harbors of Wexford and Dungarvan. And as no industry," proceeds Mr. Belling, "was omitted on their part, so there was not any occasion, since the beginning of the war, wherein the council found more prompt obedience to their commands, or more hearty willingness in the people, to bear any charge that might conduce to the advancement of it." But the king himself, on account of the unhappy situation of affairs, in the places now mentioned, thought fit to countermand this embarkation. For, in a letter to the marquis of Ormond, March 26th, (two days before the conclusion of the peace) he told him,3" that his condition was then very sad and low, by the late disbanding of his army in the west; which," adds his majesty," if succors of foot had arrived in time out of Ireland, might have been prevented, to our most certain advantage. That he thought fit to advertise him thereof, that he might stop the sending over foot, which would be lost, if they should come, he having no horse, nor ports in his power to secure them." And in another letter to lord Digby, of the same date, which he desired him to communicate to Ormond, he says, "forces from Ireland, unless they were much greater than he believed could be sent him from thence, would do him more harm than good; yet that he much desired that the peace there was made. But that Ormond should stop any forces from coming over, and employ them for the reducing of that kingdom into a perfect obedience; by which," says he," it is possible, it may please God to restore me to the other two; or be a safe retreat for myself."* It plainly appears that Ormond had received from the king this letter of the 26th of March, before the 26th of April, 1646, when he was actually treating with the parliament commissioners, from the following passage in his letter to lord Digby of that date: "My lord Byron is in great distress and hazard (in Wales), and though the king seems to forbid the sending of men thither, yet if I can get them seasonably sent, I will venture at it." Carte's Orm. vol. iii. fol. 461.—And before that, on the 7th of the same month, he wrote to lord Digby, "that although the time for sending of the (Irish) supplies was elapsed, for want of shipping, yet he was confident the men had been, and were still ready." Id. ib. fol. 459.Yet he afterwards, to evade the proclaiming of the peace, which the confederates pressed him to, alledged their not having sent off these supplies, as a breach of their engagement, as we shall just now see. BOOK VII. CHAP. I. The confederates still press the marquis of Ormond to take the command of their forces upon him against the violators of the cessation. THE marquis of Ormond still continued the cessation with the confederate catholics, as a measure absolutely necessary for the subsistence of his army; and the confederate catholics, in hopes that the peace would be soon proclaimed, patiently bore that army's frequent breaches of it. But these breaches now became so very grievous and extensive, especially in Ulster, that the supreme council renewed their intreaties to his excellency, "to unite his forces with theirs,' in order to resist the attempts of the Scots of Tyrconnel, and other parts of Ulster, his majesty's now open and avowed enemies; and so to manage the war, that the service might not suffer through the want of due correspondence, for the little time the entire settlement of the kingdom was suspended. They informed him that they had received intelligence that Monroe, with a numerous army, was going to fall upon Newry, Dundalk, and other maritime towns. within his excellency's quarters; and that the Scots of Tyrcon 1 Belling's MSS. Carte. the earl "It was privately affirmed to me with some confidence," says of Clanrickard, in a letter to Ormond, May 11th, 1646," that upon your lordship's publication of the peace, the generality of the whole kingdom would declare themselves to be solely and entirely under your lordship's government."-Carte's Orm. vol. iii. fol. 466. It appears from lord Digby's public declaration soon after in the privy council of Ireland, "that his majesty had redoubled his positive orders to the marquis of Ormond, both immediately before his coming from Oxford, and since his being at Newcastle, for the immediate perfecting of the peace in Ireland, according to the articles agreed on. Upon his dispensation with the condition also of the confederate Roman catholics of Ireland sending the men undertaken for by them; and this his lordship (Digby) was com manded to attend his majesty's service in Ireland, upon his majesty's confident supposition that the peace already agreed upon, would have been proclaimed before his arrival there."--Carte's Orm, vol iii. fol. 491. nel were gathering in a body of three thousand foot, and five hundred horse, to invade Connaught, where they were sure to be joined by sir Charles Coote's forces." They added, “that if his excellency would agree, that they might, on all sides, fight to clear the kingdom of the common enemy,* their councils in civil and military matters should be managed by his advice. And the council having understood that the want of money to prepare for the field, was what chiefly retarded this conjunction, they promised to send his excellency three thousand pounds; two thousand of which they soon after sent him."+ On the conclusion of the peace, " promises of mutual assistance,3 (in case either of their quarters were attacked before the time appointed for the publication of the articles) had passed between the confederates and the lord lieutenant, who promised to engage in actual service, where it was necessary; and as he should find himself enabled, would further prosecute those that should not submit to the peace, as enemies and rebels to his majesty, in such a way as he should judge most for his majes ty's service." But he now told them, in answer to their abovementioned solicitations, " that indeed he understood very well the necessity of an union; but that he might not join with any party not deriving authority from his majesty, that nothing further could be done towards a union, till the articles of peace were published, about which he had not received his majesty's pleasure, nor had they performed the engagements made at signing them." The chief of these engagements was, as we have seen, the 2 Belling's MSS. Carte's Orm. vol. i. fol. 567. It is true," says lord Digby, in a letter to Ormond on this occasion, "that his majesty did promise, that you should join with them (the confederates) against the Scots, when a peace or cessation should be concluded. -Ib. fol. 346. † Mr. Carte testifies, "that the confederates kept their word in supplying the marquis of Ormond (at this juncture) with three thousand pounds for the relief of his forces in Dublin. And they very readily furnished the lord Digby with three hundred men, under Milo Power and other commanders named by his lordship, for the defence of the prince of Wales, who had retired to Sicilly, upon the reduction of the west by the parliament."-Cart, Ormond, vol. i. f. 567. sending of ten thousand of the confederates forces to the king's assistance in England or Wales; which was, on many accounts, impracticable, precisely within the time stipulated by the arti cles. If his excellency had not yet received his majesty's or dert of the 26th of March before-mentioned, for stopping these forces, he certainly could be no stranger to the reasons which induced him to send it. With these reasons lord Digby had acquainted him, five or six days after the conclusion of the peace; and the marquis of Ormond himself, four days after that,§ informed the king, "that he had sent to lord Byron,5 to know the state of North Wales, and whether three thousand men, for whom there was shipping, might be useful and safely disposed of there. And that although the time for sending of the supplies was elapsed, for want of shipping, yet he was con fident the men had been, and were still ready." And lord Digby, at the same time, assured the marquis," " that he found in these men such an universal, not only disposition but passion, to be under his excellency's government, that he thought it would be impossible for any to hinder them from it, almost upon any terms. CHAP. II. Lord Clanrickard expostulates with the marquis of Ormond, on his refusal to join the confederates, and to proclaim sir Charles Coote, a rebel. HIS excellency's justly admired friend, the earl of Clan rickard, once more acquainted him, about this time, "that' he was privately importuned to second the speedy publication of the peace, with his humble addresses and persuasions to his lordship; that he was himself of opinion, that if some such Cart's Orm, vol. iii. fol. 459. 6 Id. ib. 1 Id. ib. fol. 465. Besides, as the marquis himself afterwards owned," the failure of the confederates, with respect to that condition, was, by an instrument signed by himself and drawn up by the commissioners of the confederate catholics dispensed with; he being thereunto authorised by his majesty."—Carte's Orm. vol. iii. fol. 540. He received it April 25th, 1646.-Id. vol. i. fol. 567, and vol. iii. fol. 540. April 3d, 1646. § April 7th.-Id. vol. iii. f. 449. course was not soon taken, the kingdom would be suddenly and totally ruined; that all access to his majesty to know his further pleasure, or to give him a right information of the state of his affairs, was then made impossible; that the confederates, in order to effect what was required of them, had provided shipping for transportation, and drawn a considerable body of men to the sea-side, whether to the just number, was, he thought, too nice a scrutiny in them distracted times; that it then appeared, there was no army of the king's to join with them near those places, to which they were to guide their course; nor any harbor left to secure their landing; and that their going would only be the destruction of so many men, and nothing of assistance or preservation to his majesty." All this while hostilities were daily committed on the confederates, by the parliamentarian forces in Ulster and other parts; and even by those of his majesty's army, in breach of the cessation. Lord Clanrickard himself had been frequently assaulted by sir Charles Coote, within the limits of his government, without being able to obtain redress from the lord lieutenant and council. In a letter to his excellency, on that occasion, he told him," that it did somewhat disturb and perplex his thoughts, to observe those, whom he conceived himself bound in duty to oppose, having all, or most of them, taken the covenant, assumed power and government, contrary to his majesty's authority, and quite opposite to his royal grants to others, constant violators of the cessation, and frequent invaders of his and his adherents estates; and if he was not much mistaken, such as rather expected submission from their sovereign, than shewed any inclination to submit to him, did still seem to be accounted loyal subjects, and within the compass of obedience to his excellency's government: and that by implication, the breach of the cessation did seem to be allowed them; at least, not corrected." After which, his lordship proceeds to say, with a spirit suitable to his great integrity and honor, "being now reduced into the condition I am, give me leave to call upon your excellency and the state,3 even in the king's behalf, and for justice sake, that sir Charles Coote, who commands in chief the forces here, under the title |