be the chief flower of the crown, and the fupport of the people's liberty; and they unanimoufly befeeched his excellency, in his hearty defire of the nation's prefervation, to leave that authority with them in fome person, faithful to his majesty, and acceptable to the nation; to which perfon, when he fhould be made known to them, they would not only afford all due obedience, but would also offer, and propofe the best ways and means they could devife for the confervation of his majesty's rights, and the people's liberties and interests; and for the begetting a ready obedience in all places and perfons, to his majesty's authority."

6

In answer to this request, his excellency told them," "that he was refolved to make ufe fpeedily of the liberty the king had given him as to his own person; which he found was unacceptable to the people. Yet that, if they could propofe to him any way how he could depofit the king's authority, in fuch a manner as that it might not be expofed to the fame affronts it had received in him, and might be applied to the preferving of the people, and the recovery of the kingdom, he fhould readily agree to it; and he heartily wifhed they might receive that happiness by his abfence, which they could not receive by his prefence."

7

His excellency was refolved to truft the royal authority in no body but the Earl of Clanrickard, the only perfon in the kingdom fit for fo high a truft; and on the 7th of December aforefaid, after he had embarked, he wrote to the affembly," that he had left authority with his lordship, to govern the kingdom, provided their declaration were fo far explained, as to give the marquis of Clanrickard full fatisfaction, with regard to the expreffions they made ufe of to declare their duty of obedience.

دو

8

An inftrument was hereupon drawn up, wherein the affembly declared, that neither the lords fpiritual or temporal, gentry or people, clergy or laity, had power to discharge the people from that due and perfect obedience

Clarend. Carte.

7 Cart. Orm. vol. ii. fol. 137.
• Id. ib.

obedience to his majesty's authority vested in the Marquis of Clanrickard; and that, in cafe of any fuch act or endeavour, no perfons fhould, or ought to be led thereby; but that, for their disobedience, on any fuch grounds, they were fubject to the heavy cenfures and penalties of the laws of the land. But to this a provifo was added, that this obedience was not intended to be paid to any perfon, that fhould be appointed chief govenor, who had joined in the covenant, or fhould violate the articles of the peace. Upon this declaration, Lord Clanrickard was prevailed upon to accept the government; and Ormond departed for France.

The prefbytery of Bangor's proceedings on the peace.

NONE cenfured the congregation at James-town more feverely than the prefbyterians in Ulfter; yet none had fo little right to cenfure it. For that congregation only followed the example that was set them the

s Id. ib.

year

That provifo was expreffed in these words. "And inafmuch as his majesty is at present in the hands of a presbyterian party of the Scots, who have declared themselves enemies to this nation, and vowed the extirpation of our religion, we declare, it is not hereby intended, to oblige ourselves to receive, obey, or obferve any governor, that fhall come unduly nominated by, or procured from his majesty, by reason of, or during his being in an unfree condition, that may raise a disturbance in the present government, established by his majesty's authority, or cause the violation of the articles of peace." Borl. Hift. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 339.

<"The bishop of Ferns, (fays Borlase) hitherto averse to the king's authority, more particularly importuned him (Clanrickard) in the name of the clergy, not to decline a charge, which could only preferve the king's power in that kingdom, and the nation from destruction, promifing fo entire a fubmiffion and co-operation from the whole clergy, that his authority should not be disputed." Irish Rebel. fol. 338.

a

year before, by the prefbytery of Bangor; with this difference, that the former, as we have feen, had fome provocation given them, which the latter could not pretend.

For on the conclufion of the peace in 1648, the king having fent a commiffion to Hugh Viscount Montgomery of Ards, to command all the forces within that province, his lordship thought it neceffary to fig nify to his majesty's fubjects of Ulfter his inveftiture with that commiffion, and accordingly published a declaration, July 4th, 1649, for that purpose.

A prefbytery was thereupon convened at Bangor, July 7th, in which a declaration was drawn up, containing feveral virulent reflections on his lordship. He is therein charged, among other things,' " with lifting up his hand against them; with betraying the covenant; with owning King Charles the fecond; with cloathing himself with a commiffion from him; with receiving commands from the Marquis of Ormond, and joining with malignants, who blafphemed the covenant. For this caufe," faid they," as embaffadors of Christ, we beseech the people, " in his stead," not to join hands to fuch a courfe; not to join in executing fuch a commiffion,

1 See Prefbyterian Loyalty, p. 256.

a The 10,000 Scots, that were fent about the year 1642 into Ulfter by the English parliament, "were poffeffed of Carrickfergus as their head quarters, brought over their ministers along with them, who being of the prefbyterian perfuafion (fays my author) did affociate for the exercife of difcipline; and fuch minifters of the fame persuasion as then refided in the kingdom joined with them, and founded a prefbytery, which was that very prefbytery who framed the declaration at Bangor in 1649. The Lord Viscount of Ards and the Lord Viscount of Claneboy, fhewed an early zeal for the intereft of the prefbytery; for on the 19th of July, 1642, (which was but nine days after their first meeting) my Lord of Ards fent Capt. Magill to the prefbytery then met at Carrickfergus, with a meffage to them, promifing that he would join with them in difcipline, and my Lord Claneboy writ them a letter, delivered the very fame day, and giving the fame affurance for himself, as my Lord of Ards had done by his meffage." Presbyter. Loyalty, p. 253.

miffion, by ferving either as officers or foldiers, or they fhall wring the dregs of the cup, which the malignants have been drinking thefe many years paft. We do alfo, in the name of Jefus Chrift, warn the people of our charge from all compliance with their ungodly courfe, either by fpeaking favourably of them, acknowledging the authority of the prefent command under the Marquis of Ormond and the Lord of Ards by impofing cefs for the maintenance of their unlaw ful power; or by obeying their orders, or paying cefs to their army, or fupplying them with that which is the finews of war, money and victuals.” ↳

I have faid that the prefbytery at Bangor could not pretend fuch provocation for this outrage on the royal authority, as the congregation at James-town really had; for, by the king's having taken the covenant, the latter were threatened openly with the utter extirpation of their religion; but the prefbytery were promised, and affured of the preservation, and extenfion of theirs. Lord Montgomery, who was himself a zealous prefbyterian, folemnly engaged in his declaration," in the prefence of God, that he would use his uttermoft endeavours, while he was entrusted with power, to countenance and affift the exercife of their religion, as it was then practifed; and likewife, that he

2 Ib.
p. 409.

b In February 1649, "the general affembly of the church of Scotland had fet them an example, by publishing a remonstrance wherein," they declared, and folemnly protefted, among other things, against the Lord of Ards and others having entered into a peace and affociation with the Marquis of Ormond, that they might the more eafily carry on the old defigns of the popifh, prelatical and malignant party." See Borl. Hift. of the Rebel. fol. 289.

"In April following, 1650, this fame Lord of Ards, Lord Moor, and Colonel Trevor, came from the Irifh quarters to Oliver Cromwell at Clonmell, foon after he had taken that town, to render themselves to him, being perfons of great note and eminence in the kingdom, and the firft of quality of the proteftant party, that came from the Irish army unto them." Borl. Hift. of the Irish Rebel. Append. fol. 22.

he would folicit his majefty, and, (as he had good grounds to hope) with fuccefs, for a confirmation under his hand." And, two days before that declaration iffued,' Lord Inchiquin wrote to the fame prefbytery," that he being a well-wisher to the prefbyterian government, and honoured with a public truft by his majesty, knew that his majefty was refolved, for their fatisfaction, to establish the prefbyterian government in them parts; and, he believed, in other parts alfo of the kingdom. And no man knows," adds his lordfhip, "whether the whole number of proteftants may not agree to embrace it."

The total defection of the proteftant forces. SHORTLY after the prefbytery's declaration was published, there was fuch a general defection in the northern army, that the Marquis of Ormond told the king, in December 1649," that his majefty might account that province, if not wholly loft, yet in a low and defperate condition; and that he expected to be strongly invaded from thence next fummer." In that letter it was, that he defired his majesty's permiffion to withdraw himself out of the kingdom," because it was unable of itself, and without powerful aids from abroad, to refift the growing power of the rebels." Yet, when his lordship did withdraw himself, fome months after, he greatly encreased these rebels power, by permitting, or rather tranfmitting, the forces then under his immediate command to join and affift them. For, when he

Borlafe fays," that amongst the prefbyterians he went for a patron." Irish Rebel. fol. 243. He fays alfo, "that the Lord of Ards (a little before this) had been chofen by the prefbyterian minifters, their commander in chief, thereby poffeffing himself of Carrickfergus and Belfast." Ib. fol. 273.