of complying with the pacific orders of this commission, he prefered the injunction of a committee* from the English parliament, to march with an army of 5500 foot and 500 horse, towards Ross. In this expedition, near 1000 of his countrymen lost their lives. He was the only one of the commissioners who did not attend the confederates at Trim; where they delivered to the rest of the king's commissioners, a very full remonstrance of all their grievances, which was accepted, and by them transmitted over to his majesty.†

In consequence of this remonstrance, which it appears strongly affected the king, his majesty informed the lords justices, that he had authorized the Marquis of Ormond to treat with his Irish subjects, who had taken arms, for a cessation of hosti

lities 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 effectual assistance and furtherance to "advance the same by their industry and endeavours as there "should be occasion." Sir William Parsons was superseded, indicted for high crimes, misdemeanors and treasonable practices, and particularly for having been the principal opposer of the cessation. A new commission was issued to Sir John Borlase and Sir Henry Tichborne, to be lords justices. The latter was expressly appointed, as being considered to favour the cessation. Ormond, as I have before observed, uniformly gave into every measure that could frustrate the designs, or weaken the power of the Catholic party. He was appointed after many delays, and a second command from the king, (the first having been disobeyed) by the lords justices to meet the commissioners of the Catholic confederates, at Castle Martin, on the 23d of June, 1642. Here he gave unequivocal proofs of his sanguinary disposition towards his Catholic countrymen, and of the little deference he paid to the commands and most earnest wishes of his royal master, when they crossed the views either of his ambition or revenge. The day before he set out upon this reluctant and painful commission for negotiating the cessation of arms,

gallant defence, yet he suffered them all to a man to be butchered in cold blood, after they had surrendered their arms. And on the very day on which the other commissioners received the remonstrance from the Catholics at Trim (viz. the 17th of March, 1642), he attacked and routed the forces of Ge. neral Preston, and killed 500 of them. Blood and devastation marked his progress to and from Ross.

*" This committee consisted of Reynolds and Goodwyn sent over by the En"glish House of Commons, were settled at Dublin, and they took upon them "the direction of all public affairs: they were allowed by the lords justices, "without any leave from the king, to sit in privy council; and their opinion "governed the whole board." Warn. p. 231.

For this curious and authentic document, vide Appendix, No. XXVIII.

be,

which the king had twice peremptorily commanded, 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 10,000/. 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 with the war, endeavour to take Wexford, and break off the treaty for the cessation. This disloyal opposition made to the king's wishes and commands by Ormond, is placed in a more striking view by the narrative of Sir Henry Tichborne, one of the new justices, then present at the council, than by the words or representations of any other cotemporary or modern writer. In his history of the siege of Drogheda, he tells us, that "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 be ing twenty-one counsellors present), that every one for him"self, out of his peculiar means and credit, should procure 300%. "which amongst them all would raise 6300/.; 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 hin"dered and delayed by me as was in my power." I have judged it necessary to say thus much of Ormond's conduct towards his king and country, in order that the principal part which he performed in the tragic scenes of Irish troubles may appear in the true light. Ormond used every engine to prevent the cessation from taking place: he received the commissioners of the confederates with the most imperious contempt, indignantly calling for the authority by which they appeared; upon which they gave him a copy of the authority they had received from the supreme coun: il of the confederate Catholics at Kilkenny.† He then

There must have been something extraordinary in the character of this gentleman. Dr. Leland says (3 vol. p. 202), that he was a man of unexceptionable character, and zealously devoted to the king's service. He continued, however, to serve under Cromwell: and yet in 1666 the commons voted an address to the Duke of Ormond, in which they prayed, that in consideration of Sir Henry Tichborne's many and great services during the rebellion of 1641, some extraordinary mark of favour 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 the house retained thereof. 2 Com. Jour. We shall have occasion hereafter to remark this mysterious favour to the Cromwellians. Sir Henry appears to have written with the blunt frankness of a soldier; not even palliating his own misconduct.

This authority is to be seen in the Appendix, No. XXIX. It is an additional proof, that the confederates openly professed themselves, in deɓance of all obloquy and calumny, as faithful to the king; which appears again more pointedly in the answer they sent to the lords justices and council, who in the transaction of treating for the exchange of a prisoner, had used the words rebels, highly resenting this insult upon their loyalty.

VOL. I.

122

took occasion to contest their title, and question the facts presumed or referred to in their authority; and peremptorily rejected the condition insisted upon by the confederates, of the dissolution of the present, and the calling of 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. But it seems that Ormond was as determined in his disobedience to all his majesty's commands that tended to relieve his Catholic subjects of Ireland, as the staunchest parliamentarian of that day. By these contrivances, the cessation was suspended; and it was not until the fifth lettert from his majesty to Ormond (viz. on the 7th of September, 1643), that his most pressing commands upon this subject were ultimately submitted to.

Notwithstanding Ormond's detestation of the Catholics, he was no less than his royal master most strongly convinced of their immoveable loyalty and zealous attachment to the crown: he exceeded therefore his commission in treating with their commissioners, for a pecuniary supply for that very army with which he had recently committed such cruelties and outrages upon the inhabitants of the pale. He procured from them a voluntary payment of 30,000l. and a reinforcement of some thousands of their best men for his majesty's army in Scotland, who afterwards proved an honour to their nation, and rendered Both Leland and Warner, essential service to the royal cause. the avowed encomiasts of Ormond, prove, to demonstration, the personal opposition he constantly made to the cessation, in despite of the will and commands of the king; for pending the treaty, which it evidently was his duty to conclude not by the sword, but by negotiating, he is represented as attributing the

"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 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.

64

Signed,

"MOUNTGARRETT,
"MUSKERRY," &c.

*So determinately bent was Ormond upon preventing this cessation, that he sent Sir Philip Percival to England to oppose it; and he did oppose it with such virulence, that Sir George Ratcliffe told the Marquis of Ormond on that occasion, that had he not been reccommended by his lordship, he would have passed at court for a round head: and he did in fact soon after join the English rebels.

These different letters, which shew the king's eagerness for the peace, are to be seen in the Appendix, No. XXX.

แ

confidence of the commissioners in treating, to the prosperous situation of their army, and is made to conclude, that" any "advantage gained by the king's forces must abate their pride: "he therefore determined to suspend his negotiation, and, if "possible, to force Preston to an engagement. This general cautiously retired before him. Ormond was not sufficiently "provided to pursue him: the dread of famine soon forced him "to lead his army back to Dublin: abundantly convinced by "this experiment, that the army and Protestant subjects of "Ireland were to be rescued from destruction only by a cessa"tion of hostilities........†The king was impatient for this event: "he renewed his orders and instructions for a cessation: he now "deemed it necessary to shew some condescension to the Irish "confederates: he expressed an inclination to call a new parlia"ment in Ireland, and to permit their agents to treat with him "on this business, and whatever else might conduce to a just, "honourable, and perfect peace. To terrify and confound all "opposition to his favourite scheme, Parsons, Temple, Loftus, "Meredith, the great partisans of the English parliament, "were accused of high crimes and misdemeanors, and by his "order committed to close custody." Whatever dupes or

victims the Irish were at this time made to the selfishness or intrigues of the king or his servants, nothing certainly can rob them of the merit of returning harshness, severity and deceit, with unparalleled duty, attachment and loyalty to their sovereign, who then intended to make peace with them, as Warner informs us, "not out of any favour, or to shew countenance to "them, as some of his enemies suggested, and others believed, "but to strengthen himself against the parliament with the Irish army." If King Charles, in the distressful situation of his affairs in England and Scotland, could so inhumanly wanton in the ungrateful principles of his family, as to reward the most unshaken and persevering loyalty of his Irish subjects, by persecuting them at home, and drawing their blood and treasure for his own purposes abroad, we shall be little surprised at the false and double part he continued to play upon them during the remainder of his life. The plain disclosure of truth is a debt of justice which the faithful historian is called upon to acknowledge and discharge to the Irish nation, not only to shield her from the shafts of malevolence and envy, but more particularly to inspire Great Britain with plenary confidence, that the loyalty, zeal, and fidelity of that nation, with which she has united, are not to be withdrawn from the British sovereign by seduction, menace, treachery, or invasion foreign or do

mestic.

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 even 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, in which province there were no bounds to his cruelty: he caused to be administered to each of his followers, an oath for the extirpation of Popery and extermination of the Irish. The cessation was considered by the parliament of England as so destructive of the Protestant interest, that they immediately made a declaration against it: 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; which nevertheless he would never admit, unless it "were such a peace as might be agreeable to conscience, honour, "and justice." The confederates sent over so many and such seasonable supplies to the king, and these Irish troops behaved with so much zeal and valour in the royal cause, that the English parliament on the 24th of October, 1644, published this bloody 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." The hostilities after this 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 them 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 armistice, had avowed themselves open enemies to his majesty. But the inveteracy of the lord lieutenant against the Catholics, prevented him from se conding what he knew to be the interest, the wish, and the

The English parliament sent Owen O'Conolly, who had received 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; and the fruits of his mission were most rapid and extensive: for immediately upon his landing all the Scotch and most of the English officers of the northern army took the cove nant: Carte indeed 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. Captain 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." (Cart. Orm. vol. 3. p. 346.)