THE

HISTORY OF IRELAND.

CHAPTER I.

Accession of George the First-Public affairs committed entirely to the whigs-The command of the army restored to the duke of Marlborough-Archbishop of Dublin and earl of Kildare appointed lords justices, during the absence of the earl of Sunderland, now lord lieutenant-Meeting of parliamentA price set on the pretender's head--Bill of attainder against the duke of Ormond- Zeal and affection for the king's person and government-The pretender proclaimed in the north of England-Battle at Dunblaine-Disappointment of his partisansTranquillity of Ireland-Cause of Hester Shirlock and Maurice Annesly-Decree of the court of Exchequer reversed upon appeal, by the Irish peers -Confirmed by the English peers-Consequent resolutions of the former-Their address to his majesty -Resolutions of the British house of lords-Bill prepared and passed for securing the dependency of Ireland upon the crown of Great Britain-Mortification of the Irish at this statute-Clamour and indignation on account of Wood's copper coinage -Address of the Irish parliament to his majesty on the subject-Report of the English privy council in favour of the coinage-Patent revoked-Partiality of English historians-Drapiers' letters by dean Swift-Lord Carteret appointed lord lieute

nant-Character of primate Boulter, lord justice— Death of the king.

GEORGE, son of Earnest Augustus, elector of Brunswick, and Sophia, grand-daughter of James I. was, without opposition, proclaimed and acknowledged king in Britain and Ireland, agreeable to the act of settlement.. As he was a sensible man, inclined to business, had obtained experience from age, and was attached to the principles of the revolution, very fa vourable expectations were formed of the wisdom and rectitude of his government. The tories, as they had every reason to expect, were rejected from his counsels: public affairs were entirely committed to the whigs, the men who had placed him on the throne and upon whose assistance only he could, with confidence and security, depend for support. The duke of Ormond was dismissed from the command of the army, which the king restored to the duke of Marlborough. Sir Constantine Phipps, and the archbishop of Armagh were also removed from the office of lords justices, and their places filled by the archbishop of Dublin and the earl of Kildare, during the absence of the earl of Sunderland, now appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland. On the 12th of November, 1715, the Irish parliament met; when, warmly attached to his majesty, and to the principles of his government, they recognised the title of the house of Hanover to the crown. Towards the conclusion of the late reign, a bill had been brought into the Irish parliament to attaint the pretender: but, queen Anne, by the counsel of her ministers, prorogued the parliament to prevent this bill from passing into a law. The same influence prevailed with her majesty to disband a great part of the army in Ireland, that no effectual opposition might be given by the revolutioners to the schemes then designed to be carried into execution. The commons now resolved, that whoever advised these unconstitutional measures,

Arthur earl of Anglesea in particular, were enemies to the succession, as by law established in the illustrious house of Hanover, to the protestant religion and friends to the pretender. They set a price on the head of the pretender, and passed a bill of attainder against the duke of Ormond, whose principles were at this time considered particularly obnoxious. All those who had addressed the late queen in favour of Sir Constantine Phipps, the then lord chancellor of Ireland, were brought upon their knees, and censured as guilty of a breach of privilege. They desired the lords justices to issue a proclamation against the popish inhabitants of Limerick and Galway, who, presuming upon the capitulation, signed by king William, claimed an exemption from the penalties imposed upon other papists. They likewise resolved that an address should be presented to the lords justices to recommend the corporation of Dublin to his majesty for a mark of royal favour, to perpetuate the virtue and faithful services of the aldermen and sheriffs, which, in the late contest for the choice of a lord mayor, had been so remarkable. Being informed by the lords justices that, in an express from one of the secretaries of state, it was intimated that Ireland would be suddenly invaded, the commons addressed his majesty, expressing their abhorrence of this design, their intention of using every means in order to defeat it, and their zeal and affection for his person and government. Immediately after this proof of their loyalty, they entered into an association for the defence of the king

The duke of Ormond and lord viscount Bollingbroke having omitted to surrender themselves within the time limited, the British house of lords ordered the earl marshal to erase out of the list of peers their names and armorial bearings. Inventories were taken of their personal estates; and the duke's achievement, as knight of the garter, was taken down from St. George's chapel at Windsor. It must excite indignation to reflect upon the ruin of the noble family of Ormond, in the person of a brave, generous, and humane nobleman, who had given signal proofs of affection for his country, as well as of personal courage, and to whom no crime was imputed, but that of having obeyed the commands of his sovereign.