2

England. In one of these he complains,' " that the new recruits were often affronted by the boys in Dublin, and that the foldiers, that were put out, did rap them foundly at fifty-cuffs." From another of these dispatches it appears, that these infults and diforders of the inhabitants of Dublin towards these recruits had rifen fo high, that his lordship was obliged, " to fend to the lord mayor, to let him know, that he expected he would keep the town in order, and not fuffer any rudenefs to be committed." And as for the forwardness of the popish priests at that juncture, fuch provocation was really given them from the pulpit," and otherwise, not only by the inferior proteftant clergy, but even by the bifhops," that his excellency thought himself bound to fend for the bishop of Meath to rebuke him, on that account; and to let him know his mind on that head, which that bishop promised to obferve." And although he had refolved" to hold the fame course with other bishops, and had even fufpended fome of the turbulent

• State Lett. vol. i. p. 295.
3 Id. ib. vol. i. p. 84.

2 Id. ib. p. 294.
4 Ib.

On this occafion his excellency "affured fome of the Roman catholic bishops, that he would give effectual orders, that whatever should happen of that kind, the parties should not be countenanced, and that their fuperiors fhould have notice of them. For that he was too well acquainted with the mischief that fort of loose clergy had done, who would fubmit to no authority; of which," adds he, " there are too many in all religions." State Lett. vol. i. p. 136-7. In this letter to Lord Sunderland, his excellency acquaints him, " that he was then giving the neceffary orders, which Lord Sunderland had directed, to all archbishops, bishops, fheriffs, &c. that the Roman catholic clergy might not be molefted in the exercise of their functions." Id. ib. "I believe you will hear a noife, (fays Lord Clarendon on this occafion) of two fermons which were preached here (Dublin) before me on all-faints day, and the 5th of November. Indeed they were indifcreet and impertinent fermons, and I do as little love to have preachers meddle with controversy or politics, as any body can do; I know neither of the men, but if I had, it had been all one, I would have done what I have done; the very next day I caufed them both to be fufpended and filenced." Ib. vol. ii. p. 82.

turbulent preachers," yet he fays," he could not anfwer, but fome impertinent things would be faid even before himself; and that he durft not undertake to keep the inferior clergy of Dublin within the bounds of duty and good manners."

CHA P. VII.

The conduct of the Irish and English army compared.

IF the new Irish recruits were infolent and flagitious, their officers, according to Dr. King's account of them, were infinitely more fo. These officers were, in truth, the fons of fome of the best, but defpoiled, families of the kingdom. But if we believe the doctor," " they were the scum' and rascality of the nation, who ruined all the protestant inns; and might have killed whom they pleased, without fear of the law." In short, there was no irregularity, vice, or villainy, which he has not represented them to be capable of, and difpofed to commit. b

s Ib.

Allowing

State of the Proteftants, p. 47.

a Lord Chief Juftice Keating (" whom," as Lord Clarendon teftifies," all parties owned to be a good man." State Let. vol. i. p. 140.) in a letter dated 1688, fays, "that the Roman catholic nobility and gentry of Ireland were univerfally concerned both in the Irish army then raised, and in that which was afterwards to be raised." Append. to King's State of the Proteftants, &c.

Lord Clarendon himself, when in the government, had recommended several of these Roman catholic officers to be provided for, as Lord Brittas, Captain Butler, Major M'Carthy, Colonel Lacy, and others. State Let. paffim, and vol. i. p. 4. The first and last of the above-named officers, he fays, were almost ruined by Oates's villainy. Ib.

This fcurrility feems lefs indecently applicable to king William's officers in Ireland; for Marshal Schomberg, in a letter to his majefty from Lifburn, January 1689, tells him, "that most of the Irish officers under him, particularly thofe of the En

nifkilleners

Allowing for a moment this account of king James's officers to be true, which we fhall juft now prove to be falfe, how much more fhocking and authentic accounts have we of the treachery and cruelty of the principal commanders and adherents of king William on this occafion?

"Dr. Sheridan," the deprived Bishop of Kilmore, affured Mr. Carte, that being well acquainted with the old Earl of Peterborough, and often with him, he shewed him at one of his vifits, Sir George Hewit's original confeffion, with his hand and feal to it (which was afterwards fent to king James in France). In the confeffion, the faid Sir George Hewit, (who had been made a lord by king William,) begged pardon of God and king James, for his difloyalty and rebellion; and declared in it, that the night before king James went to Salisbury, the Earl of Rochester and Lord Churchill, now Duke of Marlborough, the Bishop of London (Stewart alfo, who is now a general officer), as he remembers, and himself, with others, met at Mr. Hatton Compton's house in St. Alban's-street'; and there it was debated among them, how they fhould do the best service to the Prince of Orange; and at length it was refolved, that the Earl of Rochester fhould attend the king at Salisbury, but in order to betray all his councils to the Prince of Orange; and

2

t

the

Macphers. Orig. Pap, vol. i. p. 280. niskilleners and Derry-men, were peasants." Dalrymple's Mem. vol. ii. p. 72. part ii. The fame Marshal Schomberg mentioning king James's army, fays, "the enemy are not only strong in numbers, but also well difciplined, and the fituation of their camp as well chofen as the ableft generals could contrive.” Ib. p. 51. Of his own officers he says, "I never was in an army where there were so many new and lazy officers. The officers of the artillery are ignorant, lazy, and timorous. I discovered that in the artillery, there has been a great deal of roguery." Ib. p. 60, et paffim.

c

King James's Irifh officers. raised their own regiments, " and maintained them for five months at their own expence ; the most of them having laid out all they were worth, and reduced themselves to an impoffibility of doing fo any longer." King James's Memoirs. Macpherson's Hift. Great Britain, vol. iii. p. 194-5.

the Lord Churchill fhould endeavour to feize king James's person, and carry him off to the prince; but if he could not do that, he should pistol him or stab him when he was in the coach with him. This," adds Mr. Carte," the bishop has protefted to me, more than once or twice, he faw written in the confeffion of Sir George Hewit."

Mr. Lesley has juftly obferved on Dr. King's charge, "that there never was, and perhaps never will be, a war, wherein there were not fome diforderly and wicked perfons; and that, that army is best conducted and disciplined, wherein fuch crimes are fewest and least. Now," fays he, "whether the protestant army, then in Ireland, was not much more mischievous and ungovernable than the popish, I appeal to the testimony of an enemy then on the spot."

That enemy was Dr. Gorge, fecretary to Marshal Schomberg, who, in a letter to Colonel James Hamilton,' (after having told him, "that the foldiers in the proteftant army under king William, robbed and plundered at pleasure; that fome of its leaders ridiculed, fcorned, and condemned all motions for its good government

See Append. to Lesley's Answer to King.

d

d Marshal Schomberg, in a letter to king William, in February, 1690, informs him, that "the Enniskillen and Londonderry regiments were upon a footing of licence both to rob and fteal." Dalrymple's Mem. vol. iii. p. 78. In another letter he tells his majesty, that "one muft count upon the troops raised in Ireland (for his majesty's fervice) only as fo many cravats. That, in the day of battle, they will always throw themselves upon the first plunder. That Mr. Harbord (pay-master general of his army) had experience of this: for that having gone one night, with his fowling-piece, upon a party with Count Schomberg, and having fallen from his horfe, five or fix Ennifkillen-troopers began to ftrip and rob him, although he cried out that he was pay-master, and that he would give them money to carry him to the camp; but that a French officer, in paffing, having known him, the Enniskilleners brought him back." Id. ib. Id. ib. p. 66. " I don't love to pillage," adds the Marfhal," I do what I can to prevent others from doing it, who

think

government and order, and faid, that religion was nothing but canting, and debauchery the neceffary practice of a foldier) takes notice, by way of contraft, of the good discipline, principles, and practices of the popish army under king James, the ftrict proclamations published by that king, for the obfervance of good order, and how the penalties enjoined by them were severely and impartially executed." Dr. Gorge adds, "that too many of the English, as well as

French

think of nothing elfe." Id. ib. "Your majefty," fays the fame," had need of officers of juftice to reprefs the diforders among these people (officers) who are lazy, and live only by theft and pillage." Ib. p. 59.

"Can we expect," fays Dr. Gorge in the fame letter, speaking of king William's officers, "that Sodom will destroy Babylon; or that debauchery will deftroy popery? Our enemy fights with the principle of a mistaken confcience against us; we against the conviction of our own confcience against them." Lesley's Anfw. p. 185.

"I am told," fays Lefley," this author (Dr. King) did exprefs his juft indignation against the wild and barefaced debauchery of the (king William's) army, from his pulpit in Dublin, fo far as to fay, It was come to that pass, that it was a fcandal for any woman of reputation to be seen with a red or a blue coat." Ánfw. p. 36.

In the Life of Mr. Bonnel, Dr. King's dearly beloved friend, (a book highly commended by the then Bishops of Meath and Clogher) where mention is made of the total defeat of king James's party in Ireland, the author relates that good man's great regret, that" their (late) troubles were fucceeded by a torrent of vice; that immorality and profaneness conquered as fast as their victorious arms, and that the fame army that delivered them, did corrupt them too." See Bonnel's Life, p. 69.

"Colonel Woolfeley tells Secretary Southwell, that his own (king William's) men committed fuch disorders in their march, on all people without diftinction, that it was a shame to speak of it." Harris's king William, fol. 289. "The country still (1691) suffered much under the power of the army (king William's), who, pretending to want fubfiftence, which was falfe, not only way-laid provifions coming to the markets, but plundered the market publicly of whatever they claimed to want." Ib. f. 322. Proposals were made to government to remedy this evil; however no steps were taken to obviate the mischief; the oppreffions went on, and nothing but the final fettlement of the kingdom was able to remedy the evil." Id. ib.