was preparing to leave the kingdom, and had defigned Lord Clanrickard for his deputy," he permitted," fays the Earl of Orrery,3 3 all thofe worthy protestants, who, till then, had served under him, to come off to the rest of the proteftants, though then headed by Ireton himself, esteeming them safer with that real regicide, fo accompanied, than with those pretended antiregicides, fo principled." How these (as he is pleased to call the confederates) pretended antiregicides were principled, with respect to his majesty's fervice, fufficiently appears from what has been already related." Nor, indeed, was Ormond himself unconscious, that both their attachment to his majesty, and oppofition to these rebels, were real and permanent. For when upon a former occafion, he folicited leave from the English parliament, to tranfport five thousand foot, and five hundred horfemen, together with himself, out of the kingdom into France, in order to obtain their confent, he observed," that it would be a fure means of ridding their partizans in Ireland of many unsure friends among the king's party, as well as many certain enemies among the Irish;" and thereby facilitate the reduction of the kingdom to their obedience. Thus were many of those proteftant forces, under his excellency, whom he calls the king's party, acknowledged by himself to be friends to the English rebels, though unfure, and the confederate Irish catholics to be their certain enemies. 4 By this great acceffion of forces, permitted to these real regicides, the ruin of Ireland was quickly completed. Such permiffion, however, was perfectly confonant to his excellency's former agreement in 1647, when he delivered up all his power and authority to the "It may be (fays P. Walsh) that the Earl of Orrery himself is a witness beyond all exception, that the Irish catholics were the last in the three kingdoms that laid down their arms, and gave over fighting for the royal caufe." Reply to a Person of Quality, p. 50. fame party. And in fact, had any comment been wanting to explain the motives of that agreement, this permiffion would be a very full, and clear one; for, as the fame Lord Orrery obferves, and feems to appeal to Ormond himself, then lord lieutenant of Ireland, for the truth of the whole paffage," "certainly, he esteemed thofe lefs ill, to whom he fent his friends, than those from whom he fent them;" and confequently, was more folicitous for the interefts and fuccefs of the former, than for those of the latter; which, furely, was befides, an unpardonable impofition on his truly noble friend, the Marquis of Clanrickard; with whom in appearance, he left the government of the kingdom, but in reality, by that permiffion, deprived him of the means of defending and preserving it. CHA P. XVI. Treaty with the Duke of Lorrain. DISTRESSED as the confederate catholics now were, and deferted by all the proteftant forces of the kingdom, their fidelity and zeal for his majesty's service remained unaltered. While the general affembly was ftill fitting at Loughrea, very favourable offers of accommodation were fent them by the regicides, which they not only rejected, but they alfo prevailed on the deputy' to iffue a proclamation, declaring all those of their communion, guilty of high treason, and punishable with death, who fhould aid or affift them; and fuch as were already with them, and did not quit their fervice in fourteen days, were, by the fame proclamation, made liable to the fame punishment." The bishops likewise, prefent in that affembly, denounced excommunication against all catholics, who either ferved under the regicides, or entered into any treaty of pacification with them. Yet I Orrery, ubi fupra. Yet loyal as this perfeverance of the Irish clergy was, (not leffened by the daily defertions of the proteftant royalifts, or by the increafing power and fuccefs of the regicides,) it has not hindered party-malice to fuggeft, that they were, even at this juncture, inftilling fuch fentiments into the minds of their people, as were utterly incompatible with their allegiance to the king, or due fubmiffion to his lieutenant." The Irifh," we are told, "had ftill as much of Ireland in their power, as could maintain a war against all the English rebels there; that his excellency the Marquis of Clanrickard, had argument enough to hope, if he could be confident of the union of the nation; that he might have reasonably promised himself an union of the nation, if he could have been confident of the affection and integrity of the clergy; but that the greatest part of the Irish ecclefiaftics had no mind to have any relation to the English nation, and as little to return to their obedience to the crown; that it was by the advice and influence of these ecclefiaftics, that the confederate catholics were first inclined to treat with the English rebels for conditions; and that afterwards, fuch offers were made to the Duke of Lorrain by commiffioners of their chufing, as in effect, transferred the whole right and fovereignty of that kingdom to his highnefs." But, befides what has been already related of the temper, and difpofition of these ecclefiaftics, and of the ftate of the nation at that dismal juncture, the whole of this charge is incontestably proved to be falfe, from that "ftate of his majesty's affairs, and the condition of his faithful fubjects in Ireland, which the Marquis of Clanrickard himself tranfmitted to the Marquis of Ormond, on occafion of the above-mentioned treaty with the Duke of Lorrain." For therein his lordship fets forth," that the power and fuccefs of the rebels were fuch, as that the whole 3 Clarend. Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 339. → Clanrick. Mém. Dub. ed. p. 56. nation nation was in their poffeffion, or fubject to their contribution, except the province of Connaught, and county of Clare, his majesty's city of Limerick, and town of Galway; and that the faid province of Connaught, and county of Clare were, for the most part, wafte; that the inhabitants thereof were utterly impoverifhed; that no confiderable forces could be brought together to maintain a defenfive war against the rebels, much less an offenfive; that the city of Limerick, and town of Galway had of a long time, out of a feeling sense they had of their own deftruction, been inclined to treat for conditions with the rebels; that the fame was the refolution of most of the other people of Ireland, who could not humanely fee how they could be otherwise preserved; and that many of the officers of his majesty's army did, from several parts of the kingdom, represent their sense that it was abfolutely neceffary for the people's preservation to treat with the rebels for conditions, feeing there was no power to resist them." From hence it is manifeft, that whatever inclination these deserted Irish had to treat with the rebels, was not at all owing to the advice, or influence of their clergy; but naturally arose from that irremediable distress, to which they then found themselves reduced, and from the dismal profpect of its daily increase, until it should end in their total deftruction. "But no fooner," proceeds Lord Clanrickard, "had these Irish understood, that the Duke of Lorrain's ambassador had arrived in Ireland, with offers of powerful affistance for the prefervation of the catholic religion, 5 Clanrick. Mem. Dub. ed. p. 56. a Yet Clarendon himself, in the account of his own life, contradicts all this. For he there fays, " that when the fuccefs of the parliament had totally fubdued the king's arms, and himself was fo inhumanly murdered, neither the forces in Ireland under the king's authority, nor the Irifh, who had too late submitted to it, could make any long refiftance; fo that Cromwell quickly difperfed them by his own expedition thither." Vol. ii. p. 14. Cromwell invaded Ireland in August 1649, and remained there but about eight months. religion, and of his majesty's fubjects interests, than they took much comfort and encouragement thereby, hoping that the rebels power might be oppofed. And foon after, the towns of Limerick and Galway, and all other places, yet in his majesty's obedience, feemed more chearfully than before, to affift his majesty's authority in oppofing the rebels; and to difavow and disclaim any treaty with them, though formerly inclined, if not refolved." Upon this change in the temper of the people, the deputy s "authorised fome of the Roman catholic prelates, and commiffioners of trust, to treat with the faid embaffador; who being accordingly called together, with feveral officers of the army, after a long and serious debate, weighing the unavoidable danger the nation was in of falling into the hands of the rebels, did therefore advise, that it was abfolutely neceffary to accept of his faid highness's protection. But the faid embaffador's propofitions being fuch, as Lord Clanrickard could not confent to, the treaty and conclufion for farther fupplies, were put over to be determined by his highness, or fuch as he fhould depute, and by fuch as fhould be authorised by the deputy in his majesty's behalf.” 6 His lordship concludes with his own opinion upon the then fituation of affairs, thus: "It is very evident, how great the evils are that will happen, if immediately great aids are not haftened to this nation; for the kingdom will, by the foreflowing thereof, be entirely in the enemy's power and poffeffion, and the people univerfally enforced to fubmit unto them." CHAP. 5 Ib. • Ib. 1 |