XVI.

be in some sort industrious; so that at the time to BOOK which we are now arrived, they were settled, within the limits prescribed, in a condition of living; though even the hard articles which had been granted were not punctually observed to them; but their proportions restrained, and lessened by some pretences of the English, under some former grants, or other titles; to all which they found it necessary to submit, and were compelled to enjoy what was left, under all the marks and brands which ever accompanied a conquered nation; which reproach the Irish had taken so heavily from the earl of Strafford, when they were equally free with the English, who had subdued them, that they made it part of that charge upon which he lost his life.

Upon the recalling and tame submission of Harry Cromwell to the rump parliament, as soon as his brother Richard was deposed, the factions increased in Ireland to a very great height, as well amongst the soldiers and officers of the army, as in the council of state, and amongst the civil magistrates. The lord Broghill, who was president of Munster, and of a very great interest and influence upon that whole province, though he had great wariness in discovering his inclinations, as he had great guilt to restrain them, yet hated Lambert so much, that he less feared the king; and so wished for a safe opportunity to do his majesty service; and he had a good post, and a good party to concur with him, when he should call upon them, and think fit to declare.

Sir Charles Coot, who was president of Connaught, and had a good command, and interest in the army, was a man of less guilt, and more courage, and imof less guilt] of less wit and less guilt

XVI.

BOOK patience to serve the king. He sent over sir Arthur Forbes, a Scottish gentleman of good affection to 1660. the king, and good interest in the province of Ulster, where he was an officer of horse. This gentleman sir Charles Coot sent to Brussels to the marquis of Ormond, " that he might assure his majesty " of his affection and duty; and that, if his majesty " would vouchsafe himself to come into Ireland, he " was confident the whole kingdom would declare " for him: that though the present power in Eng" land had removed all the sober men from the go"vernment of the state, in Ireland, under the cha"racter of presbyterians; and had put Ludlow, "Corbet, and others of the king's judges, in their "places; yet they were so generally odious to the

66

army as well as to the people, that they could "seize upon their persons, and the very castle of " Dublin, when they should judge it convenient."

Sir Arthur Forbes arrived at Brussels, before the king had any assurance or confident hope of the general, and when few men thought his fortune better than desperate: so that, if what sir Arthur proposed (which was kept very secret) had been published, most men about the court would have been very solicitous for his majesty's going into Ireland. But his majesty well knew that that unhappy kingdom must infallibly wait upon the fate of England; and therefore he resolved to attend the vicissitudes there; which, in his own thoughts, he still believed would produce somewhat in the end, of which he should have the benefit; and dismissed sir Arthur Forbes with such letters and commissions as he desired; who thereupon returned for Ireland; where he found the state of affairs very

XVI.

much altered since his departure. For upon the de- BOOK feat of Lambert, and general Monk's marching towards London, the lord Broghill and sir Charles 1660. Coot, notwithstanding the jealousy that was between them, joined with such other persons who were presbyterians, and though they had been always against the king, yet they all concurred in seizing upon the persons who had been put in by Lambert, or the rump parliament, and submitted to the orders of general Monk, the rather, because they did imagine that he intended to serve the king; and so, by the time that the parliament was to meet at Westminster, all things were so well disposed in Ireland, that it was evident they would do whatsoever the general and the parliament (who they presumed would be of one mind) should order them to do.

The parliament met upon the five and twentieth The parliaday of April; of which the general was returned a April 25. member, to serve as knight of the shire for the county of Devond; sir Harbottle Grimstone was Sir Harchosen speaker, who had been a member of the long Grimstone parliament, and continued, rather than concurred, chosen with them, till after the treaty of the Isle of Wight; where he was one of the commissioners sent to treat with that king, and behaved himself so well, that his majesty was well satisfied with him; and after his return from thence, he pressed the acceptance of the king's concessions; and was thereupon in the number of those who were by force excluded the house. His election to be speaker at this time was contrived by those who meant well to the king;

BOOK and he submitted to it out of a hope and confidence XVI. that the designs it was laid for would succeed. 1660. They begun chiefly with bitter invectives against

Their first proceedings.

May the first, the general acquaints the house

of sir J. Greenvil's

the memory of Cromwell, as an odious and perjured tyrant, with execrations upon the unchristian murder of the late king. And in these generals they spent the first days of sitting; no man having the courage, how loyal soever their wishes were, to mention his majesty, till they could make a discovery what mind the general was of; who could only protect such a proposition from being penal to the person that made it, by the former ordinances of the rump parliament.

After the general had well surveyed the temper of the house, upon the first of May he came into the house, and told them, "one sir John Greenvil, who

" was a servant of the king's, had brought him a bringing "letter from his majesty; which he had in his "hand, but would not presume to open it without

him a letter from the king.

Greenvil

" their direction; and that the same gentleman was Sir J. " at the door, and had a letter to the house;" which is called in, was no sooner said, than with a general acclamation livers the he was called for; and being brought to the bar, he letter to the said, " that he was commanded by the king his

and de

commons.

" master, having been lately with him at Breda, to "deliver that letter to the house:" which he was ready to do; and so, giving it by the sergeant to be delivered to the speaker, he withdrew.

The house immediately called to have both letters the declara- read, that to the general, and that to the speaker; which being done, the declaration was as greedily called for, and read. And from this time Charles

XVI.

1660.

Stuart was no more heard of: and so universal a BOOK joy was never seen within those walls; and though there were some members there, who were nothing Received delighted with the temper of the house, nor with with unithe argument of it, and probably had malice enough versal joy.

to make within themselves the most execrable

tee ap

answer.

wishes, yet they had not the hardiness to appear less transported than the rest: who, not deferring A commitit one moment, and without one contradicting voice, pointed to appointed a committee to prepare an answer to his majesty's letter, expressing the great and joyful sense the house had of his gracious offers, and their humble and hearty thanks for the same, and with professions of their loyalty and duty to his majesty; and that the house would give a speedy answer to his majesty's gracious proposals. They likewise or- All ordered dered, at the same time, that both his majesty's let-ed. ters, that to the house, and that to the general, with his majesty's declaration therein enclosed, and the resolution of the house thereupon, should be forthwith printed and published.

to be print

This kind of reception was beyond what the best affected, nay, even the king, could expect or hope; and all that followed went in the same pace. The lords, when they saw what spirit the house of commons was possessed of, would not lose their share of thanks, but made haste into their house without excluding any who had been sequestered from sitting there for their delinquency; and then Sir John they received likewise the letter from sir John delivers the Greenvil which his majesty had directed to them; house of and they received it with the same duty and ac-lords. knowledgment. The lord mayor, aldermen, and The lord common council, were likewise transported with the receive