A law declaring the crown of Ireland independent, a law transferring mitres, glebes, and tithes from the Protestant to the Roman Catholic Church, a law transferring ten millions of acres from Saxons to Celts, would doubtless be loudly applauded in Clare and Tipperary.

But what would be the effect of such laws at Westminster?
What at Oxford?
It would be poor policy to alienate such men as Clarendon and Beaufort, Ken and Sherlock, in order to obtain the applause of the Rapparees of the Bog of Allen, [181] Thus the English and Irish factions in the Council at Dublin were engaged in a dispute which admitted of no compromise.

Avaux meanwhile looked on that dispute from a point of view entirely his own.

His object was neither the emancipation of Ireland nor the restoration of James, but the greatness of the French monarchy.

In what way that object might be best attained was a very complicated problem.