96

COWARDICE OF JAMES.

before William,-a man consistent, brave, and fortunate,more fortunate, with regard to Ireland, than he deserved to be.

The folly of the Irish Catholics in adhering to James was fairly measured by the extent of his ingratitude. With a perverseness becoming his ignorance, he drew many of them to his ignominious exile, glossing his disgrace and their delusion by deceitful promises which could never be fulfilled, which, moreover, his cowardice had rendered nugatory. His conduct in Ireland was as ridiculous as impotent; his measures there to raise a party irretrievably fallen were useless to his hopes, and destructive of theirs, being calculated by his interested and inimical advisers, for instance, Clarendon, to rouse a hostility not inclined to slumber. The following passage is in the very best style of that sort of feeling which would describe motives of retaliation at such a time:

"While James and his power lingered in Ireland, he assembled a pseudo-parliament. He had chosen the members; he chose the measures 1st, the act of repeal, justifying all rebellion, breaking all faith; 2d, the act of attainder, proscribing thousands by name, and millions * by inference; 3d, the act for liberty of conscience, licence to the papists,

indignantly severe. "Your Majesty had the advantage of the best of them," said she, alluding to his being the first to carry tidings of his own defeat. It is remarkable that the Irish language contains no word to signify coward. The term applied to the timidity of James at the battle of the Boyne implies the quintessence of fear operating on the body.

* Does the writer of this elegant illusion speak of the population of Ireland then existing? He ought to be aware that the population of all Ireland did not then exceed one million. If he mean by the term "inference" millions yet unborn, how does the converse of his argument apply?

INFLUENCE OF HISTORY.

97

hardship to the reformed. The whole closed with the subversion of established institutions, dilapidation of churches, spoliation of bishopricks, denunciation, plunder, and oppression of the whole protestant community."

The final ruin of James was retarded by the same means as that of Charles I., namely, the Catholic soldiery, but with both the result was greatly different. The one lost his crown, and is deemed a martyr, because his head accompanied the diadem: the other saved his head, and gained everlasting disgrace. The victorious William won from the brave supporters of his father-in-law uncontrolled predominance for his protestant adherents, and secured possession of the vacated throne by a treaty with his gallant and only remaining opponents. Of this treaty, the last effort of that party, brief notice must be taken, not merely on account of its own merits, but for the moral importance it maintains in the history of Ireland.

The

However opinion may differ on speculative points, truth remains pure in its abstract and immortal character. generations of mankind that have passed away have left their reputation subject to investigation, and human power is but the obstruction of a shadow, when the eternal majesty of history, whose judgment is ever present, however it may be shunned, comes to fix its indelible stamp upon the thing that has been done. The treaty of Limerick is before every one who knows aught of Irish affairs, and should be read by all who wish to form an opinion on a subject of so much importance as the welfare of millions of of fellow-men.

It is worthy of observation, that almost every period of Irish affairs from its first connection with England, has

* State of Ireland, past and present.

98

LANDED PROPRIETORS.

been marked with continual wars, invariably on account of property, and these have been more or less bloody in proportion as the contending forces were numerous or few. The resources of the invaded had to grow up among themselves, under peculiar disadvantages, and lost their efficacy for want of unity of views and action; whilst those of the invaders had all the accessions which a superior population and a concentrated policy could bring into the field: hence the success of the one was desultory and defective, that of the other progressive and secure.

The weakness of James, a papist, made a way for the succession of William, a protestant, and each was adulated and publicly prayed for as his arms prevailed; - the protestant and presbyterians of large estate remained, in general, indifferent spectators of the dispute, because they knew of James's unwillingness to repeal the act of settlement, and they were sure of protection under William in the event of his success. The princely rivals were alike supported by foreign aid and civil dissension: the catholics who upheld James had nought but numerical force, and the protestants of Ireland who fought for William were not of the great landed class that description of persons was satisfied with what they had already gained; the soldiers of William's army were men of more humble character, but, like their wealthy precursors, were strongly actuated by the ambition of spoil, and there still remained wherewith to gratify their aims, and urge them to exertion.

:

The authority of the late earl of Clare has been already cited as unquestionable evidence of the measures pursued in determining the eventful transfer of property in Ireland: the following concise exposition shall conclude the subject; it was given in the progress of that eminent lawyer's speech on the Union in 1800. The importance of the

matter may serve as apology for the length of the quotation. "After the expulsion of James from the throne of England, the old inhabitants made a final effort for the recovery of their ancient power, in which they were once more defeated by an English army; and the slender relicks of Irish possessions became the subject of fresh confiscation. From the report made by the commissioners appointed by the parliament of England in 1698, it appears, that the Irish subjects, outlawed for the rebellion of 1688, amounted to three thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight, and that their Irish possessions, as far as could be computed, were of the annual value of two hundred and eleven thousand six hundred and twenty-three pounds; comprising one million sixty thousand seven hundred and ninety-two acres. This fund was sold under the authority of an English act of parliament, to defray the expences incurred by England in reducing the rebels of 1688, and the sale introduced into Ireland a new set of adventurers.

"It is a very curious and important speculation to look back to the forfeitures of Ireland incurred in the last century. The superficial contents of the island are calculated at eleven millions forty-two thousand six hundred and eighty-two acres. Let us now examine the state of forfeitures:

"In the reign of James I. the whole of Acres.
the province of Ulster was confiscated,

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POLICY CONTRASTED.

"So that the whole of your island has been confiscated, with the exception of the estates of five or six families of English blood, some of whom had been attainted in the reign of Henry VIII., but recovered their possesions before Tyrone's rebellion, and had the good fortune to escape the pillage of the English republic inflicted by Cromwell; and no inconsiderable portion of the island has been confiscated twice, or perhaps thrice in the course of a century. THE SITUATION, THEREFORE, OF THE IRISH NATION, AT THE REVOLUTION, STANDS UNPARALLELED IN

THE HISTORY OF THE INHABITED WORLD. If the wars of England carried on here, from the reign of Elizabeth, had been waged against a foreign enemy, THE INHABITANTS

WOULD HAVE RETAINED THEIR POSSESSIONS UNDER THE

ESTABLISHED Law of civilized NATIONS, and their country had been annexed as a province to the British empire."

An illustration confirmatory of the truth of the noble Earl's concluding observations is to be seen in the instance of Canada, which country is peopled with Catholics, and by the fortune of war came under British dominion; and although the inhabitants, being allowed the profession of faith to which they have been accustomed, have retained their possessions unimpaired, still are they most firmly and ardently attached subjects.* Had England been less covetous of the Irish acres, and left the conscience of the people free,

• The same remark applies most forcibly to the inhabitants of the island of Minorca, who, throughout the period they were subjects of Great Britain, enjoyed the full protection of the laws,— their religion and property being held in every respect inviolable. Their attachment has been, and still is enthusiastic. Even at the present day, although subject to another country, they evince an undiminished partiality to the English; and, on many recent occasions, they have manifested a grateful and friendly feeling for the benefits they formerly experienced under British government.