(penal) laws; and befides many other freedoms and bounties conveyed to them, and their posterity, by these articles; there was a door, and that a large one, not left, but purposely fet open, to give them entrance to whatever of honour or other advantage they could reasonably wish." And yet, about the fame time that his lordship made this public and folemn declaration to the affembly, he, in a private letter to Sir Charles Coote, a parliamentarian rebel," averred with much confidence,' (they are his own words) that the advantages, which the Romish profeffors were fupposed to have, in religion or authority, by that peace, were no other but pledges for his majesty's confirmation of the other conceffions, and that they were to determine therewith;" as in truth they did.

CHA P. IV.

The happy effects of this peace. Ormond's defeat at Rathmines. Cromwell's arrival in Ireland.

I

THERE was, for fome time, great union and harmony between the English and Irish forces, now joined under the Marquis of Ormond's command. His excellency in a letter to the king, June 28th, 1649, acquainted him, ' "that the ground of his greatest confidence of future fuccefs was their present cordial conjunction against the rebels, their former difaffection to each other appearing, then, only in an emulation rather of advantage than hinderance, to his majesty's

s Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 52.

Id. Carte's Orig. Papers, vol. ii. p. 387.

Yet the king himself, in a letter to the Marquis of Ormond, March 9th, 1648, told him on this occafion," that he had lately received from Lord Byron the articles of the peace, which he had made in Ireland, together with a copy of his letter to him; that he was extremely fatisfied with both, and would confirm, wholly and entirely, all that was contained in the articles." Cart, Collec. of Orig. Papers, vol. ii. p. 363.

a

majesty's service." To this union it was certainly owing, that their first operations were extremely fuccessful; for in the fpace of a few months, they became masters of Sligo, Drogheda, Dundalk, Waterford, Trim, Newry, and in fhort of all the ftrong holds and towns in the kingdom, except Londonderry and Dublin. Towards this latter city, therefore, his excellency marched the combined armies; hoping to repair the mischiefs he had done by his late furrender of it to the English rebels, and to reduce it once more under his majesty's obedience. His excellency's exceffive confidence in thefe united forces, though now in want of almost every neceffary for his enterprise on Dublin, is one of the fuppofed caufes of his fatal difappointment in that attempt. That this confidence was indeed exceffive, appears by his letter of July 18th, to the king, from his camp at Finglas; for there he tells him," that which only threatens any rub to our fuccefs, is our wants, which have been, and are such, that foldiers have actually starved by their arms, and many of lefs conftancy, have run home: many of the foot are weak; yet I defpair not to be able to keep them together, and ftrong enough to reduce Dublin, if good fupplies of all forts come not speedily to relieve it. I am confident, I can perfuade one half of this army to ftarve outright; and I fhall venture far upon it, rather than give off a game, fo fair on our fide, and fo hard to be recovered if given over."

But while his excellency was thus fecurely making preparations for that enterprise at Rathmines, a place three

a

2 Carte's Orig. Pap. vol. ii. p. 389.

And yet Borlafe confidently afferts, from Clarendon, "that from the first hour of the peace (of 1648) these English and Irish had not been without that prejudice towards each other, as gave the marquis much trouble; and that they were rather incorporated by their obedience and fubmiffion to the authority and pleasure of their chief commanders, than united by the fame inclinations and affections to any public end." Hist. of the Irish Rebel. f. 287.

3

b

three miles from Dublin, his whole army was surpris ed and routed, by Michael Jones, governor of that city for the parliament, on the 2d of Auguft, 1649. Jones, according to the Marquis of Ormond's account, flew fix hundred in that engagement; fome upon the spot, and in the purfuit; but the greatest part after they had lain down their arms, upon promife of quarter, and had been, for almost an hour, prifoners; and divers of them were murdered, after they were brought within the works of Dublin." This fudden and unaccountable defeat at Rathmines, renewed, in the Irish, all their former fufpicions, that his excellency had ftill fome private understanding with the English rebels; and thefe fufpicions were increased, by the conftant ill fuccefs of all his fubfequent undertakings against their partizans in Ireland. To thefe misfortunes was foon after added a general panic, occafioned by the unparalleled cruelties of Oliver Cromwell, who landed at Dublin,+ on the 15th of that month, with eight thoufand foot, and four thousand horse, two hundred thousand pounds in money, and a vast quantity of ammunition, and all kind of neceffaries for war. "With thefe forces, he on

the

Cart. Orig. Pap. vol. ii. p. 397. + Carte's Orm. vol. ii. f. 83.

b"Fifteen hundred private foldiers, and three hundred officers, were made prifoners; about fix hundred flain; many of thefe, to the difgrace of the conquerors, when they had accepted quarter, and laid down their arms." Lel. Hift. of Irel. vol. iii. p. 346.

"Soon after this defeat," fays Borlafe," Jones was writ to by his excellency, to have a lift of the prifoners he had taken from him to whom it was replied, "My lord, fince I routed your army, I cannot have the happiness to know where you

are, that Í may wait upon you. Michael Jones." Irish Rebel.

fol. 280.

Borlafe informs us, "that this defeat at Rathmines altered the refult of councils at court, till then very strong for his majefty's repair into Ireland, the Scots having given ill proof of their integrity and faith. And certainly," adds he, "the Irish were, at that time, fo difpofed, as properly they would have fubmitted to his majefty, whatever afterwards might have been the result of their compliance." Hift. Ir. Reb. f. 280.

the 3d of September, befieged and took Drogheda by ftorm. And although all his officers and foldiers,' had promised quarter to fuch of the garrifon, as would lay down their arms; and performed it, as long as any place held out, which encouraged others to yield; yet when they once had got all in their power, Cromwell, being told by Jones that he had now the flower of the Irish army in his hands, gave orders that no quarter fhould be given; fo that many of his foldiers were forced to kill their prifoners."

f

The Marquis of Ormond, in a letter to Lord Byron on this occafion, fays, "" that Cromwell exceeded even himself, for any thing he had ever heard of, in breach of faith and bloody inhumanity; and that the cruelties exercised there, for five days after the town was taken, would make as many several pictures of inhumanity, as are to be found in the book of martyrs, or the relation of Amboyna." In this carnage, out of three thousand, he left only about thirty perfons alive; and these he fent to Barbadoes.

CHAP.

5 Carte's Orm. vol. ii. fol. 44. Lel. Hift. vol. iii. p. 350. ❝ Cart. Collect. of Orig. Pap. vol. ii.

"Cromwell marched from Dublin to Drogheda, on the 30th of Auguft, 1649, with an army of nine or ten thousand men." Borl. Irish Reb. f. 282.

"Cromwell, they fay, made his foldiers believe, that the Irish ought to be dealt with as the Canaanites in Joshua's time." Dr. Anderfon's Royal Genealogies, p. 786.

"The brave governor, Sir Arthur Afton, Sir Edmund Verney, the Colonels Warren, Fleming and Byrne, were killed in cold blood; and indeed all the officers, except fome few of the least confideration, that escaped by miracle." Carte's Orm. vol. ii. fol. 84.

And yet, in the Journals of the Irish Commons, an. 1697, we find recorded, "the very great and fignal fervices done by this Lieutenant General Jones, in reducing Ireland to the obedience of England:" i. e. to the rebel parliament of England. Com. Journ. vol. ii. f. 864.

CHAP. V.

Cromwell's policy to reduce Ireland.

a

CROMWELL having foon after repeated the fame cruelties in the town of Wexford, which was betrayed to him by one Stafford, increased the general terror to fuch a degree, "that towns fifty miles diftant from him,' declared against the Marquis of Ormond;" which

• Cart. Collect. of Orig. Papers, vol. ii.

2 Stafford was governor of the castle of Wexford; "which Cromwell having thus gained, advanced his flag upon it, and turned the guns against the town. Fear feized the townfmen, and the foldiers in confufion quitted their pofts. Cromwell's foldiers perceiving this, prefently clapped scaling ladders to the walls, and entered without refiftance, into the town; wherein all found in arms were put to the fword, to the number of two thoufand." Borl. Irish Reb. f. 284.

"Though Colonel David Synod, governor of the town, had confidence by the propofitions he fent:

Ift, That the inhabitants of the town should exercise, without disturbance, the Roman catholic religion.

2d, That their religious orders and priests should enjoy their monafteries and churches.

3d, That Nicholas (French,) Bishop of Ferns, and his fucceffors, fhould have the undisturbed jurifdiction of their dioceffes.

4th, That their officers and foldiers fhould march out with flying colours, and the other punctilios of honour.

5th, That whoever of the inhabitants should hereafter defire to depart the town, should have whatever was theirs with them. 6th, That all freemen fhould have their liberties and immunities hitherto enjoyed, they adhering to the state of England. 7th, None to be disturbed in their poffeffions, &c.

"All which (fays Borlafe) Cromwell accounting impudent, had no effect." Hift. Irish Rebel. fol. 284-5. Though he had juft before (fol. 284.) faid, that "Synod's commiffioners, treating with Cromwell, had procured the fafety of the inhabitants of the town, and prefervation of it from plunder, as well as leave for the foldiers to depart every one to their own homes,