gdoms; for which purpose, the
sentiments of Sir Kenelm Digby and Sir John Winter were sounded,[a] and
conferences were held, through the agency of the Spanish ambassador,
with O'Reilly and Quin, two Irish ecclesiastics.[b] It was proposed that
toleration should be granted for the exercise of the Catholic worship,
without any penal disqualifications, and that the Catholics in return
should disclaim the temporal pretensions of the pope, and maintain ten
thousand men for the service of the commonwealth.

In aid of this project, Digby, Winter, and the Abbe Montague were suffered
to come to England under the pretence of compounding for their estates; and
the celebrated Thomas White, a secular clergyman, published a work entitled
"The Grounds of Obedience and Government," to show that the people may be
released from their obedience to the civil magistrate by his misconduct;
and that, when he is once deposed (whether justly or unjustly makes no
difference), it may be for the common interest to acquiesce in his removal,
rather than attempt his restoration.

That this doctrine was satisfactory to the men in power, cannot be doubted;
but they had so often reproached the late king with a coalition with the
papists, that they dared not to make the experiment, and after some time,
to blind perhaps the eyes of the people, severe votes were passed against

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1649. March.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1649. April.]

Digby, Montague, and Winter, and orders were given for the apprehension of
priests and Jesuits.[1]

In Ireland an attempt was made to fortify the parliamentary party with
the friendly aid of O'Neil.[a] That chieftain had received proposals
from Ormond, but his jealousy of the commissioners of trusts, his
former adversaries, provoked him to break off the treaty with the lord
lieutenant,[b] and to send a messenger of his own with a tender of his
services to Charles.[c] Immediately the earl of Castlehaven, by order of
Ormond, attacked and reduced his garrisons of Maryborough and Athy;[d] and
O'Neil, in revenge, listened to the suggestions of Monk, who had retired
before the superior force of the Scottish royalists from Belfast to
Dundalk.[e] A cessation of hostilities was concluded for three months;[f]
and the proposals of the Irish chieftain, modified by Monk, were
transmitted to England for the ratification of parliament. By the
"grandees" it was thought imprudent to submit them to an examination, which
would make