Above : Picture Of Charles I

In the Declaration issued from Breda before his return to England, Charles had promised that, with certain exceptions—those, as it afterwards appeared, of the regicides who had signed Charles I*s death-warrant—none of his subjects, ” of what degree of guilt soever,” should find, that ” any crime whatsoever ” committed against either his father or himself should ” ever rise in judgment or be brought in question against any of them, to the least endangerment of them, either in their lives, liberties or estates.” This he guaranteed, ” upon the word of a King solemnly given.”

To carry this out literally, as regards the disposal of the Irish land which had been confiscated under the Cromwellian Settlement, appeared impossible. The Planters who held it had received it in return for money subscribed or military service rendered to the rebel English Parliament. If deprived of it, they would obviously be made to suffer for acts done in aid of a rebellion against the King. On the other hand, the Irish proprietors had been dispossessed of these same lands for a rebellion also, but which might be held to be one either against the Parliament or against the King.

In the one case, they, from She Royalist point of view, merited rather reward than punishment; in the other, the confiscation of their property, if maintained, would violate the undertaking given in the Declaration. But if the old proprietors were to have their lands restored, the Planters must lose them. Faith must thus, it appeared, be broken with one side or the other. It soon appeared which party was to suffer.

The partisans of the late Government, and especially the army, were still strong and in power. Charles dared not run the risk of offending them. On the other hand, the old Royalists in Ireland, and the remains of the Confederate parties, were weak and depressed. They might safely be ignored.

Charles himself was not unwilling to do justice to the Irish, but he was too selfish to run the smallest risk of having ” to go again on his travels ” for any person or any cause.