alienate from him so many of his adherents," and "therefore," said his holiness, "a connivance, in "this respect, should, in the actual state of things, "satisfy you."

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But the treaty now concluded was too late to be of use to the unfortunate monarch. "The news "of the conclusion of the peace," says Carte*, "did not reach England soon enough to deter the execrable authors of the murder of the king from perpetrating a villainy, which, how long soever they had intended it, they durst not attempt to "execute, till they thought themselves secure of "impunity, by being absolute masters of Great "Britain without any considerable force in any part of these kingdoms to oppose their measures, or take vengeance of their crimes."

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"It is no small, or unequivocal proof," says Mr. Plowden †, "of the eminent loyalty and fidelity "of the Irish catholics, that, at Charles's unfortu"nate execution, they formed the only compact

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body throughout the extent of the British empire, "who had preserved, untainted and unshaken, "their faith and attachment to the royal cause."

On this occasion, sir Richard Cox, one of the historians of the rebellion, expresses a wish indicating no common hatred to the Irish catholics.-"How gladly would I draw," says this writer, "a "curtain over the dismal and unhappy 30th of January, wherein the royal father of our country "suffered martyrdom. Oh! that I could say they

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* Carte's Life of Ormond, vol. ii. p. 52.

In his very valuable Historical Memoirs, vol. i. p. 119.

"were Irishmen, that did that abominable fact! "Or that I could justly lay it at the doors of the "papists! But, how much soever they might obliquely or designedly contribute to it, 'tis "certain it was actually done by others."

We have seen what the impressions of the nuncio and his adherents were, on any peace that should be concluded with Ormond, on the terms we have mentioned. With those feelings, and giving full scope to them, he proceeded to measures equally unjustifiable and inexpedient. Having called together, at Waterford, such of the Irish bishops and other ecclesiastics, as were most under his influence, on pretence of forming a synod to settle ecclesiastical matters, they took the peace into their consideration; and, by a public instrument, signed by them, on the 12th of August 1646, declared their dissent from the peace. The nuncio then proceeded to Kilkenny, accompanied by general Preston and general O'Neil. There, on the 26th of the following September, the nuncio assumed the entire government of the kingdom; imprisoned the greater number of the members of the supreme council; appointed, in its stead, a council, consisting of four bishops and eight laymen, and commanded all generals to obey their orders. The presidency of the council he assumed to himself.

On the 5th of the following October, he issued a sentence of excommunication, to take effect, ipso facto, against all who had been instrumental in making the peace, and all who should afterwards adhere to it, or promote it.

At this time, there were twenty-seven Irish catholic bishops; nineteen obeyed the nuncio; eight adhered to the nobility and gentry.

By this step, (as Dr. Curry justly observes), the nuncio and his party contributed more, in one week, towards the defeat of the confederates, than the marquis of Ormond, with all his forces, had been able to effect, during the whole preceding period of the war. "I loved the nuncio," says Lynch, (archdeacon of Tuam, the learned author of the Cambrensis Eversus,) "and revere his memory; "but it is most certain, that the first cause of our woe, and the beginning of our ruin, were produced by his censures.-The day on which they were "fulminated, should not be in benediction. To "the Irish, it was most disastrous, and should "therefore be noted with black, ranked among the inauspicious days, and devoted to the furies*."

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This wayward incident divided the confederates into two parties: and these soon became more exasperated against each other, than they were against the common enemy. But, notwithstanding this defection, "all the confederate nobility and gentry," says Carte †, "except a very few of the "latter, and all the old bishops and regulars, "whose missionary powers were not subordinate "to the nuncio's authority, still adhered to the peace, in defiance of the censures denounced "against them."

In the latter end of October 1646, the nuncio and the two generals, Preston and O'Neil, advanced to Dublin; and, on the 2d of the following month, sent proposals of accommodation to the marquis of Ormond. "These," says Dr. Curry*,

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were, in effect, the same demands, as they had all along "made, and the king was willing to grant them; "but which his excellency had still obstinately "refused." His excellency and the council, continues the same writer, being doubtful, how the catholics of Dublin would behave, in case the city was assaulted by so great an army, fighting under a title of so specious a cause, and under the autho rity of so extraordinary a minister of the holy see, put two questions to such of the catholic clergy as resided in that city;-the 1st. Whether, if the nuncio should proceed to excommunicate those, who adhered to the peace, then lately made, the excommunication would be void? The 2d. Whether, if the city should be besieged, by the direction of the nuncio, the catholics might lawfully resist the siege or assault? The clergy answered unanimously, that the excommunication would be void; and the resistance lawful. His excellency afterwards entered into a treaty with general Preston, and the terms of it appear to have been settled; but mutnal distrust seems to have prevented its execution on either side. On this, the marquis treated with the covenanters. The terms were easily settled; and the marquis soon afterwards * Historical Review, book vii. c. xi. xii.

gave up, to their commissioners, all the forces under his command, the sword of state, and all the other insignia of government. For this, he received from them, a large sum of money, and permission to hold his estates discharged from the debts upon them. Soon after this event, general Preston was totally defeated at Dungan's hill near Trim, by Jones the parliamentary governor of Dublin; and the confederate army in Ulster was destroyed in Knockonness.

About the end of July 1647, the marquis of Ormond, by order of the parliament, quitted Ireland. In January 1648, the earl of Inchiquin, who, till this time, had been an active partizan of the parliament, being dissatisfied with its proceedings, began to treat with the confederates. The nuncio opposed the treaty; but it proceeded, and on the 20th of May 1648, an agreement for a cessation of arms, and mutual assistance, was signed. The nuncio then issued an excommunication against all, who adhered to or favoured this cessation; and, interdicting all cities, towns, and places which had received it, forbade all divine offices to be performed in them. On the 31st of the same month, the supreme council appealed, in form, against his censures, and were joined by two catholic archbishops, twelve bishops, and all the secular clergy in their dioceses, by all the Jesuits and Carmelites, and five hundred of the Franciscans *.

From the time of his quitting Ireland, till September 1648, the marquis of Ormond remained in • Carte's Life of Ormond, vol. ii. p. 34.