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HISTORY

O F

IRELAND,

FROM THE

EARLIEST ACCOUNTS

то тНЕ

Death of King
of King WILLIAM III.

By J. H. W Y N N E, Esq.

A NEW EDITION.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR T. EVANS, No. 50, IN THE STRAND, NEAR YORK

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THE

HISTORY

O F

IRELAND.

A

BOOK THE FOURTH.

FTER the death of queen Elizabeth, the council proclamed James the Sixth of Scot land king, and fent a meffage to him to notify his acceffion to the English throne, which as foon as he had advice of, he prepared to fet out for London, in the interim confirming the lord keeper and all the great officers of the crown in their places during pleasure. He was received with the loudeft acclamations by the people as foon as he entered England, and was furrounded by crowds of them, who poured forth ejaculations for his health, and the profperiry of his reign.

James, who was proud of being defcended from the ancient Scottish kings of Irish race,was not a little

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proud of that circumftance, which gave him a double claim to the kingdom of Ireland, and indeed rendered the Irifh more blameable whenever they oppofed his government,

Yet this they began to do virtually, as foon as his fucceffion was notified to them, which Cox attributes to the determination the univerfity of Valadolid fent over of the queftion, Whether an Irifh papift ought to obey or affift a proteftant king? And which they are faid to have given in the negative. However that be, not to detain the reader with tedious proteftations, he muft underftand that it was not without difficulty that king James was even proclaimed in Ireland;-and notwithstanding the abfolute fubmiffion of Tyrone, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Limerick, and many other cities, reftored the catholic religion by force. Indeed the behaviour of the firit of thefe was fuch as might give caufe to fufpect they meant to fet up for themselves; for they refufed to proclaim the king, and would not fuffer any body elfe to do so, intercepting his majefty's ftores, and committing open hoftilities against his fervants; flighting both the kindness and menaces of the lord deputy, Montjoy, (whom James had continued in his office) and making as if they would be willing to join in a confederacy to shake off his authority. In short, their obftinancy at laft obliged the lord deputy to enter their city in a hoftile manner, and to execute a few of the most feditious among them; which being done, he put fufficient garrifons, both into Cork and Waterford, and forced the inhabitants to take the oath of allegiance, and to renounce all foreign dependen, cies. Then he iffued a proclamation of indemnity and oblivion.After this being made a privy counsellor in England, he left the country, taking with him the earl of Tyrone and Rory O'Don

nel,

nel, both of whom were well received and even highly honoured at the English court.

The latter being created earl of Tyrconnel, Neal Garuffe, his competitor, who had done fome fervices to the English, but was a man of a favage and infolent difpofition, was highly offended with the English for the honour done to his adverfaries; but whatever he had done for the government, yet it does not feem that at this period they stood much in fear of what he could do against them.

Montjoy being departed to England, Sir Arthur Chichester was fworn lord deputy, who found enough to do to trim the balance between the bigotted Catholics. and their violent opposers.The credit of the former, however, fuffered both in England and Ireland, more from that unaccountable plot of the fifth of November, than from any of the enormities which they had been fairly convicted of in either of those kingdoms.It is the nature of man to be pleased with any thing aftonishing; and things which are aftonifhingly dreadful for that reafon feldom fail to have a number of believers. But whether this ftrange plot were a real one or not, it is certain that fome fuffered for it in their lives and goods, but infinitely a greater number in their character and reputation.

But there were those who alike deferved to fuffer in all thefe; for notwithstanding the king had published a commiffion of grace to establish the Irish in the quiet poffeffion of their eftates against any claims of the crown &c, yet he was foon after informed that there was a confpiracy on foot between the earls of Tyrone, Tyrconnel, &c. to furprise the castle of Dublin, and destroy the lord deputy.

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