Historical account of the Macdonnells of Antrim

342 THE MACDONNELLS OF ANTRIM.
particulars will easily answere any objection made against his Lordship's restauracon. And that
the same is not soe considerable to him, nor soe prejuditial to others as the possessors thereof doe
endeavour to represent."
In the mean time, the act of explanation was being slowly prepared, requiring as it did so
much deliberation; and the king, guided of course by his council, cancelled the decree of innocence
pronounced in favour of Antrim by the court of claims, and provided for his immediate and complete
relief in the new act. In this way the danger of infringing the act of settlement, and thus intro-
ducing an inconvenient precedent was avoided, and the faithful services of Antrim to the king's
deceased father and himself were duly acknowledged. The following is the order on Antrim's
petition, acknowledging his occasional mismanagement and throwing himself on the king's sense of
justice : —
" Whereas a Petition hath been preferred by the Marquess of Antrim unto his Matie, which
was read at the Board, and contains a naked discovery of his own voluntary confession of the truth
of his actions in the late warrs of Ireland ; And which vindicates and entirely clears his late sacred
Matie, King Charles the first, of ever blessed memory, from many calumnies and false aspersions
by the malice of men of scandalous and disaffected principles, cast upon his clear honour and
Reputacon. For perpetuating and recording whereof to after ages, in justice to the memory of so
gracious and pious a prince, It is this day ordered (his Matie present in Councell) That the said
Peticon be carefully entered in the Register Book of the Councell in haec verba, &c.
" And it is further ordered that the clause in the Bill of Settlement under consideracon,
whereby the said Marquess is to come to a new tryall touching his innocencie be struck out, and
that Mr. Soil. Generall doe draw up and insert another Clause in lieu of it to vacate the said Marquess
of Antrim's Decree for his innocence." (241)
In connexion with this proceeding, the following mandate was sent from the king to Ormonde,
who must have felt very ruefully on the whole affair : — " Our will and pleasure is that you Insert
a Clause in the Bill of Explanation lately transmitted from our Kingdorae of Irelande, whereby our
Trusty and Well-beloved Cosen, Randall Marquess of Antrim, may be Declared to be an Innocent
Papist, and as an Innocent Papist, bee restored unto all Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments
whatsoever whereof he, or any interest for him were lawfullie seized or possessed upon the Three
and Twentieth Day of October, 1641, or at anie time since, without anie previous reprisalls, not-
withstanding the late act of Settlement passed in that Kingdome, Saveinge nevertheless to all Cre-
ditors of the said Marquess of Antrim such right and Interest as they have either in law or equity
by virtue of the said act of Settlement or otherwise ; And Saveinge to all interests, all such right
and title as they have to the Provisoe other than such rights and titles as they claim by or under
the said act of Settlement." (242)
Not one, but several clauses required to be inserted in the Act of Explanation, stating the
grounds on which Antrim was finally restored, providing for the several interests concerned, and
making such arrangements as, generally at least, had the effect of preventing riots or disturbance,
(241) Innocence. — Extracted from Transcripts of State Papers, Liber E, p. 212.
(242) A copy of the above warrant for Antrim's restoration is preserved among the papers at Glenarm.