1 jesty's authority in the marquis of Ormond," accuf- CHAP. ing him, among other articles, of his averfion to the XXVII. catholic religion; and enjoining the people to obey no orders but thofe of the congregation of clergy, un'il a general affembly fhould be convened. This edict was accompanied by a fentence of excommunication against all who fhould adhere to the marquis, or pay him fubfidy or obedience. With the utmost difficulty they were perfuaded to fufpend the sentence during the expedition of Clanricarde for the relief of Athlone. They proceeded to levy troops by their own authority, which added a new enemy against Ormond, but an enemy eafily dif comfited. the The defign of thefe prelates was affifted by a de claration made by the king to please the Scottish covenanters, in whofe hands he then was, expreffing his abhorrence of popish idolatry, and pronouncing treaty of peace void, which had been concluded with the idolatrous rebels of Ireland. Apprized by a private letter from the king, that this declaration, the effect of compulfion, had no force in this kingdom, Ormond affured the commiffioners of truft, that he would by all means poffible maintain the treaty, until fome unconstrained declaration of the royal pleasure should be obtained; provided that the acts of the congregation of prelates fhould be revoked or punished, as ufurpations on the king's prerogative; that due obedience should be paid to himself as lord lieutenant; and that fome honourable maintenance fhould be fecured to him, as he was now deprived of his own eftates. The commiffioners were much XXVII. CHAP. much displeased at the extravagance of the clergy, and hoped that their infolence would be repreffed by a general affembly. But when this affembly, accepting an equivocal apology from the prelates, declined to take decifive measures, the marquis could no longer be perfuaded to remain ; yet, in compliance with a respectful request for the delegation of the royal authority to fome proper perfon, he nominated Clanricarde his deputy, with directions that he should accept or decline the office, according to the encouragement or discouragement which he might receive by the proceedings of the affembly. Clanricarde's ad miniftration. Ormond failed from Galway, and, after a dangerous voyage, arrived in France. That he had fo long struggled to retain a command may feem furprizing, in fuch a state of things as might appear defperate for the royal caufe, even in cafe of fuccess against the republicans, when the influence of a fanatical clergy fo powerfully predominated, that the foldiers of a whole regiment, sent on an expedition, threw down their arms, and dispersed to their several homes, at the requifition of a feditious friar, who feized the colours, and pronounced eternal perdition on those who should prefume to march but to protect as long as poffible the remains of the king's faithful adherents in this kingdom, and to make a diverfion in favour of the royalifts in Britain by maintaining a war here under difadvantages howfoever great, was confidered as an object of importance. On this principal Clanricarde affumed the government, though, by the oppofition of the clergy, he was unable to obtain from the general affembly fo precife and explicit an engagement of obedience to his XXVII. his authority as he required. The confederates had CHAP. now a catholic chief governor, and an army wholly catholic, as the proteftants, who had fought on the fame fide, had by repeated infults withdrawn either to the republicans or beyond fea yet faction still prevented an effectual refiftance to the arms of Ire ton. By the movements of Clanricarde for the fuccour of Athlone, Coote had been disappointed in his attempt upon that poft: yet when Ireton advanced to Limerick, and demanded admiffion for his troops, the citizens were in fufpenfe until the arrival of Castlehaven, who prevailed on them to fhut their gates against the enemy. Propofals made to the confederates, by the republican commander, to treat for terms of fubmiflion, were at first rejected, but afterward admitted, as a fubject of negociation, by the influence of the clergy, particularly Nicholas French, Romish bishop of Ferns, a diftinguished partizan of the nuncio, who clamoured for a negociation. Fired with indignation at this behaviour, Clanricarde, and feveral principal members of the general affembly, declared their determination to defend the royal caufe to the last extremity, and to exclude, in cafe of fubmiffion to the republicans, the prefent oppofers of the royal interests from the benefit of the treaty. The clergy were alarmed, concurred with these members, and even iffued an excommunication against all who should refort to the enemy's quarters or pay them contribution; yet they fecretly practifed against Clanricarde for the establishment of their own power by foreign aids; and, for this purpose they dispatched the bishop of Ferns to Bruffels, as their ambaffador to the duke of Lorrain. This САНР. This prince who had married a fecond wife, while XXVII. his former was living, hoping to prevail on the pope Negocia to legitimate the children of is fecond marriage, the duke of affected an extraordinary zeal for the catholics of Lorrain. Ireland, Previously to Ormond's departure, an tion with offer had been made for the delivery of Duncannon fort into the duke's hands as a fecurity for twentyfour thousand pounds. The treaty had failed, and the fortrefs had fallen into the power of the republicans; but the negociation was renewed by lord Taafe, who prefented letters of credence from the duke of York brother of the nominal king, and offered the fecurity of any other place for the repayment of any fums which fhould be advanced. Taafe, who flattered the prince by the propofal of a match between a daughter of his fecond marriage and the duke of York, obtained five thousand pounds to purchase arms and ammunition, which arrived in the bay of Galway in time to influence the general affembly to reject the overtures of a treaty with Ireton. The prince even declared his willingness to come in perfon into Ireland with fuch aids as muft foon recover the kingdom; but hinted that he must be quite uncontrolled, and without commiffion from any person whatsoever. Taafe, not authorized for fuch conditions, propofed that his highness fhould fend an ambaffador into Ireland to treat with men in authority; and Stephen de Hennin, Abté de Saint-Catherine, chofen for this purpofe, landed at Galway, while the bishop of Ferns was on his way to Bruffels. Clanricarde appointed a committee, composed of prelates, nobility, and gentry, to receive and report the pro pofals pofals of this envoy, which were, that the duke of CAP. Lorrain, his heirs and fucceffors, with a faving to his XXVII. Majefty's rights, and thofe of his fubjects, fhould be accepted as protectors of Ireland, with all the prerogatives of royalty, until all disbursements made by him for the defenfe or recovery of the iland fhould be repaid. These proposals, which indicated a fecret aim of the duke at the fovereignty of Ireland, were fo refented by Clanricarde, that he refufed to admit the envoy to an audience of leave, though he had confented to fome qualification of his demands. The prelates infifted on the acceptance of the envoy's terms, but declined to fubfcribe this advice. The abbé confented to advance twenty thousand pounds on the fecurity of Limerick and Galway, and to leave the adjustment of all, articles concerning the protectorship for a treaty at Bruffels. Nicholas Plunket and Geoffry Browne were commiffioned to negociate this, treaty, in conjunction with Taafe, with exprefs orders to be guided in their proceedings by the directions of the queen, the duke of York, and the marquis of Ormond, But on their arrival at Bruffels, in the abfence of Taafe, who had gone to confult the queen at Paris, they difobeyed these orders, influenced by French, the feditious bishop of Ferns, who in a blafphemous cant inveighed against Clanricarde and his adherents, whom he de clared to have been configned to Satan by the nuncio's excommunication. Plunket and Browne, difclaiming the lord-deputy's commiffion, figned a treaty in the name of the Irish nation, by which the duke of Lorrain |