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Portugal, who drove Cardinal Palotto out of the kingdom, and imprisoned his auditor.

With the above mentioned charge, Sir Richard Blake, chairman of the affembly,* fent him notice, by their order, that there was a declaration and protestation preparing against him, which were to be fent to his Holiness, to the end that his lordship might prepare for his journey, and for his defence; and that, in the mean time, he fhould not intermeddle, by himfelf or any of his inftruments, directly or indirectly, with the affairs of the nation, on the penalty which might enfue, by the law of God and nations."

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The Nuncio, accordingly, left Ireland on the 23d of February following, to the great joy of the principal nobility and gentry, and the most refpectable ecclefiaftics of the kingdom. Yet while he was preparing for his departure, the lord lieutenant fent him a private message, by two of his particular friends, the Bishop of Ferns and Nicholas Plunket, Efq; "that if he would then,' at parting, take off his excommunication, and difpofe the people to an abfolute obedience to the peace, and the king's authority, he should not only receive all poffible civility from him, at his, departure from Ireland, but that he would make a very advantageous mention of him to the queen, whofe diftreffed condition," he faid, "would certainly gain fome credit to her at Paris, if it was not worse than London." But the Nuncio did not wait their coming; for on the night before, he went to fea in his own B 2 frigate,

+ Cart. Örm.

5 Id. ib. vol. ii. fol. 55.

"Notwithstanding this meffage, he remained four whole months afterwards in the kingdom; and then left it of his own accord, and without any further meffage from the general affembly, when things feemed to be inclining to fome kind of peaceableness between thofe of his party, and the other confederate catholics." Vindic. Catholic. in Hib. p. 174.

"The court of Rome," fays Mr. Carte," though it was contrary to their maxims to fix a public mark of cenfure on the conduct of their minifters, disapproving his conduct, fent him orders to make hafte thither." Orm. vol. ii. fol. 56.

frigate, and, on the 2d of March, landed at St. Vaast, in the Lower Normandy.

At his return to Rome, he was but coldly received by the Pope; and after having been told," that he had carried himself rafhly in Ireland," instead of being honoured with a cardinal's hat, as he expected, he was banished to his bifhoprick, and principality of Fermo; which he found in a distracted condition, by just such another infurrection of the people against their viceroy, as he had himself raised and fomented against the king's lieutenant in Ireland. These disappointments of his own, and the diftractions of his people, affected him fo fenfibly, that he foon after died of grief. To what defperate courfes General O'Nial was driven, by the affembly's proclaiming him a rebel and a traitor, fhall be hereafter related.

CHA P. II.

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His excellency treats of a peace with the confederate

catholics.

THE lord lieutenant' being invited to Kilkenny, by the general affembly, October the 28th, in order to a more expeditious fettling of the points in dispute, made his entry into that city in a fplendid manner; having been met at fome diftance from it by the whole body of the affembly, and by all the nobility, clergy, and gentry in the neighbourhood. He was received into the town by the mayor and aldermen, with all thofe ceremonies and honours, which fuch corporations used to pay to the fupreme authority of the kingdom, and was lodged in his own caftle, with all his own guards about him."

6 Walfh's Hift. of the Irish Remonftrance.

• Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 45.

The

The malice and headiness of Owen O'Nial and his party afterwards, was as much, and in truth more, against the confederate Irish, than the king." Borl. Irish Rebel, f. 269.

The next day after his arrival at Kilkenny, his excellency entered into a treaty of peace with the general affembly; and after he had advanced fo far in it, as that, "he thought," he had good grounds to hope it would be speedily concluded, upon the conditions he was empowered to give them, he found it fuddenly interrupted by a very dangerous mutiny, raised by fome leading officers in Lord Inchiquin's army, who endeavoured, not only to hinder the conclufion of the peace, but also to incline those under them to a treaty and fubmiffion to the English parliament."

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On this occafion, it was thought neceffary by his excellency and Lord Inchiquin, to fufpend the conclufion of the peace," in fuch a manner, as might induce the mutineers to believe it would be wholly laid afide for their fatisfaction." On the other hand, the article concerning the free exercise of religion, was not yet adjusted to the fatisfaction of the affembly; fome of the clergy having much higher expectations, in that refpect, than others thought fit to be infifted on. "This was the only point, in which there was danger of the treaty's breaking up unfinished, it being very difficult to give content therein to the Roman catholics, without at the fame time disgusting the protestants." But an incident happening at this juncture, united the differing parties in that affembly, and greatly accelerated the peace. Some copies of the remonftrance of the independent army in England, which had publicly avowed their defign of fubverting every thing, that had been hitherto known for government in thefe nations, were then brought to Kilkenny, and read with univerfal abhorrence. This immediately removed all the difficulties which fome of the Roman catholics, in zeal for their religion, had thrown in the way of the peace. The general affembly receded from their demands in that point. And on the 28th of December, upon confideration of his majesty's present condition, and their own hearty defires,

2 Carte's Orm. vol. iii.

3 Ib.

s Id. ib. f. 49.

+ Id. ib. vol. ii. f. 43.

fires, fays Mr. Carte, of spending their lives and fortunes, in maintaining his rights and interefts, they resolved unanimously, to accept of the Marquis of Ormond's answer to their propofitions for religion. "That defperately wicked remonftrance," fays the marquis himfelf," "whatever mischief it may do, hath yet done this good, that it put us quite from all disputes upon the neceffity of conditions, and was no fmall caufe of the fpeedy, and I hope, happy conclufion of the peace.

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CHA P. III.

The peace of 1648 concluded and proclaimed. ON the 17th of January, 1648', the general affembly repaired to the prefence of the lord lieutenant in his caftle at Kilkenny, and there, with all folemnity ima ginable, prefented to him, fitting on a throne of state, the articles of the peace, by the hands of Sir Richard Blake, their chairman, which he received; and having confirmed them, on his majefty's behalf, caused them to be publicly proclaimed. Nine Roman catholic bishops, prefent in the affembly, joined, the next day,

6 Cart. Orm. vol. iii. f. 602. ' Id. ib. vol. ii. f. 50.

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"This agreement," fays Borlafe, " paffed with that miraculous confent and unity, that in the whole affembly, in which there were (nine) catholic bishops, there was not one diffenting voice." Irish Rebel. f. 260.

a While the marquis of Ormond was treating, at Kilkenny, with the confederates on the peace of 1648, the English parliament having had notice of it from Colonel Jones, ordered their commiffioners treating with Charles in the Ifle of Wight, to prevail upon him to difavow it. "Whereupon his majefty fignified, that in cafe other things were compofed by the treaty (with the parliament) the concerns of Ireland should be left wholly to the houses." And in the interim wrote to Ormond, " to require him to defift from any further proceedings in that peace." Borl. ib. fol. 259.

in a circular letter, which they sent to all the cities and corporations of their party, exhorting them to receive and obey the peace now concluded; which was in fubftance that which had been made in 1646, but rejected by a former affembly."

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The lord lieutenant, in a letter to Lord Digby, January the 22d, after telling him, that the peace was concluded, adds, " I must say for this people, that I have observed in them, great readiness to comply with what I was able to give them; and a very great sense of the king's fad condition." And in another letter, of the fame date, to the Prince of Wales, he takes notice" of the very eminent loyalty of the affembly, which was not," fays he, "fhaken by the fuccefs, which God hath permitted to the monftrous rebellion in England; nor by the mischievous practices of the no less malicious rebels in Ireland."

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After the figning of the articles, his excellency made a fpeech to the affembly, wherein he "congratulated them, not only on the fcore of what they had already obtained by that peace, in point of freedom of worship, abatement of penalties, and other advantages; but alfo on the hopes of further indulgence and favour in all these refpects, according to their future merits." For he told them," that, befides the provifion made against their remoteft fears of the feverities of certain (penal)

3 Id. ib. f. 601.

+ Ib. vol. iii.

2 Ib. vol. iii. f. 600, In that letter they obferved to the people, " that although in their thoughts and occafions, during these feven years wars, they had ftill the fame loyalty, which now made them comply with his majesty in his greatest neceffity, and had often publicly fworn it, yet they lay under the fufpicion of many men; but that by the prefent agreement, all blemish of that kind was taken away. That, as for their religion, they had received good fatisfaction for the being and fafety of it; that by the temporal articles, their lives, liberties, and eftates were provided for; fo as now," added they, "you have a clear quarrel, without the leaft colour of fufpicion; for you fight purely against fectaries and rebels, for God and Cæfar; and under those banners, you may well hope for victory." Enquiry into the Share, &c. p. 267.

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