calling them home to better preferments here. That no particular complaint of injustice or oppression be admitted here against any unless it appear the party made his first address to the deputy.-That no confirmation of any reversion of offices within that kingdom be had, or any new grant of a reversion hereafter to pass. -That no new office be erected within that kingdom before such time as the deputy be therewith acquainted, his opinion first required, and certified back accordingly. That the places in the deputy's gift, as well of the civil as the martial list, be left freely to his dispose; and that his majesty will be graciously pleased not to pass them to any upon suit made unto him here."1

Lord Wentworth further required and obtained, in the shape of supplementary private propositions, the following:

"That all propositions moving from the deputy touching matters of revenue may be directed to the lord treasurer of England, without acquainting the rest of the committee for Irish affairs.2-That the address of all other dispatches for that kingdom be, by special direction of his majesty, applied to one of the secretaries

1 I have already alluded to the limitation under which this proposition was acceded to by the king. Charles was to make the grants conditionally to the applicants, and Wentworth was to concede or refuse them as the good of the service required. "Yet so too," stipulated the king, as I may have thanks howsoever; that if there be any thing to be denied, you may do it, not I."-Strafford Papers, vol. i. p. 140.

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2 Reasons are subjoined to each proposition. As a specimen I quote from the few lines appended to the above :-"Thus shall his majesty's profits go more stilly and speedily to their ends without being unseasonably vented as they pass along; and the deputy not only preserved but encouraged to deliver his opinion freely and plainly upon all occasions, when he is assured to have it kept secret and in few and safe hands."

singly.—That the lord viscount Falkland be required to deliver in writing in what condition he conceives his majesty's revenue and the government of that kingdom now stand, together with a particular of such designs for advancing his majesty's service, as were either unbegun or unperfected by him when he left the place, as also his advice how they may be best pursued and effected."

Not even content with these vast and extraordinary powers and precautions, lord Wentworth engaged for another condition-the most potent and remarkable of al—that he was to consider them changeable on the spot whenever the advancement of his majesty's affairs required. "Your lordship may rest assured," writes secretary Cooke, “that no mediation shall prevail with his majesty to exempt the lord Balfour from the rest of the opposers of the contributions, but that he will be left with the rest to the censure of your justice. And I am persuaded, that in this and all the rest of your proceedings for his service, his princely resolution will support you, if the rest of your friends here do their duties in their true representation thereof unto him. As your speedy passage for Ireland is most necessary for that government, so your safety concerneth his majesty's honour no less than your own. It is therefore found reasonable, that you expect captain Plumleigh, who, with this fair weather, will come about in a short time, (so as it may be hoped) he will prevent your coming to that port, where you appoint to come aboard. Your instructions (as you know) as well as the establishment are changeable upon occasions for advancement of the affairs. And as

1 "This I will have done by secretary Cooke," so written by the king himself upon the original paper.

you will be careful not to change without cause, so when you find it necessary, his majesty will conform them by his wisdom to that he findeth fit upon your advice. For my service in any thing that may tend to further your noble ends, besides the duty of my place and trust, the confidence you repose in me, and the testimony you give thereof, are so obligatory, that I must forget myself much, if you find not my professions made good. For the Yorkshire business, in the castigation of those mad men and fools1 which are so apt to fall upon you, that course which yourself, the lord Cottington, and Mr. attorney resolve upon, is here also taken, that prosecution may be made in both courts. I find your vice-president a young man of good understanding and counsellable, and very forward to promote his majesty's service.2 The secretary is also a discreet well-tempered man.' "3

1 These "mad men and fools" were "sir John Bouchier and his complices," who soon received their most unjust judgment. This passage will serve to prove the value of Wentworth's answer to this matter, also urged against him afterwards on his impeachment. "For the sentence against sir John Bouchier, the defendant was not at all acquainted with it, being then in Ireland!"-See Rushworth, vol. ii. p. 161. It is to be observed at the same time that the commons had not the advantage of the present evidence.

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2 Edward Osborne had been finally chosen by Wentworth. passage in the following extract from a letter of sir William Pennyman's shows that the latter had been previously thought of for the office :—“My servant can best satisfy your lordship of the good health of Mr. William and Mrs. Anne, for he saw them both before his journey; they have been very well, and I trust will continue so. I am most willing, I wish I could say able too, to be your lordship's vice-president, but the defect of this must be supplied with the surplusage of the other."

3 Strafford Papers, vol. i. p. 93. The allusion to lord Balfour, with which the above despatch opens, requires explanation. Wentworth, who had already possessed himself of the most intimate knowledge of the state of parties and disputes in his new government, had written thus some days before to Cooke:-"I have sent here likewise unto you a letter from the lords justices, together with all the examinations taken of the lord Balfour, and the rest which

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Wentworth, notwithstanding his new dignities, had resolved not to resign the presidency of Yorkshire. And here we see, in the midst of his extraordinary preparations for his Irish government, he had yet found time to prosecute every necessary measure that had a view to the security of his old powers in the north. We gather from this letter of the secretary their general character. He celebrated his departure by some acts of vigorous power, and he wrung from the council of London such amplifications even of his large and unusual presidential commission, as might compensate for the failure of personal influence and energy consequent on his own departure.1 He pressed more especially for the settle

refused the contribution in the county of Fermanagh, by all which you will find plainly how busy the sheriff and sir William Cole have been in mutinying the country against the king's service; and I beseech you acquaint his majesty therewithal, and for the rest leave it to me when I come on the other side, and believe me, I will teach both them and others better grounds of duty and obedience to his majesty than they have shown in this wanton and saucy boldness of theirs. And so much the more careful must we be to correct this peccant humour in the first beginnings, in regard this is a great revenue, which his majesty's affairs cannot subsist without; so that we must either continue that to the crown, or get something from that people, of as much value another way; wherein I conceive it most necessary to proceed most severely in the punishment of this offence, which will still all men else for a many years after; and, therefore, if the king or yourself conceive otherwise, help me in time, or else I shall be sure to lay it on them soundly. My lord Balfour excuseth his fault, and will certainly make means to his majesty for favour, wherein under correction, if his majesty intend to prosecute the rest, I conceive it is clearly best for the service to leave him entirely to run a common fortune, as he is in a common case with the rest of those delinquents.”—Strafford Papers, vol. i. p. 87.

1 The obtaining of such a commission formed one of the articles of his after impeachment, and his answer was, that he had never sat as president after the articles were framed. But he did not deny that the power they vested was exercised by his vice-president, on the lord-president's behalf, and consequently with the full responsibility of the latter. His instrumentality in obtaining these instructions, indeed, was not directly proved; but it was proved

ment of a dispute with lord Faulconberg by a peremptory punishment of the latter: "for this you know," he wrote to the secretary, "is a public business, and myself being to leave this government for a while, desirous to settle and establish this council in their just powers and credits,

that on one occasion "the president fell upon his knees and desired his majesty to enlarge his powers, or that he might have leave to go home and lay his bones in his own cottage."-Rushworth, vol. ii. p. 161. The commission was granted immediately after. Its most terrible article was that which in every case, in distinct terms, wrested from the subject the privilege of protection in Westminster Hall, and cut him off from any share in the rights, poor and confined as they were, of the rest of his fellow subjects. During Wentworth's absence in Ireland, one judge of the exchequer, Vernon, dared to move in defiance of these monstrous restrictions. The lord deputy instantly wrote to Cottington, described Vernon's conduct, and thus proceeded :-"If this were not a goodly example in the face of a country living under the government of the president and council, for the respect and obedience due to the authority set over them by his majesty, of that awful reverence and duty which we all owe to his majesty's declared good will and pleasure under the great seal, I am much mistaken. I do, therefore, most humbly beseech this judge may be convented at the council board, and charged with these two great misdemeanors; which if he deny, I pray you say openly in council I am the person will undertake to prove them against him, and withal affirm that by these strange extravagant courses he distracts his majesty's government and affairs more than ever he will be of use unto them, and that, therefore, I am a most earnest suitor to his majesty and their lordships, that he be not admitted to go that circuit hereafter; and, indeed, I do most earnestly beseech his majesty by you, that we may be troubled no more with such a peevish indiscreet piece of flesh. I confess I disdain to see the gownmen in this sort hang their noses over the flowers of the crown, blow and snuffle upon them, till they take both scent and beauty off them; or to have them put such a prejudice upon all other sorts of men, as if none were able or worthy to be intrusted with honour and administration of justice but themselves." This is surely a characteristic betrayal of Wentworth's interest in the powers of the new commission! Some difficulties appear to have been encountered in the way of the course he proposed against this judge, for we find him at a subsequent date writing thus to the lord treasurer:-"If Mr. justice Vernon be either removed or amended in his circuit, I am very well content, being by me only considered as he is in relation to his majesty's service in those parts,-the gentleman otherwise unknown to me by injury or benefit."-See Strafford Papers, vol. i. pp. 129. 295.