Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 06.djvu/137

 among us' (Journals, iii. 315). After his return to England he formed one of a special council whom the Protector was in the habit of consulting on matters of prime importance (, Memorials, 656). He was also a member of the House of Lords, nominated by Cromwell in December 1657 (Parl. Hist. iii. 1518). It was chiefly at his instance that the parliament resolved to recommend Cromwell to adopt the title of king (, Memoirs, 247), and he was one of the committee appointed to discuss the matter with Cromwell (Monarchy asserted to be the best, most ancient, and legall form of government, in a conference held at Whitehall with Oliver Lord Cromwell and a Committee of Parliament, 1660, reprinted in the State Letters of the Earl of Orrery, 1742). Probably it was after the failure of this negotiation that he brought before Cromwell the remarkable proposal for a marriage between Cromwell's daughter Frances and Charles II (, Memoirs of the Earl of Orrery, 21). After the death of Oliver he did his utmost to consolidate the government of his son Richard, who consulted him in his chief difficulties, but failed to profit sufficiently by his advice. Convinced at last that the cause of Richard was hopeless, he passed over to Ireland, and obtaining from the commissioners the command in Munster, he, along with Sir Charles Coote, president of Connaught, secured Ireland for the king. His letter inviting Charles to land at Cork actually reached him before the first communication of Monk, but the steps taken by Monk in England rendered the landing of Charles in Ireland unnecessary. In the Convention parliament Broghill sat as member for Arundel, and; on 5 Sept. 1660 he was created Earl of Orrery. About the close of the year he was appointed one of the lord justices of Ireland, and it was he who drew up the act of settlement for that kingdom. On the retirement of Lord Clarendon, the lord high chancellor, he was offered the great seals, but, from considerations of health, declined them. He continued for the most part to reside in Ireland in discharge of his duties as lord president of Munster, and in this capacity was successful in defeating the attempt of the Duke of Beaufort, admiral of France, to land at Kinsale. The presidency of Munster he, however, resigned in 1668 on account of disagreements with the Duke of Ormonde, lord-lieutenant. Shortly afterwards he was on 25 Nov. impeached in the House of Commons for 'raising of moneys by his own authority upon his majesty's subjects; defrauding the king's subjects of their estates,' but the king by commission on 11 Dec. suddenly put a stop to the proceedings by proroguing both houses to 14 Feb. (Impeachment of the Earl of Orrery, Parl. Hist. iv. 434-40), and no further attempt was made against him. He died from an attack of gout 16 Oct. 1679. He was buried at Youghal. He left two sons and five daughters.

The Earl of Orrery was the reputed author of an anonymous pamphlet 'Irish Colours displayed, in a reply of an English Protestant to a letter of an Irish Roman Catholic,' 1662. The 'Irish Roman Catholic' was Father Peter Welsh, who replied to it by 'Irish Colours folded.' Both were addressed to the Duke of Ormonde. That Orrery was the author of the pamphlet is not impossible, but the statement is unsupported by proof. It is probable, therefore, that it has been confounded with another reply to the same letter professedly written by him and entitled 'An Answer to a scandalous letter lately printed and subscribed by Peter Welsh, Procurator to the Sec. and Reg. Popish Priests of Ireland.' This pamphlet has for sub-title 'A full Discovery of the Treachery of the Irish rebels and the beginning of the rebellion there. Necessary to be considered by all adventurers and other persons estated in that kingdom.' Both the letter of Welsh and this reply to it have been reprinted in the 'State Letters of Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery,' 1742. In 1654 he published in six volumes the first part of a romance, 'Parthenissa,' a complete edition of which appeared in three volumes in 1665 and in 1677. The writer of the notice of Orrery in the 'Biographia Britannica' attributes the neglect of the romance to its remaining unfinished, but finished it certainly was, and if it had not been, its tediousness would not have been relieved by adding to its length. More substantial merit attaches to his 'Treatise of the Art of War,' 1677, dedicated to the king. He claims for it the distinction of being the first 'Entire Treatise on the Art of War written in our language,' and the quality of comprehensiveness cannot be denied to it, treating as it does of the 'choice and educating of the soldiery; the arming of the soldiery; the disciplining of the soldiery; the ordering of the garrisons; the marching of an army; the camping of an army within a line or intrenchment; and battles.' The treatise is of undoubted interest as indicating the condition of the art at the close of the Cromwellian wars, and, like his political pamphlet, is written in a terse and effective style.

Not content to excel as a statesman and a general, Orrery devoted some of his leisure to the cultivation of poetry; but if Dryden is to be believed, the hours he chose for the