and the deftruction that I was forced to make upon their approach, that they were utterly unable to maintain the half of that little almy.

I drew out as many more to the men I had with me, as made them, in all, about one thousand two hundred foot and fix hundred horie, and with them marched into their quarters; where, notwithstanding their proVocations by feveral breaches of faith, aggravated by high and cruel acts of hoftility, I fuffered no violence to be done upon any man's perfon or goods; or any thing to be taken but neceffary provifions of meat and drink; though, during my abode in this friendly manner among them, the captain and lieutenant of my guard were barbarously mur. dered upon the high-way, having stayed at a town a little while after their company was marched away, in confidence of the good affection profeffed by the country: and, though not only their new-elected council had proclaimed us enemies, and commanded hot war to be made upon us; but, which was more contrary to my expectation, they had prevailed with Prefton to difavow any obligation upon him, by the tranfaction with my lord Clanricard; at length, after all our pains taken to make the nobility and gentry understand, how much the honour and fecurity of their nation was concerned, in the vindication of their public faith, and in their fubmiffion to your majelty's authority: after all the hopes we could

could defire was given us by all the confiderable men of English extraction, and by fome well affected of Irish extraction; and after fix weeks patient endurance, and very incommodious and hazardous removals, from place to place, in the depth of winter; there came forth from the affembly that ftrange declaration that at once acquitted thofe that had concluded the peace, as men fully entrusted, and faithfully discharging that truft; and yet declared the peace fo concluded to be void.

Soon after there came forth certain propofitions offered them by their clergy, which they approved of, and folemnly fwore to infift upon them; which were fuch as, I well knew, your majefty would never confent to upon any confideration.

Here, I humbly conceive, your majesty will judge there was a full period to all our hopes from the Irish: and now your majelly may please to understand, that, upon the firft advancement of the armies under Prefton and Owen O'Neile's leading to the city of Dublin, I applied my felf for fuccour to the Scots in the north of Ireland; by whofe anfwer, fent by one captain Cunningham, both in writing and verbally, and alfo by papers that paffed from the Scots commiffioners in England, and more particularly thofe faid to be the speeches of the chancellor of Scotland, I conceived fome hopes, that, poffibly, fome ufe might be made of them for the prefervation of your majesty's intereft in Ireland: whereunto to invite them,

I employed my beft endeavours, by my anfwers to Cunningham, and by fending foon after him major Gibson, a man of approved genius; but he returning to me with an unfatisfactory answer to my propofitions, I instructed Sir George Hamilton, and sent him from Dublin, to attend your majesty, then, as I hoped, upon good terms with your Scottish fubjects at Newcastle: and, in his way, he was inftructed to make trial, once more, of: the affections of the Scotch army.

He began his journey at the time I was drawing forth upon Prefton's invitation; but, through fickness, was obliged to stay some days at Dundalk; and, during his stay there, he defired an interview with colonel John Hamilton; which being given him, he from him understood the refolution taken by the parlia ment of Scotland, and by their army, to de liver your majefty to the houses of parliament in England; and, with a fad affurance thereof, Sir George returned to me to Trym, where he found me, and the party I had with me, in fuch want of provifion, and fo harraffed, that, within a few days, after having made fome fuccefsful inroads into the county of Caván, for the gaining of cattle; and hearing from your majesty's council at Dublin, that the inhabitants there, being brought to extreme poverty, flatly refufed longer to contribute towards the fupport of the army; I was forced to return to Dublin,

There

There, upon confideration of our weak and defperate condition, and of the approach of the fpring, which would certainly bring fome enemy against us, it was unanimoufly refolved by your majefty's council, that it was more for your majefty's honour and intereft, to put, Dublin, and all the garrisons that remained in obedience to your majefty, into the hands of the two houfes of parliament in England, than to fuffer them to be taken by the Irish: and, for this opinion, fome of the reafons

were,

First, It was doubted it would give too much advantage to thefe calumnies that had been caft upon your majefty,, of too much favouring the popish religion, if all the churches in the quarters, yielding obedience to your majefly, fhould be given, or fuffered to be taken, to the ufe of that religion; and the exercife of the proteftant religion either totally fuppreffed, or, at the best, be allowed, by connivance in corners, a favour not then afforded to any within the Irish quar

ters.

Secondly, It was feared it might reflect on your majesty's honour, if thofe fubjects of yours, that had fo conftantly ferved you, and ftill continued fo to do, long after your ma jesty had no one place, that I can call to mind, holding for you in all your three kingdoms, fhould, at laft, be fubjected to the ty ranny of thofe that then ruled among the Irish; from whom what ufage they were to F.6

expect,

expect, was obvious by their frequent perficies, by the ufage of others of your majefty's fubjects fallen into their hands.

A third reafon was, upon the confideration of the intereft of your majefty's crown; wherein it appeared to us, that, if the places we held were put into the hands of the two houfes of parliament, they would revert to your majesty when, either by treaty, or otherwife, you would recover your rights in England, and that, in all probability, without expence of treasure or blood.

The marquis, though he had the fatisfaction of finding that his endeavours, however unprofperous, were well accepted, and that he till retained the favour of his fovereign, was yet, by no means, in a flate of happiness or fafety; for he was not only afflicted with the misfortunes of his mafter, who was then visibly lofing the little influence and refpect which his character had hitherto enabled him to retain, even among those who now had him in their power; but he was likewise himfelf harraffed with perfonal difficulties; the debts which he had contracted for the public service were now required to be discharged.

Indeed he had, by his capitulation, fix months to liquidate them; but this term being very near expired, he made his apprehenfion from them the pretext for going off privately; though the real motives were an order from the committee at Derby-house, dated on

the