of the means of defence, and unaffifted by the Irish,

foon furrendered.

1652.

DISPIRITED by the gloomy profpect of their affairs, many of the Irifh laid afide all thoughts of continuing the war. A confiderable number of the foldiers fubmitted to Ludlow, upon condition of being permitted to transport themselves to the Continent, and to enter into the fervice of fome prince, in alliance with England. The Earl of Weftmoreland, Lord Mufkerry, Colonel Fitzpatrick, Colonel O'Dowyer, with three or four thousand others laid down their arms, upon being allowed to enjoy their personal fortune, and fuch a portion of their real estate, as should afterwards be granted to others in the fame circumftances. All the Irish might have had the benefit of these terms; but those of Connaught and Ulfter determined to make another effort. Five thousand of them, under the command of Clanricarde and Sir Phelim O'Nial, proceeded to Ballyshannon, which they took, but being furprifed by Sir Charles Coote and Colonel Venables, they were forced to retreat into fastneffes, having left in the place a fmall garrifon. Twelve hundred of them were forced to lay down their arms, and Ballyfhannon foon after furrendered.

CLANRICARDE fent Lord Castlehaven to Charles, to represent to him, the unfortunate state of his affairs in this kingdom, and to receive inftructions, with refpect to his future conduct. He was defired to provide for his own fafety; upon which, having obtained permission from the parliament of England, he left this country, with a number of his adherents, who chose to partake of his fortune. He retired to England, where he died, in October, fixteen hundred and fifty nine.

OF

Or all the loyalifts, none was more zealoufly attached to the intereft of Charles, than the Marquifs of Clanricarde. At a time, when every other Roman Catholic of rank in Ireland, either favoured, or had taken up arms, in fupport of the infurrection of fixteen hundred and forty one, the King repofed fuch confidence in him, that he permitted him to retain in his fervice a principal command. This fubjected him, in a peculiar manner, to the refentment of his countrymen. The difficulties to which, in the beginning, he was exposed, from their oppofition, and that of the parliamentarians, who looked upon him with a very jealous eye, he bore with invincible refolution. When the arms of the infurgents triumphed in the county of Galway, and every part of Connaught, and he could no longer be of ufe in that quarter, he entered into the most intimate connexion with Ormond, whom he affisted in his perplexities, by his advice, and with all the means in his power. To enable him, by providing for another, to add a new friend to the intereft of the King, he was fo difinterested as to lay down his office of lieutenant general. He accepted of that of deputy, at a period full of trouble, when the fortune of Charles was reduced to the lowest ebb, and did not leave the kingdom, until all hopes were utterly extinguished. There is every reason to suppose, that he was a man of principle. What a pity it is, that, fuch virtues were not exerted in a better caufe!

Farewell.

LET

XXXII.

LETTER

HE appointment of Ludlow, as general of the

TH

Irish forces, was but a temporary expedient. The perfon on whom Cromwell had fixed his eye, for that purpose, was Fleetwood, who had married his daughter, the widow of Ireton, in whofe attachment to his intereft, he flattered himself, he might place entire confidence, Lambert was the person whom the parliament had defigned, for the command of the troops in Ireland, but by the addrefs of Cromwell, he was denied the title of lord lieutenant, in confequence of which, he gave up the appointment in difguft, and Fleetwood was fubftituted in his place.

VESTED with the power of commander in chief, and as a commiffioner for directing civil affairs, he came over to this country. He had now very little to do, except in the latter capacity, for the ftrength of the Irish and of the Proteftant loyalifts, was entirely broken.

COMMISSIONERS were appointed, for the tryal of those who had been charged with crimes, fince the beginning of the infurrection, to enquire concerning the forfeited lands, and give grants to those, who by their fervices, had merited rewards from the English parliament.

By order of the commiffioners, high courts of juftice were erected in the feveral provinces. In Ulfter, which had been the principal scene of the massacre, none died by the hand of the executioner, but Sir Phelim O'Nial, whofe cruelties were a difgrace to his character as a gentleman, to his rank as an officer, and most dishonourable to the cause in which he was engaged. Upon his tryal, he was

charged

charged with having produced the King's commiffion, authorifing the infurrection. He confeffed he had, but declared it to be a forgery. He was told, that if he could produce any material proof, that he had fuch a commiffion from his Majefty, he would be restored to his liberty and eftate. To the very laft, he perfifted in his firft declaration. There was no evidence to prove the reality of this fuppofed commiffion. The officer, as we are informed by Burnet, who at that time had the great feal in keeping, and through whofe hands it must have paffed, denied that he had ever feen it. Had the infurrection been conducive to his intereft, Charles might have encouraged it; would he give the fanction of his authority to that, which in the beginning, and almost through every ftage, had a pernicious influence on his affairs? The letter written by his order, by Secretary Vane, to the Lords Juftices, previous to the infurrection, already mentioned, which pointed out certain grounds of fufpicion with refpect to it, and how neceffary it was for them to guard the public tranquillity with a watchful eye, feems to place this matter beyond all doubt.

BUT, to return to the tryals. In Leinster, and in the Southern and Western provinces, none of rank were condemned, except Lord Mayo and Colonel William Bagnal. Two hundred of the lower clafs were executed. Befides thefe, you recollect that feveral hundreds were tried, and had fuffered in the first year of the infurrection. Betwixt that and the prefent period, a number of those who were guilty, efcaped from the kingdom, others of them were dead. Some were excluded from pardon, with respect to either life or eftate, of which number were the Marquifs of Ormond, Inchiquin, Bramhal Bishop of Derry, and the Earl of Rofcommon.

LORD

LORD Macguire, inftead of being remitted to the judgment of his peers, in his own country, was fent over to England. Upon being called to tryal there, before the court of king's bench, he pleaded that, being a peer of the Irish parliament, he was not fubject to their jurifdiction. This objection was not sustained by the court, who afferted, that a baron of Ireland might be tried by a jury in England. This opinion was supported by a vote of the house of commons, which being fent to the Lords, had alfo the fanction of their approbation. He was accordingly, in violation of his privilege, and of his rights as an Irishman, compelled to fubmit to the judgment of an English jury. He was condemned. The heart is moved with pity, by the manner in which this unfortunate peer was treated, previous to his execution. Being a Roman Catholic, he wished to have the comfort and the instructions, of a clergyman of his own persuasion, to help him in preparing for the awful scene before him. This defire would not be gratified. He urged his requeft; but in vain. With bitter reflexions on his religion and it's minifters, he was told, he should have the affiftance of a Proteftant divine. Accordingly, a Proteftant divine forced upon him his admonitions, to the great difcompofure of his mind, even in his last moments. Those capable of behaving with fuch deteftable infincerity, were a difgrace to the name of Protestant.

THE next object which engaged the attention of the commiffioners, was the afcertaining and diftributing the forfeited lands. In order to this, a court of claims fat in Dublin. Other fimilar courts were established in different parts of the kingdom.

THE forfeited lands in Ulfter, in Leinster, and the Southern province, were laid out in separate proportions, part of which was divided among the foldiers

and