A letter from His Grace James, Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in answer to the Right Honourable Arthur, Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy-Seal, his observations and reflections upon the Earl of Castlehaven's Memoires concerning the rebellion of Ireland : printed from the original, with an answer to it by the Right Honourable the Earl of Anglesey.

A letter from His Grace James, Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in answer to the Right Honourable Arthur, Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy-Seal, his observations and reflections upon the Earl of Castlehaven's Memoires concerning the rebellion of Ireland : printed from the original, with an answer to it by the Right Honourable the Earl of Anglesey.

Table of contents

[1]

Title page

A LETTER From His GRACE JAMES DUKE OF ORMOND, &c.

[2]

Title page

A LETTER From the Right Honourable ARTHUR EARL OF ANGLESEY, &c.

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[Page]

[Page]

A LETTER From His GRACE JAMES DUKE OF ORMOND, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, In Anſwer to the Right Honourable ARTHUR EARL OF ANGLESEY Lord Privy-Seal, HIS OBSERVATIONS and REFLECTIONS Upon the EARL of Caſtlehaven's Memoires Concerning the REBELLION of IRELAND.

Printed from the Original, with an Anſwer to it, by the Right Honourable the Earl of Angleſey.

LONDON, Printed for N. P. MDCLXXXII.

A LETTER From His GRACE JAMES DUKE OF ORMOND, &c.

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My Lord,

IT is now, I think, more than a year ſince I firſt ſaw a little BOOK written by way of Letter, called, Obſervations and Reflections on my Lord of Caſtle-Haven's Memoires: Wherein, though there are ſome things that might lead the Reader to believe that your Lordſhip was the AUTHOR yet there were many more I thought impoſſible ſhould come from you: For it affirms many Matters of Fact poſitively, which are eaſily and authentically to be diſproved: And from thoſe Matters of Fact, groſly miſtaken, it deduces Conſequences, raiſes Inferences, and ſcatters Glances injurious to the memory of the Dead, and the Honours of ſome Living: Among thoſe that by the Bleſſing of God are yet living, I find my ſelf worſt Treated; Twenty years after the Kings Reſtauration, and Forty after the beginning of the Iriſh Rebellion, as if it had been all that while reſerved for me, and for ſuch Times as theſe we are fallen into, when Calumny, (though the Matter of it be never ſo groundleſs and improbable,) meets with Credulity; and when Liberty is taken to aſperſe Men, and Repreſent them to the World under the monſtrous and odious Figures of Papiſts, or Popiſhly affected: Not becauſe they are ſo thought by thoſe that employ the Repreſenters, but, becauſe they are known to be too good Proteſtants, and too Loyal Subjects, to joyn in the Deſtruction of the Crown and Church: Beſides, the Treatiſe came forth, and muſt have been written, when I had but newly received Repeated Aſſurances of the continuance of your Friendſhip to me, wherein, as in one of your Letters, you are pleaſed to ſay, you had never made a falſe ſtep; for theſe Reaſons I was not willing to believe that Book to be your Lordſhips Compoſing, and hoped ſome of the Suborned Libellers of the Age had endeavoured to Imitate your Lordſhip, and not you them; but I was in a while after, firſt by my Son [Page] Arran, and afterwards by the Bearer, Sir Robert Reading, aſſured your Lordſhip had owned to them that the Piece was yours, but profeſt the Publication to be without your Order, and that you did not intend to do, or think that you had done me any injury or prejudice: If your Lordſhip really thought ſo, the Publication might have been owned as well as what was Publiſhed: But then let the World Judge, whether Pen, Ink, and Paper are not dangerous Tools in your Hands? When I was thus aſſured your Lordſhip was the Author, it coſt me ſome thoughts how to vindicate Truth, my Maſter the late King, my ſelf, my Actions and Family, all Reflected on, and traduced by that Pamphlet; I found my ſelf ingaged in the Service of our preſent King, and that in a Time of difficulty and danger, and in ſuch Times for the moſt part it has been my lot to be Employed in Publick Affairs; and though I had not been ſo taken up, yet I well knew that Writing upon ſuch Occaſions is no more my Talent, than it is my Delight: And to ſay truth, my indiſpoſition to the exerciſe might help to perſwade me, that the Book, though honoured with your Lordſhips Name, would, after it had performed its Office in Coffee-Houſes, and ſerved your Lordſhips Deſign in that Conjuncture, expire; as Writings of that nature and force uſually do: And herein I reſted, without troubling my ſelf, or any body elſe, with Animadverſions upon your Lordſhips miſtakes, which are ſo many, and ſo obvious, that I wonder how you could fall into them. I will add to this, that I have been in expectation that by this time your Compleat Hiſtory would have come forth, wherein, if I may judge by the Pattern, I have juſt cauſe to ſuſpect that neither the Subject or my ſelf will be more juſtly dealt with, than in that occaſional Eſſay, and I would have been glad to have ſeen all my Work before me, in caſe I ſhould think fit to make a Work of it. The delay of your Publiſhing that Hiſtory, and the conſideration of your Lordſhips Age and mine, are the occaſions of this Letter, whereby I inform you, that as no man now alive is better able than I am to give an account of the Principal Tranſactions during the Rebellion in Ireland; ſo no man is poſſeſſed of more Authentick Commiſſions, Inſtruments, and Papers; all which, or Tranſcripts of them, you might have Commanded, before you ſet forth your Reflections: But poſſibly to have ſtayed for them, might have loſt you a ſeaſonable opportunity of Publiſhing your abhorrence of the Iriſh Rebellion, and your Zeal againſt Popery: What your Lordſhip might then have had, you may yet have, becauſe I had rather help to prevent than detect Errours, but then I muſt firſt know to what particular part of your Hiſtory you deſire Information, and how you deliver thoſe parts to the World and to Poſterity. If after this Offer your Lordſhip ſhall proceed to the Concluſion and Publication of your Hiſtory, and not accept of it, I muſt before-hand Appeal from you, as from an Incompetent Judge of my Actions, and a partially engaged and an unfaithful Hiſtorian.

My Lord,

Your Lordſhips moſt Humble Servant, ORMOND.

Dublin, 12. Nov. 1681.

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[Page]

A LETTER From the Right Honourable ARTHUR EARL OF ANGLESEY Lord Privy-Seal, In Anſwer to his GRACE the DUKE of ORMOND'S Letter of November the 12th. 1681.

About his Lordſhips Obſervations and Reflections upon the EARL of Caſtle-Haven's Memoires, concerning the Rebellion of Ireland.

LONDON, Printed for N. P. 1682.

A LETTER From the Right Honourable ARTHUR EARL OF ANGLESEY, &c.

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[Page]

My Lord,

YOUR Graces of the 12th of November, I received towards the end of that Month, and was not a little ſurprized, after being threatned above a year with your Graces Anſwer to the Obſervations and Reſtections on my Lord Caſtle-Haven's Memoires, which your Grace takes notice you had ſeen above a year before; to find them only moſt Satyrically burleſqued, and my intentions in the Writing of them moſt unnaturally miſinterpreted and misjudged, without giving inſtance of any one particular, which could ſo much tranſport your Grace, or intereſt you to judge of a Letter of mine to another, with ſo invective heat and miſtake.

Your Graces Letter therefore conſiſting only of Generals, I can no otherwiſe adapt my Anſwer, (after a moſt ſerious reviſion of my Book upon this Occaſion) but by [Page] giving the reverſe of your Graces ſtrain'd and erronious Affirmatives by my plain and true Negatives, till your Grace ſhall adminiſter occaſion, by Communicating the particular Animadverſions your Grace hath been (as I hear) ſo long about.

The Reaſons leading your Grace to believe it impoſſible I could be the Author of that Diſcourſe, I cannot admit, though they import a fair Opinion of me; and that in the beginning of your Letter your Grace had better thoughts than when your Hand was in and heated.

I do therefore abſolutely deny that I affirm any Matters of Fact poſitively in that Book, which are eaſily or authentically (or at all) to be diſproved.

Or that from thoſe Matters of Fact, groſly miſtaken, it deduces Conſequences, raiſes Inferences, and ſcatters Glances injurious to the memory of the Dead, and the Honour of ſome living; among which your Grace finds your ſelf worſt treated.

This being ſo, your Graces unjuſt Inferences from the time of its Writing, and the misjudging the deſign of the Author, give no countenance or occaſion to your Graces Rhetorical Character of the Times, though I joyn in all, but the Opinion your Grace ſeems to have taken up that there is a Plot, (other than that of the Papiſts) to deſtroy the Crown and Church; a Diſcovery worthy the making, if your Grace knows, and believes what you Write; but how I am concerned to have it mentioned to me, I know not, your Grace can beſt tell what you intend to inſinuate thereby.

Theſe are your Graces Reaſons why you were not willing to believe that Book to be of my Compoſing, yet you cannot leave me without a ſting, in your expreſſing the hopes which ſucceeded them, viz. That ſome of the Suborned Libellers of the Age had endeavoured to imitate me, and not I them.

Whether I ſhould imitate Suborned Libellers, or they me, would be all one for my Reputation; becauſe I were groſly Criminal in the firſt, and muſt have been ſo before [Page] in your Graces Opinion, or they could not imitate me in the ſecond: Your Grace will want Inſtances in both, except this of your own making; and therefore there muſt be ſome other reaſon why your Grace did not believe (if really you did not) that Diſcourſe to be of my compoſure.

But this admitted for truth (as it is undoubtedly) your Grace in the next place calls the World to judge whether Pen, Ink, and Paper, are not dangerous Tools in my Hands.

I remember the Times, when they were ſerviceable to the Kings Reſtoration, and conſtant Service of the Crown, or craved in aid by your Grace, that you did not account them ſo; and it is much to my ſafety that they are not ſo in your Graces Hands, though I find them as ſharp there as in any mans alive.

Your Grace being at length aſſured I was the Author, your next care was to ſpend ſome thoughts to vindicate Truth, the late King, your ſelf, your Actions, and Family, all reflected upon, and traduced (as your Grace is pleaſed to fancy) by that Pamphlet.

But your Grace had no cauſe to trouble your thoughts with ſuch Vindications, unleſs you could ſhew where in that Book they are reflected upon and traduced, no ſuch thing occurring to me (upon the ſtricteſt reviſal) nor ever ſhall be objected to me with Juſtice and Truth.

After your Grace hath brought it to the Coffee-Houſes, (where I believe it never was till your Grace prefered it to that Office) and where you have doomed it to expire, as Writings of that Nature and force uſe (you ſay) to do (for which I ſhall not be at all concerned) you reſted without troubling your ſelf or any body elſe with Animadverſions upon my miſtakes, which your Grace is pleaſed to ſay are ſo many and ſo obvious (though you name none, nor do they occur to others) that you wonder how I could fall into them.

If your Grace believe your ſelf in this, you ſeem to have forgot the long time you ſpent in conſidering and animadverting upon that deſpicable Pamphlet, with your [Page] Labours whereon I was threatned by ſome of your Graces Relations for many Months; and your Grace hath redeemed the delay, by the virulent general Reflections you have now ſent me, which yet I doubt not will evaporate or ſhrink to nothing, when your Grace ſhall ſeek for Inſtances to back them, whereof if you can find any, I claim in Juſtice they may be ſent me.

Your Grace adds, That you have been in expectation that by this time my compleat Hiſtory would have come forth; wherein (if you may judge by the pattern) your Grace ſaith, you have juſt cauſe to ſuſpect, that neither the Subject nor your ſelf will be more juſtly dealt with than in that occaſional Eſſay; and therefore offer me all the helps of Authentick Commiſſions, Tranſactions and Papers your Grace is poſſeſſed of, whereof you inform me none hath more.

This is an anticipating Jealousie, which no man living can have ground for; and when my Hiſtory ſhall be compleated (which is now delayed for thoſe Aſſiſtances your Grace is ſo well able, and ſo freely offers to afford me) though my weakneſs may be expoſed, my Integrity and Impartiality ſhall appear, and your unjuſt ſuſpicion will, I doubt not, ceaſe, if Truth may be welcome to you, and not accounted one of the dangerous Inſtruments in my Hand; by which having incurred your Anger and Enmity in the firſt Eſſay, I have ſlender hopes to be more acceptable in the ſecond; though I reſolve to hold to the firſt approved Law of a good and faithful Hiſtorian, which is, That he ſhould not dare to ſay any thing that is falſe; and that he dare not but ſay any thing that is true, that there be not ſo much as ſuſpicion of favour or hatred in his Writing.

And this might give a Superſedeas to your Graces unſeaſonable Appeal, before a Gravamen; though I never intended, by relating the truth of things paſt, to become a Judge of your Graces or any other mans actions, but barely Res geſtas Narrare, for the information, correction, and inſtruction of this Age and Poſterity.

Your Grace deſiring to know to what particular parts of [Page] my Hiſtory I would have Information, I ſhall at preſent only mention theſe.

The Intrigues of the Ceſſation, and Commiſſions for them and the two Peaces of 1646. and 1648. forced upon the King by the Rebellious Iriſh.

The grounds and tranſactions about depriving Sir William Parſons from being one of the Lords Juſtices, and then diſmiſſing him, Sir Adam Loftus Vice-Treaſurer, Sir John Temple Maſter of the Rolls, Sir Robert Meredith Chancellor of the Exchequer, &c. from the Council-Table.

The Myſtery of Glamorgan's Peace, and his Puniſhment.

The ſeveral ungrateful Expulſions of your Grace by the Confederate Roman Catholicks.

The paſſages concerning the Parliaments Preſent of a Jewel to your Grace.

The Battles, Reliefs, Seiges, and Chief Encounters in your Graces time.

The Proceedings between your Grace and the Roman Catholick Aſſembly of the Clergy in 1666. with the Commiſſion for their Sitting.

The Plot for ſurprizing the Caſtle of Dublin, in which Warren and others were, with the Examinations, and what Offenders were Executed, &c.

And any thing elſe your Grace judgeth of import to have conveyed to Poſterity.

Other parts of the Hiſtory ſhall be propoſed to your Grace in my Progreſs, and before I put my laſt Hand to it, with a reſolution, that though I may have been ſometimes miſtaken in Judgment: yet as I never did promote the report of a Matter of Fact which I knew to be falſe, ſo I never would.

Which I am induced the rather to mention, becauſe your Grace ſaith, you had rather help to prevent, than to detect Errors.

My Lord,

Your Graces moſt humble Servant ANGLESEY.

Information about this book

Title statement

A letter from His Grace James, Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in answer to the Right Honourable Arthur, Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy-Seal, his observations and reflections upon the Earl of Castlehaven's Memoires concerning the rebellion of Ireland : printed from the original, with an answer to it by the Right Honourable the Earl of Anglesey.

Ormonde, James Butler, Duke of, 1610-1688.

Edition statement

1682

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A53438

ID [STC]

Wing O449

ID [STC]

ESTC R41464

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

31355396

ID [OCLC]

ocm 31355396

ID [VID]

110441

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A53438)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 110441)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1751:4)

Source

— A letter from His Grace James, Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in answer to the Right Honourable Arthur, Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy-Seal, his observations and reflections upon the Earl of Castlehaven's Memoires concerning the rebellion of Ireland : printed from the original, with an answer to it by the Right Honourable the Earl of Anglesey., Ormonde, James Butler, Duke of, 1610-1688., Anglesey, Arthur Annesley, Earl of, 1614-1686. Letter from the Right Honourable Arthur, Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy-Seal, in answer to His Grace the Duke of Ormond's letter of November the 12th, 1681..

Extent

4, 7 p.

Printed for N.P.,. London :: MDCLXXXII [1682]. ("A letter from the Right Honourable Arthur Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy-Seal, in answer to His Grace the Duke of Ormond's letter of November the 12th 1681 ..." has special t.p. and separate paging, and has been filmed and cataloged separately, as Wing A3172, at reel 444:17.) (Reproduction of original in the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Campus). Library.)

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