168 LIFE, TIMES, AND SCIENTIFIC LABOUKS [1646-7. 



Lord Lieutenant s previous course, which it was ex 

 pected by the King that the Earl would be able to out 

 run and overmatch. But his utmost diplomatic skill was 

 insufficient to grapple with and satisfy the grasping 

 party on his own side ; and he was equally unsuccess 

 ful placed in opposition to such practised politicians 

 as Ormond, Digby, and others. And above all, a su 

 preme difficulty must have been, the condiicting of his 

 entire system to accord with the subtleties and secrecies 

 of the King s personally communicated and private 

 counsels. He was thus placed in many painful straits, 

 but which his ardent, vigorous temperament determined 

 him to overcome. In his position, however, the Earl 

 felt a compulsory necessity to maintain great secrecy ; 

 negociating with many mental reservations. He had 

 to satisfy the King, while he did not wish to dis 

 oblige Ormond, and although there was a natural 

 bond of sympathy between himself and the Eoman 

 Catholic party, he could neither wholly accede to the 

 Nuncio s measures nor satisfy the Council. To the 

 best of his ability he consistently and conscienti 

 ously employed the vast powers delegated to him for 

 the good of his King and his country through his 

 own party ; so that no historian, not his most bitter, 

 sarcastic enemies, can point to any single fact that 

 could cast the slightest taint on the rectitude of his con 

 duct throughout the unfortunate and unhappy transac 

 tions into which it was his misfortune to be drawn 

 by a too sanguine, hopeful, but helpless monarch. 



On the 3rd of April the Earl wrote to the Marquis 

 of Ormond : * 



&quot; MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY, 



With many thanks for your letter delivered me 

 by Sir Vivien Molineux, give me leave to congratulate 



* Bod. Lib. &quot; Carte Papers, 1634-1637, Ireland, 63.&quot; No. 172. 



