1646-7.] OF THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER. 107 



every measure had signally failed, and he was without 

 hope, after the Parliamentary publications, of regain 

 ing confidence with any party. Much as has been 

 written on this subject, and ably as it has been investi 

 gated by Dr. Birch and other writers, it must be admit 

 ted that we gain little from the mass of evidence accu 

 mulated to enlighten us in respect to the personal cha 

 racter of the Earl of Glamorgan, beyond entire satis 

 faction that he acted solely as his sovereign s agent, at 

 his instigation, and entirely under such authority as he 

 could alone give him under all the circumstances of such 

 an important secret mission. Charles the First s confi 

 dence in him was by no means misplaced, and he had 

 no doubt well weighed his character before taking him 

 into his confidence. For this inquiry he had sufficient 

 opportunity while the Earl was at his court, and again 

 while himself a guest at Eaglan. He well knew the weak 

 side of the father and the son, the one expectant that his 

 Majesty would be &quot; a defender of the faith,&quot; the other 

 warm-hearted, and generous, to an extraordinary and 

 enthusiastic degree. Not alone were the Marquis and 

 Lord Herbert deceived by the machinations of the wily 

 monarch, but so likewise were the whole Roman Catho 

 lic community. Had it been otherwise we might suspect 

 undue measures would have been adopted, but wherever 

 such were carried into effect they were on the side of the 

 Crown and not of the subject. Charles the First s duality 

 of character in this respect has never been, nor can be, 

 successfully refuted. Embarking, therefore, in his 

 Majesty s cause, in Ireland, we cease to be surprised 

 that the Earl of Glamorgan should, consistently with 

 his faith, be in constant consultation with the Nuncio 

 and conform to proffered oaths. In short, had he 

 adopted any other course than that which he pursued, 

 his negociations would from the first either have ceased, 

 or merged into the dilatory measures attending the 



