“Most dutiful, obedient subject,
“and passionately devoted servant,
“Glamorgan.
“Waterford, Feb. 23, 1645–6.”
The same month, however, Chester surrendered to the Parliamentary forces, after a stubborn siege; while in March following news arrived at Kilkenny of his Majesty’s message of the 29th of January, addressed to the Parliament, denying any participation in and unreservedly disavowing all knowledge of the Earl’s treaty of the 25th of August, 1645. The Roman Catholics were astounded; all their labour and expense, all their negociations at once appeared worse than vain, being only calculated to arouse public indignation.
But the Parliamentary party appeared pretty well satisfied that the Earl’s imprisonment was a merely colourable affair, suspecting that the King was merely sacrificing a devoted friend to clear himself and appease the public wrath.
Notwithstanding this state of affairs in Ireland, the Earl was, on the 4th of March, 1646, created “Duke of Somerset and Beaufort,” which title he afterwards resigned, but the original patent, still existing at Badminton, is translated as follows:—
“Charles, by the grace of God of England, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all our Archbishops, Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, Bishops, Barons, Knights, Governors of Towns, Freemen, and all other Officers, Ministers, and subjects to whom these Presents shall come Greeting.
“We esteem the greatness of our Royal Dignity not only to be highly adorned but even to be augmented and enlarged when men eminent for their nobility and virtue, who have deserved well of their country, and by notable achievements and particularly by trophys and other monuments of military valour acquired at home and abroad and distinguished and adorned by any illustrious accession of Honour, Dignity, or Titles.—And Whereas our right trusty and well beloved Cousin Edward Somerset, alias Plantagenet, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Earl of our County of Glamorgan, son and heir apparent of our right trusty and well beloved Cousin Henry Earl and Marquess of Worcester, Baron of the Honours of the castles of Raglan, Chepstow, and Gower, a man eminent for the nobleness of his blood, and his approved attachment and fidelity to us, (by always furnishing the most ready supplies out of his own fortune to us in these most calamitous times) Hath in a special manner recommended himself to our favour: as he is rendered illustrious by a long train of noble ancestors, and by the high nobility transmitted by paternal succession from John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, and his son John Plantagenet Duke of Somerset, from the place of his nativity surnamed Beaufort—and by other connections of blood with the Royal Houses of Lancaster and York, to Charles the first Earl of Worcester; All which dignity of birth and accumulated honours he hath himself greatly surpassed by his own personal virtues and inviolable fidelity to Us.
“For with what integrity, with what constancy, with what expense, he did execute the royal command of President of the six counties of South Wales and the places adjoining to the Severn coast? He was present at sieges and battles.—With what courage and successful conduct did he take Goodridge Castle, the Forest of Dean and the city of Hereford? In short, with what remarkable good fortune, with what unhoped for success he made himself master of the strongly fortified town of Monmouth? And not content with the confined limits of one kingdom, go to the most distant places beyond the seas, through the midst of hostile forces and the dangers of shipwreck, yet at his own private expense, regardless of all dangers, at the loss of his own private fortune, that he might raise succours for the support of the tottering crown of his King. These things, &c.”