ye same time if any unfortunate accident should happen, the whole Kingdome may be lost for want of it, nor can any man, that is, in my station, be well answerable for his Trust if there be a dificiencie of such provisions. Mr Godolphin will assist you in prosecuting this business.

From all my friends I hear how much I am oblig'd to you for ye good character you give of me, wch shall upon all occasions be ever acknowledg'd by &c.

XXXIX.-COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS TO LORD CLIFFORD,

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR

LOP.

Feb. 10, 1673.

In pursuance of your Lop. reference signifyed to us by Sr Rob Howard, wee have considered of ye Letter of his Excellency ye Lord Lt of Ireland & ye Paper annent to it; and having fully weigh'd ye matters therein contained, wee doe humbly present your Lop. wth ye following state thereof.

The severall Plantacons in America having been first Planted from this Kingdome of England wth the losse of ye Lives of many men, & a vast Expence of Treasure, the trade therefore of those plantacons hath been by severall Lawes & Acts of Parliamt appropriated to England alone. And this is also ye practice of other Nations to keep their plantacóns enter'd to themselves.

That wch is now proposed on behalfe of ye Irish nation, That they may have Liberty for a certain number of ships during the present warre or his Mats Pleasure to trade to ye Plantacóns and unlade in Ireland, paying his Matie there the halfe penny p pound, notwithstanding ye Lawes in force to ye contrary, because of ye want of trade in that kingdome by reason of ye warrs, wilbe very prejudiciall to ye trade & interest of this nation.

a See Letter XXII.

For by such an allowance ye Kingdome of Ireland will have ye oportunity of vending not only their owne manufactures, but those also of other parts of Europe in yo Plantaĉons, where only those of England were before sold. And their navigating cheaper then ye English because of their plenty of Provisions will at least put them in a condition to undersell ye English, and so ye manufacture of England must necessarily ly upon their hands, and ye navigation thereof be much obstructed.

This will unavoydably create ye setting up of Ireland in Trade and Wealth on ye basis of ye Ruine of this nation wthout any increas of Revenue or advantage to his Matie, but very much ye contrary. For all traders to ye Plantacons will more readily goe for Ireland where they may expect better advantages by Bills of Store & otherwise from ye farmers of ye Revenue there, then ye Constitucon of ye present management of ye Customes in England will allow of, & consequently will much lessen his Mats Customes heer in Linnen, Brandyes & other Comodityes wch pay great duty in importacón, & are hence exported to ye Plantacons, & make Ireland ye staple of all Plantacon Comodityes.

As to what is alledged on behalfe of ye sd Kingdome of Ireland in relaĉon to ye present warre, as an argumt for granting them ye Liberty desired during ye Warre, will easily be answered when it is considered that the whole burden of ye warre lyes on ye Kingdome of England, & that it partakes more of ye effects of ye warre by hindrance of trade than Ireland can doe.

The danger wch is intimated in ye paper, of ships coming from ye plantacons to Ireland, and from thence hither according as they are obliged by their bonds, being chiefly attested on account of Privateers infesting ye Irish Coast, wee doe for that matter matter humbly present to your Lop. That no Ship goeing from England to ye Plantacon, or coming from thence, can be any wayes directly bound for Ireland wthout absolute forfeiture of their bonds, & therefore it may be supposed that no ship puts into Ireland but upon some extrordinary necessity, or in expectacon of more then ordinary advantages.

Besides all this, If ye Liberty of twenty ships should be granted wch is insinuated as ships of small Burden, they would easily be furnisht wth ships of Greater Burden from ye New England men, & others who have found ye encouragemt from ye farmrs of Ireland to ye ruin of ye fair Trader here. Nor can it be duly kept to a Limited number of Ships considering ye convenience & number of their Ports, but it would in time amount to a gen11 Liberty. At least ye charge of collecting ye halfe-penny per pound in Ireland will neer ballance ye Revenue that will arise to his Matic thereby, and will certainly be a great losse in ye Customes heer.

All wch we humbly submit to your Lo3.

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

MY LORD,

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Dublin Castle, Feb. 11th, 1673. Having lately receiv'd his Majties Lre concerning ye setting out of some Ships to convoy ye Merchant men wth order to charge ye Paymt of them on ye moneys design'd for ye Marine Regiment ; upon view of ye Acct of what has bin disburs'd here since my coming, and wch is not compris'd within ye Establishm1, together wth ye severall summs dispos'd of by way of gifts, I find there will be so small a remainder of that money as will doe very little towards ye carrying on of that worke, nevertheless I doubt not but to find some Merchants who will, upon this occasion, be ready to advance some proportion of money to be repaid out of ye future paymts of

this fond, but yet to doe such a business as this is thoroughly, as also to compass another worke, wch I am mightily inclin❜d to have effected, I mean ye repair of his Majties Forts in this Kingdome, wch lie all in a most miserable ruinous condition. I can think of no other expedient but ye calling of a Parliamt, and tho' I will not engage in ye absolute proposing of a thing of this nature to his Majtie, untill I have discourst wth some of those who can best informe me what supplys ye People are able to give, yet I am much deceiv'd if they are not willing to straine themselves very far on any such publick acct. Another scruple I have, that it may not be unfitt to see what success his Majtie shall have this Sessions in England, before any such thing be thought of here, for most certain it is that whatever is acted in England will be imitated in this Kingdome; however, I think it may not be amiss if yr LP please to know what his Majesties opinion is in relation to it.

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XLI.

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[Interesting news reaches Essex from London. The King, Sir Robert Southwell writes (Feb. 22), in the matter of the Indulgence, is puzzled how "to solve his own honour to the world, and gratify those who can only give him a supply against his enemies." Lord Aungier, a (Feb. 22), speaking of the Bill for the ease to Protestant dissenters, says, "when we have finished cooking it we shall throw it out of window." Arlington admits the reasonableness of Essex's reiterated demand that no representations or complaints be allowed to reach Charles from Ireland before having been submitted to himself. On March 8 he hears of Charles's surrender of the Declaration of Indulgence, and of the great joy in Londou. He himself notes the bonfires and illuminations in Ireland in token of the satisfaction there.]

Third Baron Aungier of Longford, Viscount Longford, 1675, and Earl of Longford, 1677. Captain of horse, 1660; commissioner of the revenue, 1682 : keeper of the great seal, 1697; member of Privy Council, governor of Carrickfergus, and master of Ordnance. Married daughter of Arthur, 1st Earl of Donegal; died Dec. 22, 1700.

CAMD. SOC.

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VOL. I.

XLII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO FRANCIS GODOLPHIN.

Mr. GODOLPHIN,

Dublin Castle, March 7th, 1673. I am glad to hear by yrs wch I receiv'd yesterday, the Powder intended for this place will be sent so speedily.

I have reed advice from England that ye Dutchess of Cleaveland has obtained a Grant from his Majtie of ye Phoenix Park here, tho' (as I hear) she has bin pleased to show so much respect to me as to take ye Grant after ye expiration of my time, and therefore as to my owne Particular I need to be concern'd ye less at it; yet, knowing ye inconveniences that every chief Governor that is sent hither must live under if he be deprived of this Park, I think it were very fitt it were represented to his Majestie before it be too late, for ye Truth is (as ye well know) tis ye only diversion that this place affords, and without it a man must live like a Pris'ner, and in case ye Govern' should happen to be sick he has no where to retire to but only one of these Houses, and has not so much as Grass for a Horse, or any convenience but what is afforded by that enclosure; Therefore, I would have you represent it as effectually as you can to my Lord of Arlington, or any other of ye Kings Ministers, as shall think fitt, that if possible it may be prevented.

you

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XLIII.-THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR ARTHUR FORBES.

Dublin Castle, March 7th, 1673.

[An urgent remonstrance against the proposed withdrawal of troops from Ireland

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to England.]
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