7,0 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap.X. K.Charles i..fençe, and break up the conflittution ; for he had already commanded away the parliament's guard, telling them they had nothing to fear from the papifts, and that their jealoufies of plots and maffacres were imaginary. He pardoned (even popifh priefts who were under fentence of condemnation, contrary to the petition of the houle of commons. He turned out the earl of sTeicefler lord lieutenant of Ireland, and Sir William Parton, one of the molt a&ive proteflant jufiices in that kingdom. He intercepted the parliamentary fupplies in their way to Cheer, and received a deputation from the irifh catholicks with greater ceremony and refpedt, than from hisprote/tantfubjeeis. Norcould his majeftybe pre- vailed with to iffue out a proclamation declaring the iri/b, REBELS, till the beginning of 7anuary, and even then only forty copies were printed, Repro, and not one to be difperfed till further order. Indeed the kingproclaim- 8. a8o, 282. ed a monthly fart, and offered to raife an army of engli/h for the relief of Ireland, which the commons declined ; and inflead thereof appointed a a committee to treat for ten thoufandfeats, which the ktoufe of lords, by direEtion from the king, put a ¡top to ; fo that between both, the relief of -Ireland was neglefted. The king would have perfuaded the parliament to fend over ten thoufand englíh, that they might find it more difficult to raite forces in cafe of a breach with him ; but the commons prevailed with the f ots to offer ten thoufand of their nation, that they might not be obliged to leave themfelves naked and defencelefs in fo critical a junc- ture. ,Remarks. Upon the whole it feems to tie, that this barbarous infurreélionand maffacre was formed either here or in Ireland, to difirefs the parliament, after the failure of the defign ofdoing it by the englifh army. The king feems to have been willingly ignorant of the progrefs of the affair, having intrufted the correlpondence with his queen and her council; but when he heard how the frith had over -aéted their part he was furprized, and thought it neceffary to declare againft them ; yet when he came to his queen he appeared too favourable to their perlonsand conduâ, and inflead of going brifkly into the meafures that were propofed to fubdue them, his ma.. jellyplayed the politician, and would have made ufe of the ir/h rebellion to put himfelf at the head of an army to break up his engl/h par- liament. While the king was in Scotland, it was given out by Tome ill defign- ing people, that fnce his majefty had yielded fo much to the ¡cots, he might be perfuaded to introduce presbytery into England at his return ; upon which which his majefly fent the following letter to Mr. Nichols clerk of the council, I Hear 4
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