Historical account of the Macdonnells of Antrim

332 THE MACDONNELLS OF ANTRIM.
Proofs. moderate party of ye said assembly, ye said marquesse declared, the cause was so
good that it feared no opposition, and in that heat of his zeal, pressed that those that
object against ye said declaracon for nulling ye said peace, should be putt from y e
said confederate associacon, which was a signall act of malice and disloyalty. (209)
" That ye said marquiss soone after rejecon of said peace, was for his active
endeavours therein, made president of ye confederate Councell, and signed all orders,
and was of all comittees, whereof particular instances may be made, as for drawing up
charges against Sr. Thomas Nugent, Sr. James Dillon, major-generall Fitzsimons, and
Bart. Molloy, others of ye confederates that submitted to ye peace, and sided with ye enemy, as they
man' Don tnen terme d his grace, the L d Duke of Ormond, who by his Maties authority had con-
Walshe, eluded ye peace with them ; for disperseing papers in his Maties quarters ; for de-
— Greene.
and others yettbauching ye soldiers of his Maties army, and drawing them to ye Rebells party; for
living; and the res triction of ye Earl of Bristoll, then his Maties principall secretary of state, in his
orders signed . .
by ye said passage through ye confederate quarters to the port he was to take shipping at; (210)
^discHm'ina- ^ or secur i n g Daniel O'Neile, Esqr., and others expressely employed from ye
tion Books at King, and by ye Lord Lieutenant in his Maties service ; and multitudes of other
Dublin. .
instances may be made of like nature, which are ready to be offered and proved if re-
quired, shewing his close conjunction with ye pope's Nuntio party in all private
Councells, and actions ; and in great pomp publiquely, at severall times, holdeing ye
Canopy over ye head of ye said Nuntio; as also his constant opposicon to ye said 1646
peace all along, till his grace ye lord Lt by ye said marquesses orders and Instructions
likewise was besieged in Dublin, by ye armies of ye said Nuntio and Owen Roe
O'Neile, and thereupon forcibly driven to forsake ye kingdome, which was ye greatest
disservice that ye most malicious of the Rebells could do to his Maty- (211)
(209) Disloyally. — Antrim was under the impression Digby, from spying in the confederate quarters. Or-
that in opposing Ormonde at this crisis he was really do- monde and Digby aimed for a time at making Antrim an
ing the best service that could be rendered to the cause of instrument in carrying out their unworthy policy, and
tlie king. Referring to Ormonde's conduct during those when this could not be done, they mutually agreed to op-
years between 1645 and 1649, Dr. French pithily remarks: pose him. Their selfish designs upon him are well put in
— " I come to my Lord of Ormond, who for some years a letter of Digby to Ormonde, of which the following is
continued his capitulations and treatings with the Catho- an extract : — " His Lordship's (Antrim's) other ground is
lies of Ireland, and did indeed wire-draw them to their a design to be chosen generalissimo of all the popish
great losses, both to the disheartning of their souldiers, party there ; a thing in itself of so dangerous a conse-
consumption of their treasures, and letting slip great ad- quence, and of so great a scandall to his magestie, in case
vantages of service. . . . Anything that seemed to he should have occasion to make use of the Irish, that
be for the King's interest or for the King's service did your Lordship must look to the prevention of it vigilantlie
much relish with the Catholics, and soe desirous and for- and betimes ; yet so as to avoyd the disobliging my
ward we were to make peace with any partie the King Lord Antrim. A principall aim in serving ourselves
owned to be his own, that we omitted to pursue vigorously of the Irish, must be to submit them, if possible, unto your
a good warr, and at long running wee made noe good Lordship'' s command, whereby the scandall will be much re-
peace for libertie, Religion, Fortunes, or honour of the moved, and the use of them much improved. See Carte's
Nation." Works, vol. ii., p. 37. Life of Ormonde, vol. hi., p. 214.
(210) Shipping at. — This passage refers to the fatal (211) To his Maty. — The "New Confederates," as
and well-known dissentions in the confederate assembly, the nuncio's party was called, having discovered Or-
when Ormonde's party was forced to withdraw, being monde's treachery in opening negotiations with the Eng-
borne down by the nuncio with the clergy at his back ; lish parliament-faction, determined, if possible, to drive
Antrim and Owen Roe O'Neill also lending their aid to him out before he could accomplish the inglorious sur-
drive Ormonde into a fix. There is here a loud outcry render of the kingdom. Accordingly in October, 1646,
against Antrim's prohibiting the earl of Bristol, then lord the two Irish generals, Owen Roe and Preston, set out