LVII.-LORD AUNGIER TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MAY IT PLEASE YOR EXCYE,

Lond. Apr. 12th, 1673.

On Wenesday last Coff Talbot appeared publiquely in His Maties Bedchamber, where he attended to deliver his petition, wch having don as his Matie was passing through to Councill, he there waited His Maties & Councill's resolution upon it. His Petition purported his greate surprize at ye severe Sentence of ye Howse of of Comons agt him unheard specifyed in their addresse to His Matie, wth wch he humbly beg'd His Matie would not comply in putting it in execution agt him. Because, not being conscious to himselfe of haveing comitted any crime, he would give security e to stande and abide the judgemt of ye Howse of Comons at their next meeting, then whome he did not desire to appeare to other or better judges, & to whose judgemt he had at their last meeting submitted himselfe, if there had beene time or opportunitye for it before their riseing. He therefore humbly beseeched His Matie, who was no stranger to his loyalltye & services, to suspend yo execution of ye severe sentence of Banishmt out of his Royall presence, till ye meeting of ye Parliamt, before whome he was willing to appeare, & did not doubt but to cleare & justifye himselfe in any crime that should be objected agt him. His Petition was that day read at Councill, but other affaires of greater importance intervening, the further consideration of it was putt of till yesterday, when the addresse being taken into consideration, it is sayd the Preamble whch mentions ye late insolencyes of ye Papists grounded upon His Maties Indulgencies will be referred to yr Excyes Examination &

a "Who hath notoriously assumed to himself the title of Agent of the Roman Catholics in Ireland."

b March 25, 1672. The text of the Address will be found in the Parl. Hist. vol. iv. p. 579. The Commons prayed that he should be dismissed from all command, military or civil, and forbidden the Court.

Reporte thereupon. As for the Com" of Inquirye," the extraordinary powers whch the Parliamt observ'd to be in it are referred to ye Lords Com", who calling to their assistance those of His Mties Privy Council of Ireld who are Members of ye Howse of Commons, are on Thursday next to take them into consideration & reporte their opinion to His Matie and Councill. As for the disarming of yo Papists, His Matie declared his resolution to comply with the Howse of Commons in yt particular, & in order to it yo2 Excy will have directions to disarme theme and all others whom yo" Exey shall finde cause to suspect. As for the discharge [of] all Papists out of all Commands both Military and Civill, His Matie observed, though the Howse of Comons had lesse cause to complaine of this now then in ye Reignes of any of his Auncestors, there be only one & yt Coff Talbot in ye Armye, whereas in Queene Elizabeth's time, KingJames, & his Father's, there were at all times severall of ye Popish Religion in ye Standing Armye, and though he were very well satisfyed wth Cott Talbot for his loyalty & good Services, yett he was resolv'd alsoe to give the Howse of Comons Satisfaction in yt poynt by takeing away his comand for wch he would make him a recompence some other way. As for ye remaineing particulars of the addresse the consideration of it is putt of till Wenesday next, when His Majtie will declare his pleasure in them alsoe. I had almost forgott to observe to yor Excy, that it is sayd Coff Talbot withdrew his Petition a few minutes before His Majtie went yesterday to Councill, wch makes some conjecture his appeareing in Courte for ye future will not be very frequent; I beg yor Excyes pardon for this long lĩe, & crave leave to hono' myselfe with the title of

*

The Speaker of ye Howse of Comns was on Wenesday last sworne of His Majties Privy Councill.

LVIII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OF ARLINGTON. MY LORD,

Dublin Castle, Aprill 17th, 1673. Having this opportunitie of conveyance by so safe a hand as ye Bishop of Downe, I shall acquaint yr Lop wth some particulars relating to this country, wch are fitt for you to know, and such as I was not willing to trust by ye ordinary Packett.

Since my coming into ye Governmt of this Kingdome, here is one Molooney, who calls himself Bishop of Killaloe, come over hither. I have spoken wth him severall times, and find him a very discreet, wise man. He is without doubt ye ablest among all those of ye Roman persuasion. He has spent most of his time in France, and I am apt to persuade my self is too eminent a man to ly concealed there without being taken notice of; he has employ'd his time since his arrivall here (and not without success) in composing ye differences, wch were among those of his owne Religion, as particularly those disputes wch have bin betwixt Peter Talbot and Plunkett, their titular Primate, concerning jurisdiction, and also some personall feudes wch have bin between Coll: Talbot and Coll: Fitzpatrick: I perceive too that he lives in a better condition then ye small Profitts wch he can make of his titular Bishoprick would put him into. All wch gives me ground to suspect he is a Pensioner of France.

As our Alliances now stand I humbly conceive there is no danger of this man, but in case these should vary, and that France and England should not be upon so good termes one with another, as I presume they now are, this Person may be a most mischievous instrument. I could not, therefore, but think it my duty to acquaint yr Lõp wth these particulars, that y1 Lõp may now in time, and whilst you have opportunities of good intelligence in ye Court

a See Letter XXIII.

b John O'Molony, 2nd R. C. Bishop of Killaloe, 1671, and of Limerick also, 1698; d. 1702.

e Titular Archbishop of Dublin, brother of Richard Talbot.

Titular Archbishop of Armagh-judicially murdered at the end of the Popish Terror.

of France, informe y self of what value this Molooney is there, and wth whom he holds his correspondences. Only wth this caution that you creditt not too much any informacions concerning him wch may be sent you from Abbot Mountague, whom I know to be very much a friend to this Molooney.

The Pow'r and Interest of ye Non-Conformists here, and their greatest strength, is certainly that of ye Presbiterians, who are of ye Scotch nation. They are, I confess, a great body of People, and able men to bear Arms such as probably at some time or other may give trouble to yo Governm1, but I cannot thinke them altogether so dangerous as some doe imagine, in regard they have no man of eminent popularitie to head them. Sr Arthur Forbesea is a man of much esteeme wth his owne nation; but, if I mistake him not, he is very firme to ye Crowne.

b

Here is a young Gentleman, my Lord Mount Alexander, who indeed is a man of very good parts and industrious, and who doeth and will dayly grow in his reputation. He is a Person, by as much as I can find, of good Principles but of a narrow fortune, and not without Ambition. If some thing were thought of to oblige him it were certainly good Policy to doe it, for I take him to be almost ye only man among them now growing up who may be capable of raising their Interest to any great height.

But of all that may relate to ye Non Conformists of ye Protestant Religion I have directed this Bishop (whom y' Lõp will find to be a very discreet moderate man, and one not unfitt to be placed in ye Privy Councell here, where some of his Predecessors have sate) to discours more at large to you then by Lře I can, and if some indulgence be granted them I humbly conceive the methods wch you may designe for England will probably be ye fittest to be practised here, for generally the nearer we conforme to England in ye administracion of ye Governmt in this country, ye firmer is ye Interest of ye Crowne supported.

a See note to next Letter.

b Son of Sir Hugh Montgomery, 3rd Viscount Montgomery, who was created Earl of Mount-Alexander, 1661.

One thing I cannot omitt upon this occasion to let y' Lõp know. Here is one Chambres (a brother in Law, as I am told, to Bloud) who has lately set up a congregation in this Citty, and preacheth to them; he was one of those who together wth his brother attempted ye surprise of this Castle, and doubtless he is a very desperate, bold fellow. Now, tho' by his Majesties grace and favor he has got his pardon, yet surely he ought not to be suffer'd to teach others who has practised so ill things himself. I doe for ye present let him alone till I can receive some orders from yr Lop how I should deale wth ye whole Party, wch I am confident you will be better able to give, after you have discoursed wtb ye Bishop of Downe, who has by my advice observed, and in a good measure acquainted himself with ye temper and disposition of these People.

SR,

LIX. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR ARTHUR FORBES."

Dublin Castle, Aprill 19th, -73.

I have lately recd 2 of yrs, one of ye 12th instant and afterwards another of ye 5th.. By that of ye 12th I find his Majestie has taken into his consideration ye calling of a Parliamtb in this Kingdome, and ye advantages or inconveniences wch may arise from it. The People I confess are generally at present but Poor, and money is extremely scarce here, for to say ye Truth since ye War wth Holland this country has bin almost like a besieged Place, having had no trade but what has bin by stealth; nor doe I see any remedy for it, unless some men of war were maintain'd here to guard ye Coasts, and to convoy Merchants Ships, all wch would cost more then ye remainder of ye money by ye Establishmt can provide for. There

a Second Baronet of Castle Forbes, c. Longford; Privy Councillor for Ireland, 1670, and Marshal of the Army; Lord Justice in 1671, 1673; created Viscount Granard 1673; d. 1676.

b Essex had recommended this to obtain a supply.

• Compare the statements of Rothes and others, regarding the effect of the war in Scotland, in the "Lauderdale Papers," vol. i. 213, 226, &c.