treason was read against him, as against the Lord Capell and Goring, only as to the
place of action,it referred to Rigate, Kingston,and S:Needs: the Solicitor General
by way of aggravation,took notice of his being a Courtier of eminency, what ill
Offices possible then to be don by him,how he might have a hand in the Kings departure
from Parliament,in way of perswasion;that he went to Oxford, and was
probable in the first War, that he there did ill Offices, at his returne his Sequestration
was taken off,and he put forth a Declaration promising that he would stand
by the Parliament in the word of a Gentleman and Christian, took the Negative
Oath and Covenaut,and yet had last year ingaged,yea probably contrived, the
insurrection drawn in the Duke of Buckingham his Brother, and others, and boasted
that he should shortly be 12000.and master the Parliament, and restore the
King,the Earl being asked whether guilty or not guilty,pleaded quarter for life,
his banishment,excused these aggravations,especially in his last action. 1 That
his fact was not capital, but criminal,that he had quarter given him, when he was taken
in S. Needs, And that both houses of Parliament had passed an Order fire: to banish
him. He spake at first very faintly,as if he had not been able to speak, and also during
the time he was at the Bar, he often called for a Tulip, which was, given him severall
times (from his Phisition) out of a glasse.
From Dublin Feb.15.thus. The great Councel at Kilkenny have at last patch'd up
an Accord or Peace confirmed by Articles betwixt the Marquisse of Ormond and the
Roman Catholiques,at the concluding of this peace Ormond publishes a Proclamation
in his Majesties name,commanding all throughout the Kingdom to take notice, and to
render obedience to it Sir Robert Blake Speaker to the Assembly at Kilkenzy in a speech
to Ormond with much flattery, promises great successe to this Peace some of his words
are these former Cessations(faith he)accommodations,and capitulations did but skin over
the deep and wide wounds that were and are in the body of it they received no life or
perfection,they abortively perished in the Embriod,and vanished into the aire, but the
peace that by the great mercy of God; by the influences of his Majesties grases, and by
the ministry and co-operation of your Excellency(meaning Ormond is now to be established,
will prove(as with joy and confidence we expect)a firm stable,and lasting peace,
a peace that will cure these bleeding wounds,search to the very core, and pluck out all
the splinters that remaine of them,a peace that will (as we hope, and is the height of our
desires as it shall be of our endeavours) reinvest his sacred Majesty in his most due and
royall Rights and Prerogatives, and wil restore this Nation in its former lustre plenty
and tranquility &c.
To this speech the Marqnis returns a claw of commendation,and so all are friends;
but Owen Roe,who will have other termes then these, and subscribed by a royall
hand before he ingages & here is the wonder an agreement, between the Protestants
and Catholique without the Popes Nuncio : and Owen Roe the most cordiall
Roman Catholick in the world, and what of all this? Why not to discourage
the Parliament of England, as if they were not able to preserve England, and conquer
Ireland, wherein there's little difficulty. For a little opposition will make
the great confederates shift for themselves,and Ormond, Taaff, Preston, and Inchiqueens
25000. reckoned with Owen Roes 5000, may be disperst in all probability,
with the 8000 spoken of,as well as 27000 Scots were;and let the Dormants continue
in their securities still, the cheife fear and danger is from Sea, Prince Rupert
Pt. Mauris and others said to be 40 sail.