from the prince to Inchiquin, with a declaration of the prince's defign to fend the Duke of York into Ireland with fuch of the revolted fhips as remained in Holland, and to let him know the hopes he had, that by his affistance and the army under his command, both he and his father might be reftored. This (adds my author) fo puffed up Inchiquin, that he would hear of no overtures from Derby-house, and made him abfolutely difavow that he had any knowledge of the propofitions fent over, though he was faid with his own hand to have interlined and approved them in several places.

12

The Marquis of Ormond defires leave to quit the kingdom.

HIS excellency, fo early as December 24th, 1649,

2

had requested, and fhortly after obtained the king's permiffion,' "to withdraw both himself and his majefty's authority out of the kingdom, if he should fee occafion." And the better to fecure his retreat on all fides, from a people whofe loffes under him, and jealoufies of him, were daily increasing, his friend Dean Boyle, privately procured him a pass from Oliver Cromwell; which being afterwards difcovered, by the ungenerous ufe that regicide made of it, his lordship returned it by a trumpet, with a letter informing him, that it was officioufly fought for and obtained by the Dean, without either his confent or privity."

His excellency's defire to withdraw himself out of the kingdom proceeded not, as has been already hinted, from the fuppofed refractory and disloyal behaviour of the Irish clergy, but from his own consciousness of the people's great mistrust of him, and their confequent averfion to his government. For, as he himself juftly obferved

12 Borl. Hift. of the Irish Rebel. fol.:
1.254-5.

I Cart.

⚫ Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 121.

obferved on that occafion," these people believing themselves betrayed, would think it vain to be perfuaded into action, which might render them incapable of conditions from the enemy. Or if they fhould be got forth, perhaps with church cenfures, it would be with despair, not hope of fuccefs; whilst they fufpected their leader of having made conditions for himfelf, upon their ruin."

4

Another of his reafons for defiring that permiffion was, "that it appeared every day more evidently than other, and would foon be visible to those of the shortest foresight, that upon any thing Ireland could afford, it would not be poffible to make any refistance against the rebels; who then had the whole coast towards England, Waterford excepted, ready to receive their forces; commodious harbours for their fhipping, and garrifons from whence they would immediately be in the heart of his best countries, and at the walls of his remaining towns." After which he thus proceeds, "what thoughts of fubmiffion (to the rebels) this may produce in these people, or the greater number of them, I know not; I therefore humbly defire that your majesty would be pleased to fend me your commands to withdraw myself hence."

Nay, his excellency seemed in some measure, to apologize for these people's averfion to his government, and their defire to get rid of it; 5" for many of the Irish," fays he, " having promised themfelves many advantages by their coming under his majesty's obedience, as the affistance of the army formerly under Lord Inchiquin's command, and the advantage of trade with the towns poffeffed by him; that his majesty would be able, in part, to ease them of the burden of the war, by fupplies of money, arms, and ammunition; and that whilft the rebels forces were bent against them, occafion would be taken to raise some diverfion in England or out of Scotland; and finding Lord Inchiquin's forces, which, to their exceffive charge, they had fupplied

supplied all the fummer, now turned against them, and the towns become garrifons to their enemies, from whence to annoy them by fea and land; no fupplies at all from abroad, and no diverfion in England, though Cromwell and Ireton, the fuppofed heads of the rebels, were removed from thence; all these disappointments of their hopes, aggravated by the enforced fpoil of a fuccefslefs army, began to breed in them fuch averfion," fays he," to his majesty's authority, and to myself, to whom all their misfortunes, the negligence, cowardice, and treachery of others, are attributed, that I am told, it was in agitation with the violent party of the clergy, and others fet on by Lord Antrim, to procure a proteftation against my government." This letter is dated December 15, 1649, and the clergy's cenfure and declaration were not publifhed till September following; fo that it could be no fuch surprise upon his excellency, as is pretended.

CHA P. VIII.

The king is invited to go to Scotland. ABOUT this time, the king was proclaimed in Scot

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land; and commiffioners were fent from thence to invite him over to that kingdom; but upon fuch conditions, as were utterly inconfiftent, not only with the dignity and good faith of a king, but even with the honour and integrity of a gentleman. "Thefe commiffioners were the Earl of Caffels, two burgeffes, and four prefbyterian divines. To give the better affurances of their good intentions to his fervice, immediately before their coming out of Scotland, the Marquis of Huntly was put to death, for no other crime but his loyalty to the king."

The Marquis of Ormond, ftill in Ireland, was confulted upon this, as indeed, he was upon every other important concern of his majesty. But that he did not always deliver his opinion, with fuch candour and fincerity as were fuitable to the confidence repofed in him, is but too apparent, from his own letters on that occafion.

'Cart. Collect..Orig. Pap. vol. i. p. 268.

2

occafion. In one of them to Secretary Nicholas, who, he knew, was averse to that measure, he seems to have clearly foreseen all the evils that were likely to attend it; for he tells him, that, "unlefs his majefty was refolved to deliver up both himself and his people to the covenant and prefbytery, he would not go to Scotland; and that the covenant was inconfiftent with the peace he had concluded with the Irish, and which his majesty had confirmed." But from what we find in a private letter of Lord Byron's, who was then with the king at Breda, to his excellency, it appears that he fecretly abetted, and promoted, that defign. For Lord Byron told him," that, in order to what he found was his lordship's opinion, concerning his majefty's conjunction with the Scots, he had contributed his best endeavours to the effecting of it; and that his majesty would begin his journey in a few days, and had commanded him (Byron) to attend him thither." And the king himself, in a letter to the marquis, January 16th, 1649, fays, “ you will perceive by my public letter, that I have refolved of a treaty with my fubjects of Scotland, whereunto I was principally induced by that relation which Harry Seymour made to me, from you, of the state of things in Ireland.” a

Accordingly, his majefty, having agreed with the Scotch commiffioners, left Breda, and arrived in Scotland, on the 23d of June 1650, O. S. but before they fuffered him to land,' they obliged him to fign both the covenants, national and folemn. And, in about two months

2 Carte's Orm. vol. iii. fol. 607.

Cart. Orig. Papers, vol. i. p. 333..

4 Ib. vol. ii. p. 423. 5 Sir Edward Walker's Hiftoric. Difcourf.

* And Seymour himself, in a letter to the Marquis of Ormond of the 15th of March following, tells him," that his arrival from Ireland was so seasonable as to interrupt the breach with the Scots, which was in a very forward way, proceeding from the misinformations of the marquis's fucceffes; but that his excellency's truer informations by him, not only changed that defign, but gave a dispatch in two days to Mr. Windram, the Scots commiffioner, which he had in vain folicited fix weeks before, without the least advance." Cart. Collect. of Orig. Pap. vol. i. P. 365.

months after, he was prevailed upon to publish a declaration, "that he would have no enemies but the enemies of the covenant; and that he did detest, and abhor all popery, fuperftition and idolatry, together with prelacy; refolving not to tolerate, much less to allow those, in any part of his dominions, and to endeavour the extirpation thereof to the utmost of his power." And with regard to the peace lately concluded with the confederates, and confirmed by himself, he expressly pronounced it null and void; adding, " that he was convinced in his confcience of the finfulness and unlawfulnefs of it, and of his allowing them (the confederates) the liberty of the popish religion; for which he did, from his heart, desire to be deeply humbled before the Lord; and for having fought unto fuch unlawful help, for the restoring of him to his throne."

What opinion one of his majesty's own fecretaries had of this declaration, appears from his letter to the Marquis of Ormond, January 25th, 1650," when I confider," fays he," this infamous declaration, which the Scots compelled the king to publish, and are ftill refolved to have his majesty make good (though not only all the king's party, but even ftrangers that have any sense of honour, or confcience, declaim against it), I cannot fo much as hope, that they intend any good or fafety to his majefty, whom they have fo wickedly and notoriously abused." Moft certain it is, that after this declaration was known in England,7 "many people there, who were before averfe to the parliament's meafures, freely and voluntarily enlifted in their armies to fight against the Scots."

• Cart. Orig. Pap. vol. i. p. 400.

CHA P.

7 Id. ib. p. 417.

b cc Nothing could be more convenient for the congregation of prelates, (foon after affembled at James-town) and their purpofe of enflaming the people, than this virulent declaration. They imputed it entirely to the representations of the Marquis of Ormond." Lel. Hift. of Irel. vol. iii. p. 376.