the lords justices continued in the administration of Ireland, such presentments were made with extreme rigour, to the great grievance of the reca sants and comparatively small emolument of the crown. In the year 1633 lord Wentworth, afterwards earl of Strafford, succeeded the lords justices in the government of Ireland. Few characters have been more the subject both of censure and pane gyric than that of lord Wentworth; his enemic and his admirers having both carefully inspected it. He assumed his government with a mind and affection fixed on one single object, the immediate interest of his royal master. Ireland he considered as a conquered country in every sense of the word; and from this crude conception he deduced a consequence at once ridiculous and detestable, that the subjects of that country had without distinction forfeited the rights of men and citizens; and that for whatever they were permitted to enjoy they de pended solely upon the royal grace. Such mea he was naturally disposed to treat with contempt; and even the most distinguished of the Irish subjects were of little consequence in the eye of a imperious nobleman used to the magnificence of the English court, distinguished even in the crowd of exalted personages, and known to enjoy an extraordinary portion of the royal favour. Assuming the reins of government with such prejudices and passions, it is not to be wondered that his arrogance and haughtiness manifested themselves even to his own party on the first day of his landing in Ireland. Through his machinetions while he was yet in England, the catholics of Ireland had been cajoled to offer the king half a subsidy, upon consideration of all further prosec tion upon the statute of Elizabeth II. being respited till the arrival of lord Wentworth. Lord Antrim, then one of the principal leaders of the catholic party, wrote to England to that effect, on behalf of himself and the other catholics. The arrogance of Wentworth was however such, that he omitted to ummon several members of the council; and on he first day, after making them wait for above two ours, he negligently, and without any apology, aprised them of the cause of their being summoned; hich was, to continue the contribution. On the ollowing day, when they evinced some displeasure t the continuance of the contribution, he superiliously assured them in plain terms that no neessity induced him to take them in council on hat business; for that, rather than fail in so necesary a duty to his master, he would upon the peril f his head engage to make the king's army able subsist and provide for themselves among them vithout their help. This menacing allusion to be odious practice of free quarters had its effect; nd he procured a written promise for the next ear's contribution from the protestants, as it had hat year proceeded from the catholics, who ought, e tauntingly said, to be more forward in their eadiness to serve the king. The first step of Wentworth's administration as to summon a parliament, which he took espeial care should be composed of such creatures as uited his arrogant views. When this parliament ad met, he informed them that "his majesty exected 100,0001. debt to be discharged, and 0,000l. a year constant and standing revenue to e set apart for the payment of the army: and that is majesty intended to have two sessions of that arliament, the one for himself, the other for them; them; so as, if they without conditions supplied the king in this, they might be sure his majesty would go along with them in the next meeting, through all the expressions of a gracious and good king." The commons, relying upon the promises of the deputy, voted six entire subsidies, amounting to 240,000l., a sum far exceeding his most sanguine expectations; and in return they drew up a remonstrance concerning his majesty's promised graces, particularly in relation to the inquiry into defective titles, and deputed sir George Radcliffe master of the rolls, sir James Ware, and nine other respectable members, to present it to the deputy. Soon after the meeting of the second ses A. D. sion of this parliament, the commons were 1634. ordered into the presence chamber to receive the lord deputy's answer. He informe them with sullen imperiousness that he would n transmit to England the statute 21 Jacobi; bt that such refusal was his own; their request nev.: having been so much as sent over by him: th passing this act to prevent inquiry, was not ge and expedient for the kingdom at that time; a so they were to rest satisfied, without stirring a more, as to that particular, as a thing which co not nor would be departed f.om. The subsequent conduct of the deputy cle proved what he meant by the inexperliency to kingdom; for he instantly set about his grand favourite plan of inquisition into the king's tit the whole province of Connaught. His p was nothing less than to subvert the title to e estate in every part of Connaught, and to est.. a new plantation through the whole province this purpose he had opposed the confirmati the royal graces transmitted to lord Faulklənd taken to himself the odium of so flagrant a violation of the royal promise.The parliament was now at an end, and the deputy was at leisure to execute a scheme, which, as it was offensive and alarming, required a cautious and deliberate procedure. The deputy first proceeded at the head of the commissioners of plantation to the western' province. He had previously intimidated the county of Leitrim into a recognition of the king's title, and submission to a plantation. He next entered upon Roscommon; and there the king's title was unexceptionably found without scruple or hesitation. On these occasions Wentworth told the juries, that his majesty's intention in establishing his undoubted title was to make them a rich and civil people; that he proposed not to deprive them of their just possessions, but to invest them with a considerable part of his own; that he needed not their interposition to vindicate his right, which might be established in the usual course of law upon an information of intrusion; but he wished his people to share with him in the honour and profit of the glorious work he was then about to execute. To his majesty, he said, it was indifferent, whether their verdict should deny or find his title. If they were inclined to truth and their own interests, they were to find the title for the king; if to do that which was simply best for his majesty without regard to their own good, he advised them roughly and pertinaciously to deny to find any title at all. Mayo and Sligo followed the example of Roscommon, and found for the king. But the Galway jury, less pliant, did not find the king's title; and the deputy punished their boldness by fining them 40001. each, and seizing their estates and persons until the fines were paid. The sheriff also VOL. XXI. 2 B was was fined one thousand pounds for returning such a jury. Complaints of the harsh, imperious, and unjust conduct of Wentworth reached the ear of the English monarch; but his influence upon the mind of his royal master was proof against all the efforts of his adversaries. He was indeed recalled: but upon representing his own case to the king, he was more fully than before confirmed in his station, under the more honourable title of lord lieutenant; he was also honoured with the order of the garter, and created earl of Strafford. He returned to his government with the same principles, and pursued the same conduct. In the mean time the king's necessities obliged him to call parlia ments both in England and Ireland; and although the Irish parliament readily voted six more subsi dies, the commons presented a very strong remo strance, setting forth in fourteen separate artic the grievances that nation then laboured under. Strafford being justly alarmed at the progress and conduct of the Scotch covenanters, and pe ceiving the critical posture of the king's affa both in England and Scotland, raised a body nine thousand men in Ireland, eight thousand which were Roman catholics, upon whose loya and zeal he knew he could rely. At the same ti he was not unconscious that in England he represented, and with good reason, as obnoxious this body of men; yet he still laboured privately persuade the king, that the Irish if left to the choice would not have any other general than hi self. The committee appointed to convey remonstrance of the Irish to London had howe been received with particular favour by the po lar party, who expected considerable assista |