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CHA P. V.

Cromwell's policy to reduce Ireland.

CROMWELL having foon after repeated the fame cruelties in the town of Wexford, which was betrayed to him by one Stafford, increafed the general terror to fuch a degree, "that towns fifty miles diftant from him,' declared against the Marquis of Ormond ;"

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'Cart. Collect. of Orig. Papers, vol. ii.

which

2 Stafford was governor of the caftle of Wexford; " which Cromwell having thus gained, advanced his flag upon it, and turned the guns against the town. Fear feized the townfmen, and the foldiers in confufion quitted their posts. Cromwell's foldiers perceiving this, presently clapped fcaling ladders to the walls, and entered without refiftance, into the town; wherein all found in arms were put to the sword, to the number of two thoufand." Borl. Irish Rebel. f. 284.

"Though Colonel David Synod, governor of the town, had confidence by the propofitions he fent:

ift, That the inhabitants of the town should exercise, without disturbance, the Roman catholic religion.

2d, That their religious orders and priests should enjoy their monafteries and churches.

3d, That Nicholas (French), Bishop of Ferns, and his fucceffors, fhould have the undisturbed jurifdiction of their dioceffes.

4th, That their officers and foldiers fhould march out with flying colours, and the other punctilios of honour.

5th, That whoever of the inhabitants should hereafter defire to depart the town, should have whatever was theirs with them. 6th, That all freemen should have their liberties and immunities hitherto enjoyed, they adhering to the state of England. 7th, None to be disturbed in their poffeffions, &c.

"All which (fays Borlafe) Cromwell accounting impudent, had no effect." Hift. Irish Rebel. fol. 284-5. Though he had just before (fol. 284.) faid, that "Synod's commiffioners, treating with Cromwell, had procured the fafety of the inhabitants of the town, and prefervation of it from plunder, as well as leave for the foldiers to depart every one to their own homes,

which provoked his excellency to fay, doubtlefs with more anger than truth," that the Roman catholics, who flood fo rigidly with the king upon religion, and that, as they called it, in the fplendor of it, were then with difficulty withheld from fending commiffioners to intreat him to make ftables and hofpitals of their churches." But if, indeed, these people were at first fo much terrified by this monster's unparalleled cruelties, they foon refumed fufficient courage to reject feveral more advantageous conditions, from his favourite and confident, Ireton, even in point of religion, than the Marquis of Ormond could ever be prevailed upon, by the most urgent neceffity of his majesty's affairs, to allow them. For when that regicide, in his march to Munster, fent proposals to the citizens of Limerick,' offering them the free exercife of their religion, enjoyment of their eftates, churches and church-livings, a free trade and commerce, and no garrifons to be preffed upon them, provided they would only give a free paffage to his forces into the county of Clare; these citizens abfolutely rejected the overture."

But Oliver Cromwell, befides his execrable policy of facilitating the conqueft of Ireland, by the fame of his cruelties, had taken care, before he left Dublin, to publish a proclamation forbidding his foldiers,

2 Id. ib.

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3 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 123. Lel. Hift. vol. iii. p. 370. 4 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. f. 90.

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homes, they engaging not to bear arms against the states of England; and laftly, of life to the officers. Yet (adds my author) in great confternation, fear having furprized the townfmen and citizens before the commiffioners return, they endeavoured to pass over the water for the fafety of their lives; which Cromwell's foldiers perceiving, clapt fcaling ladders to the walls, and entered the town without any refiftance; wherein all found in arms were put to the fword, to the number of two thousand; among whom Sir Edmund Butler was killed, before he had been two hours in the city. Cromwell, in the interim, not lofing twenty men in the whole fiege." Id. ib.

on pain of death, to hurt any of the inhabitants, of take any thing from them, without paying for it in ready money. This was fo ftrictly executed, that even in his March from Dublin to Drogheda, where he was guilty of that horrid butchery, and breach of faith before-mentioned,' he ordered two of his private foldiers to be put to death, in the face of the whole army, for ftealing two hens from an Irifhman, which were not worth fixpence.

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Upon this ftrict obfervance of the proclamation, together with pofitive affurances given by his officers, "that they were for the liberties of the commons, that every one should enjoy the freedom of his religion, and that those who ferved the market at the camp, should pay no contribution, all the country people flocked to them, with all kind of provifions; and due payment being made for the fame, his army was much better fupplied, than even that of the Irish ever had been."

On this occafion, a congregation of twenty catholic archbishops and bifhops having on the 4th of December 1649, affembled, of their own accord, at Clonmacnoife, published a declaration," wherein "they admonished

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all

Doctor Gorges's Letter to Colonel Hamilton. Append. to Lesley's Anf. to King's ftate of the Proteftants under K. James. 6 Carte, ubi fupra.

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"The whole Irish party, (fays Leland) was anxious for the event of this felf-appointed council, and looked for nothing lefs important than a violent proteftation against the government of Ormond. Happily the temper of one of their bifhops, Ever Mac Mahon, the Romish prelate of Clogher, disappointed thefe expectations. From the time of the accommodation between Ormond and O'Nial, in which Mac Mahon had been inftrumental, the marquis frequently converfed with him on public affairs, and infpired him with an high opinion of his talents for government, and his zeal for the interefts of Ireland; with thefe fentiments he entered the affembly of his brethren, where he had the confequence naturally derived from fuperior abilities. He filenced the factious, he encouraged the moderate, he defeated all the fecret practices of Antrim; and at length, with difficulty, prevailed on the prelates to declare, by a formal inftrument, that no fecurity for life, fortune or religion, could be expected from Cromwell,

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all their people, not to delude themselves with vain expectations of conditions to be obtained from that merciless enemy. And they befought the gentry, and the rest of their countrymen, for God's glory, and their own fafety, to contribute, with patience, to the utmost of their power, towards the support of the war against him. They, particularly, exhorted those who were enlifted in the army, to perfevere conftantly in their oppofition to the common enemy, as they expected the bleffing of God upon their endeavours." The Marquis of Ormond, in a letter to the king, obferved, "that, in this affembly there were divers fpeeches made, tending to the fatisfaction of the people; and to incline them to obedience to his majefty, and amity among themselves, in oppofition to the rebels." It muft be, therefore, obferved, in juftice to these bifhops, that it was in this letter to the king that the marquis first asked his majesty's permiffion to leave the kingdom, as being abfolutely indefenfible against the rebels, by what powers he could then command. So very distant from truth is that general affertion of our hiftorians, that it was the refractorinefs, disobedience, and even rebellious difpofition of the Irish clergy, that first made him refolve upon quitting the government of Ireland at that juncture.

CHAP.

? Borl. Irish Rebel. fol. 290.

• Cart. Coll. of Orig. Pap.

Cromwell, to express their deteftation of all odious diftinctions and animofities between old Irifh, Englifh and Scottish royalifts, and their refolution of punifhing all the clergy who should be found to encourage them." Leland's Hift. vol. iii. p. 359.

"It cannot be denied (fays Borlafe from Clarendon) that the conclufions which were made there, feemed full of respect for the king's fervice, and wholefome advice and counfel to the people." Irish Rebel. fol. 293.

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Owen O'Nial fubmits to the peace; Inchiquin's forces revolt to the rebels.

OWEN

WEN O'Nial, who commanded an army of five thousand foot and five hundred horse, having been incenfed beyond measure at the affembly's proclaiming him a traitor; and at the same time flattered by Sir Charles Coote and Colonel Monck, with hopes of a toleration of his religion, and the reftitution of his estate, had entered into a treaty with the latter,* and relieved the former, when closely befieged in Derry, the only place of ftrength that was then in the rebels poffeffion in the province of Ulfter. But the English parliament foon after condemned his treaty with Monck, and rejected his further fervice." This

› Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 77.

"Invited by Sir Charles Coote with an offer of 5000l. for that service." Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 76.

Owen O'Nial was in great want of ammunition; to procure a fupply, he fent Hugh M'Patrick Dubh M'Mahon to make a treaty with Monck, who readily entered into an agreement with him, engaging to supply him with the neceffaries he wanted." Id. ib. fol. 73.

Monck's propofals to O'Nial were: 1ft. Liberty of conscience to all his party and their iffue. 2d. A competent command to O'Nial himself in the rebel army. 3d. An act of oblivion for all they had done fince 1641. 4th. His party to be reftored to all the lands they poffeffed before that time. 5th. That O'Nial be put into poffeffion of his ancestors eftate. 6th. That O'Nial fhall be provided with a convenient fea-port in Ulfter, and his army provided for in all points, as the rest of the army shall be." Hift. of Independency, p. 237.

b Sir Charles Coote in a letter to the council of state in England, August 15th, 1649, informs them, " that O'Nial freely offered him his affiftance, profeffing much affection to the parliament of England, and earnest desire to maintain their interest that he had found O'Nial and his army very punctual and faithful in all their promises and engagements; and he made no

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