and fifty men,4 whom the marquis of Ormond had about this time sent to Bristol, and who happened to be taken by captain Swanley, commander of a parliament ship, seventy, besides two women, were inhumanly thrown overboard on pretence that they were Irish." This struck a just terror into all the neighboring ports, and scarce a ship durst stir out of the harbor. Shortly after, however, several hundred Irish ventured off to his majesty's assistance; "and on the third day of their sailing," having taken a Scotch vessel with about fifty kirk-ministers deputed to preach up and administer the covenant in Ulster, instead of retaliating captain Swanley's late inhumanity, they contented themselves with only making them prisoners." On the 16th of May, 1644, the earl of Antrim acquainted the marquis of Ormond, " he had then," for three months past maintained by his own credit, and that of his friends, at least two thousand men, ready to be shipped off, waiting for their arms and provisions; which he feared would not come so soon as expected, while the parliament ships were so thick on that coast."+ Yet so great was that lord's zeal for his majesty's service, and so little did the Irish fear the danger then attending it, that on the 27th of the following month, he wrote again to the marquis, "that he had sent off about sixteen hundred men,7 6 Ib. vol. iii. 7 Id. ib. 4 Ormond's Let. Cart. Collect. of his Papers, vol. i. p. 48. 5 Carte's Ormond, vol. i. The marquis of Ormond, in a letter to lord Digby, March 8th, 1643, says, “if I had arms, provisions to keep, and ships to transport them, I should not doubt, from the ports in the king's obedience, to send at times, considerable numbers of Irish, with little noise, and without the help of the pretended Irish council."-Carte's Orm. vol. iii. f. 246. And lord Inchiquin, in a letter to the marquis of Ormond, October 10, 1643, tells him, that, "notwithstanding the increasing hostilities of Scots in Ireland, who he feared would prove dangerous rebels to his majesty, he thought that some five thousand Irish might be raised and sent over to his majesty's assistance, though his majesty should desire none but volunteers, not enlisted there."-Ib. f. 244. "I am sorry," says secretary Nicholas, in a letter to the marquis of Ormond, May 20th, 1644, “that the passage to and from Ireland, is, by the English rebels' shipping on that coast, rendered so difficult; and that there is no possibility for the king suddenly to set forth and maintain such a guard upon the Irish coast as to suppress their forces by sea."—Carte's Collect. of Orm. Orig, Papers, being as many as the ships could conveniently hold, completely armed by his own shifts, besides fifteen hundred pikes; and that he had discharged seven or eight hundred men for want of shipping." But his lordship seems to have shifted so well afterwards that we find, by a letter of the marquis of Ormond, July 17th following,* " that the number of men then embarked by him (Antrim) from Waterford and other places, amounted to two thousand five hundred, well armed and victualled for two months." For which good service, "in the year 1644, the earl of Antrim had the dignity of marquis conferred upon him." Lord Clarendon's high encomiums on this nobleman's zeal and activity in the king's service; and on the valor, fidelity, and wonderful success of these Irish in promoting it, is the more remarkable, as it is well known that his lordship was not at all biassed by any partial affection to either of them.+ "It cannot be denied," says he, " that the levies the marquis of Antrim made, and sent over to Scotland under the command of Colkitto, were the foundation of all those wonderful acts, which were performed afterwards by the marquis of Montross. They were fifteen hundred men, very good, and with very good officers; all so hardy, that neither the ill fare, nor the ill lodg ing, in the Highlands, gave them any discouragement. They gave the first opportunity to the marquis of Montross of being 8 Carte's Orm. vol. iii. fol. 328. 9 Enquiry into the Share, &c. p. 305. 16 Clarendon's Life written by himself, vol. ii. p. 246. See Append. * Yet the marquis of Ormond, in a letter of that same 17th July, 1644, owns," that the Irish coasts were then invested with a swarm of rebel ships."-Carte's Orm. vol. iii. p. 327. + Lord Clarendon in a letter to the duke of Ormond, July 18th, 1665, has these words: "I know not whether you have yet received the king's letter about my lord Antrim, of whom you know I was never fond. It is strange that you have not sent the informations to us, (if there were any against him) for we know the king was not more inclined towards him than law and justice required." Carte's Ormond, vol. ii. fol. 282.—Lord Antrim's trial for the recovery of his estate was then depending in the court of claims in Ireland. "Sir Alexander M'Donnell, alias Colkitto, was afterwards killed, to gether with his lieutenant-colonel, at the battle of Knocnones, November 13th, 1647, fought between Inchiquin's and Lord Taaffe's forces,”—Bort. Irish Rebel, fol. 243. at the head of an army that defeated the enemy as often as they encountered them. After each victory, the Highlanders went always home with their booty; and the Irish only staid toge gether with their general. And from this beginning, the mar quis of Montross grew to that power, that after many battles won by him, with much slaughter of the enemy, he marched victoriously with his army till he made himself master of Edin burgh, and redeemed out of the prison there, the earl of Craw. ford, lord Ogilvy and many other noble persons, who had been taken and sent thither with a resolution that they should all lose their heads; and the marquis of Montross did always acknow ledge, that the rise and beginning of his good success was due and to be imputed to that body of the Irish which had in the beginning been sent him by the marquis of Antrim; to whom the king had acknowledged the service in several letters of his own hand-writing."+ It is therefore no wonder that we find lord Digby so fre, quently importuning the marquis of Ormond," to use all possible means to assist and encourage the earl of Antrim and his forces in the service of Scotland; whereof the king's party," says he, “find such admirable effects in England." Nor on the other hand, is it at all strange, that in order to prevent their coming into England, the parliament of that kingdom passed that cruel ordinance of the 24th of October, 1644,12" that no 11 Carte's Orm. vol. iii. 12 Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 178. See Hughes's Abridgment. Nothing can better shew the transcendant madness of religious fury and enthusiasm, than the words of the Scottish rebels, in the memorable battle which Montross gained in September, 1644, viz. "Jesus, and no quarter," monstrous conjunction of the venerable name of a meek and merciful Saviour, with orders of bloody inhumanity.-See Graing. Biograph, vol. ii. p. 245. His majesty in a letter of January 4th, 1644, to the marquis of Ormond, urging him to conclude the peace with the confederates, has the following words. "On this occasion it having pleased God so far to bless my affairs in Scotland under the marquis of Montross, by those helps which you have given him from Ireland, whereof I find very powerful effects in the temper of the Scottish nation at London, I cannot but consider the supporting the marquis of Montross's power there, as one of the most essential points of all my affairs;" he therefore sent "to solicit the Irish for procuring the speediest and most considerable supply of arms, ammunition and men also, that could be obtained, to be sent over with all possible expedition."-Cart, Gellect. of Orig. Pap. p. 367. 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.”* CHAP. XII. The confederates press the marquis of Ormond to take the command of their forces. THE hostilities daily committed on the confederates by Monroe, in Ulster, sir Charles Coote, in Connaught, and by Inchiquin, in Munster, in breach of the cessation, caused them to repeat their earnest request to the marquis of Ormond,† now lord lieutenant of Ireland, that he would condescend either to take the command of their forces upon himself, or to permit them to employ them against those now his majesty's open and declared enemies. They were the more importunate in this request, as they were privately assured, that orders of that kind had been already sent to his excellency; for his majesty had promised that the marquis should join with them, par Together with strict orders" to the lord-general, lord-admiral, and all other officers by sea and land, to except all Irishmen and all papists born in Ireland, out of all capitulations, agreements, or compositions, hereafter to be made with the enemy; and upon taking of every such Irishman or papist born in Ireland, forthwith to put such person to death.”—Hughes's Abridgment of Acts, &c. p. 165. Who was fully sensible of the heinousness of that breach. For, in a letter to colonel Mathews, so soon after its conclusion as December 14th, 1643, he says, his majesty having agreed thereunto (the cessation), and published to the world by his proclamation, that the same should be kept, is bound by honor and all laws, to maintain it with all his power; from whence it doth follow, that all who shall oppose it, must oppose himself against his power and authority."-Cart. Orm. vol. iii. fol. 218. "On the 21st of January, 1644, James, marquis of Ormond was soleninly, in Christ church, Dublin, sworn lord-lieutenant, with general acceptance."-Borl. Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 110. The king himself in the postscript of a letter to Ormond, in December 1644, says on this occasion," I have thought to give you this further order (which, I hope, will prove needless) to seek to renew the cessation for a year; for which you shall promise the Irish, if you can have it no cheaper, to join with them, against the Scots and Inchiquin."-Reliq. Sacræ Carol. ticularly against the Scots in Ulster, when a peace or cessation was concluded; "it being understood," says lord Digby on this occasion," that, if the Scots submitted not to it, they should then be declared against as common enemies." The marquis himself was fully sensible of the rebellious dispositions of these Scots. He even owned, in a letter to lord Digby, July 17th, 1644," that he doubted not, but that, when they were all able, they would endeavor to be masters of all the harbors and other places of consequence in the kingdom, on pretence of securing them against papists, and malig nants." Soon after this, he acquainted the earl of Clanrickard,3 "that he had discovered a conspiracy, whereby Drogheda first, and by consequence Dublin, was to have been put into their hands." On the other side, he confessed, that by accepting the command of the confederates army," he might have drawn their dependence upon him, and been able to dispose of their forces, according to his majesty's pleasure, for the advantage of the service, either in Ireland, or elsewhere; that he was assured the confederates, in case of his compliance, would provide the king's army then in his charge; but that, if he refused, they might conceive they were not obliged to it, having, as they alleged, paid all that was promised,* or been damnified by his party in more than remained due, since the cessation." He knew,' that actually at that very juncture, these confederates were preparing six hundred barrels of corn, and four hundred beeves, for his army; and, in short, that all his hopes of subsistence then depended upon them, and that a breach with them, for which they did not want a color, might have stopt that supply." 1 Carte's Orm. vol. iii, fol. 346. Letter to Ormond. 4 Id. ib. fol. 322. 3 Id. ib. fol. 370. The confederates had assured Daniel O'Nial, a colonel in the king's service, whom Ormond sent to them on this occasion," that though by the agreement in writing, his excellency was to receive £.30,000 yet, to their agents or commissioners who treated with him, he engaged his honor, that £15,000 should make satisfaction."-Cart. Orm. vol. iii. fol. 308. On occasion of this gentleman's death, in 1669, king Charles in a letter of that date, to his sister, the duchess of Orleans, says, 66 poor O'Nial died this afternoon of an ulcer in his guts; he was as honest a man as ever lived; I am sure I have lost a good servant by it.”—Sir John Dalrymp. Mem. Append. vol. i. p. 32. |