“May it please your Excellency,
“I have this long time expected your commands, which to receive, having sent two expresses, I verily believed would have come ere this into my hands; trusting likewise to Mr. Walsingham’s solicitations; but as yet I have neither heard from him nor your Excellency, one word since his departure, and receiving an earnest desire from the Nuncio to speak with me; as understanding likewise how prejudicial it might be to me, and especially to my brother who is in Italy, if the dean whom he hath sent thither, should depart without satisfaction from me of so pressing an occasion, as was by my Lord Nuncio pretended unto me. I repaired thither on Saturday last, with so much the more contentment as that I persuaded myself that your Excellency would be at Kilkenny, and I so much the nearer to kiss your hands; but I now return to the county of Clare, there to expect your commands. Yet let me not forget to give you an account of the business I was sent for. The rumour being spread that the Concessions (which some call mine) were to be printed and published at Kilkenny, as I have absolutely disowned any such thing to my Lord Nuncio, and denied to patronise the same; so I think myself bound to acquaint your Excellency, and by your means the Council Table, how mindful I am of the favours I there received, so as not to incur the least censure of yours and theirs by enacting anything, for which I had already a check. And certainly it cannot be imagined that the Supreme Council which was, could expect or desire any such thing at my hands, since they never urged to take off my recognizance, which through innocency I also neglected, and I joy to be disengaged from so perilous a business, protesting before Almighty God, that since that time I have entered into no new engagements unto them; and what hath passed before (conditions not having been held with me), none of the Commissioners themselves can think them obligatory, all other reasons also considered. Besides, when they had first thought to make use of them, it was resolved, that after the completing of conditions with your Excellency, they might bear a true date subsequent thereunto; and how invalid they are without the same is sufficiently evident, abstracting from the King’s declaration, which (though enforced upon him), I esteem it yet a warning for further proceedings therein, and fit only for great persons, who can maintain the same, to go contrary to the intimation of his Majesty’s pleasure, though never so compulsorily granted. For as I never have, nor will esteem, and be frighted at the contradiction of any others, when the intimation of his Majesty’s pleasure continues to me in any particular unrevoked; so, on the contrary, can I never be drawn, for any man’s pleasure, to go immediately contrary to what proceedeth from him, deeming it not my part to enter into dispute which way his Majesty is induced, when I see his positive act extant. Let this, therefore (I beseech your Excellency), give you and the world satisfaction, that I no ways countenance the standing upon any articles heretofore treated of by me, who am no more tied to make anything thereof good, than any man is to deliver up the possession of his lands for which he never received the consideration agreed upon. Besides, in order to the King’s subsistence, one man was then more considerable than three now. In fine, having washed my hands of that business, verify I will that proverb that the Child burned dreads the fire. And those noble Lords, who stand my bail, may be confident, I shall never deservedly put them in fright, or myself in danger to save them further harmless; or to show such ingratitude to your Excelleney and the Council as to own those concessions which they so much endeavoured to prevent. And thus fearing to have been too tedious, I abruptly kiss your Lordship’s hands and ever remain
“Your Excellency’s, &c.
“Glamorgan.
“Waterford, the 30th of August, 1646.”
Ormond replied under date, Dublin Castle, the 2nd of September, 1646, saying—“I must profess myself exceedingly satisfied with the prudence of your Lordship’s carriage at Waterford, and with the wisdom of the resolution you have taken in the particular of those things now endeavoured to be fastened upon you;” ... and which course he designates “a thing so much to your Lordship’s honour and advantage.”
Under date of 11th of September, the Earl again addressed the Lord Lieutenant:[H]
“May it please your Excellency,
“I think myself very happy in that the resolution which appeared in my letter unto you proved so acceptable, as by the noble expressions of your letter and of my Lord Digby’s I find it is, and do humbly acknowledge infinite thanks for your Excellency’s great desire of seeing me; and had the self-same letter informed me of any service I could have done you, I should have been far from taking the resolution which I now have put on, correspondent unto my expressions in my last unto your Excellency, and unto the sense for which the commendations given me by you (I conceive) do proceed: which was to keep myself free from having any part in those most unfortunate and newly occasioned distractions, from which the further I withdraw myself, and the sooner, suits best with my disposition. Besides, my intentions wherewith I came into this kingdom were first to serve his Majesty and it; and next to serve your Excellency above all his subjects, and my own friends, which being now frustrated, that part only remains which can only die with myself, which is Omnibus viis et modis, to endeavour to promote his Majesty’s service, finding myself more capable and more probable for to do it elsewhere for this present, than in this kingdom. I hasten towards the sea-side, where I am informed some conveniency of shipping will afford; ... yet I could not omit to send a person of trust and confidence, by whom your Excellency may send unto me before my departure such notions as perhaps you may think not fit to put to paper. And if, either by word of mouth or writing sent by so trusty a person as Mr. Joyner (by whom I have sent you the reasons, that debar me of the happiness to kiss your Excellency’s hands in transitu), I find myself thought capable by you to serve his Majesty or your Excellency longer in these parts, and more advantageously than what I am now going about, you may be confident to receive such a return from me as may best stand with my duty to his Majesty and my affection to your person, to whom my professions have been ever real; and had my ambition and only thoughts taken place, I dare boldly say, I should have vied with the nearest person in blood or affection you have in Ireland, in the reality of being ever,
“Your Excellency’s most really