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XXXIV.-THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OF ARLINGTON.

MY LORD,

Dublin Castle, Jan. 18th, 1673.

The last Tuesday's post brought me in 4 Lřes of yr Lops, being of ye 14th, 21st, 24th, and 31st of Decembr.

I presume I need say no more then what I directed Mr Godolphin to tell yr LoP of ye confidence I have of y' favor and friendship, and that nothing that ever I may hear shall ever alter me from that opinion.

As to ye Agencies wch has bin propos'd, I did before I writt to ye Lop give some discouragement to it by telling some of those who have offer'd at ye Proposition, that I could assure them in his Majesties name that ye Act of Settlement would be supported, a breach into wch is ye thing they most apprehend, as also that they need not suspect ye King's care of them in all things; but I found them so instant upon it as I am apt to thinke some particular men will employ persons in ye Court to be a little watchfull of businesses relating to this countrie, tho' I am very confident I can hinder any from being sent as an Agent for ye Interest of ye Adventurers and Soldiers in generall, wch I shall take care to doe.

b

I long very much for an answer concerning ye Rules. I must needs say that ye Letter for ye suspending of them, as ye matter has bin order'd, has bin of great disadvantage to me, for numbers of Copys (as I have formerly given yr Lop an Acct) have bin sent over, and read in all ye Coffee Houses in Towne, and ye People by some instruments here have bin dealt with to Petition me for an abrogation of these Rules, wth a clause that if I did not doe them right in this particular, according to ye King's Letter, they would immediately have right in England. I have, indeed, by some of ye soberer sort, prevented any address of this nature;

a See preceding Letter.

CAMD. SOC.

b See Letter XXVI.

H

VOL. I.

but I am sure I need not say any thing more to yr LoP to urge ye inconvenience wch will come to his Majesties Affairs here, if once those who are employ'd by him in ye goverment, should become thus contemn'd.

MY LORD,

a

XXXV. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OF ARLINGTON. Dublin Castle, Jan. 20th, 1673. I have just now receiv'd yr Lops of ye 14th instant, together wth ye Letter from his Majestie concerning ye Rules, and ye Acts of Setlement, both wch are very wellcome to me, and especially that wch relates to ye Act of Setlement, for, tho' I have ever since my coming into this Countrie made it my business to confirm all men in ye belief that these Acts would never be in ye least measure violated, yet have I all waies found that ye generalitie of ye English who enjoy their estates upon these new titles could not shake off their apprehensions of loosing them again.

SB,

XXXVI. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR JOSEPH WIL

LIAMSON.b

Dublin Castle, Jan. 21st, 1673.

I was surpris'd to find in ye Gazett, wch this last post brought, a passage relating to this place, and I thought ye more strange of its being inserted into ye Gazett, in regard yr self, who is Agent for

a The Privy Council had approved the Rules, though to save appearances they are to be put in action by degrees.

b Afterwards succeeded Arlington as Secretary of State. He was one of the English plenipotentiaries at the Cologne conference, of which he sends a full account to Essex.

Ireland, has ye inspection of them before they are made publick; whereas y Intelligence it self is a very great falsitie, St John Tottye having bin presented wth a chain, but by one Single Guild, cal'd ye Merchants Guild, and not by ye whole body of ye Citty. The ground of presenting him wth it, however it may be cloath'd with fine words, was for his opposing me, and ye Govermt here, and, whereas y Gazett cals him a person of known Loyaltie, I know him to be a person of as much disloyaltie as any about this Citty; and one, who with ye assistance of some others, as ill men as himself, has brought a considerable part of ye Citty to that mutinous temper, as I fear twill put ye King for some considerable time to ye necessitie of keeping more Troops here then has formerly bin needfull. I think I might justly expect from ye Agent of Ireland, That no intelligence concerning this place should be put into ye Gazett, unless it comes from me, or one of my Secretarys; and I hope for ye future there will be better care taken, and as to this wch is past, I desire ye justice of you, to examine ye matter strictly, who it was that occasion'd ye putting of it in, and that it may [be] trac'd out who gave ye intelligence from Dublin.

I thinke it very possible you'll find one who now cals himself Nevill, and has gone here by 3 severall names, to have ye principall hand in it; if you desire a litle character of ye man, he was first a Prompter to Plays, afterwards Sr Ellis Layton's a Broaker to make his bargains, and ye principall person who put this Citty into that disorder that I found it at my first coming, and continues still by his intelligence to doe what mischiefs he can to ye Govermt here.

Tho' this matter may seem but a Trifle (and perhaps is no other in it self), yet I cannot but tell you ye divulging of it in ye publick News booke, wth those characters of advantage to persons who oppose ye Governmt, is a thing wch may produce very ill effects in this Countrie, where most of ye Cittys and Towns are apt to take example from this, and therefore I think it may not be amiss, after you have examin'd and found out ye persons from whom this fals Leighton.

a

intelligence came, that something contradictory to it be inserted in some other Gazett.

I have used a great deal of freedome wth you upon this occasion, but in my apprehension his Majesties Affaires here require that you should have ye Knowledge of all these particulars, therefore I doubt not but you will take it with ye same good intention as it is written.

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XXXVII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OF ARLINGTON.

MY LORD,

Dublin Castle, Jan. 25th, 1673.

I have communicated his Majesties late Letter to the Lords of ye Privy Councell, with whose advice I thought fitt to publish a Proclamation declaring his Majesties resolution not to infringe ye Acts of Settlement and Explanation, and tho' I think it an unreasonable doubt in any that should suspect ye contrary, yet certeinly 'twas no less then necessary to declare his Majesties intentions in this particular, especially since ye Irish doe almost universally discours that they will have their lands agen; and some of them in ye remote parts of this Kingdome have forcibly enter'd and taken possession, for proof of wch I herewith transmitt to y1 LoP 1 or 2 depositions wch have bin taken before ye Justices of Peace in ye countrie, wch among some others of ye like nature have bin sent

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SB,

XXXVIII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR ARTHUR FORBES.

Dublin Castle, Jan: 25th, 1673. His Majesties Letter concerning ye Rules for Corporacions, but especially that Clause wch relates to ye Acts of Setlem1 and Explanation, is receiv'd here with infinite satisfaction, and, that this latter part may be made publick to all people in this kingdome, we have thought fitt to issue out a proclamation, wch does as closely follow ye words of ye Kings Lře, as could be fram'd into a Declaration of that nature, a copy of wch Proclamation I herewth send you.

By a Lře lately writt to my Lord Conway, who is newly arriv'd here, you desire directions from me in order to ye returne; ye presence is of great use to me in relation to all our Affaires here, and especially that wch concerns ye army; but I thinke, however, since you are on that side ye water, it may be not amiss that you stay'd a litle ye beginning of this Sessions of Parliamt, wch is now neer at hand, unless his Majestie should otherwise command you.

By Lřes from Mr Godolphin I perceive there is much difficultie made of furnishing this Kingdome wth Arms and Amunition; I desire you would make his Majtie sensible of ye necessitie of a supply, and especially for that of Powder wth wch I found ye stores (as you know) very slenderly provided as to ye proportion, and that litle wch did remain grown naught wth keeping. I cannot but much wonder at ye pretence wch is used to avoid ye furnishing us wth these so necessary Provisions, wch is, that Ireland must maintain it self, wch no doubt it would doe were not much of ye money dispos'd of, part for gifts, and part for other occasions out of this Kingdome. And it were worthy ye representing to his Majestie, that ye whole revenue is by ye Establishment dispos'd of, and no sufficient reserve of money to answer ye supplies of this nature; as also how unreasonable a thing it is to dispute whether Powder and Armes should be paid for with English or Irish money, when as at

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