prehend that there is nothing he can say in this matter, though with the serenest mind, and in the greatest truth and sobriety, that may not be construed to flow from a design to lay blame where hitherto he hath been tender to give any ground of offence. I say (besides these things) he is withal (I know) most firmly persuaded, that, if ever he shall have the happiness to be once heard by his majesty, and in his presence allowed to explain a few particulars, in duty here omitted, his majesty's justice and goodness will quickly dispel all the clouds that now hang over him, and restore him to that favour wherein he hath sometime reckoned himself very happy, and which he will ever be most ready to acknowledge. And therefore all that in the mean time he judged necessary, or would give way to, was that for preserving the remembrance of so odd a transaction, until a more seasonable juncture, some memorials should be drawn, and deposited in sure keeping; which being grown under my hand unto this narrative, I thought I could not better observe his order, than by transmitting it to your faithful custody: I have carefully therein observed the truth, in point of fact, avouching nothing but upon the best and clearest evidence can possibly be expected; nor have I, as to the manner, licenced or indulged myself in any severity of expression,

which, I thought, could be justly, in such a ̈ case, omitted, without betraying the cause. Yet if you now, or any other hereafter, shall judge, that I do sometime exceed, let it not be imputed to him; for as he did indeed charge me to guard against any more warm or vehement expression, than the merit and exigence of the subject do indispensibly require; so I am assured that he silently and patiently waits on the Lord, committing his way to him, and trusting in him, that he may bring it to pass; and that He shall bring forth his righteousness as the light, and his judgment as the noon-day."

The following extract from an intercepted letter of the duke of York's to one of his friends, is published in sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs, Appendix to Part I. as strongly marking what Dalrymple calls the apathy of the character of the duke of York:

"EDINBURGH, Dec. 13, 1681. "Lord Argyle's trial began yesterday, and` their forms in the justice court are so tedious, that they could not make an end of it then, but will, as I believe, this evening: and have reason to believe the jury will find the bill, and not Ignoramus; and that little lord will be once again at his majesty's mercy."

285. Proceedings before the KING in Council, against ARTHUR Earl of ANGLESEY, Lord Privy Seal, upon account of a Book reflecting on the Conduct of James Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland: 34 CHARLES II. A. D. 1682.

the author) intituled A Letter from a person ' of honour in the country, written to the earl of Castlehaven, being Observations and Re'flections upon his lordship's Memoirs concern

That in the said book there are divers passages and expressions which are not only untrue, but reflecting in a high degree upon his late majesty's government, and particularly in

To the King's Most Excellent Majesty. The Duke of Ormond, your Majesty's Lieutenant of Ireland, and Steward of your Majesty's Houshold, most humbly represents:ing the wars of Ireland.' THAT the earl of Anglesey, lord privy seal, in the year 1681, caused a book to be printed (whereof he hath acknowledged himself to be * From a pamphlet (which has been col-1682:" and containing the following Adlated with the Register of the Privy Council) dress to the Reader : published, as it is said, by lord Anglesey, under the title of "A true Account of the whole Proceedings betwixt his Grace James duke "Ormond, and the Right Hon. Arthur earl of "Anglesey, late Lord Privy-Seal, before the "King and Council, and the said Earl's Let"ter of the 2nd of August to his Majesty on "that occasion. With a Letter of the now "Lord Bishop of Winchester's to the said "Earl, of the means to keep out Popery, and "the only effectual expedient to hinder the "growth thereof, and to secure both the "Church of England and the Presbyterian "party. London: Printed for Thomas Fox, "at the Angel and Star, in Westminster-hall,

"That there hath been a Controversy be tween the duke of Ormond and the earl of Anglesey, the immediate consequence of which hath been the removal of the earl from a place of great honour and trust under his majesty, for which he was in every respect extraordinarily well qualified, perhaps no man questions. And many may be likely to say, that the more fatal such quarrels amongst great personages are to either side, the more instructive they commonly prove to the rest of mankind, who are thereby let into a prospect of those things which were thought too sacred for the view of the prophane vulgar.

"As every inferior soldier may learn skill

relation to the rebellion and war in Ireland, and to the several cessations and peaces made by his, and your majesty's authority and command.

That in the said book the lord privy seal hath maliciously endeavoured to calumniate and asperse the duke of Ormond, by calling in question his faithfulness and loyalty to his late majesty, the sincerity of his profession in point of religion, and insinuating that the cessations and peaces (destructive as he says to the English and Protestants) were advised and procured by him the said duke, out of his affection to the Irish popish rebels, because he was allied to many of them in blood and by marriages.

and address, by seeing two generals engage in the sight of their armies, so certainly this paper battle between these great ones may be of use to all sorts of men that have the least grain of that commendable ambition, to propound to themselves the greatest examples. Wherefore I conceive no man, of which side soever fortune or choice hath placed him, can blame me for procuring and exposing to public view authentic transcripts of what hath passed in this affair.

"The bare curiosity to know how such men write, were almost enough to tempt any one to peruse these papers, but then when they relate to the history of unmovable affairs, of which either of the parties may say,

'Quorum pars magna fui.'

"And when they were so great men in themselves, and their parts in the history so great that they may be compared to Cæsar writing the Commentaries of his own enterprises; I should think him very dull that need be courted to be a reader.

"But these papers carry in them what I hope will further recommend and endear them to the greater part of this nation; most of them being in defence of the poor English Protestants in Ireland, to some of which the earl of Anglesey hath most generously asserted the glory of their martyrdom, and to others, the unblemished honour of preventing the utter ruin and extirpation of the rest.

That the lord privy seal, in the course of above twenty years free and friendly acquaintance and correspondence with the duke of Ormond, never thought fit to give him any intimation of his lordship's intention to write a history of the wars of Ireland, and other transactions there, wherein both the duke, and his lordship (though of opposite parties) had a great part, but chose rather to seek for information from the earl of Castlehaven, and to publish his " Observations on the Earl of Castlehaven's Memoirs," in a conjuncture when his reflections in his book and his Letter* of the 7th of December, 1681, to the duke of Ormond, might not only do mest mischief to him, but to the govern

66

"My Lord;

Nov. 12, 1681.

"It is now, I think, more than a year, since "The earl of Castlehaven, who had been I first saw a little book, written by way of too fortunate an head to the Roman Catho- letter, called Observations and Reflections, on lic rebels in Ireland, had not only in print my lord of Castlehaven's Memoirs: wherein, [E. Castlehaven's Memoirs, p. 12] justified though there are some things that might lead his own engagement with that bloody party, the reader to believe that your lordship was but would make that chiefly a defensive war, the author, yet there were many more I which was certainly the effect of an universal thought impossible should come from you; conspiracy amongst the papists there. Nor is for it affirms many matters of fact positively, it to be doubted but there were encouragers in which are easily and authentically to be disEngland. This engaged the earl of Angle- proved; and from those matters of fact, grossly sey, amidst his many avocations, to ward off mistaken, it deduces consequences, raises inthe second blow against them who had suffered ferences, and scatters glances injurious to the almost beyond all example before: and his in-memory of the dead, and the honour of some terposition extracted from the earl of Castlehaven a Confession, [Pref. to the Memoirs], that he himself acted as a rebel, and that all the water in the sea cannot wash that rebellion off that nation, which was begun most bloodily

living. Among those, that, by the blessing of God, are yet living, I find myself worst treated. Twenty years after the king's restoration, and forty after the beginning of the Irish Rebellion, as if it had been all that while reserved for me,

as might otherwise be necessary in vindication of truth, his late majesty's justice and honor, and his own integrity.

It is therefore most humbly proposed, that your majesty would be pleased to appoint a committee of your privy council to look over pect, that neither the subject, or myself, will be more justly dealt with, than in that occasional essay; and, I would have been glad to have seen all my work before me, in case I should think fit to make a work of it. The delay of your publishing that History, and the consideration of your lordship's age, and mine, are the occasions of this letter; whereby, I inform you, that as no man now alive is better able than I am, to give an account of the principal transactions during the rebellion in Ireland; so no man is possessed of more authentic commissions, instruments, and papers, all which, or transcripts of them, you might have commanded before you set forth your reflections. But, possibly, to have stayed for them, might have lost you a seasonable opportunity of publishing your abhorrence of the Irish rebellion, and your zeal against popery : what your lordship might then have had, you may yet have, because I had rather help to prevent than detect errors; but then, must first know to what particular part of your history you desire information, and how you deliver those parts to the world, and to posterity. If after this offer, your lordship shall proceed to the conclusion, and publication of your history, and not accept of it, I must, before-hand, appeal from you, as from an incompetent judge of my actions, and a partially engaged and unfaithful historian." "ORMOND."

ment. The duke of Ormond humbly conceives that at least while the lord privy-seal and he have the honour to be of your majesty's privy council, and in the stations they are, it will not be fit for him to publish such an Answer to the lord privy-seal's book and letter, and for such times as these, we are fallen into, when calumny (though the matter of it be never so groundless and improbable) meets with credulity; and when liberty is taken to asperse men, and represent them to the world, under the monstrous and odious figures of papists, or popishly affected; not because they are so thought, by those that employ the representers, but because they are known to be too good Protestants, and too loyal subjects, to join in the destruction of the crown and church: besides, the treatise came forth, and must have been written, when I had but newly received repeated assurances of the continuance of your friendship to me; wherein, as in one of your letters you are pleased to say, you had never made a false step; for these reasons, I was not willing to believe that book to be of your lordship's composing, and hoped some of the suborned libellers of the age, had endeavoured to imitate your lordship, and not you them but I was, in a while after, first, by my son Arran, and afterwards by the bearer, sir Robert Reading, assured your lordship had owned to them that the piece was your's, but professed the publication to be without your order; and that you did not intend to do, or think that you had done, me any injury, or prejudice: if your lordship really thought so, the publication might have been owned, as well as what was published; but then let the world judge, whether pen, ink, and paper, are not dangerous tools in your hands? When I was thus assured your lordship was the author, it cost me some thoughts how to vindicate truth, my master the late king, myself, "Your grace's of the 12th of November, I my actions, and family, all reflected on, and received towards the end of that month, and traduced by that pamphlet: I found myself was not a little surprized, after being threatengaged in the service of our present king, and ened above a year, with your grace's Answer, that in a time of difficulty and danger, and in to the Observations and Reflections on my lord such times, for the most part, it has been my Castlehaven's Memoirs, which your grace lot to be employed in public affairs; and though takes notice you had seen above a year before, I had not been so taken up, yet I well knew to find them only most satirically burlesqued, that writing upon such occasions is no more and my intentions in the writing of them, most my talent, than it is my delight; and, to say unnaturally misinterpreted, and misjudged, truth, my indisposition to the exercise, might without giving instance of any one particular, help to persuade me, that the book, though which could so much transport your grace, or honoured with your lordship's name, would, interest you to judge of a letter of a mine to after it had performed it's office in coffee-another, with so invective heat and mistake. houses, and served your lordship's design in Your grace's letter, therefore, consisting only that conjuncture, expire, as writings of that of generals, I can no otherwise adapt my annature and force usually do: and herein I swer, (after a most serious revision of my book rested without troubling myself, or any body upon this occasion) but by giving the reverse else, with animadversions on your lordship's of your grace's strained and erroneous affirma mistakes, which are so many, and so obvious, tives, by my plain and true negatives; till that I wonder how you could fall into them. your grace shall administer occasion, by comI will add to this, that I have been in expec- municating the particular animadversions, your tation, that by this time your Complete History grace hath been so long (as I hear) about. The would have come forth; wherein, if I may reasons leading your grace to believe it imposjudge by the pattern, I have just cause to sus-sible I could be the author of that discourse, I

The Earl of Anglesey's ANSWER was as follows

My Lord,

VOL. VII

3 S

the mistakes and errors herein laid to his charge, that then your majesty would be pleased to consider of the best and most authentic means how reparation may be made to all that are inthing occurring to me, (upon the strictest revisal) nor ever shall be objected to me with justice and truth. After your grace hath brought it to the coffee-houses, (where I believe it never was, till your grace preferred it to that office) and where you have doomed it to expire, as writings, of that nature and force use (you say) to do, (for which I shall not be at all concerned) you rested, without troubling yourself or any body else with animadversions upon my mistakes, which your grace is pleased to say, are so many and so obvious, (though you name none, nor do they occur to others) that you wonder how I could fall into them. If your grace believes yourself in this, you seem to have forgot the long time you spent in considering and animadverting upon that despicable pamphlet, with your labours whereon I was threatened by some of your grace's relations for many months; and your grace hath redeemed the delay, by the virulent general reflections you have now sent me, which yet I doubt not will evaporate or shrink to nothing, when your grace shall seek for instances to back them, whereof if you can find any, I claim in justice they may be sent me. Your grace adds, that you have been in expectation, that by this time my Complete History would have come forth, wherein (if you may judge by the pattern) your grace saith, you have just cause to suspect, that neither the subject, nor yourself, will be more justly dealt with than in that occasional essay; and therefore, offer me all the helps of authentic commissions, transactions, and papers, your grace is pos sessed of, whereof you inform me none hath more. This is an anticipating jealousy, which no man living can have ground for, and when my History shall be completed, (which is now delayed for those assistances your grace is so well able, and so freely offers to afford me) though my weakness may be exposed, my integrity and impartiality shall appear, and your unjust suspicion will, I doubt not, cease, if truth may be welcome to you, and not accounted one of the dangerous instruments in my hand; by which having incurred your anger and enmity in the first essay, I have slender hopes to be more acceptable in the second; though I resolve to hold to the first approved law of a good and faithful historian, which is, that he should not dare to say any thing that is false; and that he dare not but say any thing that is true; that there be not so much as suspicion of favour or hatred in his writing. And this might give a supersedeas to your grace's unreasonable appeal before a gravamen, though I never intended, by relating the truth of things past, to become a judge of your grace's or any other man's actions, but barely Res gestas narrare, for the information, correction, and instruction

the lord privy-seal's book and to call his lordship and the duke of Ormond before them, and if upon report from them, it shall appear to your majesty that the earl of Anglesey, has fallen into cannot admit, though they import a fair opinion of me; and that in the beginning of your letter, your grace had better thoughts than when your hand was in and heated. I do therefore absolutely deny, that I affirm any matter of fact, positively in that book, which are easily, or authentically (or at all) to be disproved. Or that, from those matters of fact, grossly mistaken, it deduces consequences, raises inferences, and scatters glances injurious to the memory of the dead, and the honour of some living; among which, your grace finds yourself worst treated. This being so, your grace's unjust inferences from the time of it's writing, and the misjudging the design of the author, give no countenance, or occasion, to your grace's rhetorical character of the times, though I join in all, but the opinion your grace seems to have taken up, that there is a plot (other than that of the papists) to destroy the crown and church; a discovery worthy the making, if your grace knows and believes what you write; but how I am concerned to have it mentioned to me, I know not, your grace can best tell what you intend to insinuate thereby. These are your grace's reasons, why you were not willing to believe that book of my composing; yet you cannot leave me without a sting, in your expressing the hopes which succeeded them, viz. That some of the suborned libellers of the age, had endeavoured to imitate me, and not I them. Whether I should imitate suborned libellers, or they me, would be all one for my reputation; because I were grossly criminal in the first, and must have been so before in your grace's opinion, or they could not imitate ine in the second: your grace will want instances in both, except this of your own making; and therefore, there must be some other reason why your grace did not believe (if really you did not) that discourse to be of my composure. But this admitted for truth, (as it is undoubtedly) your grace, in the next place, calls the world to judge, whether pen, ink, and paper, are not dangerous tools in my hands. I remember the times, when they were serviceable to the king's restoration, and constant service of the crown, or craved in aid by your grace, that you did not account them so: and it is much to my safety, that they are not so in your grace's hands, though I find them as sharp there, as in any man's alive. Your grace being at length assured I was the author, your next care was to spend some thoughts to vindicate truth, the late king, yourself, your actions, and family, all reflected upon and traduced (as your grace is pleased to fancy) by that pamphlet. But your grace had no cause to trouble your thoughts with such vindications, unless you could shew, where in that book they are reflected upon and traduced, no such