ral Desbrow was so incensed against me, that he publicly fell out with me, and told me I sought to hinder the design, and raised an untrue report."

From the sequel it would appear that Desbrow, who had been one of King Charles's self-constituted judges, and an intimate friend of the Protector, "had a share in the profit of the place, and therefore would receive no complaints against the victuallers of the navy." Application to the lords of the council was attended with no redress.

"But after four months' attendance and expense of our money, we had not any positive answer whether the design would go on or no and yet the design was vulgarly discoursed, whereby the enemy had timely warning to provide; which we find they did, with much circumspection and prudence" (in Hispaniola.)

"After about five months' time, I was commanded to be ready to go, with so much haste, having wholly laid all conceit of the design aside, that I was so surprised with confusion in my thoughts, I had scarce time to know in what condition the state of things were, before our men were drawn out. I desired we might only have such as freely offered themselves; which was promised us: yet the officers generally gave us the most abject of their companies; and if any man offered himself he was struck, or otherwise punished. And one thing I cannot omit, that those men we had were taken up purposely to spare their old blades; and among those thus entertained, were divers papists; in particular sixteen, and four of them Irish, and one priest were put upon us out of the lower regiment: many more were found since, though all we could discover were cashiered at Barbadoes; and though it was earnestly moved by me that we might have men raised out of the Irish army, seasoned with hardship and danger, it was utterly rejected; besides the men thus given, wanted five hundred of the number designed, and almost half their arms defective; which being related to the council, we were not permitted to stay for arms, much less to exercise the men, and try what they were. But the officers and myself were threatened to be imprisoned if they staid in the city till next day; whereby some were constrained to leave their necessaries behind them, all being denied carriages, which are allowed all other officers of the three nations. In all my desires

and proposals, I was constantly answered with scoff or bad language by some, as moving for targets; the country being woody, we had a jest told us, and then a denial.

"Instead of ministers to the six regiments I pressed for, being the design that was alleged to be for the propagation of the gospel, a number of black coats were offered: I complaining of profane persons being put upon me, it was answered, if they offended to cashier them; contrary to the old adage, turpius ejicitur, &c.

"All these things might have discouraged me from going, had not my affection for the service of my country transported me beyond my reason, and all the persuasions of my friends, I leaving a considerable employment at home, as well as estate; so that necessity did not force me upon the service. I was promised ten months' provisions for ten thousand men; but, instead of having it put on board with me, it was sent to London to the store ships, for want of room; and yet the officers of the navy took in commodities to trade withall at Barbadoes.”

Such was the armament which subjected Jamaica! Venables was Colonel of a regiment of infantry in Ireland; commanderin-chief of the forces in Ulster; and commandant of the town and castle of Carrickfergus. From his suspected loyalty to Charles, he had become obnoxious to Cromwell; which, doubtless, was the cause of his being sent on this expedition, and afterward so roughly treated.

Barwick, whose life and writings are preserved in the library of Saint John's College, in Cambridge, and who was a contemporary and friend of Venables, asserts that such was actually the case.

"Cromwellus tamen in simulati amoris tesseram, revera tamen ut hominem, à quo sibi malè metuebat, longissimè a se amoliretur, copiis istis Venablium præficere voluit, quas in Americanam expeditionem conscripserat. Venablius autem fraudem Cromwellianarum minimè ignarus, et pro comperto habens plerisque eorum, quibus erat imperaturus, novam hanc tyrannidem isse satis invisam, cum istis copiis Tyrannum de solio deturbare, Regemque serenissimum restituere statuerat. Et profecto egregio cœpto minimè excidisset, si auxiliariæ phalanges, quarum erat in subsidiis stare adjutricem manum tam nobili auso admoturæ, à viro perfidissimo, cui Rex omnia sua sub ista tempora

concrediderat, non fuissent proditæ. Cromwellus autem, cui conjuratio ista subolere cœperat, Desburgum ante diem condictum nocte concubiâ ex improviso ad Venablium mittit, qui ipsum somno gravem de lecto suscitat, et ad iter Londino Portmuttam versus cum copiis suis quantocyus se accingere jubet. Sicque facinus egregium tunc temporis institutum intervertitur. Venablius tamen per Barwicum suum istius facinoris conscium et consortem jam denuo regiæ majestati officium suum defert."

This curious historical fact is corroborated by a letter from the Earl of Clarendon, dated at Brussels in July, 1659; in which he says, "I am very glad Venables disposes himself to a present engagement for the king: and I hope he will be à very fit adviser for Sir George Booth," &c. This explains the motive of Venables in leaving Colonel D'Oyley to command in Jamaica, a man, like himself, sincerely attached to the Stuart family; and why also the Protector so repeatedly superseded him.

Venables, on his release from the Tower in November 1655, declared that he then remembered " some words spoken to him by his friends, before he left England; which were, that he was sent to be destroyed, not to do service; that he was popular in Ireland, had too much interest there; and that they knew not how to displace him, or free themselves from him, but by such a removal as might occasion death."

Admiral Penn was also secretly dissatisfied with Cromwell, and warmly attached to the Royal Exile; as appears from a passage in the Marquis of Ormond's letter to the Duke of Newberg, dated in June 1655: "Besides the power the King hath in the navy, and amongst the seamen; in this particular fleet under Admiral Penn, where, besides the common soldiers and mariners, there are many principal officers who have served his Majesty, and whose affections will dispose them to receive any orders from the King."

The conduct of Venables, therefore, in the capture of Jamaica, has been unjustly censured by Long and other historians; and his failure in Hispaniola is to be attributed to the disorganised state of his army. His attachment to the royal cause, and the misfortunes which that attachment brought upon him, must render his name dear to all patriots, and every detail of his life and actions interesting to the colonists of Jamaica.

Note XLIX.-p. 198.

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The force, according to Venables' account, was thus rated:

1,851 horse and foot, from Barbadoes.

1,000 infantry, raised at Nevis, Saint Kitts, and

6,551

Montserrat.

The following were some of the principal persons who held official situations in this expedition.

Commissioner-died.

The articles of capitulation agreed to by the British and Spanish commissioners, before the town of Saint Jago de la Vega, on the 11th of May, 1655, were these :

"Imprimis: That all forts, arms, ammunition, utensils and necessaries of war, of what kind or nature soever, except what is hereafter exempted; and all kind of shipping that now is in any harbour of this island, with the furniture, sails, apparel, ammunition, ordnance, &c., thereunto belonging; as also goods, wares, merchandizes, or what else is upon the said island, be