dred pair of pistols, with other furniture for horsemen, and ammunition suitable to the service, should be sent them over for a present supply; that ten thousand pounds (part of the sixty thousand pounds formerly promised them in part of their arrears) be immediately paid them in money, and the other fifty thousand pounds be delivered at Carrickfergus or Leith before the first of February following; that the two houses of parliament should take care for their maintenance, as long as the army continued in their service, and the general of it should command all the British forces in Ulster. That army was at this time in some distress for want of provisions, so that they resolved to desert their out-garrisons; and lieutenant colonel Henry Sinclair treated with the Irish to sell them the Newry for one hundred and forty cows; but the marquis of Ormond causing eighty pounds to be paid him, which he pretended to have disbursed in fortifying the church and castle, it was upon his quitting it taken possession of by the English. 88 The English regiments in Ulster were now in a very 487 unhappy situation: they had received no pay from the beginning of the war; their commanders had exhausted their own fortunes in maintaining their men, and were no longer able to support them. Both officers and soldiers were generally well affected to the king, but they had no hopes of supplies unless they joined the Scotch, and complied with the orders of the parliament. The Scotch had resolved to put them to the test, to see which they would serve, even before Conally arrived with the letters of the parliament, pressing them to continue the war and take the covenant, but were much more importunate in requiring from them a declaration of their intentions after his arrival. The king had by a proclamation on Oct. 9 declared that covenant to be a traitorous and seditious combination against him, and against the g H. 7. 28 and 38, and J. 9. established religion and laws of the kingdom, in pursuance of a traitorous design and endeavour to bring in a foreign force to invade England, and had commanded all his subjects not to take it. The marquis of Ormond sent directions to all the officers in those parts that were under his command to refuse it, shewing the iniquity of the oath, and advising them, since they were not able to oppose the power of Monroe, to follow at least his example in regard of the cessation, and desire time to consider of it till they had acquainted the state and received directions for their conduct. The lords justices and council wrote the same day to Monroe, charging him not to suffer the covenant to be taken by any of the officers or soldiers under his command; and four days after (on Dec. 18) published a proclamation, condemning it as a seditious combination against his majesty, contrary to the municipal laws of the kingdom, destructive to the government of the church established, inconsistent with the liberty of the subject, and tending to create great unquietness and distraction in the kingdom; and forbidding all persons either to tender or take it. This was followed soon after with a longi declaration from the same authority, wherein, for the information of the people, they entered into a particular examination of all parts of the covenant, fully demonstrated the unlawfulness thereof, and renewed their charge upon all persons to refuse it. 89 These orders and arguments were too weak to oppose the passion with which the covenant was received in the north, where most of the old Scotch officers were inclined to it, and the inhabitants were so eager for it, that they had despatched a messenger to Scotland, expressly to desire it might be sent them over. The colonels of all the regiments under the marquis of Ormond's command were averse to it, but thought it prudent not to publish the h See Collection of Letters, No. CCVII. and CCX. i H. 244. proclamation against it, as they were ordered, at the head of their regiments, for fear of irritating Monroe; who, content with his own forces taking it, and recommending it to the others, did not offer to press it upon them by force. If he had, they were not able to oppose his power, there not being provision enough in any English garrison in those parts to hold out a siege of ten days. They agreed to have a meeting at Belfast to consider what was to be done on this occasion, and to draw up letters in answer to those of the parliament and the committee of adventurers. There met on Jan. 2, the lord Montgomery, sir Robert Stewart, sir James Montgomery, sir W. Cole, the colonels Chichester, Hill, and Mervyn, and Robert Thornton mayor of Derry; sir W. Stewart was absent, but approved their resolutions. They all agreed privately among themselves in resolving to preserve their allegiance to his majesty, to obey the orders of the marquis of Ormond, and not to accept the covenant, nor any commander over them. They made no mention of these particulars in their answer to the parliament, which they endeavoured 488 to frame in such a manner as might engage that body to send them some relief for their subsistence, and persuade them of their great willingness to prosecute the war, with the consent of king and parliament. The reasons which determined them to send an answer were, as well to prevent the drawing of the Scotch army out of Ulster to oppose his majesty in England, as to be able to keep their own regiments on foot, that in case of the departure of the Scots, the natives of Ireland might see the king had still a sufficient force on foot to maintain his ground in the kingdom, till the affairs of England allowed him more conveniency to compel them to their due obedience. 90 The marquis of Ormond had given them a general direction to labour all they could to keep the Scotch army in the country; and they used their best endea 1 H. 324. m J. 113. n vours for that end, though against their inclinations, the Scotch straitening them much in their quarters, and ruining their estates. But in the beginning of February orders came from Scotland for recalling the army, which was wanted there, as well to reinforce that which had been sent into England, where they met with a stronger opposition than was expected from the marquis of Newcastle, as to overawe such as were well affected to the king's service, and the boroughs of the kingdom who opposed the excise which had been imposed by the convention for the maintenance of their forces. These orders were not agreeable to Monroe or any of his officers, who thereupon resolved to quit Mountjoy, Dungannon, and all the places they held on the Bann from Colerane to Toome. The general determined to be the last man that went over, and the rest of the officers cast lots to decide what regiments should go. The earl of Levin had sent for his lifeguard of one hundred horse some time before; and now the lot fell upon lord Lowdon's, lord Sinclair's, and another regiment. There were not vessels to transport more at a time, and the rest were forced to stay till either the ships returned, or others were sent to transport them. They had not at this time above five days' provisions in their stores, none of the victuals or other supplies, promised (as hath been said) by the state of Scotland or the parliament of England, being yet arrived, which gave great discontent to the soldiers. The three regiments embarked on the 20th of that month; but before they went on board, they all joined in a band and oath to one another, that when they should arrive in Scotland they would not be disbanded, nor obey any order from the general or any other, till they had full satisfaction for all their arrears; and then they would have it in their option whether to continue in the employment or not; resolving, till their terms were complied with, to garrison themselves upon n J. 162, 166, 159, 117, 118, 113, 125. 91 the lands of such as had then the greatest power in the kingdom; to continue constant to one another; and if opposed, to join themselves with those who were faithful and affectionate to his majesty's service, and who (they imagined) would declare themselves, when assured of such a support. It was found necessary to content them; but the apprehension of the disturbances they might raise in that kingdom was probably the reason why the chancellor of Scotland wrote to Monroe to stay the army till further orders, and to give him hopes that the clothes, meal, and money promised, should be with them soon. The general sent directions accordingly to his officers to settle all things in their former posture: but they were in such a fury at the delay of their supplies, that several of them still resolved to be gone and join their comrades in Scotland. Sir Frederick Hamilton, who had gone over to concert measures for bringing the covenant into Ireland, and colonel Campbell were sent over to stop them. They found a great part of Campbell's own regiment embarked on some boats which they had pressed; but no entreaties 489 could prevent their sailing for Scotland. This humour of the soldiery made the country very uneasy, and put the inhabitants of the north, who were most of them Scotch by original, and covenanters by principle, into a distracted condition. They had, upon the first news of the orders for recalling the army, petitioned the state of Scotland to allow it to stay; and now they resolved to forsake the country. That state had with their orders sent over persons to list all the men they could of what nation soever, and to bring them over with their army. Hereupon great numbers of the country people listed; many of the English regiments were decoyed away by hopes of better pay and maintenance; and Pabundance even of the Ulster rebels, who had em • J. 322. P L. 56. and 58. See Collection of Letters, No. CCCIV. |