in his treaty with a person who thought he could not make too high demands in the article of religion, is surely a sufficient, proof that his excellency was, by this time at least, convinced that Glamorgan's commission was not either forged or surreptitiously obtained.

But lest any doubt should remain on that head, I shall pro-' duce part of two letters from his majesty to that earl, which clearly demonstrate the reality of his commission, and which are still to be seen in the British museum, in his majesty's own' hand-writing. In the first of these letters, which is dated February 3d, 1645-6, a solicitude is plainly expressed, lest resentment of the ill usage that had been given to his lordship, should provoke him to discover the whole secret. "In a word," says his majesty, " I have commanded as much favor to be shewn to you, as may possibly stand with my service or safety; and if you will yet trust my advice, which I have commanded Digby to give you freely, I will bring you so off that you may be still useful to me, and I shall be able to recompence you for your affection. If not, I cannot tell you what to say; but I will not doubt your compliance, since it so highly concerns the good of all my crowns, my own particular, and to make me have still means to shew myself your assured friend, CHARLES R."

The other letter is dated the 28th of the same month, when his majesty knew that the earl either was, or would soon be, at liberty; and was sent by sir John Winter, his lordship's cousin-german, and a Roman catholic.

"HERBERT,

"I am confident, that this honest, trusty bearer will give you good satisfaction, why I have not, in every thing, done as you desired. The want of confidence in you, being so far from being the cause thereof, that I am every day more and more confirmed in the trust that I have of you. For believe me, it is not in the power of any, to make you suffer in my opinion by ill offices. But of this, and divers other things, I have given to sir John Winter so full instructions, that I will say no more, but that I am your most assured friend,*

CHARLES R."

6 See Warner's History of the Irish Rebel.

"That Glamorgan did still enjoy the royal favor and confidence in a

And on the 5th of April, 1646, his majesty wrote to him as follows:

"GLAMORGAN,

"I neither have time to spare, nor do you desire that I should repeat to you, unnecessarily, those things which I have so often said to you. I refer you, therefore, to Digby, for what is to be done; and assure you of my constant friendship for you, which I think the more necessary in this universal defection of every body. But however that be, I am persuaded that you cannot doubt, but that I will perform all the instructions and promises made to you and the Nuncio."

In another letter of the 20th of July following, from New castle, he bids Glamorgan tell the Nuncio, " that if once he could come into his and the Nuncio's hands, which ought to be extremely wished for by them both, as well for the sake of England as of Ireland, since all the rest, as he saw, despised him, he would do it." After which he immediately adds, " and if I do not say this from my heart, or if in any future time I fail you in this, may God never restore me to my kingdoms in this world, nor give me eternal happiness in the next; to which, I hope, this tribulation will conduct me at last, after I have satisfied my obligations to my friends, to none of whom I am so much obliged as to yourself, whose merits towards me exceed all expressions that can be used by your constant friend,

CHARLES R.".

I shall add nothing more on this subject, but that we find in the Nuncio's Memoirs," that the earl of Glamorgan left with the confederate catholics the original of his commission to treat with them, in his majesty's own hand."

7 Enquiry into the share, &c. p. 243-4.

8 Enquiry into the share, &c. p. 245. from the Nunc. Mem. and Vittorie Siri's Mercurio.

9 Enquiry, &c. p. 107.

very high degree, there is direct and positive proof in those letters extant among the Harleian manuscripts, in which Charles assures him of the continuance of his friendship, and promises to make good all his instructions to him and the Nuncio.”—Lel. Hist. of Ire. vol. iii. p. 285. note.

CHAP. XIX.

Peace concluded with the marquis of Ormond.

THE imprisonment of the earl of Glamorgan, and the king's disavowal of his commission, were two incidents that greatly favored Renuccini's designs. That prelate had brought to the confederate catholics large supplies, with promises of further assistance.1* "His entrance into Kilkenny on horseback under a canopy, was as solemn and magnificent as both clergy and laity could make it. When he came to the place where the council sate, he was placed in a chair not far from lord viscount Mountgarret, president of the council. After some pause, he presented the pope's brief to the presi dent; which being publicly read, he made an oration to the assembly, and concluded it with letting them know three things which were principally given him in command by his holiness. The first was, to endeavor the propagation of the catholic religion, the second to conserve the catholics in union among themselves, and the third, to cherish in them the allegiance due to their lawful sovereign. He could not," adds my author, who was present, "have ended his discourse more to the satisfaction, of all that heard him, than by mentioning the subjects' duty towards their king, and his having it in charge to cherish it. For it was collected from thence, that he was willing they should bury the memory of their past sufferings in the blessings of an happy peace. But in the sequel, we shall find how little conformity there was between his proceedings and his professions."

At this time, however, he was held in the highest esteem and veneration, by the confederate catholics; and as their hopes of obtaining liberty of conscience, which were all centered in Glamorgan's peace,† were now at an end, by the king's

In his speech to the assembly, he told them, "that he had brought four frigates, arms for four thousand men, and as much money as would enable him to take upon himself the maintenance of the war in one province; with hope of further help from the pope."-Vindic. Cath. in Hib. p. 29.

His majesty's message of the 29th of January to the parliament, dis owning the earl of Glamorgan's treaty with the confederates of the 25th

disavowal of it, they readily accepted the Nuncio's offers, of what he then called aid and protection, but what was soon after deemed dominion and control. That this acceptance was a matter rather of necessity than choice, appears from their conduct towards a former agent from Rome, in which they shewed little inclination to submit their temporal concerns to a spiritual superintendancy. For when, soon after the cessation was concluded, Petrus Franciscus Scarampi,* sent upon the same business by pope Urban VIII.3" came to Limerick, attended by some twenty horse, the gates were shut against him, and a compliment sent him by the magistrates, that they were sorry he had undertaken so tedious and troublesome a journey at so unseasonable a time, when all the city were busily employed in matters of great consequence, in chusing of magistrates for the ensuing year, and in applotting their first payment of the thirty thousand pounds with which, upon the cessation, they had agreed to supply his majesty's army, on which account, they could not give him fit attendance; but they offered to lodge him a mile off the city, and to let him know the next day their resolution concerning his admittance. But the agent replied, that if they were not at leisure to receive him then, he would not attend their leisure the next day, and so went away."†

3 Clanrick. letter to Orm. Mem. Engl. ed. Cart. Orm. vol. iii.

of August, 1645, "being brought to Kilkenny in March following, struck the confederates there with surprise and consternation, finding all their pains and expence of time and treasure thrown away, and themselves exposed to the resentments of their enemies, both of England and Scotland, if they should make peace (with Ormond) in the present circumstances.” Enquiry into the share, &c. p. 187.

"The supreme council having maintained the troops (three thousand) to be sent to the relief of Chester, at the expence of the kingdom, in the port of Waterford, several weeks after the surrender of Chester, and the king's message to the parliament, disowning the ear! of Glamorgan's treaty ; and finding no ships furnished by the king, nor the marquis of Ormond, nor the earl, for embarking the troops, nor any prospect of being supplied with such ships, they published a resolution against sending those troops into England," of which Glamorgan complained.—Id. ib. p. 191.

* "He arrived about the middle of July at Kilkenny, with large supplies of money and ammunition."-Carte's Orm. vol. i. f. 447.

+ Lord Orrery, in answer to Peter Walsh, cites a bull of pope Urban Vill. dated the 28th of May, 1643, (the year Scarampi was in Ireland,

But the confederates soon after growing weary of Renuccini's control, and being assured besides, that the king would, when he had it in his power, make good his engagements to them by Glamorgan, privately resolved to conclude the peace with the marquis of Ormond, which related chiefly to civil matters, on his own terms; in order to enable his majesty, by sending him powerful supplies, to renew and confirm Glamorgan's treaty with them, concerning matters of religion. "But although the Nuncio was extremely averse to Ormond's peace, as containing no satisfactory concessions in spirituals; yet he was far from desiring that the promised supplies should be withheld from his majesty." The method he proposed was, "that the cessation should be still continued, and assistance sent to the king in the same manner as if the peace had been concluded."*

Pursuant to the above resolution, the general assembly which met on the 6th of March, 1645-6,6 dispatched lord Muskerry, and other commissioners, to Dublin, to conclude the peace with the marquis of Ormond; and accordingly it was there concluded on the 28th of the same month.†

At the same time, with the articles of peace, was signed a conditional obligation or defeasance," "whereby the confederates engaged to transport ten thousand foot into England or Wales, well armed and provided, by April the 1st; and four

4 Carte's Ormond, vol. i. 5 Id. ib. 6 Id. ib. 7 Id. ib. encouraging and exciting the confederates by pardons, indulgences, &c. to continue the war against the king's forces, as a proof of the dangerous influence which popes have had, in such cases, on Roman catholic subjects living under protestant governments. Walsh, with good reason, suspects this bull to have been forged, as he could not find, upon enquiry, that the original was ever seen by any one. But, even supposing it real and genuine, it proves the direct contrary of what his lordship has produced it for, as it did not in the least hinder or retard the treaty of cessation, which the confederates cheerfully concluded with the marquis of Ormond, in September following; although they very well knew the great wants and distresses of his majesty's army at that juncture, while their own was in good condition, and enjoyed great plenty.

• The Nuncio, though he opposed Ormond's peace, yet exhorted the confederates, in the mean time, to prolong the cessation, and to send their forces for the relief of Chester."—Lel. ubi supra, p. 275.

"The Nuncio knew nothing of this transaction till May following." Enquiry into the share, &c. p. 196.