pomp of government, he entreated the king's permiffion to lay down the fword, that the direction of the affairs of Ireland might be committed to fome perfon more equal to the burthen.

Before his departure, however, the marquis, by his unwearied endeavours, faw the peace concluded, without any conceffions disadvan tageous to the proteftant religion, or derogatory from the honour of the king. The mar quis of Ormond, alfo, in order to the promo tion of the king's intereft, and the reconciliation of the confederate Irish, he also marched with a small force to Kilkenny, where he was received with refpect, by the fupreme council, as a governor of the kingdom; and from thence he proceeded into the remoter parts of the inland; but had not went far before he received intelligence of a defign laid by O'Neil to furprize him, and to force him to confent to a new peace upon other terms. O'Neil was to be affifted by Preston; and both were endeavouring, in the moft fecret man. ner, to direct the march of their forces, fo as to intercept the lieutenant in his progrefs.

Of this defign he received fuch accounts as he could not diftruft, and therefore returned to Dublin with the utmoft caution and expedition; his waggons being plundered at Kilkenny, and his plate, and other things of value, taken away.

The pope's nuncio then in Ireland now found himself matter of the field; and, that

his defigns might be no longer obftructed, led his army to Kilkenny, and imprifoned the fupreme council, which he had found not fufficiently difpofed to comply with his proposals.

That the government might be carried on, he fummoned an affembly of the clergy, who. invested themselves with the authority which they had taken from the council, and affumed the unlimitted direction of temporal as well as fpiritual affairs. They were now at the height of profperity, and endeavouring to extend their authority to the utmost boundaries of the kingdom, deterrined to put an end to the lieutenant's authority, and ordered their forces to befiege Dublin.

The two bodies of men under O'Neil and Prefton, did not wholly truft, or very diigently affift each other; and there was fome profpect of a treaty of Preston for a union with the lord-lieutenant against O'Neil; but Prefton was a man fo little fteady, and the Irish confederates had fo little fidelity, that: nothing was to be trusted to their honour or their oaths; and therefore the marquis would not put the laft remains of the protestantpower into their hands; but refolved to fuftain a fiege in Dublin, which he had fortified and provided as well as he could; the marchionefs and ladies having, to encourage the workmen and inhabitants, carrried baskets of mould to form the trenches.

But, though fortifications might be built,, provifion could not be procured in an ex hausted

hausted country; and therefore his enemies, who were well acquainted with his distress, had nothing more to provide against than the importation of victuals; and they might reduce the town without batteries or affaults; nor could he have avoided to fall into their hands, without the poffibility of a struggle for victory, by any other way than that of delivering the city, and the commiffion by which he governed the kingdom, to the powers then prevailing in England; to whom, the king had informed him, that he defired the kingdom should, when it could be kept no longer, be refigned, rather than to the Irish.

When the commiffioners, who were dif patched to treat with him for the furrender of the city, and of his authority, arrived at Dublin, they likewife were inclined to impofe fuch conditions upon him, as the distress to which they faw him reduced might oblige him to accept. But thefe he thought inconfiftent with his honour and his duty, and therefore rejected their offers, and fuffered them to depart without any agreement: but his diftreffes every day encreafing, and the inhabitants of the place growing difcontented, he was at laft constrained to yield on fuch terms as he could obtain; and, on the twenty-eighth of: July, 1647, refigned the fword of authority, and departed from the kingdom which he had defended with fo much fidelity, and governed with fo much wisdom.

The

his defigns might be no longer obftructed, led his army to Kilkenny, and imprifoned the fupreme council, which he had found not fufficiently difpofed to comply with his propofals..

That the government might be carried on, he fummoned an affembly of the clergy, who. invested themselves with the authority which they had taken from the council, and affumed' the unlimitted direction of temporal as well as fpiritual affairs. They were now at the height of profperity, and endeavouring to extend their authority to the utmost boundaries of the kingdom, determined to put an end to the lieutenant's authority, and ordered their forces to befiege Dublin.

The two bodies of men under O'Neil and Prefton, did not wholly truft, or. very di.igently affift each other; and there was fome profpect of a treaty of Preston for a union with the lord-lieutenant against O'Neil; but Prefton was a man fo little fteady, and the Irish confederates had fo little fidelity, that: nothing was to be trusted to their honour or their oaths; and therefore the marquis would not put the laft remains of the proteftant power into their hands; but refolved to fuftain a fiege in Dublin, which he had fortified and provided as well as he could; the marchionefs and ladies having, to encourage the workmen and inhabitants, carrried baskets of mould to form the trenches.

But, though fortifications might be built,, provifion could not be procured in an ex hausted

kaufted country; and therefore his enemies, who were well acquainted with his diftrefs, had nothing more to provide against than the importation of victuals; and they might reduce the town without batteries or affaults ; nor could he have avoided to fall into their hands, without the poffibility of a struggle for victory, by any other way than that of delivering the city, and the commiffion by which he governed the kingdom, to the powers then prevailing in England; to whom, the king had informed him, that he defired the kingdom should, when it could be kept no longer, be refigned, rather than to the Irish.

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When the commiffioners, who were dif patched to treat with him for the furrender of the city, and of his authority, arrived at Dublin, they likewife were inclined to impofe fuch conditions upon him, as the distress to which they faw him reduced might oblige him to accept. But thefe he thought inconfiftent with his honour and his duty, and therefore rejected their offers, and fuffered them to depart without any agreement: but his diftreffes every day encreasing, and the inhabitants of the place growing difcontented, he was at laft constrained to yield on fuch terms as he could obtain; and, on the twenty-eighth of July, 1647, refigned the fword of authority, and departed from the kingdom which he had defended with fo much fidelity, and governed with fo much wisdom.

The