ungrateful treatment, and displeased with having been unjustly accufed, of entering into a treacherous combination with the Irish, he expelled the Roman Catholic magiftrates from Cork, took poffeffion of that city, with Youghall and Kinfale, and openly declared in favour of the parliament. By his influence with Lord Efmond, the governor, the fort of Duncannon was likewife given up to them; preffed however with difficulties, chiefly arifing from the want of provisions, he was compelled, fhortly after, to make a temporary ceffation with the Irish. On the expiration of the truce, Lord Caftlehaven advanced with a body of the Irish forces into Munster. He retook the fort of Duncannon, poffeffed himself of a number of caftles, and over-ran the country. Inchiquin, inferior to the enemy in troops, and ill provided with ncceffaries, was obliged to shut himfelf up in Cork, which, probably, he would have been obliged to furrender, had not Lord Broghil arrived to his affiftance.

Farewell.

LETTER

XXII.

ROM September fixteen hundred and forty four,

FRO
Roeceflation agreed upon betwixt the King

and the natives, had been prolonged, by mutual confent, to the middle of the following Summer. The treaty of peace was ftill depending. With refpect to it, Charles in a public letter, expreffed his approbation of the answer given by Ormond, to the Irish commiffioners, and defired him to persevere in the fame refolution. But when the treaty of Uxbridge broke off, in confequence of which, all hopes that the parliament would comply with his terms vanished, he wrote privately to the lord lieutenant,

to make the best bargin he could with the Irish, telling him, that if they would vigorously engage in his behalf, no conditions could be too hard, not against confcience and honor. At the fame time, he defired him not to divulge thefe inftructions, unlefs compelled to it by neceffity. The mind of Ormond was now preffed, by a fenfe of the difficulties in which this bufinefs involved him. He faw it to be dangerous to exceed his public inftructions, and that the best terms of peace, which the Irish would accept, muft fubject him to reproach, not only from those who were hoftile to the King's measures, but from many of his friends. A number of the infurgents were his relations; if he did too little, he incurred their refentment, if too much, he would be charged with partiality, and that ftill more, on account of his estate having been feized by the Irish, to which peace only could reftore him. Befides, could he furmount every other difficulty, he well' knew, that the majority of the council would not confent to transmit a bill, either for a fufpenfion of Poynings' Law, on fuch an occafion, or to confirm the pacification. Perplexed by these circumstances, he petitioned the King, for leave to refign his office. This Charles refufed. He knew the lofs he would fustain, by giving up fo zealous a friend, în the prefent critical ftate of his affairs. To induce him to continue in office, he gave him every additional privilege, and conferred upon him every favour in his power to bestow. Thus encouraged to perfevere, he turned his views to the parliament, and to the forces in Ulfter, hoping to unite them to the royal caufe, upon terms more favourable, than thofe which could be procured from the Irish. Two circumstances inclined these troops to hearken to his propofal. They were diftreffed by the want of fubfift

ence,

ence, and much difpleafed with the refult of the
treaty of Uxbridge, and with the defigns, in refpect
to Charles, discovered on that occafion. But the Eng-
lish parliament, jealous of this attempt of Ormond,
and apprehenfive of the confequence, fent over
commiffioners to the North, with a fupply of money
and provifions, and disappointed his expectation.
Upon this, he renewed the treaty with the Irish. In
April, fixteen hundred and forty five, to which time
the business had been adjourned, he once more met
their agents.
Determined to abide by his public
inftructions, the terms on which he infifted, were
pretty nearly the fame with thofe he had formerly
propofed. Nothing was agreed upon. The matter
was then taken up by the general convention. Here,
a diversity of sentiments prevailed. The more mo-
derate, and those least influenced by private views,
were friends to an accommodation, whilst those of
Ulfter oppofed it. Of these, a number could not
bear the thoughts of parting with the property they
had acquired, others of them dreaded the punish-
ment of their crimes. But none of them were more
averse to peace than the clergy. Since the infur-
rection, they had regained both their livings and
confequence, and hoped to obtain ftill more flatter-
ing advantages, by a continuance of the war. But
notwithstanding, peace would probably have been
concluded on the terms propofed by Ormond, had
not the private intention of Charles, with refpect to
it, been known, at leaft to a number in the affem-
bly.

WHEN the King found that Ormond was fo fcrupulous, in concluding a peace with the Irish, upon any terms but thofe, in refpect to which he was publickly authorized, he had privately communicated the additional conceffions he was willing to make,

in their favour, to certain of their agents, then attending his court. These had returned to Ireland, and given an account of this tranfaction to their friends. But a perfon foon after arrived at Kilkenny, prepared to give the convention much more fatisfaction on the subject; this was Edward 1645. Earl of Glamorgan, to whofe ftrenuous and perfevering exertions, in fupport of his caufe, the King had been greatly indebted. He was exceedingly vain, and of weak understanding; but, as he was distinguished by an infinuating addrefs, was a zealous Roman Catholic, had a property in Ireland, and, by marrying a daughter of the Earl of Thomond, was allied to the most powerful families in the kingdom, Charles thought him a very proper person to be employed in removing those obstacles, by which he had been prevented from receiving the expected aid, from the natives of this country.

UPON his arrival at Kilkenny, he produced two commiffions from his Majefty, of pretty much the fame date, by which he was invested with unlimited powers, to make peace with the Irifh, on whatever terms he might think expedient. In confequence, Auguft the twenty fifth, fixteen hundred and forty five, he privately concluded a peace with them, on the terms, that they fhould openly profefs their religion, fubject to no jurisdiction, but their own; that they fhould hold for ever, all lands, tenements, churches, tythes and hereditaments, poffeffed by them, either at, or fince October, fixteen hundred and forty one, and all other churches, except fuch as were then poffeffed by the Proteftant clergy.

FOR these conceffions, the Irish engaged to fend ten thousand men, under the command of Glamorgan, to be employed by him, where, and in whatever manner they might beft ferve the King's inte

reft.

Two thirds of the revenues of the Roman Catholic clergy, for three years, were fet apart, for the maintenance of these troops. Matters relating to these points, being thus fettled to their fatisfaction, they renewed the treaty with Ormond, which had been so often attempted in vain. As they had now no demands to infift upon, with respect to religion, which had been a chief caufe of their former difagreement, the affair was brought fpeedily to a conclufion. But, with a view to the advantages they had privately obtained, and which they hoped the King's affairs would foon permit him to avow, they ftipulated, that they should not, by the treaty, be excluded from the benefit of any other favourable conditions, which his Majefty might be pleafed to grant them.

IT was thought, that all difficulties, with refpect to this tedious bufinefs, were now entirely removed. But new obstacles arofe.

LETTER

Adieu.

XXIII.

FR

ROM the beginning of the infurrection, the Pope flattered himself that he would regain his loft authority in Ireland. This hope had induced him, to encourage it by his countenance and protection. Towards defraying the expence of O'Nial, Prefton, and the other officers, who, to fupport the Roman Catholics, came over to Ireland from the continent, he contributed twenty thoufand crowns. He had also fent emiffaries, to animate the Irish to perfeverance, In particular, with this view, Scarampus, a noble Neapolitan, had come over in the capacity of nuncio. Vefted with the fame character, he now difpatched to Ireland John Baptifta Rinuncini,