by saying, use me as you will. I am sure I shall be shortly revenged."1

Dublin at least was saved. An able soldier, Sir Francis Willoughby,2 was placed in command of the Castle, and made Dublin a show of defence which imposed on the multitude saved. till a sufficient garrison could be obtained. For a time the whole city was given up to rumours. It was said that 10,000 rebels were already encamped on the Hill of Tara, seventeen miles from Dublin. At another time it was said that the rebels were actually marching through the streets of the city.3 In truth, the seizure of the leaders had deprived the conspiracy of its guides. The rift between the Catholics of English birth who hoped for a toleration granted by the King, and the Catholics of Irish birth who wished for an agrarian revolution was already to be descried. It was afterwards to widen into a breach which would be fatal to all national action in Ireland.

Oct. 23.

Anxiously the handful of English Protestants in Dublin waited for news from Ulster. On the night of the 23rd it was known that Monaghan had risen, English posts had News from been seized, and Englishmen had been plundered. the North. At Newry, where there was a fort, the insurgents had overpowered the garrison, and had armed themselves out of the King's stores. Not a word was heard of the death of a single Englishman. These things, however, had taken place on the south-eastern edge of Ulster. It was impossible for any eye to penetrate through the veil to see what deeds might have been done behind it.

The great difficulty of the Lords Justices was to know what to do with the Catholic Peers. They dared neither trust them nor alienate them. They made a show of confidence by placing in their hands a few arms for of the Pale. the defence of their houses in the country, but they prudently prorogued the Parliament, which was shortly to have

Oct. 24.

The Lords

1 Examination of Mac Mahon, L. J. iv. 416.

2 The man who had once been challenged by Falkland. See Vol III. 255. 3 Temple, 24.

met.

Oct. 25.

Nov. 1. Feeling in the English

On the 25th they despatched to Leicester an account of all that they as yet knew of their danger.1 On November 1 the despatch of the Lords Justices was read in both Houses at Westminster. Only one result was possible. Under no circumstances was the English Parliament likely to feel any sympathy with the Parliament. grievances of the native Irish. In the face of a rebellion which threatened to sweep away the name and creed of Englishmen from Ireland, there was no room in the minds of Lords and Commons for any feeling save one of wrath and Votes of horror. They voted that 50,000l. should be borrowed Parliament. for the suppression of the rebels, that Leicester should be requested to proceed at once to Dublin, and that 8,000 men should be raised to give effectual help to the colonists. In order that no time might be lost, they directed that volunteers should be invited to give in their names at once for the service.

Nov. 2. Imprison. ment of Father Philips.

Having done thus much, the Houses turned their attention to the root of the mischief, which they conceived to lie in the Queen's Court. Father Philips was sent for to give evidence before the Lords. He was much alarmed, thinking that Hamilton had betrayed the secret of the Queen's negotiation with Rome. He therefore raised the preliminary objection that he could not be sworn on the English Bible. The Lords, who knew nothing of the secret which he wished to conceal, took offence, and committed him to the Tower without any further attempt to obtain evidence from him.2

On

All this was done without a single dissentient voice. one point opinion was divided. The King, startled with the

1 The Lords Justices to Leicester, Oct. 25, Rushworth, iv. 399. If the Lords Justices had intended to proclaim toleration for the Catholics they might have trusted the Irish Lords, but hardly otherwise.

6 16'

2 L. J. iv. 418. Rossetti to Barberini, March R. O. Transcripts. It is to be noted that whilst modern writers often dwell on the facility with which Pym accepted false rumours against the Catholics, Rossetti's mind is occupied with fears lest he should come to the knowledge of the true state of the case.

wild shape which his intrigue with the Irish Lords had taken, had asked the Scottish Parliament to assist in the

Nov. 4.

Were Scot

tish troops to be employed?

reduction of the rebels.

consented, and the English

The Scottish Parliament Parliament was asked to accept the offer thus made. Falkland and Culpepper, dreading lest Scottish troops might again give the law to England, raised objections. Their objections were, however, overruled, and the Scots were told that if they would send 1,000 men into Ulster, the English Parliament would willingly take them into pay.'

Νον. 5.

Instructions Then Pym rose.

to the Com. mittee in Scotland.

Pym's ad

ditional in

On the next day the House proceeded to draw up instructions for the Parliamentary Committee in Scotland. He said that he would be surpassed by no man in readiness to sacrifice life and estate in that cause. But as long as the King gave ear to the evil counsellors by whom he was surstruction for rounded all that Parliament could do would be in vain. He moved an Additional Instruction, to the effect that unless the King would remove those counsellors and 'take such as might be approved by Parliament' they would not hold themselves bound to assist him in Ireland.

the removal

of counsellors.

It was a startling proposal. Hyde opposed it as a menace to the King. Waller said that it was a declaration that the House was absolved from its duty, as Strafford had declared the King to be absolved from all rules of government. Waller was forced to ask pardon for his words, but it would seem that even Pym's own followers refused to support Nov. 6. him further, as he was obliged to consent to the adjournment of the debate. On the following day the House

1 Nalson, ii. 600. D'Ewes's Diary, Harl. MSS. clxii. fol. 60 b.

2 D'Ewes's Diary, Harl. MSS. clxii. fol. 100 b. It is extremely diffi. cult to realise Pym's position with respect to the Popish Plot. We do not know how much he knew, and we certainly do not ourselves know all. Here, for instance, is a sudden half-light thrown by a letter of Cardinal Barberini's. After speaking of the treatment of the King by the Scottish Parliament, he adds et il Principe d'Oranges stia con non puoca affiitione dovendo mandare il figlio in Inghilterra, sapendo che vi manda incerto se

Nov. 8. Pym modi

fies his proposal.

deliberately rejected his motion. On the 8th he reproduced. it in a modified form. After a complaint that the miseries of past years had originated in the malice of persons admitted into very near places of council and authority about the King, and that there was strong reason to believe that others had been 'contriving by violence to suppress the liberty of Parliament, and endanger the safety of those who have opposed such wicked and pernicious courses,' the Commons were asked to declare that they feared lest the same persons would divert the aids granted for the suppression of the rebellion in Ireland 'to the fomenting and cherishing of it there, and encouraging some such like attempts by the Papists and ill-affected subjects in England.' They were therefore humbly to beseech his Majesty 'to employ approved by only such counsellors and ministers as should be approved by his Parliament.'

The King

to name

ministers

Parliament;

otherwise

the Com

mons to

provide for Ireland without the King.

"If herein," the Commons were further to say, "His Majesty shall not vouchsafe to condescend to our humble supplication—although we shall always continue, with reverence and faithfulness to his person and to the Crown, to perform those duties of service and obedience to which by the laws of God and this kingdom we are obliged - yet we shall be forced, in discharge of the trust

Dec. 26

23'

potrà riportarne in quà la spesa et forze del ritorno del medesimo figliolo' Barberini to Rossetti, Nov. 13, R. O. Transcripts. What can be meant by this except that the young Prince was to have come to England with ulterior designs, in some way to help Charles after a successful return from Scotland? Barberini says that he derived his knowledge from France. Again in a letter of Rossetti says that when the King was in ScotJan. 5' land he wished to form a good council of war' di gente di Regno et ancora di forastieri.' Of the former he applied to Bristol, Lennox, Winchester, and Clanrickard 'e benchè questi due fussero Cattolici se sentiva però dal Rè volontieri il loro parere, mostrando medesimamente S. Mtà propensione grande verso gl' Hibernesi.' Of the foreigners the Prince of Orange was chiefly thought of 'ancorche al presente non si sappia, come si scrive, che cosa possa succedere del matrimonio, et anche fu parlato del Duca di Buglione et si stimava buon' soldato il Duca della Valletta.' C. F. ii. 301.

'D'Ewes's Diary, Harl. MSS. clxii. fol. 108 b.

which we owe to the State, and to those whom we represent, to resolve upon some such way of defending Ireland from the rebels, as may concur to the securing of ourselves from such mischievous counsels and designs as have lately been and still are in practice and agitation against us, as we have just cause to believe; and to commend those aids and contributions which this great necessity shall require, to the custody and disposing of such persons of honour and fidelity as we have cause to confide in.”1

Thus modified, Pym's Additional Instruction was almost more startling than it had been in its original shape. CulPym carries pepper declared that Ireland was part of England, his motion. and ought to be defended whatever might be the result. Even D'Ewes argued that, if a neighbour's house were on fire it would be the duty of those who were near to quench the conflagration without a preliminary inquiry into the moral character of the householder. Pym, however, held his ground, and carried his resolution by the considerable majority of 15: to 110.2

ary character of the proposal.

Undoubtedly no proposal of so distinctly revolutionary a character had yet been adopted by the Commons. The Act Revolution- taking away the King's right of dissolution had, after all, left Charles in possession of such powers as law and custom had confided to him. The Additional Instruction seized upon the executive power itself, so far at least as Ireland was concerned. Yet it would be hard to say that Pym was not justified in what he did. No doubt he exaggerated the mischief which Charles's counsellors were likely to do. But, after every allowance has been made, the fact remains that for the space of a whole year, Charles's relations with Parliament had been one long intrigue. The probabilities of his future action had to be estimated with the help of the knowledge gained of his character through the two Army Plots and the Incident. It can now hardly be doubted that Charles would not have submitted to that which he regarded as the unconstitutional authority of Parliament a moment longer than he could help.

1 L. F. iv. 431.

2 D'Ewes's Diary, Harl. MSS. clxii. fol. 108 b.