Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/88

Rh the distinctions between the old Irish of blood and the old English of Irish birth, which divided that party into factions, prevented all peace with the Marquis of Ormond, and finally ruined the country he was sent to save. When Mr. Beling had fathomed the mischievous schemes of nuncio and his party, and perceived that they had other views than merely to obtain toleration for the free exercise of their religion, nobody was more zealous than he in opposing their measures, in promoting the peace then in agitation, and submitting to the king's authority, which he did with so much sincerity, that he became very acceptable to the Marquis of Ormond, who entrusted him with many negociations both before and after the Restoration, all of which he executed with great fidelity. In 1647 he was commissioned to transact the negotiation for the junction of the Irish army with that of the Marquis of Ormond, before the surrender of Dublin to the parliament; and, after the Restoration, the Marquis, then created Duke of Ormond, employed him three several times to endeavour to prevail on the synod of the catholic clergy assembled, by connivance, at Dublin, in 1666, to sign a remonstrance of their loyalty, which he had himself subscribed in 1662. These negotiations, however, were entirely fruitless, the synod abruptly breaking off before any business was concluded.

When the parliament army had vanquished the royalists, Mr. Beling withdrew to France, where he continued several years; during which period he employed himself in composing several works in Latin, in opposition to such writings of the Romish party as had been written to clear them from being the instruments of the rebellion, and to lay the blame thereof on the severity of the English government. His account of the transactions of Ireland, during the period of the rebellion, is esteemed, by judicious readers, more worthy of credit than any written by the Romish party, and yet he is not free from a partiality to the cause he at first embarked in.