1680. raged and pensioned. Ormond's biographical panegyrist allows, that at this time* there were too many protestants in Ireland, who wanted another rebellion, that they might increase their estates by new forfeitures; and letters were perpetually sent to England, misrepresenting the Lord Lieutenants's conduct and the state of things in Ireland. Shoals of the most abandoned miscreants were brought over from Ireland, to swear to plots and conspiracies the most horrid and inprobable. These informations were countenanced by the cabal: even Ormond himself was alarmed lest their perjuries might go the length of involving his Grace in some treasonable conspiracy t. The most tragical effect of all these perjured informers was the trial and execution of Oliver Plunkett, the Roman Catholic He was convicted under James II. of perjury, by the evidence of sixty respectable witnesses; was fined in 2000 marks, whipped, and pilloried. He was a favourite of King William, with whom he had been intimate in Holland, and who gave him a pension of 4001. for his life. Grainger, Vol. IV. 248.

* Car. Orm. v. II, 482.

+ Ormond writes to his son, Lord Arran ; "Though it be ma. nifest, that most of our discoveries give more discredit than confirmation to the plot, it is well that I am not like to be charged for a plotter or a papist."

This venerable prelate was even spoken well of by Ormond on several occasions. A letter from his grace to his son, the Earl of Arran, dated the 29th of December, 1680, shews his opinion upon the case; "Here is also one Owen Murphy, authorized to search for and carry over witnesses (I suppose) to give evidence against Oliver Plunkett. He has been as far as the county of Tipperary, and brought thence about a dozen people, not likely to say any thing material to Plunkett; so that I believe he takes

Archbishop of Armagh, a man in universal estimation for his amiable qualities and exemplary conduct.

1681.

displaced

Ormond was succeeded by Lord Roberts, and then Ormond by the Earl of Essex. He was again taken into favour, and restored. and retained the government till the demise of the King. His Majesty had, however, a very short time before his death intimated to Ormond his intention of removing him, and sending over the Earl of Roches

these upon the account of Eustace Cummins' mad narrative." Ormond in writing to his son with plenitude of confidence, discloses in this very letter to the world, that determined policy of Machiavel, which perhaps he meant to have confined as a secret to his own family. My aim was," says he, "to work a division amongst the Romish clergy, and I believe I had compassed it to the great security of the government and protestants." He complains also of the indulgence of some, and ignorance of others, who "did not consider the advantages of the division designed." Unhappy government, the security of which rests on the division of his majesty's subjects!

The

Even Burnett, who will not readily be condemned for his overstrained partiality to the Irish or the papists, has rendered an honourable testimony of Archbishop Plunkett. Hist. of his own Times, Vol. I. 230. "Plunkett was at this time brought to his trial. Some lewd Irish priests and others of that nation, hearing that England was then disposed to hearken to good swearers, thought themselves well qualified for the employment; so they came over to swear, that there was a great plot in Ireland witnesses were brutal and profligate men, yet the Earl of Shaftesbury cherished them much; they were examined by parliament at Westminster, yet what they said was believed. Some of these priests had been censured by him for their lewdness. Plunkett had nothing to say in his defence, but to deny all; so he was condemned, and suffered very decently, expressing himself in many particulars as became a bishop; he died, denying every thing, that had been sworn against him."

1685.

Death of
Charles II.

ter to replace him. It appears clear, that Ormond's inexorable abhorrence of the Roman Catholics was the King's principal motive for this intention.

Charles had it in contemplation to call out the services of the Irish army for purposes which have not been explicitly disclosed to posterity. He was then filling it with officers of the catholic persuasion, who had served on the continent; and well knew, that Ormond would oppose that measure. Charles II. died on the 6th of February, 1685; having a short time before his death been formally received into the Roman Catholic church by Father Huddlestone, a Benedictine monk, who administered to him the sacraments and other spiritual assistance according to the Roman ritual.

CHAPTER IX.

The Reign of James 11.

claimed on

death.

THE reign of James II. was one of the shortest, 1685. though most important, of any since the annexation James proof Ireland to the crown of England. The confidence his brother's of the catholics in both kingdoms had been greatly increased by the rejection of the exclusion bill, and the quiet succession of the Duke of York, who was proclaimed King in London on the very day of his brother's demise, with the usual formalities. Charles, though long predisposed to the Roman catholic religion, ventured only to make public profession of it in his last hours. James had long openly professed and practised it. His first act in Ireland was to remove Ormond from the government, and to commit it to Boyle, the lord primate and chancellor, and the Earl of Granard, as Lords Justices. They were both protestants. The primate was considered by the puritans as a high churchman little removed from popery; and Lord Granard, from having intermarried with a lady of presbyterian principles, was looked up to as the staunch friend and protector of the puritanical party. The extraordinary phenomenon of a catholic monarch on the throne of Ireland brought the dying embers of fanatical virulence into collision with the rising confidence of the Roman catholics, Mutual

1685. charges and accusations of plots and conspiracies

Earl of Clarendon ap

Lieutenant.

harassed the government, and rendered the situation of the Lords Justices so unpleasant, that Lord Granard pressed his Majesty to dismiss him from his station. The King, conscious of his fidelity, wrote to induce him to retain his situation, and particularly assured him, that nothing should be done in Ireland prejudicial to the protestant religion *. The rebellions of Argyle and Monmouth found no open adherents in Ireland. And the King's orders for disarming the Irish militia, which consisted wholly of protestants embodied and appointed by Ormond, were executed without resistance, but not without reluctance and fear. Their arms were quietly deposited in the King's

stores.

The reign of this unfortunate monarch was pregpointed Ld. nant with events, which have been differently represented by the English and Irish historians, according to the party prepossessions under which both have writtent. The Earl of Clarendon, whose sister

James upon his accession to the throne of England assured his council, what he afterwards repeated to his parliament, that "he should make it his endeavour to preserve the government both in church and state as it was then by law established, and that he would go as far as any man in preserving all the just rights and liberties of the nation."

The great book of authority, which the English look up to, and of which the Irish loudly complain, is, The State of the Protestants of Ireland under the late King James's Government, in which their Carriage towards him is justified, and the absolute Necessity of their endeavouring to be freed from his Government, and of submitting to their present Majesties, is demonstrated. It