parliament understanding, viscount Costelloe, and myself, were sent from the lord's house, and others from the commons, to desire the continuance of parliament, till the rebels, then few in number, were reduced. But our advice was slighted, and the parliament next day prorogued, to the great surprise of both houses, and the general diflike of all knowing and honest men."

"As it evidently appears, from divers circumstances, that the justices, Parsons and Borlase, rather wished for and promoted, than endeavoured to prevent this insurrection, so it is still more manifest, that all their subsequent proceedings tended only to increase and extend it, for their own iniquitous private purpose. Sir Robert Talbot, of Castle-Talbot, in the county of Wicklow, repaired to Dublin in the beginning of the troubles; and offered to Sir William Parsons in the presence of dean Bulkely, who lived to attest it after the restoration, to secure the chief heads of the Byrnes, Tooles, and other septs in that county, who, as their lands had been planted some years before, were the likeliest men to rise and begin a rebellion in Leinster, if he would give him commission to do so; insisting that they would not stir while their chiefs were in custody, as so many hostages for their fidelity. But Sir William Parsons absolutely refused to give him a commission; and these septs soon after breaking out into rebellion, Sir Robert engaged against them, in defence of the English in that and the adjoining county of Catherlogh, and conveyed most of these English with their goods

and flocks safe to Dublin. He had, indeed, the lords justices thanks for this service, but it cost him dear; for in revenge thereof, two of his best houses, Cartan and Liscartan were burned by the Irish.

"The earl of Ormond's early offer to suppress these tumults in their beginning, met with no better reception from their lordships; for that nobleman having undertaken to pursue the rebels, then in no respect considerable, if he might be allowed meat and drink for the soldiers in his march, his proposal was rejected. "The only reason assigned by the justices for this refusal, viz. the want of arms, was," says Mr. Carte, "a pretence so notoriously false, that it could only be made use of to cover motives which they were ashamed to confess; for there was, at this time, in the stores of the castle, a fine train of artillery, ammunition of all sorts in great quantities, arms for above ten thousand men, tents and necessaries of all kinds for the march and provision of an army; all which had been prepared by the earl of Strafford for the Scots expedition.

"What these justices real motives were, soon after appeared. In the before-mentioned short session of November sixteenth, both houses had drawn up a letter to the king, which was sent by the lords Dillon and Taaffe; and in which they offered of themselves, and without any aid from England, to put an end to this insurrection," Immediately upon this, the justices, and their party in the council, privately wrote to the earl

of Leicester, lord lieutenant of Ireland; and after telling him they expected and hoped for his secrecy, and that they could not open themselves with freedom at the council-board, they besought his lordship that no such overture should be accepted; among other reasons, because the charge of supplies from England, would be abundantly compensated out of the estates of those who were actors in the rebellion." From this information, the lords Dillon and Taaffe, with their papers, were seized at Ware, by order of the English house of commons; and detained in custody several months, till they made their escape to the king, then at York; but it was then too late to offer a remedy, as the insurrection was become in a manner general."*

The justices were indefatigable in their efforts to further an Irish rebellion. Though they refused to arm the Pale in the government's defence, they lent a few arms to lord Gormanstown, and some others, for the defence of their houses, which they shortly afterwards recalled, in token of distrust. The lords and gentlemen, thus left defenceless, repaired to Dublin, to live under the eye and protection of government. An order is issued to them to quit Dublin and its vicinity, and to return to their respective habitations, in twenty-four hours, on pain of death. "It

appears from Borlase, that these justices published two proclamations of that kind, even before the end of October, 1641. As that writer,

*Curry's Rev. Civil Wars in Irel.

after having said that they had issued a proclamation," in his majesty's name, commanding all persons, not dwellers in the city and suburbs, to depart within an hour after publication, on pain of death," adds, "that the state, on the twentyeighth of October, published a proclamation to the same intent with the former, with the penalty of death to such as wilfully harboured them."*

"Another proclamation of the like tenor, and on the penalty of death, was issued by these justices, on the eleventh of November following."*

Still no insurrection in the Pale, or in the provinces of Leinster, Munster and Connaught. Sir Charles Coote was dispatched to the county of Wicklow, where the man of blood committed bis usual cruelties; particularly in the county town, where he spared neither age or sex. To a soldier, carrying about a babe on the point of his pike, he cried out, I like such frolics.' On his return to Dublin, he was appointed governor of the city, for services so palatable to the justices and the English rebel parliament.

The justices, on the third of December, 1641, invited the lords of the Pale to confer with them on the state of the nation; which the latter had reasons not to comply with. The catholics of Dublin were disarmed the day before. The threat of extirpating those of their religion, uttered at the council board by Coote, had reached them. Their banishment to their country seats, on pain

* Borlase's Hist. of the Irish Rebellion.

of death, where they remained, exposed to the incursions of the rebels, disarmed, defenceless; liable, in consequence, to be treated as harbourers of rebels, by persons, whose perfidy, avarice and cruelty, were on a par. What, invite people to a conference in Dublin, banished then on pain of death, and judged unfit to be trusted with arms? Hence, they justly considered the summons as an artifice to draw them into town, with an intent to destroy them, and seize their estates. In consequence of these not unfounded apprehensions, they returned an answer, signed by the earl of Fingal, lords Gormanstown, Slane, Dunsany, Netterville, Louth, and Trimblestown, stating their unshaken loyalty to the king, and their ardent desire to concur in any measures calculated to promote his majesty's service; notwithstanding their advice and proferred assistance had been rejected; and that, seeing the wanton murders, committed by soldiers acting under their orders, and being duly informed of a general massacre of catholics being threatened, they thought it adviscable to stand on their best guard until security could be obtained from their lordships for their safety.

The better to understand the state of the country, and its parties, we shall divide and consider them apart. The antient inhabitants, whether Firbolgs or Milesians, had abundant causes of disaffection to English government and connexion; yet many of their leading men were wedded to both, especially in Munster and Connaught. The catholics, of English descent espe