sation. But, the day before he set out upon this painful commission, he summoned before the council board some of the most substantial citizens of Dublin of the protestant party, and delivered to them a written proposal, that if 10,000l. should be raised, the one half in money, the other in victuals, and be brought in within a fortnight, he would in that case proceed with the war, endeavour to take Wexford, and break off the treaty from the cessation.* 22. Ormond used every engine to prevent the cessation from taking place: he received the commissioners of the confederates with the utmost contempt, indignantly calling for the authority by which they appeared; when they presented their credentials from the supreme council of the confederates at Kilkenny.† He contested their title, and Wee, the undernamed, being thereunto authorized, doe present and sign this remonstrance in the behalfe of the catholiques of Ireland, dated this 17th day of March, 4642, LUCAS DILLON, JOHN WALSH. GORMANSTON, According to your majestie's commission to us directed, we have received this remonstrance, subscribed by the Lord Viscount Gormanston, Sir Lucas Dillon, knight, Sir Robert Talbott, bart. and John Walsh, esq. authorized by and in the behalfe of the recusants of Ireland, to present the same unto us, to be transmitted to your sacred majestie, dated the 17th day of March, 1642. CLANRICKARD AND ST. ALBANS, ROSCOMMON, MAU. EUSTACE. *This disloyal opposition to the king's commands by Ormond is referred to by Sir Henry Tichborne, who was present at the council, in his history of the siege of Drogheda. "The cessation intended was so disagreeable to the Irish privy council, that most of them desired to run any fortune and extremity of famishing rather than yield unto it. And I moved the board (there being twenty-one counsellors present), that every one for himself, out of his peculiar means and credit, should procure 300l. which amongst them all would raise 6,3007.; for even with that, he (Ormond) offered to undertake the work, and that there should be no further mention of a cessation amongst them. But this motion of mine finding no place, the cessation began to be treated on, and was in sincerity of heart as much hindered and delayed by me as was in my power." + From this it appears that the confederates openly professed themselves, in defiance of all obloquy and calumny, as faithful to the king. So also, when the lords-justices and council, in treating for the exchange of a prisoner, had applied to them the word rebels, they highly resented the insult upon their loyalty, and sent the following answer: "We do not know to whom this certificate is directed; for we avow ourselves in all our actions to be his majesty's loyal subjects. Neither shall it be safe hereafter for any messenger to bring any paper to us containing other language than such as suits with our duty and peremptorily rejected the condition of dissolving the present, and calling a new parliament; although the king had, in a letter of the 2d of July, 1643, to the lords-justices and the marquis of Ormond, authorizing them to conclude this cessation with the confederates, expressly commanded them to assure the Irish in his name, that he was graciously inclined to dissolve the present parliament, and call a new one between that and the 10th of November following. 23. Ormond was as determined in his disobedience to all the king's commands favourable to his catholic subjects of Ireland as the staunchest parliamentarian of the day.* By these contrivances the cessation was suspended; and it was not until the fifth letter from his majesty to Ormond (viz. on the 7th of September, 1643,) that his most urgent commands upon this subject were ultimately submitted to. 24. Notwithstanding Ormond's detestation of the catholics, he was no less than his royal master convinced of their loyalty: he even exceeded his commission in treating with their commissioners for a pecuniary supply for that very army with which he had recently committed such outrages upon the inhabitants of the pale. He procured from the confederates a voluntary payment of 30,000l. and a reinforcement of some thousands of their best men for their majesty's army in Scotland, who afterwards rendered essential service to the royal cause. The king was impatient, and renewed his orders for a cessation: he declared his intention to call a new parliament, and to listen to their agents about a peace. And to confound all opposition to this object, Parsons, Temple, Loftus, Meredith, the great partisans of the English parliament, were accused of high crimes and misdemeanors, and by the royal mandate were committed to close custody. The Irish were the dupes and victims of court intrigue: they returned harshness and deceit with attachment and loyalty. the affections we bear to his majesty's service. Wherein some may pretend, but none shall have more real desires to further his majesty's interests than his majesty's loyal and obedient subjects. MOUNTGARRETT, Signed, MUSKERRY," &c. * So bent was Ormond upon preventing this cessation, that he sent Sir Philip Percival to England to oppose it: and he opposed it with such virulence, that Sir George Ratcliffe told the Marquis of Ormond on that occasion that had he not been recommended by his lordship, he would have passed at court for a round-head: and he did in fact soon after join the English rebels 25. Scarcely was the treaty for the cessation signed, ere it was formally rejected by the northern army, which, as well as the rest of the king's forces in Ireland, was under the command of Ormond. This was immediately followed up by their taking the covenant:* and such of the English army as had formally acceded to the cessation, offered their services to follow Monroe, whenever he should march against the Irish. About the same time, Lord Inchiquin openly revolted against the king, by accepting the presidency of Munster from the parliament. He caused to be administered to each of his followers an oath for the extirpation of popery and extirmination of the Irish. 26. The parliament of England sent forth a declaration against the cessation: in answer to which, his majesty published, The Grounds and Motives of the Cessation, for which he says, "there was an absolute necessity, as preparatory to a peace." The Irish troops sent over from the confederates behaved with so much zeal in the royal cause, that the English parliament on the 24th of October, 1644, published an ordinance, "that no quarter should be given to any Irishman or papist born in Ireland that should be taken in hostility against the parliament, either upon the sea or in England or Wales.' After this the hostilities daily committed on the confederates by Monroe in Ulster, Sir Charles Coote in Connaught, and Lord Inchiquin in Munster, in breach of the cessation, drove the confederates to present a strong petition to the marquis of Ormond, now made Lord-lieutenant of Ireland, either that he would put himself at their head, or permit them to employ their forces against those who, by violating the armstice, had avowed themselves open enemies to his majesty. The inveteracy of Ormond against the catholics prevented him *The English parliament sent Owen O'Conolly, who had received from them the commission of a captain, and a pension for having been the first informer of the grand rebellion, to press the covenant upon the army; the fruits of his mission were rapid; immediately upon his landing all the Scotch and most of the English officers of the northern army took the covenant; Carte informs us that Ormond had it in command from his majesty to send down a proclamation to all the colonels to forbid it; but they would not publish it for fear of Monroe, as they alleged. Conolly soon joined the parliamentarian rebels, and was by them promoted to a colonelcy. + Lord Digby in a letter to Ormond frankly admits on this occasion, that it was understood that if the Scots submitted not to the cessation, "they then should be declared against as open enemies." (Carte Orm. p. 346.) from seconding what he knew to be the interest, the wish, and the commands of his royal master, lest he should* in that case be suddenly and totally abandoned by the protestants. An unequivocal test of the loyalty of the Irish to king Charles, who had not only by several letters strongly recommended to Ormond, but strictly commanded him to conclude a peace with his Irish subjects, whatever it cost. He, however, contrived, for three or four years, to delay the peace, notwithstanding the king's most positive commands, until it became unavailing by the cessation of the exercise of the royal authority after the imprisonment of his majesty's person in the year 1646. 27. The king had more reliance upon the fidelity of his catholic subjects of Ireland at this time than upon that of any other of his subjects, was satisfied with the end for which they had confederated, and wrote to Ormond concerning the very eminent good service of Antrim and O'Neile, two of the most powerful catholics: earnestly charging him to unite himself in a strict and entire correspondence with Antrim, and contribute all his power to further him in those services which he had undertaken. The king's wishest were to strengthen the confederacy, and clear the confederates of the guilt of rebellion: yet from the false policy of the Stuart family, he adopted two measures, by which they were deluded, his protestant subjects deceived, and his own interests defeated. 28. So obstinate was Ormond, in counteracting the king's wishes to ingratiate himself with the confederates; and so well satisfied was he with disobeying the peremptory commands of his royal master, that he even boasted in a letter to the king, "that he treated with these commissioners in such a manner and gave them such answers as might let them conjecture he had directions treaty with the rebel mond was at 41 * Carte Orm. p. 322. If, says he, "I take the charge of their army upon me, or denounce immediately an offensive war against the Scots, not ten protestants will follow me; but rather rise as one man and adhere to the Scots." The king's letter to Ormond shew how much hurt his majesty was by his disobedience. They rise gradually from recommendation and pressing to positive and peevish commands. I command you to conclude a peace with the Irish, cost it what it may. And, I absolutely command you without reply to execute the directions I sent you on the 27th of February last; which were to make peace, even without the council. And, a peace with the Irish is most necessary for my affairs in England, wherefore I command you to dispatch it out of hand. C. O. 3 v. p. 431. lious army of the Scots in Ulster, to join them with his forces in the renewal of hostilities against the confederates.* 29. The king, fearful that the harshness of Ormond towards the catholics, and his inflexible reluctance to obey any commands favourable to them, would alienate their attachment to the royal cause, endeavoured to effect by the secret influence of his authority over them what the insince rity of his character prevented him from openly avowing. Charles, in his troubles, had experienced the most eminent support from the marquis of Worcester, who had expended above 150,000l. (an immense sum in those days) in the king's service, and in maintaining a body of 1500 foot, and 500 horse. That family was then catholic; and the king placed an extraordinary confidence in the fidelity and zeal of his eldest son Edward Somerset, Lord Herbert, whom he created earl of Glamorgan. Being of the same religion as the confederates, his majesty availed himself of the influence which he conceived this circumstance, coupled with his connections in Ireland (he was married to lady margaret O'Bryen, daughter of the earl of Thomond,) must naturally have given him, granted him a patent of very extraordinary powers, which seemed specially calculated to check or overawe the powers of Ormond, whom he affected to regard, but really feared and actually mistrusted. Glamor gan was enabled to levy any number of men in Ireland, and other parts beyond seas, to command them, to put officers over them, to make governors in forts and towns, to give powers to receive the king's rents, &c. This was followed up by two other commissions for extending and enlarging his powers (even beyond the law), should circumstances fall upon him to use a vigour of that nature: and to do that for his majesty then publicly to own well be seen, as not fit the honour of a king and a christian, to ratify whatever Glamorgan should think fit to grant to the confederates under his hand and seal: the said confederates having, " by their supplies testified their zeal to our service." Of the like description were the succour, aids, and assistance, which the * The confederates were apprized of his majesty's commands to Ormond by their agents, Lord Taafe, Mr. Burke, and Mr. Brent, who then were with the king. + Whatever objections may be made to the propriety or reality of these grants on behalf of the crown, they prove beyond question that the confederates were considered by his majesty at least as royalists. |