Page:A Compendium of Irish Biography.djvu/539

 TAL

unjust to many of his countrymen who had suffered in the cause of the Stuarts. In November 1670 he drew up a petition to the Crown setting forth the services of the loyalist Irish. His advocacy of the claims of the ousted Catholic land-owners, strenuously persevered in, made him many enemies. It is not so well known that he was equally distasteful to the ultra- Catholic or French party, who were ready to sacrifice everything to their desire to sever the connexion between Ireland and England. Selected by Titus Gates in 1677 as one of his victims, he fled to the Con- tinent ; but on his return soon afterwards was received into great favour at Court. His first wife was Miss Boynton, maid- of-houour to the Queen, sister-in-law to Lord Roscommon, the poet. She died in Dublin, in March 1679, ^^^ '"'^^ buried, with her child, in Christ Church Cathedral. Within a year Colonel Talbot married, in Paris, Frances Jennings, sister of Sarah, the celebrated Duchess of Marlborough. According to Sir Bernard Burke, " she had the fairest and brightest complexion that ever was seen ; her hair a most beauteous flaxen, her coun- tenance extremely animated, though gene- rally persons so exquisitely fair have an insipidity ; her whole person was fine, particularly her neck and bosom. The charms of her person and the unaffected sprightliness of her wit gained her the general admiration of the whole [English] court ; in these fascinating qualities she had other competitors ; but scarcely one except Miss Jennings maintained through- out the character of unblemished chastity." During the reign of Charles II., Colonel Talbot lived mostly in Ireland, where he was regarded by all of his creed as a countryman who stood high in favour, and would stand higher as soon as the Duke of York came to the throne. When that event occurred, in February 1685, King James, " to mitigate a little the cruel oppression the Catholics had so long groaned under in that kingdom, thought it no injury to others that they who had tasted so deeply of his sufferings should now, in his prosperity, have a share at least of his protection ; " and for other considerations thought it "necessary to give a commission of Lieutenant-G eueral to Colonel Richard Talbot, a gentleman of an ancient family in that kingdom, a man of good abilities and clear courage, and one who for many years had a true attachment to his Majesty's person and in- terest," " In the same year he was created Baron of Talbot's Court, Viscount Baltin- glass, and Earl of Tirconnell ; and in

TAL

Febniary 1 686-' 7, he was made Lord-Lieu- tenant of Ireland. His administration of affairs in the interest of the Catholics in- creased the discontent and alarm aroused in the minds of the Protestants by the accession of James. Two Catholic judges were appointed in each court, the third being a Protestant ; Catholics were made high-sheriffs and privy-councillors, granted commissions of the peace, and admitted members of corporations, and the army was flooded with officers of that Church. When James II. retired to France in De- cember 1 688, Tirconnell adhered to his cause, and at once set about organizing forces in his interest. There are some grounds " for the belief that great temp- tations were held out by King William to win him over to his side. When James landed at Kinsale in March i688-'9, Tir- connell met him, and was thereupon made a duke. During the ensuing campaign he continued to be the King's principal ad- viser. [See James II., p. 261.J He fought at the battle of the Boyne in July. Lady Tirconnell did the honours of Dublin Cas- tle with singular tact and grace. "The dignity of her character was shown on the evening of the battle of the Boyne, a day which she had spent in an agony of sus- pense, and which was only terminated by the arrival of the King and Talbot, all weary and travel-stained, as they had ridden from the field. She received them at the top of the stairs at the Castle, and knelt to James, asking him to honour her by refreshing himself with a supper which she had prepared."^33 James is said to have replied that his breakfast had left him no appetite ; and to have complimented her on the alertness of the heels of her hus- band's countrymen ; whereupon she re- joined that in that respect "his Majesty had the advantage of them." Tirconnell did not take a very prominent part in affairs after James's departure for France. His overbearing manner made him in- creasingly unpopular with his countrymen; and the infirmities of age obliged him to make way for younger and more vigorous men in the support of a declining cause. When Limerick was besieged by William III., in August 1690, and General Lauzun declared that the place could be " taken with roasted apples," Tirconnell retired with the French troops to Gal way, leaving Sarsfield to reap the glory of the successful defence. In the autumn he visited France, delegating his civil authority to one coun- cil, and his military to another, but giving Sarsfield a low place on the list of military councillors. In January 1691 he entered the Shannon with three frigates laden 515