as in almost every other instance, the pure result of the tyrannical and imprudent conduct of the protestants, and which most unwarrantably has been branded with the appellation of an unnatural rebellion, though the catholics, notwithstanding the many harsh oppressions under which they laboured, seem to have been indubitably the most loyal subjects the state contained. Their oath of confederacy was couched in the most loyal, moderate, and conciliating terms, and they declared themselves ready at all times to confer with commissioners from the government for the pacification of the country. They sent a deputation to the king, petitioning him to listen to their grievances, and expres-sing their loyalty and attachment to his person and government in the most explicit terms. Charles in consequence signed a commission on the fourteenth of January, sixteen hundred and forty-two, by which he directed the marquis of Ormond, the earls of Clanrickard and Roscommon, viscount Moore, sir Thomas Lucas, sir Maurice Eustace, and Thomas Bourke, esq. to confer with the principal confederates, and to receive from them in writing what they had to propound. The marquis of Ormond, a man of great personal courage and considerable military talents, but ambitious, vindictive, haughty, and impatient of

control, was impressed with so malignant a hatred to the catholics, that he not only disobeyed his sovereign in this and all other attempts conducive to their welfare, but, for the sake of gratifying his antipathy to them, meanly descended to execute the orders of his determined enemies. A committee, sent over by the

English parliament contrary to the express commands of the king, were received by the lords justices with much respect, who recognized their authority. Without his majesty's consent they were admitted into the privy council, where their opinions gave the tone to the decisions of the board. Preferring to obey the orders of this committee to the pacific injunctions of Charles, Ormond marched towards Ross with an army of six thousand men. In this expedition nearly one thousand Irish were slain. Ormond was the only one of the commissioners appointed by the king who did not attend the meeting of the confederates at Trim, where they delivered to the others a very full remonstrance of all their grievances, which was transmitted to the throne.

The king, deeply affected by this remonstrance, înformed the lords justices that he had authorised the marquis of Ormond to treat with the confederates for s

cessation of hostilities for one year; and ordered them to give effectual assistance to forward the same. Sir William Parsons was superseded and indicted to stand trial for opposing the cessation and other high crimes and misdemeanours; and sir Henry Tichburne, being known decidedly to favour the cessation, was appointed to succeed him as colleague to sir John Borlase. Ormond again received an order from the lords justices, by the king's command, to confer with the confederates at Castle Martin in the county of Kildare, on the twenty-third of June, one thousand six hundred and forty-two. When the commissioners of the confederates met him he treated them with all the tyrannical insolence of a haughty superior. He indignantly called for the authority by which they appeared, and when they produced a copy of the authority which they had received from the supreme council of the confederate catholics at Kilkenny, he superciliously contested their title, and questioned the facts referred to in the writings. He peremptorily rejected the condition insisted upon by the confederates of the dissolution of the present and the calling of a new parliament, notwithstanding the king's positive commands to gratify them in that particular. By this conduct and many other contrivances to which he had re

course, the cessation was delayed till the seventh of September, sixteen hundred and forty-three, when Charles's wishes and positive commands were at length acceded to. Ormond procured from them a voluntary contribution of thirty thousand pounds, and a reinforcement of several thousands of their best troops for the service of their sovereign in Scotland, who conducted themselves in such a manner as to reflect honour on the country from which they were sent, and to render essential services to the royal cause.

No sooner was the treaty of cessation signed, than the northern army, as well as the rest of the king's forces, all under the command of Ormond, rejected it, and immediately taking the covenant, offered to follow their leader Monroe, whenever he should march against the Irish. About the same time lord Inchiquin revolted; and administered an oath to each of his followers for the extirpation of popery and the extermination of the Irish.

Meantime the confederates continued to send over so many and such effectual supplies to the king, that on the twenty-fourth of October, sixteen hundred and forty-four, the parliament issued this bloody de

cree:- "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 sea or in England and Wales." The hostilities daily committed upon the confederates by Monroe in Ulster, sir Charles Coote in Connaught, and lord Inchiquin in Munster, caused them to petition the marquis of Ormond, now created lord lieutenant, either to put himself at their head, or at least to permit them to arm against those who, by violating the cessation of arms, acted as avowed enemies to the crown. The crafty Ormond, however, who beheld the catholics with the utmost antipathy, though fully sensible of their loyalty, not choosing to acknowledge them as the best friends to government, artfully evaded the petition; and at the same time by the unbounded sway he possessed over the mind of his royal master, he contrived with consummate art to delay the peace in opposition to the king's pressing and positive commands, until such a measure was rendered unavailing by the cessation of the exercise of the royal authority, on the imprisonment of the king's person, in the year sixteen hundred and fifty-six.

Thwarted and disappointed as he was in his favour