THE OATH OF THE ASSOCIATION.
I, A. B., do profess, swear, and protest before God and his saints and angels, that I will, during my life, bear true faith and allegiance to my sovereign lord, Charles, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, and to his heirs and lawful successors ; and that I will to my power, during my life, defend, uphold, and maintain, all his and their just prerogatives, estates, and rights, the power and privilege of the parliament of this realm, the fundamental laws of Ireland, the free exercise of the Roman Catholic faith and religion throughout this land ; and the lives, just liberties, possessions, estates, and rights of, all those that have taken, or shall take, this oath,
and perform the contents thereof.
"And that I will obey and ratify all the orders and decrees made, and to be made, by the supreme council of the Confederate Catholics of this kingdom concerning the said public cause ; and I will not seek, directly or indirectly, any pardon or protection for any act done, or to be done, touching this general cause, without the consent of the major part of the said council ; and that I will not, directly or indirectly, do any act or acts that shall prejudice the said cause, but will, to the hazard of my life and estate, assist, prosecute, and maintain the same.
"Moreover, I do farther swear, that I will not accept of, or submit unto, any peace made, or to be
made, with the said Confederate Catholics, without the consent and approbation of the general assembly of the said Confederate Catholics ; and for the preservation and strengthening of the association and union of the kingdom, that upon any peace or accommodation to be
made or concluded with the said Confederate Catholics, as aforesaid, I will to the utmost of my power, insist upon and maintain the ensuing propositions, until a peace, as aforesaid, be made, and the matters to be agreed upon in the articles of peace be established and secured by parliament. So help me God and His holy gospel."
To decapitate Charles I. was to enlarge the King of
England. The Earl of Ormond had Charles II. pro-
claimed in Youghal, Carrick, Cork, Kinsale, and in all
the other towns of this province. Prince Eupert, the
great royalist general, and nephew of the murdered
king, entered the harbour of Kinsale with sixteen
ships, displaying black jacks, ensigns and pendants.
The prince and all his officers were in deep mourning.
He came, as he stated, to prepare the way for Charles
II. He was visited by the Marquis of Ormond, and
treated with all honor and respect by the inhabitants.
His fleet succeeded in making prizes of a number of
corn vessels, of which it stood in the greatest need.
He sent a force to the relief of Scilly, and 5,000 pis-
toles to the new king. Prince Eupert's brother,
Maurice, had arrived in Kinsale about a fortnight
Cromwell advances from Wexford to Ross, which he summons in the following style. The summons is addressed to Lucas Taaffe, the brother of Lord Taaffe, who commanded the Irish at the battle of Knockninoss, near Castle Magner, in the county Cork :
" Sir, Since my coming into Ireland, I have this witness for myself, that I have endeavoured to avoid effusion of blood ; having been sent before no place, to which such terms have not been first sent, as might have turned to the good and preservation of those to whom they were offered; this being my principle, that the people and places where I come may not suffer, except through their own wilfullness. To the
