Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/99

 knew himself to be; and he noted the probability of the assembling of a very factious Parliament. Signs of coming trouble were soon apparent.

At the latter end of 1658, an anonymous pamphlet had been issued in Dublin, during the Doctor's absence in London, whither, as already seen, he had gone to attend the Committee of the Adventurers; and copies were sent to Secretary Thurloe and others. This pamphlet began by reciting how he 'had the opportunity of the Lord Deputy and Ladye's ear, as well as being his physician, and as complying with the then predominant party.' It compared Henry Cromwell to Henry VIII. and Dr. Petty to Cardinal Wolsey; and concluded with a long series of general charges of dishonesty and malversation. 'A simple and malicious paper, which truly I sett nothing by,' Thurloe wrote to Henry Cromwell. The latter at once referred it to a body of forty leading officers to examine, and these officers appointed a committee on the matter, which recommended the preparation of a reply by Dr. Petty and his colleagues on the Committee of Distribution, in the shape of an authentic book and record to show in detail what had been done with the army's security. An order to this effect was issued by the Irish Council on December 20, 1658, and it proceeded to appoint another committee, on which Sir Hierome himself, Gookin and King had places, to consider the matter.

The pamphlet had been inspired by, if it was not the actual work of Sir Hierome himself. The grievance specially put forward related to the liberties of the city of Limerick, the charge made being one to which Dr. Petty's connection with the family of the Protector gave a special colour; for these lands, then as now reputed amongst the best in Ireland, had been claimed by the Council as lying within the city, and had been principally allotted to the gentlemen of the Life