government he so much desired to himself, though his representations probably rendered his rival colonel Mervyn so obnoxious to the parliament, that, notwithstanding he had taken the covenant, they resolved to turn him out of his command, and made lord Foliot governor of Derry. They made the lord Blaney colonel of a regiment in the stead of lord Conway, against whom they had taken offence at this time, and committed him to prison. This so much displeased all the officers of that regiment, that they resolved never to let lord Blaney appear at their head, and highly discontented all that belonged to lord Conway in those parts, who had endeavoured to preserve his estate by compliance. In consequence hereof, sir Theophilus Jones made no scruple to assure the lord lieutenant, that being united together, with the island of Lecale on their side, they should (with a very little assistance from his lordship) be able to keep those parts in despite of the Scotch army, to their great annoyance, and even force them either to quit the country or submit to what his excellency should please to command them. In this situation of affairs in the north of Ireland, it is plainly evident how improper a step it would have been for the marquis of Ormond to have published any proclamation against the covenanting Scots, and those that had joined with them in carrying on the war, whereby they should have been declared rebels; much more to have joined in open hostilities against them.

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The parliament were alarmed at the letters of the British officers, and the disposition in which they seemed to be, and proposed to send over a committee, to view the forces, to know in what condition they were, either for present or future subsistence, or for carrying on the war, and to make several propositions to them on that subject. The colonels and other officers, upon this ad-534 vice, met at Antrim on May 17, formed an union among

themselves, signed an instrument accordingly, and constituted a general court of war', "for receiving the said committee and propositions from the parliament, for answering the same, and for offering to them other propositions and demands for redress of the past grievances of the British regiments, as well as providing for their future subsistence. To prevent all misconstruction of their proceedings, they declared that they intended to do nothing destructive of the covenant; that they would prosecute the war against the Irish till an honourable and safe peace should be concluded by the consent of the king and parliament; and if they were not enabled to do so, they called heaven and earth to witness, that it was not their fault if they were forced to take any other way whatever for their preservation and subsistence." And as there was in the province an army of the Scotch nation sent over by capitulation with the parliament to suppress the rebellion of the Irish, they professed themselves ready to join with them for that purpose, and even to receive upon occasion orders from their general. 167 To bring that army into the same union, and to unite both under his authority, the lord lieutenant, in the beginning of October following, when he despaired of a peace with the Irish, sent for Mr. Galbraith to Dublin, and employed him to propose to the officers, "m that the articles of Aug. 6, 1642, between the kingdoms of England and Scotland, in relation to those forces, should be observed by the Scotch general and the lord lieutenant for their parts respectively; that the other British forces in Ulster should be left, as they were, under the command of the lord lieutenant, but he should, for the better progress of the service, appoint such a commander-inchief over them as should be approved by the general of the Scotch army; that as the lord lieutenant's quarters

Q. 299, and Collection of Letters, No. CCCCXIII.

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lay nearest and most exposed to the enemy, they should supply him with some ammunition out of the Scottish store; that as the covenant was subsequent to the said articles of Aug. 6, 1642, and wanted his majesty's approbation, which had been given to the articles, it should not be pressed either in Ulster or in any other province where the Scotch forces should have power, nor any interruption be given to the established form of divine worship in the church of Ireland, but it might be used by any that pleased without molestation; and on the other side the lord lieutenant should not press the using of the same, where he had power, but the laws should remain suspended, and as a thing indifferent, till the church of England should be settled by the king and parliament; and the like forbearance to be on both sides. with regard to church government; that all who had been expelled from their fortunes and dwellings for not taking the covenant, or for adhering to his majesty's government, and, on the other side, all who had quitted them for their affection to the cause of the covenant, should have liberty on both sides to return and enjoy the same; and that none of the forces under either commander should, upon any direction whatsoever, be transported out of the kingdom without the joint consent of the lord lieutenant and the chief commander of the Scotch army."

Monroe approved of these propositions, (which the privy-council and officers of either army were to be bound by oath to perform,) and was particularly pleased with the last, which provided for his stay in Ireland, at a time when by reason of Montrose's success he could expect no supplies from his own country, and was very averse to the thoughts of returning thither. The parlia-535 ment, to prevent the establishment and consequences of this union, resolved to send over ten thousand pounds to the Scotch army, and despatched away a quantity of

clothes and provisions for the other British forces in Ulster; but these were not to be disposed [of] till the arrival of their committee, who were to distribute them as they saw best for the service. Sir Robert King and sir J. Temple were at first designed for that committee; but the latter not caring to go, sir Robert Meredith and Mr. Arthur Annesley were appointed in his stead; and colonel W. Beale was deputed by the adventurers for the same service. The committee could not stir till the money, which would give weight to their authority, was ready; sir Charles Coote, lately made by them president of Connaught, was therefore hastened over with the lord Foliot, sir W. Cole, and lieutenant colonel Wingfield, to prepare matters for their coming. Sir Charles, on June 8, brought letters from the earls of Northumberland and Lowdon, in the name of the committees of both kingdoms, to the British colonels, desiring them to send five hundred men with him into Connaught, to be joined with sir Francis Hamilton's regiment, in order to take Sligo, and other places of strength. The officers of the new union met at Belfast to consider the letters, and returned answer at first, that they could not do it, until all the supplies promised them were arrived. But at last, considering that it was proper to second their declaration and union with some action, they resolved to rendezvous on the 17th at Ogher in the county of Tyrone, and march with a body of four thousand foot and five hundred horse to Sligo, which they made no question of taking, being well assured that they should meet with no enemy to oppose them. These forces were composed of detachments out of the old Scotch and English regiments; and having, with their artillery, which was sent by sea, battered down one or two houses in the place, O'Connor surrendered the castle. From thence they advanced in different parties into the counties of Mayo and Galway, burning and destroying all before them, taking

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great preys of cattle, of which they carried off three or four thousand, but were forced to leave behind them many more thousands which they could not drive away. Sir Robert Stewart took possession of the government of Sligo, and leaving his lieutenant colonel with five hundred men in the place, returned to his quarters, and dispersed the army. Sir C. Coote stayed in his new government of Connaught, endeavouring to raise one thousand four hundred horse and one hundred and forty dragoons, (for which he had commission from the parliament,) in order to overrun the whole country.

"The calamities brought by this expedition upon that province, and those which farther threatened it, had been foreseen long before, at a time when it was much more easy to prevent them. The Irish confederates, through the divisions in the county of Mayo, and the great influence of the lord Clanrickard in that of Galway, were much weaker in that than in any other province; and had often complained of its being harassed, contrary to the cessation, by the excursions of the Scots, and of the English garrisons in the county of Roscommon. When their commissioners were at Dublin, the marquis of Ormond had offered them to undertake the defence of it, if they would contribute to the charge, and obedience were given him according to the post he held: but this offer was rejected, one of them answering pertly enough, "that they did not come to make submissions." He continued still in the same mind, but if he sent any forces to secure the forts in those parts, and to defend the country, he was not able to provide for them; and he resolved to have nothing to do with the confederate party by way of joining, as long as they were so distinguished from the rest of his majesty's subjects. Something however was necessary to be done for the security 536 of the earl of Clanrickard and other gentlemen that had n Q. 368.