rity, to undermine it in both kingdoms, to prevent the junction of the Irish with the king's forces, both parties ardently longing for the

same.

This developement of their plan will give the reader a just idea of the proceedings of the party here. Why they prosecuted lord Strafford, got Parsons and Borlase appointed justices, rejecting Dillon, as one too loyal to his majesty to be entrusted with the councils and orders of his enemies. It explains wherefore they took no notice of the repeated intimations sent to them of a conspiracy being on foot. To what end, as soon as information on oath was given of the conspirators being in town, with a view of seizing the castle, they issued, by proclamation, an account of the discovery; thereby giving warning to the chiefs of the insurrection to escape. The capture of these men would, probably, frustrate the whole plan of the insurrection, and thereby disappoint the puritans. Why, in their proclamation, they qualify it a rebellion of Irish papists; involving three-fourths of the kingdom, then not concerned in it. With the same wicked design, when the lords of the pale came to proffer their services, calling for arms, to march against the insurgents, they were refused, on the false pretence that they could not be spared, while ten thousand musquets, a park of artillery, and plenty of ammunition, lay unemployed in the stores. To the same purpose they adjourned and readjourned the parliament, at the time their counsel and authority would be serviceable; and

partly to prevent their receiving the favourable intelligence, brought over from their agents, the grant of the favors and graces petitioned; which grant they would not publish by proclamation, lest it should allay discontent, and hinder the progress of insurrection. But what crowned their plan ultimately with success was, the bargain they struck with the earl of Ormond, as shall be seen in the sequel.

"In August, 1641, the Irish parliament was in daily expectation of the return of their agents from England, with the royal assent to two bills, that would have put an effectual stop to those predatory suits of enquiry into defective titles, which had been so long and grievously complained of. "Never," says Mr. Carte, "were two acts better adapted to give general satisfaction to any people, than these were to the gentlemen of Ireland." Even Temple owns, "that these bills had been long and most impetuously longed for by the Irish." And although his majesty had, in May preceding, sent positive orders to the justices, to pass these bills, and the other promised graces; and the commons first, and afterwards both houses, had most earnestly and repeatedly besought them, "that they might be suffered to continue together for a further time, because their agents were at the water-side with these bills;" yet these lords justices, acting every thing in Ireland, by the influence of the puritan faction in the English parliament, often in derogation of his majesty's commands, caused the parliament to be ad

journed for three months. Which adjournment the catholic members, who were principally aggrieved by it, "afterwards aggravated against the justices, as one of the chief moving causes of the taking up of arms generally throughout the kingdom."

"Soon after this fatal and enforced adjournment, the parliament's agents arriving in Dublin,

presently applied," says Temple, "to the lords justices and council, desiring to have those acts and other graces, granted by his majesty, made known to the people by proclamation." This was promised, and an instrument drawn up, and presented to their lordships for that purpose; but they, as it seems, desiring rather to add fuel to the fire of the subjects discontents, than to quench the same, did forbear to give any notice thereof to the people."

"This general disgust was not removed or lessened by the next meeting of parliament, on the 16th of November following, the day to which it had been adjourned. On the contrary, by the manifest reluctance with which the justices suffered it to meet even then, and by their sudden prorogation of it for two months longer, it was greatly increased. This prorogation, says Mr. Carte," gave a particular distaste to the Roman catholics, who were like to be the greatest sufferers thereby, and to lose the benefit of those graces, which were intended for their particular relief. The earl of Ormond, lord Dillon of Costelloe, and some others, urged, among other things, against the prorogation,

that all the nation was in expectation of the graces, and would be strangely uneasy, if they were not confirmed in parliament. But the justices were deaf to all such remonstrances; for, as they had been with difficulty prevailed upon, by the importunate solicitations of the lords and gentry of the pale, to suffer the parliament to meet even on the aforesaid 16th of November, so they then took especial care to limit the session, in such a manner, that no act of grace, or any thing else for the people's quiet or satisfaction, might be propounded or passed. For well knowing that the members of both houses, throughout the kingdom (a few in and about Dublin only excepted), would be absent from parliament, they published their proclamation for the meeting but two days before the time; whereupon, only a few of the lords and commons appeared in the houses; who, on their entrance at the castle bridge and gate, and within the castle yard, to the door of the parliament-house, were environed with a great number of armed men, with matches lighted, and muskets presented even to the breasts of the members of both houses; none being admitted to bring one servant to attend him, or any weapon about him, within the castle bridge.

*November 17th (1641), it was ordered, that the persons undernamed are appointed forthwith to withdraw themselves into the inner room of this house, and draw up a declaration of the humble desires of this house, for the continuance of this present session of parliament, without either adjourn ment or prorogation.-Appendix to Com. Jour. vol. i. fol. 17. Yet Borlase impudently affirms, "that both houses readily assented to this adjournment."-Irish Reb. fol. 17.

Yet how thin soever the houses were, and how much soever overawed, they did both jointly supplicate the lords justices and council, that they might for a time continue together, and expect the coming of the rest of the members, to the end, they might quiet the troubles in full parliament; and that those acts of security, granted by his majesty and transmitted under the great seal of England, might be passed, to settle the minds of his majesty's subjects. But to these requests, conducing so much to his majesty's service, and the settlement of the kingdom, a flat denial was given. Nay their lordships dismissed the houses, after only two days sitting, without saying a word of the graces from the king, or giving them any assurance, or even a faint glimmering hope, that they should be passed in another session."

"The earl of Castlehaven, who sate in that parliament, after having recited the loyal and unanimous protestation of both houses, that they would, if necessary, take up arms, and with their lives and fortunes endeavour to suppress the rebellion;" informs us, "that in order specdily to bring the rebels to condign punishment, they fell immediately to consider of the most effectual means to do the work. But this way of proceeding," adds his lordship, "did not, it seems, suit with the lords justices designs, who were often heard to say, that the more there were in rebellion, the more lands would be forfeited; and therefore, in the very height of the business, they resolved upon a prorogation; which the