CHAP. Commanded the English troops in Scotland, coincid XXVIII; ing in this fentiment, marched to London in the be Charles the jecond. ginning of the year 1660, and declared for a free parliament. A council of ftate was conftituted, and the Long Parliament was re-affembled, which, pronouncing its own diffolution, iffued writs for the election of a new parliamentary convention. The prefbyterians, difgufted with revolution, coalefced with the royalists in the returning of members favourable to the restoration of monarchy; fo that by the unanimous voice of this affembly Charles the fecond took poffeffion of the throne on the twenty, ninth of May. In Ireland, after the reduction of Sir Hardrefs 1660. Waller in the castle of Dublin, no farther obftacle remained to the king's reftoration, except the unavailing oppofition of a few fanatics, and of fome of the old Irish with the Romish primate; but the ardour of Coote outran that of Broghill for a speedy and unconditional reinstatement of royalty. Charles was proclaimed in all the great towns as foon as the declaration made by him at Breda in the Netherlands was received, by which, among other articles, he offered a general amnefty to all without any other exception than fuch as might be afterwards made by parliament; and affured the foldiers of all their arrears, and the fame pay in future which they then enjoyed. The convention of eftates voted a prefent of twenty thousand pounds to the king, four thou fand to the duke of York, and two thoufand to his younger brother the duke of Gloucefter. Great were the agitations, on this event, of anxiety, hope, fear, XXVIII. fear, and jealoufy, of different parties with clafhing CHAP. interefts and embittered animofities, catholics innocent or guilty of rebellion, foldiers, adventurers, and various factions religious or political, impatient to regain their ancient poffeffions, to be confirmed in their new, to be pardoned for mifdeeds, rewarded for services, or to receive indulgence or exclufive privileges in modes of worship. Violent 1660. The most impatient, and, as ufual, the most unwife, were the old Irish catholics. Some of those, diffentions. who, notwithstanding their having been declared innocent by Cromwel, had been deprived of their lands, and obliged to accept inferior portions in Conpaught, repoffeffed their patrimonies by force, even before the king was proclaimed, and thus raised commotions pernicious to their party. Thefe law. lefs proceedings, represented in England as overtures to a new rebellion, were fubfervient to the views of the new English colonists, who thereby prevailed, be fore the landing of the king in the English territories, to have the act of indemnity fo prepared, as to ex clude all those who had any concern in the plotting or abetting of the rebellion of Ireland, which amounted to the exclufion of the whole Romish party and when a claufe was inferted, forbidding the reftitution of any eftates, of which a disposal had already been made by authority of any parliament or convention, an exception was not without difficulty admitted in favour of "the marquis of Ormond and other the protestants of Ireland." Some other clauses, which were at firft fufpended, and afterwards defeated, by the influence of the marquis, would CHAP. Would have been enacted to the total ruin of all the XXVIII. old English families. In confequence of an addrefs of the English parliament, the king, on his arrival in London, issued a proclamation, commanding the profecution of all Irish rebels, and the undisturbed continuance of poffeffion to adventurers and foldiers of such manors, houfes, and lands, as they then held, until they should be legally evicted, or his Ma+ jefty, with the advice of parliament, fhould take further measures in thefe affairs. At the fame time the Irish catholics were treated with fevere ftrictness, prevented from affembling to reprefent their grievances, and even from paffing, on their ordinary bufinefs, from one province to another. For the fettle, ment of the kingdom his Majefty was petitioned to fummon an Irish parliament; but fome previous arrangements were neceffary, and, as almoft every party had either merits or pofitive ftipulations to plead, the business was altogether arduous and perplexing. At length, on a calculation formed by Sir John Clotworthy, Sir Arthur Mervyn, and lord Broghill, now created earl of Orrery, that, befide the lands poffeffed by the foldiers, enough remained to compenfate, or, as it was termed, to reprise, all the innocent or meritorious Irish, Charles published his famous declaration for the fettlement of the kingdom.. Declara tlement. By this declaration the adventurers were to be contion of set- firmed in the lands poffeffed by them on the feventh of May 1659, according to acts made in the former reign, which they were to hold in free and common foccage; and all their deficiencies were to be fatisfied before XXVIII. before the enfuing month of May. With the excep- CHAP. tion of ecclefiaftical lands, and fome other provifoes, the foldiers were confirmed in the lands allotted for their pay, which they were to hold by knight's fervice in capite. Officers, who had ferved before the June of 1649, were to receive immediate fa. tisfaction of twelve fhillings and fix pence in the pound of their arrears by estates and other fecurities, and an equal dividend of whatever fhould afterward remain of these fecurities. Proteftants, unless they had been in rebellion before the ceffation, or had taken decrees for lands in Connaught or Clare, were to be restored to eftates which had been given from them to foldiers or adventurers; and these adventurers or foldiers were to be reprised without being accountable for what were called the mefne profits. Innocent catholics were to be restored to their eftates, although they had taken lands in Connaught; and the perfons removed by their restoration were to be reprised. Catholics, who fubmitted, and adhered to the peace of fixteen hundred and forty-eight, were to remain bound by their own act, if they ftaid at home, fued out decrees, and received lands in Connaught: but thofe, who had served abroad under the king's enfigns, and accepted no lands in Connaught, were to be restored to their ancient properties, after the reprifal of the foldiers and adventurers, then in poffeffion, for their disbursements. Thirty-fix of the Irish nobility and gentry were named as particularly reftorable by royal favour, on the fame terms with thofe who had ferved abroad. For Ormond and Inchiquin, XXVIII. CHAP. Inchiquin, restored to their eftates by the English parliament, a provifion was made, and for fome others alfo, particularly Monk, now created duke of Albemarle, who received large grants of Irish forfeitures. The perfons ordered to be firft restored were innocent proteftants and catholics to whom no lands had been affigned in Connaught; next were the innocent who had taken decrees for fuch lands: next were the perfons, difpoffeffed by the two former, to receive their reprisals and next were thofe Trifh to be reftored, who claimed the benefit of the peace of fixteen hundred and forty-eight, or had ferved abroad under the king's banners. If any lands fhould remain after the neceffary reprisals, they were affigned for the fatisfaction of those who had furnished arms, ammunition, or provifions, for the fupport of the war in Ireland previously to the year 1649. From all the eftates thus fettled, restored, or reprised, a small rent was reserved for the crown. As a free gift from the adventurers and foldiers, his Majefty graciously accepted half a year's rent from each of the two first years, to be applied to his own ufe, and that of those who had eminently fuffered in his fervice. From all benefit of this declaration were excluded the perfons concerned in the plot for the furprizal of the castle of Dublin in 1641, the judges of the late king, the men who figned his fentence, and the guard of halberdiers who affifted at his execution. As the king felt himself particularly interested to have the corporate towns reprefented exclusively by perfons favour able |