Page images
PDF
EPUB

d

he would folicit his majefty, and, (as he had good grounds to hope) with fuccefs, for a confirmation under his hand." And, two days before that declaration iffued,' Lord Inchiquin wrote to the fame prefbytery," that he being a well-wisher to the presbyterian government, and honoured with a public truft by his majesty, knew that his majesty was refolved, for their fatisfaction, to establish the prefbyterian government in them parts; and, he believed, in other parts also of the kingdom. And no man knows," adds his lordfhip, "whether the whole number of proteftants may not agree to embrace it."

CHA P. XV.

The total defection of the proteftant forces. SHORTLY after the presbytery's declaration was published, there was such a general defection in the northern army, that the Marquis of Ormond told the king, in December 1649,'" that his majesty might account that province, if not wholly loft, yet in a low and defperate condition; and that he expected to be ftrongly invaded from thence next fummer." In that letter it was, that he defired his majefty's permiffion to withdraw himself out of the kingdom," becaufe it was unable of itself, and without powerful aids from abroad, to refift the growing power of the rebels." Yet, when his lordship did withdraw himself, fome months after, he greatly encreased these rebels power, by permitting, or rather tranfmitting, the forces then under his immediate command to join and affift them. For, when he

[ocr errors]

3 Presbyterian Loyalty, p. 409. 'Carte's Orm. vol. ii. p. 422.

2 Id. ib.

was

Borlafe fays, "that amongst the prefbyterians he went for a patron." Irish Rebel. fol. 243. He fays alfo," that the Lord of Ards (a little before this) had been chofen by the prefbyterian minifters, their commander in chief, thereby poffeffing himself of Carrickfergus and Belfast." Ib. fol. 273.

was preparing to leave the kingdom, and had defigned Lord Clanrickard for his deputy, "he permitted," fays the Earl of Orrery, "all thofe worthy proteftants, who, till then, had ferved under him, to come off to the reft of the proteftants, though then headed by Ireton himself, esteeming them fafer with that real regicide, fo accompanied, than with those pretended antiregicides, fo principled." How these (as he is pleased to call the confederates) pretended antiregicides were principled, with refpect to his majesty's fervice, fufficiently appears from what has been already related.* Nor, indeed, was Ormond himself unconfcious, that both their attachment to his majefty, and oppofition to these rebels, were real and permanent. For when upon a former occafion, he folicited leave from the English parliament, to transport five thoufand foot, and five hundred horfemen, together with himself, out of the kingdom into France, in order to obtain their confent, he obferved, "that it would be a fure means of ridding their partizans in Ireland of many unfure friends among the king's party, as well as many certain enemies among the Irifh;" and the by facilitate the reduction of the kingdom to their obedience. Thus were many of thofe proteftant forces, under his excellency, whom he calls the king's party, acknowledged by himself to be friends to the English rebels, though unfure, and the confederate Irifh catholics to be their certain enemies.

4

5

By this great acceffion of forces, permitted to thefe real regicides, the ruin of Ireland was quickly completed. Such permiffion, however, was perfectly confonant to his excellency's former agreement in 1647, when he delivered up all his power and authority to the

3 Answer to Walsh.

fame

In the year 1647. .

5 Cart. Orm. vol. i. fol. 603.

"It may be (fays P. Walfh) that the Earl of Orrery himself is a witness beyond all exception, that the Irish catholics were the last in the three kingdoms that laid down their arms, and gave over fighting for the royal caufe." Reply to a Person of Quality, p. 50.

fame party. And in fact, had any comment been wanting to explain the motives of that agreement, this permiffion would be a very full, and clear one; for, as the fame Lord Orrery obferves, and seems to appeal to Ormond himself, then lord lieutenant of Ireland, for the truth of the whole paffage," "certainly, he esteemed thofe lefs ill, to whom he fent his friends, than those from whom he fent them;" and confequently, was more folicitous for the interefts and fuccefs of the former, than for those of the latter; which, furely, was befides, an unpardonable impofition on his truly noble friend, the Marquis of Clanrickard; with whom in appearance, he left the government of the kingdom, but in reality, by that permiffion, deprived him of the means of defending and preferving it.

СНА Р. XVI.

C.

Treaty with the Duke of Lorrain. DISTRESSED as the confederate catholics now were, and deferted by all the proteftant forces of the kingdom, their fidelity and zeal for his majesty's fervice remained unaltered. While the general affembly was still fitting at Loughrea, very favourable offers of accommodation were fent them by the regicides, which they not only rejected, but they alfo prevailed on the deputy to iffue a proclamation, declaring all thofe of their communion, guilty of high treafon, and punifhable with death, who fhould aid or affift them; and fuch as were already with them, and did not quit their fervice in fourteen days, were, by the fame proclamation, made liable to the fame punifhment. The bishops likewife, prefent in that affembly, denounced excommunication against all catholics, who either ferved under the regicides, or entered into any treaty of pacification with them.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Yet loyal as this perfeverance of the Irish clergy was, (not leffened by the daily defertions of the proteftant royalifts, or by the increasing power and fuccefs of the regicides,) it has not hindered party-malice to fuggeft, that they were, even at this juncture, inftilling fuch fentiments into the minds of their people, as were utterly incompatible with their allegiance to the king, or due fubmiffion to his lieutenant." The Irish," we are told, “had still as much of Ireland in their power, as could maintain a war against all the English rebels there; that his excellency the Marquis of Clanrickard, had argument enough to hope, if he could be confident of the union of the nation; that he might have reasonably promised himself an union of the nation, if he could have been confident of the affection and integrity of the clergy; but that the greatest part of the Irish ecclefiaftics had no mind to have any relation to the English nation, and as little to return to their obedience to the crown; that it was by the advice and influence of these ecclefiaftics, that the confederate catholics were firft inclined to treat with the English rebels for conditions; and that afterwards, fuch offers were made to the Duke of Lorrain by commiffioners of their chufing, as in effect transferred the whole right and fovereignty of that kingdom to his highnefs."

But, befides what has been already related of the temper, and difpofition of these ecclefiaftics, and of the ftate of the nation at that dismal juncture, the whole of this charge is inconteftably proved to be falfe, from that "state of his majesty's affairs, and the condition of his faithful fubjects in Ireland, which the Marquis of Clanrickard himself transmitted to the Marquis of Ormond, on occafion of the above-mentioned treaty with the Duke of Lorrain."

For therein his lordfhip fets forth," that the power and fuccefs of the rebels were fuch, as that the whole nation

3 Clarend. Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 339.

4 Clanrick. Mem. Dub. ed. p. 56..

nation was in their poffeffion, or fubject to their contribution, except the province of Connaught, and county of Clare, his majesty's city of Limerick, and town of Galway; and that the faid province of Connaught, and county of Clare were, for the most part, wafte; that the inhabitants thereof were utterly impoverifhed; that no confiderable forces could be brought together to maintain a defenfive war against the rebels, much less an offenfive; that the city of Limerick, and town of Galway had of a long time, out of a feeling sense they had of their own deftruction, been inclined to treat for conditions with the rebels; that the fame was the resolution of most of the other people of Ireland, who could not humanely fee how they could be otherwise preserved; and that many of the officers of his majesty's army did, from several parts of the kingdom, represent their sense that it was abfolutely necessary for the people's prefervation to treat with the rebels for conditions, feeing there was no power to refift

them."

From hence it is manifeft, that whatever inclination these deserted Irish had to treat with the rebels, was not at all owing to the advice, or influence of their clergy; but naturally arose from that irremediable distress, to which they then found themselves reduced, and from the difmal profpect of its daily increase, until it fhould end in their total deftruction.

"But no fooner," proceeds Lord Clanrickard,' "had these Irish understood, that the Duke of Lorrain's ambaffador had arrived in Ireland, with offers of powerful affistance for the prefervation of the catholic religion,

s Clanrick. Mem. Dub. ed. p. 56.

a Yet Clarendon himself, in the account of his own life, contradicts all this. For he there fays, "that when the fuccefs of the parliament had totally fubdued the king's arms, and himself was fo inhumanly murdered, neither the forces in Ireland under the king's authority, nor the Irish, who had too late fubmitted to it, could make any long refiftance; fo that Cromwell quickly dispersed them by his own expedition thither." Vol. ii. p. 14. Cromwell invaded Ireland in August 1649, and remained there but about eight months.

« PreviousContinue »