48, he besieged the town
and compelled its acquiescence. In 1649 he reduced Sligo. On Ormonde's
departure in December 1650 Clanricarde was appointed deputy
lord-lieutenant, but he was not trusted by the Roman Catholics, and was
unable to stem the tide of the parliamentary successes. In 1651 he
opposed the offer of Charles, duke of Lorraine, to supply money and aid
on condition of being acknowledged "Protector" of the kingdom. In May
1652 Galway surrendered to the parliament, and in June Clanricarde
signed articles with the parliamentary commissioners which allowed his
departure from Ireland. In August he was excepted from pardon for life
and estate, but by permits, renewed from time to time by the council, he
was enabled to remain in England for the rest of his life, and in 1653
L500 a year was settled upon him by the council of state in
consideration of the protection which he had given to the Protestants in
Ireland at the time of the rebellion. He died at Somerhill in Kent in
1657 or 1658 and was buried at Tunbridge.

The "great earl," as he was called, supported Ormonde in his desire to
unite the English royalists with the more moderate Roman Catholics on
the basis of religious toleration under the authority of the sovereign,
against the papal scheme advocated by Rinuccini, and in opposition to
the parliamentary and Puritan policy. By the author of the _Aphorismical
Discovery_, who represents the opinion of the native Irish, he is
denounced as the "masterpiece of the treasonable faction," "a foe to his
king, nation and religion," and by the duke of Lorraine as "a traitor
and a base fellow"; but there is no reason to doubt Clarendon's opinion
of him as "a person of unquestionable fidelity. . . and of the most
eminent constancy to the Roman Catholic religion of any man in the three
kingdoms," or the verdict of Hallam, who describes him "as perhaps the
most unsullied character in the annals of Ireland."

He married Lady Anne Compton, daughter of William Compton, 1st earl of
Northampton, but had issue only one daughter. On his death, accordingly,
the marquessate and the English peerages became extinct, the Irish
titles reverting to his cousin Richard, 6th earl, grandson of the 3rd
earl of Clanricarde. Henry, the 12th earl (1742-1797), was again created
a marquess in 1789, but the marquessate expired at his death without
issue, the earldom going to his brother. In 1825 the 14th earl
(1802-1874) was created a marquess; he