Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum, Vol. 2 (of 3), 1642-1660Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum, Vol. 2 (of 3), 1642-1660
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 17th century
A few days after giving Glamorgan his instructions, Charles wrote to
Ormonde defining clearly the extreme point of his possible concessions
to the Roman Catholics. He promised that 'the penal statutes should not
be put into execution, the peace being made and they remaining in their
due obedience. And further that when the Irish give me that assistance
which they have promised, for the suppressing of this rebellion, and I
shall be restored to my rights, then I will consent to the repeal of
them by a law. But all those against appeals to Rome and _Præmunire_
must stand.' A month later the orders were that Ormonde should hasten
the peace upon the terms already granted, but that if he could not do
so he was to avoid a rupture and to continue the cessation. Only three
days later came a 'command to conclude a peace with the Irish, whatever
it cost, so that my Protestant subjects there may be secured and my
regal authority preserved.' Charles said he would not think it a hard
bargain if the Irish could be heartily engaged on his side in England
or Scotland, upon condition of repealing the penal laws at once, and of
suspending Poynings' Act for that and kindred purposes. But he did not
tell Ormonde whether he still considered the statutes against foreign
ecclesiastical jurisdiction part of his 'regal authority,' and he
directed him to 'make the best bargain he could, and not to discover
his enlargement of power till he needs must.' The King's position
remained substantially unaltered during the spring and early summer,
but four days after Naseby he told Ormonde that Irish help was more
necessary than ever. 'If,' he wrote, 'within two months you could send
me a considerable assistance, I am confident that both my last loss
would be soon forgotten, and likewise it may (by the grace of God) put
such a turn to my affairs, as to make me in a far better condition
before winter than I have been at any time since the rebellion began.'
The Lord Lieutenant was to conclude the peace as quickly as possible,
and then to come over himself at the head of an army. The course of
events was destined to be very different.[71]
[Sidenote: Glamorgan in Ireland. August 1645.]
[Sidenote: The Glamorgan Treaty, August 25.]
[Sidenote: An army offered in payment.]
[Sidenote: Ormonde is kept in the dark.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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