relation to the rebellion and war in Ireland, and to the several cessations and peaces made by his, and your majesty's authority and command.

That in the said book the lord privy seal hath maliciously endeavoured to calumniate and asperse the duke of Ormond, by calling in question his faithfulness and loyalty to his late majesty, the sincerity of his profession in point of religion, and insinuating that the cessations and peaces (destructive as he says to the English and Protestants) were advised and procured by him the said duke, out of his affection to the Irish popish rebels, because he was allied to many of them in blood and by marriages.

and address, by seeing two generals engage in the sight of their armies, so certainly this paper battle between these great ones may be of use to all sorts of men that have the least grain of that commendable ambition, to propound to themselves the greatest examples. Wherefore I conceive no man, of which side soever fortune or choice hath placed him, can blame me for procuring and exposing to public view authentic transcripts of what hath passed in this affair.

"The bare curiosity to know how such men write, were almost enough to tempt any one to peruse these papers, but then when they relate to the history of unmovable affairs, of which either of the parties may say,

Quorum pars magna fui.'

"And when they were so great men in themselves, and their parts in the history so great that they may be compared to Cæsar writing the Commentaries of his own enterprises; I should think him very dull that need be courted to be a reader.

"But these papers carry in them what I hope will further recommend and endear them to the greater part of this nation; most of them being in defence of the poor English Protestants in Ireland, to some of which the earl of Anglesey hath most generously asserted the glory of their martyrdom, and to others, the unblemished honour of preventing the utter ruin and extirpation of the rest.

That the lord privy seal, in the course of abov twenty years free and friendly acquaintance and correspondence with the duke of Ormond, never thought fit to give him any intimation of his lordship's intention to write a history of the wars of Ireland, and other transactions there, wherein both the duke, and his lordship (though of opposite parties) had a great part, but chose rather to seek for information from the earl of Castlehaven, and to publish his " Observations on the Earl of Castlehaven's Memoirs," in a conjuncture when his reflections in his book and his Letter of the 7th of December, 1681, to the duke of Ormond, might not only do most mischief to him, but to the govern

on the English in that kingdom in a time of settled peace, without the least occasion given.

"I must confess there are several passages in the letter to the earl of Castlehaven, wherein the duke of Ormond seems concerned to vindicate his own actions. How far the charge or the defence is made good, it is not for me to judge: nor shall I in the least enter into the merits of it.

"I am sure the earl of Anglesey made most noble declaration, fit to be written letters of gold; Truth,' says he, being the 'greatest and best friend, I had rather one or 'several persons and families should lie under the consequence of its impartiality, than that the English nation and Protestant religion should suffer by a timorous unworthy con'cealing or withholding any part of it.'

"This being the said earl's avowed prin ciple, methinks he ought to be importuned by a public Address, that what he hath meditated and hath been preparing from records and 'authentic unquestionable relations and trans'actions of that bloody tragedy and matchless defection from the crown and very nation of Englishmen,' may soon see the light."

* The following Letters had passed between the duke of Ormond and the Lord Privy Seal, on the subject of the Letter from a Person of 'Honour,' &c.

"My Lord;

Nov. 12, 1681.

living. Among those, that, by the blessing of God, are yet living, I find myself worst treated. Twenty years after the king's restoration, and forty after the beginning of the Irish Rebellion, as if it had been all that while reserved for me,

ment. The duke of Ormond humbly conceives that at least while the lord privy-seal and he have the honour to be of your majesty's privy council, and in the stations they are, it will not be fit for him to publish such an Answer to the lord privy-seal's book and letter, and for such times as these, we are fallen into, when calumny (though the matter of it be never so groundless and improbable) meets with credulity; and when liberty is taken to asperse men, and represent them to the world, under the monstrous and odious figures of papists, or popishly affected; not because they are so thought, by those that employ the representers, but because they are known to be too good Protestants, and too loyal subjects, to join in the destruction of the crown and church: besides, the treatise came forth, and must have been written, when I had but newly received repeated assurances of the continuance of your friendship to me; wherein, as in one of your letters you are pleased to say, you had never made a false step; for these reasons, I was not willing to believe that book to be of your lordship's composing, and hoped some of the suborned libellers of the age, had endeavoured to imitate your lordship, and not you them but I was, in a while after, first, by my son Arran, and afterwards by the bearer, sir Robert Reading, assured your lordship had owned to them that the piece was your's, but professed the publication to be without your order; and that you did not intend to do, or think that you had done, me any injury, or prejudice: if your lordship really thought so, the publication might have been owned, as well as what was published; but then let the world judge, whether pen, ink, and paper, are not dangerous tools in your hands? When I was thus assured your lordship was the author, it cost me some thoughts how to vindicate truth, my master the late king, myself, my actions, and family, all reflected on, and traduced by that pamphlet: I found myself engaged in the service of our present king, and that in a time of difficulty and danger, and in such times, for the most part, it has been my lot to be employed in public affairs; and though I had not been so taken up, yet I well knew that writing upon such occasions is no more my talent, than it is my delight; and, to say truth, my indisposition to the exercise, might help to persuade me, that the book, though bonoured with your lordship's name, would, after it had performed it's office in coffeehouses, and served your lordship's design in that conjuncture, expire, as writings of that nature and force usually do and herein I rested without troubling myself, or any body else, with animadversions on your lordship's mistakes, which are so many, and so obvious, that I wonder how you could fall into them. I will add to this, that I have been in expectation, that by this time your Complete History would have come forth; wherein, if I may judge by the pattern, I have just cause to sus

YOL. VIII.

as might otherwise be necessary in vindication of truth, his late majesty's justice and honor, and his own integrity.

It is therefore most humbly proposed, that your majesty would be pleased to appoint a committee of your privy council to look over pect, that neither the subject, or myself, will be more justly dealt with, than in that occasional essay; and, I would have been glad to have seen all my work before me, in case I should think fit to make a work of it. The delay of your publishing that History, and the consideration of your lordship's age, and mine, are the occasions of this letter; whereby, I inform you, that as no man now alive is better able than I am, to give an account of the principal transactions during the rebellion in Ireland; so no man is possessed of more authentic commissions, instruments, and papers, all which, or transcripts of them, you might have commanded before you set forth your reflections. But, possibly, to have stayed for them, might have lost you a seasonable opportunity of publishing your abhorrence of the Irish rebellion, and your zeal against popery : what your lordship might then have had, you may yet have, because I had rather help to prevent than detect errors; but then, I must first know to what particular part of your history you desire information, and how you deliver those parts to the world, and to posterity. If after this offer, your lordship shall proceed to the conclusion, and publication of your history, and not accept of it, I must, before-hand, appeal from you, as from an incompetent judge of my actions, and a partially engaged and unfaithful historian." "ORMOND."

The Earl of Anglesey's ANSWER was as follows:

"My Lord,

"Your grace's of the 12th of November, I received towards the end of that month, and was not a little surprized, after being threatened above a year, with your grace's Answer, to the Observations and Reflections on my lord Castlehaven's Memoirs, which your grace takes notice you had seen above a year before, to find them only most satirically burlesqued, and my intentions in the writing of them, most unnaturally misinterpreted, and misjudged, without giving instance of any one particular, which could so much transport your grace, or interest you to judge of a letter of a mine to another, with so invective heat and mistake. Your grace's letter, therefore, consisting only of generals, I can no otherwise adapt my answer, (after a most serious revision of my book upon this occasion) but by giving the reverse of your grace's strained and erroneous affirmatives, by my plain and true negatives; till your grace shall administer occasion, by communicating the particular animadversions, your grace hath been so long (as I hear) about. The reasons leading your grace to believe it impossible I could be the author of that discourse, I 3 S

the lord privy-seal's book and to call his lordship and the duke of Ormond before them, and if upon report from them, it shall appear to your majesty that the earl of Anglesey, has fallen into

cannot admit, though they import a fair opinion of me; and that in the beginning of your letter, your grace had better thoughts than when your hand was in and heated. I do therefore absolutely deny, that I affirm any matter of fact, positively in that book, which are easily, or authentically (or at all) to be disproved. Or that, from those matters of fact, grossly mistaken, it deduces consequences, raises inferences, and scatters glances injurious to the memory of the dead, and the honour of some living; among which, your grace finds yourself worst treated. This being so, your grace's unjust inferences from the time of it's writing, and the misjudging the design of the author, give no countenance, or occasion, to your grace's rhetorical character of the times, though I join in all, but the opinion your grace seems to have taken up, that there is a plot (other than that of the papists) to destroy the crown and church; a discovery worthy the making, if your grace knows and believes what you write; but how I am concerned to have it mentioned to me, I know not, your grace can best tell what you intend to insinuate thereby. These are your grace's reasons, why you were not willing to believe that book of my composing; yet you cannot leave me without a sting, in your expressing the hopes which succeeded them, viz. That some of the suborned libellers of the age, had endeavoured to imitate me, and not I them. Whether I should imitate suborned libellers, or they me, would be all one for my reputation; because I were grossly criminal in the first, and must have been so before in your grace's opinion; or they could not imitate me in the second: your grace will want instances in both, except this of your own making; and therefore, there must be some other reason why your grace did not believe (if really you did not) that discourse to be of my composure. But this admitted for truth, (as it is undoubtedly) your grace, in the next place, calls the world to judge, whether pen, ink, and paper, are not dangerous tools in my hands. I remember the times, when they were serviceable to the king's restoration, and constant service of the crown, or craved in aid by your grace, that you did not account them so and it is much to my safety, that they are not so in your grace's hands, though I find them as sharp there, as in any man's alive. Your grace being at length assured I was the author, your next care was to spend some thoughts to vindicate truth, the late king, yourself, your ac-tions, and family, all reflected upon and traduced (as your grace is pleased to fancy) by that pamphlet. But your grace had no cause to trouble your thoughts with such vindications, unless you could shew, where in that book they are reflected upon and traduced, no such

| the mistakes and errors herein laid to his charge, that then your majesty would be pleased to consider of the best and most authentic mea how reparation may be made to all that are inthing occurring to me, (upon the strictest revisal) nor ever shall be objected to me with justice and truth. After your grace bath brought it to the coffee-houses, (where I be lieve it never was, till your grace preferred it to that office) and where you have doomed it to expire, as writings, of that nature and forte use (you say) to do, (for which I shall not be at all concerned) you rested, without troubling yourself or any body else with animadversions upon my mistakes, which your grace is pleased to say, are so many and so obvious, (though you name none, nor do they occur to others that you wonder how I could fall into them If your grace believes yourself in this, you seem to have forgot the long time you spent in considering and animadverting upon the despicable pamphlet, with your labours where I was threatened by some of your grace's retions for many months; and your grace hath redeemed the delay, by the virulent genen! reflections you have now sent me, which yet I doubt not will evaporate or shrink to nothing, when your grace shall seek for instances to back them, whereof if you can find any, I claim in justice they may be sent me. Your grace adds, that you have been in expectation, that by this time my Complete History would have come forth, wherein (if you may judge by the pattern) your grace saith, you have just cause to suspect, that neither the subject, nor yourself, will be more justly dealt with than in that occasional essay; and therefore, offer me all the helps of authentic commissions, transactions, and papers, your grace is pos sessed of, whereof you inform me none hath more. This is an anticipating jealousy, which no man living can have ground for, and when my History shall be completed, (which is now delayed for those assistances your grace is so weli able, and so freely offers to afford me) though my weakness may be exposed, my integrity and impartiality shall appear, and your unjust suspicion will, I doubt not, cease, if truth may be welcome to you, and not ac counted one of the dangerous instruments ia my hand; by which having incurred your anger and enmity in the first essay, I have slender hopes to be more acceptable in the second; though I resolve to hold to the first approved law of a good and faithful historian, which is, that he should not dare to say any thing that is false; and that he dare not but say any thing that is true; that there be not so much as suspicion of favour or hatred in his writing. And this might give a supersedeas to your grace's unreasonable appeal before a gravamen, though I never intended, by re lating the truth of things past, to become judge of your grace's or any other man's actions, but barely Res gestas narrare, for the information, correction, and instruction