Page 185 - Transcriptions d'actes notariés - Tome 20 - 1682-1686

Charles still regarded lreland as one ut his few remeining sources
of strength; an aseet whieh gave hiin a real, if tenuous bargaining
position. Parliament, as usual? could be euntent with nothing lcsa than
a free hand in Ireland.
By October 20, 1643, after Charles had niade sonie fin-eepine. if
sornewhat spurious eoneesaions to the Parlianieniarians, p rogreM hail
been made towards aome kind 01 fiettlenient. But on tbat date the
Commons heard that the King's agent, Ormonde, WB9 negotiating a
peaee with the Irish and irnmediately denianded that Charles repudiate
Ormonde.(Yd) Charles' answer wes evasive iind on Nov. 11th the Housea
again demanded a clear-eut repudiation. One observer w rote that "The
Housea are much staggr'd at the Proceedings in Ireland and doe almosi
give al1 their part for lost there."[3" To this the King replied that on
the eonclusion of the treaty he would eondemn Ormonde's activities
"Rut until such a Conclusion, His blajesty desires he may not be further
pressed in khis particular." The Parliarnentary cornrnissjoners, perhaps
mindful of the effect oE such statcments on ~he more inflammable sections
of the House of Cornrnons and the New Model Arrny, pointed out that
the King's answer "relates only to the fnture, and will be jnterpreted
ko be in the rnean tirne a countenaneing and approving of those Proceed-
ings: n-hich se humbly desire your Majesty to take into Four seriuus
eonsideratiun. . ."'")
On Novernber 25th Charles retreated and made public a letter to
Ormonde telling hini to stop the negotiation with the Irish. But Charle3
had vet to deal with the real holders of power on tbe Parliameniary eide.
On the sarne day the gencral eouncil of offieers of the New Model
urdered the arrest of the King in order khat he inigbt he "proceeded
apainst in a due way of j~stiee."i~~)
In this paper an attempt has heen made to show the injluenee of
a vested interest on the polities of the English Civil War. The Irish
Adventurer interest aiiwled relations between the King and the Parlia-
mcnt from the outset and greatly reduced the possibility of agreement
between Charlcs and hjs opponents. It was of consjderable significance
too in the reletions lietween the Long Parliament and London. The
alliance betwmn Parlimrnt and the Scots was at the outset etrengthened
and later weakened by a common interest in Ireland.
If, as has been asserted by some historians, Charleri I'e negutiations
with the Irish implanted a reasonable fear in Protestant hearts of the
conquest oi England by an army of Irish "Pa ists", that iear was not
unmixed with a due concern over the safety O f invcstments.

(34) Journsls of ibe Houe of Lords, I., p. 569.
(35) Bodleian. Clarendon S~ate Pariera. 31/f. 290.
. .- ..
(301 ~ournals'of the House of Lordri, =., p. 597.
(37) Ibid., p. 614.