I R E L A N D. 
the contrary, lie manifefted a decided partiality for thofe 
who maintained the unlimited authority of the pope. He 
ifi'ued orders for granting commifhons of the peace to pro- 
fefled catholics. To the great confternation of the pro- 
telfants, fome Romifli aldermen, and a Romifti common- 
council, were, partly by fraud and outrage, eifabliihed in 
Dublin, after a violent ltruggle. Encouraged by this 
luccefs, they caufed a petition to be prefented to the king 
and council, the object of which was evidently defigned 
to pave the way to a repeal of the afts of fettlement and 
explanation. 
The alarm excited by thefe proceedings in the Iriffi 
proteftants being communicated to the people of England, 
the Cabal, finding that they had made too early a difclo- 
fure of their deligns, recalled Berkeley in 1672, and fent 
the earl of Elfex in his place. In confequence of a peti¬ 
tion front the Englifli parliament to the king, the privi¬ 
leges granted to catholics by the late lord-lieutenant were 
revoked ; the obnoxious proceedings in the corporation 
of Dublin reverfed; and the king’s refolution to maintain 
the aft of fettlement was declared. The new chief go¬ 
vernor, who appears to have been a man of integrity, was 
fo embarrafled by the difficulties infeparable from his ita- 
tion, that in 1675 he folicited permiffion to wait on the 
king, with a reprefentation of the (fate of Irilh affairs. 
Charles, finding the earl unfit for the clandeftine meafures 
which were but too much purfued during this reign, is 
'laid to have offered the lieutenancy of Ireland for fale, to 
f «ny nobleman who would engage to pay him privately a 
“certain annual fum. After fome time, however, it was 
judged expedient to adopt a different plan ; and, in 1677, 
Ormond was fent over once more as the fitted perfon to 
govern Ireland. 
By the influence of the Cabal, fhat nobleman had not 
only been long in difgrace with the king, but an atrocious 
attempt had been made on his life by Blood, a defperate 
villain, who, during his adminiftration, had been engaged 
in the conspiracy for furprifing the caftle of Dublin. 
The earl of Oflory, fufpefting this defign againfl the life 
of his parent to have originated with the duke of Buck¬ 
ingham, a member of the Cabal, declared to that noble¬ 
man, in the king’s prefence, that, if his father fhould fall 
by affaffination, lie would confider him as the afiaffin,and 
would piftol him, though ftanding behind his majelly. 
Under thefe circumftances it might appear difficult to ac¬ 
count for the re-appointment of Ormond, who had at¬ 
tended the court as ufual, neither humbled nor provoked 
by the coldnefs of the fovereign ; infomuch that Charles 
himfelf obferved, “ I have done all in my power to dif- 
oblige him, and to make him as difcontented as others ; 
but he will be loyal, in fpite of me.” His reftoration to 
favour is fuppofed to have been effected by the duke of 
York, from jealoufy of the king’s natural fon the duke of 
Monmouth, whom he had been folicited to place at the 
head of the Irifli adminiftration. 
Scarcely had Ormond entered upon his government, 
when he was furprifed by the intelligence of a plot al- 
ledged to have been formed by the catholics of England 
for the murder of the king, and the overthrow of the pro- 
teftant religion. This plot was declared to extend to 
Ireland, whither orders were fent for the apprehenfion of 
certain iufpefted, though innocent, perfons; and fuch was 
the clamour and the alarm feigned or real prevailing on 
the occafion, that the lord-lieutenant was obliged to lay 
farther reftriftions on the Iriffi catholics. Thefe however 
were^ enforced with fuch lenity, that the duke was ac- 
cufed of partiality to papifts, whom the partifans of vio¬ 
lent meafures in England wifhed to drive into infurrec- 
tion. Afhley earl of Shaftfbury, who from a member of 
the Cabal had become the leader of the popular party, 
unable to effect the removal of Ormond, yet endeavoured 
with his followers to embarrafs his government ; and pro¬ 
cured orders to the chief governor and council to prepare 
bills for the exclufion of papifts from both houfes of par¬ 
liament, and ail offices in Ireland. Thefe direftions were 
S10 
obeyed; but fo conciliating, fo cautious, anu-fo fteady, was 
Ormond’s conduct, that at no period lince the termina¬ 
tion of the civil war had the country enjoyed fuch tran¬ 
quillity, and the inhabitants fuccefsfully applied them- 
lelves to induftrious purluits. The fortitude of this great 
ftatefman was foon -afterwards put to a fevere trial by the 
death of the generous Oifory, when the duke, exquifitely 
fenfible of his eminent merit, and yielding to the emotions 
of paternal pride, declared that “he would not exchange 
his dead fon for any living fon in Cbriftendom.” Re¬ 
pairing to court in 1682, at the inftance of the duke of 
York, he left the adminiftration two years in the hands 
of his fecond fon, the earl of Arran: and, when prepar¬ 
ing to return, iolicited in vain permiffion to aflemble an 
Irifli parliament. The death of Charles II. in February 
i6Sj, once more removed the duke from the poft which, 
he had fo ably filled. 
On the acceffion of James II. Ormond was commanded 
to refign his authority to two lords juftices, Forbes earl 
of Granard, and Boyle primate and chancellor. As thefe 
were both proteftants of approved fidelity, no fufpicion 
could with juftice be then entertained of the defign of the 
new monarch, which foon afterwards began to be gradu¬ 
ally developed ; yet, fuch was the menacing exultation of 
the catholics, and fuch the terror of the proteftants of 
Ireland, that Granard intimated a wiffi to refign. James, 
in a letter written with his own hand, allured him, that 
no fteps prejudicial to the proteftant intereft fhould be 
taken. Aflurances to this effeft were fo affiduoully com¬ 
municated, that the army of Ireland, compofed of pro¬ 
teftants, cheerfully marched to the north, ready to em¬ 
bark for Scotland, to aft, if neceflary, againft the earl of 
Argyle, who had there railed an infurreftion in favour of 
Monmouth ; while the people in general, of the fame per- 
fuafion, univerfally declared their abhorrence of the at¬ 
tempts of the duke, and their refolution to fupport the 
reigning monarch. Scarcely was the danger from this, 
caufe difpelled, when the king began by degrees to un¬ 
fold his projefts. Under pretence that the contagion of 
Monmouth’s rebellion was widely diffufed, he required 
the difarming of the militia, who were all proteftants. 
Thefe unfortunate men were immediately infefted with 
the robberies and atrocious cruelties of a lavage banditti 
called Tories, to fuch a degree, that the earl of Clarendon, 
who had been appointed lord-lieutenant, was authorized 
to reltore their arms to perfons molt expofed and moft fit 
to be trufted. The wretched proteftants became likevvil’e 
a prey to informers, a ftill more deteftable fet of mif- 
creants, who tortured their imaginations for the moll 
plaulible fiftions of treafon ; and, though the lord-lieute¬ 
nant perceived the fallehood of thefe multiplied charges,, 
by which innocent men were moft cruelly harafted, he 
durft not venture openly to difcourage them. The next 
ftep taken by the king towards the accomplifhment of his 
views, was the removal of three judges without the flight- 
eft ohjeftion to their conduft, and the elevation of ca¬ 
tholics in their places, in utter contempt of the laws. 
Thefe new judges, and even fome catholic lawyers, were 
admitted into the privy council. The revenues of vacant 
fees were referved for the maintenance of Romifti bifhops,. 
and the proteftant clergy were forbidden to preach on 
lubjefts of -religious controverfy. Still greater innova¬ 
tions were meanwhile made in the military department. 
Richard Talbot, a bigotted papift, who had infinuated 
himfelf into the favour of the king during his exile, and 
been created after his acceffion earl of Tyrconnel, was 
deputed, with a power independent of the lord-lieute¬ 
nant, to command and regulate the army. By him, pro¬ 
teftants, both officers and fbldiers, were difmified with in¬ 
dignity and cruelty-, and their places filled exclulively 
with that kind of papifts who entertained the higheft no¬ 
tion of the papal authority. 
On the recommendation of the earl of Sunderland, pro¬ 
cured by bribery, Tyrconnel was in 1686 appointed to 
•the government of Ireland, with the title of Lord-deputy. 
3 With. 
