• committed the managing of that war, makes a ceffation; in pretence to relieve the proteftants " over"borne there with numbers," but, as the event proved, to fupport the papists, by diverting and drawing over the English army there, to his own fervice here against the parliament, For that the proteftants were then on the winning hand, it must needs be plain; who notwithstanding the mifs of those forces, which at their landing here mastered, without great difficulty, great part of Wales and Cheshire, yet made a fhift to keep their own in Ireland (p).'

9. The employing the earl of Glamorgan to negotiate with the rebels, in order to bring over a body of them for his fervice against the parliament of England, has been deemed no way favourable to the character of Charles in this affair.

The negotiations of Glamorgan with the pope's nuntio are very curious: the truth of them cannot, I think, well be doubted by the confiderate and impartial reader of the Enquiry into the Share which K. Charles I. had in the Tranfactions of the Earl of Glamorgan, and the Appendix lately added. To thefe. I must refer such as chufe to have information on this head (q).'

(p) Profe

works, vol.

i. p. 448.

ven's me

(9) See alío 10. Charles II. in a letter directed to the duke of Or- Castlehamond and the lords of the council in Ireland, dated July moirs, P 10th, 1663, fays exprefly, that the referees, after feveral meetings, and perufal of what had been offered to them by the marquis [of Antrim], have reported to us, that 6 they have seen several letters, all of them the hand• writing of our royal father, to the faid marquis, and • feveral instructions concerning his treating and joining with the Irish, in order to the king's fervice, by reducing to their obedience, and by drawing fome forces from them for the fervice of Scotland. That besides the letters and orders under his majestie's hand, they have received fufficient evidence and teftimony of feveral private messages and directions fent from our royal father, and from our royal mother, with the privity and with the directions of the king our father; by which they are perfwaded, that whatever intelligence, correfpondence, or actings the faid marquis had with

• the

the confederate Irish catholicks, was directed or allowed by the faid letters, inftructions, and directions; and that it manifeftly appears to them, that the king our father was well pleased with what the marquis did, after he had done it, and approved the fame.'-And again fays his majefty, We cannot in justice but, upon the petition of the marquis of Antrim, and after the ferious and ftrict inquifition into his actions, declare " unto you, that we do find him innocent from any malice or rebellious purpose against the crown; and that what he did by way of correfpondence, or compliance with the Irish rebels, was in order to the service of our < royal father, and warranted by his inftructions, and the truft repofed in him; and that the benefit thereof accrued to the fervice of the crown, and not to the particular advantage and benefit of the marquis (r).' letter at If this account given by Charles II. be true, his father large in Truth must have had more hand in the Irish rebellion than his brought to friends could have wifhed. For tho' Mr. Hume is fo very Light, p. 21. pofitive to the contrary, nothing is more certain than Burnet, vol. that Antrim had a hand in the first rebellion in Ireland.—

(+) See the

See also

i. p. 59.

(s) Hiftory
of the Irish
rebellion,
P. 199, fol.

Lond. 1680.

(t) Vol. iv. P. 607.

Dr. Borlace fays exprefly, that the marquis of Antrim, from the beginning, had paffionately ferved them [the confederate catholicks] in their moft intimate concerns (s). Lord Clarendon, fpeaking of Antrim, fays, The rebellion drove his lady [the dowager of Villiers duke of Buckingham] from Ireland, to find a livelyhood out of her own eftate in England.-The earl of Antrim, who was a man of exceffive pride and vanity, and of a very weak and narrow understanding, was no "fooner without the counfel and company of his wife, than he betook himself to the rebels (t)' If this is not fufficient, I obferve further, that in the declaration of the lords and commons concerning the rise and progress of the Irish rebellion, dated July 25, 1643, we have the following words: The earl of Antrim, a notorious rebel, was taken by the Scots army in Ulfter, and imprifoned there, upon fufpicion of high treason. To avoid his tryal, he brake prison, and fled into the north parts of England, and hath been with the queen at York a long time; from whence he was fent to the

• rebels

But that which had as great an influence as any thing in widening the breach between his majesty and his parliament, was the impeachment of the lord Kimbolton (sss), Denzil Holles, fir Arthur Haflerig, Mr. Pym, Mr. Hambden, and Mr. Strode, of high treafon,

V. P. 353.

rebels of Ulfter with fecret inftructions, and had am'munition affigned him by the queen's directions (u).' (u) RushIt was nothing near two years from the breaking out of worth, vol. the rebellion that this was published to the world. These are the principal arguments urged against Charles, on the head of the Irish rebellion. For his memory's fake, and for the credit of human nature, it were to be wished that they may have lefs real than feeming force. I know not that I have omitted any thing in his vindicacation: I may be mistaken; but if I have, 'tis meerly through ignorance or inadvertency: for nothing is more mean and base than to attempt to conceal the truth of hiftory. The reader here is carefully to remember, that those who think worst of this prince, do not suppose him confenting or even privy to the maffacre. This is too black a thing for him to be charged with, even by his foes. But what is alledged against him is, that he excited the Irish to appear in arms, mafter the proteftants, and help the king against his parliament.

(sss) The impeachment of the lord Kimbolton, Denzil Holles, &c.] Charles, who never regarded the priviledges of parliament, being greatly vexed to find that the ftream ran against him, determined to avenge himself on those whom he deemed to be the authors of the oppofition made to his will. For this end, fir Edward Herbert, the king's attorney-general, by his majefty's command, accused the fix above-mentioned perfons of high treafon. The lords, before whom Mr. attorney had appeared, fent notice to the commons, that fome of their members had this charge advanced against them. At the fame time information was alfo brought

2.

them,

A

fon, by the attorney-general, and his ma

jesty's

them, that feveral perfons were fealing up the trunks, doors, and papers belonging to Mr. Pym, Mr. Holles, and the reft of the five members. The house of com-mons, on this news, made an order for the resisting those concerned in fuch proceedings, and detaining them in fafe cuftody; and withal defired a conference with the lords, touching the breach of privilege. Whilft this latter was in agitation, a ferjeant at arms, being fent by the king, was admitted into the houfe, where he, in his majefty's name, demanded the five gentlemen, and told them, he was commanded to arrest them for high treafon. The commons hereupon made an humble application to the king, but ordered the members to keep their feats in the houfe. Whereupon, on the 4th of January, 1641, information being given them that endeavours would be used that day to apprehend the five members, the houfe required them to depart. They had no fooner obeyed, than his majefty with his guards entered the houfe; and as he paffed up towards the chair he caft his eye on the right hand, near the bar of the houfe, where Mr. Pym ufed to fit; but his majesty not feeing him there (knowing him well), went up to the chair, and faid, "By your leave, Mr. speaker, I muit "borrow your chair a little;" whereupon the fpeaker came out of the chair, and his majesty stept up into ❝ it. After he had ftood in the chair a while, cafting his eye upon the members as they stood up uncovered, but could not obferve any of the five members to be ⚫ there; nor indeed were they easy to be difcerned (had they been there) among fo many bare faces, all ftanding up together (w).' Then his majesty made this worth, vol. fpeech. I am forry for this occafion of my coming unto you: yesterday Í fent a ferjeant at arms, upon a very important occafion, to apprehend some that by my command were accused of high treafon; whereupon I ⚫ did expect obedience, and not a meffage. And I muft ⚫ declare unto you, that albeit no king that ever was in England fhall be more careful of your priviledges, to

(w) Rufh

iv.

476,477

6

I

• main

jefty's coming in perfon with a guard to demand

'maintain them to the uttermost of his power, than I ' shall be; yet you must know, that in cafes of treason "no perfon hath a priviledge. And therefore I am come to know, if any of thefe perfons that were accufed are here: for I must tell you, gentlemen, that fo long as 'these persons that I have accufed (for no flight crime, 'but treafon) are here, I cannot expect that this house will be in the right way that I do heartily wifh it: 'therefore I am come to tell you, that I must have them ' wherefoever I find them. Well, fince I fee all the birds are flown, I do expect from you, that you shall fend them unto me as foon as they return hither. But 'I affure you, on the word of a king, I never did intend any force; but fhall proceed against them in a legal and fair way, for I never meant any other. And now, 'fince I fee I cannot do what I came for, I think this no ' unfit occafion to repeat what I have faid formerly: that 'whatsoever I have done in favour, and to the good of my fubjects, I do mean to maintain it. I will trouble < you no more ; but tell you, I do expect, as foon as they come to the house, you will fend them to me; other' wife I must take my own course to find them.'

When the king was looking about the house, the fpeaker ftanding below the chair, his majesty asked him, whether any of these perfons were in the house? 'whether he faw any of them? and where they were? To which the speaker, falling on his knee, thus an'fwered:

6

May it please your majesty,

I have neither eyes to fee, nor tongue to speak in this place, but as the house is pleased to direct me, whofe fervant I am here; and humbly beg your majefty's pardon, that I cannot give any other answer than this, to what your majefty is pleased to demand of me.'

The king having concluded his fpeech, went out of the house again, which was in great diforder; and many members cried out aloud, fo as he might hear them, Priviledge! Priviledge! and forthwith ad

A a

journed