CHA P. XVII.

The treaty with the Duke of Lorrain confidered.

IT must be confeffed, that this imminent danger of the whole kingdom's falling under the power of the English rebels, did induce Sir Nicholas Plunkett and Geoffry Brown, Efq; (commiffioners on that occafion appointed by Lord Clanrickard) to yield to the folicitations of fome private agents of the Irish clergy, then at Bruffels, to agree to the terms propofed by the Duke of Lorrain, rather than break off the treaty; for which the deputy feverely reprimanded, and threatened to proclaim them. But even that step they did not take without previous encouragement from the Queen, the Duke of York, and the Marquis of Ormond himself.b "For,

a The Duke of Lorrain had, in the year 1645, fhewn fo great a propenfity to affift his majefty, as appears by the queen's letter to the king from Paris, of the 27th January, 1646, that he prepared to raise ten thousand men for that purpose. But that defign having been fatally disappointed at that time (fee Clanric. Mem. Dub. ed. p. 41.), the Irish clergy, mindful of his highnefs's former generous inclinations, privately employed Dr. Nicholas French, Bishop of Ferns, and Father William Bourke, Provincial of the Dominicans, to folicit the duke for these aids, now much more wanted than at any time before. They at the fame time fent Colonel Oliver Synot to the Marquis of Ormond, to know his opinion of this negociation. What encouragement he gave them, in his letter to Lord Taaffe on that fubject, to proceed in it, fhall presently be seen. To the above mentioned procurators for the clergy, were afterwards added, Hugh O'Reilly, Archbishop of Armagh; Thomas Fleming, Archbishop of Dublin; Edmund Dempfy, Bishop of Leighlin; Norbert Barry, Bishop of Cork; and Francis Kirwan, Episcop. Alladenfis. Cox's Hift. part 2d. App. p. 177

The fourth article of that treaty, fo much cenfured, is, "The Duke of Lorrain is to do nothing in derogation of the king's authority or jurifdiction in Ireland, but rather to amplify

it:

"For, their commiffion being accompanied with inftructions for application to be made to the Queen, the Duke of York, and the Lord Lieutenant, upon their landing; in accomplishment thereof, Lord Taaffe repaired to Paris, and presented to her Majefty, the Duke of York, and Lord Lieutenant, all the papers and instructions, which they had received concerning that treaty; among which were the propofitions agreed to and advised by the general affembly, for obtaining the protection and future fuccour of the kingdom; which were in effect the fame with the articles afterwards concluded with the Duke of Lorrain. And the faid papers having been confidered by her Majesty, the Duke of York, and Lord Lieutenant, her majefty directed her letters to Sir Nicholas Plunkett and Geoffry Brown, Efq; willing them to give credit to Lord Taaffe, in what he fhould relate unto them concerning that affair. By Lord Taaffe they understood, that her Majefty, the Duke of York, and Lord Lieutenant wifhed his highness would undergo the charge; and that he fhould meet with no oppofition from any of them yet that, by any inftrument under their hands, they could not confent to it, left it might draw danger on the king's perfon, being then in the power of the Scots; and in purfuance of this letter of credence, Lord Taaffe advised, that they fhould proceed to a conclufion of the treaty.

The Marquis of Ormond, after having been informed by Lord Taaffe of the particulars of this tranfaction, wrote back to his lordship," that, touching the bufinefs of Ireland, and the Duke of Lorrain, for ought appearing to him, there was nothing done, that were to be wifhed undone; and for what remained to produce new and further fupplies, it was left to the agreement that should be made with his agent, by the VOL. II. Marquis

E

Clanrick. Memoirs, p. 131.

2 Id. ib. p. 77.

it and having reftored the kingdom and religion, to their true priftine eftate, he is to refign chearfully the kingdom to the king." Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 351.

Marquis of Clanrickard, affifted by fuch as the late general affembly had appointed; who, as they were beft judges of their own condition, fo they had free liberty from his majesty, in case of high neceffity, to endeavour their own prefervation, even by receiving conditions from the rebels, which must be much more contrary to his interefts, than to receive them from any other, almoft upon any terms." He afterwards reminds his lordship,3 "that he had already made his application, where the king commanded he fhould, and that fo he was fairly quit of the mat

The king himself, in a letter to Lord Clanrickard, condefcended to apologize for these commiffioners. For, after having told that lord, "that they excufed their having consented to this treaty with the Duke of Lorrain, only by the remediless neceffities they then conceived Ireland to be in, and the absolute despair they had to procure a prefent fupply by any other means," he informs him, "that they kept both parts of the articles in their hands, till his pleasure should be known; and that they had not, in that transaction, any purpose of undutifulness or disrespect towards him, which," adds his majefty, "we are willing to believe, and graciously accept their future fervice; and we recommend them to your good opinion and favour, to the end, that upon their application to you, you may receive them into the fame place of confidence and esteem, you have formerly had of them, and use their advice and service as heretofore." Clanrick. Mem. Dub. ed. p. 120.

And in a letter to the Duke of Lorrain himself, after the treaty was broken off, his majesty fays, " he believed thofe offers which the commiffioners made him in that treaty, proceeded rather from the fmart, anguifh and defpair thofe gentlemen felt; and from the languishing and gasping condition of their miserable country, than from their want of affection and duty to him, and his interefts." Ib. p. 123.

a The king in a letter to Lord Taaffe, from Johnstone, January 2d, 1650, ufes thefe words, relative to this treaty with the Duke of Lorrain. "The ways here for my affairs in Ireland being obftructed, I have heretofore entreated the queen to take that care upon her; and if therefore she shall direct you in any thing, you may fafely follow her advice and direction, and have my confent to it." Id. ib. p. 76.

These

This is the true ftate of that negociation for the Duke of Lorrain's affiftance and protection. But we will fuppofe, for a moment, the common invidious representation of it to be juft, namely, " that the catholics of Ireland, when theirs and the king's forces were almost entirely reduced, invited the Duke of Lorrain over, engaging, upon his appearing among them with his forces, to deliver up the whole island into his hands, and declare him their fovereign." I fay, "I even fuppofing this to have been the cafe, let the candid and impartial judge, from the difmal fituation of these catholics at that juncture of time, whether a better or more justifiable project could have been thought E 2

of.

These commiffioners, in their apology obferve," that to encourage them farther, and to take off all fcruples (in concluding the treaty), as well concerning the power, as the willingness of those who were next in trust to his majesty in the affairs of Ireland, Lord Taaffe fhewed us two feveral letters; one from his majefty, intimating, that he referred the affairs of Ireland to his mother, the queen; and the other from the lord lieutenant to Lord Taaffe, approving his treaty with his highness." Id. ib. p. 134.

e The Duke of Lorrain's propofals were: That he should be declared and acknowledged, protector of Ireland; and that fome towns should be put into his hands, and garrifoned by his own troops, as fecurity for the re-payment of the money he fhould expend in recovering the kingdom from the English rebels. To the latter of these propofals Lord Clanrickard and the Marquis of Ormond, principally objected; although Ormond himself, in a letter to his majefty, in the year 1649, told him," that if money to support the Irish war against the Englifh rebels could not be got otherwife than by giving fome of his majesty's fea-towns or ports in Ireland, as caution for the re-payment of what fum his majesty could borrow, he humbly conceived that condition was not to be stuck at." Carte's Collect. of Orm. Orig. Papers, vol. ii. p. 400.

And on the 11th of February, in the fame year, Secretary Nicholas wrote to the Marquis of Ormond in these words: "Your excellency, I conceive, will do well to advertise his majefty, whether there be any strong towns or places in Ireland that may be fit and conveniently engaged as caution, to fuch as will lend his majesty money for the recovery of Ireland." Id. ib. vol. i. P. 344.

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tholics of Ireland, In

of. They were then reduced to flavery and beggary, by the English rebels; many thousands of them murdered, and the reft deprived of their eftates. So that the question will turn upon this, whether the cathis wretched fituation, and in utter defpair of ever seeing the monarchy restored, for the preservation of which they had fuffered fo much, were to be blamed for calling in a foreign prince of their own religion, who had a confiderable army to fupport them, rather than submit to fo infamous an ufurper as Cromwell, or fuch a bloody and ignominious conventicle, as the rump-parliament! Many proteftants, both diffenters and conformifts, who have been converfant in the hiftory of those times, have freely confefsed, that, confidering the miferable condition the Irish were then in, they could not have thought of a braver or more virtuous attempt; by which they might have been inftruments of restoring the lawful monarch, at leaft, to the recovery of England and Scotland, from thofe betrayers, and fellers, and murderers of his royal father."

And, indeed, his majesty's affairs were then fo abfolutely defperate, in every part of his dominions, that, after this treaty with the Duke of Lorrain was entirely broken off, the Marquis of Ormond himfelf, abhorrent as he always feemed to be, from any connection with the Irish catholics, and efpecially with their clergy, advised, that fpeedy recourfe might be had to their fupreme spiritual head, the Pope himself, as the only vifible means of retrieving them; which he seemed to think might be happily effected by his Holinefs's mediation and influence with the other catholic princes and ftates. "To come fhortly," fays he in a letter to the Marquis of Clanrickard on that occafion, "to what I would be at, wherein you may be concerned, I conceive fome one must be found, that hath power, if not with all, yet with moft chriftian princes and ftates. Among the proteftants there is none fuch; and

Swift's Works.

5 Carte's Col. of Orm. Orig. Papers, vol. i. p. 461.

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