Page:Studies in Irish History, 1649-1775 (1903).djvu/87

Charles II, Carte tells us, "was for an English interest to be established in Ireland." He "considered the settlement of Ireland as an affair rather of policy than justice." For a while he had been "favourable to the Irish, and expressed himself as if he intended the peace of 1648 should be made good to them"; but when he had used this language "he was misled to think there were lands enough to reprise such of the adventurers and soldiers as were to be dispossessed." He was now "sensible of that mistake." "It appeared that one interest or the other must suffer"; and Charles, not altogether unnaturally "thought it most for the good of the kingdom, advantage of the Crown, and security of his Government," to conciliate the stronger and wealthier party at the expense of the poorer and weaker. "A contrary conduct," the same writer very justly observes, "would have been matter of discontent to the Parliament of England."

The constitution of the Irish Parliament and of the Irish Executive materially facilitated this design. Lord Broghill and Sir Charles Coote, created for their recent services Earls of Orrery and Mountrath, "men that had signally behaved themselves against the Irish during the whole rebellion," were appointed in conjunction with Lord Chancellor Eustace, an eminent lawyer, 75