CHAP. IV. Sir William Parsons displaced from the government. IN consequence of the remonstrance delivered at Trim, his majesty informed the lords justices," that he had given command and authority to the marquis of Ormond, to treat with his subjects of that kingdom, who had taken arms against him ; and to agree with them on a cessation of arms for one year; which, as it was a service of very great concernment to his majesty, and his present affairs in both kingdoms, so he willed and commanded, that they would therein give the most ef fectual assistance and furtherance to advance the same, by their industry and endeavors, as there should be occasion." Not long after the arrival of this order,2 « sir Francis Butler landed from England, with a supersedeas for sir William Parsons's government, on account of his being a principal opposer of the intended cessation, and with a commission to sir John Borlase, and sir Henry Tichbourne, to be lords justices; who, accordingly, on the 1st of May, 1643, were instituted in the government. And on the 12th of the same month, major Warren and sir Francis Butler, came to the council, the lords sitting, and presented a petition to the lords justices, accusing sir William Parsons of high misdemeanors, and other treasonable matters, and requesting that his person and goods might be secured." After many needless delays, and a second command from the king, the lords justices appointed the marquis of Ormond to meet the commissioners of the confederate catholics, at Castle-Martin, on the 23d of June, and to enter upon a treaty with them for a cessation of arms. The marquis, as we have seen, had shewn but little inclination to be concerned at all in such a by the law of necessity utterly undone and disabled from being hereafter helpful to us, yet we were forced to wrest their commodities from them."Borl. Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 146-7. • "Lord justice Parsons doubted whether he should stop the execu tion of the king's commission, to hear the grievances of the insurgents.”— Lel. Hist. of Irel. vol. iii. p. 193. We learn from Mr. Carte, that "this commission was concealed from Angust to February following."-Orm, vol. ii. p. 132. way thither, he took the castle of Timolin ;" and although he had promised quarter to the garrison, on account of their gal lant defence, yet he suffered them to be cut in pieces by the soldiers, after they had surrendered their arms.* And on his return from Ross to Dublin, the 18th of March, (the day on which the other commissioners were receiving the remonstrance at Trim) having met and attacked an army of the confederates, under General Preston, he entirely routed it ; killing above five hundred of their men, among whom were many officers and gentlemen. The justices, in a letter to the speaker of the English house of commons, take particular notice of this action, as a satisfactory proof," that the king's commission for hear ing the complaints of the confederate catholics, gave not the least interruption to the proceedings of the war agains them."+ 9 Carte's Orm. vol. iii. 7 Belling's MSS. 8 Id. ib. vered the real design, in detestation thereof rent the book of subscription in pieces." Borl. Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 143-4.-At the same time with them, was sent captain Tucker, by the city of London. "The army (says Borlase) came to Timolin, where finding two castle possessed by the rebels, our cannon compelled them to submit to mere very few of them escaping with their lives there being about an hundred them slain."-Irish Rebel. fol. 148, The lords justices in their account of this battle say, "wherein w slain about three hundred of the rebels, and many of their commanders, others of quality, and divers taken prisoners; and among these prison colonel Cullen, a native of this city (Dublin) who had been a colone.. France, and was now a lieutenant-general in the rebel army; and on side about twenty slain in the fight and divers wounded."-Borl. Iris. fol. 146. "And in his return to Dublin (says Mr. Carte) he burnt and spoile enemy's country without the least opposition."-Ormond, vol. i. fol. 40, They observe, however, in the same letter, that their poverty want of all things was such, "that although the rebels were not a overcome his majesty's army, and devour his other good subjects, y his army and good subjects were in danger to be devoured by the v needful supplies forth of England. And that the miseries of the offic soldiers for want of all things, even of food, were unspeakable; that insupportable burthen then laid on the city of Dublin, for their nance, many housekeepers were daily breaking up house, and sc their families, leaving still fewer to bear the burthen. In the end fore, (adds they) we were enforced to fix on our former way, and to had any thing left untaken from him to help us; and althoug were but few such and some of them poor merchants, whom we h treaty; and he discovered much less to be instrumental in concluding it. For on the day before he set out for Castle-Martin, having caused the principal citizens of Dublin to be summoned before the council-board, he delivered a motion in writing, that, "if ten thousand pounds might be raised, the one half in money, the other in victuals, and to be brought in within a fortnight, he would in that case proceed in the war, endeavor to take Wexford, and break off the treaty for the cessation." But the principal citizens of Dublin, not being able to advance that sum, (such was their extreme poverty at that juncture*) sir Henry Tichbourne, who upon the supposition of his favoring the cessation, was appointed lord justice in Parsons's room,+ ,4" moved the board (there being then one and twenty counsellors present,) that every one for himself, out of his peculiar means and credit, should procure three hundred pounds; which, among them all, would raise six thousand three hundred pounds; for even with that," says sir Henry himself, "he (the marquis) offered to undertake the work, and that there should be no further mention of a cessation among them. But this motion of mine," proceeds he, " finding no place,* 3 Cart. Orm. vol. i. 4 Hist. of the Siege of Drogheda. * Temple informs us, “that when, in the beginning of the insurrection, the justices sent for the mayor and aldermen of Dublin, and laid before them the high necessities of the state, desiring to borrow a considerable sum of money for the present, which they undertook to repay out of the next treasure that should arrive from England, they returned this answer, after a most serious consultation and very solemn debate among themselves, that they were not able to furnish above forty pounds, and part of that was to be brought in in cattle."-History of the Irish Rebel. P. 47. + There is an odd passage in Borlase, which shews the extremely neces sitous condition of the protestants of Ireland about this period, more than any thing else I have any where met with. Upon the English parliament's neglecting to send them any part of that money which had been subscribed and paid in, in England, solely for their relief (and which, as we have seen, they perfidiously employed against the king himself) " yet, (says my author) that something might seem to be done, there was an order of the commons house of parliament, the 3d of August, 1642, that the ministers about the city of London should be desired to exhort the people to bestow old garments and apparel upon the distressed protestants of Ireland; in reference to which, the 19th of September following, the lord the cessation began to be treated on, and was in sincerity of heart, as much hindred, and delayed by me, as was in my power." Such was the zeal and fidelity of one of his majesty's chosen and principal ministers, then in the government of Ireland!* CHAP. V. His majesty's commissioners meet those of the confederate catholics to treat of the cessation. On the 23d of June, 1643, the commissioners of the confederate catholics presented themselves before the marquis of Ormond in his tent, near Castle-Martin, in the presence of divers colonels, captains, and others of his majesty's army, his lordship sitting in his chair covered, and the Irish commissioners standing bare-headed. After several passages between them, all tendered in writing, the latter gave his lordship a copy of the authority they had received from the supreme council of the confederate catholics at Kilkenny, in these words: "Whereas his majesty's most faithful subjects, the confe mayor of London ordered, that those cloaths should be brought to Yorkshire-hall in Blackwell-hall, to be ready for shipping them for Ireland; and a vast supply was brought in (charity never so much manifesting its compassion as in that case); which afterwards was entrusted to a reverend person, who discharged his trust with singular prudence and integrity, though, as to the army, these cloaths never reached, or were intended."— Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 120. * Yet we find this man described by a late historian, as "a man of unexceptionable character, and zealously devoted to the king's service."— Lel. Hist. of Irel. vol. iii. p. 102. And the Irish commons in 1666, after having just before settled most of the estates of the Irish on the partizans of Cromwell, voted an address to the duke of Ormond, that," in consideration of his (Tichbourne's, one of Cromwell's partizans also) many and great services during the rebellion of 1641, some extraordinary mark of favor should be placed upon him, so as to deliver over to posterity the gracious sense which his majesty had of his sufferings and services, and the grateful memory which that house retained thereof."--Com, Jour, vol. ii. fol. 491. |