in their opposition to a cessation founded on the hypocritical professions of men who had so often betrayed the Irish, common sense proclaims the wisdom of the nuncio's conduct on this occasion, and the stupid, or rather the corrupt credulity of the Ormondists. The confederate leaders turned their arms against their countrymen, and the parliamentarians were gratified with the glorious prospect of civil war. Lord Taaffe, and Preston, and Clanrickard, are now seen drawing their swords against their allies of yesterday; and the Irish reader may easily conceive the mortifying spectacle which such fatuity must have presented to every honest and reflecting observer. It was a strange revolution to witness a friendly communication between Owen O'Neal and Jones, the general of the parliamentary forces then quartered in Dublin. Such was the inveterate rancor of hostility which existed between the confederate leaders and Owen O'Neal, that the common enemy was embraced by the latter, to revenge himself on those whom he considered Ireland's greatest enemies, namely, the Ormondists. He formed the bold design of marching to Kilkenny, and seizing the whole supreme council of the confederates. Such was the situation of things in Ireland, when Ormond arrived at Cork from France. Every succeeding day increased the pressure of his sovereign's difficulties, and every effort should now be made to strengthen the royal party in Ireland.-Alas! the time for an efficient and decisive exertion in Ireland had gone by; the feelings of the nation were trifled with; their demand of right was rejected with disdain; and now the period had arrived when the royal misfortunes extorted from the representative of the king those concessions which should have been given with cheerfulness, and would have been accepted with gratitude.

The soldiers of Cromwell were now clamoring for the blood of the king: the fatal information was conveyed to the leaders of the Irish confederacy; its effect was sudden and powerful. The persecution of the king united every

heart, and gave new energy to every hand; all objections to a complete recognition of Irish privileges were remoyed, and those concessions which Ormond conceived himself so prudent in rejecting at a former period, were granted with a feverish precipitation: all the penal statutes were to be repealed, and the catholics left to the free exercise of their religion. Such a concession, two years before, might have saved the life of Charles, and extinguished the rebellion of Englishmen; Ormond's half measures prevented so happy a determination. Twelve commissioners were named by the general assembly, called commissioners of trust, whose duty it was to take care that the articles of peace should be duly performed. They were to have a joint authority with Ormond, and only to be dissolved by an act of parliament which would ratify the freedom they had succeeded in establishing. In the mean time Charles I. fell a victim to his enemies, and all those visions of relief with which he flattered himself from his Irish subjects vanished into air. Ormond immediately proclaimed the prince of Wales king; the heart of every Irishman re-echoed the sound, and every bosom burned with vengeance against the insatiable cruelty which pursued their sovereign to the scaffold.

THE

HISTORY

OF IRELAND.

Commonwealth.

1649.

A. D. THE struggles of Ormond, and his commissioners of trust, were marked with the same undecided character that distinguished all his former efforts. Ormond's great object was to unite all parties, if possible, in support of the common cause; that the enemies of Charles II. and the murderers of his father, should be hereafter considered the only enemies of Ireland; and that every concession should be made to conciliate the most austere and rigid assertors of Irish freedom. For this purpose Ormond would not hesitate to shake hands with Owen O'Neal; but so infatuated were the confederate council of Kilkenny, that they not only refused to coalesce with this gallant and generous soldier, but actually pro

• Mr. Taaffe, speaking of the infatuated conduct which distinguished the confederate council at Kilkenny, and of their ingratitude to Owen O'Neal, their most illustrious leader, has the following animated observations: "What welcome news to the covenanters of England, Ireland and Scotland! The illustrious hero of Ireland, Owen Roe O'Neal, crowned with laurels on the continent; the only name on the military staff of Ireland formidable to, its enemies; who had the praise even of his enemies, both at home and abroad; the lineal descendant and rightful heir of so many kings and monarchs of Ireland; of a race almost always its ornament and bulwark; munificent patrons of arts and sciences; favourers of the muses; all that essentially grace and adorn human life; champions of the faith; protectors of the weak; and unequivocal and unbending assertors of Irish rights; Owen Roe O'Neal, the only true champion, the shield and right hand of Erin, is declared a rebel and a traitor! This was hard treatment to those gallant Irish officers, who quitted foreign service, when promotions,

claimed him a traitor. Owen O'Neal, disgusted with such miserable policy, intrigued with the parliamentary forces, relieved their distresses, and contributed indirectly to the overthrow of the hopes of the confederacy. Ormond besieges Dublin, and is repulsed with immense loss. The parliament of England turn their whole and undivided attention towards Ireland, the last refuge of the royal family. They send forward Cromwell, at the head of eight thousand foot and four thousand horse, with an ample supply of money, a formidable train of artillery, and all other necessaries of war. Cromwell commenced his barbarous warfare in Ireland by the siege and the destruction

honors, and honorable family alliances were open on the continent, to assist their countrymen in their late struggle for their liberties. Such an act of folly was fatal to Ireland; by it the confederates damned their cause, and surrendered themselves and their country into the hands of their enemies. They did that which the English parliament, Cromwell, Coote, Ormond, and all the open and covert enemies of Ireland, wished. They delivered Sampson into the hand of the Philistines, and the latter took care to destroy the man who was the terror of all the popish and covenanting enemies of Ireland.

"Sir Charles Coote, holding Derry for the parliament, and being sorely pressed for want of provisions, having sustained a long siege from the lord of Ardes, who commanded the royalist army, contrived to send a messenger to O'Neal. Having heard of his being proclaimed a traitor and rebel, and knowing, consequently, that he must be distressed for money to pay his troops, he offered him a large sum, on the condition that O'Neal relieved him. Owen, indignant at the outrage offered to him and his brave troops, marched to raise the siege. The lord of Ardes, not thinking it prudent to wait his arrival, departed from before Derry hastily. Owen Roe O'Neal was received with every appearance of friendship into the town. A ball and supper was prepared for the entertainment. of the deliverer of Derry; and he received a present of a pair of russet boots, in order to dance with a young lady who was particularly anxious to enjoy the honor of that diversion with the great man. Supper being ended, he danced with her and some others, until he fell into a perspiration, and was completely exhausted. He soon after retired to bed, fell sick, and in a few days expired. Whether the popular opinion of his having been presented with a pair of poisoned boots, be well founded, still rests on conjecture-yet I think the probabilities favor that opinion. Coote was a mortal enemy to Irish papists. He had engaged for a large sum, which perhaps he was unable to pay, and the general at the head of his forces could compel payment or make reprisals." Mr. Taaffe concludes, that Coote conspired to destroy his great and powerful ally. We are unwilling to attribute the sudden death of Owen O'Neal, however formidable either his talents or power, to the cause suggested by Mr. Taaffe. Coote was at this period most peculiarly interested in his safety; and the stupid denunciations of the Irish confederacy against O'Neal, were the best possible security for his fidelity.

of Drogheda. He basely butchered the inhabitants. Af-< ter a promise of quarter to the brave defenders of the town, he permitted his fanatical soldiers to slaughter them, when stripped of their arms and incapable of defence. For five days this hideous and cowardly murder was continued, under the direct orders of this hypocritical Englishman: but thirty persons remained unslaughtered by an enemy glutted and oppressed with carnage; and Borlase says, that even this miserable thirty were transported as slaves to Barbadoes. Such were the effects of a policy dictated by the furious spirit of fanaticism, urged on by national hatred and contempt. With such facts before the contemplation of Ireland, will a rational Englishman wonder that an Irishman should give utterance to his political feelings in the language of the bitterest indignation-yet all this desperate and murderous violence of Cromwell would have availed but little, had it not been for the wretched divisions of the confederates. Even this dreadful calamity with which their country was now visited was insufficient to induce them to the adoption of any manly generous principles of action. The wolf was suf fered to prowl and continue his bloody course among the unprotected flock, while the drunken shepherds were either disputing about their booty, or perhaps speculating on the slaughter of each other. Cromwell went on, and vigorously took advantage of the folly which surrounded him; he artfully held out the hope of religious toleration; intrigued with the principal leaders among the Irish; and by force and stratagem succeeded in the capture of Wexford, Waterford, and, Ross. The duplicity practised by Ormond on the people of Ireland was signally punished by their present indifference to the result of the conflict between him and Cromwell: well and truly did they say, that they saw but little difference between the cause of Charles and the English parliament; both promised freedom, civil and religious, and experience told them that the word of Ormond was not to be relied on.

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