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Mr. Plowden, who never misses an opportunity of vilifying the government, makes the following observation on the termination of this rebellion. "The Deputy pardoned him (Tyrone) and his followers, and with some exceptions, promised him the restoration of his lands and dignity. On these conditions the pacification was ratified. Thus closed a rebellion, evidently brought on, stimulated and continued by the noxious policy of England's treating the Irish as a divided, separate, and enslaved people. But it was a melancholy solace, that the reduction of Ireland to this reluctant state of submission, through the gloomy tracts of blood, famine and pestilence, cost the crown of England no less than 1,198,7171. a sum in those days enormous. By union alone, can a repetition of such scenes be effectually prevented."

We have now given a sketch of the principal rebellions which agitated Ireland during Elizabeth's reign, and of their origin and effects, in order to shew the inaccuracy and inconsistency of Mr. Plowden's observations thereon, as he falsely accuses her government of tyranny, cruelty and rapacity. He complains that it was enacted by the first Parliament, held in the second year of her reign, that the spiritual jurisdiction of the Crown should be restored; that all officers, lay and ecclesiastical, should, on pain of forfeiture and total incapacity, take the oath of supremacy, and that any person who maintained the spiritual supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, should incur certain penalties; and that every person should resort to the established church, under a forfeiture of twelve-pence for every offence. Now it is evident from the declaration of the Irish Papists themselves, above eighty years after, that they did not feel the pressure of this law, and consequently that it could not have any tendency to produce that woeful disaffection, and proneness to treason, which they manifested in the course of the dreadful rebellions which we have described; though Mr. Plowden asserts the contrary, and attempts to excuse them on the ground of irritation, occasioned by this law. In their remonstrance, delivered to the King's Commissioners at Trim, the 17th of March, 1642*, to be presented to his Majesty, they say, "that some of the said Catholics begun to consider the deplorable and desperate condition they were in by a statute law, here found among the records of this kingdom, of the second year of the late Queen Elizabeth, but never executed in her time, nor discovered till most of the Members of that Parliament were dead; no Catholic of this kingdom could enjoy his life, estate, or liberty, if the said statute were executed †."

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There is not a single paragraph in this statute to warrant this false and calumnious assertion. The English House of Commons, on the 27th of August, 1644, ordered this infamous Remonstrance, and the Answer to it by the Protestants, to be published in the following words :-"That the books, entitled an Answer, presented to his Majesty at Oxford, unto the These were the only penal laws, if such they can be called, enacted against the Irish Papists; but it is evident from their acknowledgement, made eighty years afterwards, that they were not known, and consequently could not have been enforced during Elizabeth's reign *. Nothing could be more reasonable, than that those who enjoyed offices under the state, should takes the oath of supremacy, particularly in a country, the mass of whose inhabitants had transferred their allegiance to a foreign Prince, which they were bound to do by the fundamental principles of their religion. The Parliament declared, in Henry the VIIIth's reign, that the oath of supremacy (which in truth is no more than an oath of allegiance), was a declaration of the ancient right of the Crown †. The King's supremacy, both in temporals and spirituals, is asserted in a law of Edward the Confessor $'; and by the 31st of Edward I. the 27th of Edward III. and the 16th of Richard II. In the year 1606, father Lalor, a Popish priest, was indicted under the latter act, and convicted of a præmunire, for having obtained a Papal bull, constituting him Vicar Apostolic General in the diocese of Dublin, Kildare, and Ferns §. Mr. Plowden himself admits, that on the accession of Elizabeth, and before the enactment of this law, to which he imputes the rebellious disposition of the Irish Papists, "None of the provinces were altogether free from the disorders of internal dissention ||." He says, e " it may be naturally presumed, that much of the pacific conduct of the Irish, during the short reign of Mary, was attributable to the general satisfaction which the redintegration of the civil establishment of the Catholic religion afforded to the nation at large. But no sooner had Elizabeth declared for the Reformation, than general discontent pervaded the whole nation within and without the pale T. Here Mr. Plowden endeavours to impose on the British public, by drawing inferences from facts, which are totally unfounded; for we are told by all the Irish historians, particularly by Leland, that Ireland was dreadfully convulsed during Mary's short reign; insomuch that Sir Anthony St. Leger and Sussex were constantly employed in "repressing the disorders perpetually arising in different quarters of the island **."_ Such deadly feuds prevailed among the different chieftains, that John O'Neil at one time, and O'Donnell of Tirconnel at another, called in a body of Scotch to their assistance, who committed dreadful excesses, In page 72 Mr. Plowden asserts, that " the introduction of

the false and scandalous Remonstrance of the Inhuman and Bloody Rebels of Ireland, together with a Narration of the Persecutions at Oxford, be forthwith printed and published."

+ State Tracts,

* Mr. Plowden admits this in page 98, of vol. i. vol. i. p. 446. Spelman's Coun. tom. i. p. 634. Reports, title Præmunire. Vol. i. p. 72. I Ibidem. book iii. cap. 8.

Davis's ** Leland,

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the Reformation by Elizabeth was the cause of the general discontent and disaffection which prevailed in Ireland;" and he says, therefore, " that every province was soon thrown into a state of commotion, or disposed to insurrection;" though he previously admitted, that the country was much disturbed on her accession *. He then proceeds to enumerate the various outrages and acts of hostility which took place in the four different provinces.-Mr. Plowden says this merely to reflect on the government of Elizabeth. But afterwards, wishing to exculpate the Irish from the charge of being impelled by superstitious fanaticism, and hatred to a Protestant state, to enter into rebellion, though these were the real motives, he insinuates, in pages 86 and 87, that religious prejudices were but in a small degree concerned in it, and therefore, he says, that " this was (not a war of Protestants against Catholics, for the royal army was filled with Irish, and that nuinbers of the Romish communion acted with firmness and vigour, in support of that government to which they had sworn allegiance." During the whole of this reign the contrary appears, for the mass of the Irish Papists never evinced the slightest disposition to loyalty, except when awed into obedience by the strength, vigour, and vigilance of the English government; but when it manifested any degree of remissness or debility, they relapsed into rebellion. The uniform conduct of their leaders and chieftains, who may be supposed to have more principle, and a stronger sense of shame than the multitude, evinces this. Moryson, page 20, makes the following observation on Tyrone's conduct: "Tyrone, hitherto with all subtlety and a thousand slights, abusing the state, when he saw any danger hanging over him, by feigned countenance and false words, pretended humblest submission, and heartfelt sorrow, for his villanies; but as soon as opportunity of pursuing him was omitted, or the forces were of necessity to be drawn from his country, with the terror of them, all his loyalty vanished, yea, he failed not to mingle secretly the greatest counsels of mischief with his humblest submissions." On his success at Blackwater, acquired by the most infa'mous treachery, which we have before described, Moryson observes, page 25, " by this victory the rebels got plenty of arms and victuals. Tyrone was, among the Irish, celebrated as the deliverer of his country from thraldom, and the combined traitors on all sides were puffed up with intolerable pride. All Ulster was in arms, all Connaught revolted, and the rebels of Leinster swarmed in the English pale, while the English lay in their garrisons, so far froin assailing the rebels, as they rather lived in continued fear to be surprized by them." In a letter from Lord Mountjoy to Sir Robert Cecil, of the 9th of August 1601, it is thus stated: "The news you received from the Pre

* His words are, "yet notwithstanding the general disposition to be submissive to the English government, none of the provinces were alto. gether free from the disorders of internal dissention."

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sident of Munster, of Spanish succours, I do find no ways more confirmed than by the assured confidence this people hath thereof, out of which they are grown from the humblest begging of their peace, to exceeding pride; and the traitor himself so strong (Tyrone), believe me, Sir, he hath many more fighting men than we *." He says also,

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upon the news of Spanish succours, I know few Irish I can reckon ours t." In-a letter of the 2d of October, 1601, he says, on the arrival of the Spaniards, " upon the first blow we shall receive (from the which I hope God will preserve us), I doubt there would fall out a general revolt ‡.". From the noted treachery of the Irish Papists, Mountjoy recommends, that the chieftains, on their submitting and receiving pardon, should be disarmed, and that the mass of the people, when a peace is concluded, should be deprived of their arms §. It cannot be a matter of astonishment, that the Irish Papists should shew no regard to an oath of allegiance, taken to a Protestant state, as it is declared to be null and void by their general councils, which Mr. Plowden himself tells us, are "absolutely infallible, and not liable to deceit or error || ;" and therefore Mr. Spenser, the celebrated poet, who was secretary to Lord Grey, one of the Lord Deputies who preceded Lord Mountjoy, says, in his very excellent treatise on the state of Ireland, " as to an oath of allegiance, many of them are suspected to have taken another oath, privily, to some bad purposes, and thereupon to have received the sacrament, and to have been sworn to a priest, which, they think, bindeth them more than their allegiance to their Prince, or love to their country."

(To be concluded in our next.)

The Asiatic Annual Register; or, View of the History of Hindustan, and of the Politics, Commerce, and Literature of Asia, for the Year 1804. By Lawrence Dundas Campbell, Esq. Large 8vo. Pr. 896. Cadell and Davies. 1806.

TO this volume of the Asiatic Register our readers will perceive, that the learned and sensible editor has, for the first time, prefixed his name; and, unquestionably, the work will do no discredit to the name of any accomplished scholar. We are truly concerned, however, to find, as we do from the Preface, that Mr. Campbell has laboured under very great difficulties; and has met with very little assistance, and very inadequate encouragement, in the prosecution of his literary labours. At this intelligence, we confess our very great surprise; for surely, when we consider the population and extent of our Indian empire, its vast and increasing importance, as well in a political as in a commercial

*

Moryson, page 120.

Ibid. p. 208.

:

+ Ibid. p. 121. ‡ Ibid. p. 137. || Case stated, written by Mr. Plowden, p. 21.. point

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point of view; and the great number of persons who must take a deep interest in its prosperity; it is but natural to suppose, that one work, devoted exclusively to its political, military, commercial, and literary history, and conducted with impartiality, knowledge, and talent, would have a most extensive circulation. The better it is known, the greater, we are confident, will be its success. It was a work much wanted; for few persons have access to Indian publications, and every one is, more or less, anxious to have some knowledge of a country, highly interesting in so many respects.

Fartly from some of the causes aliuded to, and partly from the very large collection of state papers, the editor has been obliged to curtail the historical department of the work; which is certainly much to be regretted; though it could not be avoided, as the state papers form a most essential part of it; and those here given contain a variety of most important documents, relative to the origin, the principle, and the progress of the Mahratta war. In our opinion, a more satisfactory body of evidence, affording the fullest justification of the conduct of the Governor-General; and exhibiting the most decisive proofs of his wisdom, his energy, his firmness, and his moderation, was never laid before the public. - Truly does Mr. Campbell observe:

"The present condition of Europe, and the ambitious projects of France, point out the expediency of consolidating the resources of the British empire in India, and of fixing, on a broad, stable, and permanent foundation, a comprehensive, uniform, and vigorous system of policy, for the administration of its affairs, both in its foreign and domestic relations."

۱

This is, indeed, a most important subject; -such consolidation must be the fruit of deep reflection and extensive experience; directed by the commanding genius of a statesman, and not regulated by the narrow conceptions of a counting-house politician. To us, it appears, that the commercial and territorial concerns of our Indian empire, should be kept totally separate and distinct; - that while the former should be entrusted to the management of a trading company, the latter should devolve, exclusively, upon the executive government of the country.

The portion of the volume allotted to the history of India is small indeed. The historical narrative is confined to the relative situation of the Dutch and English East India Companies, in the years 1619 and 1620, the unprincipled conduct of the former to the latter, and the infamous massacre of our countrymen by the Dutch at Amboyna. No people, certainly, knew better how to profit by the indulgences granted, and the power acquired, in the East, than the Dutch; their mode of governing their India possessions appears to have been wise and efficient; they studied the humours and the genius, as they conformed to the manners and the customs, of the natives. To their Governor-Generol was delegated the most extensive authority, which he exercised in a way, generally speaking, which shewed that he knew the people, whom it was his interest either to awe or to conci

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