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were daily committed by his foldiers on that miserable people, not only with impunity, but even by his own constrained order, or connivance. But injuftice and cruelty had then the fanction of law; and, in fo difmal a conjuncture, it is not, perhaps, lefs meritorious to employ power to prevent the increase of evil (as he often did his) than it is, in better and more equitable times, to exert its authority and influence for the promotion of actual good."

CHAP.

into the cavity of the rock, yet it came out again at other crevices; upon which he ordered thofe places to be closely stopped, and another smoak to be made; and the fire was continued till about midnight; and then taken away, that the place might be cool enough for his men to enter the next morning; at which time they went in armed with back, breaft, and head-piece, found the man, who had fired the pistol dead; and put about fifteen to the fword; but brought four or five out alive, with priests robes, a crucifix, chalice, and other furniture of that kind (but no arms.) Thofe, within," fays he, "preserved themselves by laying their heads close to a water, that ran through the rock. We found two rooms in the place, one of which was large enough to turn a pike." Such were the enemies whose lives thefe gallant regicides were inceffantly hunting after. A fcore of defpoiled people, lurking in caverns from the fury of their purfuers, and furnifhed but with one pistol to guard the entrance of their hiding place! From the character of these barbarians, we may well believe (though Ludlow does not mention it) that thofe four or five wretches, whom they brought alive out of the rock, foon after met with the fate of their companions.

It is affirmed, that the Dutchefs of Ormond, after the reftoration, begged the king on her knees, that Henry Cromwell might enjoy the estate given to him in Ireland by his father during his protectorship; which was granted, because Oliver had given her poffeffion of three thousand pounds a year for her jointure, out of her own eftate. Unkind Deserter, p. 139.

СНА A P. V.

Contrivances of Sir Charles Coote and Lord Broghill.

“THE ' king's interest had been so totally extinguish

ed in Ireland, for many years past, that there was no perfon of any confideration there, who pretended to revive it. At the death of Cromwell, and at the depofition of his fon Richard, Henry Cromwell was invested with the full authority in Ireland; the two presidents of Munster and Connaught, were Lord Broghill and Sir Charles Coote, both equally depending on the lord lieutenant; and they the more depended upon him, and courted his protection, by their not loving one another, though ftill agreeing in a long averfion to the king, by multiplications of guilt. Amidst the many fucceeding changes in the government, the two presidents remained in their several provinces, with full power; either because they had not deferved to be suspected, or because they could not be easily removed." Some fufpicion, however, there was of Lord Broghill, which he took uncommon pains to remove; for, but a few months before the king was reftored, he wrote to Secretary Thurloe," " that he had heard, he and his friends were mifrepresented in England, as perfons, that intended to fet up for themselves, and to make Ireland a back door to let Charles Stewart into England ; and thereby, at one blow, to cut up by the roots the precious rights they had been fo long contending for. But he profeffed, that he knew nothing further from the thoughts of all his acquaintance and friends; for that intereft, as well as duty, would keep them from fo ruinous a wickedness." a

a

Clarend. Life, vol. ii. p. 107. 2 War. Hift. Ir. Reb.

In

Broghill's biographer, panegyrift and chaplain, tells us, that at a council of the ufurpers in the time of Richard Crom

well,

3

In the confufion that now arofe, from different revolutions in the state, Sir Charles Coote took an opportunity to fend an exprefs to the king, with a tender of his obedience, and with great cautions, as to the time of appearing; only defiring, "to have fuch commiffions in his hands, as might be applied to his majesty's fervice in a proper conjuncture; which were sent to him, and never made ufe of by him. He expreffed great jealoufy of Broghill, and unwillingness that he fhould know of his engagement. Coote found affiftance to feize upon the castle of Dublin, and the perfons of those that were in authority, who were imprisoned by him; and the government was fettled in fuch a manner, as was thought most agreeable to the prefbyterian humour; until, upon the king's restoration, General Monck was declared lord lieutenant of Ireland; foon after which, the king was proclaimed at Dublin, and in every other part of the kingdom." b

3 Clarend. ubi fupra.

CHA P.

well," he offered a teft to purge the army, which was, that all fhould be turned out of it who would not fwear to defend the government as it was then established under the protector and parliament." Morrice's Mem. prefixed to Orrery's State Letters, P. 56.

But even after the king was proclaimed, "the pulpits, filled with Scots covenanters, rang with nothing but warm exhortations to stand by the covenant, even unto blood, virulent invectives against the bishops and vehement harangues against epifcopacy and liturgies. These were the only fubjects of their preachings for four months together." Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 208. "It was by the underhand encouragement of fome great men (who did not care to declare themfelves openly) that the fectaries grew fo bold at this time, as to petition against bishops, and fo refractory as to infult the laws, which obliged them to conformity." Id. ib. f. 210.

CHA P. VI.

Commiffioners fent from Ireland; their characters and defigns.

As foon as the king was proclaimed, Sir Charles

Coote and his affociates fent commiffioners to his majefty, whom they called commiffioners from the state; and a prefent of money from the fame, accompanied with all thofe profeflions of duty, which could be expected from the best of fubjects.

Thefe commiffioners were the Lord Broghill, Sir Audley Mervin, Sir John Clotworthy, and feveral other perfons of quality, much the greater number whereof "had been always notorious for the differvice they had done the king. All thefe commiffioners from the state had inftructions, to which they were to conform, in defiring nothing from the king, but the fettling of his own authority amongst them, the ordering the army, the reviving the execution of the laws, and fettling the courts of justice, and fuch other particulars, as purely related to the public; and their public addresses were to this, and no other purpofe. But then,' to their private friends, and such as they defired to make their friends, most of them had many pretences of merit, and many expedients by which the king might reward them, and out of which they might be able liberally to gratify their patrons. And by these means, all who ferved the king were furnished with fuits enough to make their fortunes, in which they prefently engaged themfelves, with very troublesome importunity to the king himself, and all others, who, they thought, had credit, or power to advance their defires."

4

Lord Broghill appeared fo very generous, and to be without the leaft pretence to any advantage to himself, that he quickly got himself believed; and having free

• Clarendor's Life.

2. Id. ib.

+ Ib. vol. ii. p. 110.

3 Id. ib.

free access to the king, by mingling apologies for what he had done, with promises of what he would do, he made himself fo acceptable to his majefty, that he heard him willingly, because he made all things easy to be done and compaffed; and gave fuch affurances to the bed-chamber men, to help them to good fortunes in Ireland, which they had reason to despair of in England, that he wanted not their teftimony on all occafions, nor their defence and vindication, when any thing was reflected upon to his disadvantage or reproach."

The ground-work of the before-mentioned expedients, proposed by these commiffioners for the public fervice of the kingdom, was the calling a new parliament, confifting only of proteftant peers, and commoners; a general pardon, and indemnity to all the proteftants; and that nothing fhould be done to the prejudice of the adventurers or foldiers; or towards qualifying the Irish for recovering poffeffion of their eftates.

С НА Р. VII.

The Irish catholics excluded out of the general act of oblivion.

IT was apprehended that the act of oblivion, and general pardon, which the English parliament had been drawing up to be prefented to the king at his landing, might be fo extenfive as to comprehend the Roman catholics of Ireland.' To prevent this, other agents were fent over by perfons concerned in the new purchafes all these attended the house of commons, fuggefting continually, that they never could be fecure in any parliament, that could be called in Ireland, if it did not exclude out of that act of general indemnity, all perfons who had any hand in the rebellion; under which notion, they comprehended promifcuoufly all thofe

;

5 Carte's Orm. vol. ii.

Id. ib. f. 205.

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