bably drew upon him; for, at this time, the prevailing party in England began to fet their fovereign at open defiance, and to charge him, amongst other attempts against the conftitution and religion of the nation, with the crime of having encouraged the rebellion and maffacre of Ireland.

The earl of Ormond, however, having defeated the rebels at Kilrush, and diftinguished himself by many other actions as a general and fubject, the king, fince his affairs were at that time in fuch a fituation that he had nothing but honours to beftow, thought it proper to diftinguish him by a higher title; and therefore, in 1642, created him marquis of Ormond.

About the fame time, a controversy between him and the earl of Leicester, then lord-lieutenant, was decided in such a manner as gave him power to difpofe, while the lordLieutenant was abfent, of all the posts that fhould become vacant in the army by which his interest was encreased, and his authority confirmed; as the foldiers had no means of obtaining preferment but by gaining the approbation of their general; but this new dignity conferred no ftrength, and he was only expofed to the mortification of feeing himself. unable to return the regard which had been fhewn him by his mafter, by any important fervice; which he had every day lefs hopes of effecting, as the parliament declared more openly against the king. Some forces were in E 5 deed.

deed fent, but under commanders who rather hindered than promoted the fubjection of the rebels; for, by plundering all indifcriminately, they weakened thofe moft who were least able to bear new loffes; by difregarding all those who acted by the king's authority, they deftroyed the union which was neceffary to fuccefs; and, by treating the whole kingdom with unreafonable feverity, they encouraged the opinion, that nothing less than extirpation was intended; and therefore added to the ardour of refentment the fury of defpair.

The marquis, reftrained in the execution of his power, by directions from the justices, unfeasonably and offenfively circumftantial, and was fo much perplexed with diftruft and mifreprefentation, that nothing prevented his refignation of his command, but the certain knowledge that he would be fucceeded by fome one not equally anxious to promote the advantage, and defend the honour, of the king.

About this time it was thought neceffary to fend the army into the field, and an expedition was intended for the conqueft of Rofe and Wexford. The marquis of Ormond fet out therefore with his forces, and came before Rofe on the twelfth of March, 1643; and would foon have been able to take it, being at firft but weakly garrifoned, had not the juftices neglected to fend him, not only am. munition, but victuals for his foldiers; all which being to be tranfported by fea, were fo negligently

negligently provided, that the wind, which was for many days favorable, altered before the veffel was ready for the voyage; and the army, instead of annoying the enemy, had no care fo preffing as that of procuring bread,. which was fent, in a very little quantity, from the garrison of Duncannon.

Having no provifions, and being unable to lye before a town well provided, they first re folved upon an attack, which was made with-out fuccefs, though with no great lofs; but there was no time for enlarging the breach, or proceeding by more flow and certain methods, for Prefton had now gathered an army of fix thoufand foot, and fix hundred and fifty. horfe; and, by having poffeffion of the country, cut off the foragers, and reduced the befiegers to the neceffity of abandoning their defign, or of ftarving in their camp. A council' was called in this exigence,, by which it was foon determined to come to an engagement, for there was indeed nothing elfe in their power and therefore the army was immediately drawn off from before the place, and marched against the eneniy, who, determining to give them battle, waited only for theattack.

The battle lafted not long before Prefton's troops gave way, and fled first to a bog, and then over the Barrow, where he broke down the bridge behind him, and left the marquis to fupply himfelf with neceffaries from. E. 6.

the

the country, which was now wholly at his

mercy.

But the diftrefs and poverty of the army was the fame after the victory as before it'; for, though the country, which was now open to them, furnished them with provifions for their retreat, yet, being naked and exhausted, it would not fupply any flores for a longer fupport, and therefore they returned. to Dublin, where they found the fame diftrefs; and where they were again to represent, to remonftrate, to petition, and to starve. The juftices were unwilling that the king should receive any information of the state of the nation, cr of the army; and therefore the marquis of Ormond, who was not equally inclined to make his fovereign contemptible, fent, without their concurrence, such a narrative as was concerted by him with several of the privycouncil.

This, with other accounts which had been tranfmitted, had fuch an effect, that Sir William Parfons was at length removed from his poft of lord-juftice, and was fucceeded by Sir Henry Tichbourne, who had more affection for the king's fervice. But the change of one of the governors, though it might fet the marquis free from fome embarrasments, could contribute very little to the fupport of the army, whofe neceffities grew every day more preffing, and whofe hopes of relief became more diftant; for the Papifts enlarged their

quarters

quarters on every fide, and the imprudence of fome officers, and the barbarity of others, by. whom the Proteftants were commanded, was fuch, that they were perpetually encreasing that hatred which, among bigots, was naturally raised by the imputation of herefy, and difpofed multitudes to rife against them, who had of themselves no inclination to war, or neceffity of living by plunder.

Diftrefs thus hourly encreafing, and the enemy, though they were often driven out of the field, yet returning to it with greater numbers, it was at length thought convenient by the king, that a ceffation of arms should be proposed; and a commiffion. to treat was fent to the marquis of Ormond, who thought it neceffary, but knew not how to fet it on foot without inconvenience or difgrace to his fovereign.

It was neceffary, to the king's honour, that the first offer fhould be made by the rebels; and it was likewife proper, that the council fhould own, in fome folemn manner, their conviction of the impracticability of establishing the peace of the nation by any other means.

In order to procure the first overtures from the Irish, agents were employed who, after long deliberation, prevailed upon them to propofe a ceffation for twelve months; and, that the juftices might have no pretences that a negotiation of fuch importance was fet on foot, either without their concurrence, or in oppofition to their advice, the marquis first demanded,