thofe of the Roman catholic religion, who had been sequestered or in arms.

4

Reports alfo were industriously spread by thefe agents that the Irish were ready to rife into a new rebellion. But this was a thing 2 impoffible to be conceived by any body that knew the miserable condition of these people. There were, indeed, fome perfons, who had been deprived of their eftates, fo tranfported with the thoughts of regaining them upon the king's being proclaimed, that they endeavoured to take poffeffion of them immediately, without having recourse to those methods which the law prescribes, in cafe of being unlawfully dif-feized. These were chiefly of those Irish gentlemen, who had been found innocent, when in Cromwell's time, inquifition was made into the guilt of perfons concerned in the rebellion; and who were afterwards by him forced to quit their ancient eftates, and accept of other lands in Connaught or Clare in lieu thereof. They had fuffered grievoufly in the exchange, and having been transplanted by an ufurped power, eafily imagined, they might warrantably re-enter upon their former poffeffions, and eject the intruders, as all in England did, whofe eftates had been taken from them' by the ufurpers. Hence arose several riots and disturbances, which the convention at Dublin taking hold of, published on May the 20th, a declaration for preferving the peace, and quieting poffeffions; and the fevere laws and ordinances lately made by the ufurpers against the Irifh, were hereupon put in execution. They were not allowed to go from one province to another, to tranfact their bufinefs; abundance of the eftated men were imprisoned, all their letters to and from Dublin intercepted, and the gentry forbid to meet, and thereby deprived of the means of agreeing upon agents to take care of their interests, and of an opportunity to represent their griev

CHA P. VIII.

A proclamation published against the Irish. THE members of both houfes of the English parliament thus clofely folicited by the convention agents, and too apt of themselves to believe the worst things that could be fuggefted concerning these people, joined in a representation to his majesty, as foon as he came to London," that many of the natives of Ireland, who had been deeply guilty of the late rebellion, had broke out of late into new acts of force and violence, some of them robbing, defpoiling, and murdering feveral of the protestants there planted, and others by force entering upon, and difquieting the poffeffions of the adventurers, and foldiers, to the great and manifest disturbance of the English plantation; and they defired that a proclamation might be iffued to reprefs thefe attempts.

2

The king accordingly, on the 3d of June, 1660, iffued a proclamation, wherein, taking notice, by the information of the lords and commons, that many of the natives of Ireland had broken out into the abovementioned acts of violence, and bloodfhed, "did, by the advice of faid lords and commons, hold it his duty to God, and the whole proteftant intereft, to command, publish and declare, that all Irish rebels, other than fuch as by articles had liberty to refide in his dominions, and had not forfeited the benefit thereof, that fhould refort to England, or Ireland, fhould be forthwith apprehended, and proceeded against as rebels and traitors; and that the adventurers, foldiers and others, who were on the 1st of January last past, in poffeffion of any of the manors, caftles, houfes, or lands of any of the faid Irish rebels, should not be disturbed in their poffeffions, till either legally evicted by due courfe of law, or till his majefty,

majefty, by the advice of parliament, had taken further order therein."

This proclamation was not more injurious to many of the loyal Irish, whom it caused to be imprifoned, or driven out of both kingdoms, than it was fortunate to all those, whom the late ufurpers had left mafters of their eftates. For, by being thus preserved in the enjoyment of the freeholds, they were enabled to chufe reprefentatives to their mind, in the enfuing parliament, who, they knew, would confirm and perpetuate their unjust poffeffions.

CHA P. IX.

The Irish parliament.

LORD Chancellor Eustace, Lord Broghill, now Earl of Orrery, and Sir Charles Coote, now alfo Earl of Montrath,

a❝Thefe two (new) earls," fays Clarendon, "had been eminently against the king; but upon this turn, when all other powers were down, were eminently for him. But the king had not then power to chufe any against whom fome as material objections might not be made. With them there were too many others, upon whom honours were conferred; upon fome, that they might do no harm, who were thereby enabled to do the more.' Clar. Life, vol. ii. p. 219.

Yet fome writers weakly contend, that Orrery was all along, even while he ferved Cromwell, eminently, though fecretly for him. Among the reft his biographer, Morrice, draws a ridiculous inference of fuch loyal intention in his lordship, from fome of the worst and most obnoxious circumstances of his conduct, when moft intimately connected with that ufurper." When Lord Orrery," fays he, "had given his word to be faithful to Cromwell, it would have been difhonourable in him not to keep it. He ferved the protector while he lived, honestly, difintereftedly, and zealoufly, and ftill with a view of bringing back the king; of which the defign of marrying his majesty to Cromwell's daughter, was a strong inftance, and from the fame motive did his lordship endeavour to perfuade Cromwell to accept the title of king." Mem. of E. Orrery, prefixed to his Lett. p. 98.

C.

The

Montrath, were appointed lords juftices of Ireland. They had procured inftructions to be fent them from England," to tender the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy, to all his majesty's fubjects; to proceed according to law against those that should refuse them; and to prepare fuch bills, as by them and the privy council (which was then likewise appointed) fhould be thought to be for the good of the people, in order to a parliament.

That parliament met on the 8th of May, 1661. The house of commons confifted of two hundred and fixty members, of which number, all but fixty-four were burgeffes. And 2 Cromwell having filled all the corporations

b

'Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 212.

2 Id. Ib.

The editor of Orrery's letters (the late Earl of Orrery) pretends, that his predeceffor " proposed this match between the king and the protector's daughter, with a remote hope that fuch an alliance might at length bring about a restoration." But how remote, or rather impoffible muft fuch hope have been, when the fame Orrery endeavoured to perfuade the protector himself to accept the title of king? Or perhaps his lordship meant it to be remote in this fenfe, that after King Oliver's decease, King Charles was to fucceed the throne, in virtue of this marriage.

"That houfe of commons confifted chiefly of adventurers and foldiers." Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 263.

For this reafon it seems to be, that from the year 1661 to 1666, the house of lords on all occafions of privilege and conferences, treated these commons with great flight, and even coutempt; frequently, after having appointed meetings with them on difputes of their respective privileges, having kept the committees of the commons waiting an hour at their lordships door, and afterwards adjourning themselves without meeting them. See Com. Journ. vol. ii. One paffage of this kind deserves fome notice: a conference was demanded by the lords on the usual wrangle about privilege; when the committee of the commons came to the place appointed, they found no forms for them to fit on as ufual; on which they fent to the black rod to appoint his fervants to place forms in the chamber behind the lords chairs; who returned answer, that he could not cause that to be done then they commanded the meffengers belonging to the commons to fet chairs for them instead of the faid forms,

Some

porations throughout the kingdom with a fet of peo ple of his own ftamp, it is eafy to account for the ftrength and prevalency of that party in the house,. which laboured to make good all the eftates of the adventurers and foldiers, how guilty foever, and refufed. to hearken to any reafonable propofal, in favour of the old proprietors, however innocent."

But even this favourable compofition of the house of commons did not content thefe ftate harpies. In order to have the dividing the spoil of the nation enVOL. II. tirely

G

Some time after the lords came down to the free conference, and they being fat, the committee of the commons took their feats behind their lordships, and as they were opening the free conference, their lordfhips whifpered to each other, and immediately thereupon told them they could not admit of that posture, and wondered they infifted on that point. After which they rofe, faying they would communicate what paffed to the house of lords: being asked by the commons if they should stay for their lordships return, one of the lords (Earl of Drogheda) looking back towards them, faid, "they had a mind all to be lords." Whereupon one of the commons (Capt. Molyneux) answered, why may not another rebellion make fome of us lords as former rebellions did make fome of your lordships predeceffors fó." At length the black rod came and acquainted them from the lords, that they intended not to return to the faid free conference. Id. vol. ii. f. 518-19. The lords on this occafion made a refolution not to meet the commons in any conference, till the commons made reparation for the affront, in fitting before them; and they kept their refolution during that parliament. Id. ib. vol. ii.

C

"Although his majesty in his letter to these lords justices of the 11th of March preceding, ordered them to fee Sir William Domville (an honeft and loyal gentleman) fettled speaker of this houfe of commons." (Orrery's State Lett. p. 34.) Yet Sir William not being thought a favourer of their defigns, they found means to fix Sir Audley Mervin, a Cromwellian and covenanter, in the chair." Ib. Orrery, in a letter to Ormond at this time, betrays their thoughts of this parliament's infuffici ency for their predatory purpose. "I writ my poor fenfe to your grace, fays he, how fit it might be, that after this parliament had done what it was requifite for them to do, an unqueftionable one might be called to confirm all; which I rejoice to find, was alfo my lord chancellor of Ireland's fenfe, and is fo well liked by his majefty, your grace, and my lord chancellor of England." State Lett. p. 68.