then sitting at Ross, with a safe-conduct from their lordships for such of their number as that council would employ to represent their grievances to the king's commissioners above-mentioned. In the commission there happened to be the words "odious rebellion," applied to the proceedings of these catholics; which the lords justices not only inserted in their safe-conduct, but also added other words of their own of the same provoking tendency; hoping thereby to prevent the intended pacification. But the confederates looking upon the whole to be the lords justices contrivance, and neither knowing nor expecting that any such language was in his majesty's commission, sent the trumpet back with a spirited answer, giving their lordships to understand," that they were not, they thanked God, in that condition, as to sacrifice their loyalty to the malice of any; and that it would be a meanness beyond expression in them, who fought in the condition of loyal subjects to come in the repute of rebels to set down their grievances. We take God to witness," added they," that there are no limits to set to the scorn and infamy that are cast upon us; and we will be in the esteem of loyal subjects, or die to a man.' " The confederate catholics did undoubtedly believe, that, in taking arms against this administration, which was entirely influenced by the prevailing faction in the English parliament, they were actually serving his majesty. This appears evidently from lord Clanrickard's letter to the king, October 26th, 1642, wherein he acquaints him,s "that neither intreaties, threats, or protestations could draw most men from the belief, that those did really serve his majesty, who were in that com The earl of Castlehaven among other reasons for having joined the confederates against this administration, assigns the following. "I began to consider (says he) the condition of this kingdom, as that the state did chiefly consist of men of mean birth and quality; that most of them steered by the influence and power of those who were in arms against the king; that they had by cruel massacre, hanging and torturing, been the slaughter of thousands of innocent men, women and children, better subjects than themselves; that they, by all their actions, shewed that they looked at nothing but the extirpation of the nation, the destruction of monarchy, and by the utter suppression of the catholic religion, to settle and establish puritanism. To these (adds his lordship) I could be no traitor."—Desid. Cur. Hibern, vol. ii. p. 132. See Append. motion. And if vows and protestations (proceeds his lordship) may gain belief, I should be followed by thousands to serve your majesty in any other place. But as the state of this kingdom stands, such is their sense of the opposition given to your majesty by some faction of your parliament of England; of the injustice done them by those that govern here; and of the general destruction conceived to be designed against the natives, that almost the whole nation are united into one resolute body, to gain their preservation, or sell their lives at the dearest Tate." CHAP. III. Another contrivance of the justices to hinder the cessation. BUT the confederate nobility and gentry being soon after made sensible that the words "odious rebellion" before-mentioned, were actually taken from the king's commission, and inserted by the lords justices in the safe-conduct for the aforesaid evil purpose, were resolved to disappoint so iniquitous a design; and therefore immediately wrote to the commissioners appointed by the king, "that' they were ready to appear before them with a representation of their grievances." Accordingly the time and place of meeting proposed by the confederate catholics, which was the 18th of March, at Trim, were agreed to by these commissioners. But the confederates still resenting the imputation of rebellion, though taken from the king's commission, thought it necessary to "protest at the same time, in the presence of the God of truth, that they had been necessitated to take arms to prevent the extirpation of their nation and religion, threatened and contrived by their enemies; to maintain the rights and prerogatives of his majesty's crown and dignity, and the interests of his royal issue, and for no other reason whatever." And, indeed, of the sincerity of this protestation, we shall presently find them giving unquestionable proofs. The justices now perceiving that abusive apellations could not provoke the confederates to absent themselves from the in 1 Belling's MSS. Hist. of the Wars of Ireland. 2 Cart. Orm, vol. iii. Belling. ib. tended meeting, resolved to try what cruel and perfidious actions would do. For on the 13th of March, (five days before the appointed time) they gained the consent of the council to an act," which," says Mr. Carte, "could only serve to exasperate the confederates, and produce a retaliation that might inflame matters to such a degree, as to put a stop to all further treaty. Sir Richard Grenville had taken, at Longwood, Mr. Edward Lisagh Connor; and in the battle of Rathconnel, on February the 7th, he had also taken one Dowdal, another gentleman named Betagh, and one Aylmer, son of Garret Aylmer, a lawyer eminent in his profession, all gentlemen of considerable families. Sir Richard, though very severe in the prosecution of the war, was a man of great spirit and honor, and not likely to violate the quarter he had given. The lords justices, therefore wrote to him that they had occasion to examine said prisoners, and ordered him to send them for that purpose to Dublin, under a safe guard. They signed, at the same time, another order to sir Henry Tichbourne,* to examine only, if these prisoners were so taken, and to cause them immediately to be executed by the martial law. 4 But even this detestable expedient to prevent the appointed meeting, proved as unsuccessful as the former. For," on the before-mentioned 18th of March, 1642, by virtue of his majes ty's commission, the earl of St. Alban and Clanrickard, the earl of Roscommon, sir Maurice Eustace, and others, the king's commissioners, met the commissioners of the confederate catholics, at Trim." These latter were, lord Gormanstown, sir Lucas Dillon, knt. sir Robert Talbot, bart. John Walsh, esq. and others; at which time they produced a remonstrance by the title of a remonstrance of the grievances presented to his majesty,† Sir Henry Tichbourne, soon after made lord justice, on Parson's ra moval, informs us, " that the cessation intended was so disagreeable to the Irish privy-council, that most of them desired to run any fortune and extremity of famishing, rather than yield unto it."-History of the siege of Drogheda. †This remonstrance has been already opened in this Review, and will hereafter be quoted as authentic evidence, as well on account of the solemnity of its delivery and acceptance, as because of the severe examinations it underwent in the Irish house of commons, (from which all the Roman ca in the name of the catholics of Ireland. Which remonstrance was accordingly received in due form by his majesty's commissioners. and by them transmitted to his majesty.* The marquis of Ormond, though first named in the commission, seems to be the only commissioner that did assist at this meeting. His lordship instead of going to Trim on that pacific business, marched towards Ross, with an army of about two thousand five hundred foot, and five hundred horse. In his tholic members had been expelled) from the 8th to the 12th of April, 1644, and then dismissed without the least disproof or contradiction of any of the numerous grievances it complains of; and without any resolution or motion, after a debate of so many days, that bears the slightest appearance either of a censure or denial of the facts it contains.-See Append. to the Jour. of the Commons. (See this Remonstrance, Appendix No. V.) There is the following remarkable passage in Borlase on this occasion.— "Upon the 8th and 9th of April, 1643, this remonstrance came to be considered in the commons house of parliament in Ireland, seemingly disliked by all, though with that artifice by some, as the remonstrants themselves could not have insinuated more in its defence; inasmuch as these, at last, brought into discourse the solemn league and covenant, the more colorably to take off the dispute concerning the remonstrance, whereby the business growing hot, the house was prorogued till the 6th of May."—Irish Rebel. fol. 155. • "This remonstrance (says Borlase) was solemnly received by his majesty's commissioners, and by them transmitted to his majesty.”—History of the Irish Rebel. fol. 154. This expedition was undertaken by Ormond, at the desire of a committee of the English parliament, then sent to direct and superintend the affairs of Ireland, expressly against the king's command. See Borl. Irish Rebel, fol. 142-3.-" It being desired by the officers of the army, on a certain occasion, that major Wodowes might repair to his majesty to express their service, this committee demonstrated, that the parliament would certainly withdraw their supplies on notice of such an address, upon which the ships were stayed; yet the business was so argued as the major had licence to proceed in his journey," Id. ib. fol. 144.-" But with this the English parliament was so much displeased, that they for some time withheld those scanty supplies which they before used to send them.”—Id. ib. føl. 145. "This expedition was set on foot by a committee of the English parliament; Mr. Robert Goodwin and Mr. Robert Reynolds, members of that parliament, sent against the king's express command, over in the depth of winter to Ireland, to seduce privately the licers and soldiers of his majesty's army there, to engage with the English parliament against him; for which purpose this committee had prevailed on many of them unwarily to subscribe their names in a book; but some officers having at length disco way thither, he took the castle of Timolin; and although he had promised quarter to the garrison, on account of their gal lant defence, yet he suffered them to be cut in pieces by the soldiers, after they had surrendered their arms.* And on his return from Ross to Dublin, the 18th of March, (the day on which the other commissioners were receiving the remonstrance at Trim) having met and attacked an army of the confederates, under General Preston, he entirely routed it; killing above five hundred of their men, among whom were many officers and gentlemen. The justices, in a letter to the speaker of the English house of commons, take particular notice of this action, as a satisfactory proof, " that the king's commission for hearing the complaints of the confederate catholics, gave not the least interruption to the proceedings of the war agains them."+ 7 Belling's MSS. 8 Id. ib. 9 Carte's Orm. vol. iii. vered the real design, in detestation thereof rent the book of subscriptions in pieces." Borl. Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 143-4.-At the same time with them, was sent captain Tucker, by the city of London. * "The army (says Borlase) came to Timolin, where finding two castles possessed by the rebels, our cannon compelled them to submit to mercy, very few of them escaping with their lives there being about an hundred of them slain."-Irish Rebel. fol. 148, + The lords justices in their account of this battle say," wherein were slain about three hundred of the rebels, and many of their commanders,and others of quality, and divers taken prisoners; and among these prisoners colonel Cullen, a native of this city (Dublin) who had been a colonel in France, and was now a lieutenant-general in the rebel army; and on our side about twenty slain in the fight and divers wounded.”—Borl. Irish Reb. fol. 146. "And in his return to Dublin (says Mr. Carte) he burnt and spoiled the enemy's country without the least opposition.”—Ormond, vol. i. fol. 407. They observe, however, in the same letter, that their poverty, and want of all things was such," that although the rebels were not able to overcome his majesty's army, and devour his other good subjects, yet both his army and good subjects were in danger to be devoured by the want of needful supplies forth of England. And that the miseries of the officers and soldiers for want of all things, even of food, were unspeakable; that by the insupportable burthen then laid on the city of Dublin, for their maintenance, many housekeepers were daily breaking up house, and scattering their families, leaving still fewer to bear the burthen. In the end, therefore, (adds they) we were enforced to fix on our former way, and to see who had any thing left untaken from him to help us; and although there were but few such and some of them poor merchants, whom we have now |