This is commonly thought to have been the 'caufe of his quitting that party, and feeking an alliance with the Marquis of Ormond," "to whom two blanks had been fent, about that time, under his majesty's hand and feal, to be made ufe of in any treaty or tranfaction. with him.”

Wherefore, through the agency of colonel Daniel O'Nial, that general's nephew, whom the Marquis of Ormond fent to folicit him for that purpose, "Owen O'Nial,' on the 12th of October 1649, concluded and figned an agreement, on certain conditions, with his excellency; which, though himself lived not to accomplifh, dying at Cloughouter-caftle, 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.

Mr.

doubt but they would continue fo to the end. But after all, in the cant of the times, defires them to call to mind, that it is no new thing with the most wife God to make use of wicked instruments to bring about a good defign for the advancement of his glory." Hift. of Independency, p. 245-6.

Many were of opinion (fays Borlafe) that all that was done both by Sir Charles Coote and by Monck (with O'Nial) was tranfacted by the privity, if not confent, 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 Derbyhouse, but with what reception, the certainty yet remains in the clouds." Irish Reb. fol. 276.

There is a very different cause assigned for this accommodation of O'Nial with Ormond, in a letter from Secretary Nicholas to Ormond himself, which he says came from a very good author, Lord Brudenell. It is there exprefsly faid, "that O'Nial had written to Cromwell to thank him for the care he had taken of himself and his army; but defired him withal to confider, that his promise (to affift him) was but conditional, as presupposing 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. Papers, vol. i. p. 298.

4

Mr. Belling informs us, "that when the news came of Ormond's being routed by Jones at Rathmines, O'Nial affembled the chief officers of his army and addreffed 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 fupreme 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 fent his forces to Ormond, under Ever M'Mahon, bishop of Clogher, to whom the Marquis had given a commiffion to command them. "It must be acknowledged," fays Borlafe, from Clarendon," that this bifhop performed and obferved the conditions very justly, as he was punctual in what he promised, and applied himself with all dexterity and induftry to the advancement of his majesty's intereft; fo 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 pofitive order of Sir Charles Coote, whom, within less than a year, he had relieved when in great extremity.'

99 6

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

The

+ MSS. Hiftory. 5 Hift. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 313. Id. ib. fol. 312. Clarendon. Irish Rebel. Cart. Orm. vol. iii.

d

The defection of these officers foon after to the parliament, to which Lord Broghill's treachery and artifice not a little contributed, fufficiently justified these fufpicions. For in this favourable conjuncture of the acceffion of O'Nial's forces, the diftrefs of Cromwell's army, and the probability there was, by the advantage of a pafs, of cutting off his provifions, and of making his retreat to Dublin very difficult, without lofing a good part of his men; in these circumstances, I fay,

on a fudden, and altogether, all the confiderable places in the province of Munster, as Cork, Youghall, Kinfale, Bandon-bridge, Moyallo, and other garrifons, C 2

8 Clarend. Cart. Lel. Hift. vol. iii. p. 357

under

8

In an engagement near Clonmell, "this Lord Broghill had taken the titular bishop of Rofs prifoner, and promised to spare his life on condition that he fhould ufe his fpiritual authority with the garrison of a fort adjacent to the field of battle, and prevail on them to furrender. For this purpose he was conducted to the fort; but the gallant captive, unfhaken by the fear of death, exhorted the garrifon to maintain their poft refolutely against the enemies of their religion and country, and instantly refigned himself to execution. His enemies," adds my author, "could discover nothing in his conduct but infolence and obftinacy; for he was a papist and prelate." Lel. Hift. of Irel. vol. iii. p. 362-3.

Broghill's chaplain and panegyrist, Mr. Morrice, informs us, that while his lordship was engaged in a battle against the king's forces in Ireland, "orders were once given by himself to the chief commanders, to give no quarters that day to any in arms." Broghill's life prefixed to Orrery's State Lett.

Thefe garrifons (fays Cox) by the means of Lord Broghill, &c. revolted all at once." Hift. of Irel. p. 12,

"Dungarvan was delivered up to Cromwell the 3d of December, 1649, where he found my Lord Broghill, who partly by his own intereft, and the difaffection in the foldiers to Lord Inchiquin, had gotten in all the towns in Munfter, that had formerly been under the parliament; a fervice most confiderable, and fuch as was of very great advantage to Cromwell, who was now in great ftraits where to take up his winter quarters for his fick and diftreffed regiments. His army, partly by leaving garrisons in several places he had taken in, being fo much weakened and impaired, fo as he brought not, of all the men he

carried

under Lord Inchiquin, revolted to the English parliament; and thereby gave them a fafe retreat, free paffage, and neceffary provifions of all they wanted; as likewife harbours for their fhips, to bring every thing to them they could defire. This defection, in fo fatal a juncture of time, when the ftraits Cromwell was in by the winter, and want of provifions, had raised the fpirits of men; and when they looked upon themfelves as like to have at least, fome hopeful encounter with him, was not (adds my author) a lofs, or a blow; but a diffolution of the whole frame of their hopes and défigns; and confirmed that spirit of jealousy and animofity in the army, which no dexterity nor interest, of the lord lieutenant could extinguifh or allay."

This general defection of Inchiquin's forces seems to have given the first rise and occafion to the obnoxious proceedings of the congregation of bifhops at Jamestown, they looking upon it, as a new and corroborating proof of Ormond's being privately connected with the English rebels. For, although his excellency had been fully apprifed by the confederates,' of the ill affections, and actual revolt of feveral of the officers of thefe garrifons, before the general treachery now mentioned; yet he readily agreed to Inchiquin's fufpicious ftipulation," that 10 these garrifons fhould be entirely

left

9 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 101-2. 19 Id. ib. vol. ii. fol. 102.

carried over with him, above five thousand horse and foot to Dungarvan." Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 289. From Clarend.

Yet," the above-mentioned revolting garrisons had been fupplied by the Irish during the whole preceding fummer, to their exceffive charge." Orm. Lett. to the king. Carte's Collect. of Orig. Papers, vol. i. p. 419.

"To fcreen Inchiquin, thefe revolting officers feized and made prisoners of his wife and children, whom, (adds my author) not without much difficulty, he got re-delivered to him.” Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 287.

And Ormond's afterwards fhewing particular favour and friendship to Iachiquin, was one of the causes of the people's diflike and fufpicion of him. "Some of the principal perfons (among the confederates) and with them fome of the bishops,

under

left to his own difpofal; nor could Inchiquin ever after be prevailed upon to admit any of the Irish forces, though actually in the king's fervice, into them."

Before the peace of 1648 was concluded, the Marquis of Ormond, in order to induce the Prince of Wales to come over to Ireland, to take upon him the command of that army, told his highness, "that in all their judgments, his fpeedy accefs was become fo abfolutely neceffary, that there appeared little hopes that without it that army could be long contained from seeking its own fecurity in a fubmiffion to the prevalent party in England; but that if his highnefs arrived fpeedily, the awe of his perfon might confirm fuch as were wavering."" And not long before the marquis's return to Ireland, as lord lieutenant, about the end of September, 1648, Lord Inchiquin, by means of two of his colonels, Townshend and Derby, was faid to have fent over to the committee at Derby-house, fome propofitions for the furrender of the towns in Munster; upon which the committee at Derby-house, says Borlafe, fent back Colonel Temple with power to treat with the Lord Inchiquin ; but before his arrival there, Sir Richard Fanfhaw, the prince's fecretary, was come from

"Cart. Orm. vol. iii. fol. 590.

under fhew of great confidence and truft, repaired to the lord lieutenant at Limerick, 1649, and declared unto him, that all that indifpofition and waywardness of the people proceeded from the prejudice they had against Lord Inchiquin, who had always, they faid, profecuted the war against them with the utmost rigour and animofity, and the places and perfons which had been moft at his devotion, having treacherously revolted to the parliament, the people were not confident of him, and jealous that the marquis had too great a confidence in him; fo that if he would difmiss that lord, and discharge the troops that yet remained under his command, of which fome frequently ran away to the parliament, not only that city (Limerick) but the whole nation, would, as one man, be at his difpofal." Borl. Irifh Rebel. fol. 303. From Clarendon. See what follows, ib. fol. 304. Some leading perfons applied to Inchiquin to take the command on him, as being of their ancient families; but 'tis certain that these hated both Inchiquin and Ormond, but on account of the former's family, would make choice of him as the leffer evil.