And to those persons, from whom they had taken great quantities of land in other provinces, they assigned the greater proportions within this precinct; so that it fell to some men's lot, especially when they were accommodated with houses, to have a competent livelihood, though never to the fifth part of what had been taken from them in a much better province. And, that they might not be exalted with this merciful donative, it was a condition that accompanied this their accommodation, that they should all give releases of their former rights and titles to the land that was taken from them, in consideration of what was now assigned to them; and so they should for ever bar themselves and their heirs from ever laying claim to their old inheritance. And, by this means, the plantation (as they called it) of Conaught was finished, and all the Irish nation inclosed within that circuit, the rest of Ireland being left to the English; some to the old lords and just proprietors, who, being all protestants (for no Roman catholic was admitted) had either never offended them, or had served them, or had made composition for their delinquencies, by the benefit of some articles; and some to the adventurers and soldiers. And a good and great part (as I remember, the whole province of Tipperary) Cromwell had reserved to himself, as a demesne (as he called it) for the state, and in which no adventurer or soldier should demand his lot to be assigned, and, no doubt, intended both the state and it for the making great his own family. It cannot be imagined in how easy a method, and with what peaceable formality, this whole great kingdom was taken from the just lords and proprietors, and divided and given among those, who had no other right to it, but that they had power to keep it, no men having so great shares as they who had been instruments to murder the king, and were not like, willingly, to part with it to his successor.- -Ireland was the great capital, out of which all debts were paid, all services rewarded, and all acts of bounty performed. And, which is more wonderful, all this was done, and settled, within little more than two years, to that degree of perfection, that there English nation; witness the actions of Crom a were many buildings raised for beauty as well as use, orderly and regular plantations of trees, and fences and enclosures raised throughout the kingdom, purchases made by one from the other at very valuable rates, and jointures made upon marriages, and all other conveyances and settlements executed, as in a kingdom of peace within itself, and where no doubt could be made of the validity of titles " The reader need not be told how much honour this relation does to the parliament of the commonwealth of England, by whose wisdom these great things were thus settled and accomplished. His lordship strongly indeed insinuates cruelty in these proceedings: but his word is not to be depended on. That they intended the utter extirpation of the Irish nation is mere calumny, as appears from the preamble to the act for settling Ireland, in which, among other reasons for passing it, one is, "That the people of that nation might know that it is not the intention of the parliament to extirpate that whole nation, but that mercy and pardon, both as to life and estate, may be extended to all husbandmen, plowmen, labourers, artificers, and others of the inferior sort b" The curious reader will do well to consult the act. I will not dilate on his lordship's styling Tipperary a province; such a mistake is pardonable in a man who confesses himself to have been ignorant of there being any such place in England as Sheerness.However, I cannot find that Cromwell reserved it as a demesne for the state or his own family. I will only add, that lord Molesworth gives it as his opinion, that to Cromwell's distributing of the enemies lands to the soldiers in Ireland, "we owe that kingdom's being a protestant kingdom at this day, and its continuing subject to the crown of England "." Lieutenant-general Ludlow had a great share in all these transactions.-The spirit with which he acted will appear * Continuation of Clarendon's Life, vol. II. p. 114-118. lections, Anno 1652, c. 13. с Continuation, vol. III. p. 752. to Hottoman's Franco Gallia, 2d edit. p. 30. + Scobel's Col • Preface well in Scotland, which, with the victory at from the following answer given to a letter of the marquis of Clanrickarde, desiring a conference with him for the settling the repose of the nation, and a safe conduct for commissioners to treat with him for that purpose. My Lord, In answer to yours of the 24th of March, by which you propose a treaty for the settlement of this country, and desire a safe conduct for the commissioners you shall judge fit to employ in the management of that affair, I think fit, in pursuance of the advice of the commissioners of the parliament of England, and of many officers of the English army, to advertise you, as hath been already answered to those who have sent propositions of the like nature, that the settlement of this nation doth of right belong to the parliament of the commonwealth of England, to whom we are obliged in duty to leave it, being assured that they wil not capitulate with those who ought to submit to them, and yet oppose themselves to their authority, and upon vain and frivolous hopes have refused such offers of favour as they would gladly accept at present: so that I fear they will be constrained to proceed against them with the highest severity, which that you may prevent by your timely submission, is the desire of, My Lord, Your humble servant, EDMUND LUDLOW" This reduction of Ireland, in so short a time, when the affairs of the commonwealth were in so low a state there, does, undoubtedly, great honour to Cromwell, as well as the other commanders in chief after him. His actions here have always justly made one part of his panegyric. We shall soon see that he did not disgrace them by any after military ill behaviour. Worcester 35, so totally broke the power of 35 Cromwell's actions in Scotland, and the victory of Worcester.] It is well known, that the Scots were extremely ill used by Charles the First; that they opposed his measures; marched an army into England; joined with the parliament, and helped to reduce him to a state of captivity. They stopped short, however, here, and very violently opposed his trial and condemnation, looking on him as their king, and the judges as murtherers. Thus matters stood when the commonwealth was erected in England. Soon after application was made to Charles II. by commissioners from the Scottish nation, in order to his entrance into that kingdom, and mounting the throne of his ancestors. Many of the young king's counsellors were against this, looking on the Scots as a rebellious nation who had been the original cause of the late king's misfortunes. And very probable it is, that had not lòrd Ormonde, and the catholic confederates in Ireland, been defeated by Jones and Cromwell, he would not have had a thought of going thi ther. Lord Byron, in a letter to the marquis of Ormonde, dated Hague, April 12, 1649, N. S. writes as follows: "Commissioners are come out of Scotland, consisting of one earl (the earl of Cassels) two burgesses, and four divines, to treat with his majesty concerning the affairs of that kingdom, or rather to impose unsufferable conditions upon him. To give the better assurance of their good intentions to his service, immediately before their coming out of Scotland, the marquis of Huntley was put to death for no other crime but his loyalty to the king. Their propo sitions are as insolent as can be imagined; for they require that all malignants and evil counsellors (and particularly the marquis of Montrose) should be banished the court; that his majesty should take both the national covenant and the holy league and covenant (as they term it) and establish a presbyterian government in all his kingdoms. But the king being now unfortunately in a presbyterian country, cannot resent these indignities so as otherwise. he would. Scotland, that it was no longer in a condition Howsoever, his intention is, not to enter into any particular debate of these propositions, but to remit the commissioners till his coming into Ireland, the matters propounded by them concerning his other kingdoms as well as Scotland "." -Sir Edward Nicholas, in a letter to the same nobleman, dated Jersey, October 13-23, 1649, says, "There are Scots commissioners coming hither; but their propositions are as unreasonable as the former sent into Holland. They have now a strong faction about the king: and the lord Jermyn (who is esteemed the head of the Scots presbyterian faction) hath, its said, gained many that are now about his majesty to his party, and, some say, will come hither to assist with all his interest and power the advancement of the king's designs. The truth is, Sir Edward Hyde being so unnecessarily and unskilfully employed in Spain, hath given an infinite advantage to the Scots presbyterians; for he was expert in all their jigs and artifices "."What the good secretary would have had the young king do is hard to say. There was no place for him in England or Ireland--where then could he go but into Scotland? How expert soever Sir Edward Hyde might be in the Scots jigs and artifices, it would not have been in his power to have hindered the king's resolving to agree with the commissioners of that kingdom, though, it is very certain, his inclination was not much that way. For he had no love for the Scots league and covenant; he relished not the manners and behaviour of the ruling part of that nation; nor could he well put on the stiff and formal air which was almost essentially necessary to gain their favour. But necessity has no law the king leaving Breda took ship in Holland; landed in Scotland; and, having taken the solemn league and covenant, and signed a declaration, wherein he renounced the sins of his father's house, and of his own, and the idolatry of his mother, was solemnly crowned there. This filled the roy : • Ormonde's State Papers, vol. I. p. 268. Id. p. 322. |