duke's friends apprehend farther defigns against him, and give him their advice to come to England. He accordingly wrote to Mr. fe cretary Coventry for his majefty's permiffion; but the answer his majefty gave, was, He had one of his kingdoms in good hands, and was refolved to keep it fo. It was, however, reported that the duke was to be removed and lord Arlington asked his majesty, If fuch a report was true; he anfwered, It was a dam ned lie; and, that he was fatisfied while he, the duke of Ormond, was there, that kingdom was fafe.

;

The king, convinced, to demonftration, of the defign of fetting up a commonwealth a fecond time, refolving to exert himself, would have brought lord Shaftfoury to his tryal; but the grand-jury refused to find the bill upon the ftrongest evidence.

This infamous partiality, however, anfwered the king's views, by opening the eyes of the people; which was fo fatal to the Republicans that they could never recover the blow. His majesty's refolution to affert his authority, extricated him out of all his diffi-t culties, and leffened thofe under which the duke had long ftruggled; and, as the ferment abated in England, the people's minds were quieted in Ireland; where, all being hufhed into a calm, his grace had an opportunity, the king having fent for him, to cross to England, leaving his fon, the earl of Aran, lorddeputy.

He

He received the compliments of, and prefents from, every town through which he paffed from Chefter to London; into which he was ufhered by a great number of persons of diftinction. In his entry he was attended by twenty seven coaches and fix, three hundred gentlemen on horfeback, five of the king's trumpets, the ferjeant trumpet, and at kettle drum. At court he met with an affectionate reception by his majesty, and was immediately fworn of the privy council.

The city of London had been poisoned with republican principles, and the dependance that fet of men had on juries, encouraged them openly to avow their defigns to overturn the conftitution. The duke was indefatigable in his endeavours to defeat the defigns of the anti-monarchical faction. He faw nothing lefs than the whole conftitution at ftake; and thefe endeavours were not only well understood by, but extremely grateful to, his majesty, who made him an English duke on the ninth of November.

In 1633, the Rye-houfe plot was the laft recourfe, after the faction had in vain tryed to get a parliament called before they had loft all influence. The king reflecting on the end defigned by, and the generality of perfons concerned in it, faid, in his reflections in the intended affaffination, That it was very strange beggars fhould contend for property, atheists for religion, and baftards for fucceffion.

On

On the ninth of April, this year, the caftle of Dublin was burnt; but the indefatigable care of the lord-deputy faved the magazine, and confequently the city from being buried in its ruins. The duke's lofs in furniture, &c. was very confiderable.

The king's affairs being fo well established in England, that there was not any neceflity for his grace's abfence from his government, after two years flay at court, having, in June, received orders for his return, fet out for Ireland; but his departure was, by the death of his duchefs, retarded till Auguft.

No fooner had he left London, but he was attacked on fome fuggeftions from colonel Talbot; who made fuch a report to the king. that a general reformation in the council, magiftracy, and army of Ireland, was determined; and his grace, on the fifth of September, had a hint from Sir Robert Southwell of his removal. In October, the king intimated his pleasure on this head, and of lord Rochester's fucceeding to his poft.

On the fixth of February king Charles died; and the duke, four days after, being fent for, left Dublin to proceed to England, having first caused king James to be proclaimed; and, as ordered, lain down his character; which was a treatment he had little reafon to expect, and an indignity the late king would not have put upon him.

He fet out for England, and on the road met the news of his regiment of horse being VOL. VII.

H

given

given to colonel Talbot; but, notwithstanding thefe affronts from court, he was, when near London, met by numbers of coaches, and received at his house by a multitude and loud acclamations. He was continued lordfteward of the houffold, and at the coronation again carried the crown.

The lord Clarendon fucceeded to the lieutenancy of Ireland; but, after a year, was recalled to make way for colonel Talbot, created earl of Tyrconnel, who made great changes both in the civil and military; and the duke loft his regiment of foot; though he kept his regiment of horfe, which he had purchased Afty years before; and this was the only mili tary employment he held.

In February, 1686, the duke retired for fome weeks to Cornbury, in Oxfordshire, a feat of lord Clarendon's lent him; and, in Auguft, attended his majefty in his progress as far as Briftol. He after this withstood the first inftance of his majefty's exercifing a difpenfing power; and, when the king felt his pulfe on the defign of abolishing the penal laws, he found him unalterably fteady in his averfion to what he forefaw would be contrary to his majefty's intereft, though it might flatter the king's inclinations.

The duke being laid up with the gout at Badminton, had the honour of two vifits from the king, in going from Bath to Chester, and at his return. He permitted his grace to retire, and difpenfed with his attendance at

Court,

court, as lord-fteward; from which he would not remove him. His grace removed from Badminton, and hired a feat in Dorsetshire called Kingfton-hall, where he died on the twenty-firft of July; and, on the fourth of Auguft, his corpfe was depofited in Westminfter-abbey.

What has been already faid of this great man, renders a character of him needlefs.