.
They had on other occasions been gradually encroaching on the executive
power of the crown, which forms its principal and most natural branch
of authority; but with regard to Ireland, they at once assumed it,
fully and entirely, as if delivered over to them by a regular gift or
assignment. And to this usurpation the king was obliged passively to
submit; both because of his inability to resist, and lest he should
still more expose himself to the reproach of favoring the progress of
that odious rebellion.

The project of introducing further innovations in England being
once formed by the leaders among the commons, it became a necessary
consequence, that their operations with regard to Ireland should, all of
them, be considered as subordinate to the former, on whose success,
when once undertaken, their own grandeur, security, and even being, must
entirely depend. While they pretended the utmost zeal against the Irish
insurrection, they took no steps towards its suppression, but such as
likewise tended to give them the superiority in those commotions which,
they foresaw, must so soon be excited in England.[*]

* Clarendon, vol. ii. p, 435. Sir Ed. Walker p 6.

The extreme contempt entertained for the natives in Ireland, made the
popular leaders believe that it would be easy at any time to suppress
their rebellion, and recover that kingdom: nor were they willing to
lose, by too hasty success, the advantage which that rebellion would
afford them in their projected encroachments on the prerogative. By
assuming the total management of the war, they acquired the courtship
and dependence of every one who had any connection with Ireland, or who
was desirous of enlisting in these military enterprises: they levied
money under pretence of the Irish expedition; but reserved it for
purposes which concerned them more nearly: they took arms from the
king's magazines; but still kept them with a secret intention of
employing them against himself: whatever law they deemed necessary for
aggrandizing themselves, was voted, under color of enabling them to
recover Ireland; and if Charles withheld the royal assent, his refusal
was imputed to those pernicious counsels which had at first excited the
Popish rebellion, and which still threatened total destruction to the
Protestant interest throughout all his dominions.[*] And though no
forces were for a long time sent over to Ireland, and very little money
remitted during the extreme distr