IV. 1657. BOOK speaks with the highest encomium, was born in July 1636, and gave her hand to the duke of Buckingham on the twenty-fourth of September in the present year. No doubt Fairfax was influenced in his choice by a sentiment of equity. He saw a youth, born to the highest expectations, with eminent endowments and accomplishments, and who now shewed himself no blind bigot of a party, cut off, by what could scarcely in him be called a fault, from the possession of great opulence, and much honour and power in his native country. The ex-general of England appeared to have it in his power to correct this evil, without inflicting the smallest injury on a human creature. Turbulence of bam. Buckingham was as dangerous a man, as a Bucking person of his unstable and versatile dispositions could be. Stung to the quick by the repulse he had received from Cromwel, he appears to have been full of projects of revenge. He joined himself to the most desperate associates, and perpetually discoursed insurrection and assassination *. This was before his marriage with the daughter of Fairfax; and the ex-general perhaps conceived, that the being restored to his station in the community would take him off from cabals and designs which appeared to lead directly to his ruin. Whitlocke. * Thurloe, Vol. V, p. 511; Vol. VI, p. 363. XXVI. Liberality ham im The conduct of Cromwel on this occasion was CHA P. such as did the highest honour to his liberality, and to the friendship he had ever entertained for 1657. Fairfax. He was displeased with the marriage, of Cromand saw much evil likely to arise from it; but wel. he promised to do all he could to favour the duke, and that, if it were necessary, an act of parliament should be passed to authorise him to live in England unmolested'. Buckingham had much intercourse with the family of Cromwel, who afforded him every kind of countenance and encouragement. But by some strange manœuvre Buckingan order of council was made for his being appre- prisoned. hended, and carried a prisoner to the island of Jersey; it being supposed by some, that this was done out of officiousness, to set the generosity and forbearance of the protector in a more conspicuous light. Fairfax engaged himself to the uttermost for the inoffensive behaviour of the duke, and his loyalty to the government"; but the conduct of the latter gave little countenance to these protestations. A multitude of sinister reports were conveyed to the father-in-law; and information was given in return, that Fairfax had said that he laid up in his mind the unkindness of Cromwel, and should remember it when there was occasion, adding, that he knew not but he 1 Thurloe, Vol. VI, p. 580, 616. m Ibid, p. 617. n Ibid, p. 648. IV. 1657. BOOK might, in virtue of his old commission as general, be induced to shew himself in arms in behalf of the aggrieved people of these nations.-By Cromwel's permission Buckingham was allowed to reside with his consort at York House in the Strand, the place of his birth P. He is en larged. Unfortu nate sequel riage. Fairfax had small reason to congratulate himof this mar- self on the alliance thus contracted. The profligate habits of his son-in-law soon became matter of notoriety; his whole life was one scene of turbulence and instability; the duel, attended with such atrocious circumstances, in which he killed the earl of Shrewsbury, occurred in 1667, four years before the death of Fairfax.-The duchess survived her husband six years, and died in the year 17049. Thurloe, Vol. VI, p. 706. P Life of Buckingham, prefixed to Evans's edition of his Works. 427 CHAPTER XXVII. STATE OF IRELAND.-TRIALS OF THE REBELS.- INTO CONNAUGHT. LOWER ORDERS OF CATHOLICS CONTINUE IN THEIR FORMER ABODES. —DILIGENCE AND ZEAL OF THE CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD.-NUMBER OF CATHOLICS UNDIMINISHED.-PROJECT FOR UNITING ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND IRELAND.-UNSETTLED STATE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND. LUDLOW AND FLEETWOOD RECALLED.-HENRY CROMWEL SENT.-HIS WISE ADMINISTRATION.-ACT FOR ABJURING THE CATHOLIC FAITH.-HENRY CROMWEL LORD DEPUTY.- ADMINISTRATION OF SCOTLAND. XXVII. Ireland. THE situation of Ireland urgently called for the CHAP. interference and care of the metropolitan government. The mass of the population of that coun- State of try had been in arms against the parliament ever since the autumn of 1641. The war had commenced in the most criminal excesses. It was a war of Catholics against a Protestant ascendancy, which claimed to have the rule over them. The insurgents had organised a government of their IV. 1649. Charles the Second invited thither. BOOK own at Kilkenny, and extended their authority over the greater part of the soil; and, after many contests in the field with various success, Ormond announced to Charles the Second a few weeks after the death of his father, that three fourths of the population of the island were ready to receive him with open arms". By the vigorous exertions and the talents of the republican generals all this was shortly after reversed. Cromwel was appointed lord lieutenant for the parliament in June 1649; and, after two campaigns of uninterrupted victory, the war was terminated by the surrender of Galway on the sixth of April 1652b. 1652. Conclusion of the war. The Irish population hostile to the com The question next to be considered was how the parliament of England should best preserve monwealth. the conquest they had achieved. The Irish nation was subdued; they were no longer any where able to make head against the victors. But the mind of Ireland was no less hostile than before; her people were more exasperated against the sectaries that had conquered them, than they had ever been against the royal government that had preceded. The measures which had been employed by Cromwel and Ireton to overcome their resistance, were little calculated to reduce them into loyal and obedient subjects. Antipathy between the Catholics and Protestants. A circumstance which rendered the question of Ireland at this time particularly arduous, was a See above, Vol. III, p. 139. b Ibid, p. 325. |