CHA P. VIII. A proclamation published against the Irish. THE members of both houses of the English parliament thus clofely folicited by the convention agents, and too apt of themselves to believe the worst things that could be fuggefted concerning these people, joined in a representation to his majesty, as foon as he came to London," that many of the natives of Ireland, who had been deeply guilty of the late rebellion, had broke out of late into new acts of force and violence, fome of them robbing, defpoiling, and murdering feveral of the proteftants there planted, and others by force entering upon, and difquieting the poffeffions of the adventurers, and foldiers, to the great and manifest difturbance of the English plantation; and they desired that a proclamation might be iffued to repress these attempts. 2 of The king accordingly, on the 3d of June, 1660, iffued a proclamation, wherein, taking notice, by the information of the lords and commons, that many the natives of Ireland had broken out into the abovementioned acts of violence, and bloodshed, " did, by the advice of faid lords and commons, hold it his duty to God, and the whole proteftant intereft, to command, publish and declare, that all Irish rebels, other than fuch as by articles had liberty to refide in his dominions, and had not forfeited the benefit thereof, that should refort to England, or Ireland, fhould be forthwith apprehended, and proceeded against as rebels and traitors; and that the adventurers, foldiers and others, who were on the 1st of January laft paft, in poffeffion of any of the manors, castles, houses, or lands of any of the faid Irish rebels, should not be disturbed in their poffeffions, till either legally evicted by due course of law, or till his majefty, Cart. Borlafe. 2 Id. ib. majefty, by the advice of parliament, had taken further order therein." This proclamation was not more injurious to many of the loyal Irish, whom it caused to be imprisoned, or driven out of both kingdoms, than it was fortunate to all thofe, whom the late ufurpers had left masters of their eftates. For, by being thus preferved in the enjoyment of the freeholds, they were enabled to chufe reprefentatives to their mind, in the ensuing parliament, who, they knew, would confirm and perpetuate their unjust poffeffions. LORD Chancellor Eustace, Lord Broghill, now Earl of Orrery, and Sir Charles Coote, now alfo Earl of Montrath, "These two (new) earls," fays Clarendon, "had been eminently against the king; but upon this turn, when all other powers were down, were eminently for him. But the king had not then power to chufe any against whom some as material objections might not be made. With them there were too many others, upon whom honours were conferred; upon fome, that they might do no harm, who were thereby enabled to do the more." Clar. Life, vol. ii. p. 219. Yet fome writers weakly contend, that Orrery was all along, even while he ferved Cromwell, eminently, though fecretly for him. Among the reft his biographer, Morrice, draws a ridiculous inference of fuch loyal intention in his lordship, from fome of the worst and most obnoxious circumftances of his conduct, when most intimately connected with that ufurper. "When Lord Orrery," fays he, "had given his word to be faithful to Cromwell, it would have been dishonourable in him not to keep it. He served the protector while he lived, honeftly, difinterestedly, and zealoufly, and ftill with a view of bringing back the king; of which the defign of marry ing his majefty to Cromwell's daughter, was a ftrong inftance, and from the fame motive did his lordship endeavour to perfuade Cromwell to accept the title of king." Mem. of E. Orrery, prefixed to his Lett. p. 98. The I Montrath, were appointed lords juftices of Ireland. They had procured inftructions to be fent them from England, "to tender the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy, to all his majefty's fubjects; to proceed according to law against those that should refuse them; and to prepare fuch bills, as by them and the privy council (which was then likewise appointed) fhould be thought to be for the good of the people, in order to a parliament. That parliament met on the 8th of May, 1661. The house of commons confifted of two hundred and fixty members, of which number, all but fixty-four were burgeffes. And 2 Cromwell having filled all the cor b ' Cart. Orm. vol. i, f. 212. 2 Id. Ib. porations The editor of Orrery's letters (the late Earl of Orrery) pretends, that his predeceffor " proposed this match between the king and the protector's daughter, with a remote hope that fuch an alliance might at length bring about a restoration." But how remote, or rather impoffible muft fuch hope have been, when the fame Orrery endeavoured to perfuade the protector himself to accept the title of king? Or perhaps his lordship meant it to be remote in this fenfe, that after King Oliver's decease, King Charles was to fucceed the throne, in virtue of this marriage. "That houfe of commons confifted chiefly of adventurers and foldiers." Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 263. For this reafon it seems to be, that from the year 1661 to 1666, the house of lords on all occafions of privilege and conferences, treated these commons with great flight, and even contempt; frequently, after having appointed meetings with them on difputes of their respective privileges, having kept the committees of the commons waiting an hour at their lordships door, and afterwards adjourning themselves without meeting them. See Com. Journ. vol. ii. One paffage of this kind deferves fome notice: a conference was demanded by the lords on the usual wrangle about privilege; when the committee of the commons came to the place appointed, they found no forms for them to fit on as ufual; on which they fent to the black rod to appoint his fervants to place forms in the chamber behind the lords. chairs; who returned answer, that he could not cause that to be done: then they commanded the meffengers belonging to the Commons to fet chairs for them inftead of the faid forms. Some porations throughout the kingdom with a set of people of his own ftamp, it is eafy to account for the strength and prevalency of that party in the house, which laboured to make good all the eftates of the adventurers and foldiers, how guilty foever, and refused to hearken to any reasonable proposal, in favour of the old proprietors, however innocent." But even this favourable compofition of the house of commons did not content thefe ftate harpies. In order to have the dividing_the spoil of the nation enVOL. II. tirely G Some time after the lords came down to the free conference, and they being fat, the committee of the commons took their feats behind their lordships, and as they were opening the free conference, their lordships whispered to each other, and immediately thereupon told them they could not admit of that posture, and wondered they infifted on that point. After which they rofe, faying they would communicate what paffed to the house of lords: being asked by the commons if they should stay for their lordships return, one of the lords (Earl of Drogheda) looking back towards them, faid, "they had a mind all to be lords." Whereupon one of the commons (Capt. Molyneux) answered, why may not another rebellion make fome of us lords as former rebellions did make fome of your lordfhips predeceffors fo." At length the black rod came and acquainted them from the lords, that they intended not to return to the faid free conference. Id. vol. ii. f. 518-19. The lords on this occafion made a refolution not to meet the commons in any conference, till the commons made reparation for the affront, in fitting before them; and they kept their refolution during that parliament. Id. ib. vol. ii. "Although his majefty in his letter to these lords juftices of the 11th of March preceding, ordered them to fee Sir William Domville (an honeft and loyal gentleman) fettled speaker of this houfe of commons.' (Orrery's State Lett. p. 34.) Yet Sir William not being thought a favourer of their defigns, they found means to fix Sir Audley Mervin, a Cromwellian and covenanter, in the chair." Ib. Orrery, in a letter to Ormond at this time, betrays their thoughts of this parliament's insufficiency for their predatory purpose. "I writ my poor sense to your grace, fays he, how fit it might be, that after this parliament had done what it was requifite for them to do, an unqueftionable one might be called to confirm all; which I rejoice to find, was alfo my lord chancellor of Ireland's fenfe, and is so well liked by his majesty, your grace, and my lord chancellor of England." State Lett. p. 68. tirely among themselves, and for ever to preclude the catholics from having any fhare, even in their debates about it, one of their firft illegal refolutions was,' "that no members fhould be qualified to fit in that house, but such as had taken the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy." With the fame view of banishing the catholic peers from the house of lords, Primate Bramhall, their speaker, procured an order to be paffed there," that all the members thereof fhould receive the facrament of the Lord's fupper from his grace's own hands."e To fuch vile and predatory purposes, was one of the most awful inftitutions of religion prostituted at that juncture! But in no other parliament but one so constituted, and perverted, could acts, alienating the just properties of almost all the catholics in the kingdom, be expected to pass. CHAP. 3 Orrery's State Letters, vol. i. p. 35. "May 15th, 1661, Ordered, upon question, that the undernamed perfons be, and are hereby appointed a committee to attend the right honourable the lords juftices, and hereby to pray their lordships from this house, to iffue out a warrant to the right honourable the lord chancellor to grant a commiffion under his majesty's great feal of this kingdom, unto such perfons as their lordships fhall think fit, whereby they, or any two or more of them, may be empowered to administer the oath of fupremacy, which is established by act of parliament in this kingdom, 2 Elizabeth, and the oath of allegiance established 3° Jacobi in England, unto all and every of the members of this house, that now are, or hereafter fhall be, in fuch manner, form, or order, at large, as in the acts they are severally expreffed." Com. Journ. vol. i. f. 602. The fame was done in the house of commons. "June 17th, 1661, Ordered, that the undernamed perfons do repair unto his grace the lord primate of all Ireland, and, in the name of this house, do return thanks unto his grace, for his great pains taken yesterday, in preaching and administering the holy facrament of the Lord's fupper unto the members of this houfe." Id. ib. f. 640. "Which (adds Borlafe) I the rather observe, it being, for what I ever heard, the first order of that nature. The compofition of the lords house confisting most of papists." Ib. |