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
The nuncio was informed that the cessation and its various renewals
had done no good, and that peace was unlikely because Ormonde would
'never yield save by force to the wishes of the Catholics.' The Lord
Lieutenant's Protestantism was sincere, but in Rinuccini's secret
instruction a lingering hope is expressed that he might be gained over,
perhaps through the Queen or 'any particular predilection of which
advantage might be taken.' He had one predilection, the supremacy of
the Crown in Church and State. The same secret instructions declared
that Henrietta Maria must be kept out of Ireland, because Royalist
heretics would flock round her and make the Irish suspicious, and
because queens are expensive people to maintain. The Pope would give
no help to the faithful in England except on condition that all
disabilities affecting them should be taken away, the oath of supremacy
abolished, and no peace made until these concessions were confirmed by
Parliament. 'To secure these conditions all the fortresses in Ireland
must be put into the hands of English and Irish Catholics, because
without some such pledge, their Majesties' promises can not be depended
on.' No Irish army was to be landed in England if of less force than
10,000 men, 'who may be able to defend themselves without danger of
being cut to pieces by the English who serve under the King ... the
Irish Catholics are so hated by the English Protestants that they would
be in constant danger of treachery, if marching with cavalry, commanded
by Protestant officers,' and therefore the provision of a body of
English Catholic cavalry proportionate to the Irish infantry was a
condition precedent to the latter serving in England, and there is much
more of the same kind. Had Charles known what ideas prevailed at Rome
there would have been no Glamorgan treaty, no royal letters to the Pope
or nuncio, and very probably no battle of Naseby.[79]
[Sidenote: The nuncio's journey to Paris.]
[Sidenote: French parties.]
[Sidenote: Effects of Naseby.]
[Sidenote: Attitude of Mazarin and Henrietta Maria.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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