James had married, was appointed Lord Lieutenant;
but he was probably too firmly attached to the pro-
testant interest to give as largely into James's mea-
sures, as was expected at his hands*. His instructions

was written, as by the title sufficiently appears, immediately after
the revolution, to make court to King William; and is attributed
to Dr. King, who was made bishop of Derry in 1690, and trans-
lated to the see of Dublin in 1702. Doctor Lesley, the famous
protestant divine, wrote an answer to this book, in which he proves
most of Dr. King's charges to be either absolutely false or grossly
exaggerated. Lesley's answer was never replied to, and by the
turn of politics was suppressed even in the first edition, whereas
Dr. King's has gone through several. Swift says, Lesley was
a nonjuror and Swift was as little disposed to favour papists, as
puritans or republicans. "Without doubt Mr. Lesley is unhap-
pily misled in his politics: but he has given the world such a
proof of his soundness in religion, as many a bishop ought to be
proud of.
I never saw the gentleman in my life: I know he is
the son of a great prelate, who, upon several accounts, was one of
the most extraordinary men of his age. I verily believe he acted
from a mistaken conscience (in refusing to swear allegiance to
King William), and therefore I distinguish between the principles
and the person. However, it is some mortification to me, when
I see an avowed nonjuror contribute more to the confounding of
popery, than could ever be done by an hundred thousand such in-
troductions." (Swift's Preface to Burnet's Introduction to his His-
tory of the Reformation). It should also be added, that Dr. King
had been before the revolution in favour with James, and had ex-
pressed sentiments of the staunchest toryism: but on being de-
tected in a correspondence with the Prince of Orange and the
northern rebels, was committed to prison: from whence he was
discharged upon lord chief justice Herbert's undertaking to answer
for his loyalty to King James: at which his lordship was after-
wards much chagrined.

*Hence his frequent complaints of his Majesty's want of con

1685.

1686. clearly bespoke the King's intention to introduce catholics into the army and corporations, and invest them with magistracies and judicial offices: and being called upon therein to give his opinion upon the legality of the measure, he expressed his readiness to comply with his Majesty's commands, although contrary to the act of Elizabeth, which directed, that all civil and temporal officers, as well as ecclesiastical, should take the oath of supremacy. The army was soon filled with catholic officers, the bench with catholic judges, (except three who retained their seats) the corporations with catholic members, and the counties with catholic sheriffs and magistrates.

Tyrconnel

The Earl of Tyrconnel was appointed commander commander in chief of the army, independent of the Lord

appointed

in chief of

the army.

fidence in him," I shall be able to do the King more or less service here, according to the credit and countenance the world finds I have from his Majesty." And " certainly it would not be to the prejudice of the King's service to have the chief governor a little consulted with." (State Letters, vol. I. p. 114). In the same letter to the lord treasurer, he says, "His Majesty knows that I will, as well as must, obey him." It appears, however, that the most alarming effects were expected from the sanguine hopes on one side, and the fears on the other, that the act of settlement and explanation would be repealed, and the former proprietors re-admitted to their ancient inheritances: for the new lord Jieutenant in his speech to the council, when he was sworn into office, on the 9th of January, 1685-6, expressly told them, "I have the King's commands to declare upon all occasions, that whatever imaginary (for they can be called no other) apprehensions any men here may have had, his Majesty hath no intention of altering the acts of settlement." (Append. to St. Let. p. 283 )

Lieutenant. On the very rumour of these changes and appointments, alarm and consternation fell upon the whole protestant part of the kingdom: and most of the traders and others, whese fortunes could be transferred, fled from a country, in which they expected a speedy establishment of popery. and a general transmutation of property. Clarendon, and most of the protestant party, complained of the overbearing confidence and presumption of Tyrconnel and of the catholics, by whom, in many instances, their newly-acquired power and influence were most imprudently exercised.

1686.

sent to Eng

cure a repeal the acts of

of

settlement.

The catholics, feeling themselves secure in the free- Tyrconnel dom of their religion, prevailed on Tyrconnel to go land to proto England, in order to bring over the King to their favourite measure of breaking through the act of settlement. It had now had the sanction and experience of twenty years, and the King saw more inconveniences in throwing the whole national property into a new state of disorder and confusion, than those did, who had been suffering during that whole time under the deprivation of their birth-rights *. Tyrconnel however so effectually worked upon the King, as to have disposed him to consent to the repeal of the acts of settlement; and he soon returned to Ireland as lord. deputy.

* Tyrconnel was himself a great enemy to the settlement, and he took over with him Mr. Nagle, who was generally esteemed one of the most eminent of the profession of the law, and who, whilst in England, wrote a treatise much spoken of in those days upon the injustice of the acts of settlement. It was called the Coventry Letter, because it was written during his sejour in that city.

1686.

Tyrconnel

to the pro

testants of

Ireland

The commission of any portion of the civil power to

James and the catholics worked up the protestants to the last deobnoxious gree of suspicion and desperation. Tyrconnel was personally obnoxious to them: he was impetuous, reso-. lute, and imperious: he commanded an unbounded influence over the King; and having in his youth been a witness of the bloody carnage at Drogheda, he had ever retained an abhorrence of fanaticism, with the spirit of which he considered all protestants more or less infected. Nothing more was wanting to alienate the affections of the Irish protestants from James and his government: and ere this unfortunate monarch, by the treachery of Sunderland, had been drawn to abdicate the crown of England, the whole protestant interest of Ireland had already associated against him *.

* Great allowances are to be made by the impartial observer of those factious days for the natural workings of the minds of indi viduals interested in them. No man ever spoke with more candour and sincerity upon that subject than Dr. Lesley. (Preface to his Answer to Archbishop King) Suppose, say they, it were true, which Dr. King asserts, as it is most false, that King James while he was in Ireland, did endeavour totally to overthrow the church established by law there, and set up that which was most agreeable to the inclinations of the major number of the people in that kingdom, who are Roman catholics: the Jacobites ask, if this were so, whether it be not fully vindicated in the fourth instruction of those, which King William sent to his commissioners in Scotland, dated at Copt Hall, May 31, 1689, in these words? You are to pass an act, establishing that church government, which is most agreeable to the inclinations of the people."

By which rule they say, that it was as just to set up popery in Ireland, as presbytery in Scotland: and that the law was not

James was enthusiastically bent upon the full tole- 1686. ration of his own religion in Ireland: he had made James's re

more against the one in Ireland, than against the other in Scotland. That the parliament in Ireland was liable to less exception than that in Scotland. The one called in the usual form by writs from their natural king, to whom they had sworn: the other, by circular letters from a foreign prince, to whom they owed no obedience; who could not, nor did pretend any other authority over them, or right to the crown, besides the inclination of the people. Which therefore, they say, in return for their kindness, he has made the standard for church government, as well as the government of the state."

"That it is only alleged, that King James intended to do in Ireland what he did not do, when it was in his power, and what King William actually did, when he was in Scotland, viz to overturn the church then by law established. Though King James had truly the argument of the inclinations of the people, i. e. of the major part in Ireland, which was but a pretence, aud falsely collected in Scotland from the fanatic rattle being let loose, and encouraged to act all outrage upon the episcopal clergy."

The same author, with equal truth and candour, speaks in this manner of King James, whose real character is little known from the distorted caricatures left of it by most of his contemporary writers, after which the more modern copies have been taken. James had many virtues, and many faults: he was treacherously advised, and he was unfortunate. "I have done, when I have desired the reader not to think, that I am insensible of several ill steps, which were made in the administration of affairs under the government of King James. Nor do I design to lessen them, or make other apology for them, than by doing him this justice, to tell what the Jacobites offer to prove, and make it notorious: viz. that the greatest blots in his government were hit by those, who made them, with design to ruin him, and now boast it as their merit, and are rewarded for it. And though Dr. King represents him to be of so tyrannical and implacable a temper towards the protestants, yet that it is now publicly known, that the fatal measures to which

ligious enthusiasm.