4

tioned not, but it would be confidered, how inconfiftent the covenant was with the peace concluded with the Irish, by virtue of the power given him; and that there would be care taken, to give that people no apprehenfion, that they would be broken with, which might drive them to take defperate ways for their fafety." In November 1649, he declared, "that he was at no time against the treaty with Scotland; and that much less was he then." In July 1650,5 56 he believed it then appeared, that the treaty was ended, he hoped, in an agreement with the Scots, fo that," adds his lordfhip, "in place of arguments to difpofe his majesty to an accord fo neceffary, as without, or befides it, I fee no near hope of his restitution, I fhall apply myself to the use to be made of fuch an accord in this kingdom" (Ireland). And then he proposes, "that himself may be fortified with fome gracious declaration from his majefty, fubfequent to the agreement of Scotland, in favour of all those (Irish) that had been, and still continued, loyal and affectionate to his fervice; and he conceived, that, without fuch a declaration and purpose as to those, his majesty could not acquit

4 Orm. Let. to Sec. Nicholas. Cart. Orig. Pap. vol. ii. p. 415. s Id. ib. p. 436.

6

Append. to Walsh's Remonftrance.

deceived," fays he, " if it hath not paffed for the most orthodox doctrine, with those I take to be the most orthodox men, that in lawful commands (and fuch certainly is the defence or recovery of their juft rights), we are to yield active obedience to papift, nay pagan princes, if we be their fubjects; and why not as well to a prefbyterian king, I know not." Carte's Orig. Pap. vol. i. f. 430.

That active obedience ought to be paid to the lawful commands of popish, prefbyterian, or even pagan princes, is not denied or controverted. The only queftion here is, whether either popish or proteftant fubjects are bound to pay fuch obedience to the unlawful commands of any prince, who had broken the public faith, folemnly plighted to them; and who had publicly vowed, in the manner before mentioned, the utter extirpation of their religion and persons?

acquit himself with honour towards that people; whereof," adds he, many have perifhed, and more are likely to do fo for their loyalty to the crown."

The real caufe of the clergy's proceedings at James-town.

AT the fame time that the king's declaration* at Dumferling was notified in form to the Irish congregation, the Marquis of Ormond propofed to make good the peace, upon certain conditions; one of which was the revoking their excommunication. But that they refused to confent to, because, as they alleged among other reafons," "they understood from his lordship's letter to them on that occafion, that he had fuggested matter unto his majefty for making that declaration, by which, for ought appearing unto them, the king had withdrawn his commiffion from him, and had caft away the nation, as rebels, from his protecVOL. II. tion.

D

2 The king's printed declaration was received by the Marquis of Ormond, on the 13th of October, 1650, and fent to the commiffioners of trust on the 24th of the fame month. Walsh's Hift. of the Remonft. App. f. 123.

In their declaration, annexed to their excommunication, they allege, which is true," that he had represented to his majesty, that fome parts of the kingdom were disobedient, which absolutely deny any difobedience to have been then committed; and that thereby he had procured from his majefty, a letter to withdraw his own person and the royal authority, if such disobedience was multiplied; and fo leave the people without the benefit of the peace." Borl. Irish Rebel. f. 322. from Clarend.

The bishops at James-town alleged, as a reason for not revoking their excommunication, that they had perufed the declaration which had been published in Scotland, difavowing the peace." Id. ib. f. 331. Thefe bishops urged the declaration in Scotland, as a ground and excufe for all their proceedings." Id. ib. f. 332.

In the declaration at Dumferling, the king " acknowledg ed his forrow for making peace with the papifts, and recalled

all

tion. Nor could they understand (they faid) the myftery of preserving his majesty's authority with them, or over them, in fuch a cafe; or how it could be done." They added, "that they believed, the king's authority being thus taken from them, the best remedy for hindering the people to close with the parliament, was to return to their former confederacy, as it was intended by the nation, in cafe of the breach of the peace, on the part of his majefty."

That the king's agreement with the Scots, and the fhameful conditions of it, were early known to the Irish in general, is manifeft, not only from what has been already mentioned, but also from the following inftance of the infincerity of his majesty's more recent promises to them. When his majefty firft took the refolution of entering into a personal treaty with the Scotch commiffioners at Breda, he wrote to the marquis of Ormond, January 23d, 1649,'" to affure him, that though he would endeavour to oblige that nation (the Scots), by all just and honourable condefcenfions, to engage themselves to enter England in the fpring, with a confiderable army, for his fervice; yet he would not, either in the faid treaty, or upon any other occafion whatsoever, confent to any thing that should be contrary to the agreement made with the Roman catholics of Ireland; but would fulfil and perform all grants and conceffions, which he had either made or promised them, according to the full extent of that grace, he had always intended that nation; which, as he had new inftances of their loyalty and affection to him, he should study rather to enlarge, than to diminish, or infringe, in the least degree. He, at the fame time, defired the Marquis " to give thefe

Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 129.

all the commiffions granted by him in Ireland." Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 131.

Hence the Earl of Clanrickard, in a letter to Lord Muskerry, confeffes, "that the king, by that act (declaration) difavowed the peace with the Irish, and took away his protection from them." Clanrick. Mem. Dub. ed. P. 108.

thefe affurances to all the Irish Roman catholics.' But this letter, it seems, did not reach his lordship till midfummer following; and " that delay," fays Carte,

d

2

brought an irreparable mifchief upon the king's fervice; the marquis's continued ignorance of the king's condition and pleasure, difabling him to refute the malicious reports raised, and the afperfions thrown on the king, for breach of faith, and for having abandoned and given up the Irifh; fo that as his excellency complains in his dispatches by Lord Taaffe, "the venom of the forgery had wrought very near a deadly effect, before the remedy came." Thus we fee, that before midfummer, 1650, the king's agreement with the Scots, and its ruinous confequences, were not only generally known in Ireland, but also had wrought an almost deadly effect upon the affections of that people towards him. And that their belief of it was founded, not on forgery or malicious reports, but on real matter of fact.

And fo groundless is the pretence, that the Marquis of Ormond was furprized and puzzled at these proceedings of the bishops at James-town, as at an event, of which he was at a lofs to divine the cause, that it is manifeft, from a letter of his to Secretary Long, that he was fully apprised of them, and the motives that produced them, at least fourteen days before they were made public. For having mentioned, in that letter, an answer he had sent to a request of theirs, which he judged would be ill taken, he adds,' " which D 2 anfwer,

2 Id. ib. 3 Cart. Collect. Orig. Pap. vol. ii. p. 443.

d What Ormond himself fays on this occafion, is, " Inafmuch as for the want of encouragement of frequent dispatches, accompanied but with chearful promises, this people took themfelves to be abfolutely abandoned; nor was I able to refute malicious reports raised to that effect." This letter of Ormond's is dated June 27th, 1650; and the king had confented to make void the peace with the Irish, and had figned both the covenants, national and folemn, before they fuffered him to land in Scotland, which was on the 23d of that month. See Sir Edward Walker's Hift. Difcourf. Carte's Collect. of Orm. Papers.

anfwer, whether it will produce a direct declaration against me, and an excommunication of all thofe that fhall adhere to me, or not, is more than I am certain of, though I be told it will." This letter is dated the 2d of September; and the clergy's declaration and excommunication, were not published till the 15th of that month.

CHA P. XIII.

The clergy's proceedings at James-town, difapproved of by the generality of the Irifh catholics.

THESE violent proceedings of the Irish clergy, though, it must be confeffed, not unprovoked, were far from being approved of by the generality of the catholics of Ireland. "All the fober profeffors of the catholic religion," fays Clarendon,' " abhorred them; and most of the commiffioners of truft, and the principal nobility, and moft confiderable gentry remained firm in their particular affection and duty to the king; and in their fubmiffion to the authority of his lieutenant, notwithstanding the excommunication. And not only the whole nobility and gentry of fortune and intereft, fome very few of the latter excepted, but also many pious and learned men of the fecular and regular clergy, and even fome of the bifhops, did abhor and abominate the proceedings of that congregation, and the doctrine they infufed into the people; the fame being difowned by fome of those bishops, as being obtruded upon them by the major vote; or done by their procurators, without their affent or knowledge. And even others of them, who were present at the congregation, and fubfcribed the excommunication,

Hift. of the Irish Rebel.

See lords justices orders concerning Roman catholic priests, vol. i. p. 248.