princes, through misplaced loyalty, when yet those princes were allowed to rule as fuch, provided they fuffered their nominal fubjects to be oppreffed by the great English lords of the Pale, who had their own private interest often too much in view to attend to that of their own king and country, much lefs to refpect the lives and properties of the untutored natives of Ireland.-While these things were fo, the Irish were not without excufes, which would admit of argument in their favour; and the executions and other punishments inflicted upon them in thofe earlier days, in which some English writers triumph, I own, have rather excited my pity, as I fhould think it muft that of any one who will diveft himself of unworthy prejudices, and liften to the dictates of mercy and humanity-And for this reafon it is that I have hitherto been abundantly cautious in the courfe of this hiftory how I charged men with imputed crimes, or ftigmatifed them with odious appellations for following what might appear to have the fpecious colouring of juftice, or oppofing when oppreffed, a government which they could scarcely confider as perfectly established among them.

But now the cafe was quite altered;-a king of their own stock, and, whatever were his defects, a gracious king to them, had established the Irish government upon a proper bafis, and laid the foundation of a juft and legal dependance upon the English crown. Every difobedient action committed after this æra must certainly have in it the true nature of treafon, and therefore I think no man of any party can with juftice blame me for the future, when after this reign I diftinguifh all illegal combinations for fuch purposes by the name of REBELLION, and term all thofe REBELS who are found to have any concern with them. Chichester,

B 3

Chichester, the lord deputy, was a man of great understanding and moderation. Situate as things were in Ireland, he could not but difcern that religion was the the chief pretext of the catholics for contending against the government; whilft, on the other hand he faw a body of men increafing continually in power and reputation, who were one day fated to overturn the ftate, to deluge all the three kingdoms with blood, and to throw them all alike into anarchy and confufion. These were the Puritans.-In Queen Elizabeth's reign they had been kept under, for fear of fharing in the fame punishment, which at pleasure fhe inflicted upon the papifts; and it is fear alone that can keep fome minds in awe. Thefe Puritans resembling much the first reformers, were of a fevere and obftinate difpofition; they were illiberal and vindictive, gloomy and referved, and attached to their own particular fect and perfuafion, with a zeal which equalled at least, if it did not exceed that of the moft bigotted papists. The connexion of England and Scotland which was established by the acceffion of James to the throne, occafioned an intercourfe between the fanatics of both nations, and the nature of the government confidered, it was not wonderful that they should spread in Ireland likewife, The lord deputy found thefe men as ready to complain against government as the others had been, though from contrary motives. If the papifts thought the Catholic religion too much oppreffed, the puritans afferted that it was too much encouraged, They clamoured against the indulgence fhewn to the catholics in the matter of diftributing the lands in Ulfter; they complained that thofe who had always been enemies to the ftate fhould be at all favoured or intrufted; they were loud in their requifitions that the laws against popish re

cufants

cufants should be put in execution; in effect, they blamed the mild government of Chichester, and would fain have urged him once more to renew the scene of blood and confufion from which Ireland had been. fo lately delivered. But the lord deputy was too fteady in the pursuit of the plan which he had laid down, and which had hitherto answered his purpofe as well as he could poffibly expect; and though he had enemies among all parties, who ftrove to mifreprefent his actions both to king James, and to thofe whom he governed yet he had the happiness to be approved of by his prince, aud to have his conduct well understood and applauded by all good and fenfible men in both kingdoms.

Accordingly, paffing over into England to give an account of his adminiftration, he was most favourably received by Janies, and created baron of Belfaft, on the twenty-third of February, in the year fixteen hundred and fifteen, when Thomas Jones, and Sir John Denham were fworn lords juftices in Ireland, the latter of whom was the first that improved the customs in Ireland, which when farmed were lett for five hundred pounds the firft year, but before his death their value amounted to no less than fifty-four thou fand pounds, an aftonishing increase in the space of eighteen years, for he died on the fixth day of January, in the year fixteen hundred and thirty-eight.

But in the Auguft following the new lord deputy, Sir Oliver St. John, arrived and was fworn lord deputy, who does not feem to have copied his predeceffor's moderation, nevertheless it appears that the catholics were rather troublesome in his time, inveighing against the proteftant government, and reviving the old queftion about B 4

the

the king's fupremacy, on account of which he is faid to have imprisoned ninety citizens of Dublin.

And now no magiftrates or officers were fuffered who would not take the oath of fupremacy; -the catholics had their regulars banished, and Sir William Jones, lord chief justice, feized on the liberties of Waterford, becaufe Nicholas White, the mayor refused this oath (which, however, was not tendered him till he had been in that office above a year,) and then the city electing John Skiddy, he alfo refufed that oath, and Alexander Cuffe did the fame, so that at length Walter Cleer was fworn mayor, who continued in the office; neither had the city any recorder fince the death of Nicholas Walfh, in the year fixteen hundred and fixteen; all which things were found by inquifition; nevertheless, perhaps, thefe feverities at that time had been better omitted.

The lord deputy being complained of, a commiffion was fent over to examine into the cause of fuch complaints, and thofe who were appointed for this purpose wifely judging that little redress of grievances could be had whilft the accufed party continued in power, procured a fucceffor to be named, and after much dispute about the matter, he was alfo re-called. However, he found means to make his caufe good, or to make it appear fo, and befides being loaded with honour had two hundred and thirty pounds allowed him to defray the charge of his voyage to England.

Adam Loftus, vifcount Ely, and Richard Wingfield, viscount Powerfcourt were fworn lords juftices on the fourth day of May, and foon after received a letter from his majefty, ordering them to allow the new lord deputy, Falkland, his full entertainment, and all requifites from the day that the other furrendered the fword, deducting

for

for themselves the fum of two thousand pounds per annum, till he receive the fword, which was done accordingly.

Henry Cary, viscount Falkland, was fworn on the eighth of September, fixteen hundred and twenty-two, at which time bifhop Ufher preached a fermon on a fubject he had better not have meddled with. In the latter end of the reign fome feverities were practifed against the papifts, which they failed not to remember at a proper opportunity. And at this juncture died James the Sixth of Scotland, and the First of England, who was a prince of more talents than judgement, and of greater fchool-learning than policy or undeftanding,

The only furviving fon of James afcended the Charles I, throne, on the death of his father, by the title of Charles the First, who was undoubted heir to the crown, and who feemed to have, together with an uncontefted title, every advantage that could be hoped for, to adorn and fecure his royal eftate; yet indeed it was far otherwife; for almost from the beginning, plans were laid to ruin his government.-The Puritans in England, who had been increafing in number, wealth, and power, all the laft reign, now formed a very confiderable body, fuch as threatened to disturb the peace of the nation, which indeed they quite deftroyed in the fequel, while the catholics in Ireland were meditating a plan which at laft broke out into open rebellion.

Henry, viscount Falkland, was continued lord deputy, who had many difputes with the chancellor, in which it feems the court thought the latter was in fault, and iffued orders accordingly.

Amongst many other complaints of a more private nature, was one made by the lord Courcy,

That