" temporal, to affist the chief governor with their ad- CHAP. vice. The former were calculated to fanction the fufpicions, which themselves had excited, of a misapplication of the public money; the latter to eftablish their own power in the civil administration. The marquis confented that all, who had received the public money, should be brought to a strict account; and that, fince the nomination of a privy council was not in his power, a prerogative belonging folely to the king, he would qualify unexceptionable perfons with fufficient powers for fuch particular acts of a privy council as they should specify to be neceffary. Affecting to be fatisfied, they published a declaration favourable to the marquis, which was privately fo counteracted, that a catholic lord in his army was committed to prison for presuming, by his order, to quarter a few foldiers in the liberties of Limerick. He retired in difguft, from this and other infults, to Loughrea, where the prelates, who followed him thither, displayed fresh inftances of illiberal artifice and duplicity, which influenced him to declare his refolution of retiring from the kingdom. The nobility and commiffioners of truft were alarmed, folicited the marquis to stay, and promised their interpofition with the citizens of Limerick. These became fo far compliant as to confent to the admiffion of a garrifon under certain restrictions, and to reject the propofals of Ireton, who offered them the full enjoyment of their civil, religious, and commercial rights, with exemption from the impo fition of a garrifon, on condition of their leave to CHAP. his army to march through their town into the county of Clare. XXVII. Advancing near Limerick, with intention to enter it, by the invitation of its magiftrates, Ormond received intelligence that Wolfe, a feditious friar, had raised a tumult in the city, and fet a guard on the gates to prevent his entrance, while other lawlefs in-. cendiaries rifled the magazines, difpofing of the corn at their pleasure. As the bishops refufed to excommunicate the authors of these outrages, and as the citizens of Galway followed the example of thofe of Limerick, refufing to admit any garrifon, except one appointed and commanded by their own magiftrates, the marquis, unable to retain an army on either fide of the Shannon, and fearing for his perfonal fafety, resumed his purpose of retreating from Ireland. The clergy, who had formerly made him an infiduous offer of placing him on the throne of Ireland, on condition of his uniting with the nuncio, and embracing the Romish religion, now pretended to attribute his intended abdication to a treacherous coalition with the republicans against the king, or the confederates. An affembly of Romish prelates at Jamestown required that his excellency fhould speedily repair to the king, leaving his authority" in the hands of fome person faithful to his Majefty and trufty to the nation, and fuch as the affections and confidence of the people would follow." To express his contempt of their proceedings, he now declared that he would not quit the kingdom until forced by inevitable neceffity. But the prelates published a declaration" against the continuance of his Ma jesty's jesty's authority in the marquis of Ormond," accuf- CHAP. ing him, among other articles, of his averfion to the XXVII. catholic religion; and enjoining the people to obey no orders but those of the congregation of clergy, un'il a general affembly fhould be convened. This edict was accompanied by a fentence of excommunication against all who fhould adhere to the marquis, or pay him fubfidy or obedience. With the utmost difficulty they were perfuaded to suspend the sentence during the expedition of Clanricarde for the relief of Athlone. They proceeded to levy troops by their own authority, which added a new enemy against Ormond, but an enemy eafily dif comfited. The defign of thefe prelates was affifted by a de claration made by the king to please the Scottish covenanters, in whofe hands he then was, expreffing his abhorrence of popish idolatry, and pronouncing the treaty of peace void, which had been concluded with the idolatrous rebels of Ireland. Apprized by a private letter from the king, that this declaration, the effect of compulfion, had no force in this kingdom, Ormond affured the commiffioners of trust, that he would by all means poffible maintain the treaty, until fome unconstrained declaration of the royal pleasure should be obtained; provided that the acts of the congregation of prelates should be revoked or punished, as ufurpations on the king's prerogative; that due obedience should be paid to himself as lord lieutenant; and that fome honourable maintenance should be fecured to him, as he was now deprived of his own eftates. The commiffioners were much XXVII. CHAP. much difpleafed at the extravagance of the clergy, and hoped that their infolence would be repreffed by a general affembly. But when this affembly, accepting an equivocal apology from the prelates, declined to take decisive measures, the marquis could no longer be perfuaded to remain ; yet, in compliance with a respectful request for the delegation of the royal authority to fome proper perfon, he nominated Clanricarde his deputy, with directions that he should accept or decline the office, according to the encouragement or discouragement which he might receive. by the proceedings of the affembly. Clanricarde's ad miniftra tion. Ormond failed from Galway, and, after a dancard's ad gerous voyage, arrived in France. That he had fo long struggled to retain a command may feem furprizing, in fuch a state of things as might appear desperate for the royal caufe, even in case of fuccess against the republicans, when the influence of a fanatical clergy fo powerfully predominated, that the foldiers of a whole regiment, fent on an expedition, threw down their arms, and dispersed to their several homes, at the requifition of a feditious friar, who feized the colours, and pronounced eternal perdition on those who should prefume to march; but to protect as long as poffible the remains of the king's faithful adherents in this kingdom, and to make a diverfion in favour of the royalists in Britain by maintaining a war here under disadvantages howfoever great, was confidered as an object of importance. On this principal Clanricarde affumed the government, though, by the oppofition of the clergy, he was unable to obtain from the general affembly fo precife and explicit an engagement of obedience to his XXVII. his authority as he required. The confederates had CHAP. now a catholic chief governor, and an army wholly catholic, as the proteftants, who had fought on the fame fide, had by repeated infults, withdrawn eitherto the republicans or beyond fea: yet faction ftill prevented an effectual resistance to the arms of Ireton. By the movements of Clanricarde for the fuccour of Athlone, Coote had been disappointed in his attempt upon that poft: yet when Ireton advanced to Limerick, and demanded admiffion for his troops, the citizens were in fufpenfe until the arrival of Castlehaven, who prevailed on them to fhut their gates agaist the enemy. Proposals made to the confederates, by the republican commander, to treat for terms of fubmiffion, were at first rejected, but afterward admitted, as a jubject of negociation, by the influence of the clergy, particularly Nicholas French, Romish bishop of Ferns, a diftinguished partizan of the nuncio, who clamoured for a negociation. Fired with indignation at this behaviour, Clanricarde, and feveral principal members of the general affembly, declared their determination to defend the royal cause to the last extremity, and to exclude,' in cafe of fubmiffion to the republicans, the prefent oppofers of the royal interefts from the benefit of the treaty. The clergy were alarmed, concurred with these members, and even iffued an excommunication against all who fhould refort to the enemy's quarters or pay them contribution; yet they fecretly practised against Clanricarde for the establishment of their own power by foreign aids; and, for this purpose they dispatched the bishop of Ferns to Bruffels, as their ambaffador to the duke of Lorrain, This |