeavors." The marquis of Ormond, in a letter to the king, observed, "that in this assembly there were divers

997

Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 290.

8 Cart. Coll. of Orig. Pap.

• The whole Irish party, (says Leland) was anxious for the event of this self-appointed council, and looked for nothing less important than a violent protestation against the government of Ormond. Happily the temper of one of their bishops, Ever Mac Mahon, the Romish prelate of Clogher, disappointed these expectations. From the time of the accom modation between Ormond and O'Nial, in which Mac Mahon had been instrumental, the marquis frequently conversed with him on public affairs, and inspired him with an high opinion of his talents for government, and his zeal for the interests of Ireland; with these sentiments he entered the assembly of his brethren, where he had the consequence naturally derived from his superior abilities. He silenced the factious, he encouraged the moderate, he defeated all the secret practices of Antrim; and at length, with difficulty, prevailed on the prelates to declare, by a formal instrument, that no security for life, fortune or religion, could be expected from Cromwell, to express their detestation of all odious distinctions and animosities between old Irish, English, and Scottish royalists, and their resolution of punishing all the clergy who should be found to encourage them." -Leland's Hist. vol. iii. p. 359.

"It cannot be denied (says Borlase from Clarendon) that the conclusions which were made there, seemed full of respect for the king's service, and wholesome advice and counsel to the people."-Irish Rebel. fol. 293.

speeches made, tending to the satisfaction of the people; and to incline them to obedience to his majesty, and amity among themselves, in opposition to the rebels." It must be, therefore observed, in justice to these bishops, that it was in this letter to the king that the marquis first asked his majesty's permission to leave the kingdom, as being absolutely indefensible against the rebels, by what powers he could then command. So very distant from truth is that general assertion of our historians, that it was the refractoriness, disobedience, and even rebellious disposition of the Irish clergy, that first made him resolve upon quitting the government of Ireland at that juncture,

CHAP. XXVI.

Owen O'Nial submits to the peace; Inchiquin's force revolt to the rebels.

OWEN O'Nial, who commanded an army of five thousand foot and five hundred horse, having been incensed beyond measure at the assembly's proclaiming him a traitor; and at the same time flattered by sir Charles Coote and col. Monck, with hopes of a toleration of his religion, and the restitution of his estate, had entered into a treaty with the latter,* and relieved the former, when closely besieged in Derry, the only place of strength that was then in the rebels' possession in the

1 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 77.

"Invited by sir Charles Coote with an offer of £5000 for that service.” -Cart. Orm, vol. ii, fol. 76.

Owen O'Nial was in great want of ammunition; to procure a supply, he sent Hugh M'Patrick Dubh M'Mahon to make a treaty with Monck, who readily entered into an agreement with him, engaging to supply him with the necessaries he wanted."-Id. ib. fol. 73.

Monck's proposals to O'Nial were: 1st. Liberty of conscience to all his party and their issue. 2d. A competent command to O'Nial himself in the rebel army. 3d. An act of oblivion for all they had done since 1641. 4th. His party to be restored to all the lands they possessed before that time. 5th. That O'Nial be put into possession of his ancestors estate. 6th. That O'Nial shall be provided with a convenient sea-port in Ulster, and his army provided for in all points, as the rest of the army shall be."--Hist. of Independency, p. 237.

province of Ulster. But the English parliament soon after condemned his treaty with Monck, and rejected his further service. This is commonly thought to have been the cause+ of his quitting that party, and seeking an alliance with the marquis of Ormond," to whom two blanks had been sent, about that time, under his majesty's hand and seal, to be made use of in any treaty or transaction with him."

Wherefore, through the agency of colonel Daniel O'Nial, that general's nephew, whom the marquis of Ormond sent to solicit him for that purpose," Owen O'Nial,3 on the 12th of October, 1649, concluded and signed an agreement, on certain conditions, with his excellency; which, though himself lived not to accomplish, dying at Cloughouter-castle, in the county of Cavan, in the beginning of December, was shortly after performed."

2 Cart. Collect. of Orig. Pap. vol. ii. p. 317.

3 Cart. Orm. vol. ii.

Sir Charles Coote, in a letter to the council of state in England, Aug. 15th, 1649, informs them, "that O'Nial freely offered him his assistance, professing much affection to the parliament of England, and earnest desire to maintain their interest; that he had found O'Nial and his army very punctual and faithful in all their promises and engagements; and he made no doubt but they would continue so to the end. But after all, in the cant of the times, desires them to call to mind, that it is no new thing with the most wise God to make use of wicked instruments to bring about a good design for the advancement of his glory."-Hist. of Independency, p. 245-6. "Many were of opinion (says Borlase) that all that was done both by sir Charles Coote and by Monck (with O'Nial) was transacted by the pri vity, if not consent, of the grandees in England; but the grounds to fasten this upon them could never be found, though the business hath been narrowly searched into: known it was, that there was a person sent over, and many overtures made by a priest, O'Reilly, to the committee of Derby-house, but with what reception, the certainty yet remains in the clouds."-Irish Rebel. fol. 276.

There is a very different cause assigned for this accommodation of O'Nial with Ormond, in a letter from secretary Nicholas to Ormend himself, which he says came from a very good author, lord Brudenell. It is there expressly said, "that O'Nial had written to Cromwell to thank him for the care he had taken of himself and his army; but desired him withal to consider, that his promise (to assist him) was but conditional, as pre-supposing the pope's approbation, which he could never obtain; but on the contrary, had received a peremptory command from him, to do nothing prejudicial to the crown of England.”—Cart. Collect, of Orm. Orig. Pap. vol. i. p. 298.

Mr. Belling informs us, "that when the news came of Ormond's being routed by Jones, at Rathmines, O'Nial assembled the chief officers of his army and addressed them thus. "Gentlemen, to demonstrate to the world, that I value the service of my king, and the welfare of my nation, as I always did, I now forget and forgive the supreme council, and my enemies. their ill practices, and all the wrongs they did me from time to time, and will now embrace that peace which I formerly rejected out of a good intent." He sent his forces to Ormond, under Ever M'Mahon, bishop of Clogher, to whom the marquis had given a commission to command them. "It must be acknowledged," says Borlase, from Clarendon, “that this bishop performed and observed the conditions very justly, as he was punctual in what he promised, and applied himself with all dexterity and industry to the advancement of his majesty's interest; so that, during his time, he restrained the clergy from making any acts, which might discourage the people. from their obedience to the king's authority." This bishop was afterwards taken prisoner in an engagement near Enniskillen, after having received many wounds; and ignominiously put to death, by the positive order of sir Charles Coote, whom, within less than a year, he had relieved when in great extremity."6

The marquis of Ormond had received frequent warnings of the infidelity of Inchiquin's officers; and some probable reasons for withdrawing his confidence from Inchiquin himself. His excellency, in a letter to that lord, November 16th, 1648, on occasion of the before-mentioned mutiny of these officers, told him plainly, "that he was very unwilling to have any thing to do with them; and seemed to think that they had but delayed their design, waiting for a more hopeful opportunity to accomplish their end, which he understood to be, to betray his lordship and himself to the independents."

The defection of these officers soon after to the parliament, to which lord Broghill's* treachery and artifice not a little con5 Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 313.

4 MSS. History.

6 Id. ib. fol. 312. Clarendon. Irish Rebel. 7 Cart. Orm, vol. iii.

In an engagement near Clonmell, "this lord Broghill had taken the titular bishop of Ross prisoner, and promised to spare his life on condition that he should use his spiritual authority with the garrison of a fort adja

« PreviousContinue »